Trendy Tot Tuesday: Pinafores, Patents & Polka Dots!

Baby Z never tires of "her" park! And mommy never tires of over dressing her but why not....its fun and this age only lasts so long. I mean how much longer will she allow me to put her in dresses and tights almost daily??

Red Pinafore Dress is from Janie & Jack. Unfortunately it is no longer being sold! Similar style here.

White collared onsie is also Janie & Jack. Similar style here.

Polka Dotted tights and patent bow shows are ...oh goodness...Janie & Jack. Similar style here.

I hope you are all having an amazing day! If you are not already participating in Trendy Tot Tuesday then visit HERE to do so. =)

Check out more looks from Baby Z's closet:

Yellow Hunter Wellies

Little Birdie Cardigan

Shop Baby Z's Closet:

Baby Z's Closet

Xoxo!

Irish Baby Boy Names...

Photo from  here.

In honor of Saint Patricks day being right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to do some Irish themed posts over the next week. Lets kick it off with some Irish baby boy names! I picked my top 5 irish baby boy names. What are yours?

1. Ardan 
   Pronounced as are+dawn. Comes from the word ardenach meaning high aspiration.

2. Lorcan
  Means silent or fierce.

3. Niall
  Prounounced as nye+al. Thought to mean passionate or vehement.

4. Quinlan
   A surname that is now used as a first name and means athletic or gentle shaped.

5. Ronan
   I couldn't find an exact meaning on this name but did learn it comes from an old legend about a seal.

Hope you all are having a lovely day! Girls names to come tomorrow. XoXo

~Saint Patricks Day 2013 Posts!~

Irish Baby Girl Names!

Trendy Tot Tuesday: Park Time!

I can't believe its already Tuesday again! The good thing is that means its time for Trendy Tot Tuesday again though! Im having a lot of fun seeing everyones blogs and am so glad I found out about this via Table For Three.

This past week the sun started bringing some warmth with it and it was amazing! We didn't have to bundle up too much for our daily park visits. I know anyone who is reading this and lives in a truly cold area is probably laughing at me since where I live in California it doesn't really get too cold. 

Baby Z's top and knickers are from Janie & Jack. They were purchased on sale as with EVERYTHING I purchase from Janie & Jack. Never pay full price as all their items go on sale. 

Ribbed knit tights are from Baby Gap. I love the color of them. I am always on the lookout for unique colored baby tights that are under $20!

Nude flats are from Baby Gap and I am adoring them! They are a fairly recent purchase and so worth it as I have a hard time finding simple shoes that are easy to pair with any outfit. These answer that problem! They are easily the best pair of shoes I have purchased for her.

Another blue sky, sunny day with Baby Z "guarding" her playground.

Top and pants are from H&M.

Shoes are from Baby Gap. These shoes will be making many appearances on this blog!

Hope you are all having a lovely day no matter where you are!

XoXo, Lily & Baby Z

Trendy Tot Linkup

For todays Trendy Tot Linkup I wanted to post a few of my favorite pictures from this past month. I love the above pic of Baby Z holding on to her pet bunny. Dress is from Baby Gap last season and hat is from Janie & Jack.

I love the shorts with tights look! Add in a scarf and its unbearably adorable! Scarf and shorts and H&M. Shirt and boots are Zara. Tights are Circo from Target. Gorgeous scenery is Stinson Beach.

This photo is from a valentines photo shoot I did with Baby Z. Red knit beret is from Zara. Dress is from Etsy boutique The Jaded Boutique. Red lace bottom leggings are from The Childrens Place and Black Patent Bow mary janes are from Janie & Jack.

Lace dress is from Baby Zara. White tights are Circo by Target and purple ballet flats are by Baby Bloch.

XoXo,
Lily Kay and Baby Z

Baby Gap Peter Rabbit Collection

So Adorable...

Baby Gap recently launched a super sweet Peter Rabbit collection featuring some super soft and cozy baby pieces. When you get a chance check them out! The little boys items are especially precious!

