Happily Ever Mock

Can you believe my baby girl is 15 months old already? Because I can’t…not even a little bit!
This morning we were thrilled to have a little 15 month photo shoot with Purple Moments Photography! Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I do!

I HAD to get a couple in Hallie’s favorite PJs, with her favorite Puppy, favorite blanket and favorite book! I am so glad I did too!

 Puppy PJS

 Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!
<3 Kelly

Good morning everyone and Happy almost Fall! Seriously guys, Fall is 2 days away! Not that anyone here in Texas would believe me considering the weather, but alas, it’s here…almost! Anyway, not living in a place where we get a really good Fall with the leaves changing colors, and bulky sweaters or festive scarfs, I have to overcompensate with decorations and everything pumpkin! That’s why I was SO excited when Courtney from Sweet Turtle Soup asked me to join in co-hosting her Linkup “Countdown to Halloween” this year!

Last year I was thrilled to linkup but this year I am even more thrilled to be hosting! So to join in, it’s super simple!

Don’t forget to check out the other ladies hosting this fun linkup!

This girl is growing up so fast! I just can’t get over how quickly it all goes! I am trying to do my best at keeping up with her and recording all of the cute and funny moments and all of the adorable words that come out of her mouth! A couple months ago I shared some of my favorite Hallieisms, so on to take two!

• Hallie is incredibly curious…about EVERYTHING! She will point to anything or anyone and say “Who’s that?” or “What’s that?!” Even if she already knows!
  
• When she gives you something, she’ll exclaim “Here you go!” Same goes if you have something she wants though! She is also starting to use “Pease, Tank you, and welcome”, but they are all interchangeable at this point!
• When she sees someone she likes she will tell them “Hi there!” -Especially Miss Elaine, our favorite checker at the grocery store! She’s an older white haired lady that Hallie just adores! But she will say it before we get all the way up in the line, so I am not sure Miss Elaine actually knows Hallie can talk.
• Sometimes when I tell her my coffee is “Hot Hot” she will repeat me.  Or if she sees a coffee cup lying around she will yell “Hot Hot!”
• This one kind of breaks my heart….every once in a while, my darling girl will call me “Kelly” instead of Mommy…I always repeat “Mommy’s name is Mommy!” after she does that! 
• Sometimes with blocks or with pictures in books, Hallie will “count” she will point to each one and say things that kind of sound like numbers. Not in order of course, but I have heard her say 3 and 7.  She will also shout out random letters while we are watching Wheel of Fortune…her favorite show next to Mickey Mouse.
• She LOVES to read, and she will frequently bring me books and say “Read it!”
  
• She has totally learned that a nose is for smelling.  She will smell flowers now if she sees them.  My favorite though is sometimes I will sniff her feet and tell her “Oh they are so stinky!” just pretending of course. But we were watching a baby of one of the families I babysit for on occasion, and she grabbed his foot and smelled it, then made a face like it was stinky! It was priceless!
• She loves to boss Stella around and tell her “Stella, Sit!”
• I created a Moccster! Literally, Hallie’s Freshly Picked are the ONLY shoes that she will let touch her feet! A couple weekends ago we were heading to an outdoor event, and I tried so hard to get her to wear breathable shoes or sandals to no avail! Complete kicking and screaming scenario! So finally I grabbed a pair of moccs and said “Want to wear these?” She nodded her head yes and let me put them on for her….oh boy! 
• Hallie also enjoys yoga and ballet in her spare time! She is very good at downward dog and attitudes and tondues…proud momma!
  
• Hallie can tell you Duck says “Quack”, Elephant makes a trumpeting sound (which is her favorite!) but Cat almost always says “Hey cat!” We also recently added Monster to our repertoire, a monster says “aaaah”…so the other day a cat said “aaah cat!” (FACEPALM) 
  

  Monster Face…still trying to get it on video!

Watching: Fall shows are coming back! Ellen has been fantastic! I am so excited about this year’s Dancing with the Stars! LOVE Paula Deen and that little Bindi Irwin sure can shake it! She’s sure to be one to watch! I am also SO ready for Big Bang Theory and is anyone else watching Project Runway?!

Working on: I need to start working on lesson plans for Hallie, but I have been slacking for sure! I am also needing to start decorating for Fall! Mostly though I have been working on getting some Halloween stuff up in the Etsy shop! Stay tuned! Fun things are coming! 

