thanksgiving & nora musings

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I fully realize I've done very little Nora updates over the past couple of months... oops. This is supposed to be our family blog...I know. So for all of you who have been waiting patiently for a Nora update you'll see plenty of our little pumpkin below :)

First let me start with a Thanksgiving update. If you didn't get a chance to read my pre-

Thanksgiving prep post on Scottsdale Moms Blog be sure to do so. And today I posted a "My DOs and DON'Ts of Thanksgiving" post on SMB as well so be sure to read that too. We sure learned a thing or two about hosting (and we're even more thankful to those who have hosted us in the past - thanks mom, grandma Eileen & Mary and aunt Jane)!

Our Thanksgiving day was fabulous... just what the doctor ordered. Lots of family time (just the three of us), delicious food and great family and friends to share in the holiday.

We started the day at the Fountain Hills Thanksgiving Day Parade (the only Tday parade in AZ mind you). Everything about this parade was so wonderful - the horses, Veterans riding on old cars, Boy Scout Troups, HS Marching Bands, Fire Trucks, etc. It actually made me forget about living in such a large metro area and made me think I was in a small midwest town.

After the parade we headed home to start preparing for the evening's festivities. We spent the day cleaning, prepping, cleaning, cooking, cleaning, sampling, cleaning... you get the point. With so many things to prepare let's just say our dishwasher ran at least 3x that day. :)

All in all everything was a great success. Here's a pic of our table all ready for our guests to arrive. Note: Our table decor was very simple - candles, sunflowers, gold chargers and napkins tied with twine and thyme (now - that's a tongue twister - say that a couple times).

Now a little about Nora....

- Since starting to run and only taking one nap I spend most of the day running after this girl.

- She's more adventurous than most 16 month olds and is a fearless little girl - which is good and bad.

- She still LOVES dogs. The minute we walk outside it's as if she assumes there will be dogs around because the first thing out of her mouth is "woof."

- This girl is going to be a chatty-cathy. She's learning words (and signs) every day and when she's not saying those words she's talking in some language only God understands.

- I discovered the trick to keeping shoes on this girl - boots! We loves these boots. They're cute, warm AND most importantly - not easy for little girls to take off.

- She's suddenly very interested in babies. I wonder why (wink, wink). If you missed it - see this post.

- We're all enjoying this early Christmas gift from Nana. If you're looking for a Kid's Nativity Set be sure to check this one out.

And lastly we'll leave you with a video of Nora (and me) singing "O Christmas Tree" - just to put you in the Christmas spirit (excuse the singing please) :)

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Steph's Pick | DIY Monthly Development Onesies

I'll admit - I'm constantly on the lookout for do-it-yourself baby shower gifts. I don't know what it is about it but I just love putting the extra love into a DIY gift (that's cute of course - that's they key).

When I started planning my friend, Brittany's, baby shower, I also started my search for the

perfect DIY gift for this girl. Here's the great thing/problem about Britt - she's SUPER creative, trendy and cute so I had a lot to consider when choosing a project. So when I stumbled across these on BabyCenter (written by one of my favorite blogger's - Young House Love) I knew I just had to do something like it. She'd love it for sure!

Now Young House Love actually does a weekly picture (which is crazy ambitious) AND they do the design work via photoshop - so my version is a bit different - but you get the point.

Here's what you do (it's easy-peasy, I promise)....

* Buy 12 white onesies in appropriate month sizes. (I bought packages of Gerber onesies)

* Buy Iron-On Transfer paper - You'll need 2 sheets. (found in most paper/craft sections of

Target, Walmart, Michaels, etc)

* Pre-Wash Onesies & Iron them for easy iron-on transfer

* Print the two documents below. (downloads are already flipped for iron-on needs)

Click HERE for file (1-6 months)

Click HERE for file (7-12 months).

* Cut out each month image being sure to trim the image leaving a small border.

