Our Favorite Things — Baby Moccasins by MocMommy

Tis the season to go shopping! And what better places to shop than small businesses?

I'm trying to stay modest this year when it comes to buying Charlotte Christmas presents for two reasons. 1 - She's a baby, and she won't remember or understand what's happening. 2 - I want to make family and giving back the primary focuses for Christmas, instead of shopping and receiving gifts.

That being said, I decided that aside from a couple toys, we would buy Charlotte practical gifts for Christmas. And since she walked for the first time yesterday (six consecutive steps!), I think I know one of the things Charlotte will be getting in her stocking—baby moccs!

I knew early on that I wanted to get Charlotte moccasins when she started walking, because they are perfect for a first time walker. I spent a couple weeks following different moccasin makers and falling in love with all the styles and colors offered online. However, the average price I was running in to was upwards of $30 . . . and to be honest with you, I don't even spend that much on my own shoes. So, I kept searching, and finally I came across MocMommy's Etsy Shop. I could not believe it when I saw that all the moccasins in her shop were priced below $10, and with shipping I was able to get these red leather cuties delivered to my door for $10.50.

After ripping open the packaging, I tried the moccs on Charlotte to ensure they fit, and to my surprise they actually did! For one, baby Charlie has such chubby feet that I haven't been able to find one pair of shoes that fit her up until now. Also, she likes to curl her toes when I attempt to put shoes on, which only adds to our struggle. Luckily, these adorable red shoes have an elastic band sewed under the fabric around the ankle, allowing for Charlotte's fat feet to slip right into the shoe, toes curled and all. Then, the soft sole on the bottom gave me the ability to straighten out her toes, making it possible for her to feel comfortable enough to walk. 

Since I ordered these awesome little kicks, MocMommy has added even more adorable styles to her store . . . still at the same ridiculously low prices! Check out all her handmade cuties, and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. 

What are you getting your children for Christmas?? Please comment below!

Our Favorite Things — 3-in-1 Bounce, Stride & Ride Elephant

Like anyone who has spent time with a nine-month-old knows, babies are extremely busy during this stage. By this time, many infants have already began to crawl, and some are even in the early stages of walking. This can only mean that new and creative forms of entertainment are a constant need around my house.

Charlotte's kitchen set was a real hit for at least one or two months. She would pull herself up to stand at her little kitchen, instantly gratified by the alarms and songs she set off as she played with its many built-in activities. Unfortunately, the last couple weeks Charlotte has grown bored with her kitchen set . . . and everything else in her room full of toys. Luckily, we were chosen to be the lucky recipients of a brand-new toy from Fisher Price that grows with us, the 3-in-1 Bounce, Stride & Ride Elephant.

One of the Fisher Price Insiders gave us the choice between three awesome Fisher Price Smart Stages Toys! As a lover of elephants, I knew the Bounce, Stride & Ride Elephant was the toy for us. Today, the large package came in the mail, and we couldn't have been more excited. After taking a couple photos of the box, we quickly opened the packaging. While some assembly was required, it took about five minutes and was really easy overall. Charlotte even joined in on the construction process!

Once we finished the quick assembly, Charlotte's elephant didn't waste any time singing songs, playing tunes and encouraging her participation in all the light-up, musical fun! Serving as three different toys depending upon a baby's ability, Charlotte immediately had fun bouncing on the seat, only to then start using the toy as a walker! While she hasn't quite mastered walking yet on her own, getting around the house was a breeze with this toy. It has a wide base and a low center of gravity, which makes it the perfect companion for an early walker. It's also neat, because once Charlotte is a little bit older, her elephant will be perfect for cruising around the house as her first set of wheels.

We are grateful to our friends at Fisher Price for helping us find our newest favorite thing! Do you have any favorite toys that encourage a child's development throughout their different stages of growth? If so, please share them with us below!

Our Favorite Things — Inexpensive Books

There are few material things of Charlotte's that hold a significant importance to me, however Charlotte's book collection is definitely one of them. Of course she was gifted some of my favorite books in her library. The first is a personalized book that spells out her entire name, gifted by the family of her dad's best friend. The second is a copy of Charlotte's Web, which was inscribed with a sweet note from her Nana Sharon.

I've gotten her some of my favorites like Love You Forever, The Foot Boot, Just Me and My Mom and so many more. I was building up quite the collection, but it was getting quite expensive. I found myself constantly on Amazon trying to find a new book, and we would always stop by Barnes & Noble to easily pay $10 for a book or two. 

We quickly ran into a problem that happens when you're reading multiple books a day—reading the same book time after time can get boring. That's where some of Our Favorite Things came into play, which are books from the thrift store! The number one quality I look for in a book from the thrift store is cleanliness. If it's clean and not creepy, then I grab it. The photo above shows seven books I snagged for under four dollars! You can't beat that. Plus, I remember a few of the books from when I was little, so that's definitely a plus. 

