Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year, and had a lot to be thankful for. Tom and I are so thankful for our "little turkey!!" AnnaLynne has truly brought so much joy to our lives and those around her, we couldn't be any happier!!!

We celebrated by having dinner at my aunt and uncles. It is always fun to have the whole family get together and having all the little ones running around. My aunt did a wonderful job with dinner as always. I wish I had taken pictures of all the delicious food and tablescape. During dinner we shared what we were thankful for and one wish we had for the upcoming year.

Once we finished dinner we did our annual looking through the Black Friday ads. This is always fun, although my mom and I are the only ones who go out and actually do the shopping. Which was also fun as well!! We got some great buys. 

For dessert we headed out to Tom's brothers in Easton. The rest of his family had gone home by the time we got there, which was sad but it was still nice to visit with his brother and sister in law and the kids. 

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know our family did!!!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Today is the second week of my Favorite Things...Stocking Stuffer time. Here are a few of my favorite stocking stuffers for both women and baby girls. With it being AnnaLynne's first Christmas, some of these treats may appear in her stocking this year. Who doesn't love little goodies to put in that holiday stocking???

1. Lip Gloss: I absolutely love lip gloss and can't get enough of it. I love all the different flavors and colors. I saw these cute little ones at Forever 21 and I love that it comes in a set of 3 for such a great price.

2. Nail Polish: I am always looking for a new color to paint my nails. Although I don't paint them often, when I do I like something in the red family. This hue looks like a great Christmas/ Winter staple.

3. Ribbon Hair Ties: I haven't tried these yet, but I have seen them in like a million stores. Sephora has them in so many different colors. I would be happy with any of the sets.

4. Socks: I always enjoy a new pair of socks. With going back to work in December, these will come in handy with my boots. I love the decorations on these and they are quite festive. Old Navy is running a great deal on them as well $6.50 for two pairs.

5. Gloves: These tech gloves look nice and I do like the crisp white color. They are fleece which will also keep chilly hands warm. These also come in a variety of colors and have scarves and hats to match as well.

1. Teether: With a little one at home who has started teething, these look adorable. I love the colors and it also comes in blue as well. 

2. Spoon: My daughter got a couple of these at my shower from my best friend whose son loved them. I can't wait to use them with AnnaLynne, now that she will be starting on solid foods. I like that they are soft and good for on the go with the nice plastic carrying case. I am a huge fan of OXO products and an't wait to start using their baby products as well.

3 Bath Toys: I already bought these for the tubby. She is going to love them!! I can't wait to see her play with them. Although I'm sure they will go in her mouth before she even knows what to do with them. These come in a pack of 5 or 10.

4. Socks: I love these cute socks that look like they are wearing shoes. We had a couple of these when she was born, but she has outgrown those. I can't wait to pick up some more of these fancy little socks. Amazon has lots of cute choices to choose from and they come in a 3 pack.

5. Pacifier Clip: AnnaLynne is forever losing her pacifier. Whether it be in the car seat or it just drops out of her mouth. Nothing is worse then trying to find a pacifier with a screaming kid. Although she doesn't always take the pacifier. These clips will come in handy. 

Join April, Elise, Katie, & Zelle to share your favorite stocking stuffer ideas this holiday season. 

My Favorite Things Link Up

I'm so excited for this time of year!! I just absolutely love Christmas time. Today I am sharing my Christmas wishlist with the big link up. Below are some items that are on my Christmas List this year!!

1. Navy Puffy Vest (m)- I hate always wearing a coat. Yet living in the northeast the weather does get very cold. I have wanted a navy puffy vest for a long time, I have just had a hard time finding one that I liked. So hopefully this one will do the trick. 

2. Riesling- Can I say more!!! Who doesn't love a nice cold glass of wine??? I know I do. Riesling is definitely one of my favorite types of wines. I do have a couple favorites which include: Eroica, SeaGlass and Relax.

3. Scarfs!!! I absolutely love scarfs. They seem to really add a lot to any outfit. I do have a whole box of them,but this year I am looking for an infinity scarf that has reds in it. 

4. Pajamas- These are one of my favorite gifts. I just love a new crisp pair of pajamas. I'm really not picky on where the pajamas come from, but  I do like them to be soft. Pajama bottoms are definitely a staple in my sleepy time wardrobe. Pajama Set (M)

5. Black Skinny Jeans- I have been searching for awhile now for the perfect pair of black skinny jeans. I have narrowed it down now to two pairs. So either one of these would make a great Christmas gift. Old Navy(size 8), Loft (size 8)

6. Pyrex!!- I just need more storage.Not sure about this store, but lots of stores have sets on sale during Black Friday!!!

