Tuesday, March 31, 2015

10 Favorite Children's Easter Books


This weekend we sat down and compiled The Cute's Easter book favorites to add to their previous holiday selections. I love how Cute get so excited about this "job". 


Little Cute has all but abandoned her participation in this series. It doesn't involve food or climbing so she's out. 

As usual, I love hearing Cute's take on why he loves certain books. We have a ton of Easter books but he was able to narrow it down to his absolute favorites. 



--- THE CUTE'S TEN FAVORITE EASTER BOOKS ---

Oh my, I cannot tell you how many times I have read this book over the last few years. This was our first introduction into the Duck & Goose series and my son LOVED it. We read it over and over way past Easter, even now at four, he thinks it's funny to see where Duck and Goose should hide from the Easter bunny. It is a great board book for little ones!



2: Llama Llama Easter Egg by Anna Dewdney
This is a super simple and sweet book that Little Cute loves. Little readers follow Llama Llama and friends as they find fun Easter treats and surprises. The text rhymes and is short so Little Cute's attention span isn't exhausted. It's definitely one of her go-to's lately. 



3: Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure by Kimberly & James Dean
Pete the Cat books are always a favorite and this story is so fun. Pete has been enlisted by the Easter bunny to make sure Easter still happens. He leaves Pete a note stating to find eggs, decorate them, and deliver them. Once Pete completes his task the bunny returns and congratulates him on saving Easter. The book also includes a poster, stickers, and fun greeting cards kids can give to their friends for treats. Cute loved that he was able to pass out his own special cards with Pete on them. 



From one cat to the next. :) Splat is also a big hit and the Cute's think this lift the flap book is so fun. They follow Splat as he tries to find where the Easter bunny might be hiding so he can tell him exactly what he wants for Easter. He never finds that sneaky bunny and when Easter rolls around he is a little nervous until he finds the Easter bunny knew just what to get him. 



5: It's Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler
This isn't a typical Easter story, but it is super funny and kind of sends a fun message of "love who you are." The Cute's think it's hilarious to follow P.J. Funnybunny on a journey to become different animals after he decides he doesn't want to be a bunny anymore. Each animal he becomes just doesn't feel right and in the end he realizes being a bunny is what he is meant to be. The kids will laugh seeing the bunny try to become other animals. 



6: The Littlest Bunny in Georgia by Lily Jacobs
We shared on Instagram a few weeks ago that we had found this hometown story. The Cute's have instantly taken to it and just as we have said for past holidays, we love finding a story that includes a little home town love. There are other state and city versions as well.



7: Mater and the Easter Buggy by Disney Book Group
Cute received this book last year and it is a huge favorite. Like most little boys his age he LOVES anything with Lightning McQueen and Mater. In this story, Mater is trying to get a peek at the Easter Buggy and McQueen thinks he doesn't exist so he keeps trying do little things to help not disappoint Mater. In the end they both get a little Easter Buggy surprise. 



This book was recommended to us for children who read chapter books. The story follows AJ as he and his friends attend a large Easter egg hunt at the mayor's mansion. The mayor tells everyone the golden egg contains $1000 and the egg hunt gets taken to a wacky new level. The mom who suggested this warned though there might be some allusions to the fact the Easter bunny might not exist. She also loves the fact the book contains some puzzles and extras in addition to reading. 


This is another chapter book recommendation we found from a friend. You follow Junie B. as she gets invited to an exclusive egg hunt at a classmates mansion but somehow in the process gets coerced into wearing a bunny suit. A bunny suit with big feet that she keeps tripping over. She wants to win the prize, but can't seem to do that wearing the suit. The second grader who recommended this story informed me Junie B. is her absolute favorite. :) 



10: Stories of Easter
Here are a few of our favorite stories about Easter because it's most
 definitely not all about the bunny. :) These are by the same author, but span a few
different ages. 


This is the perfect little introduction to the origin of Easter for toddlers. It is a board book with easy text and colorful pictures. The message of Easter is relayed without overwhelming such young minds. 


This is also an easy book, and perfect for young minds who have shorter attention spans. It tells the beautiful story of Easter with a sentence or two per page. Perfect pre-kindergaten aged readers as well as early readers. 


That wraps up the Easter favorite list! Hope you and your little ones enjoy reading them together!



The Cute's previous holiday book favorites:



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Monday, March 30, 2015

What's In Our Baskets

With Easter only a hop skip and a jump away, we thought we share what the bunny will be bringing our little ones this year (he gave us a little behind the scenes intel).
My kids love their baskets. Years ago I bought them coordinating ones like these from Pottery Barn Kids (Currently they are on sale for $15.50 with free shipping.). They get so excited every year when I pull them out and instantly Cute starts practicing with pretend hunts all over our house.

