Payton's 5th birthday is right around the corner!!!

My little girl is turning 5 this Sunday. And I am enjoying it so much this year. This Sunday we're having a birthday part here at the house for her and some of her friends. We have decided to go with the "hello kitty" theme. So I made up some invitations for her, and even though they took me longer than expected.. I think they came out great! One's that I know she's going to be proud of!! I've also have to make the Happy Birthday Banner, but my enlist some help from my sisters CriCut.. ;) It would save me so much time and more time lol. I have some awesome game ideas though. We're going to play musical "bows". Instead of chairs, they have to step on Hello Kitty Bows :). They will also be playing Pin the Bow on the Kitty.. and instead of the typical goodie bags, they will be taking home little piggy banks that they have painted themselves :) I can't wait, it will be a bunch of fun.. and the best part is Payton is going to have a blast!!! She is the sweetest thing when she gets surprised! and she doesnt need "big" surprises... she lights up by simply looking over at her and saying "I Love you babydoll!"

I am so proud to be her mom! She is the light of my life. And when I need a little pick me up, I don't even have to ask and she's right there hugging my leg! I might get tired of her endless singing.. but I will never get tired of her "I love you's!" I might get a little worn down by the constant dancing, and outfit changing... but I will never get tired of her asking me to do all those things with her.. My little girl is turning 5.. but she's still just a baby in my eyes!! Happy Early Birthday Baby Girl!

My latest obsession... PINTEREST!

Ok, If you haven't heard of this.. then prepare yourself. It's a website that my husbands sister showed him and then my husband introduced it to me... it's a place where you can "pin" you likes and LOVES to a "board". And your friends or strangers can see. You can be mindlessly surfing the web, and come across a picture, or craft, outfit, or a pair of shows that you love.. and you simply "pin" it and it's on your board. you can categorize them, and share them with friends. you can look on other people's pages, and find some other "loves" or must haves!! Anyway.. It's amazing! I love it! and I can't help but let it consume me. I've been mindlessly searching Pinterest for the last 2 hrs and decided I had to say something about how much I LOVE THIS THING!! lol.. I've found so many amazing decor ideas, crafts to do with the kids, and some of the most amazing recipes I can't wait to try! And i've been able to find some style inspiration too! Im telling you.. if you haven't tried this yet.. try it.. you will love it <3

Here's the link to my page.. but viewers beware.. HIGHLY ADDICTING <3
http://pinterest.com/jsp080711/

A Night on the Town

Went out tonight after dinner. Stopped by to get a few chocolate dipped ice cream cones. The kids enjoyed them very much. Mommy not so much.. they were beyond a giant mess. Im not sure if it's because the chocolate is warm when they dip the ice cream, or the ice cream was just so soft, but they were dripping EVERYWHERE. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. I had Jeff pull over so I could wipe Noah and Payton down from head to toe.. Literally lol. But the cool thing was, that because we had to pull over we were able to spot some amazing houses dawned in Christmas Lights. They were beautiful! And it was pretty neat to hear the "oohs, and aahhs" coming from the back seat. After we went around a few blocks we came to the town square, where they had a 30 foot tall Christmas Tree. It was absolutely gorgeous. It's one of the few moments we dont have a camera with us, and I wish we did. I didnt even have my phone with me because I left it at home :( So i was pretty bummed to miss the photo opp.. but there will be another trip to the town square because there were just too many pictures missed. After gawking at the tree, we decided to play catch the monster lol. This is when Noah lets out is "rawr" and we all chase one another. It's these little moments that make the night. Like I said, I dont have a picture of tonight's events, but I will upload one on the follow up post. 

Happy Holidays :)

Christmas Spirit

This weekend has been a great one so far. We're settling in and getting ready for Christmas. We've had our tree up for a few weeks now, but my mother inlaw surprised Payton with her very own Pink christmas tree. So Payton and I sat down and put the ornaments together and put them on the tree. To see the joy in her face makes me so happy. She feels so special from the smallest things and it's amazing to have an almost 5 year old remember what really matters. You dont have to spend tons of money, or buy extravagant things to bring a smile to someones face.

