Rhett's Donut-Themed First Birthday Party

I have yet to blog Rhett's eight, nine, ten, eleven, and twelve month updates, but his birthday party?  Now that I can do!  Because it's way more fun to recap a cute party.  Especially when the party consists of donuts and drinks at 9:00 in the morning!  I'm certain our neighbors appreciated that. 😉

Anyway, I may have decided on a party theme (buffalo plaid) last December, but I can assure you I didn't start planning until two weeks beforehand and most of my plans came together two days beforehand.  My goal from the get-go was simple.  Instead of making an invite, as I have typically done in the past, I bought one on Etsy.  And instead of sending invites via snail mail, I imported the invite into Paperless Post and send it via email.  Easy, free, and quick.

Yes, you read that 9am start time correctly.  I know, that's crazy early, but hear me out.  December is such a busy time of the year and I didn't want to interrupt anyone's weekend holiday-prep plans.  I wanted it over and done so people could get on with their days.  And besides, I wanted to serve donuts so 9am seemed about perfect.  And you know, because we're "cool parents", we also served Bloody Marys, mimosas, and coffee with Bailey's.  Because let's be honest.  First birthday parties aren't that fun.  Alcohol is generally appreciated.

I ordered the O N E balloons and buffalo plaid party supplies from Party City, made the monthly-photo banner, and borrowed all of the tree stumps from Vanessa.  The cake was from Price Chopper, a local grocery store, and I added the burlap banner to the top myself.  Donuts (including the ones that spelled HAPPY BIRTHDAY RHETT) were from Daylight Donuts.

The details of a party are always my favorite part and they definitely didn't disappoint!

And yes, I bought a shirt to match the party theme.  Because when it's your third and final baby's first birthday, that's just what you do!

Rhett's gift from us was his PB chair.  He has no idea that it spells his name, but somehow he knew right away it was his.

I couldn't tell you what anyone else got him because opening gifts with an uninterested 1-year old and about eight interested 3-5 year olds is very stressful.  (And oh look--the party guests matched the theme!)

Next and final birthday activity - the smash cake.  He loved it, if you can't tell by the next series of photos.

Despite "ending" at 10:30, our neighbors stuck around until after noon.  It was a perfect, perfect morning celebrating our baby and exactly what I had envisioned for his donut-serving, buffalo-plaid themed first birthday party.

Happy birthday, Rhetti Pie!

Rhett's Christmas Wishlist

You know how hard it is to come up with gift ideas for a one-year old with two older brothers who have everything?!  Pretty dang hard.  It's even difficult to find toddler books we don't already have!  I rounded up a few ideas, but sadly, Rhett will be receiving fewer gifts than his brothers.

(affiliate links)

1 Pottery Barn Kids Luggage // 2 Camo outfit on Amazon // 3 Name Puzzle // 4 The Pout Pout Fish Book // 5 Moccasins // 6 Anything Cat & Jack // 7 Ball Pit // 8 Green Toys Train

Small Shop Spotlight: ISLA & LILY + A Giveaway

One of life's biggest myths is that it isn't any fun to dress a boy.  I was certainly under that impression in 2012 when I was pregnant with my first boy.  And honestly, I think that was part of the reason I wanted a girl so badly!  Fast forward five years and I know better! 😉  I love dressing my boys and get almost as much pleasure out of buying their clothes as I do my own.  Sadly, Brantley's to the age of forming his own opinions about clothing (and wants all athletic apparel) but lucky for me, I have two more to dress!

I recently had the opportunity to work with Jessica from Isla & Lily on a custom order for Rhett.  I'm not exactly sure how I found Jessica and her small shop, but I've been following her on Instagram for some time now and I basically drool over everything she posts!  Isla & Lily is known for their adorable bows, but Jessica also makes a number of modern outfits for babies and tots - girls AND BOYS, including this super cute romper of Rhett's!

