Carly's New Wheels

Okay, so I am SUPER excited to share the details of my two new strollers along with my first impressions as I've been using them over the past weeks! First a little background on why I was searching for a new stroller:
My parents told John and I that they would like to gift to us the car seat that we would need for our baby (this was before Carly was born). So as the inexperienced parents-to-be that we were, we skipped off to Babies R Us to pick one out! We spotted the travel systems with the infant car seat attached and thought, what a steal! We could get our car seat and stroller together! I've seen travel systems forEVER and figured that's what you were supposed to get.

Mistake #1: I didn't do research and ask other mothers

what they preferred and what was popular.

So we picked out this travel system:

 

Now, let me say this: First, I love the car seat and we are not getting a different one until she is in the next sized seat. Second, there was nothing wrong with this travel system and we did use it exclusively until we got our two new strollers! Carly rode in the car seat snapped into the stroller, and even started to sit in the seat of the stroller. There is also a lot of great things about these travel systems, so for some families they work great- I just had a few things I wanted out of a stroller that this would not satisfy. I did love how simple the car seat and stroller fit together, of course later finding out that you can hand pick your stroller of choice and buy the car seat adapter for any stroller out there.

Mistake #2: I didn't venture past the travel systems in the store.

I started to get stroller envy. It's a real thing people and it's NOT covered in What to Expect When You Are Expecting! The things I started to notice about other strollers I saw out there was how stylish some of them are! I also noticed (after test-driving some of my friend's strollers) that the wheels/tires on strollers make a HUGE difference. After watching other moms do the baby-load-and-go I started to take notice how small and convenient other strollers folded up. At this point, I was creepin' down parking lots as I watched in amazement how other strollers seemed to fold up to the size of a napkin in comparison to my boat.

Mistake #3: I didn't take time to fold up other strollers to compare compactness and weight.

Now the hunt was on. These were the things I was looking for in a new stroller(s):

1. It had to fold up to a convenient size, preferably without being too heavy.

2. It had to be more stylish than my current stroller.

3. I wanted a stroller that would be enjoyable to take on walks, with a more comfortable ride for Carly.

4. I wanted a large canopy to protect Carly from the sun.

5. Decent sized storage basket.

6. Two cup holders in stead of one (John and I always battled for the cup holder).

 

So after MUCH research, I discovered that my needs would be met by two different strollers. So I picked out a BOB Revolution SE and a Baby Jogger City Mini! LOVE them both. They are truly amazing and I feel like I couldn't be happier with my choices. They each serve a different purpose.

Our first walk with the BOB!

My BOB Revolution SE works excellent for walks and jogs because it is equipped with large, air-inflated tires that glide over any surface like a dream creating an easy push and comfortable ride for Carly. The canopy is nice and big on this stroller and the seat is spacious with plenty of room for Carly to grow. This thing is so smooth and silent, that Carly can always take a nap in it- my secret tool for my stubborn little nap fighter! My other mommy friends all have one too and we plan on doing some hiking play dates. Once the weather warms up, we will be taking it over to the beach where I heard they perform like champs. I chose to purchase our BOB used, off Craigslist because they are such well made strollers that I knew I could find a used one that was up to my standards. I picked orange because it is bright and I wanted to be easily seen by cars while taking it out in our neighborhood which is where it will be used the most. Funny thing was, when we were looking at the new BOB Motion, I couldn't stand the orange which my husband loved. After doing research on jogging strollers, I read some interesting takes on why brighter is better and it made perfect sense to me. Now I enjoy the fact that Carly is surrounded by safety orange...like a cone! The one I found is a 2010 model in new condition and it was half the price of a brand new one, plus it came with the console (that has 2 cup holders!)! Winning!

If only the BOB folded up smaller, didn't weight as much, and wasn't such a beast, I would use it as my daily stroller. I didn't get the BOB for use as a daily errand runner, but for the record I did try it out for a few weeks and it is just too bulky. That's where my City Mini comes in!

Carly's first ride in the City Mini 

Loving the Belly Bar accessory!

The other stroller we purchased (this one we purchased new) is the Baby Jogger City Mini . This stroller is AMAZING. Now, if you remember from a previous post, I said I wanted the Baby Jogger City Select. That stroller is seriously awesome, but too large and heavy for my single baby purposes right now. I figured I would live in the compact, lightweight world while I can! If we do expand our family one day, that is when I will reevaluate my stroller situation and see if any changes need to be made. The nice thing about the City Mini is I can purchase the glider board which provides a "skateboard-like" step attached to the stroller for a toddler to stand-ride on.