* Iron-on images one at a time to corresponding month onesie (following iron-on transfer instructions)

Here are some project notes: These were made for a little boy so colors could be changed to be more girly if needed. And lastly in my opinion - packaging of these are the key. I rolled mine up and put them in a super cute round zebra box (Hobby Lobby) with turquoise ribbon (not shown). It turned out soooo great - if I do say so myself :)

Stay tuned for my "Do's and Don'ts of Thanksgiving" - it's a must read.... you always learn a lot when hosting your first Thanksgiving. :)

***UPDATE: If you're interested in the "Girl Edition" of these onesies (plus some must read practical tips for making them) please go to this post.

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Thanksgiving & Baby Showers

Interested in what's going on in our home? Although I'll admit I've been slightly neglectful of all of you devoted Flies Blend readers, I've been busy blogging about all things Thanksgiving and Baby Showers at Scottsdale Moms Blog over the past couple of weeks.

Missed it? Not from the Phoenix area? No problem!

Click here for my preparation for our first time hosting Thanksgiving. I'll be sure to post an update here next week about how things went :)

And finally remember my friends baby shower I was telling ya'll about in this post? Well - I posted about it over at Scottsdale Moms Blog too. Click here for those details :)

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Steph's Pick | Tiramisu Eggnog Trifle

Alright folks - you're in for a real treat today! I'll even go so far as to agree with what SkinnyJeans said on Twitter last night "Mouthgasm: Eggnog Triffle dessert w/ spice cake, rum, eggnog & chocolate chips." No joke people. This is one of the most amazing desserts I've had in a VERY long time.

First a little context...

Alan and I (along with my friend, Karis and her hubby) were treated to a night out downtown at the Orpheum Penthouse at Fresh & Easy's Holiday Party. It was FABULOUS! The great people, scrumptious food and getting out of the house combined to make a great evening.

I HAVE to start with a shout out to the fabulous people at Fresh

& Easy. I've been shopping Fresh & Easy for quite some time and love everything about this little marketplace. I was especially thrilled when they asked Scottsdale Moms Blog to host a product launch party - read about it here.

Now on to the recipe... because that's what you're waiting for, right?! Couple things to consider... Please note that because the party was hosted by Fresh & Easy - there are a number of Fresh & Easy ingredients (which could obviously be substituted if you don't live near a Fresh & Easy store). And lastly - I do not like eggnog.... one bit.... so for those who are skeptical know that I LOVED everything about this dessert :)

Tiramisu Eggnog Trifle

Ingredients.

2 cups fresh & easy eggnog

2 8-oz containers room temperature mascarpone cheese

1 cup chilled whipped cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup instant espresso powder

3 tbsp sugar

1 fresh & easy spiced rum bundt cake, sliced 1/2" thick (you could obviously make this yourself)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, finely ground in processor

Directions.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggnog and mascarpone cheese. With an electric mixer, beat whipping cream until you have soft peaks. Add vanilla and mix for a few seconds. Fold in mascarpone mixture.

In a small saucepan, simmer 1 cup water, add sugar and espresso powder, remove from heat and stir until dissolved.

Place a layer of rum cake on the bottom of the trifle dish. Soak the rum cake with espresso mixture. Spoon a layer of eggnog mixture over rum cake until fully coated. Sprinkle even coat of chocolate chips. Repeat layers, finishing with eggnog mixture and chocolate chips.

Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Picture Credit: Food photo: SkinnyJeans iPhone. Candid Motherhood & Steph: Candid Motherhood's iPhone :)

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Steph's Pick | Trader Joe's Pumpkin Mixes

Before I even begin this post I have to apologize to all of you non-pumpkin lovers out there. I feel like this fall I've been all about pumpkin because well, a) it's yummy and b) it's festive. BUT I know that there are people that get the stomach aches (I know what those are like - I get 'em when I think of olives - yucky!) when I talk about pumpkin - so for you few people - sorry!

Moving on...

I LOVE me some Trader Joe's. Seriously - they always come through for me and I have especially loved them this holiday season as I've gotten a chance to try two of their Pumpkin mixes. Hey - you can't make everything from scratch, right?!

Without further ado... here they are...

1) Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix - Just seeing it in the picture makes me want to make myself a waffle :) These make the most delicious (and light) waffles in the entire planet. Soooo good. Well worth the $3/box.

2) Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix - I'll be honest - I have a great made-from-scratch pumpkin bread/muffin mix that I use quite often but oftentimes there just isn't time or energy for that so I've opted for the second best option - Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix. Like the Pancake & Waffle Mix - it makes our family's stomachs happy AND for roughly $2/box it's hard to beat!

Happy eatin'!

BTW - Did you see our announcement yesterday?

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♥

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Steph's Pick | Jessica Wood Fine Paper Goods

I'll admit it - I'm a sucker for all things personalized. Case in point - remember this post back in May of 2008 on Personalized Stamps?

Not only do I love personalized things I also LOVE to send cards to family and friends. There is just nothing like getting snail mail. I'm that dorky girl that insists on walking to our mailbox (yes - we walk - we live in a condo complex) EVERYDAY. No joke. I just get so excited about the possibility of getting "fun mail" (i.e. not junk).

Well my dear friend Jess knows this about me and so when thinking of what to buy me for a birthday gift this past year she covered the best of both worlds - Personalized Greeting Cards. And not just any personalized greeting card - some of the cutest cards I've ever seen in my whole life. And if that isn't enough they come from a Minneapolis girl's (♥) Etsy shop (♥♥)!!! I fell in love at first site!

Check out Jessica Wood's Etsy Shop today! Christmas time is right around the corner - they would make GREAT gifts for those people you're just not sure what to buy this year :) Or snail mail junkies like me!

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My 14 day non-blogging life

I'm not sure how many of you noticed - but previous to my post on our UPPAbaby umbrella stroller I took a 14 day blogging break.

So in light of my recent blogging sabbatical I thought I'd give you a peak into our lives by highlighting 14 things we've been up to :) Don't worry... I'll make them short (and interesting...hopefully)

1. Gpa & Ellen visited AZ. Nora loved spending time with some of our most favorite people in the whole wide world. Not to mention that she just LOVES Gpa's iPad!

2. Nora and I flew to Iowa with no Alan. Maybe not that monumental for some.... but a HUGE feat to accomplish. I gave myself an honorary Super Mom award that day :)

3. Fall Colors! I know I've said it multiple times before - but one thing we miss in AZ is the changing of seasons and the BEAUTIFUL colors. I'm so grateful we were able to be in Iowa during this gorgeous time of year.
4. Nora met her BFF - Carly (the dog). Gma and Gpa T got a new puppy this summer and although Nora's "met" Carly via Skype she was thrilled to meet her in person. And I'm by no means exaggerating that they are now BFF's.

5. We bought an UPPAbaby G-Luxe umbrella stroller. See previous post for details :)

6. Upon arriving in Iowa I got back on a plane and headed to Harrisburg, PA for the Relevant Conference. To see more about my time at this event read our Relevant Update post on The Family Matters Blog.

7. Have I ever mentioned how quickly our lil' chicken is growing up (tear)?

8. While in Iowa Nora got to spend some quality time with her Uncle Erik and Aunt Amy and her GG's from Illinois. She loved all of the extra attention.

9. I don't have a picture (boo) but after flying back from PA I stopped through Muscatine to see my sweet friend, Katie and her hubby Brett. It was soooo good to catch up and to celebrate with them as they anticipate the arrival of their first baby (a girl) in February.

10. We were blessed to be able to book our plane tickets for Christmas with frequent flyer miles!! Maybe not amazing to those who don't travel much - but to those who have attempted to use miles around the holidays - it's nearly impossible. We're so thankful for the $1,200+ savings! Praise God!

11. My dear friend Liz and her sweet baby boy, Easton came to Mt. Vernon to spend a couple hours with Nora and I. For Liz's thoughts about our time together click HERE. I miss you friend!

12. Nora got to spend lots of time with Gma and Gpa T this past week. Thanks again mom and dad for watching our little pumpkin while I was away! She can't wait to be back in December!