One of my favorite things about this romper is the fabric.  It's incredibly soft and stretchy and the best part - no snaps!  You may think that would make diaper changes more difficult, but because the fabric is so stretchy, it just slips right off!  Jessica was super accommodating to work with and very prompt in her responses to my {million} inquiries.  If only my budget would allow, I would have Jessica make Rhett a romper like this in every fabric and color!

I thought it would be fun to interview Jessica, in addition to showing off some of her creations.  And did I mention, there's a giveaway at the end of this post, so stay tuned!



An Interview with Jessica of Isla & Lily


How long have you been in business with your small shop, Isla & Lily?
We are actually celebrating our 4 year anniversary this month! We opened just two weeks after my oldest daughter, Isla, was born. We started off selling very different items than we do now so it's fun to see how we have evolved since then!

How did Isla & Lily get its name?
We started off as Isla Rose Boutique after my daughter but I never really loved the name. Being that I had a career in marketing prior to being a stay-at-home mom turned Etsy shop owner, I wanted something a little more catchy. Our dog who is my first baby is Lily and we just put their names together and it stuck! 

How did you learn to sew and what sparked your interest?
Being a stay at home mom I've had to learn to be very thrifty. I had a mild obsession with baby bows and clothing so I knew I just wanted to figure out how to make my daughter headbands. I learned how to hand sew a classic bow just by observing how the ones we liked were made. Then I developed my own process and sizing. As for clothing my mom taught me a basic stitch, then I started reading up how to sew with knit fabric and buying patterns. From there I became enamored with learning how to make new and fun items for them and for my customers! 


What do you enjoy most about owning a small shop?  Has anything surprised you?
Owning a small shop has been an amazing creative outlet for me and a way for my to contribute, on my own time, to my family. I would say what has surprised me most is how many amazing people I have connected with along the way and how many super loyal customers I have. It just makes me feel so grateful and blessed! 


How do most of your customers find you?
Instagram for sure! And a lot of the time through referrals.


What sets you apart from other small shops with similar items?
This is a tough one! I think there's room for everyone in this space and we all bring our own flare to the baby and child apparel and accessory arena. One thing I really try to do is connect with my customers. I've become "Insta friends" with so many and I know if we all lived close we would be real life friends. I don't just want to be a business I want to get to know my people. And it has shown, because when my husband was out of work for 6 months they all went out of their way to express their support and I had the most sales in 2 months than I usually had in 6 months! I was blown away and still get teary eyed about it because without their help we would have really struggled.

What has been your favorite item to make?
I LOVE making hoodies! We won't be wearing too many now that we live in Arizona but theres so many fun ways to put them together and they're my favorite to photograph or see my customers in! 

Where are you located?
We recently relocated from Olathe, Kansas (KC area) to Chandler, Arizona. I miss home so much so I'm really excited to be doing this collaboration with Sarah who we randomly found out we used to live in the same neighborhood a few years back! 

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I scoured Isla & Lily's Instagram account and picked out fix of my favorite things.  How cute are these?!

And as promised, if you made it this far, there's a giveaway!  Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below!  And be sure to check out Isla & Lily on all of her social media outlets!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends Sunday, August 6th at 11:59 PM CST.  Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter and be notified by email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. I will contact the sponsor (Isla & Lily) regarding your prize. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation.  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bloglovin' are in no way associated with this giveaway.

Our Destin Vacation

Hey hey, we've been back for less than two weeks and I'm already posting a recap!  That's something to celebrate, especially with the amount of photos I take!  Anyway, we vacationed for six nights and seven days in Destin, Florida.  The white sand beaches, emerald water, and gulf coast location make Destin a very popular (and family-friendly) tourist destination....and rightfully so - it's gorgeous and there is plenty to do!!  But I'll be honest, I was a little nervous going into our vacation.  I haven't loved going to the pool this year.  It's just so much work with three kids, including a fair-skinned baby who probably shouldn't be in the sun for large amounts of time.  I was worried we had paid all that money for a week that would be average at best.  

However...

