Christmas 2012

Christmas day came and went so quickly. From the moment she woke up, all Princess wanted to do was open presents. It was so fun watching her rip open gifts. There were so many it became difficult to keep count after a while. We spent the bulk of the day playing with toys and reading books, before heading to Grandma's house.

 Even though she refuse to open Santa gifts in the beginning, she later had a change of heart. Judging by the look on her face, I can tell she had a great time.

Weather Anchor Mama

Tips for Taking Great Holiday Pics

Some people elect to have professional pics taken for the holidays. However, I'd rather save a few bucks by taking my own. Princess and I had fun snapping photos for our holiday card this past weekend.

We're cutting it pretty close this year. I'm hoping to get these babies out in time for Christmas. Our Christmas tree became the perfect backdrop for our holiday card. I was able to chose from a bunch of different designs and came up with this one. It's not too late to make your own! Here are some cool tips to help you get the best pics:

1. Keep it simple. It's important to not have a busy or distracting background. Our Christmas tree was the perfect backdrop.

2. Don't force it. I fell behind on making up Christmas cards because Princess wasn't feeling well. She wasn't up to smiling for the camera, so I didn't push the issue. If your kiddo is not up to posing, postpone your photo shoot. You'd get better pics with a happy child.

3. Make it fun! We played games, sang songs, and made faces. I didn't want this to be a chore for her. You can get your child to take cool pics when you incorporate the things they love.

4. The closer the better. Don't let your little one get lost in the background. Photos that are eye level and close up make the best cards.

5. Keep it short. No kid wants to be posing in front of the camera for hours. Princess and I were done with our shoot in less than a half hour.

Once your done with your photo shoot, choose your favs, and order away! I love to order online. But if you're pressed for time, you can hit up your local drug store and make your purchase.

Have you sent out your holiday cards yet?

Weather Anchor Mama

Oh How Time Flies

It was just a couple of years ago when Princess started daycare.  It seemed like yesterday.  It's hard to believe now that it wasn't my first choice.  Initially, I approached neighbors and close friends to find out if they could babysit.  When everyone turned us down, daycare became the only other option.  Now that I think about it, it should have been the first.

Princess has made so many friends and she adores her teachers.  The one down side to being around so many kids is all the viruses that a child can get.  Despite it being a germ feast, I think it's the best decision her dad and I made.  Besides, it helps to build her immune system.

Every day I ask her, "how was school?" She says "good."  Princess loves telling me about her day, and I get a kick out of watching her interact with her friends.

The other day I was sorting through her school pics, and realized how much my baby has grown since she started school.

7months

14 months

19 months

26 months

It's crazy how time flies.

Weather Anchor Mama

Special Moment Captured

Someone told me that it's been a while since I posted a pic of Princess.  Come to think about it, this person is so right.  I normally take snapshots everyday of my baby girl.  But with the cold temps and a busy schedule, I've been slipping.

She's been feeling a little under the weather lately.  In fact, she took a day off from daycare for some much needed rest and relaxation with Daddy.  Thankfully, I was able to make it home in time to tuck her in.  She was super excited.  It's hard to tell in this photo that she wasn't feeling well.



I love capturing special moments with Princess. How often do you snap pics of your little one?

Weather Anchor Mama

A Dedication to Our Little Princess

I can't believe it's been two years since we welcomed our baby girl into the world.  We try to capture precious moments with her everyday.  This has been a labor of love for the past view months.  I hope you enjoy watching.  Please feel free to leave you comments below, so that she can read them some day.  Thanks for watching!

Designer Clothes for Less (Giveaway)

I don't ever go all out to buy designer clothes, especially for Princess.  Why break the bank to have her out grow a Christian Dior dress in a few months?  Not to mention, I don't own Dior, Fendi, Prada - Nada.  Well, that's exactly how I felt before stumbling across Borrow Baby Couture.

It's a site where you can borrow designer clothes for your little one at bargain prices.  We recently had a couple of events to go to.  Rather than buy completely new outfits she'd probably only wear a couple of times, borrowing some cute threads was a great alternative.  Heck, I remember sneaking to a friends house and switching clothes back in junior high.  It gave off the appearance that we had a bigger wardrobe, which surely wasn't the case.  I guess you can say I'm kinda doing the same for Princess.

Here's how I got some cute rentals.  Plus, find out how you can score a free borrowed outfit for your little munchkin below.  Remember, you gotta be in it to win it!

Fendi Contrast Panel Shift Dress www.borrowbabycouture.com

Navy pleaded dress and cardigan www.borrowbabycouture.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weather Anchor Mama

Kids Fall Fashion With Cookies Kids

Fall is right around the corner and I have yet to shop for Princess.  It's not because I procrastinate, I just don't have enough time to head over to the mall.  My work schedule has changed a bit, which leaves me less time.  Online shopping has become my saving grace.  

I recently heard about Cookies Kids and wanted to check them out.  There are seven store locations in New York City including Brooklyn, Jamaica, and the Bronx.  I would love to pay them a visit in person.  But for now, it's so much easier to log on to their site and make a purchase.  Since Princess spends most of her time at daycare, I'm not looking to break the bank.  Besides, she grows out of her clothes like every other day.  The fact that #cookieskids has a lot of stuff on clearance is a huge plus.

