Happily Ever Mock

Shop Share- Ashlilium Reindeer Antlers 2018

Ho Ho How cute are these Reindeer Antlers from our favorite shop for headbands, Ashlilium.  They are just so festive! Everyday since Thanksgiving Hallie has been sporting them!

You might remember our Antlers from last year.  This year, shop owner Ashley has updated them to a sturdier headband and given them just a bit more sparkle! She also has a darling little Santa hat in the shop that will leave you swooning, along with many other dress up accessories! Hello Stocking! 

All of the items in Ashley’s shop are precious! We just love them! If your kiddos love dressing up as much as Hallie does, be sure to check out Ashley’s shop, Facebook and Instagram, and tell her we sent you!

Favorite Christmas Kids Books

Something magical happens at Christmas time.  Christmas carols are everywhere and lights turn on all around town.  In the Mock household we try and catch each and every Christmas special, and the books at bedtime are almost always Christmas tales. So today I am sharing some of our favorite Christmas books, we just can’t wait to cozy up and read!

1.Bear Stays up for Christmas / 2. The Jolly Christmas Postman / 3. Pick a Pine Tree / 4. Olivia Helps with Christmas /

5. Christmas in a Manger / 6. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas / 7. Snowmen at Christmas/

 8. Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas 

Hallie loves “The Jolly Christmas Postman.” It is full of games, puzzles and sweet surprises! It is sure to delight any child.  I can’t wait for Hallie’s elf Jovie to bring “Pick a Pine Tree” this year.  The illustrations are beautiful and the story is just precious! Do you have any favorites we should add to our reading list? Let me know in the comments.

Ps. To get some other Elf ideas, check out my latest post for Dallas Mom’s Blog: A Simple 25 Day Guide to Elf on the Shelf. 

Girls Christmas Pajamas-2018

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Something we do this time of year, is spend lots of time in cozy pjs! Today I am rounding up my favorite picks for girls Christmas Pajamas to prepare for the holiday season.

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Any of these cute PJ sets will leave you with visions of sugar plums dancing in your head! I personally am a sucker for anything Nutcracker print, but you can’t go wrong with any of these.  Have you picked your kid’s Holiday Pajamas yet? Are there any other cute PJ sets I need to add to my list? Tell me! ‘Tis the Season for all the cozy pajamas!

Flower Girl

Over the weekend, Hallie was a flower girl in my cousin Bryant’s wedding.  It was a beautiful wedding and he chose the most precious bride.  Hallie was ecstatic to wear a princess gown and be part of their special day! Here are some photos of the beautiful weekend!

At the Bridesmaids Lunch

With the beautiful Bride to be

At the Rehearsal

Hallie with Auntie Janie (Mother of the Groom)

Getting Ready for the Ceremony

Hallie and the Groom

Momma, Hallie and Baby

Hallie and Cousin Karley

The beautiful Bride and Groom

  The gorgeous Flower Girls

We were so lucky to be a part of the beautiful day for the precious couple! To many more years of love!

Eat Like a Gilmore- Mocha Crunch Cream Cake

Lorelai Gilmore said it best, “If Eating Cake is Wrong, I don’t want to be right!” I learned a lot from the Gilmore Girls in the 7 incredible seasons, but most importantly, how to eat.  When Kristi Carlson announced the 2nd Eat Like a Gilmore Cookbook, Daily Cravings, I couldn’t wait to get cooking!

The 2nd official cookbook comes out today, November 6th, but author Kristi Carlson, was kind enough to share this recipe for the Mocha Crunch Cream Cake with me.  And oh my, let’s just say, she nailed it!

As an avid Gilmore fan, you’ll remember this cake from Season 2 Episode 3 “Red Light on the Wedding Night.” The episode opens with Lorelai and Rory taste testing cakes for Max and Lorelai’s wedding, at Weston’s.  Fran has a large assortment of cakes in front of the girls when Rory questions the morality of sampling wedding cakes at Weston’s when Sookie is making Lorelai’s Wedding cake.  Upon hearing Fran exclaim that she is bringing out a “Mocha Crunch Cream Cake” Rory abandons her ethics for the love of cake.  Who wouldn’t after tasting this cake?

The cake blends Lorelai and Rory’s 2 favorite things: Coffee and Chocolate into the most delectable and rich confection.  I may have slipped a bit with the coffee, but as Lorelai says.  “Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!” And she’s right, as a mom, can you really ever have enough?

