DIY//Tassel Garland

Happy Friday!

So I started planning Sophia's First Birthday Party, 8 months in advance, that should leave me enough time to throw her a fabulous party! While looking for inspiration I must have seen 100 tassel garlands, and I'm in love with every single one of them. They can be very pricey tho, so I looked some more and found different blogs with DIY tassel garlands! And what do you know, I had some extra tissue paper, scissors, ribbon and tape, so decided to make my own! 

You will need:

Tissue paper// One sheet equals one tassel. 

Ribbon// To hang the tassels. 

Tape// To Tape down the tassels on the ribbon. 

Scissors// To cut the tissue paper. 

Step One: Fold the tissue paper in half, then sideways. Start cutting strings leaving about an inch from the top. 

Step Two: Open up the tissue paper and start rolling it up. 

Step Three: Once you have rolled the tissue paper fold it in half to make the tassel. 

Step Four: Start putting the tassels on the ribbon and tape them around to hold in place. 

Four simple steps to make a beautiful garland that you can hang anywhere. I hung it on Sophia's crib, I think it looks awesome! 

Not bad for my first one, next one will be sleeker, these tissue papers I've had for like ever in my closet, but they sure came in handy! 

Baby Fall Wishlist//

1.Gap Stripe Legging

2.Gap Ribbed Cat Hat

3.Carter's Stretch Fleece Hoodie

4.Old Navy Halloween One Piece

5.Knotty Tots Watermelon Moccasins
6.Carter's Chambray Dot Tunic
7.Vans Checkerboard Slip-ons
8.Carter's Striped Socks

I love fall! This is what I'm obsessing over for Sophia, daddy won't you buy your baby girl one of these!? :)

                                                               Happy Wednesday!

Fab Monday//

I love spontaneous adventures, yesterday we had one of them. We got out of bed around 1:20 pm (we sleep late!) and said let's go to the beach! It wasn't exactly a beach day, the sun was not completely out and there were clouds about but we hadn't been to the beach this summer and wanted to ate Sophia before it was too late. We got our bags together, got the stroller packed and off we went. 

As soon as we got to the beach the sun came out! It was pretty perfect, we stayed for about an hour, Sophia loved it, she smiled the whole time! After we went for dinner at a local spot called Lola's, I had a clam bake and OMG, it was perfect! 

We got home around 7:30, gave Sophia a bath, I watched my new fave, Devious maids, then P went to the taco truck and we had mexican with one Corona for me as a late snack. Then it was off to bed, perfect Monday with the fam! 

4 Month//

My baby girl is 4 months today!

It's crazy how fast time flies, it cliche but so true. It seems like yesterday we brought her home. 

Sophia, mommy loves you unconditionally now and forever. You are 4 months old today, one day you will be 14, but in my eyes you will still be my 4 month old baby, and don't forget we pinky swore that we will be best friends forever! 

Thrifted//

Thought I would share with you my finds at the thrift store today. I've loved thrift shopping since I can remember. The first big purchase was when I was 15 years old, I found this beautiful long wool coat in gray. I wish I had photos of it, I don't even know where it went, well it's rained a while since then. The point is I love thrifting, and today we ended up at our local thrift store and I found a couple of things for the fall/winter season that I'm excited about. 

This is a mens Oscar de la Renta sweater, Im into oversized clothes lately so this is perfect!

It was $5!

                                                  Banana Republic cashmere for $5!!!

                                                          Rampage jacket for $5!!

          Putting together my fall/winter wardrobe with this prices is great!! Can't wait to go back!

Pregnancy Reads//

One of the first things I wanted to do when I found out I was pregnant was read a pregnancy book. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone here, most first timers want to know what to expect. A perfect read would be what to expect when your expecting, but it's not the one I chose. I remember leaving the doctors  office and running to the book store to buy my first pregnancy book!

When you get pregnant your body goes thru so many changes, hormones go all over the place and you really don't know what your experience will be like. I don't think anyone can prepare you for what's in store for you, but I think everyone can relate that reading others experiences and professional insight can put you at ease for what is about to happen in the next 40 weeks. 

Here are the books I read that helped me prepare to welcome baby! 

                              I'm a fan, so this is the first fun book I read. Find it here.

I wanted a home birth, so a friend sent me this and Spiritual Midwifery, very interesting books. Get it here.

                                                                      Find it here.

Vaccination is a very important topic for me, currently reading this very informative book. Get yours here.

                                                               Happy Week!!

Currently Obsessed //

Hey Ya'll, just wanted to share some things I'm currently obsessing over. The biggest obsession which I'm now watching on You Tube is Big Brother 12, after getting hooked on this seasons BB 15, I had to watch a marathon of another season, I'm obsessed! 

It's been a quiet Saturday, went to brunch in the neighborhood earlier and Sophia is now asleep in my arms while I type this. P is working tonight so is Sophia, mommy and Big Brother for a wild Saturday night in! 

 

Happy Weekend!                                                         

                                                               Currently obsessed:

Long Island City Piers and this view of Manhattan. We've come here a lot this summer, we love it!

