Words of Inspiration: no.1

I find words comforting, inspiring, wise and happy. I will be sharing with you some of my favorite quotes, words, phrases and thoughts, each Saturday. They tie into my week or my weekend, my life at the moment, our my current state of mind.

 

 

This weekend, my sister and I are going on a little mini girls trip and night out. Long overdue! We are putting on fancy dress and pretty shoes, and heading out downtown San Diego for a fun evening together.

 

 

We have shared so many nights like this in the past and it always is so much fun. Fun hotel and a couple swanky cocktails, a little shopping and some sister chit chat!  Can't wait to have this girly night away!

Happy weekend, xo!

 

 

The Little Things

As busy mothers, sometimes it is hard to pick out the little things that make us happy on a daily basis.  We are running kids to school, feeding the baby, cleaning the house, making dinner, go, go, go all day long.  But we should all stop to see these little things, that while they may seem insignificant in a passing moment, are truly what our happiness is made of. :)

Here's what I stopped to smile at this week...

 

A happy baby at his two month doctor's appointment.  All smiles! 

...That is, until those crummy shots to the leg.  {sniff!} Made me so sad for this little man.

 

A wonderful husband who brings me flowers for no reason at all...

except to let me know he loves me. :)

 

 As a self-proclaimed TV addict, catching up on The Vampire Diaries was very happy for me this week.

{That is, until one of my favorites got killed.  Not cool, not cool at all.}

 Coffee.  {Need I say more?}  It's what gets me through the morning. :)

 Baby smooches!!! :)

{and for momma keeping it real with my crummy hair, roots and all, no makeup, looking like total crap.  A day in the life, people. ;) }

 Family game night!

{Seriously, who knew Risk could be so much fun?  And so addicting?}

 It was Andrew and my first time playing!  John was quite the teacher of world domination.

 

 

 One smart little cookie that I have raised.

Andrew got an A+ on his report about Teddy Roosevelt.  Go Andrew!!!!

You sure know how to make a momma proud. :)

 

What made you smile this week? :)

xo!

 

*Linking up with Falling for Friday :) Love her blog!!!

*Also linked to a new blog I just discovered. High Five for Friday! :)

American Idol Picks - Top 10 Guys

This was my first time watching the guys sing, and let me sum up the night with a single word: underwhelming!!! Seriously, the girls are going to kick butt this year if this is what the guys have to offer. There wasn't one guy who truly stood out to be special and worth rooting for yet. 

That being said, Nick and Lazaro were the most enjoyable performances for me, followed by Curtis and Paul Jolley. And don't even get me started on how super scared I am of Charlie Askew. Um, who decided to put that creep through?!

What were your thoughts of last night's show?? Xo!

American Idol Picks- Top 10 Girls

I have always been a huge fan of American Idol. This season, however, I have not been keeping up with it like I usually do. Since I am not a big fan of the tryouts, I decided to start watching the show as of last night. So my picks are truly based on their singing ability and not their popularity on the show thus far, which is actually kind of fun!!

My three favorites from last night are Angie, Amber and Kree. They were fantastic singers and each gave me goosebumps!!! I think they all seemed special in a way, different from current singers and they all seemed to be able to fit into today's music marketplace! My two other picks for the top five would have to be the cute country blonde Janelle and the powerhouse singer Candice. No one else really did much for me.

Who were your picks last night??? I am now dying to watch the boys sing tonight and can't wait for Thursday's result show!!!! I am definitely happy to be watching the show again. :) xo!

What I Wore Wednesday

Lately, I have been in a little bit of a clothing rut. Since I had my baby only two months ago, I am still feeling fairly frumpy most of the time. So dressing super cute has not been my number one priority. Comfortable outfits have been my go-to lately. :) I think that publicly displaying my outfits will help with that a bit, so here we go! Do you participate in What I Wore Wednesday?

 

Here is my caveat... I do not buy expensive clothing. My favorite places to shop include Forever 21, Kohl's, Target, Old Navy and yes, even Wal-Mart!! I love finding a great deal and I love bargain shopping, so these places always seem to have the best deals for my money. Here are some of my recent outfits.

Sweatshirt: Hollister
Tank: Target
Jeans: Jolt skinnies from Nordstrom Rack
Sparkle flats: K-Mart

 

Polka dot top: From my sister! :)
Jeans: Jolt skinnies from Nordstrom Rack

 

Top: Target
Jeans: Jolt skinnies from Nordstrom Rack
Flats: a Christmas gift from my sister! :) LOVE the jeweled bow of the toe!  So cute!

 

White sleeveless top: Wal-Mart
Plaid shirt: Old Navy
Jeans: LEI skinnies from Wal-Mart

Flats: same Christmas gift flats from my sissy!

 

Alright, those are the post worthy outfits...the rest of the time, I was probably in leggings and a sweatshirt. :)  Or pajamas and a bathrobe. ;)  Hop over to the Pleated Poppy to see the rest of the WIWW posts for the week!  So glad to be doing this again!

xo!