This stroller completes my life. I love it. It truly makes me want to go run errands. It is compact, lightweight, folds with one hand, has a HUGE canopy (with two windows), is super stylish, has a decent sized storage basket that holds anything I have needed to store down there, and is just so fun to push around. The only two accessories we purchased with it are: the Baby Jogger Adjustable Belly Bar and the Skip Hop Grab & Go Stroller Organizer. I looked at the Baby Jogger parent console, but it only had one cup holder which is an issue for us. I like the Skip Hop one for it's two cup holders, extra zipper wristlet, and the fabric is nice.

 



 I hope that this information was helpful to you or someone you love. My best advice for parents-to-be is to really check out and mess around with several strollers of different styles before making a purchase. The stroller is a big baby gear item and if you just pick one without researching a little, you will probably be stuck doing what I did! If I only knew then (8 months ago) what I know now....

One Fine Day

This week has been quite productive around here, with spring cleaning in full swing! I am notorious for changing things around and redecorating...so spring cleaning this year is more than just sweeping up dust bunnies and  going through our closets! I have plans to get rid of few pieces of furniture to make room for both new pieces I have my eye on and other pieces we have around here that I would like to put to better use. We are also redoing our office and turning it into a playroom for Carly because her toy collection is over taking our living room! I know she is still too young to go and play in a playroom by herself, but for now it will serve as a room to store all her toys, jumper, play mat, walker, .....and everything else that will come along! I have all sorts of ideas and love thinking about all the possibilities! I am still working on the finishing touches of Carly's room, we have a dining table I picked up at Goodwill that we will be repainting, John wants to clean out the garage, and most important of all- we need to start baby proofing because Carly is so close to crawling! I know...we have a lot going on!

With so much going on, it was nice to spend one of the days this week just enjoying the company of one another and the beautiful weather :) We started out by waking up early and going to breakfast! This was such a blessing for me because my husband is on a graveyard work schedule, so even on his days off he is programed to stay up later and sleep in late because that is the only way he will survive the work week. So the fact that he woke up early (before 10!) and we all went to breakfast, was truly a gift.

Carly got to enjoy her first ride in her new set of wheels! Yes! I got a new stroller...and I finally made my decision: Baby Jogger City Mini! I have been researching strollers pretty much since she was born and especially in the last two months because she is getting too big to sit in her car seat in the stroller. So it was time to dump the travel system and move on to a lighter, more compact (and stylish!) way of life! I LOVE THIS STROLLER. More on it later :)

 Carly loves the belly bar accessory we bought for the stroller!

 After we finished breakfast we walked around the outdoor mall and I found this fluffy white rug...and just had to do a quick photo session. Carly wasn't all together thrilled...."Mom, seriously, you are embarrassing me."

 Later, we went to Lowe's to check out some supplies for our projects and Carly was just so content in her new stroller :)

After a wonderful day, we ended with a fun night enjoying Taco Tuesday with our friends...but before we left I just had to get a picture of Carly's outfit! These jeans (which I got on clearance) and woven eyelet top from BabyGap are still a little too big on her, but I just couldn't wait any longer! Besides, it won't be long before she fills them out (hopefully!).

Teething Madness

We have been growing some teeth around here lately! Carly now has two teeth and with that comes some teething symptoms...yay. She really hasn't been too bad, except for her neediness has tripled which is especially fun for me when I am trying to keep a quiet house so my husband can sleep for for work that night. I'm telling you, if I even step halfway around the corner, she is screaming bloody murder. It's quite exhausting. She also has her hands in her mouth constantly, but her preference is our hands...and let me tell you, those baby teeth are SHARP! To me, it feels exactly like puppy teeth (cute, but painful!).

 At least we have made progress during all the neediness, drooling, chewing, and whining....two beautiful little teeth coming through! See 'um?! Cutest teeth I've ever seen.

 It's rather difficult to please a teething baby at times, so we did the only thing we could think of...we bought her a hot pink Mustang!

JUST KIDDING! We are not crazy, but seriously....how adorable is that?!