                Taking Sophia to the playgrounds in the neighborhood. It's a mommy thing!

       Beer!!! Since I'm nursing I can't go crazy, but one beer here and there is what I'm craving lately. 

I love me some falafels! I've had a pescetarian diet for a couple of weeks, will be trying to make these babies soon! 

Big City, Little Space// Sophia's Nursery Nook

As you know,we live in a tiny apartment and we needed to make room for baby. We were looking to move but decided to stay in this apartment to save money and hopefully buy a house sometime in the next year or so. We have lived in this apartment for 3 years and is our home, Sophia's first home! Once we had decided to stay put, we reorganized and redecorated our tiny apartment. Painted our living room white from orange to make it seem more spacious. We threw out our TV stand, took out my dresser from the bedroom and put it in the living room to replace the TV stand. We now had room for a nursery nook in our bedroom!!  My grandmother got us a mini crib that fit perfectly in our space, then we got a dresser and a standing shelf to organize her little things. 

It's easy too make room when you need to, rearranging furniture, painting and adding mirrors will make a room look bigger. It's worked for us and I'm pretty proud of her first little nursery nook, it's still a work in progress, looking to add the alphabet somewhere. I've sang the alphabet song to Sophia since the day she was born, just because I didn't know many nursery rhymes and she loves it! 

Some pics of her little space! 

I made the garland, and cut out the heart shaped felt, hung one of my favorite dresses, (the first dress her daddy picked out for her) and added lots of boxes where I could organize diapers, blankets, towels, etc. I didn't want the traditional pink girls room, although I ended up getting lots of pink stuff, it doesn't feel very traditional to me and I love it!

P's Birthday Celebration

We had a great time on Sunday for Ps birthday, we went to brunch in Long Island City, we had mexican! After brunch we went to a nice little bar and headed to dinner in our neighborhood. I bought him ice cream cake and the waiter surprised him with it, then the birthday song played in the speakers while everyone in the restaurant sang him happy birthday! It was class, great birthday to be had. 

Some photos of that day!

Breastfeeding Week//

It's been breastfeeding week since last Thursday. As a nursing mom, I thought I would share my experiences so far. 

I will start by saying that its harder than I thought. Its not easy to be available for your little one every couple hours, to sit down, take your breast out and let them feed until whenever they want, it can be 10 minutes to 2 hours you never know. But it is the most amazing thing, to be able to nurse your baby and feel that incredible bond while they are looking up at you and and knowing that you are giving them the best that you can give them, and its coming from your own body. 

Sophia is 3 1/2 months, and the first month it was the hardest. In the hospital she would cry hysterically and her latch wasn't great, I felt horrible, I thought to myself, my baby is so hungry and I'm not producing enough milk to fill her up, whats wrong? The nurses knew I wanted to exclusively breastfeed. I spent 4 days in the hospital, I remember one of the sweetest nurses tell me, if you want, we can give her an ounce of formula. I was freaking out, Sophia was crying and not latching on, so painfully, I agreed. I started pumping after, and event though  I wasn't pumping a lot, I didn't give her anymore formula in the hospital. 

When we got home, my life consisted of pumping, pumping and more pumping. The most I would get was 3 ounces at one sitting. She would cry wanting more and it would break my heart, so I started supplementing with organic Earths Best formula, once or twice a day while still pumping and putting her on my breasts. I felt horrible, all I wanted to do was exclusively breastfeed my baby and it seemed impossible. 

I did this for a month and a half. One day a friend asked me on Facebook how breastfeeding was going, my breastfeeding angel! She introduced me to a breastfeeding support group on Facebook, thanks to them I was able to wean her off formula for good, and exclusively breastfeed!! I don't pump anymore, she latches on like a pro, my supply has increased and she's gaining weight perfectly. My goal was 6 months, after the support that I have received from the group, my goal is now 1 year! I love breastfeeding my baby, it's a great feeling and I look forward to it now. It does get easier with time and my advice to every woman who wants to breastfeed is to join a support group with women who are breastfeeding and have breastfeeding experience to help you and encourage you. Don't give up, breast is best! 

Here are some beautiful photos I found! 

            via: Sweetness and light photography

                                               via: Pinkle toes photography

                                                             via:Photos by Lei

Happy Birthday, Husband//

It's the 6th birthday we have celebrated together, and may God bless me with many many more to celebrate next to this amazing man! 

My husband, the most selfless human I know, he works hard to support his family, has the biggest heart and is kind to all. 

So on his birthday my wish for him is health and happiness, may God continue to bless you,my love!

                                                         Happy Birthday Daddy,

                                                             Sophia & Mommy

            Our first bday together, he lied, I thought it was his 25th, in reality it was his 22nd...

                                 His 23rd with his buddies, in our first little apartment. 

                    He's 24! Celebrating in the meatpacking district. I married a hunk!!

                                            25 came with a surprise birthday dinner! 

        Last year, dining at Spice Market in the meatpacking! He's 26!!