A Simple, "Clean" Housewarming Gift

We have some really fantastic friends that recently bought the most beautiful home (congratulations, Cody & Alexis!). We got to visit them today and finally took over their housewarming gift. We wanted to give them something practical yet pretty, and this is what we came up with!

 

 

Bath & Body Works soaps in bright colors, paired with our favorite all purpose cleaner, all placed in a large glass chalkboard canister. We found the jar at Home Goods and fell in love. There are so many purposes for a jar this size with a label. Here are just a few we thought of:

-cookies with "chocolate chip", "peanut butter", etc. on the label
-cotton swabs & balls in the bathroom
-change collector on the bedroom bookshelf with "keep the change" on the label
-pretty, bright fruits like oranges and bananas

-headbands in a baby girl's room, bow ties in a baby boy's room

-small favors at a party with "take one" on the label
-mail collector for an office with "you've got mail" on the label

 

 

There are endless possibilities for a jar like this...already have it on my to-do list for this week to run back and grab one (or two!) for our house. :)

What is your go-to housewarming gift? Do tell!

Happy Sunday Funday!

 

Bear's Favorite Books

Bear is more and more interested in books all the time. I would get frustrated when he was just a few months old because I'd try to read to him and he wasn't very into it. Then, when he learned to crawl and discovered movement, he didn't want to sit still to read much either. But the last few months he has become a little bookworm. I'll walk in a room to find him sitting on the floor, turning pages of one of his many books (his grandma is an English teacher! We have a library). This makes my heart very, very happy.

Here are a list of some of Bear's favorites. All of them are hardback with hard pages because chubby fingers can rip paper pages like no other!

 

 

Brown Bear Brown Bear, What do you see?

 

 This is our go-to bedtime book. Just last night Bear cried when we had to put the book down for bedtime. The bright colored pictures seem to really pop against the white pages and keep his attention.

Where is Baby's Belly Button?

 

Every page in this book has a flap to lift, so it keeps Bear entertained while we read the story. The pictures are really cute and this is a series, so there are others we need to add to the collection! This was also one of the first books Bear really started to sit down and look at.

 

 

Doggies

 

"Doggies" has numbers and counting, which Bear likes, and he loves dogs so it's a win/win. Plus, the dogs make barking noises and he laughs when Zach and I try and sound like 18 different dogs. Come to think of it, we do sound pretty ridiculous.

 

The Foot Book

 

This was the first book that Bear really got interested in. I think the rhyming caught his attention. And of course Dr. Seuss' amazing artwork!

 

 

The Berenstain Bears' Home Sweet Tree

 

This is, hands down, Bear's favorite. Most likely because there are about 15 flaps to lift on every single page. And it's a HUGE book. He'll sit on the floor of the playroom for 10+ minutes at a time (that's an eternity for a toddler!) just looking at and playing with this book. His Nana gave it to him and we are so thankful she did! It's a great one.

 

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What are some of your favorite books for toddlers? We are always on the hunt for new favorites! I want to put several new books in Bear's Easter basket, too.

Happy Hump Day!

 

 

Let's be (Instagram) Friends

Hi, friends!

The title of this post is a little misleading because I already consider everyone I've connected with in the blog world a friend. Each one of you has inspired, touched, and encouraged me on many occasions. For that, I owe you a huge "thank you". Y'all are the best!

One of my favorite ways of connecting with people, even more than blogging (hard to believe!), is through Instagram. I love the moment-to-moment, real life memories that Instagram captures. Plus, there are filters. Can we say addicting? There are already several of you that I follow, but lots more that I'd love to find. You can catch us at @brittfullwood!

 

 

 

 

 

Also, most of you know my sweet friend Whitney at Keeping up with the Cyperts. Together, she and I started an IG shop full of our gently used (and tons of brand new!) clothing, shoes, jewelry, etc. Follow along at @shopwhitandbrit.

 

 

Are you an Instagram addict, too? If so, which editing tools are your favorites? Mine is Afterlight. It works wonders!

xoxoxoxo

Weekend, Rodeo Style

This weekend, Zach's family came to visit and we went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. His family has a farm and they always showed in the Stock Show growing up, so we love going back each year. Especially for the food! ;) Turkey legs, chicken on a stick, fried Oreos, fried Snickers, fried Twinkies....you get the drift.

Bear loves seeing his cousins! We also had a blast at the horse races last night. Here are a few pictures from our busy, but fun, weekend.

This cracks us up. One for the senior video, definitely.

Hope your weekend was a great one!

16 Month Update & Our Daily Routine

It's hard for me to believe that this Little Man is 16 months old today. It just can't be possible! I have to admit, though, that every stage just gets more and more fun. Bear is such a good boy and we're blessed to have a very laid-back baby! Okay, okay, toddler. Still a baby to me. :)

Bear is now:

27 lbs. (87th percentile), 33 3/4 inches (97th percentile)...both taken at his 15 month check-up.

-Saying several words, including "bye bye", "momma", "dada", "ba" (ball), "duh" (duck), "na na na" (no no no), "choo choo", "knock knock", and "yeah". He can also make lots of animal noises... quacking for ducks, barking for dogs, growling like a lion.

