Motherhood: Luna-isms

Growing up I used to watch Sabado Gigante with my parents, and the kids series was hilarious.  If you aren't a savant of the Spanish language, it was similar to the Kids Say the Darndest Things show. Here are few funny and insightful Luna-isms as of late:

Luna (came in to wake me at 5:45 a.m.)

Me: Are you going to help me up?

Luna: No mom, you need to help yourself. 

Me: Are you going stinky poop?

Luna: My poop doesn't stink.  It smells like lavender. 

Luna: I'm going to work. 

Me: Where do you work?

Luna: At Amazon. 

Me: What do you do there?

Luna: I work with smart people. 

Me: Please eat your lunch baby.

Luna: Mom I can't eat it yet.  You forgot to put broccoli on my plate. (Put me in check!)

Me: What are you doing? (while she was getting into something...)
Luna: Be calm mom. 
Me: Okay
Luna: Remember your favorite word. Be calm. 
Me: Okay you're right. 
Luna: Be chill mom...  

Me: You're so pretty. 
Luna: No I'm not. 
Me: You're not?
Luna: No, I am beautiful. 

By the way, I read these to her and she said, I am so funny! Love her. 

South Lake Tahoe

I took a few days off to focus on having family fun while my parents and nephews were visiting with us. I posted a few photos here, but thought I would share a few more.  We spent a few days in South Lake Tahoe, we had Luna's first dance recital, and ended with a fantastic night of bowling.  

We have so much to be grateful for and this trip was one of them. 

Motherhood: Dance Mom

When I think of the title dance mom, I never would have imagined I'd be one.  To be honest, the thought of dance moms makes me think uh-oh crazy town.  Luckily for us, our experience has been great. This weekend Luna has her first dance recital, and I am excited.  We got to see her on stage at the rehearsal for the first time, and I had never seen my husband's eyes light up so much.  It was honestly the sweetest thing.  In the evening, he said I feel so proud to be able to do that for her, and to see her be a part of something she enjoys.  

We are both not pushing her to do it and we are very chill about it.  If she continues to like it cool, and if it dies out, then that is cool too.  She may freeze on stage while looking utterly adorable and I'm cool with that.  For now, my plan is to revel in this dance mom thing.

Luna's Big Girl Room

The time has come to finally revamp Luna's room and get her out of her crib because I have been  holding on as long as possible. Here's a glimpse of what I am envisioning for her big girl room...

Ikea Minnen bed, Threshold gray side table, Pillowfort monogram pillow, crescent moon glow in the dark pillow, Oh Joy acrylic table, Ikea cloud pillow, Fancy Face Studio garland, Pillowfort house pinboard, Pillowfort Girls Rule sign, Ikea spice racks (books), vintage pastel globe, and Pillowfort waves blanket. 

Motherhood: Winter Plan + Leaf Crowns

I recently read this mom's winter plan, and got on board. My plan is to get Luna and I outside as much as possible this fall and winter.  Admittedly, we did not get outside very much during summer because the heat is not my friend. Fall and winter are my time to shine, and I am looking forward to our outdoor adventures.  

Luna and I bundled up because even though the sun was shining it was cold and windy. I told her we were going to gather leaves, and we would make something fun. Of course, she loved this idea.  

I threw together a quick craft session by cutting strips of card stock, whatever shiny stickers I could find and a glue stick. We made leaf crowns which turned out a lot cuter than I expected.  Hint: These crowns would be perfect to keep kids entertained on Thanksgiving, and they could wear them at the table. How cute would that be! 

What are your winter plans? Any tips on staying warm? I will say this, our Hunter boots are the best winter investment ever! 

Family Vacation (Part 1): Portland

As you all know, we recently returned from our weeklong vacation in Oregon.  It was our first real vacation as a family, and it was such a great choice. We had a wonderful time. 

We spent one night in Salem, Oregon, and in the morning we walked to the park and beautiful indoor carousel. 

Once we settled in Portland, I walked into the first restaurant we saw, Henry's 12th Street Tavern, and asked the hostess if it was kid-friendly, and when she said sure! I was sold. 

After our early dinner we headed to the mecca of bookstores, Powell's City of Books, and I am not exaggerating, I was in heaven. Give me coffee and drop me off here any day.  

Next day we went to breakfast at Slappy Cakes which is perfect for kids. Pancakes make people happy. 

The Oregon Museum of Science & Industry  had an epic kids play area, and as you can imagine, Luna did not want to leave.  

Portland is known as Bridgetown and many other nicknames.  The bridges were something else. 

I also fit in some me time and headed to Nob Hill on my own. I got lucky and found parking on this beautiful tree-lined street. 

