First Day!

I haven't been this happy to see the weekend in a long time! Last week was my first full week of school, and let me tell you, I am worn out! I had teacher work days on Monday and Tuesday, and the kids came on Wednesday. It's going to take us a few weeks to get adjusted to this new schedule.

Eliza had her first day of school this week as well and she did great! I am so thankful that she loves her school. It's so comforting to know that she's happy there. I just wanted to pop in and share a few pictures from her first day.

First Day 2012 and 2013

What a difference a year makes! 

Five on Friday

Happy Friday! I survived my first week back at work. It wasn't a full work week, but you've got to ease in to it, right? I missed the past couple of Five on Friday link-ups because we've been so busy, but I'm back! This is an extremely random assortment of but here we go....

{One}
Happy 21st Birthday to my brother! Monty, I hope you have the best birthday on Sunday! BE CAREFUL this weekend!! I know you will be feeling stellar on Monday morning! :) I can distinctly remember when Mom and Dad told us they were having another baby and I remember how excited I was when I found out I was going to have a little brother. You have definitely lived up to the hype. You always keep us entertained and I couldn't ask for a better brother! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

{Two}
With the start of school right around the corner, I have seen a lot of blogs posts and articles about teaching, and while they are all great, this one really hit close to home for me. I thought it was beautifully written and I can totally relate to what she has to say.

What I Want the Parents of My Students to Know

{Three} 
My sister has been telling me that I need to watch New Girl for while. I had seen parts of the show, but I never really got in to it until now. Ryan and I have been watching reruns from the past season this summer, and we love it. It is hilarious and the humor is right up my alley. I can't wait for the new season to start next month.

{Four}
How cute are these Hatley rain boots?! I am thinking they will make a great birthday present for Eliza! I love all Hatley brand clothes and shoes.

{Five}
Last weekend Ryan and I went down to Charleston to visit my sister and some of our best friends for a couple of days. It was my last hoorah before school started and we had a great time. I forgot our good camera, but I did get some pretty good shots of us paddle boarding at Shem Creek. Believe it or not, that was my first trip to the beach all summer. I can't wait to go back! 

Kidspaces

I don't plan to move Eliza out of her crib until I absolutely have to (mainly because I don't want to have to buy a new bed right now), but I love looking at big girl rooms on Pinterest for inspiration. Here are a few of my recent favorites.

*All images via Pinterest 

Todder Must Haves 18-22 Months

I wanted to pop in and share a few of our favorite things for Eliza over the past few months. Today is my last day of summer and I'm trying to soak up all the time I can with my sweet girl. I have had the best time with her and I'm so sad it's over! These have been some of our go-to toys over the break.

• Munchkin Snack Catcher- We love these snack cups. They are great for on the go, especially in the car because Eliza can get her food without spilling it all over the place. 
• Wagon-Eliza loves cruising around the neighborhood in her wagon. The one in the picture above is Little Tikes, but we actually have the Radio Flyer one. I like the wagon because when Eliza has a friend over I can easily get both of them to the park because of the double seat.
• Disney Junior App-This app has been a lifesaver when we're out in public and Eliza's on the verge of a meltdown. I hate to be that mom that sticks the cartoons in front of her child when she's about pitch a fit, and I really do try to limit it, but sometimes you gotta do what you can to keep the peace. It's also helpful in the car when I'm driving on long trips by myself.
• Crayola Washable Watercolors-Eliza is turning into quite the little artist, just like her dad! She loves to paint with water colors and it's a great little activity to on our back porch (under the fan) on hot day.
• Ikea Toddler Table-Ryan and I got this little table the last time we were at Ikea and it has been perfect for Eliza. It's just the right size for her and the price can't be beat!
• Keens- My mom got these shoes for Eliza at the beginning of the summer and they have been great. They've help up really well and they are really easy to slip on and off. 
• Joovy Cooper Groove Stroller-We have a great jogging stroller, so I was really hesitant to spend more money on another one, but the jogging stroller is really bulky and hard to navigate in certain areas. We finally broke down and got a smaller, more portable one and it has been well worth the money.

House Tour-Dining Room

Hello there! I wanted to stop in and give y'all another look at the house. You can't really tell from these pictures, but the only structural changes we made to this room was to open up the doorway from the dining to the kitchen. Other than that we just painted and changed the light fixture.

Before:

After:

The Details: 

• Table-This table is on loan from a friend. We will eventually buy it from her or give it back and find another one to replace it. What we originally planned to use in here was way too big and didn't look right.
• Chairs-the four chairs around the table are from Carolina Imports in Columbia, SC (we recovered the seat cushions in orange fabric) and the two on the end are Ikea 
• Rug-just your basic seagrass rug from Rug&Home in Gaffney, SC 
• Chandelier-from Home Decorators-find it here
• Curtains-made by a seamstress here in Greenville 
• Painting-from Carolina Furniture and Interiors. On a side note, this is the only piece of art in our house that we bought. Everything else was either given to us or painted by Ryan or his mom.
• China Cabinet-from Stobler in Columbia, SC. It was on sale because it was dented in the back. In our old house we had this piece of furniture in our living room. We removed the shelves and put our TV in it, but now we are using it for what it was originally intended for.
• Plates in China Cabinet-The white ones are Juliska and the gold are Annieglass

22 Months

I can't believe that I will have a two year old in two short months! Eliza is full of personality and she is talking up a storm. Some of her favorite phrases include "hold you mama," (pick me up) "No TV,"(that's not what I want to watch) and "No no Belle! No no Sawyer!" (I think she's seen Ryan and I do this one to many times). She loves being outside, books, singing, drawing, and Elmo and "Mou Mou" (Mickey Mouse). As you can see, most of the time she needs her personal translator (me) to decipher what she's saying.

We still don't leave the house with out her lovie, which she refers to as her "bebe." Her favorite snack is Froot Loops; she calls them "toot loops" and wines very impatiently until we get them for her. Eliza is quite the little drama queen and tantrums are not uncommon these days. I am definitely learning to be more patient. However, along with the tantrums are the sweetest little moments like when she just looks up and me and puckers her sweet little lips for a big ole kiss or when we sit down for dinner and she crosses her hands and says "pray." Eliza, we love you so much and you bring such joy to our lives! Happy twenty two months!