Friday Favorites: Throw pillow obsession!

Happy Friday and welcome to my throw pillow obsession, folks! I LOVE decorative pillows and how you can change the entire look of a room by switching them up and mixing patterns and colors. I have so many bookmarked that I had to share some of them this week for Friday Favorites! I decided to focus on the pillows I've chosen for our future master bedroom because they are the prettiest! I'm obsessed with robins egg blue right now and I think it pairs beautifully with neutral creams and browns. I love that english cottage/french country/rustic/shabby chic/vintage vibe as you can tell from my wedding decor and I plan to incorporate that into the decor of our home as well! If you haven't checked out the awesome pillows on Etsy you are missing out! So many talented people out there and the prices are pretty much the same (or cheaper) as any home decorating store!  

 I love the interesting print on this pillow and of course the colors are to die for, too! And you literally cannot beat the price.... a set of 2 pillow covers for only $18! The Pillow People on Etsy is a shop full of fresh patterns and great colors. I highly recommend!

Ruffles have a special place in my heart... I just love them so much! This cream pillow is so beautiful and the linen ruffles give it such great texture. I also love how she added the buttons! So unique. Find them at Sutton Place Designs on Etsy.

I wonder if my love of burlap will ever fade?? I highly doubt it! This little nest pillow is so cute and the pop of blue color is just perfect! I love that it's hand-stamped too, which makes every pillow unique! Find it at My Adobe Cottage here.

This robins egg blue damask pillow from Pop O Color is so classic and timeless. It pairs beautifully with other colors and patterns and is the perfect staple pillow. I also love the french country vibe it has! So pretty.

More burlap, what a surprise! :) I couldn't decide between these 2 pillows from Secdus so I had to include both of them! This whole shop is full of burlap and vintage inspired pillows and I pretty much love all of them! I especially love the contrast between the rough burlap and the pretty white ruffles and how cute is that little bird and teacup?! I die!

This 'home is where the heart is' pillow is hand embroidered in beautiful Portland, OR and I love it immensely. You can fully customize it and have the heart put anywhere on the map (or even another country!) for no extra charge! I think it's so sweet and definitely a conversation starter. Check out Plumed for a ton of pretty embroidered pillows! She is talented!

Who DOESN'T love cashmere?? And cashmere RUFFLES?! It just doesn't get any better! I love how she finds sweaters at local thrift stores and turns them into these adorable pillows. Upcyling at its finest, folks! You can find this pillow and tons of other pretty colors here.


Please tell me I'm not the only one with a pillow obsession! Where do you find your favorites ones? Aside from Etsy, I love Target and World Market!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend! It's supposed to storm all weekend long here in Southern CA but I plan to make the best of it and get some snuggle time in with my 2 favorite boys! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Color palette love!

In between planning the wedding and keeping my toddler entertained, most of my time is spent daydreaming about my future home. What style it will be, what furniture I'll choose, and of course the design and colors. I've been obsessively hoarding my favorite color palettes on Pinterest so I thought it'd be fun to share some of them with you this week for Friday Favorites!

I originaly planned to link each picture to its original source, however I just discovered that about 70% of the original links don't work anymore. So I'll link you guys to my Home Inspiration board on Pinterest instead! You can find each of these on there.

I love this cranberry and teal color combination, don't you? I think it's very relaxing and unexpected. I would probably use these colors for a master bathroom.

The yarn palette is more color than I would normally do, but I like how they are still subtle tones. I think this palette would be perfect for a girl's bedroom or nursery!

The bread palette is my absolute favorite. I can't even pick one particular room, because there are so many I would use it for! Bedroom, bathroom, living room, dining room... I love the espresso paired with the cream and that teal and tiffany blue add the perfect pops of color! It feels really rustic and earthy which I love!

I adore bright and sunny kitchens so this yellow and aqua palette would be absolutely perfect! How pretty would it be paired with natural wood and all white dishes? SWOON! I'm also loving that vintage colander in the picture.