13. I had my very first acupuncture appointment a couple weeks back. It was SUPER interesting. I'll be sure to share more about it in the upcoming weeks.

14. I'm co-hosting a baby shower for a dear friend of mine this next weekend. For those of you who know me well - you know that planning parties is one of my most favorite things to do!!! I can't wait to show you all the pics.

All for now.....toodles :)

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Steph's Pick: UPPAbaby G-Luxe Umbrella Stroller

As many of you know, Nora and I flew to Iowa this past week to visit family and friends (thanks Gma and Gpa T for watching Ms. Nora while I was away for a couple days!). I'll be posting a highlight (with pics) of this trip in the coming days so stay tuned.

Back to our travel situation - the minute I booked our flight - note: there was no Alan involved in this flight - I knew I needed to be sure everything I brought with me was light and compact. Now I knew that my suitcase would be 50 lbs (hehe) so there were only a few options to downsize....one of them being our stroller.

Some of you know that our "main" stroller is the Bob Revolution. We've been so happy with this stroller. You can read more about my thoughts about it on Scottsdale Moms Blog's "Mommy SOS: Strollers" post. BUT - the Bob is just a little too much to manhandle in an airport by myself. So we started our search for an umbrella stroller.

Where did we start? Consumer Reports of course (I am married to a man who loves CR)! We found that the UPPAbaby umbrella strollers are rated #1 and #4 - so we started there. We were initially thinking we'd go with the G-Lite b/c it's 1) cheaper and 2) rated #1 BUT when I found a NEW UPPAbaby G-Luxe on Craigslist for $100 cheaper than you could buy it at the store, I was sold.

So how did it do on the trip? GREAT! It weighs in at 11 lbs - so it's very light and compact. It reclines to almost 120 degrees (which most umbrella strollers do not). It has a great sun canopy (perfect for AZ) AND it stands upright when you fold it up which is pretty cool :). All in all - it was a great find and we'd highly recommend it.

Looking for a stroller yourself? For more insight be sure to check out our Scottsdale Moms Blog "Mommy SOS: Strollers" post and read the comments.

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Steph's Pick | My Brazilian Blowout Story

I know - it sounds a little sketchy for those of you who are not familiar with this very popular hair treatment...but keep with me. It isn't.

I'd simply repost the post I just wrote for Scottsdale Moms Blog - but for all of you SEO knowledgeable readers, you know that would NOT be good for either The Flies Blend or Scottsdale Moms Blog.

So I'm going to have to send you over to my post this morning at Scottsdale Moms Blog to read all about my Brazilian Blowout with Vinny of Salon Di Vita! Read it HERE.

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Mommy SOS UPDATE | Two Naps to One

Thanks so much to all of you mama's who chimed in on my Mommy SOS | Two Naps to One post. Your insight was incredibly helpful and has made this transition a little easier. I say "a little" solely because it's the truth! Ask any mom - switching from Two Naps to One is NOT easy - no matter how you dice it.

So how did we do it? Before we get into that a few of you had asked me what "signs" Nora was showing that caused me to think she was ready for this switch. Well - the main sign was that she was sleeping GREAT in the morning (around 2 hours) but not sleeping at all come her afternoon nap. Although she would be in her crib playing for 1-2 hours, come 4 pm she would be a royal grouch to be around. It was obvious her little body needs 2-3 hours of sleep in the afternoon and so we went about our business working to make that happen.

So here's what I did (Note: Like all of my posts...it's not for everyone but seems to have worked for Nora)

- For the first two weeks we took the transition slowly. For one day I'd try and keep her up 30 minutes longer than normal (9:30 am). Then for the next day I'd do 30 minutes later (10 am) and the next day 30 min later (10:30 am). So on and so forth. Through some trial and error (hey - I don't have this thing figured out!) - I figured out that the key was that I'd wake her up around 11:30 am. Regardless of when she went down. That way (I was hoping) she'd be tired for her afternoon nap at 1ish pm. Eventually I was able to hold her off until 12:30ish and she'd sleep

for 2-3 hours.

