Camping With Littles

Dave and I have been taking the kids camping ever since Shaylin was a wee little thing.  Sometimes we go with friends, sometimes with family, and sometimes we go just ourselves.  But each time it's a special family weekend.  There's just something about being outside, setting up the tent, making a campfire, making s'mores...it's just a great time!  It's one of those family traditions that we hope the kids look forward to, and cherish the memories from.  Here's a picture of Shaylin camping when she was 13 months old.

This past weekend we camped with some friends, and had a blast!  Camping is a lot of work both before you go (all the packing) and after you get back (all the laundry), but I'd say it's definitely a family experience that is well worth all the effort.  If camping with your littles is something you haven't tried yet but are considering, here's my family camping checklist to help you get started.

I've also attached the camping list in a pdf form, and it can be downloaded HERE.

This list doesn't include clothes, or food.  Definitely check the weather before packing your clothes, and my advice would always be to bring just a little bit extra for the kids because things get dirty real fast when camping.

When it comes to food, some people are all about the big cooked meals, and some aren't.  Both are perfectly fine, it just depends on the experience you're looking for.  Our family tends to keep things simple and quick for meals, which is almost necessary with our three young and very active kids to chase after.  Breakfast usually consists of things we can grab easily like fruit and muffins.  Lunch is usually sandwiches that we eat during our afternoon activity.  And dinner is usally roasted hot dogs on the campfire, followed of course by s'mores!

Here are a few thoughts for those of you that are looking to camp with your family...

Expect to Get Dirty
Let's be honest.  Camping is not the same as staying at a five star resort.  You're outside, you'll get dirty.  You have a campfire, you'll get smoky.  My advice is to pack "play clothes" and items that you don't mind getting dirty, and this goes for both kids and adults.  Despite what Jessica Simpson may say, Louis Vuitton has no place in a camping tent.

Enjoy the Outdoors

I truly believe that kids belong outside.  I grew up climbing trees and riding bikes, but we didn't have the iPads and iPhones that today's generation has so readily available.  For one weekend, it's okay to eliminate the screens and enjoy the outdoors.  One of my favorite memories of this past weekend was holding Aubri, who is now 15 months, and telling her to look up at all the stars.  The sky was FULL of stars that night!  She looked up and pointed.  I knew she saw them, and we looked all around the sky together.  I loved it.

While I didn't have a picture of Aubri enjoying the stars, I did have a picture of Landon enjoying the outdoors.  He climbed up this rock with the help of daddy, and yelled out "I'm the king of the world!"  Where do kids learn these things?  It was seriously too cute!

Go on a Nature Walk

This goes hand in hand with enjoy the outdoors but a nature walk is good exercise too.  Let the kids explore.  Look for flowers and leaves, draw in the sand, RUN around.  It's also a great family bonding experience with no distractions.  Our little hike was not without drama though from a certain 5 year old and a certain 3 year old.  These are prime sibling rivalry years, I tell ya.  But it's okay...fighting over a stick, or who gets to be the "leader" are still memories being made.

Bring Glow Sticks

When it's dark, kids love glow sticks.  I also learned recently at a friends' wedding, that adults ALSO love glow sticks.  (shout out to Scott and Heather!)  But that's another story altogether.  Anyway, you can find these at your local dollar store or even at Target or Walmart.  They only last one night so be sure to get enough for the amount of nights you are staying.  This is something I failed at our recent camping trip.  But another good alternative is flash lights.  Kids also love flash lights and cheap kid size ones can be found almost anywhere.  (No picture...sorry!)

Have Fun
This goes without saying, but of course, have fun no matter where you are and what you are doing!   

Where will your next camping adventure be?  

xo,

Carly

A Few Favorite Things - Turquoise Edition

Have you ever noticed that you tend to gravitate towards certain colors when picking out things like clothes or accessories?  I have to say that my number 1 go-to color combo is definitely black & white for accessories and decor (which I will feature soon), but after that, I seem to always gravitate towards anything in the aqua/turquoise/mint part of the color spectrum.  It's my FAVE.

Here are just a few of my favorite things, that just happen to fit into this color family.  Clockwise from the left.

Lularoe Leggings.
 Comfy, comfy, comfy.  That is all.  You need a pair.  Or ten.