My Mama Essentials



During the last seven months as I've been re-learning how to take care of myself. As a new mama with a busy schedule and hardly any personal time, I've relied heavily on some of my tried and true, favorite products along with finding new ones that fit my needs better these days. It's funny how the simple things are just not so simple anymore and I'm constantly looking for ways to make the most of my personal time! Let's first start with some of my beauty favorites that help get me presentable! These are not all the products I use, just the ones that I love and have/or plan to repurchase. I purchase most of these items at Target, unless stated otherwise:

1. By the time I'm getting to bed, I am so tired so these Neutrogena Makeup Removing Towelettes save me. 2. I used to use foundation before I had Carly, but now with limited time I have become a fan of bb creams, especially Revlon Colorstay Photoready BB Cream because it not only gives a sheer coverage, but it acts as my daily moisturizer and sunscreen in one quick step! 3. Another face fav is the Physicians Formula Translucent Face Powder- I love the way it looks on my skin over a bb cream. 4. Dry shampoos save my life. My arsenal against two...three...day hair that gets neglected in my speedy showers until absolutely necessary. My favorites are Batiste Blush* (I purchase this at Ulta or Amazon) and Dove Invigorating because they work and smell the best in my opinion- and I have tried about 10 brands. 5. In order to bring perkiness to my tired eyes I use L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara. 6. My battle against morning under eye baggage: MAC Studio Fix Concealer* (I purchase this at Macy's). If this is ever discontinued you will all see how tired I really am....yikes! 7. Absolutely LOVE these hair ties* from Anthropologie because they are fun & don't leave creases in my hair after wearing my default "mom bun". 8. I purchased this Victoria's Secret Spring Shimmer Eye Kit* last year and use it almost every single day (unfortunately it is no longer available, but I have seen it on Amazon!). I love the neutral colors in the palette and having all my colors in one place is so nice & easy; the eyeliner that comes in the palette is awesome too! 9. I buy these Johnson's mini lotions in the travel size section at Target. I love the way it smells and it moisturizes my hands that get soooo dry from constantly washing. I have these everywhere so they're always handy! 10. EOS lip balm is the best and it lasts forever; and I use mine A LOT. 11. I keep a collection of these wonderful little Bath and Body Works PocketBacs because I always fall for the 5/$5 special. 12. This Moroccan Argan Oil from Organix is my little split end solider that helps soften my ends and makes my hair healthier overall. I normally don't have time to blow dry my hair and this doesn't leave my hair oily at all, but I only put it on from halfway down when my hair is wet, or just the bottom 3 inches if it's dry and needs a little extra TLC.

A FEW OTHER MUST HAVES:

1. Hair

A super fast, easy, go-to, no mirror required, hairstyle that works on anything from freshly washed to 3 day old hair. Mine: the messy ballerina/top knot bun! This is so simple. I just pull my hair up like I'm doing a ponytail, twist it until it starts to roll up into a bun, then just wind it around it's self, hair tie around the base, then just pull and mess with it until it's how you like it (I've found that pulling opposite corners of the bun keep it tight while loosening the look as well...if that makes sense?). I prefer mine poufy and kind messy, with some small wispy pieces in front to frame my face. DONE. Probably takes me 2 minutes, if that.

2. Accessory

I always wear my watch so I can keep track of Carly's schedule (bottles, naps, diaper changes, etc.)

3. Energy Source

Mine: Iced Coffee! I am a Starbucks addict. There I said it. If it were up to me, I would get my iced grande nonfat caramel macchiato or white mocha every day, twice a day. But since that is not realistic nor budget friendly, I have found a delicious alternative that keeps my coffee budget at a more husband-happy amount! I get the Starbucks Via Carmel Iced Coffee packets from the grocery store (or Target): mix half the packet with 8 oz cold water, add 3 oz cold unsweetened almond milk (I like Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk), 1 oz carmel flavored creamer (I like the International Delight Fat Free Carmel Macchaito), and ice. Simple, quick, and very very good! Even my husband who isn't a huge coffee fan liked it.

4. Go-to Outfits

My daily attempt at being presentable to the world varies depending on the amount of time I get to throw something together. One of the most valuable pieces of advice I can give any new mom is to have multiples of your favorite items that you know, without prior planning, goes well together and you feel/look great in. For me, 9 out of 10 times it's some combination of the items above. I love, love, LOVE Victoria's Seceret PINK line because it is so comfy, everything looks great together, and it's colorful & fun. I would say that 50% of my closet is from Victoria's Secret. I love their leggings, tshirts, sweats, tanks, bandeaus, long sleeved tees, everything! If I actually have time to put myself together, and am in the mood to be trendy (sort of...), I love wearing any combination of my colored skinnies, denim skinnies, Target long and lean tanks, maxi skirts, sandals, or slip on shoes. One of my favorite pieces in my closet is my J.Crew chambray shirt because it looks great with all my various colored jeans, maxi skirts, and even my black leggings. I own so many pairs of black leggings, it's almost embarrassing. So this is my style right now; it may change with time and probably somewhat with the come of summer heat. Of course, I have other clothes too, but this gives you an idea of what I wear the most. If I have time to, I enjoy going on Pinterest to find outfit inspirations. I usually have good luck searching a particular item, such as "teal skinny jeans", and seeing various outfit ideas come up. This helps on the "...I have nothing to wear" days.