- As the morning wake time increased I planned LOTS of activities - which included playing with lots of other children to tire Nora out :)

- Snacks. Food's an activity, right?

- Warmth. Nora seems to sleep better when she has a little hoodie and socks on. At first I didn't do this and then I realized - why not? I always want to nap under a blanket to keep warm - why wouldn't she prefer to be warm during her naps? :)

And a quick note for those who are actually still reading this post (thanks btw)

- Note: Nora was VERY crabby (and still can be very crabby) that last hour before she goes down. BUT if I give in and put her down I know her crabbiness will only happen later in the day, so I just deal with it by playing with her.

And here's a little pic I snapped the other day of our sweetie napping. So cute, huh?!

Note: This was obviously before I figured out the hoodie and sock trick... hehe.

If YOU have a Mommy SOS topic you'd like to hear about... comment below.

********************

Thanks again for all of your insight.... till next time!

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{favorite things}

Nealy at Bambina Babe tagged me for a "favorite things" quiz. I answer eight questions and then tag some other bloggers to do the same. Here goes nothing...

1. Favorite Flower.

Peonies for SURE! These were the only flowers we used in our wedding and I still consider them my favorite flower 5 years later. I just wish I could find them in AZ....

2. Favorite Color Combination.

I've secretly been dreaming of redecorating our room in grey and yellow. Ever since Three Men and a Lady redecorated her bedroom in these colors I've been plotting a scheme to do just the same :)

I mean... check it out... who doesn't love this.

3. Favorite Celebrity Couple.

It's gotta be Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. A) Because she is so

beautiful. B) They tend to stay out of the spotlight which I love and C) They are

both country singers and I love me some country music.

4. Your Theme Song.

This is a hilarious question (in my opinion at least). This might be a little sentimental - but going with the TM & FH theme I gotta choose Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw. One of the best songs in terms of grasping today in light of how quickly our earthly lives pass by.

5. Favorite "I had a terrible day" Food.

Oh my - this is getting real personal ;) I have to say cookie dough. Even the other day when I passed by the gallon tub of Nestle Cookie Dough at Costco I was tempted to buy it. I didn't... don't worry...but who wouldn't love to have all of that cookie dough at your disposal?!

6. Lipstick or Lipgloss.

Lipgloss. I'm actually currently loving the lipgloss I got in my stellar Costco Stila package. Remember THIS post when I talked about it? No joke ladies (and gents) - this is a nearly $50 savings.

7. Favorite Magazine.

Most of you know this - but Cooking Light! See this post for more details :)

8. Favorite thing about fall.

Fall food...hands down. You have to understand....when the temps are over 100 degrees for 5(ish) months I can not wait to make some yummy fall food. Now lets talk specifics... soup. Soup is just not something you even consider making in the summer in AZ. So when the temps are more like 80 (hehe... I know... fall temps are all relative) I'm all about breaking out my soup recipes.

AND I have to mention my obsession with anything pumpkin. The Butterscotch Pumpkin Bundt Cake is fabulous... or how about the Pumpkin Cupcakes I tried last year. Stay tuned for a Pumpkin Cookie recipe I just tried this weekend.... they are AMAZING!

Now I'm tagging...

Laura at Love, Sweat and Tears

Katie at The Euken's...Life as we know it.

Allie at Living on Lots of Prayer.

Janel at Team Sullivan.

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Steph's Pick | Pasta Fagioli

It's almost embarrassing when the temperatures drop into the 80's here in AZ and we throw up our hands (and put on our sweaters) because we're thrilled the "fall" has arrived :)

Even if it's embarrassing to admit - it's the truth! I found myself so excited that I could actually make delicious pumpkin desserts (remember THIS treat) AND soup! Mmmmmmm....

Here's a Pasta Fagioli recipe I made last night that was delicious! Recipe taken from AllRecipes.com and adapted by yours truly :)

Pasta Fagioli

• Ingredients:
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 1/2 (14.5 ounce) cans of Italian diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked Ditalini (small circular) pasta
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, with liquid

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook celery, onion, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper and salt until onion is translucent. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Add pasta and cook 10 minutes, until pasta is tender.
3. Add undrained beans and mix well. Heat through. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

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♥Laguna Beach♥

We returned Sunday night from a 5 night stay in beautiful Laguna Beach - so sad. :( Although we were there primarily for a work conference we were able to sneak away to the beach in the afternoons to enjoy the sunshine.

