Happily Ever Mock

Mom Jeans

I know I have talked about this before, but I am still far from where I want to be losing my baby weight.  I was so excited when I came home from the hospital with only 12 lbs left to lose! And even more ecstatic when I stopped pumping and I only had 10 lbs to lose.  Well let me tell you something about those 10 lbs my friends! They have stuck to me like a pesky tick!
I have been working out several times a week and I cut out sodas…nothing! I told myself I wouldn’t buy my Fall wardrobe until I was a bit closer to where I want to be, preferably fitting back into my adorable pre-preggers Gap jeans, but I was just left feeling bad about myself…like a frumpy mom.
This is where the best husband in the world stepped in! Ladies be jealous! My loving husband came home from work last week with a gift card to Old Navy for me to get some transitional jeans. With the gift card and the great sales going on as well as a coupon from RetailMeNot (which if you haven’t already downloaded this app, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!) I was able to get 2 pairs of jeans, several shirts and a sweater! I paired them with some things from last season, some new Jamberry nails and VIOLA! A new Fall wardrobe for Mommy that leaves me feeling comfortable and confident!

Here are some of the outfits I have put together and cannot wait to wear!

The Boyfriend Skinny Jeans- Old Navy

Plaid Chiffon Top- Old Navy

Navy Ribbed Tank- Old Navy

Brown Plaid Combat Boots- Overstock last season- Similar Here

Same Jeans and boots with another Tshirt I bought after Hallie was born this Summer

Same Jeans

Old Navy Baseball Tee- (I got it on clearance) Similar Here

Chevron Toms

Same Jeans

Old Navy Varsity Shirt I picked up this summer- Similar Here

Chuck Taylor’s 

Sweetheart Skinny Jeans (Thanks to my new curves)- Old Navy

Chiffon Shirt (Also a clearance steal)- Other designs Available Here

Lightweight Cardigan- Old Navy

Animal Print Sperry’s (Old Design) Similar Here

Same Jeans

Shimmer Tank- Old Navy 

Black Shimmer Shrug- (Old Style from Express) Similar Here

Calvin Klein Gray Heels (Old Style)

Same top and Jeans paired with Pink Glitter Toms

Same Jeans

Allison Taylor Blouse- Similar Here

Gibson Blazer-Nordstrom

Nude Ballet Flats

And of course I had to splurge on some items from the new Jamberry Catalog! They are Buy3 Get 1 Free after all!

Jamberry Nails: 

1. Glam 2. Monster Mash 
2. Icy Boysenberry Polka 3. Boysenberry Chevron 

Have you bought anything new for Fall?
<3 Kelly

Our Wonderful Weekend

Hello All-
Hope everyone had as great of a weekend as we did! Here is what our weekend consisted of:


Friday: I got home late from work, so we went out to dinner as a family.  Here is my little sweet pea before we left…
Christopher’s Dad made it for her in his print shop! We love it!



















Saturday: Saturday was super busy and super fun! First, Hallie and I went to brunch with my friend Emily, who just moved from Austin to the big D.  She was so sweet, she even brought a little Lamb dressed Hello Kitty stuffy for Hallie…which Hallie already loves!


After Brunch Hallie and I ran a couple of errands…one of which included getting some Fall clothes for Mommy because it is supposed (Fingers crossed, lots of prayers) to cool off at the end of this week! 
I can’t wait to share with you what I got! I’ll post about more of my Fall faves for Mommy later in the week!




After our errands we popped over to my parent’s house for what was supposed to be a good swim and pizza’s on the grill….but it started thundering and lightning, so it ended up being a quick dip and oven baked pizza.  It was still SUPER fun and we got some great pictures! 
   Hallie and her Bapa 

 

Baby and Mommy






Snuggled up after our dip!