ABC Moms

I wanted to write a special post introducing you to my beloved mommy group! I just got to see them on Thursday and let me just say, the cuteness is just increasing week by week!
 There are four of us, all with baby girls no more than two weeks apart. We came up with the name ABC Moms from the names of our girls: Avery, Brooke, Carly & Claire! Too cute, I know.

 From the left: Brooke, Claire, Avery, & Carly

(4/11/13)

We became a group around the time the girls were 9-11 weeks old. I met Claire's mom, Megan, through our childbirth classes at the hospital, her and her husband sat next to my husband and I. We became instant friends once we realized that we were the only "normal" people in that class; lets just say that public classes draw an interesting crowd....and that is putting it nicely! Megan is one of the sweetest women I know and such a wonderful resource because she is a NICU nurse. Her husband and my husband also hit it off right away as well, so we naturally became great friends. Claire was born one week before Carly at the same hospital we delivered at!

 Megan and I bump-to-bump ~ 9 months pregnant

Stefanie and I on July 4th ~ 8 Months Pregnant

 



 Avery's dad and my husband work together so that's how I met and became friends with Avery's mom, Stefanie. Our friendship blossomed during the time we were pregnant (comparing all the fun, weird, awesome, and crazy things that come along with the pregnancy journey) which turned out to be perfect because our girls were born on the same day! Stefanie is probably definitely one of the funniest people I know so there is never a dull moment in our friendship which is why I love her so much. She is also my sister in cloth diapering! I met Brooke's mom, Jackie, through Stefanie and have been good friends ever since. Brooke was born a week after Carly so she is our youngest little peanut of the group. Jackie is so smart- she always knows the what's what if you have a question about anything from directions, to technology, the best places to eat, and the top trends! Together we are a perfect group and such amazing friends.

(11/1/12) Cramming into the elevator at the mall

(1/4/13)



We get together about every two weeks and have a blast comparing the latest stories (the good, bad, messy, and hilarious). Some of the outings we have are mall meet-ups where we stroll around, grab lunch, chat for hours, and always seem to find ourselves hanging out in the nursing room in Nordstrom. We will meet at each other's homes where we will do a potluck style lunch and chat while we let the girls play and roll around.

 (3/28/13)

(2/8/13)

Another thing we have been doing lately is going to the movies at one of the local theaters that hosts a "Bring Your Baby Matinees" on the first Tuesday of every month! It is so nice to be able to see movies but not have to worry about getting a sitter. For this special showing, the theater brings up the lights, keeps the sound lower, allows for stroller parking in the front of the theater, and makes sure it isn't too cold. No baby in that theater sits through the whole movie quietly, so it's not like a relaxing movie with the girlfriends- but it's the closest we can get for now so we love it!



At the movies! (4/2/13)

Now that the weather is nice I think we will be meeting up at parks for walks & lunch more often! It was so nice to play outside with the girls because we are getting to the age where the outdoors will start to interest them. For now their main concern is what toy the other is holding and trying to move around the best they can. Little Brooke is already crawling, while the other girls are just rolling around. I think our next outing planned is a mild hike with our BOB strollers which I am SO excited for! I just got my BOB this week so now we will be planning BOB adventures for play dates as well! Stay tuned for our next baby-venture!
 

 

 

 



"Was that a tooth?!"

Well big things are happening around here! Carly's first tooth has broken through! I discovered it when we were at Taco Tuesday with our friends (which isn't a party until Mama has her margarita and Carly flips my basket of tacos into my lap!) I asked for some fresh avocado so I could mash it up for Carly (my friend Jackie gave me this idea and it is brilliant). Avocado is so easy to mash up, no Baby Bullet necessary! I was finger feeding Carly when I felt something sharp in her mouth....I paused....gave her some more avocado...and "Holy cow!" I knew I felt a tooth! It literally broke through over night because just Monday afternoon I was feeling her gums and felt nothing.

On our way to Taco Tuesday, matching of course!

Carly's outfit: striped onesie from Target, black leggings from BabyGap.

