Happily Ever Mock

Currently March

Holy Bananas it’s been a while! And even longer since I have done a “Currently Post” So here goes! Everything we have been up to over here at the Mock house! 🙂 
Reading:
Okay so I have been the WORST reader lately! The last 2 books I read were “Talking as Fast as I Can” by Lauren Graham and “Big Little Lies” which I hear they turned into an HBO series. I am pretty sad we cancelled our cable because the book was amazing! I have the Shack sitting on my bedside table, just haven’t started it yet.

Watching:

I know we are WAAAAAY behind on this show, but Christopher and I just discovered Revenge and have Almost binge watched the whole series on Netflix! It’s not a long series and its one of those that leaves you hanging at every turn so it’s pretty easy to watch them pretty quickly.  That “Just one more” mentality is another reason I am drinking ALL THE COFFEE on this monday after Day Light Savings Time.  

Drinking: 
ALL THE COFFEE
Eating:
This recipe for Spinach enchiladas! Perfect for Fridays during Lent.  
Praying:
That our current business venture pans out. 

Listening to:
Hallie. She never stops talking these days! (At ear piercing volumes mind you) 

Working on:

Refinishing a big girl bed for Hallie’s room!
Also Birthday party prep for Hallie’s 3rd birthday! I can’t believe it’s around the corner! Also that business venture ^ I posted about above! 


Looking Forward to: 
An upcoming Spa appointment! I got a gift card from a sweet friend almost a year ago! I planned to use it last week and ended up with the flu on the day I was supposed to go! Can’t wait to reschedule! 

Loving: For Mommy:
You guys this is where I need your help! I have been SOOO focused on buying for Hallie that now I am in a Mommy Wardrobe Rut! What are some must haves for my Spring Wardrobe!?

For Hallie:
This adorable Mermaid Bathing Suit! Hal is super obsessed with mermaids lately. And also here is a little peek at her big girl bedding!

What have you been up to!?

Freshly Picked Review/ Instagram GIVEAWAY

“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.”- Marilyn Monroe



Freshly Picked moccassins are definitely those shoes for our littlest Mock, Hallie! Hallie has been wearing Freshly Picked Moccasins since she was only a few months old. They will always hold such a special place in my heart, because they tell the story of her childhood.  All of her firsts were done in Freshly Picked! From her first steps to her first birthday, these shoes have been along for the ride!

Our Moccs have been on family vacations, to the park, and to Church. She has warn them with Halloween costumes for family photos,on her birthdays and on so many holidays I have lost count!

Not only are they adorable and come in the most gorgeous vibrant colors, but the quality is outstanding! They are made from the very best quality leather and hold up incredibly well! Even for the spunkiest most active little girl! Don’t believe me? We recently received these precious Spring Orchid Soft Soled Moccasins from the Classic’s Collection  Hallie wore them for the first time to the Tulip Field. It had recently rained, and Hallie got them incredibly muddy. That night I wiped them clean with the Freshly Picked leather wipes and they look practically good as new!

Hallie has worn these shoes in every stage of her life, from crawling to her first wobbly steps to running and jumping on the playground, these shoes have held up through all of her tough love! They are great for early walkers because those cute little toes can feel the ground through the shoes, but they protect those perfect piggies from the rough pavement! The elastic is right around the ankle so they go on with ease and stay on perfectly!

They come in a large variety of colors and styles to match every outfit, every mood and every personality!

Want to hear the best news about this brand?  They are being so kind, and offering one of my lucky readers a chance to win a pair of their own soft soled moccasins for your very own little one! Can you just take a moment to clap, cheer and thank the amazing people of Freshly Picked for the opportunity?

Now go over to Freshly Picked’s Website and ooh and ahh over all of the cute shoes! Once you’ve done that choose a pair you would love to have (I know, how can you choose just 1!?) then head over to my instagram (Make sure you are following both myself AND Freshly Picked) and comment with the style and size you would choose if you are my lucky winner! Be sure the check their sizing chart to ensure you get the right size! Then tag some friends who would want to get in on the fun!!! Easy as pie!!!

