Our Christmas 2015

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, celebrating with two boys and with our family.  Ethan got beyond spoiled and Wyatt was just happy to observe this year {though he also got spoiled as well! }.  I feel like the season FLEW by...I hate how that happens.  Every year, I try to slow down and take it all in and then all of a sudden Christmas just shows up!

We got a huge snow storm on Christmas Eve...which made Ethan absolutely giddy!  He loved "helping" dad snow blow all day!

Ethan's jacket

We hosted our first Christmas Eve dinner...and made ciopinno!  It was delicious!  I also had fun decorating our table for the occasion.

We spent Christmas morning at our house...it was SO fun seeing Ethan open all his presents!

Ethan's pajamas // Wyatt's pajamas

Then we went to Grandma's and Pop pop's to open more presents with the rest of the family.  Look at that stunning backdrop!

Boy's chairs

The day after Christmas was my birthday...so we went for a nice walk and enjoyed the bluebird skies!

Double Stroller

That night, my brother and sister-in-law drove up {ELEVEN HOURS!} and we went out to a yummy dinner. 

The next day, my girlfriend and I enjoyed a spa day for our birthdays and had lots of yummy wine and food too!  It was the perfect way to spend our birthdays!

 

Don't we look nice and relaxed?!

Tonight, my other brother and his girlfriend are driving up and my sister-in-law and her husband are in town, so we're having a BIG Christmas/birthday celebration.  Cannot wait!

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas!

xo natasha

Our 2015 Christmas Card

I truly love our card this year...having a family of four for the first time this Christmas makes it that much more special too!  My super talented friend and photographer, Darcy of Artyard Photography, nailed it again this year and Minted always has the prettiest cards.  We opted for the rose gold foiled-pressed option this year and I love how it brought out the color of those gorgeous mountains in the background without overwhelming our picture.

Can you believe Christmas is THIS Friday?!  Ahh!  Slow down time!

xo natasha

PS...you can check out last year's card here!

My Favorite Holiday Dresses

Look 1: Dress + Earrings + Clutch + Heels

Look 2: Dress + Earrings + Clutch + Flats

Look 3: Dress + Earrings + Clutch + Heels

Whether it's for Christmas or New Year's Eve, I love dressing up for the holiday season!  I am absolutely obsessed with these three gorgeous dresses!  They're definitely investment pieces, but since they're a take on the LBD {little black dress} I think they're also super versatile!  They can later be worn to weddings or winter cocktail events.

Which one would you wear?

xo natasha

Gift Guide // For Her

And by "her", I mean me!  :)  With Christmas and my birthday coming up, I had to put my thinking cap on  as to what I would love for myself...and hopefully inspire some of your wish lists too!

S'well Water Bottle: Well, these things are everywhere and I mean everywhere right now!  I think they even sell them at Starbucks.  So naturally, I must have one!  ;)

Valentino Sunglasses: My bestie has these and I love them!  So funky and cool!

Ear Crawlers: So festive and fun for this time of year!

New Coffee Mugs: My co-worker has these and they're the perfect size for morning coffee.  Yes please!

Tweezers: Good tweezers are hard to come by, and these are my tried and true favorites.  They're definitely in need of replacement!

Stella Perfume: I've had this fragrance on my list for years and another bestie was wearing it over the summer and I just can't seem to get my mind off it!  It smells so good!

Adult Coloring Book + Coloring Pencils: I've decided this is my most wanted gift this season, but it comes with a caveat: I want a glass of wine and some alone time to go along with this gift!  Ha!  I've heard it's really relaxing...sign me up!

Truffle Pouch: A great way to keep your things together, whether it's your purse, beach bag or diaper bag.  Plus, they're cute!

So, what do you have on your wish list this year?!

xo natasha

Happy 11 Months Wyatt!

11 months...how can that be?  This time last year, we were in the midst of the holidays and anticipating Wyatt's sweet arrival the next month.  And now, he's here and less of an infant and much more of a toddling baby.  I am trying to take it all in---I just love the stage where they're mobile, but still so snuggly.  He's still a baby, but will soon be a toddler.  Wah!  Slow down time!

Wyatt's little personality is emerging more by the day.  He's very in touch with his surroundings and is starting to develop the art of the younger brother role.  He wants everything that Ethan wants and will be very dramatic when he doesn't get his way.  He will also cry incessantly when Ethan is crying...to show his empathy skills, perhaps?  Ethan can be SO sweet with Wyatt and he can also be such a punk too.  We will often find Wyatt screaming crying since Ethan pushed him over or took a toy of his.  Ugh, brothers.

Wyatt can be pretty easy going, but also very high maintenance!  He loves to be held, but other times he'll roam the house with ease.  He's pulling up on everything and starting to show signs of cruising.  I bet he'll walk in the next two months or so, which is about the time that Ethan started to walk.  He babbles constantly and says "Da Da" pretty easily, though no mama yet.

He's very attached to both me and Ryan and doesn't like to be passed off--he's definitely got a heavy dose of stranger danger at the moment.

