Decembers Blog Fog.

I'm not entirely sure what has caused me to "slack off" in my blog posting as the year quickly comes to an end, but I finally decided this morning to come out of my BLOG FOG.

I'm not sure if it's the changing weather, the fact that I turned TWENTY FIVE, the holiday season, work, deciding if we should buy or build a home in the spring, or the ONE MILLION other things going on in my life that has distracted me from doing this one thing that I love. 

So here I am. 

Baby is sound asleep, he's been a little sick these last few days and I am watching him like a HAWK to make sure it doesn't turn into something worse.

I should be cleaning, shopping or most importantly PACKING but I NEED to just take these twenty minutes and blog... or I might actually go crazy.

Did you see the ADORABLE SURPRISE POST my cute husband wrote for my birthday? 

He really knows the way to my heart.

December has come and gone so quickly.

I made lots of fun Christmas Crafts.

We put up our Christmas tree, and took it down.

(Reason for the Craft Paper Tree)

We looked at Christmas lights.

It SNOWED.

Hunter started to sit on his own AND roll over from back to front.

We celebrated my TWENTY FIFTH birthday.

I can hardly believe that a quarter of my life has gone by.

Luckily, I have been blessed with so much in that incredible 25 years.

We had a little gathering with some friends the night before to celebrate my aging.

A delicious hot cocoa bar and some of the most delicious cookies ever.

It was so nice to be surrounded with some of the incredible people I have been blessed with to call friends.

Sorry I didn't get photos of any PEOPLE. So sad about it.

Hunter survived, (depends if he gets really sick or not) his first 

WHOLE THREE HOURS of church.

He kind of loved the kids.

Kevin made a delicious breakfast before church on my birthday and I got to open my presents. 

I was so spoiled.

Thanks to my awesome husband, parents, family and friends I got TONS of great gifts this year! 

Monday night we had the traditional Tucanos dinner. 

It was delicious.

Kevin has been working his butt of this whole month preparing to be gone for 9 days in Sacramento next week.

He works so hard for our family and I truly feel blessed every day for the time he spends making sure we have a good life.

Love you babe.

OK, this should hold me over for a day or two.

I am preparing you now though, I tend to take RECORD BREAKING NUMBER amounts of photos when I visit Sacramento, plus it will be Hunter's first Christmas and my sister said my parents have changed a bunch of things in their home to "update" it and I just know it will be an amazing trip home.

So, you have been warned. 

Prepare for Sacramento Photo Overload over the holiday week.

4 Day's until Christmas! 

KylasBirthdayPost. By Kevin

Hunter and I are home alone for 6 hours today. I decide to hijack her blog and hope this posts right when I am done. 

I took hunter out in the snow to experience it.. He wasn't a big fan of making snow angels and that lasted about 2 seconds. Trying to figure out what to eat without Kyla around.. I realize we have NO frozen dinners and no quick and easy-to-make food... Kyla makes literally everything from scratch. That's one thing I love about her - Her incredible culinary skills. These past two weeks she's cooked every single dinner! She's turning 25 tomorrow everyone. She's feeling like she's getting old so everyone please send their love to her:) 

Thank you sweetie for all the meals you make, all the time you spend making hunter happy, all of the things you do to make our house amazing, the hard work you do to help us reach our dreams, and the love we share. I appreciated everything you do.

Kev

Sponsor Spotlight: Meet Sarah of Sittin Pretty.

It's been over two months since I have done a Sponsor Spotlight and I could not be more excited to get it going again then by introducing you to the LOVELY 

Sarah from Sittin Pretty. 

I met Sarah at Gentri Lee's blogger beauty night out last month. 

I fell in love with Sarah right away. She is absolutely beautiful, so talented and made me laugh with some funny stories.

_____________________

Meet Sarah.

HELLLOOOOOO Lovely Readers:)

I'm Sarah Gardner. Lover of anything vintage, DIY, sparkly, and handmade. I grew up yardsale-ing and thrifting with my mom on Saturdays, instead of doing chores, and having tea parties with vintage dresses and tea sets with my little sister. Needless to say, I love anything retro.

I'm also a singer, party planner, assistant photographer/model, hairstylist/teacher, and anything and everything in between. I am terrible at relaxing, HATE cooking, and always overloaded with projects, work and obligations. And that's the way I like it. 

I originally started blogging as a way to keep in contact with my friends and family after I got married and moved away. Now I blog to stay connected with old friends as well as new friends I have met through blogland. I love blogging because its a great creative outlet for me and a way to share my talents with the world. 