I try to not go overboard with our baskets (operative word try) and usually do a mix of something they can do, something they can read or watch, and a few little treats and eggs. Here are some of my favorite things for this year:

~ Ages 0-2 ~


1: Stuffed Bunny - Nothing says Easter like a stuffed bunny. I found this adorable little Jellycat stuffed bunny for Little Cute and I already know it well receive lots of cuddles. It comes in a variety of sizes and colors, but I purchased this neutral one in medium. 


2: Hide & Squeak Eggs - This little Hide N Squeak Egg game is perfect for this age group and in keeping with the spring/Easter theme. Little ones crack on the eggs to reveal the chicks hiding inside. All are removable and interchangeable and when you press down on the chicks they even chirp. 



3: Books - Board books are always so fun and I found two for Little Cute's basket. Happy Easter Mouse by Laura Numeroff is a fun simple story that will most definitely appeal to this age group. I also purchased the Easter Bunny (Baby Touch and Feel) book by Roger Priddy. It has adorable rhyming pages filled with animals your little one can touch and interact with to encourage their senses and imagination. 

4: Treats & Fillers - This age group loves bubbles and that is just what Little Cute will be getting in her basket. I thought these Melissa and Doug butterfly bubbles were the perfect little addition (they also come in a cute turtle and snake option). 


Stickers are also a huge hit for Little Cute, and I found this reusable Easter sticker book. I love that she will be to use the stickers over and over considering she can go through a sheet of stickers in .2 seconds. 


~ Ages 3-5 ~   

1: Magnets - My son loves building things, especially with Lego's or blocks. This magnetic construction set is right up his alley and is great for helping with motor skill development. They make larger sets, as well as ones in pink/purple tones, but I thought this size was perfect to fit in an Easter basket. 


2: Big Hero 6 Movie - My son loved seeing Disney's Big Hero 6 a few months ago with Carrie Beth's son Boo-Boo. In fact, CB's hubby took all three of their children to see it again shortly after we saw it, and the girls loved it too. It was such an adorable movie that I thought it would be the perfect addition to his Easter basket. He is going to be so excited to see Big Hero 6 again!


3: Books - Doreen Cronin's Click Clack series is always a huge hit in our house. Click, Clack, Peep! is the newest addition to the series and I know Cute will be so excited to read this cute new story of Farmer Brown and the silly animals.


4: Treats & Fillers - I am all about the Annie's snack line and love that the Fruit Snacks, grahams, and crackers come in bunny shapes...perfect for Easter! I am also planning on putting some fun chapstick in Cute's basket. He loves using it just as much as his parents do and also loses those tiny little tubes just as much as his parents do. The bunny might just have to bring him a refill.


There you have it - our Easter basket sneak peek for this year. My children are still young and would love to hear your suggestions for older children's Easter basket treats!


Now it's time to share! What will be in your little ones baskets? 
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Sunday, March 29, 2015

Savvy Sassy Sunday



A few months ago we were given the honor of joining the Savvy Sassy Moms Team as a Product Scout. We've mentioned it here and there a few times, and if you follow us on Instagram or Twitter you might have participated in a giveaway or two, but we've never fully introduced our readers to what we would be doing.




The Savvy Sassy Mom's team is fabulous, and we couldn't be luckier to have gotten to know this talented and fun group of ladies. 

Our role within SSM is to join present readers amazing products that are on the market today. Sometimes we will be partnering with the entire Scout team and sometimes we will be sharing products that we personally think are nothing short of fabulous. Along the way we promise it will always be creative,  informative and, with a surprise or two thrown in for you, FUN!

Be sure to pop over to the Savvy Sassy Mom's website often and say hi. There is a little bit of everything from fashion to mommy tips, to vacation ideas. They also do tons of fabulous giveaways each month and have a great one going on now in partnership with Baby Bjorn. You don't want to miss it!


To learn the details of their March Baby Bundle Giveaway click HERE.


We can't wait to share some fun Savvy Sassy things with you guys over the next few weeks!

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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Fashion Fix: Lilly for Target

I cannot contain my excitement! It is less than one month until Lilly Pulitzer's collaboration with Target launches, and this week they released their Look Book and some additional peeks at the line as well as the pricing. Nothing is over $40!!

The Today Show did a little mini fashion show to show case some of the pieces, and I swooned! Then Carrie Beth sent me a link to the Target look book, and we both were swooning. There is a little something in each category: Women's, Women's Plus, Girls, Jewelry, Home Decor, Dining, Outdoor, and on and on and on. Every single piece is so fun and I am anxiously awaiting the April 19th release date!

I  am so excited I told Mr. Cute that I thought we should schedule our first family camping trip for April 18th at our local Target. I was joking of course. 

Sort of. 

I think Mr. Cute might be currently having a panic attack. 