Navigating through the site is pretty simple.  They have everything from school uniforms, to the hottest fall fashions, and toys.  In fact, Cookies Kids started as a toy store 40 years ago in Jamaica, Queens by two brothers named Cookie and Marvin.  Their success led to the addition of kids clothes.  They offer a great selection.  Princess is only two and she has no problem refusing to wear an outfit she doesn't like.  It's hard to believe that a toddler can have an opinion about fashion.  But, mine does.  

These three items are a perfect fit for my little girl.  The best part is that I paid less than thirty bucks!

Princess loves dressing up, but she also enjoys rockin' a more casual look.  This cardigan gives off the appearance of a twinset.  We paired it with some cute denim jeans and she's ready to go! 

Princess certainly a girly girl.  This sparkle knit magenta dress with a detachable necklace is great for dressing up, but comfy enough to run around in.  The weather is still pretty warm in New York.  So I put together some fall combinations for when the temps cool down. 

  I love wearing sweater dresses.  This one is stylish, yet relaxed.  Even though it's something an adult could wear, it's still age appropriate for my little munchkin. 

I plan to hit up Cookies Kids for some more stylish and affordable clothes for the fall and winter months.  In the meantime, please check out my Google+ page.  I put together an album with more fun pics. 
Have you finished fall shopping for your little one?  Do you shop online or in store?

Weather Anchor Mama

“I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and CookiesKids.com #CBias #SocialFabric.”  However, all opinions are my own. 

Back to School!!

Well technically, it's back to daycare.  I consider it school because there's is a curriculum which involves teaching the kids subjects like math, reading, and art.

Even though Princess has been an orange since the summer, I still consider this a step up to the next level.  The teachers also help with potty training which will (hopefully) encourage her to do the deed on the thrown and not in her pull-ups.  She's much better at it at home.  Since some tots aren't being trained yet, Princess has been on a potty strike at school.  I got my fingers crossed that it'll get better soon.

Are your kids excited about heading back to school?

Weather Anchor Mama

What a Difference a Year Makes

Princess is rockin' the same exact outfit in both pics.  Even though the label reads 18 months, she has clearly grown.  She's much taller, has more hair and teeth.  Clearly my little girl is growing up right in front of me.

11 months old

24 months old

Weather Anchor Mama

Starting Something New

I can't believe Summer is almost over.  Even though Fall arrives September 22nd, it still feels like the season is coming to a close.  Maybe it's because I started the Fall semester at school.  Who knows?  All I know is that my life is about to get crazy again.  It's so hard to balance between work, school, and playtime with Princess (among other things).

I decided to begin our Fall routine a little early.  Rather than take Princess in early for sprinkler time at daycare, we hung out together instead.  There wasn't a whole lot of time to goof around.  But as the saying goes- it's all about quality, not quantity.

This weekend I'll be wrapping up my Family Summer Fun Series.  Stay tuned to find out which spot we hit up next.

What are your family weekend plans?

Weather Anchor Mama

Happy Birthday Princess!

I apologize in advance for being super annoying.  This will be the first of quite a few post about Princess celebrating the big two.  I'm just a proud mama.  What can I say?  A part of me feels bad for sending her off to daycare on her birthday.  But, my hubby and I had to finish up her party plans.  Having Princess with us would sort of ruin the surprise (trust me, she remembers everything).

We spent a huge part of the day just running errands and putting her present together.  Before we knew it,  the clock struck five o'clock.  We wanted to eat dinner and enjoy some outdoor fun, so we picked her up little early.  Then it was off to the park!

Grandma also came over to hang and drop off Princess's gift, a Dora the Explorer doll and stoller.  We had tons a fun!

I saw this online and had to get it for her. I've always wanted something like this as a kid. I guess you can say I'm living vicariously through my daughter.  She mainly likes to go in reverse, as you can see.

Stay tuned for more pics!

Weather Anchor Mama

My Baby's About to Turn 2!

I can't believe my baby is about to be two years old tomorrow!  It's crazy how time flies!  I can recall feverishly planning her first year birthday party around this time last year.  In case you haven't seen it, here's the video  and recap of her 1st year bash.

This time around my hubby and I would like to keep things a bit more kid friendly.  We're planning a celebration for Princess and her friends to enjoy.  I'll be sharing pics, and tips on how we (I) planned the event.  For us, it's all about keeping it simple and fun.  I'm also working on another video.  Stay tuned for that too!

Princess weeks away from turning 2. She's always loved playing on this field.

She wasn't quite walking on her own.  But, she'd hang onto things to guide her along.  

My little girl is growing up, and this moment is bitter sweet.  Sometimes I wish she'd stay this way forever.  How do you feel about your kiddos getting older?

Weather Anchor Mama

Cara B Naturally Review & Giveaway

I was recently introduced to Cara B Naturally, and had to give it a whirl.  It's not often that I get to try a hair care line that caters to babies and kids.  It's all natural and it doesn't have harmful chemicals like sulfates, which is a huge plus in my book.  Check out my video blog for more on what I think about this product.  Sorry in advance for Princess going nuts and my camera shy hubby in the background.


Thanks for watching!  Be sure to check out this vignette featuring a special bath time moment.  For more information about Cara B Naturally, visit their website: www.mycarab.com.


Here are some snapshots I took after using Cara B products on Princess's.  The leave in conditioner helped to moisturize while keeping her curls in tact.  Keep in mind that this was day two.  Her hair held up pretty well.  Normally it's a hot mess the following day, and I'd have to reapply product to redefine her curls.

Finally, it's giveaway time!  If you'd like to try Cara B Naturally, enter to win some products from their line.  Ya gotta be in it to win it!

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