Summer Watermelon 11 Month Baby Photoshoot

Happy Summer! Quincy is 11 Months Old! She is a little daredevil, and the scarier the situation or activity, the better. She has learned to climb up the stairs and loves it. Also, She prefers to be upside down to right side up. She finally has 2 teeth, so she is eating a lot more regular foods. She isn’t walking yet, but she definitely seems eager to learn and is trying to balance when standing and take a few steps. I can’t believe we are one month away from her first birthday!

She is barely fitting on her milestone blanket that I purchased on Etsy. The milestone marker was made with materials from Michaels (wooden embroidery hoop, eucalyptus leaves, and floral wire). Her watermelon romper/onesie was purchased from Carter’s. Her headband was purchased on Amazon (https://amzn.to/2TiiEc9). I took this photo by standing over her with my Canon EOS M50 camera (https://amzn.to/3x68XfA).

I bought the wooden boxes at Michaels. The paper, folded watermelons, Hello Summer Watermelon sign, and Watermelon bottle were bought from the dollar tree. The wooden boxes were a bit expensive ( about $10 each), but I plan to reuse them in her 1 year photo shoot, for her birthday party, and possibly in my home as decor. I took this photo in my grandmas backyard in front of a plant with pink, watermelon colored flowers. Quincy is also using her tennis shoe sandals bought from Target (https://www.target.com/p/baby-girls-39-surprize-by-stride-rite-darla-fisherman-sandals-white-3/-/A-80386740). She loves these shoes and wears them almost everyday.

I used the same backdrop as the photo above. However, I chose to focus on one box, and I had Quincy sit on top of it. They were a little difficult to get because she hasn’t fully mastered her balance, but grandma was close by just in case. Also, she did not love how the wood felt while sitting on it, so she was wiggling a lot.

To make this photo, you will need 1 large watermelon and 1 small watermelon from your local grocery store. I bought mine at Vons. Also, you will need a large knife to cut the watermelon in slices and in half. Lastly; you will need a silver drink holder which you will fill halfway with warm water and halfway with cool water. I used the hit water from the sink and then the water from the hose outside. This created water that was the perfect warmth for my daughter to be comfortable. My drink holder was borrowed from my grandma, but I’m sure similar ones can be followed at discount stores like Home Goods or Marshall’s. Quincy is wearing a Minnie Mouse, polka dot bathing suit that I purchased off Mercari and a red headband bought off Amazon from a Christmas pack of headbands (https://amzn.to/35YIbKj). We took this photo in front of my Mom’s swimming pool to get a summer vibe. Quincy loved this photo. She enjoyed eating the watermelon and being in the water. She could have stayed in there all day.

For this last photo, I used a watermelon balloon I purchased from the Dollar Tree. I thought it was so cute because it was so much bigger than her. I chose to take a photo like this because the wind kept blowing the balloons away and this was the only way to get them pictured. Luckily, it ended up being an adorable photo. Overall, this photo shoot was so fun. I took the photos over 2 days. Quincy was not overly fussy and did well by splitting the two photo days up. I hope you all enjoyed these photos and got some ideas for your own little one!

Cinco De Mayo or Mexican Themed Party Ideas

On Mother’s Day this year, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo as well. We celebrated at my parents house and invited my in-laws. Most of the decorations came from the Dollar Tree, Target, Amazon, or were borrowed. A few of the decorations came from Hobby Lobby and Party City.

The Fiesta Decorations were purchased from Amazon. The table cloth and plastic bowls were purchased at the Dollar Tree. The cactus piñata was purchased from Hobby Lobby. The sombrero mini piñata was purchased from Party City, and the donkey mini piñata was purchased at Target. The sombrero and serape runner were borrowed. For dessert, we had cactus cake pops, pan dulce, and churros. For more about the desserts, keep reading!

Mexican Fiesta Decorations: https://amzn.to/3burYQb

What is Cinco de Mayo without a little tequila? I created this bar cart for my guests to make a margarita. I used the Jose Cuervo pre-made margarita and put it in a drink dispenser with ice. I put a salt rim container and additional ice in an ice bucket. I used some plastic margarita glasses from the target $5 section so it felt a little more fancy and fun. I added a cactus garland, a mini cactus piñata, some festive shakers, and some gold accents to finish the bar cart.

Gold Bar Cart: https://amzn.to/3waZrXH

Mini Cactus Piñata: Target

Cactus Margarita Glasses: Target

Cactus Garland: Target

Down to Fiesta Shaker: Big Lots

Drink Dispenser: Home Goods

Gold Extras: Poshmark and Mercari

In addition to the margaritas, we had some Modelos Mexican Beers, jarritos, water, sparkling water, and regular soda. For my drink table, I used a table cloth from the dollar tree, a serape rubber borrowed from my grandmother, and the fiesta decorations from Amazon to decorate this table. The gold bucket and blue igloo were borrowed.