Travel Hairbrush/Mirror.

Having two girls means a travel hairbrush in my diaper bag is essential.  I got this cute one off of Amazon.  It has a brush on one side, and a mirror on the other, and folds down nice and compact.

Pocket Notebook.

I'm always needing to write things down when I'm out and about, and my five year old is constantly asking me for paper, so this pocket notebook from the Target dollar spot was just what I needed.  It even came with alphabet stickers so I could personlize it.

Infant Outfit.

I love these little rompers from Carters.  This one was a gift for Aubri's first birthday and she's gotten such good use out of it this whole summer and into the start of fall.  I think the little polka dots are just darling.  

Turquoise S'well bottle.

If you haven't tried these bottles yet, you're missing out!  I am a big time cold water drinker and these bottles keep water cold forever.  They come in three different sizes (this one is the medium) and are available in such cute colors and patterns.

  Goblet.
This little goblet was an impulse buy at Walmart one day.  It was maybe $1-2 at most.  I very rarely shop at Walmart so I was excited when I got there and saw how cute their dishware was!  This was new to me, as I'm a weekly Target shopper so I have their whole inventory practically memorized.  :)  I use this piece to hold the little jewelry items that I may take on and off during the day. 

The weekend is almost here!  Our family is going camping.  Advice for camping with littles, plus my camping checklist coming up soon.  Have a great day!

xo,
Carly

A Day in the Life...

Yesterday I took Landon and Aubri to meet up with our playgroup at a local Halloween "Carnival" at a neighborhood park.  They had free games, face painting, balloon art, a bounce house, a costume contest and more.  So fun!  I brought my camera along, thinking I could get some nice shots of the kids, but it was just one of those days where the kids were just not having it with mommy's camera.  Lol

We were in a rush that morning and came straight from a meeting so I take the blame for their slightly poorly executed costumes.  Green hoodie for Spider Man?  Mom fail!  Landon isn't much for costumes anyway so I think I get a pass here. I was lucky to even get away with a cape and mask!

I had to practically beg him to actually wear his mask for a picture with his balloon turtle, haha.

Aubri is usually my smiley model, but she was pretty stone faced all day.  I totally meant for her to be wearing black leggings instead too, but oh well!

And check out this picture.  I posted it on Instagram because I just thought it was so darn funny.  I mean, I seriously have no idea what they were looking at!  Their expressions are hysterical.   #notimpressed

I actually look at this picture and can almost see their future teenager selves right here.

So yes, not really the best in terms of pictures, but I think it's kinda funny.  Kid photos are NOT always perfectly posed smiles and giggles.  :)  This is real life.  Hahaha!  

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

xo,

Carly

Visit: Bates Nut Farm Pumpkin Patch

Fall activities are in full swing this month!  Every year our family visits the Bates Nut Farm Pumpkin Patch in October.  It's a fun tradition, and I love getting some pictures of the kids with pumpkins.  We don't usually buy pumpkins, but we take pictures by them, haha.

This year as soon as we arrived, we immediately got on the hayride before the crowds came, and we had it almost all to ourselves.  Then we had the kids lead us through the corn maze.  I didn't bring my camera along for these activities, but got a few iPhone pics along the way.

 Afterwards, we sat down to eat, then went to check out the animals.

Sometimes the protective older brother comes out in Landon, and it's so cute.  He wanted to keep Aubri back from the fence when she wanted to go too close to the goats.  Usually he's quite rough and tumble with her so it's nice to know that deep down he does want to protect her...even though he spends most days head butting her and taking her toys.

Shaylin enjoyed standing on the hay bales.  ;)

Picking out a pumpkin is serious business, just ask Landon.  It's serious, even if you're not actually taking said pumpkin home.  Thank goodness he didn't throw a tantrum when he found out!

Aubri had fun wandering through the thousands of pumpkins as well.  

At the end of the visit we sat the kids down for some pictures.  I should know by now that you should never wait till the end to get photos.  It's a lot to expect out of little kids.  But they did alright.  It was SO HOT AND SUNNY that afternoon, it was hard to find a good shady spot for pictures.  So we just plopped them down on the nearest pumpkin and had daddy make crazy sounds to get them to look and smile.  Good enough for me!