Gma and Gpa T stayed back in AZ with Nora - which made for a great time for everyone involved! We enjoyed time away while Nora enjoyed lots of extra love and attention from her grandparents.

For those of you who ever wondered to yourself what the hype about California is.... well....I'm guessing these pictures will help you understand :)

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...we're off...Laguna Beach style

We're off to Laguna Beach for a much needed vacay (w/ a little work) from this 100+ degree heat!!! And... Nora is going to be hanging out with Gma and Gpa T for the week.

All of us are going to have a ton of fun... guaranteed!

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Steph's Pick | AZ Mom's Night Out

Most of you know that I have another blogging "home" - right? Hopefully this doesn't surprise any of you ;) A dear friend and I started Scottsdale Moms Blog this past March and have been loving everything about meeting other local mama's and connecting with local businesses.

Well tonight we're having AZ Mom's Night Out and I'm sooooooo excited about it! I just couldn't resist posting about it because it's all I'm thinking about this morning.

Here's the info for all you local mama's:

When: Friday, September 24th at 6pm

Where: The Big Bang- Tempe

What: A rockin’ good time… happy hour prices… no cover charge for those on the list… a fun filled goodie bag and door prizes!

Register Today!!

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Steph's Pick | Blurb (revisited)

If you've been a Flies Blend reader for some time you probably remember the first time I highlighted Blurb.com as a Steph's Pick. Well that was a couple years ago and so I thought it was appropriate to revisit how much I LOVE these books. (Plus... it's a good excuse to show you the Blurb book that I received a month or so ago :))

Here's a bit from my 2008 post...

Have you ever found yourself just waiting till you have time to finally put that scrapbook together or at the very least put those old photos in an album? I know I've found myself in that position on numerous occasions. Wait no longer - I've found a great way to display those photos. Blurb.com is a free bookmaking software that has been a great way for Alan and I to capture memories on a yearly (or event) basis. By going on their website you can preview books other users have created to inspire you in your own bookmaking. They have a ton of page layout/design options that assist in putting the book together in a professional and creative way. And the best part is - the software is FREE & the books are very affordable ($20 - $50).

As our anniversary approaches each year I put together a book of that year's memories. It's such a fun and easy way to highlight everything that happens each year. Plus - it's pretty cheap when compared to a lot of other scrapbooking type options.

Check out Blurb.com today!

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♥ pigtails ♥

Everyone say it together now...awww.... I just love this pic....

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This is one small step for Nora but one large step for this momma!

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Nora Recommends | Splash Pad & Briar Claire

Some of you may remember my Mommy SOS post about switching from two naps to one. If not, click here. We're on our way to achieving this goal - but as most of you suggested - it is most likely going to take time (and patience). So we're taking it one day at a time...

For now we've filled our no-nap-mornings with Nora's new fav activity -

The Splash Pad!!! Thankfully there are a handful of these around the Valley and so we're able to go on a regular basis. (And for our Midwest family and friends - yes - it's still 100+ here).

Here's Nora at the Kierland Splash Pad...

She just can't get enough of these. :) And we can't get enough of her...

On another note - Nora got one of the cutest Briar Claire hair clips from Callie for her bday. I just had to share this pic I snapped the other day. Isn't it so cute? Shop for more Briar Claire accessories here.

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Session Nine Photography Photo Shoot

Good photography makes me giddy. It totally does. Don't ask me why... it just does.

So when Jason and Jessica of Session Nine Photography asked to do a photo shoot of Joy and me (with the girls of course) for Scottsdale Moms Blog naturally we had to say "YES!!!"

Jason and Jessica rocked it (as usual) and we couldn't be happier with the photos! To see their thoughts about the shoot click HERE.

Here is just a taste of some of them...enjoy...

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