Summertime for our family involves lots of camping. Cool air, dark nights, warm fires, and the bright stars. It’s all perfection. Camping is one my favorite things about summer. Seeing the girls take it all in this weekend, no cell service, hiking, burnt hotdogs, fishing, and just breathing in the fresh air made for a very blessed weekend.

One of our favorite memories from the weekend was hiking with this girl. She would get so proud of herself when she would get to the top of a hill by herself that she would do a sweet high kick/jump. We live for weekends like this one with our little family.

With just a couple of weeks to summer, I thought I would share a few purchases I have recently made to gear up for this fun season! I do realize that some of them may not really be essential, but I hope you can find something from this list to enjoy in the coming summer months!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 /5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

Just a quick summary on why I love each of these.

One – We own this double stroller and love it! Walks, jogs, aquarium visits, it is perfect for all of your summer outings. I love that it is easy to take and isn’t large (meaning I can fit through all doorways with it!)

Two – These mats are my absolute favorite for anything outdoorsy. Picnics, beach visits, fishing at the lake, or even just to sit out on the lawn, we love our mats from Gathre!

Three – I love this palm leaf shopper and can’t wait to use it at our farmer’s market!

Four – This hat! I haven’t made the purchase yet, but I am seriously loving all of their hats!

Five – I absolutely love these flower pots for inside and outside plants!

Six – I bought these for our cruise and they have been my favorite pair of sunglasses I have ever owned.

Seven – I love the idea of having a portable music player to move around the house with us or out on our back patio. Music in the summertime is definitely an essential!

Eight – These scissors are perfect for trimming all of those summer blooms.

Nine – My favorite color for my toes and fingernails! It is like a pretty white/pink that stays on FOREVER!

Last, I know I didn’t have 10 items above because this last one is so ugly and ridiculous, BUT my mother-in-law swears this fly vacuum works and is the best purchase she has made. SO, because we love to leave the doors open in the summer which leads to our house being invaded by flies, I made the purchase. I’ll let you know my full review later…

13 days until summer! I hope a few of these quickly become your summer essentials as well!

 

I love reading about mealtime with kids in others’ homes so today I want to share some lunchtime ideas for your kiddos, along with products we love to use each and every day during meals.

**Please note that our meals do not usually look like this, as I purposely cleaned up the kitchen and dressed the girls for photos. Our mealtimes usually consist of food on the floor, hair, and face–and sometimes, if the dishes have piled up in the sink, lunch might even be served on a paper plate.

Our family has made a commitment this year to eat at home more often. It has been an adjustment, but I feel better knowing the food I’m serving my girls has the daily nutrients they need. It’s hard to do that if we are eating out all the time.

Before I share some lunches that have been on rotation at our house, I want to highlight some products we use every single day and which I know you will love for mealtime in your home.

Mealtime Accessories: Finding plates, bowls, and cups that are baby + child friendly can be tough, but with Boon Inc., it’s possible to use all their mealtime accessories with a child of any age. Not only are they baby and child approved, Boon Inc. makes the most modern and innovative products on the market.

We use the platters, plates, catch bowls, and catch plates all the time and love that they are edgeless and have grips to stay in place on any surface. For utensils, Adelyn (my toddler) uses this Boon Inc. Flatware, which is perfect for the older kiddos, and these benders are perfect for Emery (who is one year old and learning how to use utensils).

For sippy cups, I could go on a huge tangent about how many we have gone through in our household, and don’t get me started on the news about mold being found in plastic sippy cup lids with the rubber mouths…I am about to share something that has allowed me to throw most of our yucky sippy cups away. These Boon Inc. SNUG spout & snug straw silicone cup lids fit over any regular sized cup. This has been such a game changer as they are easy to wash, spill-proof, and even better, I can take them with me anywhere in my diaper bag without having to worry about leaks in my bag. So let’s all drink to that!

Last, for clean-up, I love using the new soap dispensing FORB Mini. It is made with silicone bristles that are tougher than regular nylon bristles, won’t scratch any surfaces, is mold and mildew resistant, and releases soap as you wash. After washing, I use the GRASS countertop drying rack for items that don’t go in the dishwasher, and for the items that do, I use the SPAN dishwasher net.

The SPAN dishwasher net allows me to put all of the girls’ mealtime accessories in the top rack of the dishwasher while holding everything in place. This prevents any dishes, cups, or bowls from turning over during the wash and filling up with nasty water. BEST INVENTION EVER, right?!?!