Another bright palette! I love this coral and turquoise combination for the master bedroom. I would have never thought to put these colors together on my own, but I've recently seen some gorgeous bedrooms in these shades and they compliment each other really well.

This espresso and robins egg blue palette is another favorite. I just find these colors very calming and peaceful which, again, I think is perfect for the master bathroom!

This palette is another idea for the master bedroom or a guest bedroom. I love that mint color especially paired with the creamy browns. The purple is an unexpected pop of color that totally works. These tones also give off a vintage vibe which I really love.

I can't wear mustard yellow (pale girl, holla!) but that doesn't mean I can't have it in my house, right?! This palette is the perfect combination of rustic and modern with the earthy tones and pop of bright color. I think this palette would work really well for a family room or dining area.

Another rustic inspired palette, hooray! These colors remind me of a cozy cabin in the winter time and it would be perfect for a family room! I love the cranberry color and although I don't normally like green, it really works here and makes me think of pine trees and the woods. So pretty!

What color combinations are you loving right now? Don't you just love all of these beautiful palettes popping up everywhere? I like how easy is it to just choose a photo that inspires you and design an entire room around it! I can't wait to put some of these design ideas in action! Hopefully someday soon! Have a great weekend everybody! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Hey girl.

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I wanted to do a post about candy... eye candy that is! And what better eye candy than Ryan Gosling? I don't know if it's his role in The Notebook or what, but it seems like he has every girl open mouthed and drooling these days. A few months ago I started seeing these 'Hey girl' handmade Ryan Gosling pictures popping up on Pinterest and not only do they feature yummy pictures of Mr. Gosling, but they are also effing HILARIOUS! I die laughing every single time I see one and they are quickly gaining more and more popularity in the handmade community. You probably won't understand them if you don't have an Etsy shop or if you aren't involved in the crafty/DIY community (aka every male on the planet), but it's like porn for crafters, yo! This week for Friday Favorites I wanted to share my favorite Hey Girl's, and be prepared because there are A LOT of them! 

All of these come from the handmade Ryan Gosling tumblr site, so if you want to spend the next 4 hours cracking up make sure to check it out! New ones are constantly being added, too!

Oh, and if you're looking for REAL Valentine's Day dessert ideas you can check out my posts from last year which include 3 days of unique Valentine Dessert ideas! You can see them here, here, and here. Happy Friday everyone! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Party themes & ideas!

I love me a good party. I'm always thinking of unique ways to celebrate any and every occasion. One of my favorite things to do is read party planning blogs and search for inspiration on Pinterest for all of my imaginary future parties. I have a board dedicated to all of my favorite themes, and I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites with you for Friday Favorites! I broke this down into three catagories: adult, special occasion, and children's parties. Of course any of them could be adapted to fit whatever occasion you need though!

Adult

Outdoor movie night: I remember the day I saw this party online and my mouth literally dropped. Not only is this party styled to PERFECTION, but the outdoor, picnic style is so up my alley! I love the idea of renting a projector, throwing some quilts on the ground, and having a gourmet popcorn bar for you and some close friends. We were actually going to do something like this for our rehearsal dinner, but went with something else last minute.

Gourmet pizza party: I love parties that have anything to do with cooking or baking or you know, eating. This adult DIY pizza party is such a fun way to get all of your friends together and do something different! Just put butcher paper over your table, make piles of gourmet toppings, and write descriptions right on the paper next to each pile. This is perfect for people who have picky guests too, because everyone gets so make their own mini pizza with the sauce/toppings of their choosing!

Special Occasion

Gender reveal party: In my family, someone is ALWAYS having a baby or getting married. I capital L-O-V-E the idea of a gender reveal party instead of a baby shower. One of my Twitter friends showed me this amazing mustache or bows party theme and I AM doing it for my next baby! Each guest chooses a mustache pin if they think it's a boy, or a bow pin if they think it's a girl and they wear it around the party until the big reveal! Adorbs! You know I'm a sucker for anything with a mustache!