The wine we had with our pizza…Middle Sister Wine…which was fitting because both my mom and I are middle sisters! 🙂
























 Sunday: We woke up early and went to Mass. Hallie wore one of my Church dresses from when I was a baby.  So sweet seeing her in my clothes! (The bathing suit was mine too!)

 After Church we went to Lunch and then bummed around the house for the rest of Sunday! 

 Snuggling on the couch with Mommy!

Hanging with her BFF after Bath! 



Looking forward to another great weekend this week! Hopefully with Fall weather! I am itching to take out my decorations and bake some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies!!
What did everyone else do this weekend!? 
Happy Monday!
<3 Kelly 

Oh hey, Friday- Stella Puppy

Linking up today with September FARM for Oh hey, Friday

For today, I thought I would formally introduce you to the furry member of our family, my first baby, Stella.

Here are 5 things about our silly lovable puppy girl!

1.) Everyone is always asking me what kind of dog she is.  Stella is a miniature Australian Shepherd.

2. Stella HATES being in water…no bath….no pools. I can only ever so rarely convince her to get in to the first step of my parents pool…and usually once she gets out, she avoids the pool like the plague the rest of the day!

3.) Stella loves being dressed up! Tutus, fancy collars….the dumb cheesy bandanas from the grooming salon..She will seriously cry when you take them off and whine until you put them back on….I wonder where she got that from….?

4.) Stella was so much sweeter to Hallie when she came home from the hospital than I thought she would be.  She actually looks out for her like a big sister! It’s the sweetest thing ever! Once, I had my hands full, and Hallie started crying, so Stella ran to find Daddy to take care of her! She will also stand and watch over her until I get there if she starts crying and I’m in another room.  She is very protective when visitors come, and she even lets Hallie play with her fur…yep…these 2 are going to be besties!

5.) Stella was the female runt of the litter, which I hear is the best dog to get….I think I’ve heard right, because this dog is pretty awesome!



Did you know?

I don’t know about you guys, but I shop on amazon and ebay an embarrassing amount! Seriously! I have been known to find an old style of a nice product instead of buying a brand new one. Usually its not because I am being cheap….its mainly a preference thing! 
Anyway, I was recently told my my awesome friend Callie that amazon will donate a portion of your purchase to a charity of your choice! 
Seriously!? I can shop and help ANY charity I want at the same time!? Sign me up!
It’s simple to do too!
1.)Just go to http://smile.amazon.com/ 
2.) Pick the charity of your choice
3.) And start shopping!!
Right now the charity I am supporting is Smile Train. This charity provides cleft palate and lip surgeries to children in poor countries.  
Check it out, and go pick your charity now!
<3 Kelly Mock 

September means:

Hello bloggerworld! I don’t know about anyone else, but this lady is ecstatic that September is finally here! 
Here is what September means for me:
1.) September is the start of Playgroups for us and we couldn’t be more happy!!! Hallie and I went today for the first time.  Not only was it great to get out of the house for a few hours, but it was so nice talking to other mom’s and meeting their cute babies!!!  Today we met at the mall in the carpeted area near the fountain and chatted and let the babies play on their blankets! It was so fun watching some of the bigger babies scoot around! Hallie happily kicked and squealed on her blanket…when she wasn’t napping of course. 
Here are a few pictures of Hallie from today….one of the mommies is an aspiring photographer and was so sweet to share some of the pictures she took today!
























2.) Fall is getting closer and closer which means all of my favorite holiday’s are coming up! Halloween, Thanksgiving, and CHRISTMAS!! I have the SWEETEST Halloween costume picked out for my little peanut and cannot wait to reveal it! I am kind of a Festivity nut! So planning Halloween costumes and decorating for Holiday’s is my crack! Ha!























 Last year’s costume- I was Mary Poppins!

