A Magical Christmas...

Magical is the word I've chosen to describe this year's Christmas. It just felt like I was reliving my childhood Christmases all over again. For one, we spent this Christmas at my parents' house in Columbus so it did actually feel like I was a kid again. But, also because this was the first Christmas that Camden seemed to really 'get it'. This was actually his 3rd Christmas, but his first he was barely a month old and last year, just over one. Now, at 2 years old he knows who Santa is and his reindeer. He LOVES Christmas trees and lights! And most importantly... he knows how to open presents! It was so fun shopping for him this year! We didn't go over board because we didn't want to have to bring huge gifts home with us in the van and because we knew his grandparents would spoil him too. But, he was the star of the show Christmas morning and even helped hand out the gifts under the tree!

This Christmas was also 'magical' because it was the boys first Christmas together... One of many to come! I saw a glimpse into my future with 2 boys opening gifts of footballs, legos, transformers, nerf guns, cars, trains, trucks, etc. As much as I would love to buy all the pink froo froo toys for a little girl, I'm actually looking forward to a time when my 2 boys will play together with their toys. Granted, I know I'm in for it next year when I'm sure the word 'MINE' will be shouted every time one of them opens a gift and I will most likely be playing referee more so than Santa... But, it will still be fun to see them light up Christmas morning when they see what Santa has brought them.

Their little brotherhood is blossoming and it is so fun to watch! Bennett is really starting to find his older brother very entertaining and Camden loves to make him smile! 

We have just been relaxing and enjoying this time we have off with our families in Ohio. I've taken just a little bit of a break with the social media and blogging just to make sure I am truly soaking up this quality time with them. I will be back in action in 2017 which is next week!! Can you believe it??!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break!

Our Christmas Cards + Life Lately

Now that our cards are finally in the mail I can share them! I'm usually a minted or tiny prints gal, but this card design from Shutterfly caught my eye. I loved that the white wood background of the design on the left because I knew it would look great with our family photos that were taken in front of the white barn backdrop. I also added a little snip bit of the boys on the back of the card. I just love those smiles!!

Sorry for the lack of postings this week, it's been a bit hectic over here! We had Bill's parents visiting this past weekend which was so fun! They brought Camden's cousin (girl) who is 4 years old and they play so well together! Camden just loves following her around and trying to immitate everything she does, it's so cute. We took the kids to see Santa Friday night at a local Bass Pro Shop. It was actually pretty sweet with a whole North Pole set up and lots of fun for the kids! There was a mini ball pit and a carousel. 

We didn't get smiles this year, but at least they weren't crying! 

Camden is really into fish and sharks right now (search for baby shark on YouTube...he's obsessed!) so he loved all the fish tanks and all the big fish and sharks on the walls. 

Saturday we all stayed in our PJs most of the day because it was freezing out! It was in the negatives at some point during the day so we definitely didn't want to take the kids anywhere. Sunday, we baked Christmas cookies and had the kids decorate which is always fun. Camden is more into eating the dough and icing than decorating at this point!

We were sad to see Grandma and Grandpa leave on Monday morning, but also excited we get to see them again this weekend! 

Camden and Bennett made some cute little gifts for us this week at 'school' :)

This week I've just been focused on finishing up some work projects for the year because I'm taking the whole week off next week while we are in Ohio with my parents. I'm so excited!

I hope you all have a happy Holiday weekend with your family and loved ones!

And I will leave you with a few happy baby photos...

(onesie was a gift from grandma, but she bought from Etsy!)

Unique Baby Gifts with the Baby Cubby

One of the reasons I love blogging is that I get connected with some really fun brands and companies. I was so excited when the Baby Cubby contacted me to collaborate with them on this post. The Baby Cubby is a one stop shop for all things baby related! 

Here's a little more information about the company: 'The Baby Cubby is for every parent out there who has ever felt overwhelmed or discouraged about becoming a parent. Our Baby Cubby team is made up of parents who have been there. We know what it’s like and we are passionate about encouraging, inspiring, and reminding parents how amazing they are and how important their role is.  

The way we do that is by finding the best and safest baby gear and providing it to parents in a fun shopping experience where we do things like test strollers on our stroller track, price match everyday - even amazon, offer free shipping nationwide at BabyCubby.com and actively engage with parents via social media and our cubby community blog to discuss some of those hard topics of parenting.

You can read a little bit more about what we're passionate about and why we do what we do on our about us page here -http://www.babycubby.com/about-us/'

The Baby Cubby basically has done the research for you! They even price match amazon... did you catch that?!

If you are looking for some last minute unique gifts for baby, they've got so many great options. From teethers (this one is going in Bennett's stocking) to sensory toys, to bath toys, baby gear, nursery decor and more!

Here are a few of my favorite unique gift ideas for baby: this teether, these pacifier clips, these stackable bath boats, this rainbow rattle, this musical instrument set, these beginner puzzles, these magnetic blocks with travel pouch (perfect for on the go), these storage bins, this mobile.

*In order to receive items before Christmas, you should place your order by the 15th (tomorrow)!

*I was provided a gift card to the Baby Cubby in exchange for writing this post. All views and opinions are my own! And I can't wait to receive my gifts for baby Bennett!

I'm linking up with Annie and Natalie for Thoughts for Thursday!