Breakfast party: I have been obsessing over the idea a breakfast party for months and months now. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and an entire party dedicated to it? Hello, perfection! This coffee and donut tasting party would be perfect for a bridal shower theme, don't you think? After all, who doesn't like donuts??

Children

Farm party: This theme has been done so many times and in so many different ways, but for some reason it never gets old. I love that it's wholesome and kind of old school! Pony rides, bobbing for apples, tractors, petting zoos... I also love that it works for a boy or a girl easily. How gorgeous is that table, by the way? I die for that cake and the haystacks being used to hold the cake pops? Genius!

Camping party: I'm DYING to do a camping themed party for Cayden but I want to wait until he's older so he can enjoy it more. This particular party uses a ton of vintage which of course I love. There are so many activities that go with this theme too... scavenger hunts, s'mores, 'camping out' in the backyard. It seems like so much fun for little ones! After all, who doesn't love to go camping?!

What party themes are you loving these days? You can see the rest of my favorite ideas on my Pinterest party board here. Immediately after this wedding I have to get started on Cayden's 2nd birthday party and although it won't be huge this year, I'm still really excited! Happy Friday everyone! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Birthday Wishlist!

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I've done a Friday Favorites post! My birthday is coming up in a few weeks and since everyone in my family has been bugging me and asking me what I want, I thought it would be fun to do a little birthday wishlist!

I don't like big or fancy gifts... My favorite type of presents are small, silly, or sentimental things that I know people put a lot of thought into. I have a bunch of stuff favorited on Etsy or Pinned that I wouldn't normally buy for myself but that I would definitely like to have! Here are just a few of the items I'm currently crushing on...

Santa didn't bring me my Kate Spade iPhone case, so on the birthday list it goes! Polka dots are my favorite thing in the world and I adore anything Kate Spade!

I've had my eye on this bag from Etsy for ages. It's the perfect shape and size and you just can't go wrong with black and white stripes! I love!

I need a new makeup bag, yo! I have an adorable one from Olive Blue but it's just too small for all my stuff. I absolutely adore this little chevron cosmetic bag. It's the perfect size and you know I'm crushing on that print!

I'm a huge nerd, and if you get me anything at all to do with Harry Potter I'll be the happiest chick on the planet. I don't think there's anyone in the world more obsessed than me! I pink puffy heart this key chain from Etsy! It belongs to me!

I need the Harry Potter cookbook! Enough said.

I love mugs and I love Harry Potter, and I especially love this quote from Harry Potter. And the best part? When you pour in a hot drink the mug changes to white and the words change to 'Mischief Managed'!! AHHH! Need!!

Along with Harry Potter, matryoshka dolls are obviously another obsession/collection of mine and I'd be happy with pretty much any matryoshka gift. I adore this sweet little necklace from Etsy. Too cute!

I love to bake, and weird, kitchsy bakeware always makes me happy. This mini tiered cake pan from Amazon is so cute and fun! Mini cakes for everyone!

I die for this mustache jar! I go nuts over random, funny, and clever stuff like this and I want it so bad!

I'll stop there and save you from the rest of the Harry Potter and mustache madness! Birthdays are so fun and although I'd be happy with a cupcake and a kiss, it's fun putting a little wishlist together! And please, feel free to print this list out and show it to Mando ;)  Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend with your loved ones! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Peppermint Treats!

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Happy December everyone! Holiday season is upon us, and just like apples are for September and pumpkins are for October/November, December is all about peppermint! I'm normally not a mint lover, but I won't say no to the magical combination of spicy peppermint and sweet chocolate! This time of the year is when I bake the most, so I've been hoarding some of my favorite chocolate/peppermint treats on my Pinterest board to share with you! And don't forget, some of these would make lovely last minute Christmas/hostess gifts!

If the peppermint mocha from Starbucks is your go-to holiday drink, you might want to whip up a batch of these peppermint mocha cupcakes from Bakers Royale immediately. Peppermint extract and Starbucks via instant coffee are the delicious base for this cupcake and it's all topped off with some peppermint infused buttercream. YUM!

