Thursday, February 20, 2014

Cash's 6 Month Old Photo Shoot: Happy Half Birthday Love!

Cash's 6 Month Old Photo Shoot: Happy Half Birthday Love!

Photography by Kelsey Steindler



Okay, I think I could possibly just die right here right now on my computer.  I just opened these photos this morning and my heart is exploding, I can barely hold back the tears, I'm smiling so big, and my stomach is a little queazy! Haha, that might be a strange reaction but for you mamas you know exactly what I'm talking about.  I'm a bit queazy because I just love this little so much & a quiet voice in the back of my head creeps up here & there (usually in sentimental moments) & tells me to fear change.. "hes going to grow, hes going to be different one day, hes going to be a little boy and then a teenager and not smile at me the same way he does now".  Its foolish, i know.  But that voice is there telling me to fear change. I acknowlege it, and then I have to just let it go and enjoy the moment, appreciate right now and give the future to God. I have no idea what he will be like, he might be the worlds greatest teen that adores and loves his mama and still wants to cuddle and be my besty (okay okay, thats sort of creepy).  But really, its going to be beautiful either way, I need to just embrace each stage and not allow that tiny voice to wonder so far ahead into the future.  Its funny because I have been embracing each stage and loving it naturally..so where does this fear even come from? Every stage has been better than the last! I love the way hes grown, I adore how he is able to interact with me and others and his laugh is just the best thing I've ever witnessed in this entire world.
 Ahh, the irrational fear we all face. 

Any how lets get back to swooning over these incredibly adorable pics! I know I am biased because well, I am his mama! But Kelsey Steindler Photography did SUCH an amazing job taking his half birthday photos. She is an angel and my little guy just adores her, she makes his laugh and flirt and smile like crazy! I am so blessed by her and thankful she captured these precious moments.  She is the sweetest sister I could ever ask for and so talented and easy to work with. I highly recomend you check out her website for your baby photos, maternity, christmas, birthdays, weddings, portraits, engagements, etc.  She has pretty much captured every important moment of my adult life on camera, moments that I will be able to hold onto forever and reflect back on these incredibly special memories. I  cannot thank her enough! 

I know you will enjoy these.. who wouldn't! I might be sitting here crying for a few days but I hope today this little angel brings some joy to you and a smile to your face. 

































Happy Half Birthday my sweet little Cash! Hes 7 months tomorrow (GAHHH!)

Check out Cash's newborn shoot here with some family photos: Here
(he was 1 week old.. we tried to replicate this shoot to compare with his newborn photos she took)

A BIG WARM THANK YOU to Kelsey Steindler Photography

[[Inquiries for Kelsey Steindler Photography can be emailed to her directly at: Kelseysteindler@yahoo.com]]
Like her photography Facebook: here
Follow her photography Instagram: @kelseysteindlerphotography

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Valentines Day Mini Vacation: 2014

Valentines Day Mini Vacation: 2014




Hi loves, Happy belated Valentines day! I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating love with your loved ones.  I am all for taking a moment to pause and appreciate love...yes, we should do this daily and we can, but not everyone does...so Valentines day is a reminder to at least take one day to think of the people you care about, the people you love and adore and cherish them, shower them with even more love than usual, and let them know that you appreciate them. 

Im a day late because my hubs & I went on a little night getaway to the Dana Point Blue Lantern Inn (Four Seasons Sisters Inn).  We had been gifted a night there from my sweet in-laws for our 1st wedding anniversary last September, but we were moving and had a 2 month old so it wasnt a good time for us to go.  We checked in Thursday afternoon and spent some time checking out the spread and hanging out on the patio which overlooked the entire harbor and had a gorgeous view of the beach and sunset.  Our little boy came along with us (he still wakes up to eat in the night so i dont feel comfortable leaving him yet) we set up the pack-N-play and brought our sleep sound machine and video monitors for his Grammy to babysit while we had a date night out.  They also surprised us with a gift to dinner at the Chart House. The food there is unreal.  I had a New York steak, mashed potatoes, and ordered the salad bar.  My husband had peppercorn steak medallions and shrimp scampi with a side of mashed potatoes as well. He ordered a lobster tomato bisque to start and a side of stuffed crab mushrooms for us both to share. We had a side of their herb steamed artichoke with aioli sauce as a side dish with our entrees.  And to end the night we sipped on decaf coffee and had their famous Chocolate Lava Cake...m o u t h w a t e r i n g. We were full to say the least!  We shared some great laughs, great conversation, and had a blast with it just being the two of us. It was so much fun to get dolled up and be arm in arm with my hubs.  Cash went to sleep right before we left and my MIL watched him as we took off for the evening. She is an angel! 