There's so much that I didn't get photos of.  Bates also features bounce houses/slides, pony rides, face painting, rock climbing, live entertainment, food vendors, a huge candy/nut/gifts store, and so much more.  It's great family fun!

Bates Nut Farm's Pumpkin Patch runs through the end of October.  Go check it out!

xo,

Carly

Pinterest Fall Fashion Inspiration

The weather has been pretty finicky here in San Diego lately.  One week it's insanely hot (talking 100 degrees), and the next week it's back down to the low 70's.  But regardless, it's October, so it's most definitely fall, and my favorite season of the year.

There's so much to love about fall...chunky sweaters, boots, pumpkin patches...it's just a cozy time.  The other day I went on Pinterest and started pinning fall outfits like crazy!  Realistically, I know I'll spend more time buying clothes for my kids rather than for myself this season, but it's good to have the inspiration...you know...just in case I decide to venture away from my busy mom uniform of leggings and TOMS.  :)  

Check out my Pinterest board for some fall outfit inspiration.  What are you pinning these days?

xo,

Carly

Get Inspired By...Coral and Mint

Hi friends!  It's been a looooong time since I've done a "Get Inspired By" post.
There's so much pretty on the web though so why not share, right?  ;)  Check under the Inspiration tab for my past posts, where I simply share things that have caught my eye that week.

   

Are there any color combination that you just love to look at?  Coral and mint is one of them for me.  The combination is so light and airy...vintage and sweet.  It's just pretty!  Here are some coral and mint that I've recently come across.  Links below to check out in more detail!  

Beautiful coral, peach and mint bouquet.

I'd love to decorate with these vintage picture frames that can be found on Etsy.

Gorgeous party decor.  Definitely celebration worthy!

My weakness - throw pillows and mirrors.

This is actually the Tula that I have!  Which reminds me, I still need to do a post on just how awesome this baby carrier is.  The print is Bliss Bouquet.

Love this piece!  I think it would be great in my girls' room.  Find it on Etsy.

This outfit with coral and mint accessories gets me excited for fall.  It's easy to throw together and looks comfy too!

You know you're good when even your party drinks match the color theme!  

Okay, I know wallpaper tends to get a bad rep, but I can totally see this Anthropologie paper used as an accent on the back of a white bookshelf.  I would also frame it and use it as art.  It's so pretty!

And finally, this one is sort of cheating cause instead of coral you see gold.  But I love everything about this picture.  Mint tutu - yes.  Adorable little girl curls - yes.  Brick wall - yes.  Table treats - yes.  

Have a wonderful week!

xo,

Carly

Toddler Things Today

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Hope you all had a fun and safe Labor Day weekend.  :) 

Last week my middle child Landon started preschool, and a couple weeks before that, my oldest Shaylin started kindergarten.  So now, Tuesdays and Thursdays have taken on a whole new meaning for me.  Yes there is the chaos of getting all 3 kids ready, then doing drop-off and pick-up at two different schools back to back...but there is also a few hours of one-on-one time with my youngest, Aubri.  

Since our alone time is short, we don't need a lot when we leave the house.  Here are some of our favorite "toddler things" that we are like to use for a few hours out!  

1. Carters outfit.

A lot of Aubri's current wardrobe came from generous family and friends for her first birthday.  On any given day you will usually see her showing her #carterslove.  Throw on a sundress and we're good to go.

2. Romirus moccasins.

I think these are the cutest!  They are anti-slip and stay on her feet really well.  Plus, the khaki color matches with everything.  A baby fashion score.

3.  Munchkin Miracle 360 Sippy Cup.

This cup is amazing.  It is designed so your toddler learns how to drink like they would out of a regular cup, and they can drink from anywhere along the rim.  It's also dishwasher safe.  The best thing is though, it doesn't leak!  

4.  Bumkins reusable snack bag.

I recently switched over to resusable snack bags to cut down on the amount of plastic bags we use daily.  I bought these in a couple of different sizes, and they have been great so far!  I put in sandwiches, dry snacks, and even keep one in my purse in case a snack gets opened, but not finished. At the end of the day I put them in the dishwasher to clean.  Using these are better for the environment, and they're so cute too.

5. Animal book.

Aubri is really into books and this one is great because of the animals and peek a boo flaps.  We sit on a blanket in the park and we read it over and over.  Thanks to our dear friends for this awesome gift!