If coffee isn't your thing, how about trying these delicious chocolate cupcakes with a sweet peppermint cream cheese icing from Glorious Treats?  She'll also tell you how to do that candy cane stripe effect for the frosting! Fun!

Here's something to make with all of your leftover candy canes... Chocolate peppermint cookies from My Baking Addiction! There are crushed candy canes inside the cookies and then they are dipped in melted chocolate and embellished with even more crushed candy canes for double the peppermint goodness! It's almost like peppermint bark in cookie form!

If you're a chocolate lover like me, you may appreciate these double chocolate peppermint crunch cookies from Sweet Pea's Kitchen. With dark chocolate, espresso powder, and peppermint extract, these cookies are sure to satisfy any Christmas craving!

Christmas isn't Christmas without a hot drink to cozy up with! Martha Stewart doesn't disappoint with her recipe for peppermint hot chocolate. Throw some in a thermos and go look at Christmas lights for a festive night with the family!

For once Miss Paula Deen isn't talking about butter, ya'll! Instead she's bringing us a delicious recipe for peppermint chocolate coffee. I don't know about you, but this is something I would definitely get out of bed for! She mixes a pot of freshly brewed coffee with chocolate and peppermint syrup and tops it off with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Can you say YUMMY!

I hope you all enjoy at least one of these fabulous concoctions this Christmas! We are busy over here with our 24 days of advent calendar activities (more about that later) and have a weekend packed full of winter fun! Have a great weekend everyone! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Thanksgiving Love

I love Thanksgiving. I don't know when the whole 'let's skip Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas' thing started, but I am just not okay with it! What other holiday is it perfectly acceptable to stuff your face with turkey and pie and then lay on the couch watching football for the rest of the day? None I tell you! We need to preserve this sacred holiday. This week, Friday Favorites is dedicated the best holiday of the year in my opinion. So unbutton your pants, grab a fork and let's get started! 

If you're not familiar with Rifle Paper Co, get familar! I love this artist and her illustrations always make me happy. These Thanksgiving cards are so sweet and can double as placecard settings as well!

If your looking for a handmade hostess gift, look no further! How fun are these turkey pops and jar full of turkey toes? Simple, inexpensive, and a great way to tell your hostess you appreciate her slaving over a hot stove all day! And if you're the hostess this year you can always give these to your guests as favors!

I have such fun memories of making pilgrim hats and turkey handprint crafts at school. And I distinctly remember getting to play Queen Victoria in our Christopher Columbus play making all the other girls in the class very jealous! This feather headpiece would be super fun for a young child to make and wear Thanksgiving day and I love the idea of writing what you're thankful for on the 'feathers' of this yarn wrapped turkey. Both are fun projects and can help educate your little one on how Thanksgiving started!

I'm also running a Thanksgiving special over at Mama Matryoshka! I have a ton of Thanksgiving/Fall garlands, banners, and cupcake toppers available and you can get 15% off using code 'DOMESTICATEDDELIGHT1' at checkout! Also, if you order today I can guarantee arrival by Thanksgiving anywhere in the US!

I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday week filled with lots of food and pie! I personally can't wait to get some shopping done on black Friday! Have a great weekend everyone! XOXO

Friday Favorites: New Items For The Threadery!

I cannot believe tomorrow I will be selling from my own booth at The Threadery! Eeeek! I am so nervous and excited. This is the first handmade market I've participated in and I'm really curious to see how everything will turn out. I hope Mama Matryoshka does well! I will take a million pictures and make sure to tell you all about how it went sometime next week!

For Friday Favorites I wanted to do one last sneak peak of the new items I've been working on for The Threadery. I can't even begin to tell you how hard I've been working these last few weeks so I hope you all enjoy what I've come up with!

