Tag Archives: christmas

Weekly Wishes – Nature

Posted on December 23 by Jillian416 • 4 Comments

It’s Weekly Wishes – Nature time!

Weekly Wishes is a link-up started by Melyssa from The Nectar Collective. It is a place where you can post and share you wishes and goals for the week ahead on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter account, etc and then link it up on Melyssa’s blog. I LOVE doing this because it holds me accountable for the week ahead. I’ve shared my goals with the world (through my blog) and I know people will read and wonder whether I stuck to my goals. It definitely keeps me honest!

Is it seriously Monday already? I swear that I had just been joyous that Friday had ended and was on my way home from work. Guess the busy days cause that to happen, huh?

Either way, we had the best weekend! Saturday was full of us bumming around, to almost every store you can think of, getting all of our last minute shopping out of the way, and then grabbing (a not so healthy) lunch at Tully’s. If you’ve never been, you should go, their chicken fingers are AH-mazing. Anyhow, back to our weekend, Emmett was so good while we went in and out of one store after another. I really anticipated him melting down because he had to get in and out of his car seat and didn’t get the chance to get down and run around, but nope, he was so good! Love that lil bugger!

Sunday was almost as equally busy. Seamus had to run an errand in the morning, so Emmett and I spent time playing and being complete goofballs together. When Seamus got home, I showered and we all went out for lunch, then grocery shopping and ran a few other errands. I am seriously enjoying this Christmas season, but I will admit that I am looking forward to a weekend of not running around or possibly not even leaving the house. That sounds lovely! 😉

This week’s theme for Weekly Wishes is Nature. My picture doesn’t directly reflect nature, but it was taken while Emmett and I were out playing in the snow (that has now melted away 🙁 ) last weekend. Emmett wasn’t thrilled with being in the snow, he actually got quite upset (you can see pictures here), but I’ll keep trying. I am snow lover (except to drive in it, then I’m a nervous wreck) and I really would love to share that opinion with my favorite boy.

Now, down to business! Last week’s wishes…

My first wish from last week was to fill in my editorial calendar. Ugh! I hate reporting failures, but I just could not find the time to do this. The only day I had time was Thursday, and I really wanted to take that day away from the blog, I always seem more refreshed and motivated when I take a day away. It is what it is, life is busy right now, I’m not going to get down on myself about it.

Next was to ensure that I really spent time absorbing the Christmas season with Emmett. I did this as much as possible! Work is busy, and I’m really stressed out about it, so trying to pull myself back to family time, once I’m home, is tough. But I did force myself to do so, and felt great about it!

My final wish was to finish Christmas shopping and begin wrapping. COMPLETE! We finished shopping this weekend, and while I may get a few more odds and ends for the heck of it, we are done. Seamus has off today, so he’ll begin wrapping this afternoon. I couldn’t be happier!

This week’s wishes…

Spend time being with my family, this Christmas week. Next time I am here, Christmas will be over and I really want to report that we had a full and loving holiday.

That’s it, that is my ONLY wish. I’m taking it easy on myself this week, so that I can not stress about anything at home and just be happy and in love.

Alright that’s it, my loves! Be sure to stop on over to The Nectar Collective and link-up with Melyssa’s Weekly Wishes.

Your turn!

What are you exciting plans for this holiday week?

Filed Under: All About Me

Weekly Wishes – Love

Posted on December 16 by Jillian416 • 1 Comment

Who doesn’t love Weekly Wishes?

Weekly Wishes is a link-up started by Melyssa from The Nectar Collective. It is a place where you can post and share you wishes and goals for the week ahead on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter account, etc and then link it up on Melyssa’s blog. I LOVE doing this because it holds me accountable for the week ahead. I’ve shared my goals with the world (through my blog) and I know people will read and wonder whether I stuck to my goals. It definitely keeps me honest!

Happy Monday, friends!

Did anyone else have difficulty getting out of their nice warm toasty bed this morning? Yeah, I thought so! My alarm went off and I literally got mad at it, I wanted to throw it against the wall. Haha I didn’t, since my alarm is my phone, I’d be lost if I had broken it. Even though it was extremely difficult to wake up, I managed it and ended up relaxing on the couch and reading, instead of blogging. My brain just wasn’t ready to think, so instead I read. It was lovely.

