Ashleigh Marie: Teacher to Mommy

New Years and January Baby Photoshoot

January 2021

For this photo, I got the headband from Target, and my husband got the noise-maker, top hat, and champagne from our local grocery store. The white fur rug (https://amzn.to/3dTSQLi) was bought on Amazon. Quincy’s onesie (https://amzn.to/2ZXkjUn) was also bought on Amazon, but her tutu was bought on Etsy. To get this shot, I placed the items where I wanted them, then I laid Quincy on her back on top of the rug. Finally. I stood over her and took these photos. 2020 was a crazy year, and Quincy was the little human that got my husband and I through it!

In mid January, Quincy turned 6 months. I could not believe she was already so old. I got the outfit and bow (https://amzn.to/3uW9ikj) on Amazon. The milestone blanket was purchased on Etsy. Lastly, I made the milestone marker with artificial eucalyptus, floral wire, and a wooden embroidery hoop from Michaels. This photo is beginning to be more difficult to take because Quincy is getting a lot more active. She constantly kicks the blanket making it scrunch and not lay flat. I try to quickly fix it, and get her attention with funny noises and take the picture before she can mess it up again.

By this time, 6 months, Quincy was fantastic at lifting her head up. I chose to take this photo in her crib because this was the first month she slept on her own room in her crib. Before this month, she was sleeping in a bassinet or pack and play next to my bed. I have a baby photo of me with a blanket in my head, so I had to take one of Quincy. The muslin blanket was bought on Etsy and the crocheted blanket was made by a friend. The crib is Delta Children from Target. Her onesie is from Carter’s. I took this photo by putting the camera lens through the spokes and angling the camera upwards.

This photo has the same props. However, I added a flower headband from Carter’s. I took this picture by putting the lens through the spokes of the crib. I got at the same level as her when I took the photo.

This photo also has the same props with the addition of the teddy bear from the Gap. I took this photo by leaning over the crib. I made her smile by singing her favorite song from Moana, “How Far I’ll Go”.

For the January photo shoot, I wanted to set a winter vibe. Therefore, I knew I wanted one of her in her beanie. This beanie was from PatPat. The grey onesie is from Target. I placed her in my bed for this photo because the color scheme of her outfit fit better with my bedspread, and I actually have pillows on my bed. I wanted the look of a slumber party with her teddy. This photo was difficult because my daughter did not want the covers on her. She kept kicking them off. It led to her becoming very fussy, but I was able to get this gem! To take this photo I kneeled on the bed close to her and shot downward. Overall, this month was shocking with the start of a new year and having a 6 month old baby (where did the months go?)!

Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure November 2020

My husband and I have gone to Universal in Los Angeles, but my husband had never gone in Orlando. My last time to Universal Orlando was in the summer of 2016. I am also a HUGE Harry Potter nerd. So, we (mostly me) were very excited to visit the parks. We stayed at the Double Tree Universal Entrance Hotel. Therefore, in the morning, we walked the 1.5 miles to the park. While walking to the park, we got our Hagrid’s virtual queue for 1PM. Get to the park at opening to get this virtual Queue. It is worth it! We entered Universal Studios at opening and walked on to Escape from Gringott’s. This ride was my first favorite ride, but is now my second favorite ride. The storyline and the ride itself are fun and exciting.

Next, we chose to eat breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron. I got the English Breakfast and my husband got the American Breakfast. We both preferred my husbands meal, but I am glad I tried the English breakfast. We got a coffee and a pumpkin juice as our drinks. I did not really enjoy the taste of the coffee, but the pumpkin juice was fantastic! It tasted like apple cider, but pumpkin, so I guess, pumpkin cider.

Leaky Cauldron English and American Breakfasts

My outfit Links: Lululemon Leggings (https://amzn.to/3sBYu9c), Nike Tennis Shoes (https://amzn.to/2MxKg9V), Black Cami, Gryffindor Sweater (https://amzn.to/383PP7q) Gryffindor Scarf (https://amzn.to/2P7Qder), Time Turner (https://amzn.to/3bY2p9w), Hermione Wand (bought at Universal), and Luna Lovegood Glasses (https://amzn.to/3r9uAIV).

Husband’s Hufflepuff Scarf: https://amzn.to/37U1tSi

Husbands Hufflepuff Mask: https://amzn.to/3bZhbNd

After breakfast, we went on the rocking roller coaster and added a virtual queue for Jimmy Fallon. Rocking roller coaster was fun, and my husband and I prefer the coasters to the 4D/3D roses. The Jimmy Fallon ride was fun because we don’t have the in LA, but not a must ride in my opinion. We next joined a virtual queue for the mummy. While we were waiting for that, we rode Men in Black. This is a fun shooting and interactive ride. After riding the Mummy, we were close to our virtual queue time for Hagrid’s. The wait for the Hogwarts Express was crazy, so we chose to exit the park and walk to the entrance of Islands of Adventure.