Insta-Haul: Baby Gap

Baby Gap was having a pretty good sale this past weekend. I got these items for 40% off. I got two pairs of their soft leggings in some festive red and white colors. I love how the plain red ones are accentuated with sweet ankle ruffles. The top was too sweet to pass up and at 40% off it was a keeper. Its like a ruffled peplum top. The fabrics are super soft. Baby Gap is always having amazing sales going on ( and Gap Kids ) so check them out if you have a store near you or check them out online. 

XoXo.

Vloggings!

I have recently embraced my inner vlogger and put up multiple vloggings this week. =) I have accepted that 1. Yes I love doing videos/vlogs for Youtube.

2. Who cares if they look perfect or not?

I am having fun with it. Do you vlog or love to watch vlogs? 

Take My Hand...

Baby Z loves to tell me "hand hand hand". Even though she says it in the most bossy way ever, its still super sweet. She stretches out that chubby little arm..."hand hand hand".

If I don't give her my hand fast enough she will come running over and demand it...immediately...no patience.  She wants to hold my hand for confidence, support and i'd like to think because she just loves me.

As a mom I hope she always wants to take my hand for confidence, support and because she loves me.

XoXo.

Buy Buy Baby Shopping Haul...

I went to Buy Buy Baby a week ago and thought I would share with you all the stuff I picked up. I love watching baby hauls, let me know if you like these types of videos and/or if you make these.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Pottery Barn for Kids mini haul...

I picked up this Zebra Bath Wrap at Pottery Barn for kids last weekend. Its almost to cute to use. This is definitely a baby splurge so we will see if it is worth it. These cute animal themed towels don't come cheap. I justified my purchase by reminding myself that all the bath towels we currently own are getting that ratty look and are way to small for Baby Z. A few of my friends swear by these towels, stating they are the best out there. We will see. I really want the pink and purple owl one but don't know how to justify another one of these just yet.

I also picked up from Pottery Barn for Kids this cute little wooden colored caterpillar. This purchase is to aid me and Baby Z on our quest for wooden toys instead of plastic. You can flip the little wooden parts around to see different colors and its attached to some sort of strong yet flexible rope. So far its a hit. That makes this my all natural wooden toy hit number 2. Yay!

Here it is in action. It was on sale for $4.99 from $9.99.

This picture is from inside Pottery Barn for Kids...got to love the opportunity for an impromptu photo session.!

Be My Valentine: Baby Photo Shoot Ideas...

I've already got my thinking cap on in regards to Valentine's Day photo shoot ideas for my little one. I'll admit I also already ordered her overly ruffled and pink Valentines day outfit as well. Oh yeah, it is coming with a matching hair bow. It could be worse...I could have ordered multiple outfits in order to have numerous outfit changes for the Valentines Day photo shoot I am dreaming of. Hmmm, that's not a bad idea...I may have to look into it. Here for now are my inspirations....

I love the simplicity of this photo. Would be easy, budget friendly and fun. You could go all out with the onsie, perhaps add a tutu or some cute baby legs or you could do like the photo and keep it simple yet festive.

The two above photos are so sweet, literally. Its conjuring up candy striped images in my head. The possibilities here are endless and all equally adorable. Especially if you have more than one little cutie on hand.

Their is something so whimsical and calling about this photo. It makes me want to incorporate this letters/mailbox theme into a Valentine themed photo shoot for my little one.

Will you be taking any Valentines themed photos of your little one or having them professionally done? What images dance around in your head?

First photo from here.
Second photo from here.
Third & fourth photo from here.
Mailbox photo from here.

Baby on a Budget: Quick Shopping Tips

Babies are adorable. The price of having a baby? Not so adorable. Worth it? Most definitly! Of course, if their are ways to save while shopping for little one....why not? Here are a few tips that have helped me save while shopping for necessary baby items.