Highchair: A couple months ago we started using the 4moms high chair and it has made mealtime so much easier. Speaking of innovative products, this highchair is definitely one. It has magnets that guide the tray into position without having to use two hands or line up cumbersome rails. The highchair is also so light and easy to move around the room and is most definitely designed with easy cleaning in mind – absolutely no fabric to clean or nooks and crannies for food to get stuck in. I seriously want to hug this highchair almost every day, it’s one of the best baby products I have EVER owned.

Highchair Mat: Speaking of the high chair, a highchair mat is always a necessity, especially with a baby who is new to solids and likes to make messes! These mini Gathre mats are not only a fabulous mat to go under the high chair, but also can serve as the perfect mat to sit out on the lawn, for those messy craft times, or even to take camping for your babes to have a place to play/sit. With a quick shake outside or a damp rag wipe, this mat is incredibly easy to clean.

Bibs: Bibs are obviously a must-have at mealtime, and I love these snap bibs by aden + anais. I have been using these bibs for a couple of years, ever since Adelyn was just a baby. I love that they are the perfect size to keep food from going on clothing and are so easy to wash. These bibs are made out of cotton muslin, so they continue to get softer with every wash. Have you seen all the new designs too?!?! Super, super cute!

Baby/Child Food & Snacks: I have so many baby food brands that we use and love in our house, but I want to share about a recent find that my girls love and is SO good for them. Nurturme is only the good stuff — organic, preservative free, gluten free, Non-GMO, and made in the USA. What I love most about it is that a lot of their products are made with quinoa, an ingredient that is high in protein—perfect for my girls as they aren’t huge meat eaters. For Emery, I give her the blended meals in the morning or for lunch mixed with yogurt, and Adelyn loves the quinoa square snacks.

I hope you will find a few of these products helpful during mealtime! Here are a few of our favorite meals (lunches) in our home:

turkey lettuce wrap, noodles with butter & shredded cheese, with peas and corn

Annie Homegrown mac n’ cheese, cut up avocado, peas, and chocolate Cat Cookies from Trader Joe’s

Organic Mac n’ cheese, with roasted butternut squash with cinnamon, hard boiled egg, and peas (we seem to like mac n’ cheese & peas a lot around here)

Annie Homegrown “bunnie o’s”, honeydew melon, peas

fish sticks with ketchup & hummus, and french green beans

Quinoa patties (recipe here), with mashed avocado, applesauce, melon, and broccoli

I hope a few of these products and meal ideas can help you with your next mealtime with kids! I am so excited that I am giving away something from every company I featured over on my Instagram! Make sure to follow me on Instagram @hellotinylove and follow all the rules on the mealtime post. Happy eating!

{Instagram giveaway guildlines lines for Boon Inc.: Each household is only eligible to win 3 TOMY product prize packages, via social media reviews and giveaways, each calendar year. Only one entrant per household per giveaway. If you have won the same product prize package on another social media channel, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.}

photos by: Liz Osban Photography 

Happy Tuesday! Here is a little round-up of some of the cutest pjs for both boys and girls for the upcoming summer months. I included boys in on this because I think they are too cute not to share! Also, most of these are from Old Navy and are on sale! I love all the short pj options for the warm summer nights and the long mornings of just lounging in our pajamas. We are SO ready for summer over here!

one / two /three /four / five

six /seven /eight /nine /ten

Bath time in our home is one of the most treasured and anticipated times of our day. Some days even include more than one bath due to finger painting, a spaghetti dinner, or even just because Adelyn is begging for another bubble bath – my girls LOVE the bath. It is a time for everyone to unwind, relax, and just enjoy the tiny moments.

We usually do a bath right after breakfast in the morning, as it just starts our morning off on the right note. The girls love to play with toys (plastic cups are their favorite), and if Adelyn begs enough we do lots of bubbles. We have been using Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo lately and I love how it smells and how it is working on the girls’ hair. We live in such a dry climate that Adelyn’s hair has always been brittle and dry. After just a few uses of this shampoo her hair is the most healthy it has ever been. I have always been a fan of using Aveeno on myself, so I was thrilled to know that they had a baby line as well!

Once the girls’ little fingers and toes start to prune, I wrap them up in towels. This is my absolute favorite tiny moment from our bath time routine. I love to hold each of them just for a moment in my arms and stare at their sweet little faces peeking out from the towels. It’s quiet, still, and calm–a moment that I just want to bottle up because our days become busy, chaotic, and loud once bath time is over.

I also use Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion on their skin after their baths. Adelyn loves to help with this part, so I always share a little so she can rub it on her skin as well as her little sister’s. I love using this lotion on the girls (and myself) because it keeps their skin hydrated all day and I never have to reapply. It’s fragrance free, non-greasy, and absorbs quickly—filling all my requirements for a great baby lotion.