Wyatt's getting into 12 months jammies but wears 6-12 in most everything else.  He's in size 3 diapers and I swear his little feet fit into 0-3 shoes...just like his brother!

Other milestones include:

Crawling and has rug burns on the top of his feet to prove it
Pulling up on everything--including his crib
Ate pancakes and spaghetti for the first time this past month
Says "Da Da"--first word
Cruising
Can take a couple steps with his push toy
Loves cheerios
Cut his top left front tooth and the other one is on his own
Spent his first pre-Christmas in Orange County with my family
Can wave, point and high five.  Still working on clapping

You can see Ethan's 11 month update here.

xo natasha

Gift Guide // For Couples

Ryan and I decided that this year for Christmas, we would buy one combined gift for each other, versus buying separate gifts to exchange.  We did that a couple years ago when we bought our fridge and I am really happy with our investment.

Here are some ideas worth splurging on this Christmas:

New Mattress:  We're planning to buy a king size mattress as our gift and we've been researching online companies to test out a mattress.  There are so many options out there, but we've definitely got our eye on the Leesa.

New Sheets: These are hands down our favorite sheets--they're so so soft and comfortable!

Roku: Such a fun gift to buy for each other!  We use our streaming service to rent movies all the time.  It's the only way to sneak in date night, at home!

Luggage: New luggage is always worth investing in--and while you're at it, you may as well plan for a couple's trip away!  ;)

Projecting Alarm Clock: We have one of these next to our bed--it projects the time up on the ceiling so you can sneak a peek of the time and knowingly catch some extra zzzz's before it's time to wake up!

Nespresso: We use ours every morning--it's one of our favorite gadgets!

Fancy Wine Glasses: Good wine glasses really do make wine taste better.  Definitely worth the investment!

Cookware Set: We're in need of new pots and pans--not the most exciting gift, but every time you cook, you'll thank yourselves!

Have you ever bought a combined couple gift?  Any other ideas to consider?

xo natasha

Gift Guide // For Toddler

And by toddler, I mainly mean toddler boy, because, hey--that's what I know!

Lego Duplos: Ethan is obsessed with duplos and would actually just prefer the a block set, but this firetruck crane set is pretty cute too!

Buzz Lightyear: This Buzz is legit--and expensive!  There is one on Amazon for less, but the reviews are all over the place.  Either way, Ethan is obsessed with Toy Story and has been requesting a Buzz Lightyear {and Woody too!} ever since we got into the movies.  Another idea is the Minions movie...which we just got and Ethan loves!

Ok to Wake! Alarm Clock:  Ethan's internal clock has been off ever since daylight savings time.  I've heard great things about this alarm clock, which turns colors when it's time to wake up and also serves as a nightlight.  And hey, if it keeps us from having an super early riser in the morning, I am all about that!

View Master: Do you remember these things?  Ethan has one at school that he loves.

Anywhere Chair: I bet Ethan would love to have his own little spot to watch movies and read!  And it can be personalized!

Garbage Truck: Bruder makes the best trucks...they're super realistic and big!  Several of Ethan's buddies have this garbage truck and Ethan has been eying it for some time.

Play Toaster: Something to add to Ethan's growing kitchen collection.

Dragons Love Tacos Book: When in doubt, we can never go wrong with books.  This one looks super cute!

What's on your toddler's wish list this year?

And in case you missed it, you can check out baby's gift guide here.

xo natasha

Mealtime with OXO Tot

Mealtime with a toddler can tend to be a difficult job!  With Ethan not longer being contained in a highchair, he is constantly distracted while eating and literally eats on the go!  Admittedly, as a family, we usually eat our meals in shifts--first the boys and then the adults.  And it's very casual--think eating at the island on a stool.  

So when OXO Tot reached out about having us test out their Perch Booster seat and accompanying dish and silverware, I jumped at the chance!

The seat itself is great.  It's very slim and streamlined--feels more like a "big boy seat" than a booster.  It's easy to clean, fold down for easy storage, and it matches our highchair...score!

 The divided plate allows for portion control and even has a section in the middle for dipping sauce!  And the fork and spoon set are perfect for grubby little hands!

If you can't tell, Ethan is pretty excited about having his own place at the table now.  Hey, with any luck, we might even get him to start eating veggies!  ;)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xo natasha

Our Thanksgiving 2015

Red Garland + Knit Stocking + Firetruck Stocking + Colorful Mini Ornaments

We had a nice, low key Thanksgiving Weekend complete with a a snowy scene up here in Tahoe.  It was Wyatt's first Thanksgiving--and our first Thanksgiving as a family of four!  We got to spend it with Ryan's family {including Ethan's cuzzies pictured above!} and had two full days of stuffing ourselves silly!  The best part of being in town for Thanksgiving?  We got our tree up and decorated the same weekend!  Hooray!

And now, of course, it's perfectly acceptable to play Christmas music non-stop, light Christmas candles and bake lots of cookies!  :)

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xo natasha