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CHRISTMAS BOOKS FOR LITTLES

Dec 2, 2017

CHRISTMAS BOOKS FOR LITTLES

HOME, LIFESTYLE, MOTHERHOOD

Every night, my husband and I take turns reading Christmas books to Dannica. There really isn’t anything sweeter or more tender than being curled up with your little babe under a thick blanket with a good book. Our hearts beat slower, time slows down, and the big, big world becomes small and cozy. It is such a delicious feeling, and for some reason, storytime doesn’t feel this warm and fuzzy in any other season. We of course have our classical favorites, but we have discovered so many wonderful new Christmas books that I just had to share them with you.

1. Pick A Pine Tree–an ABSOLUTE MUST. Adorable little story about picking and decorating a Christmas tree. Stunning illustrations. This is Dannica’s FAVORITE.

2. When Santa Was A Baby–Short story about how Santa became who he is today. Again, stunning illustrations, and such a fun read for children to see how Santa grew up.

3. First Snow–A great beginner’s book about how to build a snowman. Truly stunning illustrations and I personally adore the small Korean touches in the illustrations.

4. Olivia Helps With Christmas–One of Dannica’s favorite storybook character, Olivia here “helps” out with Christmas!

5. The Little Reindeer–How a small child goes through a Christmas Eve adventure! GORGEOUS illustrations and fun little cutouts.

6. The Wish Tree–How a little boy sets out to find the Wish Tree with the help of some woodland friends.

7. Samurai Santa–Lots of ninja (and snowball) fun with a surprising twist at the very end! 🙂

8. Little Blue Truck’s Christmas–Fun Christmas rendition of the Little Blue Truck’s series. Dannica especially loves the twinkly lights at the very end!

9. Don’t Push The Button! A Christmas Adventure–Dannica loves the original book and this one is just as much fun!

I hope these books add lots of Christmas cheer to your home, and have your young ones’ embrace all things holiday that much more!

BLACK FRIDAY SALES & MORE

Nov 22, 2017

The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year–a time of thanksgiving, and when family and friends all gather to create memories to last a lifetime. BUT, it can also be quite stressful (and financially burdensome) for those of you who want to find the perfect gifts for your loved ones.

Luckily there seems to be an endless list of amazing shops (big AND small) that are having Black Friday specials and sales to ease the anxiety of holiday shopping. Here is a list of some of my all time FAVORITE shops that I have personally shopped at and love, and that you won’t want to miss out on. There is something here for everyone, and in all price ranges! *Unless noted next to the shop, sale has already begun, so HURRY!

WUNDERKINCO – Handmade heirloom bows – 50% off bows code: BOWFRIDAY *sale starts 11.24 at 10am MST **some exclusions apply

LETTERFOLK – Letter boards – 20% off, no code necessary *sale starts 11.24 8am PST

ALICE & AMES – Children’s fashion – Special release & 20% off code: BLACKFRIDAY17 *sale starts 11.24 at 12am EST **some exclusions apply

CHILDHOODS CLOTHING – Children’s fashion – Special release & 25% off sitewide *code: will be released on instagram/email subscribers will have early access to code **some exclusions apply ***sale starts 11.24 at 9am CST

JUNE & JANUARY – Children’s fashion – $19 swing dresses & rompers,$21 striped pajamas, $21 tight bundles, $37 baby bundles, $10 off select styles *sale starts 11.24 at 7am EST

CUDDLE + KIND – Children’s heirloom handmade dolls – Free shipping & Double Your Impact (1 doll = 20 meals for Giving Tuesday) code: GIVETHANKS *sale runs 11.24 – 11.28

CLOTH SHOPPE – Children’s online boutique & more – All things baby 30% off code: BABYTHANKS & 25% off everything else code: THANKYOU25

PITCHOUN DESIGNS – Children’s leather fashion accessories – Black Friday sales will be announced on instagram

JAMES VINCENT DESIGN – Children’s fashion – $50 off retired styles

GAP – Fashion for all – 50% off code: BLKFRIDAY & additional 10% off with code: JUST4YOU

OLD NAVY – Fashion for all – 50% off, no code necessary

LILY JADE CO – Diaper bags and other accessories – Prices as marked

TEA COLLECTION – Children’s fashion – $15 and under dresses & $10 leggings, no code necessary

