It's a Grandpa Tom Christmas

Dear Conor,

You are one lucky boy because you got to celebrate Christmas 3 times this year!  The first Christmas was with Grandpa Tom on December 23, 2012.

We went to Grandpa's around noon with the hope that you would take a short nap on the way over (which you did and so you were a happy baby!).  Uncle Sean and Auntie Lindsay couldn't make it because Nolan wasn't feeling well but everyone else was there to celebrate.

While we were waiting for Grandpa to set the timer on dinner you enjoyed dragging a paper bag around the room.

Once Grandpa was done Daddy and some of the adults opened gifts until it was your turn.  Auntie was itching to have you open hers first so you did!  Her gift will be so much fun to play with for years to come!

Opening gifts is HARD work!

Leaving with your new soft sensory blocks

Then it was time to open the gifts from Grandpa, Andrea, and Uncle Justin.  Grandpa got you a LOL Elmo!  He was so excited to see you open this gift.  You weren't sure at first but once Elmo started moving you thought it was the funniest thing.

Auntie look!

Grandpa also got you a neat train.  When you press the smoke stack it makes all kinds of train noises and each cart has a different challenge for you!

After dinner and some more visiting you were getting pretty cranky - it had been a long day - so it was time to head home but not until you gave Grandpa some Christmas LOVE and then some extra hugs because it would be a while before Grandpa came back up!

Merry First Christmas Celebration!

xoxo
Mommy

PS.  You also loved the box that was under the tree!

PPS.  We also had to celebrate Auntie Cathlin - she and Jarrod got engaged on December 22, 2012....which means Auntie also got you an Uncle for Christmas :)

Birthday - Part 2

Dear Conor,

We made it!!  It's party time!!  The date of your birthday party officially arrived!!  I was so excited - your Daddy was so excited - your grandparents were so excited.....everyone couldn't wait to celebrate the last amazing year we have all had with you!

Your party was Whale Themed (It's been a Whaley Great Year) and so I bought some basic blue hats and with my cricut I cut out whales and some number "1s" and added them to the hats.  They didn't look quite finished so I added little white pom-poms to the top.  Your hat also got a ring of pom-poms at the bottom!

Hats and Noise makers!

Entry Table - signing mat, hats, noise makers

 To the side of the entry table was the food table.  It had so many yummy things on it.  Amanda and Goddad Chris brought a lasagna, tuna fish sandwiches, there were cookies from Sue, a fresh fruit salad, chips from the Smith Family, salsa, goldfish, and cupcakes.  The food was a huge hit and there was barely anything left over!

On the opposite side of the room was the "Guess how Old I am Game"  It took up both bulletin boards and Grandma Mary decorated them so nicely! 

On the shelf above the food table was your cake.  I worked really hard to make it just right for you.  I made several whales and this was the best one.  It was very very very hard to make a whale from fondant and while it wasn't perfect it was the best Mommy could do!

We also set up a gift table and put one of the whale pinatas on the table to decorate it.  This one was full of tasty treats for you and your friends to open later during your party.  We also put your little favors for your friends on this table so they were part decoration that were actually your "take-aways"

Gift Table

 Between the two bulletin boards was your high chair which was set up for taking your smash pictures.  I couldn't believe how nicely the paper matched your chair - that was not planed!.

There were tables set up for people to sit at and tissue paper pom-poms hanging from the ceiling lights to decorate the room and make it feel a bit like you were "under the water".  I also brought some of your toys down for everyone to play with.  I brought your ball pit, your bead maze, walking toys, and some other small things.  You did a great job sharing your toys with your friends and your ball pit was a huge source of fun for everyone!

The first guests to arrive were your BFF Gordon and your cousin Nolan.  Gordon and you enjoyed spending time alone in your pit and you were having so much fun that cousin Nolan just had to join in on the fun!

Because he is still little his Mom and Daddy helped him stick his little feet in it.  Nolan wasn't too sure about being 100% in the ball pit but he did like holding them so we gave him on to play with outside of the pit!

Slowly your friends all started arriving and you were so happy to see them all!

Playing with Auntie Cathline

Carter, Neve, Sophie & Ryan

Neve

Charlie

Sophie

Sharing whales with Neve

Lots of Friends!

 After everyone played and had a chance to eat it was time to smash the cake!  Oh Conor - you were so funny!  Your fingers touched the frosting and you immediately started crying.  You did not like how sticky it was and you did NOT like it on your hands!  You kept trying to push the cake off your high chair tray.

Waiting for your cake

Happy Birthday Conor

Taking off the whale.

After the whale came off the cake and some of the frosting got on your hands and arms you started melting down, begging to be removed from the chair.  Miss Sharon was taking pictures for Mommy and she (thankfully) didn't take those pictures - it certainly isn't how we want everyone to remember your day.

After everyone left your party we tried to offer you the cake again to see if there was just too much going on for you the first time.  This time it was just Mommy and Daddy (with Auntie taking pictures).  Here's how that attempt turned out:

Still not sure about this cake thing!

Nope - not in love with it

Get me outta here!

Priceless.....

It's okay that you didn't like your cake Conor (even though Mommy worked really hard on it) because it isn't about the cake but about the special day that we got to spend with you.  Maybe next year you will want to try a bit of cake:)

We also opened your gifts at your party.  Mommy had a great idea to take pictures of the gift giver, you and the gift so that it would be easy to remember for thank-you cards.  You are very fortunate to have so many generous friends and family who not only came out to your party a week before Christmas but also brought you a gift to commemorate your first year.  Here are a few of Mommy's favorite photos:

Auntie Cathlin got you Instruments!

