I’ll be giving you a little photo overload today while taking you on a tour of our home and a few glimpses inside our holiday party. So turn on Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas album and pour your self a festive cocktail!

This is the first year I decided to go DIY and make my own holiday planters and wreath. They are both so simple and it will save your hundreds creating these on your own.

Here is a glimpse into our most recent holiday party! This year I decided that most people just want to snack instead of get a big plate with different appetizers- solution was making a huge charcuterie spread.

Since its the holiday I couldn’t use regular craft paper so I found this cute wrapping paper with reindeer! A little tip is to tape the edges down on the side of your island.

You know those amazing people that take care of our kids all day long – teachers of the world we love you. Around the holidays I always like to make a little extra effort to let the boys teachers know how much we appreciate the love they give everyday!

We have the two of the easiest DIY gifts and a few options additional options if you are short on time- everything is under $20.

what you need

bottle of wine

scarf

ribbon

gift tag

With Christmas quickly approaching, I wanted to share a super easy diy project!  I received this ornament from a dear friend of mine many years ago and thought it was the most thoughtful gift ever!  She ended up using my wedding invitation and added glittered wire ribbon for some sparkle.  Since receiving this gift, I have made multiple ones that are very similar.  It’s a fun and easy project you can give to someone using a special shower invite, baby announcement, wedding invitation, etc.

Supplies you will need

Glass or shatterproof ornament

Special invitation

Scissors

Pencil

Wired ribbon (optional)

When I saw that one of my maternity pictures had been saved to over 13k boards on Pinterest, I decided to share a blog post about it.  Here I was pregnant with my first son, Charlie whose due date was in March.  I knew I wanted to get some winter maternity photos a few weeks before this little guy made his debut.  I mean after all, I think it’s so important to capture such a miracle in the making on film and to have those special memories to look back on.  

Its that time of year to start gifting!  I could get online at any moment and find the hubs 100 clothing items that he “needs” but how fun is it to give clothes ALL the time? (I would take it).

We are trying to think outside of the box for new gifts the men will enjoy and maybe brag to their buddies about!

Mantry- This is for the foodie in your life. Each subscription comes with a theme and is packed with delicious items.

Watch- Yes, I’m sure you have given a watch before but it is one thing that my hubby seriously loves.  I linked Daniel Wellington watches because they are super sleek and a great price!  My guy has one and adores it!

We have survived road trips and plane rides with two under two so I now consider myself an expert mom traveler since everyone survived.

Perk number one of flying with kids- no one wants to sit by you on the plane!

This summer our family had to travel from St.Louis to New Jersey, this trip meant a 3 hour plane ride + a two hour drive. Our travel day fell on this little guys 1st birthday -bad mom but we were going for a family wedding. His big brother had just turned 2, two months before.

There is nothing more that we love than local businesses.  We like to think of ourselves as a mini business. These people are putting their hearts and souls into something they love! So during this holiday season you should always try to shop local first.

We have gathered our favorite local items for everyone in your family- plus a little fun fact about each business.

mom

• Sammy Soap– You guessed it they have the most delicious all natural soaps. On top of this their shop has so many cute items.  We cannot get enough of their kitchen towels.  They are so funny.

Who is with me that our moms, sisters, best friends, etc. are the most important people in the world?  Seriously we wouldn’t know what to do without a few of these key ladies in our life.  The holidays can make it hard because we have a desire to give everyone a gift – our wallet has other plans.  We’ve put together some of our favorite gifts grouped by dollar amount- under $25, under$50, and under $100.  These gifts are certain to make that special lady in your life feel loved!

great gifts under $25.00

1. Monogram Mug
2. Faux Fur Slippers
3. Gemstone iPhone Case
4. Knit Pompom Beanie
5. Lip Gloss
6. Candle
7. Hand Lotion 
8. Beauty Blender
9. Scarf
10. Wine Stopper 

With toddler boys- or at least ours we expect to get stains, dirt, food, etc on their clothes.  We love a good deal when it comes to fashion!

Boys Pants 

Cat & Jack Jeans

Gap Fun Print Knit Pants 

Cat and Jack Pull-On

Cat and Jack Loungers