LAND OF NOD – Children’s furniture & accessories – 20% off and free shipping, prices as marked

MADEWELL – Women’s fashion – 25% off code: DONTSTRESS

SHOP I LOVE YOU AND – Children’s online boutique – 35% off code: THANKYOU17 *some exclusions apply

RYLEE & CRU – Children’s fashion – 30% off and free shipping code:BLACKFRIDAY30 *sale starts 11.24 at 12am PST

LABEL JANE – Children’s fashion – Dresses on sale as marked, no code necessary *sale starts 11.24 at 9am CST

FRESHLY PICKED – Children’s fashion & more – 25% off & free gift with every $60 purchase *some exclusions apply

FANCY FREE FINERY – Children’s accessories – 20% off code: JOYJOY

PINK BLUSH – Woman’s fashion specializing in maternity & postpartum – 40% off & free shipping code: BLACKFRIDAY

REMIE GIRL – Children’s fashion – 20% off everything code: THANKYOU20

JCREW – Fashion for all – 40% off code: THANKU

BRIAR HANDMADE – Children’s accessories – all bonnets will be on sale *sale starts 11.23 at 9pm PST

CARLYMEGAN – Children’s fashion – 30% off code: WINTER30

PLEIADES HANDMADE – Children’s fashion – special release & discount code will be released on instagram

GATHRE – Leather mats for various uses- 25% off *some exclusions apply

KADIME – Children’a fashion – 10% off code: FRIDAY10

LITTLE UNICORN – Children’s essentials and more – 25% off and free shipping code: BLACKFRIDAY

ZARA – Fashion for all – 30% off sitewide, no code necessary

SOLLY BABY – Baby wrap – 20% off with over $50 purchase code: CHEER20 & 25% off with over $100 purchase code: CHEER25

TOCOTO VINTAGE – Children’s fashion – 30% off Code: MAKEAWISH

ULTRA VIOLET KIDS – Children’s fashion – 20% off code: HBDTOME

OEUF – Children’s fashion and more – up to 40% off no code necessary

SHOP SWEET THREADS – Children’s boutique – special deals and 20% off Paush A/W 17 code: PAUSH20

REFORMATION – Women’s fashion – 30% off sitewide

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If you are a small shop and would like to be added to the above list, please email me at aenny04@gmail.com or comment below. Thank you!

HALLOWEEN BOOKS

Oct 22, 2017

Dannica has been absorbing like a sponge on all things Halloween. She asks to go to the pumpkin patch on repeat. She loves to yell, “Skulls! Spiders!! Bats!!! Ghosts say BOO!!!!” And her favorite of course, “PUUUUUUUUUUMPKINNNNNNNNS!!!!!” We picked up a bunch of Halloween coloring books and Halloween themed band-aids from the dollar section at Target, and she’s been going through them like there’s no tomorrow. What’s also been on repeat around the house are all her Halloween books! Here are some of our current favorites!!

Little Blue Truck’s Halloween–an absolute must for all the Little Blue Truck fans. This is also a lift-the-flap open book—making it extra fun!

Spookie Pookie–we all are huge fans of anything by Sandra Boynton, and this is no exception.

Gilbert the Ghost–sweet little book about a ghost that doesn’t fit in, but grows up to be the happiest of them all.

Vampirina Ballerina–combines two of my daughter’s favorite things right now!! Halloween AND ballet!!!

Ghosts in the House–a book about a brave little girl who knows a thing or two about dealing with ghosts!

No Such Thing–this is my daughter’s absolute absolute FAVORITE, and has been getting lots of love. It’s especially fun to spot the hidden ghost on each page!

I hope these books get your little ones excited for the big day, and that they will enjoy them for many Halloweens to come!!

PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS & MORE PUMPKINS!

Oct 15, 2017

PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS & MORE PUMPKINS!

HOME, LIFESTYLE, MOTHERHOOD

Halloween has always held a special place in my heart. I love how it lets adults act like little kids and how it lets kids’ imagination take flight. I love the cooling temperatures, sipping on big mugs of hot cocoa, walking on crunchy and colorful leaves, and indulging on all the apple and pumpkin treats. I love how it kick starts all my favorite holidays and traditions, and puts everyone in a festive mood. With that said, this Halloween has been my FAVORITE yet!!