Bath time will forever contain some of my favorite tiny moments with the girls. From their very first bath, to the bath full of bubbles, or the one with water all over the floor from all the splashing, every moment with them is always treasured.

I partnered with AVEENO® on this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

 

I am just finally getting around to sharing about the trip that we took the first week of May. I honestly feel like I always need a vacation, after a vacation?!?! Especially one with kids…Anyone else?!?

As a family of four, we joined 10 other family members for some fun in the sun on a Caribbean cruise vacation. It was so much fun to get the girls together with their cousins and see family members that we only get to see once a year.

Polka dot dresses

bonnet // purple swimsuit

When people would ask us what we were going for/celebrating, I always replied, “life!” As cheesy as it sounds, life is short and my husband and I have decided to travel more even if the girls are young and won’t remember. It was so fun to see them experience putting their toes in the ocean for the first time and seeing/trying new things in other countries.

This was actually my sixth cruise and if anyone asks me the best way to vacation I always reply, “Cruise!!” It’s so nice to have everything in one place– your stay, entertainment, and food. The bonus is being about to get off at different places and explore and enjoy more than just one destination. This cruise took us to the US Virgin Islands of St. Maarten & St. Thomas, and then also to the Bahamas. This was the second time I had been to these places and I am in love with the Virgin Islands. We are actually considering our next Caribbean vacation to “island hop” the Islands as they are all so close and have so many different sights.

my swimsuit // my sunglasses // Emery’s swimsuit

Adelyn’s swimsuit

With kids, we weren’t able to do any adventurous excursions, but we loved going to the beach with them at all our stops. Each beach was different and unique, and the beach in St. Thomas was voted the in the top beaches of the world by National Geographic. White sand, turquoise waters — perfection.

bonnet // dress

my dress // solly wrap // Emery’s shoes

Highlights: Adelyn loved the endless ice cream and building sand castles. Emery couldn’t get enough of the strawberries, mac n’ cheese, and carousel rides on the ship. Garth loved catching up with his brothers and seeing his nieces play with our girls(Imagine 3 two year old girls playing, they were all so cute!). I loved the beach, the warm, salty air, and experiencing the different cultures of each place we went.

 bonnet // jellies

Mama & me swimmers

We had an absolute blast on our vacation, and can’t wait for many, many more family vacations together. In June I am releasing the ultimate guide to traveling with children, so make sure to look for that coming up!

I want to know! Where has your favorite family vacation been? Did you fly, cruise, drive? I love hearing about others’ travels!

 

Last week I shared my favorite dresses for little girls, and today I want to share my favorite dresses for you! Most of these are tried and true, meaning I have been wearing/living in them for about the last month. I also seek dresses that are stylish yet comfortable to wear because you know, #momlife. I hope you can find a dress you love from my list below! Happy Shopping!

Share below what requirements you have in the “perfect” summer dress!

The last couple of weeks have been nothing but clouds and rain, so we have had to limit our mama and me outings mainly to a local coffee shop. It really is a win-win situation, though. Adelyn has been obsessed lately with having “tea parties” and I get to drink my coffee in a place where I can unwind a bit. Which basically means I don’t have to worry about picking up the house or putting a load of laundry in, and I get to sip coffee while listening to cool coffee jams and watching the girls play tea party with their water.

If you are a new follower, every month I share a Mama on the Go post where I feature ideas of places to go and things to do with your children. While also encouraging mamas and sharing the importance of getting out of the house with your kids, I highlight a clothing and bag company that I love to wear/use on my outings with Adelyn and Emery.

This month, I am highlighting the clothing company Shabby Apple. Athelia LeSueur started the company Shabby Apple based on the following principles: “Because they are beautiful. Because they are powerful. Because they have unique distinctions. Because they can use that power and beauty to shape and change the world in individual ways. Because they have always contributed. Because I believe in women.”

I have been wearing Shabby Apple for more than a year now, and the quality and style of their clothing is always impeccable. I love that their clothing designs are truly one-of-a-kind and perfectly “mama approved,” yet stylish and fun to wear. This gorgeous Santana Maxi Dress I am wearing is the perfect summer staple which is not only comfortable but can easily be dressed up for a nice occasion.