Last time I showed you some cute Halloween items, but I also wanted to do something fall/autumn themed that could be used all through Thanksgiving! This way you get more out of your decor! I love this trio of pumpkin cupcake toppers. They can be used for both Halloween and Thanksgiving treats! This Give Thanks banner is also really pretty... I currently have it hanging underneath my mantle! I love the 3D effect that the autumn leaves have.


Of course I had to bust out the matryoshka cupcake toppers! I am a tiny bit obsessed with these and of course I had to represent my shop name! I love the idea of a matryoshka themed birthday party or baby shower and I think these would be a sweet touch! I also made a matching banner for my booth. Love!

I really wanted to do more boy themed decorations because I don't have many options in my shop right now. As a mother of a baby boy (who always complains about the lack of cute boy things I might add) it was really important to me to represent the little men! A popular theme for boys right now is monsters so I decided to make these cute (not so scary) monsters in a color theme of blue, green, and purple.

I have some pinwheels in my shop already, but I wanted to soften up the colors with a pastel palette. I think these would be gorgeous at a bridal or baby shower. Pinwheels always add a pretty touch of whimsy, don't you think? I love these soft colors; they remind me of Easter!

Aside from handmade cards, I really wanted to have some low cost items for my booth. Since photo props are hands down my most popular item at Mama Matryoshka, I thought it would be fun to make a 3 piece prop set. First, I made this vintage/1920/circus inspired set with a bowler hat, polka dot bowtie, and a big droopy mustache. I love how it turned out; the bowtie is my favorite! And with the holidays coming up, of course I had to make Santa props. These are so funny and that big white beard? Epic. I love this set for a silly Christmas card!

If you're in Southern California, make sure to stop by The Threadery tomorrow from 9-4pm. I'll be at booth #10! And don't forget, if you can't make it you can still get any of these items from my Etsy shop! Have a great weekend everyone! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Braids

Is anyone else obsessed with braids right now? Personally, I can't get enough! There are so many different ways to wear braids from fish tail to french and I love it all! My hair is super long right now while I'm growing it out for the wedding so I've been experimenting with a lot of different styles. I am loving the idea of incorporating braids into my wedding do! I found all of these great styles on Pinterest and I can't wait to try them out! My favorite is the bottom left; how gorgeous is she? I adore her make-up too!

We have a BUSY weekend ahead! Our annual chili cook-off on Saturday along with a day of pampering at the spa for this mama, and my hair and make-up trial, engagement pictures + cake testing on Sunday. Next week we are meeting with some wedding coordinators and taste testing with some food vendors and next weekend is The Threadery! And that's not even including all of the gym and music classes Cayden and I are taking together! I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it! I hope you all have a more restful weekend than we do... I can't believe Halloween will be here in a few short weeks! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Fall Meals

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It's finally starting to feel like fall around here, and I couldn't be more thrilled. We had our first big cold front of the season and even had a few rainy days this week! I love this weather. The air is crisp in the morning and you can't go out without a jacket at night. It's perfect for cozying up under blankets and lighting pumpkin spice scented candles. Last week I talked about my favorite fall fashions, but this week I wanted to bring it a little closer to home and talk about all of the delicious flavors in fall foods. First up, appetizers!

Fall is the perfect time for soups. There's nothing better than coming home from a chilly day out to a steaming bowl of soup packed with delicious flavors. I've been wanting to cook with squash this fall so this corn and squash soup sounds amazing. I'll definitely be giving it a try!

One of my all time favorite soups is baked potato. You just can't go wrong with bacon, cheese, and creamy potatoes. This recipe from Betty Crocker looks delicious. I can practically smell it through the screen! The best part? You can throw it in the crock pot while you're at the pumpkin patch and come home to a hot meal!

 Every October there is a big chili cook-off in my mom's neighborhood. Last year we entered and won, but this year my mom will be a judge. Chili is the perfect fall meal; its hot and filling and tastes amazing served with cornbread. How fun would it be to serve up chili and cornbread in a jar to your guests? I love that it's portable and easy to bring outside for a fall dinner party!