3.) PUMPKIN! I love pumpkin! Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, aaaaand… my delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!!! Maybe I will share the recipe this year…if anyone is interested! Any pumpkin lovers out there?
4.) Plano Balloon Festival Each year the city we live in puts on a huge balloon festival! Every morning the balloons do a huge launch! I remember going with donuts and hot cocoa with my friends as a kid to watch them lift off and sail across the sky.  During the day it’s filled with junk food, games and booths with local vendors.  Then at night is my favorite! As soon as it gets dark, they do a balloon glow.  It is absolutely gorgeous! 
  

 Last year I went with my Sadie girl, and this year I get to bring Hallie! I am so excited!

5.) The Jamberry Fall/Winter catalog!  I am trying super hard to use up some of my current collection so I don’t feel as bad splurging on some of the new Fall styles!! 
Here are some of my latest jamicures and then some of the new styles I am crushing on!



























What makes you excited for September?? 
<3 Kelly

Must Have Monday Fall Preperation

Happy Labor Day Everyone!  With school started and Labor Day come and almost gone, Fall is around the corner! (Well in Dallas, maybe around the corner and down the street!) 


So for today’s must have Monday, it is all about Fall Fashion for Mommy and Baby!


Here are some of our favorite Fall staples for Hallie:


Carters Ballet Socks


































 I love that these Carters Ballet Socks come in a variety of colors that will match so many of our sweet Fall outfits! Plus Momma was a dancer, so maybe baby will follow in my footsteps!






















Long Sleeved Onesies










This one is my favorite! It is the “Who needs a prince! (I have Daddy)” Onesie and jegging set from Carters! 


I knew when I saw it that it was a must have for my little princess this Fall! 





This Giraffe hat and onesie are from Gymboree and we are so obsessed with it for Fall! Christopher and I both LOVE giraffes, and Hallie has a lot of little giraffe things in her nursery, so we needed to have a Giraffe outfit to her Fall collection! This one was given to us by the girls I nanny for and their sweet parents! 
























Columbia Fleece Jacket

We LOVE this Columbia Fleece Jacket for Fall and cannot wait to get some use out of it!  We have it in Purple (our favorite!!!) but it comes in a variety of colors!





























These are my Must Haves for me this Fall (Though I am still a bit behind on shopping for me! Still hoping to lose the last bit of that baby weight before making my purchases!)

Varsity T-Shirt-
I got a really similar one to this at Old Navy.  Mine is plain in front with black stripes on the sleeves.

Gap Jeans

Gap Skinny Jeans are my absolute favorite! I am hoping to fit back into mine from last year that I bought just before I got pregnant, but…I am thinking I’ll have to buy a size up




















Jamberry Nails 





I am loving all of the new Fall designs from the Jamberry Nails Fall/Winter catalog! I can’t wait to stock up! This Glam nail wrap will be the first design in my shopping cart!!! 




















What are some of your favorite Fall Must haves? Please share some with me below! 
<3 Kelly

Liebster Award

I have recently had the honor of being nominated by one of my favorite blogger Mommies Liz at http://simplycomplexmom.blogspot.com/ for the Liebster Award!!




According to Liz (and previous bloggers):

 “My understanding is that bloggers with followers under a certain threshold (somewhere between 200-2000) are nominated.  It’s a fun way to share a bit about yourself and learn about other newer bloggers too.  This is a cool and supportive venture; a way for the blogging community to show each other some love!
Here are the rules for receiving this award:

  1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves

  2. Answer the questions from the person who nominated you and create 11 new questions for those you nominate

  3. Nominate 5-11 of your favorite bloggers and link them in your post

  4. Go to their page and tell them

  5. Thank and link back to the person’s blog who nominated you”




I am so excited to accept this nomination! What a fun little way to learn more about my favorite mommies and tell you more about me! Thank you, Liz!!!


 Here are my responses, nominee requests and questions to pose:


11 Facts About Myself:
1. My husband was my only serious boyfriend.
2. One of my favorite breakfast combinations growing up was a blueberry bagel with chive smear…don’t ask! 
3. I tracked down my favorite local artist to paint a picture of my husband and I at our favorite local coffee shop for his 30th birthday.

