Well the month of August kinda just flew right by without a warning. With being evacuated from the wildfires and dealing with some weird unexplained health stuff (thanks a lot pregnancy) I felt like I didn’t have time to catch my breath! So here it is, the first week of September and I’m diving back in headfirst with really no choice because Elouise just started preschool. She literally started today but I know some of you have had kids in school for a week or two now so this post seems late, but it’s not. I am totally justified in a back to school post on the very day my child starts school, even if it’s a Thursday. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! So, I’ve just complied a few of my favorites for clothes and shoes and also for organization and accessories. As a former teacher and now a mom I feel like I had a pretty good handle on how to crush back to school. We’ll see how long it takes before I forget to pack a lunch though.

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Father’s Day is just around the corner and to be honest I always have such a hard time finding the right gift to get for my husband. We are in this weird season where the kids aren’t quite old enough to DIY Daddy something meaningful on their own and they don’t go to school where they have a dedicated craft time just for this specific holiday. It leaves me wanting something sentimental but practical and always struggling up until the last minute. Well, I’m happy to say that this year I have partnered with Snapfish to snag the perfect customized gifts for Christian and I’m sharing them here! I know it’s a little early, but I want to help all of you other mams out, so I’m taking one for the team! Plus, if you keep scrolling you’ll find a sweet discount code.

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Call me crazy, but I am like 90% in Christmas mode already. Honestly, the only thing stopping me from being 100% there is the fact that we are planning for Sully’s birthday party on the 11th so I have to hold off on decorating with Santa and reindeer because it doesn’t really go with the dinosaur theme. One thing we did already do was bust out our matching Christmas PJs and snap some family photos. I just might send a Christmas card out this year, although the stack of unsent birth announcements from Elouise still haunts me a little bit. So, just in case they don’t get sent out, I’m sharing the goodness up here on the blog because the cuteness factor is on another level!

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I get a lot of questions about what we did and are doing to feed Sully as fas as starting solids. The answer is, there is no one answer. We have done almost every option of feeding with him. Is it a second child thing? We’ve done store bought organic baby food, pre-made food delivery services, baby led weaning (aka giving him food from my plate) and then whenever I can, I’ve made him fresh baby food. I will say that this is by far my favorite option, simply because I can control exactly what he eats and how fresh it is. It always felt really daunting though, until I discovered Raised Real.

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You guys, have I mentioned that it is my dream to basically have a tiny farm in my backyard? Yep, its true! Gimme a a few chickens, some rows of veggies, a couple of fruit trees, and I’d be a happy camper. So, its no surprise that I was in heaven when we visited Tanaka Farms this past weekend. We have been before for the adorable pumpkin patch but they offer so much more throughout the year! We hopped on a tractor tour around the farm and sampled freshly picked veggies, and then got to pick our own strawberries. Elouise was in absolute heaven and decided she needed to bend down and eat bites out of as many berries as she could. which then turned into giving them kisses, and finally after many reminders to not put her mouth on them we strolled down the rows giving them positive affirmations. I’m sure seeing toddler touching strawberries and saying “good job growing!” was equal parts strange and adorable. Anyhow, it was a fun day for the books, and E and I got to twin so that made it a zillion times better.

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