A side note: BRING A SMALL BAG!!! I had my Medela breast pump backpack and my husband had a large backpack. We had to pay for a locker for basically every ride because they were too large. They offer free lockers for small bags. I would suggest bringing a small purse, bag, or backpack. For nursing mamas, bring a hand pump that takes up less space and fits in a small bag. We ended up putting my husbands bag in an all day locker because it would be less expensive and more convenient. I, unfortunately, needed my bag the whole day for pump breaks.

Once we got into Islands of Adventure, we went straight to Hagrid’s Motorbike. The wait was probably 30-45 minutes with the virtual queue. This ride was my favorite ride of the day, and probably my favorite ride of ALL TIME. I have never been on a ride like it. I loved it so much that, at 2 o’clock, I signed up for another virtual queue.

Next, we went on Kong because my husband had never gone on it. However, it is similar to the Kong experience on the studio tour in LA. We chose to skip the Jurassic Park wet ride because we have it in LA. After Kong, we went back to our virtual queue for Hagrid’s. we rode it again, but we switched spots. We wanted to experience the motorcycle seat and the side car seat. My husband and I both agreed that the motorcycle seat is much more fun, unique, and exhilarating.

We stopped for a pumping and lunch break at the Comic Book Cafe. We shared a pizza and a soda. It was good, but nothing special. The next ride we went on was the Dudley Do Right water ride. This is the only wet ride we did all weekend. It was fun, but we were left soaked, absolutely soaked! At this point, it was starting to get dark. We went on the Hulk Coaster and the Spider-Man Ride. both were fun. I am all about roller coasters and thoroughly enjoyed the Hulk Coster. Spider-Man was a 4D ride, and unlike the Simpsons or Despicable Me rides (rides we had tried in LA, so we skipped in Orlando), this ride didn’t get my husband and I too sick.

The last ride we, well I, went on in Islands of Adventure was Forbidden Journey. This ride gets my husband and I both sick, but I feel like it’s a must ride for Harry Potter fans. I go on it regardless of the potential to feel a bit queesy. Walking through the castle while waiting in line, the storyline of the ride, and feeling like you are really in the movie is worth it to me.

After the final ride, we took the Hogwarts express back to Universal Studios. I love the Hogwarts Express. It is so fun and makes you feel like you are really on the train with Harry and his friends. Once we got into Universal Studios. We had a pump break and my husband went to Louie’s Italian Restaurant. We got the meatball sub, garlic bread, and a Caesar salad. The food was good, but normal tasting. However, the service was lackluster. It took forever to get our food and cut into our precious last hour or two at the park. We wanted to ride E.T., since we don’t have this in LA, but it was no longer available. thus, we chose to ride Gringott’s one more time.

I went on Gringott’s one more time. After riding the ride, I had just enough time to grab a butterbeer ice cream and hot butterbeer before the pro closed. I have tried butterbeer frozen, cold, and the ice cream before, but hot was new for me. I definitely liked it, but I probably should have gotten it with my breakfast. I think it would taste really good with espresso too (just FYI universal). Since I have tried every form of butterbeer, I will say that the ice cream version is my favorite. After these treats, we left the park, walked back to our hotel, and went straight to bed because we had a 7 AM flight the next day. These pros were a great end to our Orlando trip and 3rd anniversary!

End the Night with Butterbeer Ice creamg!

Hello Kitty Cafe Review

March 2, 2021

Irvine, CA

The location and the decor of this cafe is impeccable! It is pink, cute, and perfect for the Hello Kitty enthusiast. The seating outside was comfortable, pretty, and spacious. They had enough socially distanced seating for probably 6-8 parties/groups. I purchased a vanilla latte. The coffee was good, but not very strong. When I asked for non-fat milk, I was told they had soy, so I opted for whole/regular milk. I usually do not drink my calories (I get non-fat milk with sugar-free syrup), so this coffee would have to be an every once in awhile treat. Hopefully, they get more milk options so that I can enjoy their coffee and adorable atmosphere more often. A side note, the design on the coffee was awesome! I am a sucker for a foam design. Overall, I’d definitely go here again with a friend or my daughter as a special treat or outing.

