We had such a fun-filled weekend to kick off Easter week! On Saturday morning our cul-de-sac had an Easter egg hunt with all the kids. They just loved hunting for eggs and listening to the Easter story!

 Ty even won the prize for finding the empty Easter egg!

After the egg hunt on our cul-de-sac, we headed to the neighborhood park for a bigger egg hunt and to meet the Easter bunny! I was so shocked how brave Ty was! He walked right up for a picture with the giant bunny! No sweat!

 Elena and Grace loved swinging together.

After our big morning of eggs, bunnies, and food trucks for lunch Justin and I worked on transforming our dining room into a playroom... the first step towards prep for baby number three! I am so excited with how the playroom turned out! Now all of the toys are consolidated to one space and I have some grown up space in my living room again!

On Sunday after Palm Sunday mass, my parents and sister came over for some headshots. Isn't she beautiful?!

Then Frank and Erin came over so that Callan could play with Elena and Ty. These three love hanging out. Ty showed off the new playroom. We ordered some Chinese take out and the kids ate in the playroom. I love easy Sunday nights spent with family!

I'm looking forward to a fun week of Easter prep, playing with friends, and hopefully warm weather again!

My Best Friend's Brunch Bridal Shower

This past summer my best friend got married. It was a fairy tale experience.  She asked me early on to be her matron of honor and I knew I had to make each part of her bridal story amazing, not only because she's my best friend, but because she had thrown me so many thoughtful amazing parties and it was her turn to be the guest of honor.

When it came to the bridal shower, I knew off the bat that I wanted to do a brunch because she had always said she'd love to do breakfast for her wedding and I knew that they decided a different direction for the reception. Breakfast for the shower was perfect.  We had it in the Spring, so I wanted to go with the rustic, shabby chic look and have some Spring flowers.  Her mom and bridesmaids helped me with this shower, so I cannot take all the credit, but here are some of the highlights!

This cute beverage tin was a gift from Home Goods that was the perfect rustic addition for water bottles.

I wanted to do a mimosa bar with different juices to choose from. The sign and pendant banner were Target Dollar Spot finds! 

Here is the spread. The bridesmaids helped to make everything. Here was the menu:

Breakfast Casserole (meat and veggie)

Mini Ham Biscuits

Snickers Fruit Salad

Fruit skewers

Bacon (the bride's fave!)

French Toast Casserole

Homemade Coffee Cake

The beautiful cake was from a bakery that also did her wedding cake. The colors were her wedding colors. This cake was DELICIOUS!

We had each guest fill out a recipe card with their favorite recipe and made a recipe book for her to start her life with her groom.

Each guest wrote a date idea on a popsicle stick and we put them in a jar for her to use to keep "dating" her hubby after they got married.

This game incorporated pictures of the bride and groom from all ages.  Everyone had to guess their age in each picture. It was such a fun tribute to the couple.

The gifts!

I made this love story sign for them that they ended up using at the wedding too! 

Here was our coffee bar for guests to make their coffee.  A great brunch theme addition!

Here is the bride and mother of the bride! LOVE THEM!

Cutting the cake.

Opening the gifts!

We had the best time and I know she has great memories to look back on! You can't go wrong when you serve breakfast! :)

what a boo-tiful day!

Having Halloween on a Saturday this year was SPOOKTACULAR! We were able to have the morning as a family to prepare for our Halloween party and for trick-or-treating.  This year, while I made my annual Halloween chili, Justin set up our movie theater popcorn machine in the garage, complete with a strobe light and the sounds of Halloween. It's our first baby step to his dream of having a haunted garage for all the neighbors to enjoy.
After the kids napped, we got all dolled up in our costumes-- this year's theme: PETER PAN!
I made Justin's costume this year (all for under $5!!). He wore a green shirt from Good Will with a Peter Pan hat that I made out of felt.  I found my Wendy costume on Amazon, which will double as pj's (to Justin's dismay, haha), Ty's Capt. Hook outfit (really, Jack Sparrow, but hey, a pirate is a pirate, right?)  was a hand-me-down from an old student, and I found Elena's Tinkerbell costume on eBay for $9!! Talk about costumes on a budget, and I think they turned out cute!

Wendy Darling, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Tinkerbell

HOOK!

TINK!

My sister, brother-in-law, and niece all came over to trick-or-treat in our neighborhood, as well as my parents, and some friends.  We had an awesome time eating, drinking, and being spooky!
Ty had the best time trick-or-treating with all his friends and cousin this year.  It's amazing what a difference a year makes! This year he was running from house to house adding candy to his bucket! It was so cute to see how proud he was of himself after each house!

the gang

Capt. Hook meets Batman!

Elena took great notes on how it's done this year...I know she won't miss a beat next year!

Once we got home, the kids enjoyed a dance party and popcorn in the garage and then Ty requested his favorite Halloween movie---Curious George and the Boo Fest.  It rounded out the perfect night of candy, costumes, and family fun!
Now we need to teach him about self control and candy.. hehe!

Jam-packed January!

Dear Ty,

We've been so busy this month that I haven't had time to write about it! On the very first day of 2014 you and I had our first park trip. We went to the neighborhood park and you swang on the swing, slid down the slide, banged on the bongos. You loved it. Daddy couldn't wait to go back with us.

The most exciting thing or family dating January was buy a new family car! Daddy you and I went shopping for a few days realized we loved the Honda pilot! In only a week we bought the new car and sold Daddy's old car. We are so excited to see all the adventures that we will have his family in our new Pilot!

Aunt Erin had her baby shower this month. You and I got to go celebrate at her parents house! It was a baby book theme. All of the food had a children's book that went along with it. We made a baby Fruitbasket! Everybody loved it. She got so many new things for your soon-to-be cousin. I think she had a great time!

 

One Saturday this month we were able to go to Marbles kids museum with your friend Owen and his mommy and daddy. We went into the toddler room. It was our first time seeing all the cool things. You loved climbing on the mushrooms and crawling along the floor. I think you'll like this museum as you start to get older too! What a fun Saturday with the family!

Another exciting thing that happened this month was that you experienced your first snow! We had almost the whole week off of school so I was able to spend the whole week with you and play in the snow. You daddy and me went outside and you got to touch the snow and taste it. I'm not sure you are fan yet! We brought a bowl of snow back into makes snowcream. You were so funny because as soon as you touched the snow you started to cry. One day I know it I won't be able to get you to come in from playing in the snow. 

We had such a fun month together! I know that it is getting close to your first birthday. I can't believe how fast this time is flying. February has a few fun things in store and Daddy and I are so excited to spend more time with you.  You're the best. I love you, babaloo!

Love,

Mommy