Looking Forward to:  The Balloon Festival is this weekend! Last year Hallie was such a peanut, this year she is sure to love it! 

 Hallie last year at the Balloon Fest

Loving: For Mommy: I am the only one who shops at overstock? I saw these Riding Boots and I am obsessed.  I kind of need them yesterday! 

For Hallie: Always Freshly Picked Moccs…we need half of the Fall line plus these darling Cake Walk moccs! 

Yesterday was National Teddy Bear Day! Hallie and I had a great time celebrating!

Good morning friends! The temperature in Big D has finally started dropping and it’s got me drinking PSL’s and burning pumpkin scented candles this morning! I thought today would be better than any to share my Fall bucket list with you!

<3 Kelly

Good morning and happy Monday  Tuesday! The Holiday weekend has me all thrown off!
 In case you don’t follow me on Facebook (Ps you are missing out) something exciting happened this weekend!

My cousin Anna and I are now the proud shop owners of Sticks and Stones Games.  It is definitely still a work in progress, but we have had so much fun  starting to fill our shop! Here’s what we offer so far!

A classic Tic Tac Toe game.  This can also be customized with the colors and patterns of your choosing,

A Ladybug Number Matching Game.  Helps teach young kids their number as well as the concept of counting from 1-10. Perfect for a preschool classroom.

Story Stones. Comes in a 6 or an 8 pack. Both can be customized.  These stones are to be placed picture side down, then players take turns flipping over a stone and adding to the story.  It is a great way to put the electronics away and get those imaginations flowing! Please stay tuned, as more things are definitely coming! There also might be some fun Fall/Halloween themed items in the shop soon! Check it out! <3 Kelly

It has been a while since I did a Who, What, When, Where, Why Wednesday due to lack of participants. So if you are wanting to join in soon and be a guest, please shoot me an email at kelhof87@gmail.com!

Since it has been a while, and I have some new followers, I thought it would be fun to do WWWWW Wednesday myself, and answer all the questions I have asked all my blogger buddies so that you get to know me a little better…here goes:

Who- Who am I?– I am Kelly.  Wife to Christopher, Mommy to Hallie and Nanny to Cleo and Sadie.  I am also a sister, niece, cousin and friend. I like shopping for my little girl, baking, decorating, taking pictures, reading and spending time with my friends and family!

What- What do I blog about?- Mostly my daughter and my family and friends. I sometimes share the fun things I do with my little girls at work or share recipes I’ve tried or products I’ve bought.  Mostly it’s your typical Mommy blogger stuff!

When- When Did I start blogging?- I blogged a little shortly after our wedding (Early 2013) but really I picked it up after my daughter Hallie was born.  This is my first blog about our little precious girl.

Where- Where do I live?– I live North of Dallas Texas, in the town I grew up in. It is nice taking Hallie to places I went as a kid and making new memories there with her!

Why- Why do I blog?- To keep track of all the fun things I do with Hallie and document all of her milestones to look back on one day.  It has also been great to join a community of other mommy bloggers! I have “met” some of the most supportive ladies this way! Wouldn’t it be fun to plan a trip to get to know your blogging friends in person?!

Now for the fun stuff…all of the extra questions I have asked these ladies….