6.  Ju-Ju-Be Quick.

Throw in some diapers, wipes, and a spare outfit, and you're good to go for short trips.  This little bag comes in an array of colors and patterns.  I never leave home without one.

7. Target dollar spot light up wand.

Best $1 spent ever!  Aubri loves waving this wand around, and when you hit it, it lights up.  Luckily, it's rubber so it doesn't hurt when she runs over and hits you on the head!

That's our picks for today!  Have a great week, everyone!

xo,
Carly

DIY: Baby's 12 Month Photo Garland

Hi friends, boy it's been awhile!  I'm sorry for taking the summer off, but someone had to keep the kiddos busy and entertained!  Between daily swim lessons for a MONTH (phew!) VBS, planning for a 1st birthday party, family visits, and an out of town high school reunion, the summer has just flown by.

After all this summer chaos, and during the transition back to school, I realized that it's officially been one month since I decorated my house for Aubri's 1st birthday party, and most of the decorations were still up!  Yes, it's time to finally take these babies down.  But before I do, I thought I'd share how I made my 12 month birthday photo garland for the mantle because it was such a simple project, and I love how it took me down memory lane.

First of all, let me just say that I can't believe my baby girl is ONE.  How did that happen so fast?

A quick digression...Here's my "Pinterest Fail" birthday photo of Aubri.   It was a fail because of many things.

1. It was a windy day so the balloons kept blowing to the ground
2. Our only free time was at the wrong time of day for photos so the open space I wanted to shoot at was just too hot and sunny and I didn't have a plan B
 3. Aubri tipped out of the basket (bad mom!)
4. The letter O kept falling

 Haha oh well!  It's memories right?  :)  But anyway, back to the photo garland...

On the same day every month since Aubri was born, I took a photo of her in the same chair with the same stuffed animal.  When she turned one and after I took her 12 month photo, I printed out all 12 photos and decided to use them as decorations for her birthday party.  This was such an easy decor project, and fun to make.  Here's what I used:

- 12 monthly photos

- gold ribbon (with wire, which was a welcome surprise)

- gold number stickers

- hole puncher

- tape

At the top of each photo, I punched 2 holes, one on each end.  Then I strung the gold ribbon through, making sure to keep it flat.

Once the photos were strung, I flipped the garland over, and taped the ribbon to the back of each photo so that the ribbon wouldn;t move, and so spacing between photos stayed even.

When I was through stringing and taping all 12 photos, I labeled each photo with the appropriate number month using gold stickers.

I hung it up on the mantle with some tape, and covered the ends with gold stars.  When I bought the gold ribbon, I didn't realize it was lightly wired.  This was a nice surprise because I was able to wrap the ends of the ribbon around my finger for a fun curly finish!

Now it's time for these decorations to come down and start getting ready to decorate for FALL!

xo,

Carly

Ju-Ju-Be Medium Set Piece Series - Use #5 as a Work Supplies Bag

It's been a busy week, so I'm a little late in getting to this post!  If you've been following along these past few weeks, I've been showcasing different ways I've been using my Ju-Ju-Be medium set pieces.  Just in time for the weekend, here's my fifth use for this piece, which will complete this 5-part series. 

As in my earlier posts, I'll recap the previous uses first. 

Use #1 as a wallet/mini purse

Use #2 as a toy bag

Use #3 as a girls' accessories bag

Use #4 as a food pouch

And finally, use #5 as a work supplies bag

If you're like me, and need to go to Starbucks (or anywhere else that's quiet with coffee and free wi-fi) in order to get any work done, then this use is for you!  When I head out to the coffee shop to work, I often also bring my "to do" folder of papers to take care of and I need my usual batch of supplies with me.

In this medium set piece I can fit a bunch of pens, a coin purse with clips for my papers, a mini stapler, some sticky notes, and there's room to spare!  This print shown here is the new Tokidoki by Ju-Ju-Be collaboration called Donutella's Sweet Shop which was just released a couple of weeks ago.  I think it's so adorable, and is such a happy, and fun piece to look at while working.

That's it folks!  Thanks for following along through this 5-part series.  Have a happy and safe fourth of July weekend!

xo,
Carly