Toddler Diaper Bag

I have quite a few friends and co-workers expecting babies in the next few months, many of whom have asked the question, “What do you carry around in you daughter’s diaper bag?”  So, today I thought it would be fun to share it...

The bag we use isn't a true diaper bag - instead it’s a small backpack.  When Rowen was younger I carried a legit diaper bag, but now that she is older and needs less stuff, we've moved to something smaller.  The idea is that she will eventually take it with her to preschool, but for now it functions as a diaper bag and holds just enough to get us through a day of errands, a play date, or a family outing!  

Here is a quick list of what’s in this adorable little bag:

Diapers - Huge Up & Up fan 

 Antibacterial Hand Wipes - Always.

Extra Outfit - You just never know

Flushable Wipes - Easy peasy

Sun Screen - A summer must

Disposable Bibs - Love them

Take 'N Toss Sippy Cup - Best cups ever

Take 'N Toss Fork and Spoon - Who cares if you accidentally leave it at the restaurant

Disposable Placemats - No more nasty table germs

Snacks - GoGo SqueeZ are a favorite in our house

Book - Rowen is a book worm

 Crayola Play Pack - Perfect for on the go entertainment 

What's the best part about this bag you ask?  How about the fact that Rowen loves to carry it, which means I don't have to! :)

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Summer Staycation

Two weeks ago, Ryan and I took a week long "stay-cation" and it was marvelous!  As a mom who works full-time, I don’t get to do a lot of the fun things stay-at-home moms get to do with their kids in the summer.  So, it was my plan to become tourists of our own city and jam pack the week with fun things we could do as a family!

Local Wading Pool:  

The week started off warm so we decided to kick things off with a trip to the local wading pool!  This particular zero depth pool is a popular hangout for toddlers in our city and just so happened to be the perfect spot for Rowen to practice her most recent obsession, swimming like a mermaid...so funny!  We arrived right as the pool opened, let Rowen swim for a bit then took a break and had a picnic lunch.  Such a fun way to spend a warm summer day!

Science Center:  

Next up on the list was the Science Center!  The City of Des Moines has some great educational opportunities for kids, and the Science Center is definitely one of them.  I was a bit worried that Rowen was too young to get the full experience, but I was wrong.  There was a designated area for kids her age, which she loved, and we even got to hang out with Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street gang in the planetarium! For me, the best part of the entire visit was watching her figure out how each "science station" worked and seeing her interact with the other kids that were there!

Backyard Pool Day:

One of the gifts we gave Rowen for her birthday was a large, inflatable pool.  Rowen will take any chance she can get to swim, but sometimes it’s inconvenient to pack everyone up and head to the local pool.  Instead, we made our own fun in the backyard!

Natural Playscape:

Jester Park's Natural Playscape was the top "must see" item on my list for the week.  I'd heard a lot of good things about this park and decided I just had to see it!  The playscape is located inside Jester Park, a large state park, not too far from our house.  

Before I go into detail, I will warn you that the park is a bit tricky to find as it's sort of hidden at the back end of the park.  If you go, be sure to follow the signs as they direct you though the windy roads within the park and give yourself plenty of extra time! 

The information I had read about the playscape said it was designed for kids five years and older, but I would disagree.  Rowen is only two and had an absolute blast.  There are tons of things to keep a child younger than five entertained.  

• Archaeological Dig – A large sand pit filled with natural toys to dig with.

• Tree Tunnels – Gravel paths take you through the park and along the way you'll find hollowed out trees to crawl through

• Water play -  The park has a pool of water at the center, with a few small water features.   If you come to the park, be prepared for your child to get wet!  I would recommend bringing a change of clothes and water shoes.  The water was freezing, but Rowen loved it!

• Log Stairs - Small logs line a hill to create a climbing feature.  Going up was easy, going down was a bit more challenging - so neat!

• Bison Bluff -   One of the best things about this playscape was the company it keeps.  There are Bison roaming the area right next to the park!  Who knew!

That was our staycation in nutshell!  It was wonderful spending so much quality time together.  Ryan and I enjoyed our week so much that we agreed to try to do it every summer for the foreseeable future!