• Sign up for rewards programs at baby stores. They do help. Babies R Us sends me $5.00 every month. Combine that with a formula coupon and you can get your babys milk fix on the cheap.
• Speaking of formula, head on over to Enfamil or Similac to sign up for coupons and samples. Trust me their samples are very generous and they love bombarding you with coupons. Other brands such as Gerber offer coupons as well.
• Same goes for your Huggies and Pampers! Head over to their websites to check out their savings programs.
• Consider dicounted baby shopping sites such as Zulily or Totsy where you can find clothing, feeding supplies and baby furniture on major discount.
• If you see an outfit you like at a baby store...give it a week or two...it will most likely go on sale and you will have saved yourself paying full price.
• Old fashioned couponing, yes you can scour Sundays ads if that is your thing.
• Fan of Carters baby clothing? Only buy these from an actual Carters store as their clothing is almost never full priced. They also have a awesome rewards program that will save you money on top of the already discounted prices.
• Check out Naturally Thrifty Mom she always has baby giveaways, discount codes and tips on where the current sales are.
• Check out Amazon Mom.
• Sign up for BabyCheapskate newsletter. Its literally savings delivered to your inbox every morning.

How do you save when it comes to baby shopping/couponing? Share your tips and advice!

Happy Friday!

What I am liking NOW: Skip Hop

Lately I have been loving the whimiscal cuteness of Skip Hop baby products. I dont know what it is about their owl themed baby items but they have me hooked. I am thinking of purchasing this adorable owl playtime toy simply because it is so cute and different. The Skip Hop website states that this toy ( which also comes in a lamb, bear, dog and monkey ) features 10 different developmental activies to keep your little one entertained. Score.

I am also eyeing this owl themed playmat. Too bad I hadn't seen this when I was preganant. Just look at all that owl cuteness.

I am currently in the market for a bath spout cover as well. I was going to get their infamous Moby the whale bath spout but now Ducky here is looking pretty tempting as well. Hmmmm....

Im loving these adorable farmhouse stackable blocks they have too. Im telling you guys this company is my current baby products obsession and I don't even own anything from them yet.

Have you guys tried out anything from Skip Hop? You can check out their website here. All the above pictures are taken from their website.

Here is to cuteness.

Fall Photography Checklist...

Their is something about the Fall/Autumn season that makes me want to pull out my camera and take pictures of cornfields, red dilapidated barns, pumpkin patches and foggy night skies. With a white peppermint mocha in one hand and my camera in the other hand and my camera in the other, a lonely bench or golden colored tree suddenly becomes magical during this time of the year. It is my first Fall season being a mom and that makes me want to capture my little one in the essence of Autumn. I literally want to cut open a pumpkin and put her in it and sit it in a large empty field and snap away. I just might do that and share my pictures with you. I am excited at the prospect of this seasons photo oppurtunites with my little girl.

Check out this amazing Fall Photo Checklist from Pinterest to help organize/inspire your Fall photo session.  Anything you would add to the list?

Mommy Shopping Haul : TJ Maxx

With all the shopping I do for my little pumpkin or for my friends and families little ones, its fun to just shop for me sometimes! I'll admit that today was one of those days that I shopped for little things for me, myself and I. I love shopping for home goodies at TJ Maxx. You can find a lot of hidden treasures there. Its basically a huge conglomerate of goods from many different stores. Today I found a hand towel holder for my guest bathroom for only $7.99 and I got two Ralph Lauren hand towels for the holder for only $3.50 each. They originally retailed for $12.99 each. I love a discount on good quality items!

Next up on my TJ Maxx run today I discovered this unique metal J. Raymond potpourri holder complete with turquoise potpourri and various sea shells. It is pretty good sized and smells amazing!! This one is going in my bathroom. I got it for $16.99 and it originally retails for around $40.00.