I purchased my Jarritos from Northgate Market. I was very busy and didn’t want to go to the store myself, so I used Instacart. I had never used Instacart before, so I was a little worried, but it was a super easy and pleasurable experience. Also, I never realized how gorgeous my parent’s backyard was until I took this picture. Remember not to take your family home for granted while you grow up because I am definitely loving it and grateful now.

The bright pink and line green table cloths, cups, plates, utensils, and plastic bowls were from the Dollar Tree. The sombrero and serape runner were borrowed. The hanging decorations were from the Amazon Fiesta Decorations. We had our guests eat at these two tables inside. We used my mother’s island which is central to the two tables to create a taco bar for dinner. We had beef tacos with all the fixings. It was delicious!

This backdrop was a hit for this Cinco De Mayo party. It was pretty easy to assemble. We taped the streamers and tied the paper pin wheels to the backdrop frame. Backdrop frames are expensive, but I use them so often for photos and parties that it has been a worthwhile purchase. The box of props were accumulated and borrowed from friends and family. When I asked them where they originally got the items, they said Party City.

Backdrop Frame: https://amzn.to/3hzKSZB

Backdrop: https://amzn.to/3hrHIXS

For these cactus balloons, I purchased the 3 balloons on Amazon, and I had them filled with helium at Party City for about $6 total.

Cactus Balloons: https://amzn.to/3yj8rM7

The pan dulce was purchased by my sister-in-law at her local Mexican Super Market. The sombrero was borrowed and used to display the Mexican Sweet Bread.

The sticks and green chocolate for these cake pops were purchased at Party City. The pink flower sprinkles and white sprinkles were purchased at Michaels. I did have to choose different Michaels stores to pick up the sprinkles because they were not all in one place. The display dish they are in was borrowed from my grandma. To make the cake pops, I used one box of mix and half a carton of icing.

The last dessert I had was a churro bar. I provided Nutella, caramel, icing, mini chocolate chips, and sprinkles as toppings. The recipe I used was found on Pinterest. You need crescent rolls, butter, and cinnamon sugar. Mine didn’t turn out with enough cinnamon, so next time, I would definitely use more. Also, they will not be very crunchy and taste like a croissant, so if you want something more authentic, you should cater, use a different recipe, or look for some in the frozen isle of the super market.

We had so much fun at this party celebrating mother’s and eating Mexican food! It was an unlikely, but fun combination of events. At the end of the night, the adults broke the piñata. It was filled with American and Mexican Candy (https://amzn.to/3eSSt3I). It was the perfect way to end the night! I hope you enjoyed seeing my party ideas and got some ideas for your own fiesta! Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Husbands Shirt: https://amzn.to/3byjcka

My Black Dress: Forever 21

My Mexican Belt: Anaheim Marketpkace

Daughter’s Dress: Anaheim Marketplace

Red Rose Hair Clips: https://amzn.to/3wbBoHY

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Every year, I struggle with what to get my mom for Mother’s Day. She is extremely hard to buy things for. She normally likes sentimental items or religious items. Therefore, since this is her first year as a grandma, I got her a I Love You Grandma Book (https://amzn.to/3u6lwGg). My mom is also a notorious night owl, so I got her a Midnight Mom Devotional (https://amzn.to/3xDBytd). These two items will be from my daughter and I for her. I think it will be perfect! For more Mother’s Day Ideas, see my list and links below:

Mug: For a mom who is a coffee or tea lover!!!Mama Bear Mug (https://amzn.to/2QvQtoR), Rae Dunn Style Mama Mug (https://amzn.to/3gNbjuE), Mom Established Mug (https://amzn.to/3eHd75p), Mommy Needs Coffee Mug (https://amzn.to/3nxcijC)

Personalized Pillow: For a mom who loves home decor add your siblings and your name to a personalized pillow for your mom. (https://amzn.to/2QD2HvG)

Candle: For the mom who always has her house smelling fresh and has candles lit. Best Mom Ever Candle (https://amzn.to/3dY4q7U)

Jewelry: For moms who love to wear jewelry. MAMA Necklace (https://amzn.to/3u62aB1), Child Initial Pendant Necklace (https://amzn.to/3aNjW4r), Kids Birthstone Necklace (https://amzn.to/3xxyEGx)

Self-Care Kit: For moms who love self care, fill your kit with face masks, nail polish, bath bombs, essential oils, a diffuser, chocolate, or whatever your mom loves.