This week’s Weekly Wishes theme is Love. Considering I talk about both of these guys constantly, it’s obvious that I love them. Never in my life have I ever had love as pure and complete as I do with these two.

Last Week’s Wishes –

My first wish last week was to do some hardcore Christmas shopping. Done! Well, I’m not done with all of my shopping, but I did do a ton of it this week.

Next up was to read some self-help books. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t into reading much this week, so I did not complete this goal.

Finally, I said I wanted to work on an editorial calendar for Baby Doodah. I found the plug-in I want to use, I just didn’t fill it out… Can I get half credit? 😉

And now, this Week’s Wishes

Fill in that editorial calendar. It will make my blog writing life so much easier, I’ll know which post is coming when, and when I have a few minutes here and there, I’ll be able to sit down and write a paragraph or two of a post.
Really and thoroughly enjoy this holiday season with Emmett. He’s growing so quickly, and I don’t want to miss a single moment with him, they’re all so special.
Finish my Christmas shopping, and start wrapping those bad boys.

Alright that’s it, my loves! Be sure to stop on over to The Nectar Collective and link-up with Melyssa’s Weekly Wishes.

Your turn!

What are your goals for the week ahead?

Filed Under: All About Me, Family

Erway’s Christmas Tree Adventure

Posted on December 8 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

We recently visited Erway’s Christmas Tree Adventure, it was such a great time!

We decided in early October, shortly before Halloween, that we would get a real tree. Our original reason for that was that the fake tree we have is much larger than the space we wanted to put it in, and I really don’t want to feel any more squished then we already are. I immediately started looking for places to get our tree, sure you can go to Home Depot or other local stores around us, but I really wanted to create a memory for us, and possibly start a new tradition.

Then – BAM! I was driving to work, and on the highway was a billboard for Erways’ Christmas Tree Adventure. I wasn’t sold at first, the billboard was kind of silly and the name was really long, but I drove by the billboard again the next more and decided I’d look it up later that day. I’m really glad I did! It is such a fantastic tree farm, filled with loads of things to do with your kids, beyond just getting a Christmas tree.

When you visit Erways’ Christmas Tree Adventure, and buy a tree, everything else is included in the cost. That means that things like, Tree shaking, Trunk Drilling, Tree Bale, Secure Car Tie and admission to their lodge, are all included. The lodge is great! There are snacks and hot drinks, and Santa on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-6. They also have live animals that you can buy feed for, several deer, bucks and goats and one cute little zebra.

Seamus and I both took off on Friday so that we could go to Erway’s early and avoid any crowds. It worked! There were people there shopping, but it was a nice pleasant amount. We got to slowly meander through the one of the greenhouses to look for our tree. We stopped at a few different ones, thinking it was THE one, but we kept on walking, we weren’t completely smitten. Then, as we continued, we found it and it is perfect! I’ll definitely share pictures of the tree we chose and how it’s decorated in a few days, but it’s not quite ready. We placed the lights on the tree, but haven’t put up the star or the ornaments, I’m sure I’ll get to that over the next few days.

While our tree was being prepared for the ride home, we went into the lodge and looked around, and then wandered through the animals. Emmett had a really fun time looking at all the different animals and kept wanting to reach in and touch them. They all had signs to be careful because they could bite, so we kept Emmett back, but close enough so that he could see them move around. He was having so much fun, he really seems to love animals!

The prices of the trees are affordable and right on par with Home Depot, or any other tree farm. Our tree is very fresh, and once placed in the tree stand, barely drank any water because it was still so fresh. Oh! And it smells amazing! I can’t stop sticking my face deep into the needles and huffing it. Mmmmm…

Because of the lighting that day, we were able to get some really really cute photos!

If you’re located in Western New York, and are looking for a place to get your Christmas tree, I highly recommend Erway’s Christmas Tree Adventure. We made some great memories this year, and will likely return to Erway’s next year.