Another delicious traditional fall meal is pot roast. Juicy meat, tender vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes; is there any better meal than that? This roast from Jenny Steffans looks so beautiful and inviting. I've never made a pot roast, but this year I'll definitely be giving it a shot!

For dessert, nothing says fall like apples. I've been dying to go apple picking and now I have the perfect excuse... I need to make these amazing crock pot baked apples! With butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon it's just like apple pie without the crust! Can you say yum?!

I'm just gonna put this out there; pies are my specialty. Cherry pie was one of the first thing I ever baked completely from scratch when I was a teenager and my mom immediately named me the pie crust queen. I love the methodical mixing and rolling resulting in the perfect buttery, flaky pie crust. This year I really want to try some different variations of pies, including these adorable individual apple pies. Don't they look delicious?

I hope some of you are able to make some of these delicious meals this weekend and enjoy that crisp air! We're off to the pumpkin patch with family and I can't wait to continue our yearly fall traditions! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Favorite Fall Looks

One of my favorite things about fall is the fashion. I mean, fall does have the best fashion of the year, is anyone even denying that? Sure, winter has its coats, spring its cardigans, and summer its dresses, but fall gets scarves and boots so they win by default right? What I love most about dressing for fall is that you always feel warm and comfortable. Skinny jeans, boots, plaid, and camel... I am loving it all.  And if you're lucky, the clothes you wear can feel like cozying up with your softest blanket. Here are my favorite looks for the best season of the year.

1. I am obsessed with look #1. First off, how comfy does that top look, especially paired with that amazing cowl?! The boyfriend inspired, cuffed jeans are my favorite every day style and those floral TOMS and sunglasses seal the deal. I personally would lose the watch and bag; they aren't doing anything for me. I would wear this all day running errands with Cayden; it's comfortable and casual!

2. This look is just effortless and reminds me of something I would wear to class in college back in the day. I love stripes paired with camel boots and the feather earrings just tie the whole look together. However, I would probably swap out the boot cut jeans with a skinny jean!

3. The jeans in look #3 are the perfect example of a good skinny jean. I love the dark wash paired with that striped cardigan. The outfit is accessorised perfectly, except that awful gaudy gold watch. Am I the only one who cannot stand watches? Isn't that what your phone is for? I think this outfit would be perfect for a Friday night movie with your honey!

4. This look is a lot more put together and reminds me of something I would wear to church or brunch. I love the grey/teal color palette and all of the layering. I would wear those jeans every single day of my life, and those gray flats are what dreams are made of!

5. Can we just have a moment of silence for that AMAZING yellow hobo bag in look #5? I need it now! This outfit is effortless... a white tank, cardigan, and that adorable vintage inspired belt. I also like the idea of switching it up with vans or those strappy wedges. Perfect for a coffee date with a girlfriend!

6. Can you sense a theme here? I love stripes. I literally can't get enough of them. This striped shirt with jeans, and ballet flats is casual and put together. I would wear it to a play date with some mama friends. I love the aviator glasses and that across the shoulder bag is the PERFECT size and color. I die!

7. Look #7 is something that I would literally wear every day in fall. The off-the-shoulder top looks super comfortable and flattering and the skinny jeans and boots work perfectly with it. The accessories are really simple and easy. This would make a great weekend outfit for being lazy around the house.

8. Stripes again! What a surprise! This striped top in look #8 is super cute and I love the unexpected combination of the floral scarf. The bag works perfect and the boots? Gorgeous! This look is so fresh and cute, I would wear it to lunch with friends!

What trends are you loving this fall? I need to find the perfect boots. I say this every fall which explains my 7 pairs of boots, but I still don't think I've found the perfect pair! I can't wait to go shopping to try and re-create some of these looks! XOXO

**Please note, I am not the original curator of these looks. To find the original image sources you can go to my Pinterest Fashion board here.**

Friday Favorites: My favorite pins for children!