This cake is so moist and creamy with just a hint of crunch thanks to the espresso. Kristi has mastered the Gilmore’s favorite foods and shares them with her readers in easy to follow instructions.  Now anyone can eat like a Gilmore.  Now, if only I had their metabolism!

To get this recipe along with almost 100 other recipe’s from the show, grab Kristi’s newest cookbook today!   I know I can’t wait to add it to my Christmas List! Which recipe are you anxious to try?

20 weeks Pregnant with Pink Blush

This is a sponsored post written by Happilyevermock on behalf of PinkBlush.  Products were gifted by PinkBlush but all thoughts and opinions are my own.  

20 weeks have come and gone, and 20 weeks are left before we get to meet our newest little peanut! I can’t believe how fast this pregnancy is flying by! The halfway mark means my belly is growing fast! Most clothes feel uncomfortable, and the ones that are comfortable are unflattering. I needed pieces in my wardrobe that look great, feel great and are still functional for a busy pregnant momma on the go! This is why I am so lucky to have found PinkBlush Maternity Clothes.

PinkBlush offers the most comfortable and stylish maternity clothes. I love that when I am wearing their pieces I don’t have to compromise style for comfort. Which means I can easily chase after my 4 year old pregnant belly and all!  All of their pieces fit comfortably around your sweet bump, yet are fashionable so you feel and look great wearing them.  PinkBlush offers a wide variety of tops that aren’t so obviously maternity pieces, that they can easily be transitioned from pregnancy to motherhood.  They carry staple pieces like Tshirts and jeans as well as cute fashion pieces such as vests and cardigans.  

I love this gorgeous burgundy striped peplum.  The color is perfect for the Fall season and the mix of horizontal and vertical stripes are perfectly placed to flatter my ever growing bump! Also, can we please talk about those bell sleeves? So cute! Another plus, after our baby girl makes her appearance, I can keep this shirt in my closet and pair it with jeans or leggings and look just as stylish! PinkBlush is pure gold you guys!

Click here to shop my look. 

To learn more about PinkBlush visit their website or check out their Facebook and Instagram. 

Mom Style- Fall 2018

Happy Friday! Tomorrow is the first official day of Fall, and we are finally getting a break from the heat in Texas.  I figured there was no better time than now to share some of my favorite Fall pieces for this year. (Including some maternity pieces because the bump is no longer discrete!

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As far as maternity tops go, I generally just try to size up in normal tops so that I can wear them again but it still accommodates the bump.  This rust colored top is so soft and stretchy and it’s the perfect lightweight material for a Southern Fall.  The stripe sweatshirt is soft and cozy, and I totally have plans to wear it this Halloween!

Maternity jeans and leggings are definitely staples! I don’t like to spend too much on them since I won’t be wearing them long, so these are incredibly affordable.

I am going to be rocking a bump at 2 weddings this Fall, so I did snag this classic black dress.  But as formal dresses go, it was affordable as well.

What are your favorite Fall pieces?  Bonus points if I can fit this growing bump in them!

Currently September

How is September already half over!? We have been busy bees lately.  Over the weekend we finally got to celebrate my friend Sindi and her sweet baby girl with a little sip and see.  We also made it out to Waco to eat at Magnolia Table.  Christopher surprised us which was the sweetest! It was absolutely fantastic! On Sunday we went to the Fall Festival at our Church.  Hallie was insistent on winning this little Dalmatian which she worked so hard to do! Other than that here’s what else we have been up to:

READING:

I am dying to read A Simple Favor! The movie is getting such good ratings but I always enjoy reading the book before seeing the movie.

If you need a little read though, here’s my latest article for the Dallas Mom’s Blog: 6 Ways to Teach Gratitude to Kids.

WATCHING:

My cousin just got us a Roku, so what are we not watching, is more like it! Christopher and I are loving Season 2 of Atypical and I am anxiously awaiting the return of the Fall lineup! This preggo is going to bawl my eyes out during This is Us!

EATING:

Everything in sight! This baby is going to be giant! Tonight I am making a batch of my Tortilla Soup.  If it doesn’t feel like Fall outside, I can at least make it feel like Fall inside.

WORKING ON:

The Baby Prep has begun! We finally chose a name, which I will share soon!