• Who is my hero-someone I look up to- I think I would say my Nana.  She was the kindest most gentle lady (okay and let’s face it, she was a bit sassy on the inside) who would do ANYTHING for her family! 
• What one thing would I not be able to live without- Coffee…without a doubt…it keeps me going!
• 5 people I would invite to a dinner party- Ellen Degeneres, Lauren Graham, Matthew Perry, Sandra Bullock and Jimmy Fallon….can you imagine the laughs?! 
• My favorite Disney Movie- Beauty and the Beast! Was as a kid and still is now! Love the music!
• A favorite Childhood memory- I would have to say Christmas Eve’s at my Nana’s house! The food, the laughs and the tree! She had the most gorgeous tree full of memories! Love it!
• Food I could never get sick of- PASTA! No question about it! I could eat it at every meal! 
• Something I could never leave the house without– Sunglasses! The sun gives me the most terrible headaches! 
• What celeb do I wish was my bestie- Hmm….I would have to say Lauren Graham.. she just makes me crack up! Love her! 
• Favorite Book-  As a kid it was Little Women, and now I would have to say Nanny Diaries! 
• Something Surprising About myself- My parents moved out of state when I was 16 an I stayed here in DFW to finish school. I lived with my mom’s friend until I graduated.  
• One important Lesson I want to teach Hallie- That she can have fun without being stuck to electronics.  I want her to learn how to play and have an imagination and become social.
• If I could go anywhere in the world it would be to– Italy! I want to see where my family is from in Sicily and lay on an Italian Beach! 
• Favorite thing about Summer- Fireworks on the 4th of July!
• Which Celeb’s closet would I want to raid- Blake Lively! She has the BEST style! 
• Most rewarding thing about being a parent- When Hallie grasps something I have been trying to instill in her…whether she says a word I’ve been working on with her or she shares with a friend at playgroup! It just makes me feel warm inside
• Favorite thing about my hubby- The way he treats me and Hallie.  He is respectful and sweet.  He turns to mush with her, but also is firm on boundaries we have set.  
• If money were no object I would spend a kid free day- On a beach in California getting my ton on, reading magazines. Then hop a jet to San Fran to spend the rest of the day shopping, dining and sight seeing! 
• As a child what did I want to be when I grew up- “a painter, a mommy and a “firegirl”- I guess I wanted to help people, have kids and be artistic…2 out of 3 ain’t bad!
• The TV show I could watch reruns of without getting sick of is- Friends! Also Gilmore Girls and How I Met Your Mother 
• If I could learn one new skill it would be to- sew! I am trying to learn! I want to make all of the amazing dresses I drool over on Etsy!
• Best Vacation  I have ever been on- This is a toss up…right before I got engaged to Christopher I went on a week long vacation ALONE to San Francisco…it was so fun! I got to see EVERYTHING I wanted to see and didn’t have to slow down, I was on my own time.  I learned a lot about myself!  But our Honeymoon to London was equally amazing! Just in a different way! We saw tons of cool things and spent New Years Eve watching fireworks over Big Ben,…it was gorgeous 
  
• Bands and Artists on my iPod- OMG! I am so eclectic! I have everything from the Beatles, to Katy Perry, to Otis Redding, to the Spice Girls, to John Mayer, to Norah Jones, to Elton John, to Death Cab for Cutie, to Garbage, to The Bangles…yep!
• It’s date night and I’m hoping my hubby takes me- To a quiet Italian restaurant and then window shopping, then maybe for pie or gelato 
• My favorite subject in school- Art or English! Something where I could be creative
• If I could live anywhere in the world it would be-  Hands down San Fran…I just fit there! 
• Favorite Season- Fall! Only I wish we had a nicer one in TX…one day I am going to Boston for Fall! 
• Best dish I make- That’s hard! I would say soup…I make lots of different kinds, but so far all of the soups I have tried are delish! My fave probably Beer Cheese!
• Best Advice I have been given- To let things go and enjoy Hallie.  Forget about the laundry or the floors and focus on her! It has helped us develop a close relationship I think.  
• What would I do with $1000…lol probably splurge on shoes and clothes for me and Hallie! Do you know how many pairs of Freshly Picked I could get!?
• Favorite Wardrobe Staple- Gap jeans! I can dress them up or down and they fit perfectly! 
• It’s girls night, where am I headed- Dinner..maybe a wine bar, but I’m definitely getting a glass of wine!
• Favorite thing about myself- I am pretty good at multi tasking and time management.  I can get A LOT done in a short amount of time!
• Hidden Talent- Does bargain shopping count? I am pretty good at finding amazing deals!
• Last Movie I saw- I can’t remember the last time I went to the movies for me! So Max…with the kids…before that…Maleficent.
• Dessert I can’t get enough of- Pie! Definitely Pie!
• Favorite Children’s Book- Jillian Jiggs…love it! 
• Favorite thing to do with Hallie- Read…she really loves books! Especially ones with animals! Seeing her face light up when she reads a book about puppies is beyond precious!
• Favorite shop for clothes- Gap! For sure!
• Sneakers or Heels- Sneakers! I am more low key.
• Favorite Room in my home- Hallie’s! I worked so hard on it, and so many people helped make it special!
• Favorite Memory from my wedding-  I kept looking back because my flower girl, Sadie, was trying to flag me down…one of my Bridesmaids had taught her the sign of the cross, and she wanted to show me!
  
• Favorite spot in my home town- Probably this teeny creek near my aunt’s old house.  We used to go as a kid to feed the ducks! 
• Favorite ice cream- I know everyone else in TX is freaking out over Bluebell finally coming back, but I’ll be eating my Ben and Jerry’s half baked!