I recently started a weekly link up called "Be Fabulous Friday". (Holiday edition for the month of December!) I created this link up because I felt like as women, we are constantly comparing ourselves to each other (admit it you guys), focusing on our own flaws, and downplaying all of the incredible things we do each day! However trivial they may seem. We all need to recognize greatness in ourselves and others. Whether its being featured on TV, getting hired at your dream job, or just making it through the day with your  toddler! Because lets face it, we are all a little fabulous in one way or another and could definitely use a little praise and appreciation. So if you deserve some recognition, join my weekly link up on Fridays and show and share some love! 

 Although I am fairly new to blogland, and definitely no professional, I am proud of my little spot on the net. Ultimately, I hope that with my blog I inspire people, help them with their creativity, and assist them in beautifying their lives and the lives of others. Because that's what makes blogging worth while for me. 

Some of my favorite blogs to read are threadesque, vintagerevivals, gentrilee, centsational girl, and tipjunkie.

_____________________

I just adore this lady.

I absolutely love her blog and her style is the greatest! 

So head on over and Sit Pretty with Sarah.

You can follow Sarah on:

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

You can also shop her handmade jewelry and baby clothes at

Etsy.

Happy Tuesday Readers.

Traveling with a little one: Flying.

By popular demand I have decided to share some of the best secrets I have found for flying with a little one.

Our last visit to California marked little Hunter's 2nd trip and brought his flight count to 8 flights (that includes layovers for both trips). 

So, now that I am an expert mommy flyer, here are some of the best flying with an infant tips I would recommend to anyone:  

• children under the age of TWO fly for FREE. it's awesome! call the airline after you book your flight to verify your lap child is on your ticket. be sure to take a birth certificate or some type of documentation regarding your relationship to the child. the airline told us we needed it, however we were NEVER asked for it, at any point. (This is one of those better safe than sorry scenarios.) 
• if you are traveling with a car seat, bring a big plastic bag to put it in at the airport. we had heard this tip and assumed that all airlines had bags, but they don't, so bring one.
• bring a stroller. it gets checked at the gate and is right there waiting for you when you land.
• bottles of breast milk/formula over the 3oz airport limit ARE allowed. make sure to tell security you have it. they will take it to be checked and it will not go through the x-ray machine. 
• nurse, bottle feed or offer a binky during take-off and landing. sucking and swallowing while the plane changes in pressure helps keep their little ears comfortable. this also put Hunter to sleep during some take-offs and landings. we found that even though hunter was getting more food and at different times then he usually did, we had no problems the next day getting back on schedule.
• bring a portable changing pad. airport changing tables (or any other place for that matter) are hard and cold. its a small thing but babies can be especially irritable out of their environment and this can be one less thing to annoy them.
• travel during the day. i have read so many mixed reviews on this topic but we found that traveling during the day was best. hunter was able to nap throughout the day around the travel schedule or during flights. this was much easier then letting him fall asleep on a flight at night, waking him up to put him in the car seat once we landed and then waking him up again once we arrived to the hotel to put him in the crib (per our 1st trip experience). I have also heard lots of people using medications to help their kids on flights. Our doctor recommended we not do this with Hunter. I would suggest you talk to your doctor before giving your child any medication just for flying. I guess if your flying for many hours/overseas a red eye would probably be the better choice but if its a short few hours flight, I vote DAY TRAVEL. PLUS: if your kid ends up screaming the whole time, you wont feel AS BAD for the noise during a day flight.
• give yourself PLENTY of time. show up at least two hours before you flight is scheduled to leave. not feeling rushed will make it less stressful for you, which in turn makes it less stressful for baby. checking bags and going through security can take longer especially around the holidays. once you are through security, walk the baby around in the stroller stimulating their minds with all the new sights, let them play with some toys for a bit (always pack their favorites) and change their diaper before boarding the plane. 

I hope this is helpful to all the mommies flying with little ones this holiday.

Please feel free to leave comments with any other tips or tricks you might have for flying with small children.

I am sure my mommy readers would appreciate it.

Fun Fact:

Did you know that when flying with a lap child you must sit on the right side of the plane?

There are extra oxygen masks that fall on the right side of the plane in case of an emergency! 

Safe Travels Readers! 

Hunter's Letter 2 Santa.

Dear Santa,

Mom says I have been the BEST BABY EVER this year.

I know I have only been around for a few months, but I think that's a pretty good report.

Here are a few things I would like for Christmas.

I'll be at Grandma & Grandpa Goold's house in California so you can visit me there on Christmas Eve.