Framed Photo: For moms with photos of their babies all over the house, buy a framed photo of you and your mom is a great option for a gift! Always a Mom Forever my Friend Frame (https://amzn.to/3xz2zy0)

Blanket: For moms who love snuggling and watching movies, you can never go wrong with a warm blanket. Think about your moms living room, family room, or bedroom decor and pick a color that will coordinate.

Flowers: For moms who love to always have fresh flowers in their home, buy them flowers. When in doubt, stop at your local grocery store for flowers. Trader Joe’s always has a good price for flowers.

Potted Plant: For the mom who loves to garden, you could get your mom a personalized potted plant. Love Grows Here Pot (https://www.personalizationmall.com/Personalized-Flower-Pot-Love-Grows-Here-Purple-i48066.item?productid=17834)

T-Shirt: For the mom who loves graphic T-Shirts. Mama Leopard (https://amzn.to/3gNjZks), MAMA burgundy (https://amzn.to/3t0AbS1), MAMA Boxed tie-dye (https://amzn.to/2QvPIfv), Madre or MAMA Cheetah Print (https://amzn.to/3nv8PCk), MAMA Tie-Dye (https://amzn.to/3xvbkJr)

Robe and Slippers: For the mom who loves to relax. Your mom will love a comfy cozy robe and slippers to stay warm and cozy around the house. criss-cross slippers (https://amzn.to/3e4nP7d), fleece robe (https://amzn.to/3eJFsIA)

Pajamas: For the mom who changes into PJ’s as soon as they get home. These pajamas from Amazon look so comfortable. Your mom may never want to get out of bed. They come in a variety of colors and patterns. Women’s Pajama Set (https://amzn.to/3vwaB8W)

Book: Foe the mom who is always reading, buy your mom a book she would love. Whether it is self-help, spiritual, or romance, she will definitely love reading something from her favorite genre. Or, you can fill in a book about your mom. What I Love About Mom Book (https://amzn.to/3t00UhD)

Journal: For the mom who writes everything down. I don’t know about your mom, but my mom loves to write stuff in a notebook. Whether it’s notes from church or Bible study, or things she can’t forget later, she always has her notebook. Chaos Coordinator (https://amzn.to/3aTjNwe), Cheetah Print (https://amzn.to/2RedXOZ), Pink Marble (https://amzn.to/3gXdJXk)

Traveling with an Infant

March 31, 2021 and April 4, 2021

Upon arrival at LAX, I was super anxious and nervous about traveling with an infant. My mind was flooded with questions. Should I check her car seat and stroller? Should I gate check her car seat and stroller? Is security going to be a hassle? Will we be able to juggle our carry ons and an 8.5 month old infant? Is Quincy going to be a complete terror on the plane? And so on, and so on.

Quincy was 8.5 months when we flew, so we chose the lap seating infant option. Our motto is to keep it as free and as cheap as possible when we travel, so we had 2 carry ons, 2 backpacks, the car seat, and the stroller. This was the free luggage we were allotted. We decided to check her stroller and car seat so that we would not have to deal with juggling too many things through security. I put Quincy in a baby carrier to easily carry her throughout the airport.

Ready for Take off on her first flight!

At security, we had to take out the usual shoes, electronics, and liquids. Quincy was allowed a liquids baggy as well, so we had 3 baggies of liquids. Babies are also allowed a reasonable amount of baby food and formula. Since I am breastfeeding, I only brought powdered formula (in case I chose to drink alcohol). I still took this out so they could check it. Also, I packed enough baby food to last 5 days which means about 15 squeeze pouches which fit in a gallon sized ziploc. Lastly, I had a ice pack in a small cooler for baby food, bottles, and snacks. These extra liquid items that you are allowed for babies have to go through extra security. They must check all of these items, so allow for extra time to get through security. You go through the metal detector with your baby. I had her in the carrier as I walked through. Then, they have to run a quick test on your hands, and you’re done.

Once through security, it was off to our gate. We were early, so we were able to purchase coffee and food to eat on the flight. There are no meals on flights and you only get water and snacks right now from LA to Orlando(I’m guessing that’s true for most domestic flights), so bring food on the plane. For Quincy, I had her baby food, puffs, teething wafers, Cheerios, and yogurt melts in baggies. For my husband and I, we bought sandwiches and snacks at the Airport.