Thoughts on 30 & Little Friday Link-Up

Before I get into my post, I wanted to be sure to mention that today I am co-hosting Little Friday Link-Up up with one of my favorite blogs!  If you don't read Ashley's blog, The Grits, then you should probably start!  Thanks, Ashley!

Ash (Follow Here!) // Samantha (Follow Here!) //  Laura (Follow Here!)

Rules are there are no rules! 

Please link-up to whatever you like! 

All that we ask is, if you wish, please follow us via the links above and that you link back to this blog - so that other's can join in and mingle! 

Happy Little Friday Everyone!

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Now, onto today's post....

So last week it happened… I turned the big 3-0! 

When I was little I remember thinking that 30 was freaking ancient.  Great.

I guess it really hasn't hit me yet that I am actually 30 and maybe that’s because I still feel like I’m 23!

The past decade was very good to me.  In the last 10 years I graduated college, got my first real job, switched jobs, got married, bought a house, started a family, bought a different house, etc, etc.  So I can’t help but wonder, is it all downhill from here like they say?    

Should I all of the sudden become sophisticated?  Hopefully turning 30 doesn't mean I now need to watch PBS to get my news (sorry dad), add more fiber to my diet, or pay attention to the stock market.  Let's be real, I don’t do any of those things.  Instead, I watch Pretty Little Liars on Netflix, eat Teddy Grahams as a snack, and get my financial advice from Dave Ramsey’s twitter feed. 

I refuse to think that turning 30 means I've reached my peak – no way!  In my mind, there's no sense in being sad or depressed over it - I'll save that for when I turn 40 :)   I say bring it on 30, I'm ready for you!

Cheers to anyone else turning 30 this year, too!

Rowen's Elephant Party!

Our sweet, silly, little girl turned two years old last Sunday! 

There is not much I love more in this world than a birthday party, especially a well-planned themed party!  For the past month I’ve been planning an elephant theme for her second birthday!  I wanted to incorporate some of Rowen’s favorite things at her party, which just happened to include elephants, cake, cookies, hot dogs, and swimming!

Here are a few shots of all the cuteness…

The invitations:  If you've been following my blog, you know that I also do a little graphic design on the side of my everyday job.  Well, this summer I have been slammed with weddings I am designing for and (as bad as it sounds) just didn't have the time to do Rowen’s invitations, too.  So instead, I thought I’d go online and give another designer a chance at some business!  Within minutes of looking, I found these adorable invitations and just couldn't pass them up! 

Party Location:  Unlike last year, we decided it would be much easier to host the party in our own home.  However, the main floor of our house wasn't big enough to comfortably hold 30+ people so we decided to cross our fingers for good weather and have the majority of the party outside in the backyard.  It was hot out that day, but luckily there was a good breeze to help keep everyone cool!

The Guests: The guest list included aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, great grandparents and a few of Rowen’s little friends from daycare!

The Decor:  To keep it girly, I went with a teal, pink and gray color palate.  A majority of the decorations inside were focused on and around the cake table.  To start, I purchased cheap gray tablecloths and hung an adorable pink, gray and teal banner that read “Happy Birthday”.  I also utilized the chicken wire frame (a DIY project I did a few months ago) we have hanging on our dining room wall as the backdrop to display a “number 2” sign I made along with some recent pictures of the birthday girl!    

Scattered throughout the main floor of the house were teal, pink and gray balloons and few gray pom-poms.  I also hung this adorable elephant garland over the fireplace.

Outside in the front yard, the guests were greeted at door with this cute sign, which matched the invitations. 

Out back, where the majority of the party was being held, were a few tables decorated with gray tablecloths and a jar of peanuts as centerpieces.  We also hung a few paper lanterns, too!  For the kids at the party, we busted out the inflatable pool and filled it with lots of fun toys as entertainment – so easy!

The Food:  It was Ryan’s idea to do a hot dog bar!  I was originally just thinking of doing a grill out, but when Ryan suggested his idea, I was instantly on-board!  We had a variety of different toppings, which were a hit with the guests!   

For dessert there was cake, ice cream and chocolate chip cookies!  I ordered a simple marble flavored sheet cake designed to match her invitations…so cute!

The afternoon was spent eating, and opening gifts!

It was a great day shared with close family and a few of Ro's spunky little friends!  Rowen is truly a blessed little girl! 

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