(Plus we don't have a fireplace at our home so it will be easier)

I'll leave milk and cookies for you to! 

Love,

Hunter Ford.

I do not own these photos. Sources Below:

 #1. GT All in One Activity Walker - Target 

#2. Laugh & Learn Learning Puppy - Target

#3. Number & Letter Foam Tiles - Target

#4. Graco 3-in-1 Highchair - Target

#5. Super Cute Jacket - Google Images

#6. Bow Tie - Kelsey Bang

#7. Navy Bimini Tiny Toms - Toms

#8. Johnny Jump Up - Target

It's Beginning...

To look A LOT like Christmas.

And we kind of LOVE it.

*THIRTY DAYS 'til Christmas 2012*

Be Ye Thankful. Five Months with Hunter.

Happy Thanksgiving.

We have so much to be grateful for in Twenty-Twelve. 

We are so grateful for our wonderful family and friends.

We are thankful for our wonderful home, for work, for our faith and for our country.

We are have been especially blessed this year with the birth of our son.

Happy Five Months Hunter Edward.

(Five Month Photo Shoot Bloopers)

At FIVE Months old...

I am about 17 pounds.

I am FINALLY over 2 Feet Tall.

I still sleep 12 Hours each Night.

I started teething this month. Not fun for anyone in our house.

I am in 6-9 month Clothes (Even though the pants are too long and tight around the belly).

I love to laugh.

My daddy is my favorite playmate.

I love when he sings to me (BUT NOT IN SPANISH).

I am just starting (VERY SLOWLY) to eat Rice Cereal.

_____________________

We hope that you all had a lovely holiday. 

That you took a moment to remember everything you are blessed with each day. 

Holiday with Kevin's side.

Oh...

And this happened this weekend.

Secrets to the Worlds BEST HOT CHOCOLATE. (Holiday Treat Link Up)

In preparing for my TWENTY FIFTH birthday, 
I have decided to do a Hot Chocolate Bar.

Hot coco is a WINTER STAPLE in our household and growing up I never understood why people spent $5 for a cute red cup of hot coco 

(even though I have fallen victim to the cuteness when I'm on the go)

 when my mama made hot coco A MILLION TIMES BETTER!

With her permission I have decided to release the family secret to getting the worlds BEST cup of hot coco.

Get your water boiling and prepare to let your taste buds explore some uncharted deliciousness.

Shelleylee's WORLDS Best Hot Coco 
-In 6 simple steps-

First. Boil the water. (Duh)

Second. Put 2-3 LARGE spoon fulls of hot coco mix in your favorite mug.

-It doesn't really matter which brand of coco mix you use. 

We use the the 5.8lb can from our church cannery and it lasts FOREVER

Obviously you can decide how much coco mix you want to use also. 

More if you like it really sweet or less if you like it watery. 

Third. Chose your favorite creamer flavor (my favorite is COFFEE-MATE) 

(I especially love my choices during the holidays)

+Here comes the first COCO SECRET+

Add just enough creamer to the mix of coco and stir to make a paste like texture.

(This little secret PERFECTLY blends each flavor, the chocolate and the cream, together)

Fourth. Fill the remainder of the cup with your boiling water.

+Here comes the second COCO SECRET+

Fifth. Add a dash of NUTMEG and some CINNAMON and mix everything together. 

(The nutmeg and Cinnamon gives your taste buds that extra kick)

Sixth. Top with your favorite whipped cream and another dash of Cinnamon for presentation.

(OK I lied... ONE more step)

Seven. ENJOY (and be careful not to burn your tongue)

I hope you all enjoy this holiday treat recipe. 

I'd love to hear if you try this out :)

I am also so excited for my first LINK-UP! 

Just in time for the holidays to share your favorite drinks and treats for Winter!

Here are the rules:

<a href="ford-ology.blogspot.com/search/label/linkup" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg503/kfordsquared/HOLIDAYTREATSFINAL.jpg" border="0" alt="HOLIDAYTREATSFINAL"/></a>

Weekend Wonders.

Friday, Hunter & I headed down to Provo to check out Bijou Market.

I have heard so many wonderful things about this incredible Handmade Event and have been DYING to see the all the wonder for myself.

To be brief, it TOTALLY lived up to all my expectations. 

So many talented women here in Utah.

I was so glad to see some of my favorite handmade products there also! 

Baby Mocs from Freshly Picked, AWESOME Designs from Livy Love and ADORABLE bow ties from Kelsy Bang. 

We picked up a few things just to say we bought something. 