 


















































4. My parents moved from Texas to Mississippi when I was 16, and I stayed behind to live with my mom’s friend until I graduated.  
5.My husband and I went to London for our Honeymoon, I HATE British TV, but I prefer British novels to American ones!
6.I never learned how to ride a bike
7. I competed in Miss Texas Teen All American Pageant in High school. 
8. I love watching the food network…but I am a REALLY picky eater! I don’t eat fish, beef, or pork (yes even bacon)! 
9. I can’t stand Sci-Fi! If it couldn’t actually happen…I am not interested! No Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight or Hunger Games for me…no thank you!
10. I listen to Christmas Music year round…it makes me happy! 

11. Whenever I go on vacation, I take “Flat Joyce”- Joyce is my best friend and it started as a joke so I “wouldn’t be alone” when I took a solo vacay to San Fran. It’s a play on Flat Stanley an Elementary school book/project. We keep joking that I need to make her a teeny tiny passport!























11 Questions from Liz
1. If you could have chosen your name, would you have picked a different one, or kept 
   the one you had? Why/why not?
Yes! I don’t think my name is very fitting! I always thought I looked like a Samantha as a kid.

2. What is your favorite physical characteristic about yourself?
I like my eyes! Especially now since I have passed them on to my daughter!

3. If you could have any super power, what would it be, and why?
Levitating Objects! It would make housework so much easier

4. What is your ultimate pet peeve?
When girls pretend they are dumb to get attention! Grr..

5. What is your favorite dessert?
This one is hard because I am SUCH a sweet tooth! I would either say warm gooey cookies or s’mores.  Or Pie….Or Brownies…lol

6. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be, and why?
Hands down San Francisco! It is my favorite city of all time! 

7. Who is your favorite role model, famous or otherwise?
Either my Nana- the most loving mother and grandmother of all time or My husband’s Aunt Mary….seriously this woman is the most faithful woman I have ever met in my entire life. 


8. What is something special that you currently want to buy?
I am DYING to buy Hallie’s fist Halloween costume…but I am waiting because she is SO tiny and I am not sure what size she will be by Halloween!

9. What is your favorite song, band or album?
Another hard one! Local Dallas band Monkeyshyne that played our wedding! Favorite song: “I know what love is” 
Other faves: Goo Goo Dolls, Counting Crows, Katy Perry, Gin Blossoms, Nora Jones, etc

10. If you could be an animal, what would it be, and why?
Stella, my mini aussie…because she is the most spoiled pup ever!

11. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
Read British novels with a steaming cup of coffee!

I would like to nominate the following wonderful blogs for the Liebster Award:
1. Katie from: http://www.katiedidwhat.com/
2. Sarita from: http://itsagirlgirlworld.blogspot.com/
3. Courtney from: http://www.apluslife.net/
4. April from: http://www.firsttimemomanddad.com/
5. Jessica from: http://www.floatonblog.com/


Your questions:
1. What is your favorite movie?
2.Why did you start blogging?
3. Who was your first best friend? Did you keep in touch?
4. What was your favorite subject in school? 
5. What is your favorite restaurant? 
6. What is your dream vacation?
7. Do you have a favorite quote? 
8. Is there a holiday that is most special to you and why? 
9. If you had to live on only 1 meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
10. Favorite place to shop?
11. What do you want to be remembered for? 




Thank you so much Liz for the nomination and the fun questions!  Can’t wait to see if these other bloggers accept the nomination! I would love to learn more about them and see who they nominate as well! 

Friday Fun: Blogmopolitan Quiz!

Happy Friday everyone! I have been seeing this fun quiz all over, and I thought I would give it a go! 
If you would like to participate in this fun quiz, you can find a blank copy here.  Don’t forget to link your post into the comments, I would love to see your answers!!!
<3 Kelly