We also sat down last night and made Christmas cards for some very special people. We used Payton's and Noah's handprints for the santa beards. Googly eyes for the eyes lol, and felt stickers for the cheeks. We also used scrapbook paper and ribbon for the hats. Payton Noah and I had so much fun just hanging out and making a few cards. Just really enjoyed spending the time with them. There's a few more "crafty" things I want to try with them, and make a few treats that are "Christmas" themed, and tasty too! I'll keep it updated and post some pictures of the crafts we try. What's your favorite craft to make during the holidays?

A Day at the Park

Today we had our first "meetup" play date at the park. Im not sure if you've ever been apart of a meetup group, but once i start, i kind of get addicted. Much like everything else I do. Anyways, I took Noah and Payton to the park this morning, to hopefully make some new friends while having lots of fun. When we got there, I wasnt quite sure who to look for. And was a little nervous about asking random people if they were apart of the group I was supposed to be meeting.lol B Especially when the first two women I ask, looked at me blankly and said "no?" haha, well as the morning goes, and I stand alone. Payton is talking to this lady with a little baby, and she tells here that she likes the play called "little red walking hood" and the nice lady said "dont you mean little red Ridinghood?" and Payton says "NO, little RedWalking hood..." lol. Well the lady laughed and it broken the ice for me to go talk to her. And sure enough after about 5 minutes of conversation, she told me that she was waiting for her moms group to show up. So there we go.. we were waiting for the same group :) The kids continued to play at the park, and tucker themselves out, while my new friend Becky and I were able to have a grown up conversation. I have to say I didnt realize how I was craving a conversation with another mom until today, and I was so happy to have gotten my fill. Even though I got to meet Becky today, the other 2 moms (including the host of the playdate) were noshows lol.. Maybe next time.  All i know is that we had a great time, and I look forward to the next one.

Thanksgiving with the Family :)

We all know and love the holiday season. Which is your favorite Holiday? Mine has to be Thanksgiving. It's the one holiday that's all about family, and love, and great food. I think it's very true to the tradition. Even if you forget, or your kids don't know the true meaning. The feast of the Pilgrims and Native Americans, the unity and coming together is what we do with our friends and family. It's not about presents, or who got what. It's about coming together with the people we love and sharing a good meal. 
This year, we went to my sister in laws house, and it was a wonderful day. It was the first time I have ever had a "brine" turkey and it was amazing. By far the juiciest turkey I've ever had. It was also the first time I had ever tried collard greens, ALSO amazing! I did bring my staple dishes. Green bean casserole, candied yams, and I made little Pilgrim Hats out of Chocolate Covered Marshmallows. They were yummy and kid friendly :) We stuffed ourselves with pumpkin cheesecake and Lemon Chess Pie.. yum yum. Just thinking about it makes the cravings kick it. I think I will make a "Thanksgiving" style meal more often, maybe 2 or 3 times a year instead of just once. mmmhmm.

Our Present

We've recently moved to Orlando. I have to say that I am more than enjoying the sun and warm weather in these  winter months. Payton started school, and she is LOVING it! and honestly, so am I. There are many things that we want to see, and experience here in Orlando, and cant wait to see all it has to offer. Noah turned 2 in November. and I cant believe he has gotten so big. Everyday he looks bigger than the day before. The way he is talking, and following around his sister. It's exciting to watch. Payton is going to be 5 in a little over a week, and it's almost like I'm losing my little girl. Dramatic I know, but you havent heard the way she talks to me. "mom, i cant do this, it's ridiculous" or "mom, this conversation is too intense?" WHAT IS THAT? She's not even 5 yet.. guess it's just a glimpse of my future right? Jeff and I have been enjoying the married life. And although it is different, I kind of feel that we were married years ago :) But it's so amazing to officially be a "Palumbo".