Tradition

When I was a little girl my dad would take me to the Los Angeles Zoo ALL. THE. TIME. It was a tradition for us to get a chocolate malt as soon as we got there and before we left I always got to choose a little prize.

My dad and I haven't been in years and James has never been so I thought it would be fun to keep the tradition alive and take my dad and James for a day of zoo fun!

We had such a good time! James was in awe of the animals (he especially loved all the different monkeys). He had fun running around like a wild man and my dad filmed the whole thing which will be fun to watch later!

The petting zoo was James' favorite part. The kid has a thing for goats, and he is so sweet and gentle with them.

I tried to dress James in a zoo appropriate outfit and here are the details-

Shirt- At Target right now for $7!

Leggings- Thief and Bandit Kids

Moccasins- Freshly Picked

Recipe: Peanut Butter Cookies

Today I want to share an amazing recipe for peanut butter cookies with you guys. I had a craving for these and peanut butter in my pantry. I looked online at tons of different recipes and this one by Joy of Baking caught my eye.

I used creamy peanut butter and put in extra. My husband said... And I quote.... "These are the best cookies you've EVER made." And I've made a LOT of cookies.

They have the perfect amount of peanut butter flavor, the texture is amazing, and I made a second batch immediately after.

Here are some photos of my cookie making process to make things easier for you. If you try them, let me know what you think!

What Makes Freshly Picked Moccasins unique?

If you've read my blog even once, you'll know that we are huge lovers of Freshly Picked Moccasins. James usually sports a pair in almost every post. Today Freshly Picked is asking fans- What makes these moccasins so unique? Here's my answer(s)...

1. What other business owner would host such a generous giveaway to her fans? I think we can all agree that giving away $500 sets Freshly Picked apart.

2. These moccasins were the only thing that fit my sons chubby baby feet when he was off the charts in cute baby fat. They still fit him now that he's thinned out like crazy. Most shoes just don't do that.

3. Freshly Picked has seen the world with us. Disney World, the east coast, back to the West coast.. Everywhere we go, our moccs are sure to follow. These colorful gems can take a beating, too. My son is one active little boy and they've come home from playgrounds and theme parks just as fresh and clean as ever.

4. Freshly Picked Moccs have a design like no other shoe. That's all thanks to their owners hard work and design. Freshly Picked have become known as "James shoes" around our parts because they have become unique to US. I think most people who own a pair can attest to that.

5. Uniqueness is not just in their product. It's in their customer service, their owner, and the team she's built around her. Never have I witnessed such generosity, compassion, and kindness as I have from Susan and her team. And that, my friends, makes up one heck of a unique moccasin!

A Date

Right now my husband is working on location which means he is staying in a hotel because he isn't near our house. James and I took this opportunity to spend a few weeks down South at my parents house hence why you've been seeing so many Disneyland posts.

It has been really fun getting to do new things every day with Grandpa and Grandma but we miss Daddy like crazy! My husband got this past weekend off and decided to make the very long drive down to my folks house to see me and James because he's awesome like that!

We took the opportunity to go on a much needed date night Saturday night to see Oz The Great And Powerful and yesterday we got to spend the day at church and the park as a family.

I took these sweet photos of my handsome boys while we were at the playground and they melt my heart. I don't know what I ever did to get such cute boys but man, I must have done something stellar!

On a side note- this was the FIRST time James actually asked to go on the swings. Usually he is scared of them but as you can see, he was laughing and laughing while we pushed him.

Now daddy is back to work, James and I are planning some adventures for this week, and we will all be reunited in time for Easter.

I have a delicious recipe to share this week and My Daily James' FIRST ever giveaway will go live next Monday!

Hope you all had a sweet weekend.

Outfit details-

Beanie- Target

Chambray- Zara

Jeans- Shawn White for Target

Moccasins- Freshly Picked

Snoopy Visits Disneyland

These photos were taken on a recent trip to Downtown Disney. Earl of Sandwich is a new joint there and it is to die for. Sometimes we make special trips there just for their heavenly sandwiches.