There is something so magical about watching your baby grow up, and having her take part in family traditions. This was the first year that Dannica was old enough to understand and fully embrace the holiday spirit. It made everything so much more memorable because I know that each year will be different and special as she grows up and able to do more and understand more. But I think I will forever and always remember THIS year because to Dannica, it was really her first ever Halloween and all things pumpkins!

Dannica’s FIRST visit to the pumpkin patch at 13 months!

Also! Bella’s first visit to the pumpkin patch!!

And speaking of pumpkins…she is OBSESSED with pumpkins! Carving pumpkins, pumpkin patches, pumpkin treats, pumpkin this, pumpkin that, pumpkin everything!! I love how when she sees pumpkins, she will literally run over, and give it a hug and a kiss as if it were a long lost friend.

Did we really pick out so many?! :O

Flexing her muscles and getting ready to push her wagon full of pumpkins!

Realized she needed some help hahahaha!

This weekend we carved all the pumpkins that Dannica picked out from our visits to the pumpkin patch (bless her little heart, she even picked out a pumpkin for baby brother!!!<3) It was so adorable how she took her little jobs so seriously. She is only two, so my husband and I did all the carving. But Dannica loved lifting all the pumpkin lids (she would say, “Nana so stroooooooong”), scooping out all the seeds, turning on the LED candles, throwing them into the pumpkin and closing the lid. We gave her some acrylic paint to decorate her itty bitty pumpkin while we did the carving, and that was just perfect for her little hands and mind to be kept busy so that she didn’t feel left out from the carving. And the best part–watching her jump up and down and squeal with excitement when she saw all the pumpkins lined up in a row and lit up in the dark… My heart could burst from just watching her so happy.

This photo is definitely a skip down memory lane. FIRST time carving pumpkins EVER in our first home as a married couple. My husband who grew up all-American in Kansas had to teach me step-by-step on what to do hahahha.

First pumpkin! This one is of my husband 🙂

Just me & Dave, but a tradition is born!

This year, we decided to repeat our Jack-O-Lantern family of pumpkins. And it’s been so fun to look back at the very first time we did this when it was just me and Dave. And here we are now…*almost* a family of FIVE!!! It could be the pregnancy hormones, but I started tearing up watching our little family evolve and grow. And I think that’s the BEST part about the holidays–It forces you to pause and cherish the important things in life…

TWO month old Dannica <3!!! She is dressed up as Dorothy and Bella as Toto (in honor of my husband’s Kansas roots).

All lit up outside our first home!

And now *almost* a family of 5!

DANNICA’S PLAYROOM

Oct 11, 2017

DANNICA’S PLAYROOM

HOME, LIFESTYLE, MOTHERHOOD

This room has by far been the MOST FUN and definitely my favorite room to conceptualize and plan. I’m a little sad because in a few short months, I plan on redecorating Dannica’s playroom into her “big girl” bedroom (since baby brother will be taking over her current nursery). I put so much love and attention into this room, and we made so many wonderful memories here, that it is a bit bittersweet to let it go. This post is in one part to “scrapbook” Dannica’s very first playroom, and in second part to *finally* field all the questions that so many of you have asked me in the past few months with regards to seeing photos of her playroom, tips on keeping it clean, and where I sourced all the furnishings and decorative accents.

Here are five things that I thought were helpful to keep in mind when conceptualizing a fun and functional playroom that you AND your kids will love!

1. As you would for a nursery, build off a theme when designing a playroom. Whether it be based off colors, textures, or something more activity based like camping. It will give the room a more cohesive and “cleaner” look.

2. Keep everything in the background BRIGHT! That means all textiles (rugs, throw pillows, etc), lighting, drapes, wall color, and large furniture. It will make the room appear larger, brighter, cleaner, and easier to redecorate when you want to switch things up. I also think that kids play better in a bright and airy room.

3. Don’t put everything out. Rotate toys and books. This is a win-win for all. Your kiddos will love the fresh rotation of toys once they’re brought out and the room will look tidier and will be easier to clean up!

4. Mix high and low priced pieces to achieve a beautiful playroom without breaking the bank. Purchase affordable items that will get a lot of wear and tear, and then thread in nicer accent pieces to bring your room to life. Dannica’s play table, kitchenette, seating and all textiles are from IKEA. All textiles are machine washable and were less than 15 dollars!