7. Black booties- I have been looking again for the longest time for a pair of black booties. I thought over the weekend I had found a pair but they were sold out of my size and I have yet to find them in another store. Aerosoles makes them and I would love to get my hand on a pair of them.

8. Wine Candles- I saw these candles months ago and honestly I would love to get one for the holidays. I have wanted to buy one for myself, I just didn't want to spend the money. Hopefully Santa is listening and this will appear under the Christmas Tree!!

So these are just a few of my Favorite Things. I will be linking up for the next 3 weeks with 

Cheers Y'all | A. Liz Adventures | Miss Dixie | Southern Style].

Five on Friday!!!

Happy Friday!!! This has been a low key week for us.me. I was happy that I was able to get some things done around the house and I even got to do the outside Christmas decorations (lights on the bushes) due to the gorgeous weather. I knoew that we were headed towards cold weather so I got a jump on things and was happy it is now complete (pictures to come).  

So here is my post about Five for Friday.

ONE
So, I have been having trouble getting enough breast milk for AnnaLynne's bottles and have been supplementing with formula which I am so happy she took to. Although, I do like her to have as much breast milk as possible.  I decided though to try these lactation cookies so on this past rainy Thursday, I decided to make them. They turned out pretty good and actually I enjoyed the way they taste. If you like oatmeal cookies, then you will enjoy these. I may next time add chocolate chips to the recipe.

Cookie recipe:  Lactation

TWO
I love this show, I can't believe this is the last season!! It is such an easy show to relate to. I feel like the family dynamic has something everyone can relate to. I love my Thursday nights!!!

THREE
Christmas Party!!! So I have started planning the menu for our Christmas party that we have every year. I have been searching pinterested daily for some good ideas. Here's a sneak peek at 2 appetizers I'm going to serve. What do you enjoy eating at holiday parties?

Potato Cups

Meatballs

FOUR
Friends!! This past Sunday we attended Caroline's Christening. The ceremony was so nice and Caroline looked beautiful. We were so happy and blessed to share this special day with the Fish Family. I love that these two little girls are going to grow up together.

FIVE
AnnaLynne has really started doing a lot more talking this past week. I love to hear the little conversations she has with us. That little voice is just so cute.

Well Happy Friday!!! Have a great weekend!!!

I'm linking up with The Farmer's Wife and September Farm for "Oh Hey Friday"


Oh Hey Friday

I'm also linking up with Darci, April, Christina and Natasha's blogs for their Five on Friday!

AnnaLynne's Christening

On October 12th, we had AnnaLynne's Baptism at Christ Church in Summit, NJ. It was important to us to have her baptism at this church, because it is where Tom and I got married almost 5 years ago. Reverend Rush is such a wonderful man and I felt so comfortable having her baptised here. It is a very welcoming and has a homey feeling. The church service was beautiful;  and AnnaLynne did a wonderful job, until just about the end when she got sleepy and a bit fussy.

 

After the church we had brunch back at our house. My mom and I had prepared most of the food earlier, and my cousin and aunt were so nice to come over in the morning while we were at the church and finish up getting the hot dishes ready. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family who is close and is always willing to help out.

For brunch I kept it pretty simple, for me. Although there was a variety, I didn't go overboard which I sometimes tend to do. I have to say I would rather have too many things then not enough. My mom and I worked on the cross cake/cupcakes that I had seen on Pinterest. It didn't quite turn out the way that we wanted, but it was still really pretty.

 Another Project that I worked on was a wish tree. I saw this idea also on Pinterest. Each person was to take a card and write a special wish or blessing on it for AnnaLynne and then hang them on the branches. I thought this would be a nice way for people to write their blessings for AnnaLynne. Although not everyone filled out a wish/ blessing it was nice to read the ones that were placed on the tree. AnnaLynne is very lucky to have so many people in her life that love her.

After we ate and mingled around, we posed for some pictures. My friend Meghan was so nice to take pictures throughout the day for us. Meghan and I have been friends since Middle School, and it is nice that our little ones are going to grow up together.

The day was very special and one that I will never forget. We are very blessed to have this little girl in our life and we love her more and more everyday!!!

AnnaLynne's Halloween Week

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Halloween was super special this year and we actually celebrated it for a week. I know that sounds a bit crazy, but the holidays are my favorite time of year!!  With it being AnnaLynne's first Halloween, I decided to make it super special for her and have outfits for her to wear everyday of the week. My mom had actually started the collection of outfits when she gave us a year full of holiday clothes for AnnaLynne at my shower. We got a couple of other cute things that I saw in the stores as well. 

