we all got crowns wallpaper & background

I thought I’d share my design from this post in a few different colors for you to save and use as a phone background. Click on the design & then save to your photos to set as wallpaper or background. Enjoy! (for personal use only.) 

Diaper Bag Necessities

Here’s a more in-depth look into what our diaper backpack looked like for about the first 6 months of Baby Blake’s life.  It’s altered now because obviously he eats and is entertained differently than he was as a baby. I remember my first baby we had those over-the-shoulder side bags that always fell off when you had to bend over to grab something...or the baby. And it was basically just a large, ugly abyss of all the baby crap your were SURE you’d need in case the apocalypse came while you were at the grocery store.

Thank goodness cute, compact backpacks came into style with a million compartments that make it easy to wear or grab. HALLELUJAH. The one I have I bought somewhere online...probably off amazon? But you can find it literally anywhere.  It’s help up amazingly well and I still really like it. The same bag for a whole year...that’s a record.

Alright let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Let’s get specific and say this bag is geared towards 0-6 month babies and I promise I’ll do an updated version for an older baby.

First and foremost, you’re still a human and need your own crap. I have a small pouch that carries things like, throat drops, lipgloss, cough drops, tampons, Tylenol, neosporin, hand sanitizer, and even a tiny fan (because, Arizona).  I also have a very small, basic first aid kit because I have a 7 year old, too & it’s come in handy especially at the park and in case that dang apocalypse comes. Gum and wallet wrap up my own personal items that I put into the bag.

Baby stuff starts with a good diaper & wipes case.  I love mine because it has a wipes dispenser, room for 4 diapers AND a changing pad and even a zippered pocket in the back I put a diaper baggie in, all in a wipable pouch with a leather handle. It’s perfect.

Things you may need, that we very quickly did not...bottle with a formula pouch inside, an extra binkie, a swaddle, a light muslin blanket and very necessary for us, a nursing cover.

For “toiletries” there’s travel size Honest lotion, Babyganics sunscreen, bug spray and hand sanitizer foam.  Yes, I use all these and they fit neatly in one of the pouches so I don’t have to worry about packing them anytime we go outside.

Finish it out with a onesie, because crap happens...and a burp cloth & small crinkle toy if your baby is into it.

Last tip is that I throw in samples of things like diaper cream and hand sanitizing wipes to keep the bulkiness down.

That’s it. Decide where everything fits and put it there everything single time. Not just for your sanity, but for when the baby is spitting up and you can yell at your husband, BURP CLOTH! INSIDE LEFT POCKET!!! It works.

Could you survive with about half this? Probably.  But not if the apocalypse comes at the grocery store...

Disneyland & C.A. Tips

We have been meaning to take a trip to Disneyland for...basically the last 3 years. We were planning on going, and then I got pregnant. (yay!) But then I was SUPER sick...and then I was huge...and then we had a newborn. Whew!

Then my husband found a great deal on 3-day tickets we couldn’t pass up, especially now that no one was pregnant or a newborn! So 2 days before we left, we told him because yes, we waited that long to tell our 7-year old in order to 1. Surprise him and 2. So we didn’t have to talk about it for 3 months.

He was absolutely ecstatic after he got over the initial shock.

So let’s get in some basics of what you need to know before you go.

try to avoid weekends

We went Thursday, Friday and Saturday and there was a HUGE difference in crowds/wait time even between Friday & Saturday. Saturday was by far the worst most crowded day...obviously. But the weekdays made it way less busy.

get the MaxPass

My sisters-in-law recently went to Disneyland and she told me that the MaxPass was awesome. So we got it for both Thursday (Disneyland) and Friday (CA Adventure) and it was worth every penny! It does cost $15 per ticket to get it, but since there were only 3 of us and we wanted to make the most of our time, we loved it. You can do fast passes right on your phone, rather than having to go to the actual ride to get your fast pass. This as also handy to be able to stand in line for one ride & while our fast pass time started on another ride, get another fast pass for a different ride! And it also comes with photo pass, which lets you scan a code when one of those photographers takes your picture or when you ride a ride that takes a picture...BOOM. Right on your phone. We loved it and tried to take full advantage of it.

bring your own food

Everyday we either packed breakfast and lunch or left to get it. Meals get pricey and we would rather spend money on our max passes & a few treats. Pack whatever meals you want, lots of snacks and plenty of water. We opted to water bottles instead of our bulky, heavy hydroflasks.

go when it rains!