  

 

*Also linking for the first time to Whatever Whenever Wednesday,  Wardrobe Wednesday, Random Wednesday...how fun!!! :)

  

giveaway winner!

The winner of the four-pack of thank you cards is... Eva from tales of the scotts Eva, email me your address and I will get these in the mail to you asap. {I am loving her blog, by the way.  Yay for new reading material!  Thanks Eva!} And thank you to everyone who entered!  I will be doing frequent giveaways in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for another chance to win.   If you would like to purchase this darling set of "thank you" cards, they are now in my shop here!  {Single cards available as well, and you can find those here.} Yay for new items today!!! :)  More to come... and congrats again to the winner!  

Warm Days

I feel so lucky to live so close to the coast. We live four miles up the street from the beach, so this past weekend, the sun was shining and the weather was perfect for an evening trip to the beach. We tossed a few towels in the car, I grabbed my beach chair and a book, and took my boys down to enjoy the last couple of hours of sunshine.

Andrew splashed his toes in the water, played with shells and rocks, we shared some snacks, I started my new book, and we watched the sunset.

 

Oh yeah, and Declan slept right through it all. :) 

 

Thank you to the wonderful weekend weather, even though it's back to being a little chilly for the rest of the week. Feeling lucky to be a southern California girl right about now. :)

xo! 

  

Declan is Two Months Old! :)

Happy two month birthday to you, Declan!

{well, a few days ago actually.}

 

This month you are starting to get chunky and so much bigger it seems. How you've grown since last month's photo!!!  You have the cutest cheeks and the sweetest little wrist rolls;) You have started to smile all the time and you are the happiest baby!! You and I "chat" everyday, especially when you are getting your diaper changed. You love to lay there and coo at me and I love to hear you talk! :) You love your floor activity gym and you are so cute when you kick your legs like crazy. We have figured out that you love to be in a baby carrier while I get some chores for around the house, which is quite helpful! You are eating close to five or six ounces at every feeding and you are sleeping so much better. There have been a couple nights you have slept straight through around eight hours even! Let's keep this up, baby boy! ;)  Your big brother is wild about you, and you think he is fabulous, smiling at his every chance you get.

 

We love having you in our lives, and our family would not be complete without you.

Happy two months, my littlest boy. :)

Love, Mom xo!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy birthday to my wonderful dad today!!!  You are the best dad a girl could ask for and I am thankful to have you in my life :)

This cute photo is of my dad and Declan a few days after he was born. I am thinking that the boys and I have to do a mini photo shoot after Andrew gets out of school today. Declan has a "team grandpa" onesie that he is itching to break out! ;)

I love you, Dad!!! Hope today is extra special!!! :) xo!

Books, books, books.

I love reading. I think to read in front of your children is doing them such an amazing service by installing a love of books in them as well. From the time Andrew was a little baby and ask through his early childhood, I read to him each and every night. Now he adores getting lost in a good book as well, reading way past his age level. That makes a mom so darn proud. :)

I adore the library as well. We make it a habit to go to the library at least once a week. Andrew loves being able to go pick out a few books and movies, and so do I. It is comforting to know that you can read anything there and take it right back if you aren't clicking with the story line, no harm done and no money spent on a book you'll never finish! :)

However, my reading has sure taken a dip in the past few months and I have been ignoring one of my favorite pastimes. I need a new book to read though! And that means I need a little help from you all!

 

What have you been reading lately? What book can you not put down? Here is a little hint about what I like to read...

I love teen fiction books. Twilight and Harry Potter top that list. The Hunger Games series was fantastic as well. I have read Divergent and Insurgent and loved both. What else can I move into? I'll take any recommendations from you all. :) I am open to reading something different as well, maybe something that doesn't normally fit the regular teen fiction mold. ;)

Ok, recommendations....GO!!! Ill be sharing my latest book finds with you soon as well. :)
Thanks friends, and xo.

  

  

Missing you...

One year ago, we lost my amazing Aunt Jackie to cancer. That day, I lost a family member, a loved one, and a friend. I miss her all the time, but especially when I think about my children and my family.

My aunt loved my son Andrew. She was always ready to play with him, sit and chat, or stick him in a Target shopping cart and fill it with toys. {Seriously, no one loved Target like my aunt! ♡}

Aunt Jackie would have been so proud of Andrew. He started baseball this year, which was her favorite sport. I know she is watching him play from heaven, and that makes me happy. :)

I am lucky enough to have had her meet my husband, but we lost her right before our wedding last year, which was very hard. And that means that my second son, Declan, will never get the chance to know my aunt, which makes me tear up just thinking about it. :(

She did, however, get to meet her grandson, Breckyn. She was so in love with him and he loved his "TuTu"!! :) The photo below is of my aunt and Breckyn when he was littler. I am so glad he knew her. :)

We will always miss my aunt, but we will also always love the memories we have of her.  I love you, Aunt Jackie!!!

Giveaway Time!