Mustache Bib from Vinylicious Designs and Super Cute Earrings from Made By Jewls

I am so looking forward to the next Bijou Market.

Now that I'm not so green about it, there are a few things I will make sure to do next time 

(And I would recommend these for anyone else.)

1. LEAVE THE STROLLER AT HOME. 

(The isles are so packed with wonderful products and people that there is not much room to maneuver a stroller around)

2. BRING CASH.

(The credit line was so long. Part of the reason I walked out with just a few things instead of EVERYTHING I wanted was to avoid the long line. My husband was happy about this but I passed on so many adorable things that SHOULD have come home with me.)

3. MORE CASH.

(Always bring more then you plan to spend. 

There WILL be something you CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT)

4. SCHEDULE.

(We were so looking forward to also seeing the WAFFLE LUV truck and FINALLY getting to taste the deliciousness that everyone is talking about. However, silly me showed up Friday Morning when the truck was scheduled to be there Saturday morning. 

I was devastated... and starving.)

Thanks to everyone who put together this AWESOME event. 

Going down in my books as an ABSOLUTE MUST DO in Utah County. 

_____________

Saturday Night we headed to check out the new Outlets at Traverse Mountain.

The parking lot was INSANE but we quickly found a spot and started wandering around. 

It is absolutely beautiful up there.

The builders did an awesome job and I love the outdoor roof to protect us Utahans from the chilly winter snow (or in our case on Sat, rain).

We had also gone up to get some winter clothes for Baby H.

I had a good idea of what kinds of clothes I wanted my little man to rock but honestly have such a hard time spending BIG DOLLARS on clothes that he is going to grow out of so quickly. 

Luckily I am not one to settle for cheaper stuff without being able to make sure my kid holds on to his swag (hahaha, yes swag) so when we found some AWESOME deals at The Children's Place (thank you outlets) we went a little crazy.

We bought everything in size 6-9 months to hopefully last him all winter.

(Even longer if those little legs keep up their growing pace)

I think this kid is set for a while.

Unless of course Grandma Shelley finds anything she thinks he CAN'T live without.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving this week?

I can hardly believe the holidays are starting and DECEMBER is almost here! 

You know what that means right?!?

MY BIRTHDAY.

Planning something kind of amazing for the big TWENTY-FIVE.

Just a little excited.

xoxo

Tuesday Tot.

It's Winter here in UTAH.

When the weather drops below 50 degrees it's officially WINTER 

(according to Kyla Law)

I have discovered that I have NO warm winter clothes for my sweet baby.

He is going to FREEZE.

I'm a terrible mother.

Boo.

Luckily the hubby has agreed to some Hunter shopping this weekend to get our little man bundled up for the season. 

Thank goodness the Traverse Mountain Outlets open this week. 

So many new stores. WooHoo.

Browsed around the web today and found a few lovely things I hope get our little guy.

Enjoy a Sneak Peak at Hunters new winter wardrobe. 

Any winter fashions you MUST HAVE for your little ones?

Blogger's Beauty Night Out = Best Night Ever.

Saturday night I had the opportunity to attend my 

VERY FIRST Blogger's Night Out. 

My blogger BFF Bri invited me to tag along with her to a wonderful party hosted by the LOVELY Gentri Lee. 

Gentri is an aesthetician, recently graduated and looking to get her name out in the Provo/Orem/SLC area. 

Check out some of her services here! 

She is AMAZING! 

When I got the invite to attend I was BEYOND ECSTATIC.

Being new and quite novice in the blogging world, I was anxious to mingle with some women who have a true talent for blogging.

(And to have a much needed mommy night out)

I met so many awesome ladies including some of the beautiful women behind my favorite blogs. 

I seriously felt like I was among celebrities. 

Bri.Me.Kate.Amanda.

Gentri Working her MAGIC.
This was before I spent 5 minutes laughing because I couldn't figure out how to look up and keep my head facing forward simultaneously so she could apply mascara to the bottom lashes. 

I can't wait for the next blogger's night out.

Best.Party.Ever.

Thanks to Gentri and all our wonderful sponsors for an awesome night!

Cheerfully Charmed

Violet Hill Boutique

(kno)name

Perfectly Posh

Pixie Pie Jewelry

Here is a list of the AMAZING women that attended I now call friends:

Gentri (HOST)

Cecilia

Kate

Sarah

Amanda

Kirsten

Elsha

Kallee

Danica

Jessi

Brooke

Bri

Kelsey

Kat

Livia

Sueann

Alycia

Diana

Jenny

Jenna

Kelsey