Your turn!

Real or Fake Christmas Tree for you?

Do you have a special tradition that you follow for getting your Christmas tree?

Filed Under: Family

The Great {Free} Christmas Tree Giveaway

Posted on December 3 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

A fantastic FREE Christmas Tree Giveaway!

Christmas, in my opinion, is one of the best times of year. The warmth of being surrounded by those that you love, the beautiful snow that falls peacefully to the ground around here in NY, and of course the beautiful glow of the lights on the grand tree in your living room. I just adore walking around the neighborhood this time of year, seeing all of the lights twinkling in windows and on the porches. Something about that just brings out the warmest and fuzziest feelings of all! I just LOVE Christmas!

It is because of that love of Christmas that I am super excited to tell you about this giveaway that king of christmas has going on RIGHT NOW! King of Christmas has three fantastic prizes that they are being given away, the first is a 9 foot artificial christmas tree. You really need to stop on over and take a look at the tree, it is just beautiful! The second and third prizes are a $100 Apple gift card, and a $50 dollar Apple gift card, respectively. You can find the giveaway by clicking here, and since it’s a FREE giveaway it’s really easy to enter, scroll on down to the bottom of their page and enter using the Rafflecopter widget.

Alright, readers, head on over to king of christmas now and enter their Christmas tree giveaway, by clicking here.

Your turn!

What are some of your favorite Christmas memories from growing up?

**King of Christmas sponsored this post, but all opinions and statements are my own.**

Filed Under: Reviews

Dear Emmett (12 months),

Posted on July 27 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

12 months! You have been alive for 12 months, this amazes and thrills me to no end.

This has been a busy month for you, but truthfully you’re busy every month, you just accomplish something knew. Emmett, I cannot believe that you have turned a year, that 365 days have passed since the very moment that I gave birth to you. We have had our ups and downs, but I’ve learned so much and grown even more, I wouldn’t change a moment of the past 12 months.

They made him a birthday crown at day care.

Last month, you were pulling yourself up, cruising along the edges of things, this month you’ve begun to take your first steps. We were actually doing FaceTime with your paternal grandparents when you decided there was something across the room that you wanted to check out. You pulled yourself up on your crib, wobbled a bit and then decided to take 4 stiff-legged steps to the toy you were looking for. I squealed (as I almost always do for your accomplishments), I was just so excited! Your grandparents thought you had fallen or gotten hurt because at the moment, your daddy had the camera facing him. Whoops! We were able to get you to do it again but only for 2 steps, you just know that crawling is so much faster.

As the month has progressed you’ve taken more and more unassisted steps, but crawling remains your main mode of transportation. I don’t blame you, you move so SO fast when crawling. You’ll get there before we know it and then the real trouble begins! 🙂

Another major physical development has been that you can now stand up from sitting without any assistance. You more frequently use the couch, but you are able to sit, then move into a squatting position and finally stand up, sometimes you’ll take a step or two but most of the time you’ll plop back down to play.

You also, sadly, had your first real fever this month, it happened so quick too. The day after the fourth of July your dad and I had taken off and were going to have a ‘date day,’ so we got up early and took you to day care. When I dropped you off, you were fine, happy and sweet but by the time I had gotten nearly home, your day care had called me to let me know you had a fever of 102.1. I turned around and went back and got you. Your fever got pretty high (104.1), so we went to the doctors but other than that, we spent the next 3 days just cuddling you and making you comfortable. Poor guy, just wanted to be held.

You’re a pro mimicker! It started with kissy noises. I had been nursing you and sat you up and blew you a kiss, you stared at me for a few seconds and then kind of puckered up your lips and made the kiss sound. It was adorable! I kept kissing your sweet little cheeks and you kept making the sound in response, but it has since developed into more. Now any time your father or I do anything, you try and do the exact same thing. The other morning, we were all in bed cuddling and your dad touched my nose, he knows I hate having my nosed touched but he did it so you would see and repeat it. Guess what? You did. Your dad was thrilled. Me? Not so much! Either way, it’s really cute having you try and repeat the things we do whether it be a sound or an action, you will try anything.