5. Last but not least, DIY and make it your own. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate week long project. It can be a simple and creative use of a can of spray paint or a roll of washi tape. Some simple things I did was to spray paint Dannica’s shopping cart rose gold (it was originally hot pink) and replace the seat’s fabric. I also used washi tape on her play table and chairs where I knew would get dirty easily. So now, not only does it look more unique, it is much easier to wipe off markers and food stains off the tape than it would have been with the original wood. I also used washi tape to create the silhouette of a home and chimney. I love how it turned out and it was a simple by product of me being too scared to put up wallpaper and too cheap to purchase wall decals (aren’t they just large stickers??). A bigger DIY project that I did and would highly recommend is her IKEA play kitchen. I posted a step by step account on that DIY here in a previous post.

A ton of you have asked for a walking tour of her playroom, so I have included here a little video of her playroom with all of our Halloween decorations!

Click here for video of Dannica’s playroom

And finally, over the past few months I have received so many questions with regards to her teepee, her dollhouse, my chalkboard, and the kitchenette. Here is a list of all the items in Dannica’s playroom, and where I sourced it from:

*Play table and chairs, lounger, small side table, all potted plants, kitchenette, and kitchen toys are from IKEA.

*Custom mounted chalkboard is from Mirrorlot. My husband bought this for me as an early birthday present, and to this day, it is my favorite present I’ve ever gotten!

*Teepee is from Shop Little Wanderer

*Mounted bookshelf is from Pottery Barn Kids

*Flower garland is from Fancy Free Finery

*Dollhouse is by Plantoys

*Shopping cart (that I DIYed) is from Amazon

*Chandelier is from RH Baby & Child

*Halloween decorations are all from Micheal’s (they are having a 60% off sale on all things Halloween!).

I think I have covered everything here in this post, but please feel to leave any questions or comments if I missed something… 🙂 As you can probably tell, I love to share and exchange information!

THE HALFWAY MARK!

Oct 2, 2017

One is super happy and the other knows what’s really up the second time around 😉

I can’t believe that I’m already halfway through my pregnancy! Everything has been so different this time around. So many of my friends told me that the second pregnancy will be harder yet still go by faster, but it didn’t really sink in until I was actually going through it myself.

Pregnant with Dannica here <3

My pregnancy with D was such a dream pregnancy. It was smooth sailing from the very beginning. No morning sickness, no taste or smell aversions, no complications, no crazy exhaustion, and no difficulties sleeping until the very very end. I was slammed hard with everything under the sun with this pregnancy. Six weeks in, I was ordered to be on strict bedrest for a week due to heavy bleeding. Each day was agony and torture…not knowing whether or not my baby was still okay. After another ultrasound where they found that the source of my bleeding had started to clot and that our baby was still going strong, all the other pregnancy symptoms just came one after another. Especially the morning (AND evening sickness). Up until 16 weeks or so, I literally felt like death. And the exhaustion was something I was not prepared for. I felt like even after 20 hours of sleeping, I was still tired?!?! This did not bode well for being a stay at home mom with a very demanding and hands on toddler…

All 3 in one shot thanks to my amazing husband!!

But 20 weeks in, I am now (yes!!) thoroughly enjoying my pregnancy and seeing the bright side of being pregnant the second time around. First thing is that I felt the baby’s movements so much sooner!! I didn’t feel D’s first kick until 24 weeks in. With this one, it’s been nonstop since 16 weeks and I L O V E it. It’s so reassuring to feel the movements and makes the whole pregnancy feel more “real”.

The second thing has been that I just generally feel more zen. I remember with D’s pregnancy, I used to stay up until all hours of the night googling about what could go wrong, and all the horror stories about labor and delivery. I used to obsess about whether or not she was alright in there. I even borrowed my friend’s doppler and used it everyday to hear her heartbeat. I was a bit much, and I’m so grateful that my poor husband just smiled and went along with all my antics through the whole journey.

The third thing is that it is flying by!! With D’s pregnancy, I was literally counting down one slow single day at a time. I was all brushed up on what milestone was happening at what week and journaled about everything and quite possibly more. With this pregnancy, I often find myself counting back to figure out what week I’m in, and then quickly forget again the next day!