Fawn Design is the bag I am featuring this month as the perfect mama on the go bag. I recently took this bag with me to the Caribbean and I came home loving it even more than when I left on my trip. Here is why–it is the perfect size for a diaper bag with the perfect number of pockets. I have found that when I use bags with larger or more pockets, I feel like I have to fill it to the brim and every pocket has to have something in it. When I do this, not only am I straining to carry it, but I also can’t find a thing in it … a bazillion pockets in a bag can only mean that I am pulling everything out of the diaper bag just to find where I put that chapstick.

I carried this well-designed Fawn Design backpack everywhere the last few months and it is has been so easy to carry and take with me everywhere. Since it isn’t one of those huge diaper bags, I only take exactly what I need on our outings and trips. When I open the bag, I know exactly where everything is, and for once in my life, my bag is actually neat and organized. Two side pockets are perfect for your sunnies and hand sanitizer, and the front pocket is perfect for your keys or cellphone. I am telling you, this bag is a dream come true. Not to mention, it’s so stylish – the grey and gold hardware seriously looks great with everything I wear, and it will never go out of style.

I never leave the house without a baby wrap, and my Solly Baby Wrap has been a favorite for the last year to carry my Emery. She just turned 13 months, and she still loves being wrapped when we go places. When we go places, I just make sure to have the wrap ready around me, so that all I have to do is put her in it when we get to our destination. I have loved wrapping her when we’re out and about–especially the last couple of months, because she is so busy that it helps keep her contained and calm. At the coffee shop, when she is wrapped she never fusses or tries to get down because she is so content in the wrap. She just sits in the wrap while we enjoy our drinks and I give her sips of a smoothie or water and bites of our muffin.

Even though it may not feel like it with all of the rain we’ve had lately, I know summer is just around the corner–so today, I also wanted to share our summer bucket list to give you some ideas for your summer bucket list!

2016 Summer Bucket List

Go to a Professional Baseball Game

Go Bowling

Camping at least twice

Blow lots of bubbles

Fly a kite

Make homemade lemonade

Have a water balloon fight

Go to a Drive-In Movie Theater

Go on a Hike

Make S’mores (At least 20 times J

Visit the butterfly pavilion

Go to the Apple Orchard

Cover the driveway in sidewalk chalk

Take a mama/me painting class

Join the library’s summer reading program

Make homemade ice-cream

Go to the Farmer’s market

Visit a Farm

Make a sand castle

Have a picnic in the park

Build a blanket fort

Family bike ride

Dance party at least once a day

Visit the splash pad

Go to the Carnival

I hope these give you some ideas for your list! Share below a few from your list or ones that I need to add!

Also, as a reminder, I always give away a prize package of something from every company I feature in the Mama on the Go Series. Make sure to head over to my Instagram to enter to win a wrap from Solly Baby, a dress of choice from Shabby Apple, and a brown or black Fawn Design bag!

Photos by: Liz Osban Photography

 

 

 

Once summer rolls around, I love nothing more than to put my girls in the cutest, most comfortable dresses. We own most of these dresses below and highly recommend them for style, comfort, and as the perfect summer staple. I’ll be sharing my top ten summer dresses for women next week!

one // two // three // four // five

six // seven // eight // nine // ten

If you have girls, you might find yourself like me drowning in hair bows. What do you do with all of these bows?? I think every individual bow is a like a mini “piece of art” so I decided to make these displays to store my girls bows.

Even better, is that they were so easy to make!

The white frame is just a photo frame that I took the glass and backing out of. I purchased my frames from a local craft store, but something similar such as this one would work great! My frames were 16″x 20″.

For one of the frames I used white chicken wire and the other just regular crafting wire. I also found this window frame that already has chicken wire attached. It would be so cute with just a little paint and would save you the trouble of putting one together.

Once I had taken out the  back of the frame and glass, I stretched out the wire to fit the width and length of the frame and cut the wire with these wire scissors.

To attach the wire, I used a hot glue gun but you could also use a staple gun. For the frame with just the straight wire, I attached three rows of wire to clip the bows to. For the chicken wire bow display, I just started by attaching one side with the hot glue, and then making sure to pull the wire I went along each side so it was tight and secure when finished.

I bought these cute mini pins to attach the bows and if your child is wearing bows with clips, then they attach even easier!

Our favorite bows come from the following shops:

Zozu Baby

The Splendid Bow

Free Babes Handmade

The Modern Piggy

Numi Kids

Fancy Free Finery

Ryan and Wren

This last photo is what I usually hang all of the girls cotton headbands, floral crowns, jewelry, and pacifier clips on. It is just a necklace holder that I spray painted white. It works well with just having the pegs to hang things on, and It goes well in Emery’s room.

How do you keep all of your hair bows organized? Did you make or buy something to display them?