Loving the Tissue Paper from Neve's present

Braden got you fun books!

GodDad Chris wants you to love the Bruins like he does!

It was an amazing party little man but there was still one more activity to do before all your friends left - break the pinata open!  Since you guys are little we got a pinata that you pull ribbons to open it up rather than hit it with a stick.  It was very hard because the ribbons didn't open it up very easily but with a little help from Mommy and Daddy it opened and all the yummy treats came out (Annie's goldfish in green bags).

That's it Conor - that's your birthday in a nutshell!  Of course there were many pictures taken that didn't so stay tuned for a Grandparent's post!

xoxo
Mommy



A Box A Month.....Citrus Lane

This post is entirely out of order by way of our documenting but because so many people have asked me about our "Box a Month" I felt it was important to get this post up!

A few months back I had been looking for a way to experience some new products without spending a fortune each month.  Conor is at the age where rotation of products and foods are important or he gets bored and disinterested.  So, I turned to my favorite tool "Google" and came across a few companies that have "wine of the month" clubs but for kids!  I did my research (like any 21st century mom does) and decided that the company Citrus Lane was the one I wanted to try.  There were others (and this is not a sponsored post) but I felt Citrus Lane fit our needs the most for the following reasons:

(1) vendors cannot pay to be placed into a monthly box - the staff at Citrus Lane review items from vendors and THEY decide what makes the cut and what doesn't!
(2) the boxes are broken down into age categories
(3) they have a history of using recycled, and organic products
(4) they also offer a small online store so if you truly like a product you can purchase it through them at a discount.

So, here's the details that you have all been waiting for - our box and it's contents!

Our box arrived today and I opened it to preview it before turning it over to its rightful owner.

Here is how the box arrived.  A beautiful packaging job (so important to me) and a welcome note as well as some coupons for the products contained within.

What it looked like after I removed the two pieces of promotional material

These were the first two products in the box.  A Skip Hop Lunch Box and a Board Book.  The Skip Hop Lunchbox is clearly labeled for ages 3 and up so I was a bit confused as to why it as in my box....(it is explained by both myself and the company below).  We have a few of these "Bear" books already and they are enjoyable for both Conor and the reader so I was happy to see one in our box.

Lunch Box and Book

 Under the above items were these three smaller items.  From Left to Right they are a bottle of Soothing Lotion (for itchy dry skin - perfect for what this cold dry weather is doing to our skin), a pouch of Ella's Organic fruit, and a sample size of Clean Well - a sanitizing spray that is great for restaurant high chairs, tables, and mall strollers - especially during cold and flu season!  What I didn't know until I opened it was that in the little green pouch containing the lotion was also a sample of their body wash/shampoo (its an all-in-one product) and coupons.

When I turned over the welcome note there was a description of each product, information about why it is in the box and a coupon code for % off further orders through the vendors.  It was here that Citrus Lane clearly spelled out why my 1 year old had received a lunch box that stated it was for ages 3 and up.  They stated that the lunch boxes were such a hit with the olders that they wanted to share them with the littles and mom's could use them for playdates and/or daycare. 

 

A great informational flier.

After reviewing all the information I repackaged the box.  Conor is one and teething and likes to put everything in his mouth so I determined that the informational flier, lotion and included samples, as well as the sanitizer would be removed before giving him the box.  So, back into the box went the lunchbox, book, and Ella's food pouch.

I placed the box on the floor and invited Conor to investigate.

Conor and his FIRST box

Asking permission to have it

Trying to figure out how to open it

I lift here right Mamma?

It's open!

Oooooooo......says Conor!

Saying "Oooooooo" some more!

Ripping the paper

Shaking it out

Reaching for the first item

I captured this as he was saying "read".  Conor loves books and I knew that he would be excited to see a book in the box.

Bringing the book to Mamma to "read"

After a brief intermission to read "Bear in the House" a few times, Conor went back to the box.

and pulled out the Ella Fruit Pouch (of the Red variety)

Nope - I'm not hungry right now so here you go Mamma!

And back to the box - Conor spies the lunch box.

After removing the plastic I gave the bag back to Conor for further investigation.

He quickly found the handle and carried it around for a few minutes.

Conor's items (the ones he opened anyways).

And a SMILE with his TOP TEETH!

Conor appeared to enjoy his box and it was fun to watch him explore each item carefully and bring them to me to explain them and show him how to use them (the ones that needed explaining that is).  The last picture is so much fun to look at for me because I asked him to say Cheese and he smiled so big and lifted his lunch box off the ground as if to say "look what I have" that the first two pictures are all blurry.  And while those had better lighting and you could see his eyes - this one shows his brand new top teeth that haven't fallen below his lips yet so they are not often visible.

Overall I would say I am happy with this box and I look forward to seeing what our next two boxes contain.  I purchased a three month subscription as each box only cost $25 and with my $10 off coupon the first box was then only $15! 

So, of course I want to share the LOVE with my friends!  If you want to try this program simply click this HERE and the link will open a new window where you will get $10 off your first box!  After you subscribe please let us know so that we can have fun waiting for you to get your first box too and you can tell us what YOU think!

xoxo
Erin and Conor