I downloaded some shows from Netflix for her

On the flight, I was nervous for melt downs and fits. Also, I was nervous about ascending and descending because of Quincy’s ears. When we took off, I still had her in the carrier, and I had her suck on her pacifier. This seemed to calm her and her ears did not hurt. The only times she fussed on the plane were when she was hungry or tired. We were lucky that we had a whole row to ourselves, so my husband and I were able to have her sleep on the seat between us for a nap. For diaper changes, I was able to use the baby changing station in the bathroom. Warning: it is super, super small, and a little difficult to change your baby, especially if u have an active, curious baby like me. When the plane was descending, I nursed her so that she would not have any ear discomfort and be relaxed. This worked and we landed with no problems or screaming. I highly endorse the pacifier and nursing/bottle to help your baby remain calm on the plane

Quincy Sleeping in the Middle Seat that no one showed up for

To exit the plane, I put Quincy in her carrier, we grabbed our carry ons, and we deplaned. Then, we went to baggage claim to get our stroller and car seat.

Our flight from Orlando to LAX was not as smooth as our flight to Orlando. First, when we arrived, the airport was a zoo. It was complete mayhem! It took forever to get our boarding passes and check the stroller and car seat. Then, we had to wait in an insanely long security line. I knew we were probably going to miss our flight, but I had hopes we might make it. I decided to throw out all the extra baby products that would need to be checked separately to speed up the process. This ended up being a terrible idea because we missed our flight and our baby had no baby food.

The next flight we could get on was 4 hours later, so we had to wait in Orlando for 4 hours and keep an 8.5 month old entertained and not fussy while we were exhausted from waking up at 3:30 AM to make our original flight. We somehow survived and got on our first flight. We both had aisle seats and the flight was packed, so that complicated the flight. I ended up keeping Quincy in the carrier so she and I could both safely sleep. This was a life saver! Quincy was much more energetic on this flight, so we used toys, downloaded videos, and provided snacks to help keep her entertained. The flight back home was also more complicated because we had a connecting flight and a layover. We landed in Arizona and had a 2 hour layover before returning to Los Ángeles. This flight was super quick, a little longer than an hour, and Quincy and I slept almost all of it. We landed in LA around 4:00 PM, but we were originally supposed to land around 10:00 AM, so our missed flight cost us about 6 hours.

How I slept with myself baby on the plane

Ultimately, if we had made our first flight, the flight home would not have been as difficult. Make sure that you are at least 2 hours early if you are traveling with an infant because missing your flight can be an exhausting mistake. Don’t forget pacifiers, and try to nurse or give a bottle to help your baby relax and their ears not to hurt. Get a direct flight if possible because our first flight was much more manageable and less stressful than our flights back home. Our first flight with Quincy was a breeze! This proves that traveling with a baby can be a simple and easy. Learn from our successes and our failures, and JUST DON’T MISS YOUR FLIGHT!!!

Dowtown Disney Day Trip Eggstravaganza

April 12, 2021

Yesterday, we went to Downtown Disney to shop, get coffee, and do the extravaganza scavenger hunt. Also, I wanted to show off Quincy and my Rapunzel Disney bound.

Quincy’s Shoes (https://amzn.to/3wTRtmL) and crown headband (https://amzn.to/32doyfm) were purchased on Amazon. Quincy’s Dress and Pascal shoulder Plush we’re purchased on Facebook Marketplace. My pascal coin purse was purchased on EBay, and my Romper was purchased online from a boutique called Frock Candy in Florida. My gold heels (not pictured) were from Amazon (https://amzn.to/3texLQI).

Quincy had a great time with her Aunt, her grandma, and me. She liked walking around, people watching, and seeing all the fun, bright buildings and decorations around downtown Disney. Also, it allowed mom to get her steps in, and Aunt Cassie to get her make-up from Sephora.

For the Eggstravaganza event, you look for large eggs around Downtown Disney. When you see an egg, you put the coordinating sticker on the game board. Once your game board is filled, you turn it in for a prize. The prize is Disney Character Easter Egg. They used to have more characters for prizes, but because we did the hunt late there was only Dale left. Spoiler Alert of a completed gameboard in the picture below if you are planning to play before they run out!

This was such a fun day trip to Downtown Disney. We got some necessary shopping done, and some unnecessary shopping done as well. We could have stayed in World of Disney forever! I also went into the new Star Wars store. You can see and get a lightsaber at this store. It was a very fun themed store that all Star Wars fans will enjoy. With Disneyland opening again on April 30th, we can’t wait to get back into the park. Walking around Downtown Disney is giving me the Disney vibes I need to survive, but going to the parks again will be dreams come true. We plan to return to Disneyland for Quincy’s first birthday in July! We can’t wait! We are counting down the days and anxiously waiting to be able to make a reservation!