Most babies around your age start waving hello when someone walks into a room and waves at them. You are no exception, only thing is that you do it a bit differently and it’s THE cutest thing. You throw your arm and hand in the air, like you’re about to present someone and just hold it there. There’s no, flapping or waving of the hand, just a straight, stiff arm. So cute! Toward the end of the month you’ve changed how you hold your hand and now, sometimes you will actually wave. It’s amazing how just (less than) 30 days can change you.

You continue to be fearless when it comes to food, you will try just about anything we give to you. Some days you might not eat much or may not like the way something tastes but if we give it to you again, you’ll love the way it tastes the second time. Case in point, blueberries… you hated them the first time I gave them to you. However, I kept sending them for lunch and putting them on your tray for dinner. After about a week of doing that, you started devouring them, now we are forced (not that we mind) to buy the 2 pound container of blueberries so that there’s enough for the week. You almost always eat what we do, things like salmon couscous, grilled chicken, asparagus, ravioli, Naan, etc. etc. The only time we have to come up with an alternate meal for you, is when we’re eating something spicy and that’s mainly because we figure something hot (in spice) like that may hurt you and you wouldn’t understand why.

For Christmas, you received these Fisher Price Snap Lock Beads and you love them. You get so excited when we connect them all together and then you’re able to break them apart and look in the hole that is on one end. You also love putting them on your fingers, you’ll put one on your index finger and one on your pinky finger and shake your hand around, it pretty adorable and very silly. But anything that has a hole or indentation you love.

Your dad and I haven’t really baby-proofed anything up until the last week of the month. You were mobile, but we were able to wrangle, you in one way or another, so we avoided getting rid of or moving things that weren’t safe for you to play with. However, during the last week, you started pulling down daddy’s DVDs almost daily and getting into things that were completely unsafe, so we immediately started reorganizing and getting the house ready for a baby that is very active.

Has it truly been 12 months? Have I really written 11 different “Dear Emmett’s”? Holy cow! I find that so hard to believe but it’s very obviously true. You’ve come so SO far from that bitty baby that was born and would only eat, sleep and pee/poop. Now you play, hug, cuddle and love. You’re amazing and I have no doubt that you will continue to be this way for the rest of your life.

Happy 1 year birthday, sweet sweet Emmett! Mommy loves you to the moon and back!

Filed Under: Emmett, Emmett's Birthday, Family

Dear Emmett,

Posted on January 25 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

You are half a year old, Emmett and I simply can NOT believe this! That means you have been a part of our lives for 6 months, it seems impossible that, that much time has past since July 23.

We started the month with Christmas! Well actually technically, we started with a visit from your cousin. We went to Duff’s for lunch and you were such a good boy. You fell asleep in the car on the way there and slept for a while in the restaurant while we waited for you cousin and her family to get there. Once everyone arrived you woke up and were just so happy. You were passed from your dad, to me, to your grandma, to your aunt and you remained happy and smiley. You even got some good cuddles in with you grandma. You’ve come a long way from the baby that wouldn’t let mommy and daddy go out for dinner without melting down.

When we placed you and your cousin near each other, it was pretty much the most adorable thing ever. You or she would reach out your hand to one another and you’d either just lay them one on top of the other or you’d pull at her onesie or she’d pull at your binky. Seeing the two of you together filled my heart with love.

THEN came Christmas! And boy oh boy were you spoiled by your grandparents on both sides. You received a new high chair, toys, clothes and other very special odds and ends. Your aunts and uncles were also very good to you, you are one LUCKY boy!

You continue to roll over but there is a new element, since you’ve become so good at it, you will now roll from you back to your belly and stay there for a minute and then roll from belly to back, stay there and then roll over again. My little rolly polly olly! It’s really funny too, because we have a HUGE play area set up for you in the living room, with plenty of room for you to roll and roll and roll but yet you choose to roll the OTHER way and end up under the coffee table. You get SO mad when we pull you back onto your blankets and disturb your playtime but we want you to be safe and not put something into your mouth that you shouldn’t. You are just so darn cute and you make me smile.