Our Favorite Things – Custom Tutu

At one point in time, tutus were a staple you'd as a part of every ballerinas' costume. Now you'll see tutus as part a bold and adorable fashion statement worn by little girls everywhere. While I'm not always the girliest of girls, I thought that if my baby does end up being a girly girl one day, it is only fair to have a couple pictures of her looking like a fairy princess. We knew it would be the perfect opportunity to capture Princess Char when we won a tutu and matching bow through our friend's Instagram giveaway @rileyelizabethmodeling.

This customized tutu and bow was handmade by Riley's awesome mama, Tina. I chose the colors light purple and dark purple, mostly because purple is my favorite color. We set up for a quick photo shoot this morning. Charlotte was really distracted by the beautiful tutu until we put it on, then she was just trying to grab the camera. All in all, it wasn't a bad start to my morning. Look at that face! Thanks Riley and Tina for the beautiful tutu, we're in love. 

Our Favorite Things — Bibdanas

Bibdanas are Cute and Practical for a Teething Baby

Every parent knows that with teething comes drool . . . LOTS of drool. I was browsing the Internet as Charlotte fell asleep while nursing one day, and I stumbled upon some super cute customizable Bibdanas for sale in an Etsy shop named Young at Heart CO.

I fell in love with the vibrant, colorful and gender-neutral patterns in particular. I purchased the Bright Colored Giraffe Bibdana. It is reversible and I was able to choose the color, which of course I chose yellow. My next choice was the Wild Animals Bibdana with reversible gray. The items were only $5 each, and shipping was extremely affordable. Each handmade item arrived today in the mail, along with a free gift. 

I was excited, and Charlotte was already soaked in drool, so we started on our photo shoot right away. Charlotte looks mighty cute sporting her new drool bib. There is nothing better than baby items that are practical and cute!

It's Never Too Late to Nest

Decorating our Baby Girl's Room is SO Much Fun!

Much like a bird builds a nest out of twigs in preparation for their baby birds, expectant mothers are notorious for experiencing a strong "nesting" instinct towards the end of their pregnancy. Pregnant women feel the need to put together the perfect nursery by assembling, organizing, cleaning and overall creating a harmonious place to bring their newborn home to.

My boyfriend and I live in the upstairs apartment of a historic house in the downtown area of our town. Our place has two bedrooms and a large sunroom, which is like an indoor/outdoor patio. The living room is spacious, and we really have an amazing deal for the location, because my fiance has lived there for over 10 years, and the rent has never gone up.

The property has been owned by various landlords and management companies over the last decade, all of whom have neglected the desperate repairs the house has needed. The second bedroom in our house has been used for storage since I moved into the house a few years ago. The drywall on the ceiling in this little room was damaged, so it was unusable for anything but storage.

This was frustrating to say the least when we found out we were pregnant. There I was, desperately wanting to create a nursery for my baby, but the room that could house her was unfit for anyone to inhabit. I instead set up the crib in our bedroom (I knew Charlotte was destined to co-sleep in bed with us anyway), and the rest of her items were organized into half of our giant living room, which we sectioned off. It has worked for the past six months, and at the time I was pregnant, it provided me so much relief to have a special space for her belongings.

Fortunately, the owner of our house agreed to a walkthrough about a month ago, and she decided to invest some serious cash into revamping our sweet home. So far, new ceiling fans have been installed, all the popcorn ceiling has been removed, the ceilings have been retextured, and the walls and ceilings have been painted the colors we chose. In the next week, they intend on replacing the tile, counters, cabinets and sink in the kitchen, which will leave us with a practically brand-new kitchen.

I feel like all my hopes and dreams have been answered in giving Charlotte the bedroom she deserves. We made so much room for her in our lives, and now we have a space in our house that is 100 percent dedicated to her comfort, entertainment and privacy.

This weekend we are going to organize her room, and her new curtains are set to be delivered. You can expect a follow-up blog post in the near future!

Click HERE to read more about pregnancy and nesting!

Our Favorite Things — A Great Deal

Girls Ballet Flats for $9

While I have no problem spending large amounts of money on cameras, computers, phones and body jewelry, making things like clothes and shoes into expenses is not my style. I hope that my daughter can appreciate this when she is an adult, but if not I can always look forward to borrowing her designer garb.

My thriftiness and love of a great deal is something that can benefit my nieces from time to time. I am by no-means a shopaholic, but if I have a free shipping coupon on top of a killer deal, I might be tempted into some early back-to-school shopping.

Recently, my younger sister and I had the pleasure of picking up my niece from school. After an enjoyable lunch, we stopped into Payless (my old stomping grounds) to check out their BOGO (Buy One, Get One Half Off) deal.

After finding out the canvas Ninja Turtle slip-ons were out of stock in her size, my six-year-old niece found some American Eagle ballet flats in coral for only $9. Running through the store to test out their speed, she was happy with her pick. We purchased a second pair of ballet flats that were also on clearance for only $5, which came out to $2.50 with the BOGO deal. 

I enjoy buying nice things, and by saving money on the less important things, we are able to splurge on what we love. Although I do love to support small local businesses, sometimes I run into deals I can't refuse.