At any rate, I also wanted to share some things that I have been absolutely loving with this pregnancy. Nothing is sponsored or endorsed—they are all truly products that my mama friends have recommended to me, and I have in turn fallen in love with them for various reasons.

1. Mustela Double Action Stretch Mark Cream—I used this with D’s pregnancy as well and didn’t get any stretch marks. I apply a liberal amount after every shower and just love it. I love the consistency of it, the smell, and would like to think that it will work again 🙂 !

2. “Hello in there”—this book was recommended to me by two very discerning mama friends. It is an interactive book about a little girl’s relationship with her baby sibling growing in her mama’s belly. It is just so sweet and D just loved it. I can’t recommend this book enough for those of you who are preparing their little ones in becoming an older sister.

3. AG maternity jeans—I didn’t buy any maternity clothes while pregnant with D because I just could not stomach the idea of spending so much money on clothes I would wear for such a short period of time. I am now the biggest convert in maternity jeans. After some internal struggle, I bought these full belly paneled maternity jeans by AG and I LIVE in them. They go with everything and are so comfortable that I already know I’ll be wearing them post partum. I know it is very expensive, but just one pair goes such a long, long way!

4. Vitafusion pre-natal chewable gummy vitamins. I hate pills. Having gone through IVF multiple number of times, I am just tired of pills and needles. These gummy vitamins are truly delicious—they taste like treats!

5. Leachco Back N Belly Body Pillow—if you’re having major sleep issues, this is your best friend. It supports and snuggles you in all the right areas so that you can have a restful night of sleep! (There are also videos on all the different variations you can position it in.)

I hope some of these tips will help you in your pregnancy and would love love love to hear any tips you may have that helped you in your pregnancy!

SHOP OF THE MONTH | DOLORIS PETUNIA

Aug 1, 2017

SHOP OF THE MONTH | DOLORIS PETUNIA

HOME, LIFESTYLE, MINISTYLE

*****UPDATE*****

Congratulations to Tena Letica (Tiny Tomboys) for winning the Constellation dress! We cannot wait for your little girl to wear this dress and hope she makes wonderful memories in it!!

For everyone who participated in our IG family, as a special thank you, we are extending a 20% off special promotion on all three dresses featured below for the month of August. Simply enter code “DANNICA” upon check out. Thank you once again for entering our giveaway!

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I have been waiting and waiting and waiting to present this month’s shop feature–Doloris Petunia by Courtney Prince. They create the most beautiful special occasion dresses for your little darlings, and in celebration of Dannica’s second birthday we have teamed up to gift one of the three stunning dresses featured below to one special little girl. You can find out more information on how to enter on our Instagram pages @aenny04 and @dolorispetunia.

The Annabelle Dress (the first of the three dresses featured this month).

Showcases gorgeous delicate flower petals that flutter lightly with movement. Open circle back with pearl buttons on nape of the neck and waist for closures.

I first connected with Courtney many months ago and instantly connected with her over our love for dogs, fashion, and children. She is the visionary behind the shop’s line of dazzlingly luxurious and one-of-kind dresses. From dresses that look like a confectionery dream to ones that look like a bouquet of flowers, each dress will transport you to a fairy tale land. She used to be a competitive figure skater and you can instantly grasp how she spins and twirls her magical touch into each dress to make your girl feel like the star.

The Katy will take your breath away.

Practicing being a big sister!! I just love the beautiful bow on the shoulder.

As you can see, each dress is like a piece of fine jewelry, and so much beauty and effort goes into each and every dress. They even embroider each dress with the girl’s name and date inside the bodice so that it is a keepsake to treasure forever–I just love little details like this because it shows that the shop goes above and beyond to make it extra special.

The Constellation in Rose Gold.

Meant for everyday and magical adventures…

To win one of the three stunning dresses featured here all you have to do is follow us both on IG @aenny04 and @dolorispetunia, like the photo posted, tag a friend (more tags mean more entries), and comment below on which dress you would want to win for your little darling (this will be the dress we will gift to you). Winner will be announced on Dannica’s birthday August 8th, on the shop’s IG page at 12pm EST! I hope your little one will create the most magical memories in this special dress!!