You also encountered your first snow! You didn’t seem too impressed but I’d hate to break it to you kid, you better get used to it because your father and I don’t really have any plans on leaving the area so you’ll be in the snowy WNY area at least until you’re 18. 🙂

You also seem quite smitten with my singing. I certainly don’t have a fantastic voice or anything; you just seem to enjoy the sound of the flowing melody. Oftentimes, when you get fussy or impatient on the changing table I’ll start singing, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and you’ll quickly relax. It also seems to be your favorite song right now.

You started doing this at the end of you fifth month but for some reason you love grabbing your daddy’s face. My guess is that you like the feeling of the prickles from his beard because you don’t do this to me. You take your little hands and grab the skin around his jaw line and pull and tug, probably trying to put it into your mouth (because that’s what you do with E V E R Y T H I N G). It’s humorous and while I’m sure it doesn’t feel great, your daddy doesn’t seem to mind.

The above two pictures were not taken on Thanksgiving, you just had a blow out diaper and I didn’t feel like putting you in an outfit that you’d wear to day care.

You also had your first New Year’s Eve. It was very laid back for everyone, we stayed home and relaxed. Your dad and I did our own things, until just before the ball drop then we watched TV. We were curled up in bed cuddling and waiting for midnight to share a sweet kiss, when you decided that you wanted to join the party. Your dad and I did get our kiss but then I went into your room and fed you and of course gave you a couple kisses, you went right back down to sleep. You’re such a sweet boy!

Baby New Year!

You finally truly understand how your bouncer works!! You still aren’t long enough to reach the floor without a large book underneath you but you now know how to bounce and to reach for the toys on the tray in front of you. There are two leaves that hang off of the poles that hold the springs, one leaf has a monkey and the other holds a rhino. They have been dangling just out of your reach but the other day you grabbed one and held on tight. It was the cutest! You refused to let go for the longest time, finally you did. Click the link to see Emmett bouncing.

You are getting closer and closer to sitting up like a big boy! We’ve been sitting you up with the boppy around your waste and you stay up for a little while before you decide to slide down or fall sideways. It seems that when we hold a toy at your eye level you stay upright best. You also like sitting in daddies lap when you guys are on the floor. You use him almost like a boppy pillow. We do need to keep working on this skill because you have not quite mastered it yet, it will be happening soon, very very soon.

You’ve also started to babble. Let me repeat that because it is so very exciting, YOU’VE STARTED TO BABBLE! You started with ‘da da da,’ the first time you did it, your dad went “Hey! He’s talking!” We both kind of couldn’t believe it. The night that it started you made a babbling sound and then the sound stopped but your mouth kept moving. It was really silly! It looked like you were trying to get the hang of your vocal cords. Here we are a week later and you most definitely have gotten the hang of it. Now when you yell, you no longer screech, you yell your DA! DA! DA! very loudly until someone starts paying attention to you. Click the link for an adorable babbling Emmett.

You went through another one of your personality changes, at the start of the month you were a little cranky and needed constant attention, now you are so happy! You are constantly smiling at me, daddy or anyone else who strikes your fancy. It’s the best to see you so excited about everything!

Well Emmet, my adorable 6 month old baby. We’ve had a great month, I look forward to everything else you have in store for us.

I love you!

Filed Under: Emmett, Family

Emmett’s Second Christmas

Posted on January 5 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Most children have to wait a whole year before they get to celebrate Christmas again but not Emmett. His paternal grandparents visited us today and brought along with them tons of fun new goodies.

We enjoyed a fun afternoon with them, spending time visiting and opening presents at our house and then heading to a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. It was a beautiful day and Emmett got to spend some quality time cuddling with his grandma and grandpa.

Emmett’s Grandma gave him this amazing new gift called, Tickle Monster Laughter Kit. It is a kit with a pair of gloves that look like monster hands, they’re furry and look like paws and your fingers stick out (so that you can tickle) and a book. You are supposed to read the book together and tickle your child when it says to. It is absolutely adorable!! Emmett and I were playing with the monster gloves tonight but I really can’t wait till he can understand the story and the tickling.