One of the things I love about Pinterest is all of the amazing ideas I get for Cayden. You can find anything from toys and adorable outfits to learning and art activities! I am constantly finding new fun things for him to do which is helpful for weeks like this week when he's been especially restless. Of course I also stash away pins for any baby girls that may be in my future someday (I can't resist the shoes!). Here are a few of my favorite pins that have anything to do with babies and children!

I've been really into teepees lately. I'm always building forts and play-houses for Cayden out of anything I can get my hands on... boxes, sheets, chairs, and pillows; the possibilities are endless! Anything that encourages imagination and pretend play is a plus in my book. I'd love to get him something like this black and white striped teepee when he finally has a big boy room of his own! He could use it as a clubhouse or reading nook or just to play explorer with his friends!

When I was a little girl I was obsessed with dress-up dolls. I (like every other girl in the world) begged my mom to get me an American Girl doll complete with a stocked wardrobe. I would have D-I-E-D for this doll, no joke! Her little fur jacket, patent leather shoes, and polka dress... omg. I would play with it even today. And that little hanger and tiffany blue box? I can't even handle the cute.

Creativity is super important to me. Growing up, my sister and I were always doing arts and crafts and making SOMETHING. I really want my kids to be the same way so I want to encourage artwork from a very young age. Right now Cayden is still in that puts-everything-in-his-mouth stage so it's hard to do much, but I'm stashing away tons of ideas for the future. I love this idea of using twine and clothespins to display artwork on the wall (easy to rotate, too!). And how adorable is this turkey hand puppet? All you need is a brown bag, some buttons, and construction paper and you have a fun holiday project for your kids! LOVE.

I just bought Cayden his first set of finger puppets and I'm really excited about it! When he's older I want to get him a little theatre for plays and puppet shows. If you haven't checked out this Etsy shop, you need to do so immediately. She makes adorable felt finger puppets of all different types. This woodland set is my favorite... dying over that moose!!

I am so, so excited about this idea. Fill jumbo muffin tins with shaving cream and a few drops of food coloring and your kid is able to "paint" a masterpiece in the bathtub. The best part? When they're finished you just spray it with water and clean-up is done! No stained clothes, dripping paper, or messy brushes. Genius!

Remember when you were a kid and you were SO excited when you got a loose tooth? My sisters always joked they were going to tie a string to my tooth and the door so when they slammed it, my tooth would be yanked out (terrifying!). I love the idea of having a special tooth fairy pillow and this one is just too cute for words. I love the smiling tooth on the front and the little pouch. No more stumbling around the dark trying to find baby teeth under pillows!

I warned you about the shoes, right? I am obsessed with kid's shoes and let's face it, they aren't that many adorable options for boys out there (although my little man rocks the slip-on Vans if I do say so myself). I have so many baby girl shoes pinned you would think I'm expecting (I'm not -- let's just be clear on that!). I found this sweet little pair the other day and fell in love. I die for anything with stripes so these striped shoes with their teeny tiny flowers attached found a place deep in my heart! Now I just need to convince Mando to have another baby! ;)

I hope you got some inspiration for the little ones in your life! If you haven't joined Pinterest yet, you better run there now and sign up! The inspiration is just endless! I hope everyone has a great weekend... we finally have the first quiet weekend at home planned since we've moved and I could not be more excited about it! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Best iPad Apps for toddlers!

Thank you Alana from Life on the Mom List for guest posting for me while we get unpacked! XOXO

In keeping with Johnna’s Friday Favorites, I thought I would write a post about my toddler’s Favorite iPad Apps! Everyone these days has an iPhone or iPad so I thought this might be a beneficial post to some who are looking for some new apps for their kids.

It’s no secret I have a love affair with my iPad. OBSESSION!! It’s an amazing little piece of technology that I take with me everywhere. It’s my calendar, my address book, and my computer all in one. But it’s also my kid’s choice of toy whenever he sees it out! I have to spell out I-P-A-D to my husband when we are out or this kid goes ballistic! He is obsessed but for good reason.