Of course, since we're there we have to make a pit stop at the Lego store so James can get his play on.

I didn't realize until later that his Snoopy shirt at Disneyland probably wasn't the most appropriate... But it was new and cute so you know.

Outfit details-

Shirt- H&M

Leggings- Thief And Bandit Kids

Moccasins- Freshly Picked

Typical James

James' favorite place to be is outside. Be it at a playground, the park, backyard... Whatever! And this is a very typical James outfit. Leggings, a cool sweatshirt, no shoes, and a pacifier. We usually don't have the extra two seconds to spare for shoes because James wants to be out in the yard NOW!

I wanted to share these photos because while they aren't polished, they're real. And they're US.

Outfit details-

Sweatshirt- Target
Leggings- Thief and Bandit

**For further reading... Here are my most recent posts on Baby Gizmo...

A Helpful List Of Foods New Moms Should Be Eating And Why

Best Books For Toddlers

What Should Be In Your First Aid Kit At Home?

 

Sharing Something I Love

Have you guys heard of Petunia Pickle Bottom? They are a diaper bag company that makes the prettiest bags! Ever since I had my son and needed a diaper bag I've been hooked. I'm lucky in that I only live a couple hours from their headquarters in Ventura where they have their offices and just opened up a boutique for shopping.

I like to swing by whenever I can to shop and chat with some of the ladies who I've made friends with. Today I got a chance for another visit and was able to grab a few goodies. I was extra excited because I surprised my mom with a new bag, too!

I know this isn't little people fashion related but one of the reasons I'm so into fashion for James is because I LOVE fashion for myself, too! I love getting dressed up and I think it's so neat that Petunia makes fashionable bags for moms so we don't have to shlep around an ugly diaper bag everywhere we go!

If you're in the market for a new diaper bag (or purse- they work as purses, too!) I highly recommend checking them out. If you're local to Ventura, check out their new boutique!

A Splash Of Color

There are only a handful of places I really shop for James. When he was a baby, his wardrobe was all over the place. Now that I'm more "experienced" with dressing a boy, I know what I like and I know where to go. Zara is one of the few places I go online to check regularly for James and I'm never disappointed. A baby chambray? YES PLEASE. As soon as it was in my cart I had a heavenly vision of it paired with colored denim and moccasins.

I have to say, it came together even better than my vision. That probably explains why I posted ELEVEN pictures of him.... Ummmm sorry about that? They were all so good.

Outfit details-

Denim shirt- Zara


Twill Trousers-Zara

Moccasins- Freshly Picked

Taking Photos Of A Toddler

Today I want to talk about the fact that my photos here are never going to be perfect. I realize that more and more each time I take photos of James. First off, I am by no means a professional photographer. Very far off from one. I just like taking photos of my very cute little subject. Secondly, taking photos of a toddler is extremely difficult. Especially when they are as active and on the go as my toddler is. I think any mom can vouch for that.

These photos are a perfect example of the fact that my photos are... Not perfect. And I'm ok with that because I'm not perfect and neither is James. (Shocking right?) James is as close to perfect as they come though. No active little boy wants to hold still for his mom when he's outside playing or at Disney, so his mom has to snap away and hope she captured a few decent shots.

Sometimes the easiest way for me to capture photos of James is inside our house. The "wall" I usually use is known to James as "The Daily Photo Wall". But I don't only want pictures there. I want to share photos with you guys of times we go to Disneyland, times we go to the park, and photos of James playing outside in his element.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that this blog will never be one with professional photos because to me, that's not real life. If I had a camera crew following me around, that would be a different story.

On to fashion because I'm here to talk little people fashion right? Right.

Outfit details-

Giraffe Tee- Zara

Velour Harlem Pants-Zara

Moccasins- Freshly Picked