Valentine’s Day 2021

My Valentine’s Day started on Saturday the 13th. On this morning, my family woke up and drove to Moreno Valley to visit my sister-in-law. When we got there, we took pictures in our red and pink outfits, and once everyone arrived and was ready, we went to Riley’s Farm in Yucaipa,CA. Riley’s Farm is a place where you can do apple picking and see Revolutionary War re-enactments. However, on this day, we went to do archery, ax throwing, candle dipping, and doll making. Each ticket cost $5. The day we went, it was extremely cold, and we were not prepared, so I after I completed archery I went back to the car with my husband and our baby until the rest of his family was finished.

On the morning of Valentine’s Day, I woke up, dressed my 7 month old daughter in her cute “Daddy is my Valentine” Outfit (https://amzn.to/2ZZGjhj), and started with a photoshoot. See my blog about the photoshoot if you are interested: V-day Baby Photoshoot. After completing my Photoshoot, I heard a knock on my apartment door, I opened it, and my Dad was there with a dozen red roses and a card. He likes to remind me that he was always my first Valentine just like my husband will always be my daughter’s first Valentine. Receiving flowers from my Dad on Valentine’s Day is a sweet tradition, which he has continued into my adulthood and even married life.

After my Dad left, my husband gave me my Valentine’s Day gift. He brought my Pink roses, a mini balloon, and chocolate covered strawberries. These are my favorite Valentine’s gift of all time! I love, love, love chocolate covered strawberries!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries from the Hubby

The next activity for our Valentine’s Day Weekend was to go to Coffee Dose in Costa Mesa, CA. You can see my review here: Coffee Dose Review. However, overall, I loved the coffee and donut that I ate, and I would definitely go there again.

Once I had finished my coffee and my donut, my parents called me and asked if we wanted to meet at Balboa in Newport Beach, CA to go for a walk. We agreed and decided to brave the intense traffic on Valentine’s Day to get to the beach. We parked in a non-metered spot near the ferry to balboa island. We took the ferry, went for a walk around the island, and then we took the ferry back. Quincy loves walks and enjoyed every minute of it. I love the walk around Balboa Island because you get to see all the beach houses and walk down Main Street. It is a relaxing walk in wonderful beach weather.

After walking with my family, my husband bought us sushi from the grocery store. We enjoyed our meal at home with my chocolate covered strawberries. It was delicious! Valentine’s Day weekend was a fun and exciting weekend with low costs overall. Riley’s Farm only cost us $5 for one person to do archery. Also, I paid under $10 for my coffee and donut, and the ferry was about $1.25 per person one way, so $2.50 or $5 for my husband and I. It was the perfect weekend and the perfect first Valentine’s Day for my sweet Quincy Leia!

Halloween or October Infant Photo Ideas

Snow White

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall whose the Cutest of them All?

I purchased the Disney princess book (https://amzn.to/301g6id), fur rug (https://amzn.to/3dTSQLi), mirror (https://amzn.to/3b4idYQ), and Snow White costume (https://amzn.to/3uQvAEa) on Amazon. I purchased the apples from the Target dollar section. Lastly, I purchased the 7 dwarfs plushies on Mercari/Poshmark. At the time these Photos were taken, my daughter was about 2.5 months old. Therefore, she could only lay on her back. Her neck was strong enough that she could hold it up, but she could not use her arms to push up yet. As such, in the photo with the mirror, you can see I am holding her up. The mirror photo would have been much more successful with an older baby. Because she was small and didn’t move yet, I could just place her in the position or near the props I wanted. Next, I would stand over her and take the picture. The props are what really made these photos so special.

Harry Potter

Quincy was still not quite 3 months old in these photos. I got the scarf, chocolate frog ceramic box, and wand off of Poshmark/Mercari. The sorting hat was purchased from Target, and the tutu came from Etsy. The Black onesie (https://amzn.to/2ZXkjUn), Harry Potter glasses (https://amzn.to/3sAdX9t), and headband (https://amzn.to/3kE3NSz) came from Amazon. The books were from my childhood. I can’t wait to read them to Quincy when she is older! She was able to lift her head slightly while on her stomach, so the books pictures turned out extremely cute. I also took photos of her laying on her back. At this point, it was not possible to get her smiling in pictures, but one week later, I couldn’t get her to stop smiling. I stood over her for the pictures where she is on her back, but I sat on the floor and laid on the floor to take the book photos.

Beauty and the Beast

In these photos, I got the rose prop from the Dollar Tree and the Beast Plush off of Mercari/Poshmark. I got the milestone blanket, yellow tutu, and yellow headband from Etsy. The writing board was bought at Target, and the artificial rose petals were purchased at Party City. I made the milestone marker from wooden embroidery hoops, artificial eucalyptus, and floral wire from Michaels. I got the fur rug (https://amzn.to/3dTSQLi) and yellow onesie (https://amzn.to/2PoCwbr) from Amazon. In these photos, she was, once again, on her back because she couldn’t quite sit up assisted yet. I did try to take some with her and the beast on her side, but she wasn’t very happy about that position. Thus, I took the pictures standing over her while she was on her back. As you can see in these pictures, she was finally starting to mimic me and give me big smiles in her pictures.