My Outfit: off the shoulder tunic (black) & daily legging (black) from Victorias Secret, hot pink tank from Walmart

 

I must say, my girl has taken her first teething experience in stride! Over the last week she has been more clingy than usual, not letting me leave the room at all without crying which has been quite the joy...."Mommy just needs to brush her teeth....Carly please....it's 3pm, Mommy needs to change out of her pajamas." My husband works nights, so he needs to sleep during the day, which makes her needy days even harder than normal days. Now, I don't consider myself super high maintenance, however, I draw the line at leaving the house with any of the following no matter how long it may take me to get ready: 1. teeth that aren't brushed 2. an outfit that consists of pajama pants or my husbands t-shirt 3. raccoon eyes from yesterdays mascara. The only other symptom that Carly has had this last week is waking up around 3am every night, which isn't normal. She has been sleeping for an average of 9 hours a night so this came as a surprise (well....not like life with a baby is predictable, but you know what I mean). Other than that, we had no idea that she was about to get a tooth!



My little teething beauty

She LOVES naked time in the late afternoon! I'm telling you, she is going to be a little Naked Nancy come summer time...just you wait! If it was up to her, she would never wear a diaper.

 

 

After a long night, my little angel slept in until 11am on Saturday, which gave Mommy time to shower by herself(!!!), blow dry her hair (!!!), and get ready before she woke up! Such a gift.

Saturday we enjoyed a sunny afternoon shopping at the outdoor mall with our friends

I just want to nibble those toes! She crosses her feet in the stroller now...cutest thing ever.

 

Another sunny warm day, so we took a family stroll over to the grocery store to grab fixin's for dinner! I have been in the market for a new stroller so I'm hoping to be getting that soon! My advice to any new moms is to take your time and research all the major baby gear items before purchasing them. This Aprica stroller is fine, no problems or anything, but I wish it was designed a little better. I am looking into getting the Baby Jogger City Select! The selling points for me are: the way it folds, the variety of seat positions, the sturdy build, and the option for adding a second seat for baby #2 in the future. We went to Buy Buy Baby so I could check it out in person and I was very impressed. I'm going to do a little bit more research on it to make absolutely sure it's the one that I want, then I plan on selling this one on Craigslist :)

 

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week!

 

 

Decisions, Decisions....

As you can see, I have given the blog a bit of a face lift! If you have ever had a blog, or had a MySpace back in the day (holla!), then you know the options of customizing it are positively endless....which is a problem for me. My husband will be the first to tell you that I got the rearranging gene from my mother and am constantly changing the looks of things. There are so many websites for blogger backgrounds, and since I am just getting into the world of blogging....my head is literally spinning from all the options I have! I won't say this is the last time it will change....so if by the next time you come back it's different....don't be surprised!
The last background I had and the current one are both from The Cutest Blog on the Block. If anyone knows of any other sites for free blogger backgrounds, let me know! Or maybe don't...it could create a larger problem (Ha!)! Thanks for being patient with me :)

Lovely Day for a Ride!

The weather has been soooo beautiful lately, so much so that I decided it was time to give the wagon a whirl and see what Carly thought of it. Dusting off this wagon brought back some nostalgic feelings. Funny story about this wagon is, it was not purchased for Carly....or any other child for that matter. It was actually a gift to me when I was in college. Now you are wondering, what the heck? How lame were you in college? Well, I don't think I was lame, however I didn't have a car to use while I was away at school so that could make me either lame or the same as the other half of the college student population.  My room mate and I lived on campus, actually everyone lived on campus because it was a private college with a different (i.e. strict) take on dorm living policies. So, I actually asked for a wagon, for us to use to walk across the street to the conveniently located grocery store, so we could stock our dorm with all the essentials: Ramen Noodles, Easy Mac, Diet Dr. Pepper, coffee, quesadilla makings (my room mate had one of those awesome quesadilla makers!), Cheez-its, and that case of water that made the wagon SOOOO worth it. Never thought back then that I would see my beautiful baby daughter sitting in it one day :)

Look at that excited face! Okay, I actually got her to make that face....most of her ride in the wagon consisted of the face seen below.  

 Those cheeks! Those yummy, soft, chubby baby cheeks! I can't handle it!

 My husband clipped a beach towel to the front because Carly loves to kick A LOT when she is in her Bumbo seat. Brilliant man.

 Carly's outfit is all from Target: white ruffle onesie, pink stripe leggings, white eyelet sunhat. I discovered that if she is wearing a headband under her hat, the flower/bow will keep the hat up and off her eyes, the the flower adds some flair while being functional!

