Time for a heart-to-heart about this crazy thing called life.

Wow, December is upon us, and it's not only one of my favorite times of the year, but also one of the busiest! I wanted to share what our family has been up to, our cherished traditions, and some gift ideas for everyone on your list (that can still be ordered in time for Christmas!). Hopefully, some of the things we've been doing can inspire you to incorporate them into your own family traditions.

We've just wrapped up all the birthday celebrations for my son, Lane, and I can't believe he's already 3 years old. I wanted to give Lane the party of his dreams with all his friends at our local park, and of course, with a Paw Patrol theme. I'm excited to share with you all the logistics and supplies I used to make this Paw Patrol extravaganza happen.

As I reflect on my pregnancy journey and, more importantly, the past nine months of having Kelly Rae in our lives and becoming a family of four, I've come away with several key takeaways. So, in the spirit of sharing my experience and taking the opportunity to reflect on my personal journey, I want to share nine things I've learned after spending nine months with my baby girl. My hope is that you can find solidarity and comfort in some of my experiences, no matter which stage of parenting you find yourself in. 

I can't believe it, but in just a few short weeks, my baby boy will be turning three! In preparation for his birthday, I've compiled a gift guide featuring the things Lane has loved throughout the past year, as well as a few items that are on our wish list for his birthday this year. If you're anything like me, always on the lookout for the latest and greatest gift ideas for the toddlers in your life, I hope this list can assist you when you're searching for something fun, practical, and endorsed by the best toddler I know. 

While searching the internet for some cozy and fun fall decorations, I stumbled upon several versions of “make your own welcome mat” and many fun crafts that incorporated your children's hand and/or footprints. That's when I got the idea to combine the two and create my own Halloween welcome mat with my kids' footprints turned into cute little ghosts. It was such a sweet way to capture this moment in time with my kids and a fun activity for us to do together.

When my toddler starts bawling because his sister snatched one of his toys, I usually hit him with a classic line like, "Hey, we have to share with our sister." More recently, my toddler has started telling his sister to play with her own toys. Now, as a parent, I'm struggling to find the right balance. Sharing is an essential skill to learn during childhood, but if kids share sometimes or only share certain toys while keeping others for themselves, is that enough? 

Can you believe it? My newborn is now a 7-month-old baby, embarking on the exciting journey of eating solids. As a mom of two, I'm familiar with this process, which is both thrilling and a little nerve-wracking. Just like with my first baby, we're introducing both purees and age-appropriate solids to Kelly Rae. We've decided to combine purees with baby-led weaning because it is what works best for us.

I have no qualifications, am not a designer, and wouldn’t even say I have “an eye” for it, but I loved the process of decorating both of my children’s nurseries. I spent countless hours searching for nursery inspiration because, let's face it, I needed all the help I could get. But now, I want to share that inspiration with you, so you can create a beautiful nursery for your little one too!

To help you make the most of the remaining summer days, I've put together a comprehensive list of everything that I keep in my pool bag. Most of these things we have in there at all times which makes the process easy for getting out the door and maximizes our time actually swimming instead of just getting ready for the pool.

For anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation, expecting a second child, I want to offer some reassurance: I genuinely found the transition to be easier the second time around. Now, I understand that every baby and every situation is different, but having gone through it before, you have a sense of what to expect. You're a seasoned parent, equipped with valuable experience, and you can lay the groundwork to set up your new life for success.