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

Cooler weather, family photos, sweaters, boots and pumpkin everything! Fall cannot come sooner to Texas!

LOVING FOR MOMMY:

We just got this quilt.  It is so light and soft and seriously affordable! The price for a king is UNBEATABLE and the color is gorgeous.

LOVING FOR HALLIE:

Hallie is loving this little Kitty dress! When she put it on the first time she exclaimed “It has pockets Mom!” Which is the true indicator of a great dress.  This dress has already been filled with “crystals” (rocks) and “Flowers” (weeds)

What are you up to this September? What Fall recipes do I need to try?

Tea For 2- Baby Girl Due March 2019

 

 

 

I am sure most everyone has heard our fun announcement already if you follow us on social media, but I thought it would be fun to share our announcement here on the blog as well along with a little recap of the first trimester! 

How far along now: 14 weeks as of yesterday and smoothly sailing into the second trimester! The first trimester was full of suspense and drama, just like with big sister.  We had another sub chronic hematoma resulting in a lot of bleeding, worrying and prayers! Thankfully by 12 weeks, we were in the clear! Unlike with big sister who’s took 1/2 the pregnancy to clear up.

How did I find out: I took Hal for a birthday party for her cousin at Chuck E Cheese just days after her birthday and I walked in and immediately felt sick! The smells were overwhelming.  This was so interesting to be since that keen sense of smell was my first clue when pregnant with Hallie.  Overall the pregnancies have been quite similar.  Pretty soon after my exhaustion started to make a lot of sense!

Announcing: We told grandparents, Big Sister Hallie and Christopher’s grandparents first.  Hallie was my favorite announcement by far, when we told her she looked up at the ceiling of the Mexican Restaurant we were at and said “Thank you God!” Her sweet little prayers were answered. It was the sweetest ever! We waited until 12 weeks to post these sweet photos from Purple Moments Photography Mostly because we wanted to make sure the hematoma was clearing up! But, praise God it was actually gone!
Queasy or Sick: Definitely super queasy.  Just like with Hallie I have only actually gotten sick a handful of times. Smells really get to me though.  And brushing my teeth makes me gag for some reason.  I remember the same thing though with Hallie.
Gender: Another perfect pink little girl! We decided to do the gender blood work this time and do a small Gender reveal with family.  We let Hallie pop a balloon releasing pink confetti.  Hallie wished for a sister, so she was really excited! Sorry Dad!
Sleeping and Cravings and aversions:  Already waking up several times a night with this one! With Hallie I almost always woke around 3 am.  Big surprise she always had a middle of the night feeding then.  The magic time this go round is 3:30, so maybe that means a 3:30 feeding.
No meat for me this time! Very similar to big sis. I can only stomach chicken in small doses.  Chicken salad and shredded chicken and every once in a while ground turkey is how I am getting my protein. Bacon and fish are the WORST!  I am loving carbs! Bagels, pizza, pasta, and bread! I love Mexican food, cheese, pickles olives, and all the sweets I can get my hands on! At first I wanted sour and fruity candies which have now been replaced with chocolates! I also really miss my turkey sandwiches and real caffeinated coffee!
Movement: I started feeling little popcornish movements here and there.  Looking forward to feeling more though!

We are so excited to welcome another little girl!

Back To School Style

I can’t believe summer is almost over and school is just around the corner.  Some kids are already starting to go back, but lucky little Hallie has a few more weeks of freedom.   Then it’s back to preschool with Kindergarten on the horizon! Where did my baby go? While we soak up these last few weeks of Summer, I am stocking up on school must haves.  So, here is our fun list of Hallie’s Back to School style.

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My favorite shop to snag mix and match basics is June and January.  Be Sure to check out their next launch this Friday, 8/17 at 9pm EST.  They are rolling out a few new colors and I can’t wait to stock up on Swing dresses, cardigans and tights! To get 20% off your first purchase of $50 or more, click here!

Due to Hallie’s love for anything Horse and Unicorn we snagged a unicorn lunchbox and my Aunt got her this precious Unicorn top. I just love the little navy horse shirt paired with the striped skirt.  They both have metallic details which as you can see, we are really big on this year! Finally, we topped our list with some sparky shoes and a few more basic dresses, and what do you know? All ready for school. Don’t miss the cute polka dot dress, on sale now for $8!  What are your must have items for starting the new school year?