Terms and conditions: The contest is open to US residents only and will run from 2/27/2017 to midnight 3/1/2017.  The winner will be randomly chosen and announced withing 24 hours of the giveaway closing/  The winner will be contacted and have 24 hours to claim their prize, one pair of soft soled moccasins in the style and size of their choice.  The winner may not have won any other giveaway including a Freshly Picked giveaway in the last 60 days.
Easy peasy right?? Good luck Friends! Get to entering!!
<3 Kelly and Hallie

 

Swaddle Designs Review/**GIVEAWAY**

Happy Wednesday Friends!!! Today is so fun because we are teaming up with Swaddle Designs for a really fun giveaway!

Hallie and I have been using Swaddle Designs Muslin Blankets since she was born and we absolutely LOVE how they have grown with her! They have been swaddle blankets, play mats, loveys and now Hallie loves wrapping up her own babies up in them!

Among the MANY great products offered by Swaddle Designs are these brand new Muslin Swaddles from the new “Touch of Shimmer muslin collection”
The Muslin Swaddles are made from the greatest quality 100% cotton fabric and are SUPER soft to the touch. Our very first swaddles from Hallie’s infant days are still in PERFECT condition and I am convinced they just keep getting softer with every wash!
These Muslins come in some of the most fun and fabulous prints and colors that make it so easy for everyone to find something for their sweet babe!  We are adoring these new shimmery colors and can’t wait to gift some to my sweet friend Callie and her new baby girl! (They match her nursery PERFECTLY!)
Swaddle Design Muslins really make the perfect gift because they are so versatile and are sure to be loved for years, just ask Hallie!
But my FAVORITE thing about Swaddle Designs is that they sew in an easy 123 pictorial instructional guide on the edge of each blanket to help even the most “inexperienced swaddler” (just kidding she had help) learn how to swaddle their baby for the most comfortable sleep for baby.  They are also generously sized and make it so easy and convenient to fit every baby’s need!
 For more of a swaddling guide, you can check out their website for an easy step by step guide!
Want to hear something else amazing? Swaddle Designs has been kind enough to offer one of my readers the chance to win their own muslin swaddle 4 pack! The giveaway is open to all US/Canada residents.  Please head over to my INSTAGRAM to enter! 
Want to learn more about Swaddle Desings?
Website/Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest/

Valentine Mommy and Me Photos

I love making memories with Hallie and one of my favorite ways to do that is to make sure to get plenty of photos of Hallie and I together! Not to be depressing, but I know one day, Hallie will be without me, and I want her to have plenty of memories of the two of us to look back on.  I try not to worry about whether my hair is perfect or if I have makeup on or not, and be sure to get plenty of time in front of the camera with miss H! Here are some of the photos we got together this month while prepping for Valentines Day!

Be sure to check out ForTay Fabrications to snag some of those Funky Gold Leggings
or your own custom dress like Hallie’s adorable Valentine Dress! 
We are ALWAYS so satisfied with EVERYTHING that she sews!!
<3 Kelly 

Donut Valentines and Heart Shaped Pizza

I love any chance to celebrate around here, but having a Toddler that gets so excited about anything out of the norm makes holidays even more fun!

Last Night Hallie and I made Heart Shaped Pizza for National Pizza day! She loved it and it was soooo easy! That’s a win/win in my book!

To form Pepperoni hearts, I just used kitchen shears to change the circles into hearts! It was delicious!

Today Hallie and I brought a special Valentine to our Play Group Valentine Party! Each of her friends got a milk bottle with their choice of white or strawberry milk, a cute little straw and some donuts! The tag I created read: “Donut you know you’re my favorite valentine?”

Feel free to print your own Donut tag!