Of course I couldn't help but stop "briefly" by the baby section. =) I found various adorable girl outfits all for under $9.00 each. And im so excited to tell you guys I found a three piece nautical canvas artwork set from Baby Gap for only $7.00. I dont even have a little boy but I had to have this! I always told myself that when I have a little boy one day I want to do his nursery in a nautical theme.

I really had to steer clear of the kitchen section but I saw organic boutique cupcake mixes out of the corner of one eye and Le Creseut tea kettles out of my other eye! I also saw a ton of Halloween Decor at such discounted prices and Halloween isn't even until the end of next month! If you have a TJ Maxx in your area check it out, your bound to find some " hidden treasures".

Mommy Review Tuesday: Burp cloths from Etsy

You guys I have an official obsession with Etsy. For this Tuesdays mommy review I absolutely have to share a few items with you that I have recently purchased.  I purchased this amazing burp cloths because when I saw them I thought they were adorable. I never expected them to be such high quality with super attention to detail. I got one in a light pink with birds and flowers on it and the second one is a sage green and pink floral design.

Both of these handmade items were created with Alexander Henry fabrics. Love, love, love, love them. They are super soft, absorbent and just too dang cute. Plus its fun having something unique and handmade. I love how they came perfectly packaged with ribbons and handmade gift tags in case you are giving them to someone. These would definitely make great baby shower gift items.

The thing I love best about Etsy is that you are supporting ladies, the majority of them being mommies when you shop for baby items. If you want to check out these burp cloths you can find them at PLMDeZigns. She also makes adorable onesies, bibs and other unique baby items. I only paid $3.95 per each burpcloth.
 You know your a mommy when...You have fun picking out a cloth to clean up drool and spit up!

Scrapbooking...sort of...

I love scrapbooks, DIY projects and creative ways to preserve memories and photographs. However, lately I have not had any free time on my hands at all! I wanted to chronicle the first 3 months of my daughters life via a scrapbook but absolutely could not find time to do it with all the other things I have going on right now. So I decided to, as I call it, Halfway Scrapbook. I found an awesome lady who makes mini scrapbooks and sells them to ladies like me who love scrapbooks but don't have time to work on them. I recently just recieved a mini scrapbook album from her that is personalized and all ready to go. All I have to do is add my photos and text. I am in love with it!

Just look at how cute the inside is. And I love the ribboned binding. Will I always use pre-made scrapbooks? No, but it works out for right now. Plus I love that it is from Etsy so it is supporting a woman instead of a large corporation. Once I get this filled I will post pictures so you guys can see what it looks like when you finish it. This one will make a perfect keepsake in the future and a perfect coffee table item for now. =)

If you want to check out her Etsy shop, it is called KnitRelief.

Weightloss Wednesday : Week 1

You see that cute thing up there? I could easily blame her for my fatness but alas I know it was not her fault! I loved eating during pregnancy! I mean who doesn't? Oh wait....Miranda Kerr, Victoria Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba...i'll just stop now. I currently weigh 173.3 and have the goal of getting to 130. This is going to take a lot of work and dedication!


Today kicks off my first week of postpartum weight loss! I totally forgot to take a picture today so I will include one in Week 2. Thus the picture of what I ate for dinner will have to suffice. After having my baby girl 3.5 months ago, I think its about high time I get myself into action here. Chronicling this journey on my blog and YouTube channel will hopefully help me stay on track and motivate others to do so as well.
My plan for the weight loss is simple this time, as simple is usually better. For the first couple weeks I will consume only vegetables ( unlimited amounts), legumes, some fruits, tons of water and lots of lean proteins. I will re-assess this plan in a few weeks and decide what I can add in such as brown rice and such. I basically need to kick start my sluggish metabolism right now. I will be adding in some workouts slowly as well. In week 2 I will give you guys more details.

Here is to postpartum weight loss! If you are currently going through this as well or plan on it or have successfully completed it, please share! Also if you have a blog/vlog on this or know of someone who does please let me know so I can check it out!