catching up

has it been a week? time flies- in fact, it's flying so fast that in 2 week's time i'll be back at work. i'm very ok with this.

i love my girls & treasure every second with them- but being a working mom makes me a better mom. honestly. it is what it is.

with that said, let's catch up:

new shoes are fun- and they entice high pitched squealing from my child. and me.

(excuse the orange/pink overtones of these pictures- they were taken in alex's room. it's bright orange. and yes- you still haven't seen alex's room. soon- i promise)



Livie & Luca. i've lusted after these for awhile now & finally decided to take the plunge & buy them. i mean, brynn can wear them too one day- so it makes it ok.

and these bad boys are alex's new obsession. she stares at them lovingly...while she's walking. dangerous.



can you guess what's inside?



oh snap. be still my heart.



when i pulled these out of the box, alex's face nearly exploded with "omgshutupwhattheheckohyeahbaby!!!"

unfortunately they're size 6 & way too big- so i did what any normal parent would do- i ordered another pair in size 5 so she can wear them right now. because hello, she needs them.

the husband side eyed this decision, but i don't care. i don't think i've ever seen so much happy on a kid's face. my baby gets what my baby wants.

moving on- what she wore:

dress: Puma

shirt: Target

leggings: Target

shoes: Livie & Luca

gah. i love those shoes. i find myself grabbing orange things off the rack at Target- simply so have a reason to accessorize with said shoes.

meanwhile- brynn is doing swell. in fact, super swell. i call her Herculesa because she's so freaking strong. she holds her head up, pulls herself up, sits (sorta) and today, she rolled back to belly & belly to back.

and she loves the bumbo:

word.

and she loves chillin' in the bean bag:

sup?

and eventually she tires of my attention grabbing calls & faces...

done.

and me- my 2 best friends took me out to dinner for my birthday. we went to The Melting Pot and basically experienced fondue overload. it was amazing.

i meant to take a picture because i actually got dressed for the occasion. not dressed up - simply, dressed- but that in itself deserves some sort of recognition. however, i forgot my camera because i was too busy worrying about leaving the girls with dad for the first time (alone)- dun dun dun

he did fine (ie: everyone was alive when i got home)

and i had fun- even though i was beyond exhausted because we were out way past my bedtime (hello 9 o'clock)

in other news- so.much. snow. it's awful. i'm so over it- i need spring to get here asap. i read other blogs where people speak of "80 degree weather"- wtf?! why can't i have that?! share the wealth southerners.

and now i'm off- because alex just informed me that she "pooped". she does this by pointing to her diaper saying "poop. mamma- POOP!!!"

it's weird how that makes me happy. how things change.

things i love

i love lots. but here are a few things that i am really loving right now:

Original Sprout

i love everything about OS. it's vegan, free of anything "iffy", it smells divine, it's good for the entire family- etc etc. i was originally using it for the girls- but i've started using it too & i'm hooked.

Original Sprout is the best baby wash. and toddler wash. and wash wash.

Buddy Fruits

alex refuses to eat 95% of the time. i was at my wits end trying to keep something in her belly- and then we discovered these at Wal Mart. we gave her one & she sucked it down & asked for more. SOLD!

at 88 cents, they're the cheapest fruit in a pouch i've found & so far the healthiest. they've also got fruit snacks:

and alex will always say yes. so i keep our house well stocked with Buddy Fruits.

Boogie Wipes

it's winter. kids get cold. noses run. Boogie Wipes are a must.

Baggino Bibs

full coverage bibs. these save my sanity. alex can make a mess & all i have to do is toss the bib in the wash- underneath, her clothing is pristine. it's a win win.

Medela Pump In Style Advanced - Metro Bag

i make a lot of milk. A LOT. and this baby is the best pump ever. i used it with alex & i use it with brynn. its simple & easy to use- it's compact enough to carry around & it comes with everything you could possibly need. there's a reason Medela is the leader in breastfeeding pumps & supplies.

this pump has been worth every penny.

Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags

i love Medela- but i LOVE LOVE LOVE Lansinoh bags. they're much cheaper & much better than the Medela storage bags. they hold up to 8 oz without splitting & they freeze wonderfully.

i got through box after box of these & i swear by them.

Target

enough said.

Nick Jr.

i am not ashamed to admit that i use Nick Jr to watch my child. if i need a minute (or an hour) i simply turn it on & i feel pretty confident that alex will be sucked in. Yo Gabba Gabba, Nie Hao Kai Lan, Olivia, The Fresh BEat Band- the list goes on & on.

i LOVE you Nick Jr.

See Kai Run

the most adorable toddler shoes. they can be a little $$$ but i think most good shoes are. they have awesome sales/deals though- so you can really score. and the shoes last & last.

Livie & Luca

gorgeous. modern toddler shoes. fresh. $$$. ha. but i love them. soft leather & beautiful colors. they scuff up pretty easily- but they're so atheistically pleasing that it doesn't matter. i love them.

we just ordered a pair of the orange London Boots & i'm checking my mailbox daily in anticipation.

Tea Clothing

i love Tea. it's cute & modern toddler clothing. the colors are deep & pretty & the lines are simple & classic. i've purchased several pieces for the girls & i can't wait till this summer when they can rock their matching outfits: brynn / alex

like i said- i have more. but i think i'll divulge those in another post- there are far too many things.

spring & summer need to hurry up & arrive. i'm itching to get these girl's into minimal amounts of clothing & outside.

bitty bows boutique review

my girls have been blessed with an abundance of hair. hooray- i love it.

what i don't love is finding said hair stuck to a snotty nose or a crusty face. however, since alex refuses to leave her hair alone & finds delight in ripping out hair clips- this is my reality.

then i got the opportunity to review an adorable toddler barrette from Bitty Bows Boutique and i eagerly awaited it's arrival to see if the "No Slip" was in fact- no slip.

well the verdict is in:

it works! this clip is big enough to actually stay in her hair- but small enough to still be adorable.

i give it an A. i'd give it an A+ but alex can still pull it out with some effort- but that's not Bitty Bow's fault- my child is nothing if not persistent.

Bitty's offers tons of other toddler barrettes, baby barrettes & flower headbands- even newborn bows.

I'm not a fan of big bows or sparkly flowers- but Bitty offers really simple & modern barrette options too- so i was stoked to actually have options to choose from.

So if you're in the market for something cute to go in your daughter's hair- check out Bitty Bows Boutique.

uh oh

2 month shots today.

poor kid has no clue:

i've also got a sick toddler. Nick Jr & Tylenol are going to be my bff's today.

girls & cats

it's been so cold- therefore we stay indoors. so we're also a bit stir crazy at times.

that means alex is usually running around & hitting her head on things.

but occasionally she'll stand still for a picture or two...

shirt: gift (Target)

leggings: gift

socks: Old Navy

shoes: See Kai Run

this is a tantrum- because i said she couldn't eat her crayons:

"curse you mother!"

and then about 5 minutes later:

yes- a massive elmo bib, gloves & Veggie Tales = euphoria.

afterwards she downed just about the only thing she will 95% of the time- strawberries, cheese & chicken nuggets.

thankfully during tantrums, movies & feedings, brynn is a good sleeper:

and when she does awake- it's usually in a good mood:

and some outtakes from her 2 month shoot:

she's looking at alex. she adores her. the feeling isn't mutual quite yet.

hmmm.

and then the cats- because i often forget to mention them here:

gary

maceo (or "fatty" as i call her. seriously- she's huge)

and have i mentioned that gary likes to escape? he may be an indoor cat- but in his soul he believes that he belongs outdoors:

except...when it's cold

he's like "mom, let me in- NOW!"

...

"NOW!!!!!"

dont' worry. i let him in.