SHOP OF THE MONTH | MY LITTLE WEARS

Jun 30, 2017

SHOP OF THE MONTH | MY LITTLE WEARS

HOME, MINISTYLE

For this month’s shop feature, I am so excited to introduce you to My Little Wears. I first fell in love with their adorable pom pom hats. Who doesn’t melt into a puddle of goo at the sight of a little babe wearing the most fluffy and luxurious pom hat? But then I became a huge fan of all the pieces they carry. From their adorable bunny rompers (if you are on instagram, you will have for sure seen photos of these bunny rompers and pom pom hats on all your favorite stylish littles!!) to their stylish yet fuss-free dresses, you will fall in love with all of their pieces.

The adorable Speckle Dress. You have to see this dress in person. It is darling.

The founder of My Little Wears, Leah Rose, is a mother to two young children and finds inspiration from them every day. Based out of London, she has been carefully curating and personally handpicking each item for her shop since 2015. Having two little ones as her muse, she ensures that each piece the shop carries is fun, playful, comfortable, stylish AND affordable.

The Candy Gingham Dip Dress.

She also carries the most darling accessories like this fedora hat.

I find myself constantly opening Dannica’s closet and reaching for their clothes because, they are so easy to put on, fuss-free for Dannica to play in, washes amazingly well, and I never have to touch an iron to smooth out wrinkles after a wash. To top it all off, her pieces are all so adorable and stylish! To a busy mom, those combination are hard to beat.

I am obsessed with this Flutter Sleeve Jumpsuit. Dannica practically lives in it.

All her pieces are so easy to wear and wash!

Made for adventures and the outdoors!

Having the best time with her best friend.

Time to go home!

For the whole month of July, Leah is offering all my followers 15% off their entire purchase with the code “aenny15” upon checkout. You will not want to miss out on this opportunity because she has the most adorable rompers and play sets on the shop right now. You can check out her shop’s Instagram page @mylittlewears for more inspiration as well.

One of my favorites–Bow Diary Floral Tunic Dress with a high-low back. SO light and summery!

FAMILY PHOTOS WITH SMITTEN & SWOON

Jun 8, 2017

FAMILY PHOTOS WITH SMITTEN & SWOON

HOME, LIFESTYLE, MOTHERHOOD

If people ask me what my most valuable possession is, I will not hesitate to say that they are my family photos and albums. From all the big events like my wedding day or Dannica’s first step to all the tiny yet equally important events like the face Dannica made when she had her first broccoli, I want to document them all and make sure that I never forget them. It’s such a paradox because as much as I love photos and taking them, I have a hard time being in photos. A part of it is because I am painfully awkward when someone takes a photo of me (who isn’t right?! Am I smiling too much? What do I do with my hands?! Where am I looking?), but a larger part of it is because I am such a control freak about how I want each photo to be taken that I don’t trust anyone but myself to do it!

D’Ann’s unbelievably breathtaking backyard.

When I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to have Dannica’s newborn photos as well as our family photos taken professionally. I thank my lucky stars that I met D’Ann from Smitten & Swoon. We first exchanged emails when I was about 6 months pregnant and then we went back and forth, tossing around ideas on what we wanted to accomplish for Dannica’s newborn session. She always creates a shared Pinterest board to fully grasp your vision and is so hands on and collaborative from the beginning. When we met for the first time (a week after I gave birth), I just knew that she was going to be in my life forever. She is a lifestyle photographer, but she is really so much more than that.

D’Ann’s beautiful place with the barn her husband built with his own two hands in the background.

She lives on the most beautiful piece of land with rolling hills, luscious green trees, and crested mountains. She tends to the most beautiful garden you can possibly dream of in her backyard. Her photo studio is a cottage straight out of a fairy tale. She and her husband also have two beautiful children, two adorable dogs, two of the most stunning horses you can imagine—one black and one white stallion, and so many other barn animals. (By the way, her husband BUILT their barn!) With so many resources at her fingertips, a photo session with her is only limited by your imagination.

One of her gentle and sweet horses, Sebastian.

Amidst her garden

Our newborn session was a daylong affair but the time just flew by. She is an animal and baby whisperer and I could not believe how easily she would coax a smile out of Dannica. I could not believe how patiently she would wait for that perfect little baby yawn and stretch that we mothers melt a million times over for. She captured all the yummy newborn baby details—I was in near tears when I reviewed the gallery because by then, Dannica already lost all of her fresh newborn look. It only solidified in my mind how glad I was to have documented every bit of it. It is heart breaking how short that stage is.