"You aren't expecting me to pull myself are you?"

 

I hope you are all having a good weekend!

Pink Ears, a Tutu, and a Joyful Easter!

First off, I would like to apologize for not getting this post up sooner! It has been a rather crazy (in a fun and exciting way!) week for us, plus life is rarely easy to keep according to plan with a baby! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!! We certainly did here! Carly makes holidays so much fun and so stinkin' ADORABLE. It felt like Christmas Eve excitement on Saturday night, as I was setting up Carly's Easter basket goodies, putting out a few last minute decorations, and planning my Easter meal :)

We had so much fun picking out the goodies for Carly's first Easter basket. I am proud of myself for not going crazy overboard, but I feel like we had some good ideas! For her basket we chose 'The Story of Easter' book, a Care Bears DVD, an adorable sippy cup with a bunny, a little flower clip for her headbands, the CUTEST pink & white Seersucker Halter Romper from Gymboree, along with the matching Seersucker Sunhat, some adorable bunny ears, and of course her 'My First Easter' bib! Then we ended up in Babies R Us (where it's impossible to not buy a few things for our angel), which is where we got the two things that didn't fit in her basket: the VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker and the VTech Spin 'n' Learn Top. We lucked out and Babies R Us was running a buy one, get one free on VTech toys! So far, both of these have been huge hits with Carly Button! I wanted to get something she could pull herself up on because......she pulled herself up last Friday!!!! She has only done it once more since then, but I knew that she would start doing this a lot very soon so that's what prompted getting her the Sit-to-Stand Walker. We push it up against our couch so she can stand at it (with us right there of course!) and the wheels won't roll.

My busy-mom-friendly Easter dinner consisted of homemade hummus and pita chips to snack on during the afternoon...

...then for dinner we had roast pork (pre-seasoned & easy-peasy), a carrot salad (recipe here, which was a new recipe that I tried and turned out pretty good), and some rosemary & olive oil sourdough bread (one of my all-time favorites). For dessert (and for my husbands office), I made some traditional Easter M&M cookies- with some help from my baking partner :)

Always a favorite!

Okay....enough with the food and boring things right? You are all waiting to see what Carly Button wore, and I just can't keep it from you any longer....

I know. The ears! The tutu dress! The hands folded.....those eyes....it's just too much to handle. I know :) Notice her adoring followers in the background? Well actually they are adoring the dinner we just sat down to enjoy (my husband snuck them each a piece of pork...and he blames me for their rounded physique, uh huh).

It is nearly impossible to catch her holding still while feeding her, let alone when it's a favorite like avocado! So I apologize for the super blurry picture. Last week I made some brown rice cereal using Trader Joe's Brown Basmati Rice because I had bypassed the whole rice cereal phase in the beginning and quite frankly I was just curious to see what all the fuss about rice cereal was about. So I made it....and it was so bland compared to what Carly has been eating for the last month & a half that I just couldn't make her eat it. If anyone has made a batch of homemade rice cereal before, you know it makes A LOT. So in attempt to not be wasteful, I got slightly creative! I mixed half the batch with apple puree and the other half with avocado puree. How did I choose those flavors? Well I've seen apple flavored rice cereal in the stores before so I figured it might be a popular flavor (not so much for Carly....more on that later). As for avocado, well I love avocado on everything including things like tacos which have rice in them (when I make them), so I figured it was a combination that made sense! She loves loves avocado anything, so it was a win! Anyways, enough on that tangent..back to Easter cuteness!

Carly's dress is from Target, one that I had been eyeing since it hit the racks a few months ago! Her bow that is clipped onto her ears was an Easter gift from her Auntie :) I found my navy and white striped, fitted maxi dress at a local boutique. I paired my dress with a pink skinny belt, little daisy stud earrings (gone are the days of my cute hoops or anything that dangles, I'm sure you can guess why!) and my long pearls (mostly to give Carly something to keep her interest during pictures, lol!).

I barely had time to set the basket down in front of her and snap a picure before she dove right in! I think Christmas taught her well.

My little beauty queen :)

I hope your Easter was as fun and cute as ours! Carly ended the day tuckered out and cuddling with her new handmade bunny from Grandma.

 Now it's time for Mama to enjoy some quiet time cleaning up the day and enjoying one of her favorite treats of Easter....

Easter just isn't complete without my little sugar-y friends. I might have eaten the whole pack, but we'll never know for sure....