Obviously you don’t plan your trip around weather, but if it happens to rain one of the days you’re planning on going...JUST GO! It rained the morning of our first day and it was a ghost town! We basically walked onto rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, Buzz, Star Tours, Haunted Mansion and Indiana Jones. Just pack ponchos or waterproof jackets, extra socks and an umbrella. Side note: ponchos are good to have for wet rides either way!

do some “research”

I started following some Disney-focused accounts on Instagram that post helpful info/tips/food about both DL & CA, so it was helpful to know before we went what I wanted to do or see or eat. 2 of my personal favorites were Disney on the Dime & DisneyHungry.

Friday Favorites

I wanted to share not one...but TWO favorites for this Friday! Crazy, I know! But they go hand in hand & work better together.  

After have a "oh-my-gosh-I'm-almost-30-are-those-wrinkles-I-see-in-that-picture?!" meltdown...I decided to get a little more serious that an undereye cream & daily moisturizer. After researching what exactly I needed and then finding the best ones for the best price, I settled on these and have not been disappointed! 

After about a week of using them I was spending time with family and someone commented on how smooth my skin was. Now don't ask me why someone in my family was caressing my cheek but they were. Needless to say I think it's working! I have the most sensitive skin and this hasn't had any bad reactions and has only made it better. So I thought I'd share my finds with you guys in case you're in the same "please don't let me need botox" mentality. So first step after I wash and tone my skin I apply this vitamin C serum.

 A little bit goes a long way. And then immediately after I apply this retinol cream.

And of course I still put on my under eye cream because those suckers ain't going away anytime soon!

Happy Moisturizing, friends!!

Happenings Lately (& not so lately...)

Hi friends!!  It's been so long!  Truth be told, I've just been so busy that taking the time to make tutorials or blog content was no where near the top of my list.  It's just so much work that my "real" work and family life was where my focus was.  Standing ovation to all the women out there balancing it all!  So what exactly has happened?
We moved! (a whole 1.5 miles away, but STILL!)

Then I got super sick because...

I'm pregnant!  

And suddenly I'm in my last trimester.

I'm still working as an Instructional Aide, still crafting, teaching lettering when I can and trying to keep my home functional.  

What's to come? Hopefully...more blogging!  I do miss it.  Obviously it'll take another hiatus when baby boy comes, but I'm planning on at least trying to keep the train on the tracks.  (Is that even a real saying? Just go with it...)

All of this to say, thank you for staying with me! Thank you following along on Instagram or Facebook or right here! Say hi and I hope to be back here soon!

Summer Printable Puns

On Instagram I shared a few cute puns from end of the year gifts and camp hand-outs. These mini pinatas were actually from the .99 cent store!  I was as surprised as you are! I also grabbed some original horse pinatas, cactus & unicorns...because you'll never know when you'll need a mini pinata, right?! 

So I grabbed these and filled them with candy for my son's teachers and my co-workers and they were a huge hit!  I whipped up cute tags and tied them through the precut holes, and then just used some washi tape to hold the tag in place to cover the hole I stuffed the candy in.

The other one I shared was from a hand-out I took up to girl's camp with me for the Young Women in my church right after school let out.  I grabbed an image from the lds.org blog, printed it as 12 to a page so they were nice & small.  Then I circle punched, hole punched, and tied with twine to glow sticks! I'm just a sucker for a good pun printable, so I thought I'd share these ones!

download this image HERE

 click on the image to save the full size version!

Before Your Next Target Run...

this is a sponsored post and all thoughts & opinions are my own.

I recently got on a coupon kick, anything to save some extra money to put towards shopping, am I right?!  I found a few different ways that I've been using, but one of the most surprising ways I found was coupons through Groupon.  SAY WHAT?! I know!! 

And the best part is there is a huge list of stores, like Ebay, Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walgreens, Aeropostale, Home Depot, Macy’s and so many more. Groupon has all of your shopping need covered- so no matter where you're shopping, you can save some extra money.  

I'm gearing up for back to school shopping at Target so I hopped on Groupon and there are 71 deals and coupons for Target! One of my favorite deals for Target is $5.00 off $50.00 plus free shipping! This deals is not only good online but, in store as well.

So get to shopping, friends!