A few months ago when I got my I-P-A-D…. ummm….iPad, we were going on a trip, just my little guy and me. On a plane to Texas for FIVE HOURS! Imagine a 16 month old (at the time) on a plane for that long. It is torturous! I witnessed it first hand when D was younger and we were flying and I thought the mother of the fit throwing toddler was going to jump out of the plane! Seeing as how I value my life and would like to stick around awhile, I decided I needed to curb this tantrum throwing flight that I might encounter and what better way to do it then with the Ipad!

We’re weird in this house about movies and TV, as in D doesn’t watch much at all. That is our parenting philosophy and works for us. I am not judging! I swear! Everyone does things differently. I don’t have an iPhone so I am not in the know about all these amazing apps, so I did a little research, searching, etc and found a ton! Immediately, the paypal was put to use and we downloaded a ton! We were set for the flight!

Instantly I fell in love with Peekaboo Barn. It’s a super cute, interactive game that helps kids learn their animals and sounds. D loves this game so much and gets really upset when the animals go to sleep at the end! We’re talking MAD! You would think he would get it after playing it a million times over!

The next game he loves is Zoo Train. He, like most toddler boys, is obsessed with trains so this game is perfect. It has various games to play within the app but most are a bit too over his head so we stick with the “build your own train” game. It is cute, has fun music, and is full of animals, and makes the train sound, which is always a hit! Plus he can grow with this app. The harder games he will be able to play, as he gets older.

Also an obsession in this house is Fire Trucks and all things fire related. KidsFireman is a fun app that teaches kids to dial 911, become a firefighter, drive a truck, and put out a fire. Super fun and super entertaining! Huge hit in this house!

    

Last on the must have app list for us is Interactive Alphabet. This is by far my favorite app! Lots of fun sounds, colors and pronunciation of the letter, this app makes learning the alphabet fun. The F for fan is fun because you can switch the fan on and off. Therefore you learn the letter, a word that starts with the letter, as well as on and off. See, I told you it was fun!

So there you have it, my favorite iPad apps for toddlers. There are so many out there. Honestly, you can spend a ton of time searching for stuff. And a lot of them are free and compatible with the iPhone, as well!

Neither Apple nor Steve Jobs paid me for this review. This is only for Johnna’s blog! I spent my husband’s hard earned money for these apps and the saving of my sanity on a plane!

Friday Favorites: Fall has arrived!

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I don't know about you, but to me September 1st means one thing... Fall has arrived! Which means it's time to whip out the pumpkin puree and get to baking. My favorite favorite time to bake is in the fall. I love pumpkin, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and all of the other delicious fall spices. Since I've been waiting ALL year to make this stuff, I am dedicating Friday Favorites to our favorite orange flavor... PUMPKIN!

I love making pies, but they can be a lot of work. These mini pumpkin pie bites from Bakerella are easy to make and even easier to eat. Perfect!

I think you guys pretty much understand by now that almost every post of mine will contain a cupcake somewhere. These cupcakes with a graham cracker crust and pumpkin pie frosting (!!!) are making my mouth water!

I'm not normally a huge fan of cream cheese frosting, but I have to admit, cream cheese and pumpkin are a match made in heaven. These pumpkin bars look soft and moist and the cream cheese frosting is the cherry on top!

I love whoopie pies. I love them in the summer, in the winter, in the spring, and most definitely in the fall. Especially if that means I get to make these pumpkin whoopie pies with... wait for it... MAPLE cream cheese frosting. Uh yeah, enough said.



I don't know why I never thought of making pumpkin snicker doodles, but I'm sure happy Recipe Girl shared them with me. These are the perfect fall cookies to share with friends!

Last year I made chocolate chip pumpkin bread (which is still my favorite pumpkin recipe to date) so this year I really want to try these chocolate chip pumpkin bars from Bake at 350. There's just something about the combination of melted chocolate chips that's unexpected yet delicious.

I don't know about you, but I'm off to the grocery store to stock up on pumpkin! Have a great weekend everyone! XOXO