This weekend Hallie, Daddy and I are exchanging Valentines since Daddy will be out of town next week! Hallie and I of course have a lot more Valentine fun in store though, so stay tuned!
Happy Weekend!
<3 Kelly and Hallie

Hallie’s BFF

If you are an avid follower, you know all about Hallie’s little BFF Luna.  Luna and Hallie have been friends since Hallie was just 3 months young (Luna was 7).  It has been a tradition for the girls to have their photos taken together around the same time every year since they were little.

It is so fun watching how much they grow and change over the years! They are getting so big! Here another photo from this years photo session, thanks to Luna’s sweet Momma! Stay tuned for Hallie’s Valentine photos from Purple Moments Photography SOON!

<3 Hallie and Kelly 

Valentine Crafts for Little Hands

One of our favorite things to do to celebrate Valentines Day is making our very own Homemade Valentines! You might think it would be hard to get little hands (and toes) involved in creating beautiful artwork that their friends and loved ones will treasure, but it’s actually rather easy! Here are 6 fun crafts Hallie and I have tried in the Valentines Days over her (almost) 3 years!

1.) Make your own Heart Shaped Crayons-
Hallie and I did this as her Valentine gift for her friends last year and she LOVED it! She really enjoyed helping me sort the crayons by color and breaking them up to put in the mold! It was really good for identifying colors and fine motor skills!

What you’ll need-

  • A heart shaped mold (we got ours at hobby lobby)
  • Old broken crayons (We also mixed in a pack of dollar store crayons)
What to do-
Peel off the crayon paper. Break them up and fill each tray until it is a little more than half way full.  Melt them at 350 for 10 minutes (or until melted).  Wait about an hour or so until cool, then pop them out! You can sort them by color to create crayons of each color of the rainbow like we did or have fun making multicolored crayons!
2.)  Finger paint Valentines Hearts-
What you’ll need-
  • Kid safe paint
  • Paper
  • Scissors
  • Marker/pen
(OMG look how tiny she is!)
I just dropped a couple drops of paint in “Valentine Colors” on the paper and let Hallie go to town! She loved it! It was GREAT for creativity! We are planning on doing this again this year! Once the paper dries cut out some hearts and write a message to friends and family from your sweet little
3.) Toilet Paper Roll Heart Stamping-
What you’ll need-
  • Toilet Paper Roll
  • Tape
  • Paint
  • Paper
Tape the toilet paper roll into a heart shaped stamp.  Give them some paint and let them use the toilet paper roll as a stamp to stamp hearts on the paper! This one is definitely getting a redo this year! Last year Hallie just wanted to do more finger painting! Lol I say it’s best for a Toddler 2 and up! But it is great for fine motor skills!
4.) Heart shaped mosaic-
What you’ll need-
  • Paper of different colors
  •  Cardboard or Card stock cut into a heart
  •  Glue
Depending on the age of the child, you can either tear the paper for the child or let them help you (its great for fine motor skills as well!)  then let them glue the paper on the Card stock/Cardboard. Hallie is REALLY into gluing this year!
5.) Footprint Heart Plates
What you’ll Need-
  • Inexpensive plate (Dollar store or Target)
  • Ceramic Paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Oven
We did these as a keepsake for Hallie’s first Valentines Day.  We even made a few so she could give them as gifts to her grandparents! It was so sweet! I put her in her highchair to make it easier.  I painted the first foot and stamped it on the plate. Then cleaned her foot and repeated with the second foot.  Then I placed it in the oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.  I am so glad I did this!
6.) Button Heart-
What you’ll need-
  • Cardboard or card stock cut into a heart
  • Glue (After doing this I think a bottle of wet glue would have worked better)
  • Buttons
This one is simple! Just glue the buttons onto the heart! Hallie had so much fun creating patterns and choosing which buttons would fit best where! (Good for problem solving skills, patterns, and fine motor) Hallie chose to give Daddy this special Valentine!