It's time for a fun giveaway! Would you like to win a pack of my new thank you banner cards? :)

You'll get one entry for each:

-Leave a comment telling me something happy. ♥
-Like Mommy Holly on Facebook
-Follow me on Instagram (mommyholly13)
-Follow me on Twitter
-Follow me on Pinterest

Leave me a comment letting me know about each entry. GOOD LUCK! Winner will be announced on Friday! :) xo!

{Links to the left in the sidebar.}

New Directions

For the past two months, my main job has been to be a mom. Well, that is always my main job, but I haven't had any other work to worry about on top of that. My shop has been put on a temporary pause, aside from a few little things here and there, and it has afforded me to figure out where I want to go with Mommy Holly. I have been brainstorming new ideas and new directions to go in, and it making me so excited.

I want my shop to flourish, to grow, and to be a success, so having a little downtime proved to be easential to how I think about myself as a business owner. Not only do I want to do this job for myself, but I want to contribute to my family, yet still be able to be the mom who shows up to school each afternoon to walk my son home. I want to be a presence in my boys' daily lives and running a successful online shop allows me to do that.

Success is key. I have realized that in order to achieve that success, I have to be organized, prepare ahead of time, make lists, keep my space tidy, and ultimately, keep it all together. Can I do that? Time will tell. I am so motivated to make it work. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this momma can make big things happen. :)

SO... Here's to the re-opening of Mommy Holly, which will be happening very soon. I've got some fun blog posts planned and some new items that will hopefully make you want to shop, shop, shop. :)

In the meantime, be sure to follow me on facebook, instagram, twitter and pinterest. Links are to the left. :) Lots of updates in the near future, and there will be a giveaway tomorrow!! Stay tuned. :) xo!

Fashion Recap- Academy Awards 2013

Happy Monday, and happy day-after-the-Oscars!  That means it's time to recap the fashion that happened on last night's red carpet.  Might I say that nothing blew me away like years past.  There were some beautiful dresses and hair, but nothing jaw-dropping in my opinion.  Do you agree?? 

 

That being said,

here were my picks for best dressed!

 

The Good...

1. Reese Witherspoon is always one of my favorite people- she is always so beautiful and classic, plus she seems like such a sweet girl. {I have Legally Blonde love forever, might I add!}  She looked gorgeous in this blue color, and her hair was to die for.  Seriously.  How do I get shine like that? :)

2.  Zoe Saldana had on an incredible dress, in my opinion.  The top was so detailed and feminine, and her hair and makeup were kept simple to offset the drama of the dress. Love, love. {And loved you in Center Stage way back when, Zoe. :) }

 

1.  Naomi Watts looked incredible!  Her hair and makeup were flawless and that assymetrical sequin gown was GORGEOUS.  Way to go! :)

2.  I have to say, she is never one of my top faves, by Nicole Kidman looked radiant last night.  {Or maybe it was the cute hubby at her side as well?}  The dress was beautiful and shiny.  Love!

 

 

My pick for best dressed couple?!  Obvious choice here.  Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck.  Two of my favorite people in Hollywood because they seem like such wonderful people and such wonderful parents to those three adorable kiddos.  I love Jennifer's dress and Ben looked classicly handsome.  Plus, she was so darn proud of her husband, which makes me smile. :)

 

And now for the WORST dressed.

 

The Bad...

1.  Oh, Anne Hathaway.  Where do I start?  Your dress looked straight from a 90's prom, in a very bad way.  Not a flattering look across the chest either.  Horrible color on you, and the hair is still not working for me.  Wrong choice, ick

2. Salma Hayek, I have one piece of advice for you.  If you have amazing curves and gorgeous cleavage, maybe you should show that off instead of covering it up with that awful velvet and gold halter.  Not a good look.  Again, it looks so very dated!  And the hair looked pretty awful too.  Who told her the tiara was a good idea??

 

OK, that's it for my recap!  Who were your favorites?  Who were your least faves?  I'd love to hear your opinions as well! :)

xo!

one month old.

  Happy one month, Declan! Declan is the best little baby.  He rarely cries unless something is wrong.  He is starting to make the cutest little coos and sounds.  He is focusing on us like crazy!  He watches me walk through the room and i sstarted to smile a little more.  Not sure if that should still be blamed on gas, but it sure is cute. :)  He went in for his one month appointment and is packing on the pounds!  He gained three pounds in the past three weeks and is now a whopping 9 pounds 8 ounces!  Hungry, growing boy! :)  He is sleeping in longer stretches and we sometimes get five or six hours of sleep straight, which is wonderful.  We just love having him here, part of our daily lives, and we feel blessed to have such a content and happy baby so far!!   Technically, I should have posted this photo on February 1st. It just took me six days to actually get this photo edited and blogged. Life of a mother with a newborn, right? But I really want to take these monthly photos- they are so important! OK, baby needs a bottle and momma needs a nap. xo!   PS. New things are being planned for this little blog. I am desperately wanting to be back here with lots of new ideas and exciting updates, so please stay tuned. Liking the new look to the blog?? Did you notice?! :)