My ALL time favorite photo. EVER.

She knits and makes all her newborn outfits. She has baskets upon baskets of the most adorable accessories and clothes.

We used this as our birth announcement!

She also did Dannica’s 3, 6, 9 month and 1 year session and each session was just so much fun. She always creates a fresh Pinterest board for the perfect session. For example we did a tea party themed session for Dannica’s 9 month session because we were throwing an Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party for her one year. And then for her one-year session, we did an UP!/balloon themed session, which I loved too!

Tea party themed 9 month session taken in front of her wall of peonies.

She seriously makes magic.

Amidst all the blooms in her stunning garden.

1 year UP session

I am so excited that Dannica’s 2 year old session is coming up. I always catch myself daydreaming about what we will do, and what D’Ann has planned. We decided to go for a Secret Garden theme for this session. So far we are thinking lots of blooms, wildflowers, and green, green meadows. I cannot WAIT for our session and I cannot WAIT to share with you the final photos!!! If you want to see photos that will just take your breath away and transport you to a fairy tale that you have dreamed of growing up, you have to check out her portfolio and her instagram.

Smitten & Swoon | www.smittenandswoon.com | @smittenandswoon

FUN IN THE SUN

Jun 6, 2017

FUN IN THE SUN

HOME, MINISTYLE, TRAVEL

My husband travels quite a bit for work. We were lucky this time around because we got to follow along!! When he first mentioned that we were going to Longboat Key in Florida, I was worried about what we would do there for so long. I could not have been more wrong in my thinking and this trip ended up being one of my all time favorite trip with Dannica!

We had the beach to ourselves almost every single day!!

Gorgeous beach with crystal clear water!

Clay like soft sand <3

Many of you who follow me on Instagram have asked me where I took the photo of Dannica playing with the oversized chess pieces on the beach. We stayed at The Resort at Longboat Keys and they had so many of these adorable play areas for kids. Here are a few photos below:

Dannica had so much fun pushing around and hugging these oversized chess pieces 🙂

Just loved how kid friendly the whole place was!

Yes…she is kissing the knight…

How adorable is this little beach restaurant shack for your toddlers to play in!!

One is the loneliest number…

Sometimes, I wonder what she thinks about…

I think she misses her sister <3

The resort offers everything you could want: golf, tennis, kids’ camp, pool amenities, and beach water sports rentals that range from rafts to kayaks to paddle boards. Their private beach is also so beautiful. I loved the natural landscapes, and the beautiful boardwalks going straight out onto the beach.

Beautiful natural landscapes up and down the beach.

Can’t get enough of this view!!

Just loved this boardwalk to the beach!

Running out to the beach every single day!

Aside from the kid friendly beach and pool area, what I loved most about this resort was how empty the beach was Every. Single. Day. Most of the days we were out on the beach, it was just me and Dannica as far as the eyes could see!! And the two sunsets we were able to see, we only had to share the view with one or two couples who were just strolling by!

Picture perfect sunset every single day.

My favorite time of the day!

The town was also so charming and everyone was so friendly. We loved the family vibes at Dry Dock restaurant where people literally sail right into the restaurant’s dock, park their boats, grab a bite and then sail back home. We also loved all the restaurants around St. Armand’s Circle, especially Crab and Fin. We can’t wait to go again next year and hopefully they will change their pet policies by then so that we can all come as a family!

Collecting sea shells by the sea shore…

We can’t wait to come back again next year!!

Filter by Category : Tag : Date

Filter by Category : Tag : Date

Filter by Category : Tag : Date

CHRISTMAS BOOKS FOR LITTLES

BLACK FRIDAY SALES & MORE

HALLOWEEN BOOKS

PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS & MORE PUMPKINS!

DANNICA’S PLAYROOM

THE HALFWAY MARK!

SHOP OF THE MONTH | DOLORIS PETUNIA

SHOP OF THE MONTH | MY LITTLE WEARS

FAMILY PHOTOS WITH SMITTEN & SWOON

Smitten & Swoon | www.smittenandswoon.com | @smittenandswoon

FUN IN THE SUN