-Loving books. We've started a new routine of reading a book every night after bath-time and Bear really loves it. We all curl up in our big living room chair and read; it's easily our favorite part of the day.

-Eating lots of food, but still not liking veggies. Grilled cheese sandwiches are also still his favorite!
-Sleeping 11 hours straight every night (usually from 9:30pm-8:30am) and taking a 3 hour nap (1pm-4pm) every afternoon. This is of course dependent on teething and other things, but he's pretty much been keeping this schedule consistently since we returned from Hawaii almost a month ago.
-In size 18-24 month clothing. Already some regular 24 month shirts.
-Sliding down the slide solo.

-Climbing up on the couch (and getting down!) all by himself.

-Blowing kisses.
-Touching his nose when you ask where it is.

-Running. Too fast for this worrisome Momma!
-Dancing anytime music is on...his newest move is to stay in one spot and spin in circles until he loses his balance and plops down.

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 Our normal day varies, as we are active in a play group and have different activities scheduled throughout the week. Here's what a typical day often looks like for us!

-Wake up around 8:30 am. Watch cartoons in bed 'til 9. Bear is also still breastfeeding at this time, but only once in the morning.

-Get ready, play with toys, read books 'til 10.

 -Head out to a play date, usually at one of our friends' houses. If we don't have a play date, we'll go to the Children's Museum or to a park, weather permitting. This is Bear's time to have fun and burn off lots of energy!

-We leave around noon or a little later to grab lunch.
-Head home around 1-1:30...Bear almost always falls asleep on the way home.
-Nap for Bear until around 4pm... I get lots of work done during this time, return emails, watch Real Housewives, etc. :)
-After Bear wakes up, we play inside for a little bit. He'll also have a snack and lots of water (he always wakes up so thirsty!) during this time. If it's nice outside, we'll go in the backyard. He loooves it out there. We'll often walk down to the neighborhood park, too. Bear enjoys feeding the ducks and swinging.
-Zach gets home around 6:30pm, and we fix a quick supper. I'm not a huge cook (though I'm trying to be better!), so it's usually nothing fancy. Tonight the menu consists of bacon wrapped sirloin medallions, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. Bear will usually eat what we're eating (cut up into tiny pieces, of course). If he's not feeling our food, we'll give in and make him a grilled cheese or some pasta.
-After supper, we play with Bear and watch one TV show together. Usually it's The Voice or Suits. Bear likes to play during this time.
-8:45pm is bath-time for Bear. He usually stays in about 30 minutes because he loves the water!
-9:15, bath time's up and jammies are put on. We read a book together and Zach rocks Bear to sleep. We put him down about 9:30.
-Z and I watch a little more TV, visit about our days, and head to bed. I'm a night owl and typically stay up until midnight or 1 am. Can't help it!

Then I wake up and start another amazing day with my boys. I love these days of getting to be home with Bear; it truly is the most special time in my life.
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Mommas with little ones... any tips on getting your baby/toddler to eat veggies? Would love any advice you may have!

A Visit from the Grandparents

My parents came to visit last week during their spring break and we had so much fun. We love when they come stay! Bear enjoys it most of all because he is spoiled when Pops and Grandma Candy are around. He's one lucky little boy to have such loving and sweet grandparents.

Spring Creek BBQ...this boy was a mac 'n cheese eating machine

Lunch at...you guessed it....Red Lobster. 

Ready to go...trusty toothbrush and elephant in tow.

Houston Zoo!

Red pandas are the cutest animals on the planet. 

Naturally we had to see the bears! I think this confused our Bear a little bit.

The chimpanzees are always my favorite. We laughed because this one is a "Brittany chimp"...I love spending my afternoons in a hammock, too!

I spent Friday afternoon dress shopping with this gorgeous bride-to-be while my parents watched Bear. It was so nice having babysitters! And Elissa said "yes" to the dress :).

Hope you had a great weekend!

Lately

We've been pretty busy the last few weeks (as apparent by my lack of blogging) and Bear is growing like a chubby weed. It seems he says a new word (or animal noise) every day! We are loving watching him grow.


Our last couple weeks in pictures...

having fun at a playdate

planning our next vacation

getting his first hair cut...such a big boy!

Not real sure how I feel about these curls being gone :(.

Feeding the bears ducks.

This boy still sleeps best in his car seat. Even though it's beginning to look a bit small...

15 month check-up was a success! 96% in height, 87% in weight, 97% in head circumference. :)

playroom reading

car sleepin'

Freddy's eatin'

aaaand Smashburger eatin'

Fun at Davis' 2nd birthday party!

Where's Bear? Peek-a-boo!

Mommy's little mess-maker. (notice the TP...)

best buddies

Swinging is Bear's new favorite. He can't get enough of it.

Deciding what to order at Freddy's. Mommy and Daddy's new favorite.

Once again, Bear eating the duck's bread. This is a real problem. Every time we toss food to the ducks, Bear has to get his fill as well. We get a good laugh!

Hope you had a great week!