We are so blessed by our families kindness and support of our love and our sweet little family. They are always so generous in gifting us with special opportunities to create memories, and offer to babysit whenever they are available. We are so thankful for both sets of grandparents and don't even have words to explain our gratitude and how loved we feel by them.  I share this so you know that we don't live a lavish life. My goal is not to pretend to be something i'm not, or make other's feel less than or wish they had what we have. We are normal people, we have weakness, struggles, and even financial diffculties at times. So needless to say, we wouldn't regularly go spend a ton of money to go stay the night somewhere for valentines day. We simply were lucky enough to have kind parents bless us with these gifts for our anniversary/vday.  I always want to be honest with you all. I want a community here that feels peaceful when they leave this space, that feels our happiness, feels a connection, feels inspired, and feels like you can relate because we are just a normal little tribe sharing our everyday life.  

We woke up early.. very early.. After a late night = no fun.  Cash didn't know where he was so he woke up crying at 5:50am (hes usually not up until 7) and that meant we were up too! My sweet husband let me sleep in while he played with Cash, changed him, and then took him on a walk and a drive. He even put him down for his first nap. He is so sweet, i really am thankful for him and the way he shows his love. He teaches me so much. Hes my angel. I am a lucky gal. 

Once this mama was up and ready we headed to the harbor for breakfast and to take in the great weather.  We ordered Kona vanilla coffees and bagles with a smoothie.  We met the sweetest old man who came up to say hello to Cash.. he stopped to share some elderly widsom: "the trick to being 90 and being able to move around and enjoy life still is to keep myself busy".  He then came by later that morning with a woman on his arm... he walked over and once again peeked in to see Cash in his stroller, he said "he is a beauty!",  we giggled, and then he said "and this is my big beauty!". It was so simple... but SO SO sweet. Maybe it was the way he said it, the sound and tone of his voice, the warmth of his spirit that radiated out of him.. but i just felt so happy to share in his love for his wife, you could really feel his love for her in his simple but meaningful words. I leaned over and told Taylor that I hope when we are 90 that he is still smitten with me and talks to me in that tender sweet gentle way. He says he will. I believe him.  


The view from our rooms patio

That harbor has my heart wrapped around it.

Crab stuffed mushrooms

Salad bar deliciousness

Peppercorn Steak medallions with Shrimp Scampi and Mashed potatoes 

Herb Steamed Artichoke with aioli sauce

New York Steak with Mashed potatoes

Chocolate Lava Cake.............. a must!

And of course some cute shots of Cash l o v i n g the room. He was so excited to be there with us!


Harbor breakfast







My handsome husband, you have my heart for forever.




I hope you enjoyed your weekend so far! If you follow me on instagram you know i cut my hair off (: Cant wait to show you all! Maybe i will showcase the new do in my next post.  Stay tuned..

XO

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

What We Wear: Augie & Lola ((Plus A Discount))

What We Wear: Augie & Lola ((Plus A Discount))



How cute are these colors and prints!

The back lining is just as fab!



















We adore Lola Augie & Lola. They sent us their pacifier clips and a few bibs to try out. I love doing these posts for all my mama followers because it's so tough deciding what products to trust and what works well, holds up well, and well let's be honest.. It's always nice to know what the cutest options are for our sweetest ever and cutest ever little ones. 

We adore these bibs because they are soft, easy to snap on, have room for your baby to grow and wear as they get older, they're colorful and fun for your babies eyes, they look adorable, and they are super easy to wash. The back of them is just as good as the front! The fabric is soooo soft and delicate against Cashs sweet soft cheeks and chin. Now that he's eating solids bibs are a must in our household. I can't imagine having to bathe him every single time he eats, especially as he gets older and begins eating 3 meals a day! 

We also love this paci clip! They have so many options and colors to choose from so you can mix prints and match your babies style and wardrobe for the day. Sounds silly but the price makes it easy to do. Cash loves binky leashes because it helps him be able to find his paci when he wants it and puts it into his own mouth without needing my help. 

Go check out their online shop and see what else they have to choose from. They offer many other products like: burp cloths, changing table covers, teething rings, blankets headbands and bows, and the list goes on. The owners name is Krista and she is a wife, mom and now a business owner. We love supporting working mamas, especially of great small businesses like this one! So go get your shop on!

They are also offering all of my followers 10% off with Coupon Code:  BlogT10
So so sweet!!!

Check out their Esty Shop: Augie & Lola
Or find them here Augie & Lola website

Happy shopping,
Xo