I had a nice walk, browsed several shops, and bought a dress from Sloan Boutique. Before leaving I picked up burgers for my husband and Luna from Little Big Burger and fish tacos for me from Pepinos right next door.

We stayed at the Residence Inn RiverPlace which is a fantastic place to stay, especially for families.  I was happy we decided to stay in one night because Luna was a happy camper. For those of you who have yet to stay at a hotel or rental with your kids, no worries, pack post-its. After dinner shenanigans, included post-it crowns and airplanes. Luna thought it was the funniest thing ever. 

She made me keep this crown on until her bedtime, and as soon as I would try to sneak it off she would yell "No Mama you're the queen!"

Our last day in Portland, my husband went out before Luna and I woke up and picked up some Blue Star Donuts. My favorites were the lemon poppy seed and Mexican chocolate. I also had a vanilla latte made with almond cashew milk from Heart Coffee, and it was delicious. 

One of my favorite things to do after breakfast was our walks along the river front. As you all know Luna loves dogs and rocks so these walks were her jam.   

Portland is a wonderful city. Oregon is beautiful, and I am so glad we chose to stay in three different cities and really got to explore. It felt like one happy adventure after another. I can't wait to share the last portion of our vacation which we spent on the Oregon coast in the city of Newport. 

Library with Luna

Our trips to the library are always so much fun. On this morning, Luna kept repeating over and over again, "going to the library!" 

These days Luna wants to be right next to me all day everyday! My husband tried to keep her in the children's section, but instead I could here her saying "Mama where are you?" So she ended up hanging with me while I searched for some books. 

I did not have much time to look so I went down the aisles to find some authors that came to mind.  I am especially looking forward to reading The Secret History and the graphic novel, Relish. 

Okay time to head back to the children's section..

She chose one of her favorites, Say Hello Like This, which has come home with us several times.

Here's Luna's stack of books. 

I love that Luna has gotten accustomed to going to the library, and is definitely becoming a book lover like her Mama and daddy. Good times.

Luna's 2nd Birthday Party - Thoughts & Photos

Most of you have already seen the photos from Luna's birthday party because I could not resist sharing them! Also, I was not kidding when I said, this week my blog posts would be dedicated to our one and only!

Before I inundate this post with birthday party photos, I want to share my thoughts regarding the party. We had such a fantastic time and the energy was pure joy!

As I mentioned last year, I am not great at hosting parties at home, and I have no problem admitting it! Even if I gather tons of Pinterest-inspired inspiration, it does not change my mind. I get really cuckoo and anxiety-ridden from my own pressure.  When I began researching locations for Luna's party, I wanted a happy place, as well as a place where the parents could have some peace of mind or a teensy break per se. The place I chose was awesome! Thank you for creating a wonderful experience Tiny Tumblers!

To all you Mamas out there who feel the pressure to throw these Pinterest-inspired parties, its okay to do what works best for you. If you are a party maven, then I applaud you! If you are more like me, then its okay to hand over the reins! The look on Luna's face, and listening to everyone's feedback on what a great time they had, made it all worthwhile. I enjoyed watching the parents feel at ease since all the kids were happy and playing in a safe environment.  The icing on the cake was coming home to a clean house, the three of us getting in our comfy clothes and watching Luna open her gifts! It was a truly memorable day for us, and we feel so blessed to be able to celebrate her birthday and share it with family and friends. 

Now its time for the photo memories:

Sprinkle cake designed by yours truly and it was brought to life by Cake & Candy Specialties

Tiny Tumblers party room~design traditional Happy Birthday theme.

Proud Mama & Daddy with the Birthday Girl, Amelia Luna

We also had sprinkle marble flavored cupcakes-which were the birthday girl's favorite! I diy'd the cupcake flags :)

Everyone at the party could attest to her favorite part of the party--the ball pit!!

Time to play with the balls! Every toddler's dream!

Katherine & the birthday girl! The only two girls at the party. 

Bring on the bubbles! At this moment, all of us parents were in quiet awe watching the joy on their faces. Priceless.

The happy Birthday Girl! 

Amelia & daddy having fun with the bubbles.

Time for food! We may have gotten a little carried away with so much food! Pizza, salad, veggies, wings, etc.! Yummy for the tummy!

She loved the big pink Birthday Girl chair. 

Thank you again to everyone who celebrated our daughter's 2nd birthday with us.  For us, it was an unforgettable! To all our friends and family who could not attend or are too far away, I hope you enjoy getting this glimpse of Luna's happy day!

(To my husband, who gave a great speech at the party--Ame and I are blessed to have you! Thank you for giving me the green light to make our daughter's day so special! And dealing with my nutty moments leading up to the party--Haha! You are so loved & appreciated!)

Hmmm How will I top this next year!?! LOL!