Flapper

Excuse my scared eyes, I probably just saw something interesting- Quincy

This wasn’t a photoshoot, but I did dress Quincy up for my 30th birthday party. The tutu and headband were purchased from Etsy. The mittens and socks were from Carter’s. The black onesie (https://amzn.to/2ZXkjUn) was purchased from Amazon. She was about 3 1/2 months old in these pictures.

Halloween Themed

These props were bought at a variety of places. The trick or treat sign was purchased at Target. The candy and pumpkins were purchased at the super market. The jack-o-lantern candy bag was purchased on PatPat. The vinyl sticker that reads “Quincy’s First Halloween” was purchased on Etsy. The hay barrel was a decoration my mom already had in her house. The Scary Cute outfit and the spider web onesie were purchased on PatPat. BEWARE: their sizes run big. The black onesie (https://amzn.to/2ZXkjUn) and black headband (https://amzn.to/3kE3NSz) were purchased on Amazon. To get the sitting inside pumpkin photo, my mom and I placed the pumpkin on top of a box that we covered with a table cloth. We decided to elevate her onto the box so that her legs could dangle because she was uncomfortable when we tried setting her on the ground. Furthermore, this photo was challenging because it required my mom being close and ready to catch Quincy if she tipped over. It also required us trying to console a grumpy baby who didn’t like being in the pumpkin. As you can see, the pumpkin photo was really difficult to do, and for the photo I got, it probably wasn’t worth it. The candy photo and spiderweb pumpkin photos were much easier to take and required less hurdles to jump.

Cinderella

Uh oh, my carriage turned back into a pumpkin!

On my actual birthday, we carved pumpkins. I chose to carve this Cinderella carriage pumpkin for this photo in particular. I bought the pumpkin and mini pumpkins at my local supermarket. I bought the stick on rhinestones at Michaels. The crown (https://amzn.to/3uB5jtr) and Cinderella costume (https://amzn.to/2NFMIvG) were from Amazon. I choose to take this picture on the couch so that she could lean against it and be in a sitting up position.

Princess Leia joined by Darth Vader and Queen Amidala

These photos were taken on Halloween. Our Family chose Star Wars because Quincy’s middle name is Leia after Princess Leia. The Itty Bitty props were purchased on Amazon and eBay (see amazon links below). Also, Quincy’s white onesie (https://amzn.to/3dVs8Sz) was purchased on Amazon. I made her belt with white ribbon, cardboard, and a silver sharpie paint pen (Target). First, I cut the cardboard pieces. Then, I hot glued the circles to the pentagon and hexagon pieces. Lastly, I hot glued those completed pieces onto the ribbon. Quincy’s Leia yarn wig was made by a friend with yarn bought at Michaels. This photo was taken on a bed. At the time these photos were taken, my daughter was very tired. She ended up falling asleep as you can see in the last picture. To take these photos, I stood at the edge of the bed and pointed the camera down at her. She was positioned close to the end of the bed in the center. My husband’s Darth Vader (https://amzn.to/2O8YzC6) and my Queen Amidala (https://amzn.to/3kwSLhS) costumes were purchased on Amazon as well. My white make up was purchased on Amazon. I first put a white stick foundation (https://amzn.to/3b140Mh) on, then I put a white powder (https://amzn.to/301Vzdo) over it to make it stay. Next, I used a red lip liner pencil to outline the top lips, to outline the strip on my bottom lips, and make the circles on my checks. Finally, I used lipstick to fill in the lines.

Star Wars Itty Bitty Links:

Darth Vader: https://amzn.to/3q3kMPk

Chewbacca: https://amzn.to/3r6ayyV

C3PO: https://amzn.to/3r5pzkq

R2D2: https://amzn.to/3kA5u3A

Storm Trooper: (could not find on amazon, try eBay)

Star Wars Itty Bitty Packs: https://amzn.to/3uOqkkv, https://amzn.to/3b2AXbu, https://amzn.to/37USgct

As you can see by all the photos, Quincy and I had a fun month of dress up and photo shoots. Halloween is my favorite holiday and October is my birth month, so I always go all out the month of October. I have always loved playing dress up, and now I get to pass that on to my daughter. Quincy’s first October and Halloween will always be an extra special memory!