Moon & Stars Birthday Party

You guys!

We have a three-year-old and an *almost* one-year-old! Don’t even get me started - I’m a complete mess over here. I just love our little family so much! And I know these are some of the best years we’ll ever have together … even with all the tears and tantrums, ha!

Even though the girls were born in different months (May + June), I wanted to host a joint birthday party. I just thought it would be more fun! Plus it’s cheaper and easier. I’m not sure if we’ll do their parties together in the future but this year it felt right.

The thing I loved about this party was how simple it was. I purchased most of the supplies off Amazon: moon + stars balloons, white plates with gold polka dots, pink napkins and fun party hats. The straws were leftover from last year’s Rain or Shine birthday party and we grabbed cups + spoons at the grocery store.

I hung balloons from the ceiling + tossed the extras on the floor for the kids to play with. Then I lined the table with black poster paper (you could also use black Kraft paper). It was all really easy!

I planned to print 4x4 pictures and tape them to the wall on the right but I never actually got around to it - and I’m still a little disappointed over it. It would have added a really personal touch + Lu would have loved it. Maybe next year!

For the menu, my first thought was pancakes or pizza. Doesn’t a pancake party sound like fun?! Until you think about the syrup part and then … not so much haha. Ultimately we settled on turkey subs + fruit. Honestly, I do the same thing every year. I’ve said it before but I just really like when parents offer healthy options at birthday parties :)

Exxxxcept for the cake :)

Bare cakes are kind of a birthday tradition at our house at this point. They’re just timeless! And tying in the rainbow sprinkles with the sparkly gold stars felt extra fun + sweet … especially since Lu added the sprinkles herself!

I love planning parties - even super simple ones like this one - but my FAVORITE part of the day had nothing to do with the decorations. It was just the day in general … we’re still new to Italy so I was worried no one would come to the party. But so many people showed up to celebrate! And I could just see how happy it made Lu. I loved watching the girls splash in the inflatable pool and open presents they weren’t expecting to get … and the way Luna’s face lit up when we all sang “happy birthday”. It was just a really fun day! And I think it’s going to be a really fun year, too :)

Happy happy happy birthday to our little babes - we love you to the moon & stars!

With love,

Lace

P.S. I wish I had more photos from the actual party but I didn’t take a single one! The two of Lu blowing out her candles were taken by a sweet friend so I’m just grateful for the ones we do have :)

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Traveling with a Toddler & a Baby

Ahhh, vacation.

Relaxing, right?! And so easy! Or it *used* to be. Not anymore - now we’re parents of a crazy toddler and an active baby. And while there are a million reasons I love being a mom (bear hugs, bedtime kisses, the wild way they laugh when I tickle them jusssst right), vacations are slowly becoming one of my least favorite things. (Bear with me here, it gets better LOL).

I think it’s because in my head it sounds like so much fun! Let’s take the kids somewhere new! Show them the world! Explore together! But in reality it’s a *little* different. I won’t even go into details because if you’re a parent, you know. Ha!

But also - I do think vacations are (or CAN BE) fun with littles. Looking back at our last few trips, there are a lot of things Kris and I could have done differently. Things that would have made them a LOT more fun for everyone. Which is why I’m sitting here making this list - because in the future I’d really love to enjoy our family vacations instead of dreading them!

Here’s a what I recommend when vacationing with a toddler and a baby:

1. Plan ahead. Have a general idea of where you’re going (and when) so you’re not trying to figure it out last minute. And don’t cram your schedule - one morning and one afternoon activity is plenty!

2. Schedule kid-friendly activities. There will be plenty of time for eating brunch + visiting wineries when the kids are older. Or even next weekend when you’re not on a family vacation! For now, focus on spaces where toddlers can run/explore without breaking anything :)

3. Minimize morning chaos. Pack the diaper bag, set out clothes + make ready-to-go breakfasts the night before.

4. Stick to regular meal/sleep times and carry snacks. It’s easy to lose track of time so set reminders on your phone … tired + hungry = cranky every. single. time. (True for kids AND adults lol).

5. Pay for convenience. If you’re going to a beach, get the umbrella/chairs that are already set up. Or take the private tour instead of the group tour! One less thing to worry about or carry can go a long way.

6. Slow down a little. Give them a chance to crawl around or climb a tree or check out things at their pace. Watch them explore - most of this stuff is new to them and you don’t want to miss out on the things that light up their world while you’re rushing off to the next big thing.

That’s it - six simple things that actually make a huge difference. Jump out of bed in the morning, get excited, and get THEM excited.

Hope you guys have the BEST vacation!

With love,

Lace

Cozy Fall Fashion for Toddler Girls

It finally feels like fall around here!

It’s crazy how fast it happened. One day we were running around in shorts and tees and the next it was practically freezing outside … which of course was the exact moment I realized I didn’t have ANY warm clothes for Luna!

Target is *usually* my go-to store for toddler clothes. Even though it’s an hour away, I packed up the kids and we headed in that direction. But for some reason I couldn’t find anything that I loved there. Maybe it’s because Lu was really energetic by that point - she kept grabbing things off racks saying “this is SO cute!” faster than I could get them back on!

Thankfully, Old Navy was only a few miles away … and their selection was a lot more my style! I loved how all the clothes coordinated without being too matchy matchy.

BUT … I forgot that Old Navy doesn’t have carts, ugh! So while Luna had the best time running through the racks, I was stuck lugging Stella around in her infant car seat which was definitely a mom fail moment. I actually overheard (not one) but TWO other moms telling their toddlers how good they were being after passing us! I felt like such a bad mom in that moment. It’s funny now but I wish those moms had been a little nicer. I mean, we’ve ALL had days like that, right?! Where our toddlers are out of control but we *really* need to get things done? But it also reminded me that kindness is everything. So if you see a mama looking way in over her head, I hope you’ll offer to help her out - I know I will!

Anyway, we walked away with a few cute pieces and then I ordered more online (I got an extra EIGHT PERCENT cash back using the Ebates app!!). We’ve already gotten SO many compliments on her new looks - now it has me thinking that I need to snag a few things for myself from there!

What are your favorite places to shop for toddler clothes? Or for yourself?! Leave me some recommendations in the comments!

With love,

Lace

P.S. Shop the looks here!:

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