Packing and Moving Tips

We are in the middle of the packing frenzy, but I wanted to pop on in and share a few tips that we have learned along the way in this ordeal. Not gonna lie, the first five boxes of dishes I packed I didn't do this way..and now my fingers are crossed they survive the move well.  Here is how we wrap and seal any item that is either glass, fragile, or needing to stay pristine:

• White padding
• Industrial size roll of plastic wrap

Each item we first wrap completely in the white padding:

Then we wrap the crap out of it in plastic wrap:

We got the massive roll of plastic wrap at Smart and Final for $13! We have wrapped everything {minus those first five boxes} in the wrap and so far we haven't even used a whole roll yet! We got a storage Pod dropped off this past Friday, and are filling it up all week, until they pick it back up this weekend and store it for us until the house is ready. We are going to be living with Js parents for about a month while we get some major stuff done with the house, flooring, walls moving, etc.

We love having this storage pod here. It allows us to gradually fill it up with boxes and furniture as we go, instead of doing a mad rush one morning once the moving truck or Uhaul shows up. Heres the pod as of Sunday:

Yes, yes I do look this fabulous while moving;)

Having the padding, plastic wrap, and Pod have made all the difference for us. I am totally confident that through our meticulous packing, and Js meticulous organizing of boxes, that everything is going to arrive in perfect condition! Heres to a few more days of packing, and a few more days of soaking in everything about our first home together. Wish me luck to not cry everyday;)

Design Inspiration Monday

Hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving and holiday weekend! We had a blast with our family on Thursday, and then on Friday I was hit with a super sucky {but thankfully only 24 hour} flu. The rest of the weekend was spent packing...which was actually exciting and not bad at all! So excited for whats to come:) How was your weekend??? via

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such beauty: via
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Happy Thanksgiving

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No matter what all of our life circumstances are, here and now, we all have something to be thankful for. I truly hope you all are celebrating today with either family or friends, or both. See you next week!

5 Necessities For A Teething Baby

Talking today over at Scottsdale Moms Blog about some of our tips and tricks for our sweet teething Bray! Go read if you'd like, and please feel free to share any of your advice.

Design Inspiration Monday

Happy Monday everyone! I hope y'all enjoyed the weekend.. we spent ours packing up a ton of boxes! Its OFFICIAL, we are moving! I haven't mentioned much on the house until we knew it was 100% happening, and now it is!! Hooray! Heres some eye candy to start this week off beautifully: via via via via via I adore this room: via via

6 Month Baby Update

I literally cannot believe that Bray is already 1/2 a YEAR old! When did this happen? And more importantly, how can I slow it down? I know I have been saying it every month for the past few, but truly, this month has been the best month yet! SO much personality coming out, so much rolling, new skills, decent sitting, and far too many belly laughs to count. Here are some of the main things that have happened, and that I just want to remember for the future:)

• We took him to the park for the first time {and many after that} this month. We put him in the baby swing and bunched up some blankets around him...and he loved it! Wouldn't stop smiling and giggling  Have definitely done it a million times more, and cannot wait to do it even more now that its beautiful out!

•  We celebrated Brays first Halloween! It was so fun taking him to a pumpkin patch with some of our best friends {and Brays BFF Sawyer} and then celebrating the night as Cowboys {and girl}

• I planned my very first play group for Halloween! It was SO fun to see some girlfriends and their little cuties all dressed up. I see many more park dates in our future.

• He has gotten pretty good at sitting up. He can do the 'tripod' sit really well, but a normal sit only lasts for about 30 seconds. I swear its his cloth diapers that are preventing him from being better at it;) But i'm also ok with him not being great at it yet, because I feel like him sitting really well will make him feel much less like a baby...

•  A big milestone was giving him solids! We gave him some avocado mixed with breast milk the day after he turned six months! He wasn't too sure about it

•  It was a family affair feeding him:):) Please excuse the tired eyes, its was 7:30AM on a Sunday!

•  His new move is hover planing.  He tries his hardest to scoot all over, and also lifts his legs and arms and just hovers! He totally gets frustrated that he can't crawl yet!

•  Even though I prefer running stroller free- I do love my running buddy! He is so awesome on runs, just chats to himself and looks around, while holding his toy. Rarely does he actually play with his toy, just likes to hold the rope its attached to;)

•  This is a photo i'm not excited about, but it happens everyday, 10x a day!! Bray is obsessed with the dogs, and especially making out with them! The second they get even remotely close to him, he opens his mouth wide and sticks out his tongue..so gross!

•  Random facts and fun:
• Favorite game is Peek-a-boo
• Moves and rolls all around in sleep without it waking him up! Finally, because last month it would totally disturb his sleep.
• He is totally tickelish all over now, especially his feet. Loves when we bite at his feet the most!
• LOVES grabbing faces and putting his hands in your mouth
• Doesn't like being held like a baby at all anymore. Tries to always sit himself up using his core!
• Stands on his own as long as he has his hands on something like the couch or coffee table
• My most favorite new thing he does this month- REACHES for us!!!! Whether its his jumping seat, highchair, or another persons arms, he reaches for Jeremy and I. We both absolutely adore it!!!!!

Bray,

I cannot believe we have known you for 6 months now. You are the happiest, silliest, and sweetest boy ever. You are SO happy, until you're not happy;) Thank you for always brightening our days no matter what. We love you and cannot wait for the next day,month,year with you. Love you chubs!

Thanksgiving Flashback

Last year J and I had the privilege of hosting Thanksgiving for over 20 of our family members, and loved every second of it. Really! We are making it a tradition we loved it so much, except for this year, since we will hopefully be all packed up and moving soon during it. It definitely makes me sad to not host this year, but still just so grateful that I not only have two incredible families,  but that we get to all be together each year. It's a beautiful thing when your family and your in-laws get along great:) For those who weren't around last year, i'll do a quick little recap as to how we did our Turkey day:
Our table top details are all here: Along with our place cards:
And my favorite detail of the table, our DIY antique silverware napkin holders. We use these throughout the year which is even better!
As for the insanely delicious food..I want it all right now!! We made the popular and fool-proof turkey from Our Best Bites. People, this was my first time ever cooking a turkey, so I knew that I could trust following OBB directions, since they have never let me down!
 I also made their heavenly Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes {which I will again this year- too good to not!}. These are kind of my go-to dish for all holiday events. They are super easy to make, you can make them in advance and bake the day of, and best of all- everyone is obsessed when they try them! I followed the advice of one of my girlfriends, and made this Slow Cooker Stuffing from All Recipes. Especially when your kitchen is in shambles all day for prep, its so nice to set something in the crockpot and be able to forget about it! via
I found the gravy from Tasty Kitchen, and it was delicious and easy. via
I also made the worlds easiest fresh Whipped Cream from OBB. Two ingredients, and tastes like perfection. Also, a little tip, if you are using a hand mixer and dont have a super deep bowl to mix it in, just use one whisk instead of the normal two- will whip it just as well, but you won't have whip cream spread all over your counters! via Last but not least, I made these adorable butter molds. I can't live without butter, so its even better when I made them in to the shape of a turkey, acorn, and pumpkin. via
This year I am bringing the candied coconut sweet potatoes and the decadent Pecan Pie from Betty Crocker. I am a firm believer in using store bought crust, FYI;)
What are your Thanksgiving plans for this year? Anything fun and new your doing? Can't wait for the holiday to get here!!