 

What crafts are you working on for Valentines Day?

 

Valentine’s Reads

We are having so much fun celebrating a Month of LOVE here at the Mock house! Each year for Valentines Day I choose a book to put in Hallie’s Valentine bag, and then the weeks leading up to Valentines Day the following year, we enjoy reading them! 

(Photo by Purple Moments Photography)
Here are some of our current favorites!

1. The Day it Rained Hearts-

2.  Hug You Kiss You Love You-

3.  We Belong Together-

4.  You Are My Cupcake-

5. BabyLit- Romeo and Juliet-

6. Happy Valentines Day Mouse- 
(Another photo by Purple Moments, cant wait 
to share the rest with you!)
Still trying to decide which book to put in Hal’s Valentine bag this year! Do you give your little’s Valentine’s gifts? What are you giving them? Have any more ideas of things I could give Hallie in her bag? I want to hear them!!!
PS, are you following is on INSTAGRAM @Happilyevermock ?
<3 Kelly 

Valentine Ideas For Mom

Valentines Day is such a good reminder to stop and think about the ones you love.  To put them first get them just a small token of affection that says “I care about you” 
Here are some fun ideas for the snail mail sender, note taking, snuggle loving mom like myself!
1/2/3/4/5/6/
1.) Love this stationary set from Curio Press, actually I love EVERYTHING in her shop, but this set just screams VALENTINE, plus it can be personalized! Check out some of her floral prints too, your honey will love them! 
2.) I am constantly grabbing for a notebook or pad to take notes on an idea I had for the blog or to jot down a recipe, why not do it in style with this cute Riffle Paper Co set!   If your gal is a note taker or 
3.) This adorable “Let’s Cuddle” pillow is a cute idea because it’s the perfect sentiment for the holiday, but would look cute on the bed year round!
4.) I am literally OBSESSING over these Crate and Barrel Pillow Cases too! And again they work year round, so she will feel your love 365 days a year…except when they are in the wash! Haha!
5.) Pretty much any of these precious Woven Pear Socks are a great addition to a box of chocolates or a nice candle! They are a sweet cozy gift for a momma who likes to cuddle.  And if you’re feeling extra generous, spring for the Sock Box! She’ll love getting a fun treat once a month! 
6.) And last but not least some pretty flowers in this adorable Oh Joy! vase from Target is a sweet idea! Even when the flowers are gone, she’ll love finding new ways to use the vase. 
Ladies, what do you think should be on this list? What surprises are you hoping for this Valentines Day?
<3 Kelly

Hallie’s Valentine Wardrobe Staples

Pretty much as soon as New Years Champagne Glasses have clinked and Christmas decorations have been tucked away, Hallie and I start planning for and celebrating Valentines Day!  Today I am sharing some of the fun Valentine Staples we have in Hallie’s wardrobe!

1, 2 and 4- Festive Turbans for Tots Bows–  Turbans for Tots has a lot of adorable Valentine options, but these are a few of my favorites!
3.  June and January Tights– We have them in Bubblegum for Valentines Day but they come in a variety of fun colors! We have also snagged a pair of slate and the old onyx stripe!
5. Bubblegum June and January Swing Dress– Again a ton of adorable options, but Bubblegum just screams Valentines Day! Be looking out for their Valentine Exclusives that drop on Friday! We might just have to grab some of those precious pieces as well!!
6.  Old Navy Fit and Flair Dress– I just LOVE the way this dress looks on Hal! It is super girly and the color is just yummy!
7. Custom Dress From ForTay Fabrications– You still have time to order! Do it fast! She has so many cute options to choose from! Remember Hallie’s Valentine Dress from last year….same lady! The dress pictured is a sneak peek of the dress I ordered this year!
8. Carters Valentine Pajamas– I just love how snuggly they are…plus Mommy might have a similar pair to match!
What are your kids wearing this Valentines Day?
Kelly and Hallie