The 15-hour drive.  The touristy traffic.  The exhaustion of taking three kids to the beach.  The sand.  (Oh the sand!!!)  It was all SO. WORTH. IT.  I'm one who tends to be ready for vacation's end (there's no place like home, right?) but I actually teared up on the morning we had to leave!!

It was truly the best.  Dare I say my favorite vacation so far?  (Okay nothing beats Hawaii.)  But this was pretty great.  Definitely one of my favorite memories as a family of five!  I'm so glad for the time away and will forever cherish the memories we made!

I'm not going to recap our entire trip, because let's be honest, it would look like this.  Breakfast.  Beach.  Lunch.  Beach.  Dinner.  Bed.  Repeat.  With a little pool thrown in.  However, I want to jot down a few notes for memory's sake.

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We stayed in a two-bedroom condo at The Resorts of Pelican Beach.  It was right on the beach and in the heart of Destin.

We decided to drive the near-16 hour trip, even though flights from KC are fairly cheap.  Between packing an unlimited amount of stuff and not having to worry about car/carseat/baby gear rentals, it was definitely the right decision.  On the way there, we drove for 12 hours and stopped to stay in Birmingham, AL.  On the way back, we made a detour through Atlanta to visit some friends / stay the night, then 14 hours from Atlanta to Wichita, then Wichita to KC the following day.  They had their moments, but overall all three boys did exceptionally well! 🙌🙌

After our first day on the beach, we promptly made a trip to Walmart for two things.  An umbrella because holy hot!!  And a soft, foldable wagon because hauling everything to and from the beach was no easy task!

As expected for Florida in July, it was HOT!  Though, it was actually hotter back home.

This was both Holden and Rhett's first trip to FL and to the beach.  Brantley's first trip was four years ago, soon after he turned one.

We went to dinner three times: AJ's at Harborwalk Village, The Crab Trap, and Pompano Joe's.  All three restaurants were right on the water, though The Crab Trap and Pompano Joe's were our favorites by far!!  We also grabbed lunch at The Taco Bar in Seaside - those were some delicious street tacos!

Speaking of Seaside...after loving that little beach town during our last trip to Destin, we headed back.  We didn't stay quite as long or rent bikes this time (thanks to two tried--aka whiney--kids).  However, this was Craig's most memorable part of our trip because not only did he see KU's head football coach while waiting for us in the restroom, but he chatted with him for a good few minutes and it was the coach who initiated conversation (after seeing Craig's Jayhawk hat).  Craig is still talking about that.

Holden and Brantley both adored the ocean.  Brantley liked to stay near the shore, not because he was scared, but because that's where the waves were the most forceful!  Holden enjoyed swimming out further, past the powerful waves.  We bought boogey boards at Walmart and I'm not sure who loved them more - the kids or the parents! 😊

On the evening of our first full day, I noticed a group who had obviously just finished family photos on the beach.  I had already mentioned to Craig that I wished I could hire a photographer for a quick, 15-minute session because I knew if I handed over my camera to a stranger, the photos would be well below my expectations.  However, I googled Destin photographers and couldn't find anything that fit my mini-session vision (without paying an arm and a leg).  Back to the story, when I saw that family, I quickly asked who they used for photos and when one of the girls said she had done it herself, I half-jokingly asked if she wanted to take ours!  To my surprise, she graciously agreed, we exchanged numbers, and she met us on the beach the following evening!  Turns out, she was a professional photographer with four kids of her own...so basically a Godsend.  She used her camera, but my memory card.  It really couldn't have worked out better and I love, love, love the photos!!  (See end of post!)  Her name was Tiffany and she was from New Orleans....so Tiffany, if you happen to come across my blog someday (ha, unlikely), thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!  You are the best!

While in Florida, we celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary!  Though we loved every moment of vacationing with our kids, we are very much looking forward to a kid-free 10-year anniversary trip!

Okay, now for the obnoxious amount of photos!  These are a mix of my iPhone, Craig's iPhone, and my big camera!