We started celebrating right before Halloween, when we had gone to pick apples at Alsteade Farms, which was lots of fun. AnnaLynne enjoyed the time with her cousins. We then picked apples, and pumpkins again with The Fish's, but AnnaLynne slept through most of that trip. 

On Tuesday,  AnnaLynne and I went to dinner with my co-teacher Amy and Gina. It was nice to get together with them. We try to do it as often as possible, but it doesn't always work with people's schedules. AnnaLynne got to wear her Snow White dress that she got from Grammy at my shower.

On Wednesday, we went and picked pumpkins at Horse Sleigh Farm by my mom in Washington, NJ. AnnaLynne and I went with my mom, sister and Nate. We all enjoyed picking pumpkins and riding on the hayride. I love the memories that her and Nate are creating together.

On Thursday AnnaLynne and I went to Mommy and Me Yoga in Montclair with my friend Jenn and her daughter Caroline (AnnaLynne's best buddy). I was a really cute class and she enjoyed it, wearing her pumpkin outfit. On Friday, before we went Trick or Treating we spent some time at my moms and then went to Frenchtown with Nate to go trick or treating. They put on an amazing Halloween!! I can't wait until AnnaLynne gets bigger and really understands the whole thing.  

It was definitely an enjoyable 1st Halloween!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Three Month Letter!!!

 

Dear AnnaLynne,

 

3 Months!!! These months are just flying by. You are getting so big, it is crazy how much you have changed already since you were born. You are mostly out of your 0-3 month clothes and are actually in 6 month pajamas. These pajamas are a little bit big but roomier than those 0-3 month ones. Your clothes are still 3 months with some 6 months thrown in there as well.

 

You are constantly changing everyday!! Mommy and Daddy can't believe what the little personality that you have now. You definitely know what you want and when you want it. It's amazing how quick you learned that!!! You are smiling all the time and you have even begun to coo. It is so cute to listen to you and watch you when you smile. You have been enjoying playing on your activity mat for longer periods of time without getting upset and you are starting to hit at your toys.  You enjoy tummy time and are even arching your back. This makes us nervous but, you only seem to do it when you get mad!! We haven't had a lot of activites going on this month, but we have kept up with seeing family and friends.

You have spent lots of time playing with Nate. He absolutely adores you and you love him as well. He sings you this really cute song, "Honey, Honey," that he made up and it is absolutely adorable. I can't wait for you two to be the bestest of friends!! He loves you so much that he joined in on your playmat.

 

Mommy and Daddy can't wait to see what the next months bring. We are truly enjoying every minute with you and you bring a smile to each of our faces everyday. We love you so so much!!!

 

Happy 3 Months Baby Girl!!!

 

Love You,

Mommy

 

Two Month Letter!!!!

 

Dear AnnaLynne.

 

Wow!!! You are two months old already!!! You are changing so much everyday. I feel like you are growing up way too fast. Mommy and Daddy are enjoying every minute with you and you put smiles on each of our faces everyday. This past month you have really become a little person. You are smiling and cooing all the time. The best part of your day is in the morning. You wake up so happy and always have a smile on your face. You just make the mornings so delightful!!

 

You are still enjoying eating and sleeping. You sometimes are even up to taking 5oz bottles.We have given you formula and breastmilk and you seem to really like the formula you are on now.  This was not an easy task though. You were very fussy for a couple weeks as we were trying to figure out the bottles and formula that would work for you. We have found what you like and are sticking with it.  You are still gassy though but that as well is not upsetting you as much as it was.

You are still sleeping in our room in your Rock n Play and you love that as well. I know one day we will have to move you to your crib, but for right now we like having you nice and close. You like sleeping in the car as well,  which is good becasue otherwise it could make for very long car rides.

You got a new swing this month that you love as well. You just stare at yourself up in the mirror and love the little guys on the mobile. We just look over at you and you are smiling and laughing. You still use your MammaRoo, but this new swing seems to be more interactive for you.

 

You are enjoying the tub more and you actually dont mind having your hair washed now. You still get upset when we take you out of the tub, but we think that you just get chilly. Once we have your clothes on though you are much happier.

 

This month you attended your first birthday party for Nora and met your great grandparents MeMom and Pop Pop. They thought you were absolutely adorable!!

 

Mommy is really enjoying being home with you and dreading going back to work. I feel good though knowing you will be staying with GiGi and she will take good care of you. Hopefully time slows down a little bit though because you are growing up way too fast!!!

I love you baby girl and can't wait to see what the next month brings.

 

Love,

Mommy