Here are just a few of my favorites: 

This wine stopper set is simply darling!!

These napkins with the little pom poms are adorable and will be so fun for hosting a shower or a summer cookout!

And speaking of pom poms, I simply must get my hands on these adorable shorts!

I've been looking for a new spring/summer tote and I just might have to hold out a few more weeks. 

 The Nosie Posey pattern is so fun! I loved it in this dress...

 ...and in this top!

These gold espadrilles! I can't wait to introduce them to my other shoes. 

And while we are talking about shoes, these little girl ones are adorable!

This rash guard swim suit set for little girls is so classic Lilly. I love it! 
(Side note: It is online only. If you aren't near a Target on April 19th, visit their website for exclusive online only items.)


Back to the Nosie Posey pattern. Love it!

They even have a few beauty accessories launching. I love these little patterned bobby pins. 

And they've collaborated with Essie for coordinating nail polish colors. Yay!

Isn't it all so fun? Will you be visiting a Target on April 19th? Camping out maybe? 

If you need a little Lilly to hold you over until Target's launch, here are some of my favorites from their current line. You might need something to wear to the Target party right?  

I love this Elsa top in First Impression
I have a few of these tops and they are so flattering and comfortable. 

These Spring dresses are so fun!
Fit & Flare Dress | Charlene Dress | Janice Dress


The Buttercup shorts with their scalloped hem are just too cute!

I am so excited! Which are your favorite pieces?

 Live life colorfully!


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Friday, March 27, 2015

Orlando - Day 4 {Disney World}

Happy Friday, Friends!!!  I've had so much fun sharing all about trip to Orlando to see the Braves Spring Training and to visit Disney.  To read all about the other days of our trip, check out the links below. 


On our final day in Orlando all I wanted to do was sleep.  Seriously!  Disney is exhausting, but knowing this was our last day I really wanted to make the most of it, so we were up and ready to go bright and early.  We had to go ahead and check out of our room so we quickly got packed up, had the hotel hold our bags, grabbed a quick breakfast, and again rode the shuttle to the Magic Kingdom.  


Very early on we tried to ride a lot of the rides in Fantasy Land before it got crowded and we succeeded.  We rode the Tea Cups (twice)...





...then Dumbo...




...then Barnstormer (twice)...


...and finally the classic carousel.  



Around this time we were scheduled for our first Fast Pass and we made our way to ride Ariel's Undersea Adventure.  The kids liked it, but they all kept asking when it was going to go fast. Ha!  They all love the speedy rides best.



After the ride we stopped in a few gift shops to let the kids look for a souvenir.  We had told them they could each pick one thing. Boo-Boo actually picked his with no trouble the day before.  He wanted a Buzz Lightyear "grabber" as he calls it.  It looks like the things you pick up trash with so you don't have to actually bend over to pick it up.  In fact, I saw the people working at Disney using something very similar to pick up trash.  I have no clue why he wanted it, but he did so we let him have it.

Little Mama settled on a pair of earrings that had her birthstone and a princess pen...both great choices in my book.

And then there is Blondie.  This girl cannot make a decision to save her life.  And it isn't just about which souvenir to pick.  She is this way with EVERYTHING.  What shoes to wear, how to wear her hair, what book she wants to read at night, what snack to take for school.  She will hem and haw over the simplest decisions for worry that she will make the wrong choice.  We went back and forth between 2 gift shops at least 4 times before we finally forced her to pick.  And you want to know what she settled on...a Frozen coffee mug.  Yep, all of that for a coffee mug.  :-) Whatever.  She was happy and has proudly sipped her hot chocolate from it at home.  Part of her back and forth paid off though because one of the employees at the store saw and he sprinkled magic fairy dust on her hair.


Around this time everyone was needing a break and I was happy to learn earlier in the day that the parade that is usually at 3 PM would also be happening at noon that day, which meant we would get to see it!  This is one of my favorite things about Magic Kingdom.  We found a shady spot, parked ourselves and the stroller, and waited for about 30 minutes for it to begin. Mr. went off to find us some lunch and the kids were content to just sit and relax for a little while.  We ate in the shade and then it was time for the parade!  It was fun seeing all of our favorite characters sing and dance on amazing floats.  






Of course the girls loved the princesses and Tinkerbell best, but Boo-Boo loved Captain Hook and this dragon.



And no parade at Magic Kingdom would be complete without Mickey and Minnie!  


After the parade we split up and took advantage of some more Fast Passes.  The boys went to visit Mickey...


While the girls said a quick hello to Rapunzel and Cinderella.  



After meeting back up we did one more switchero.  The girls went with the Mr. to ride Space Mountian, which was their absolute favorite ride of the entire trip.  While they were off doing that I took Boo-Boo back to his favorite ride, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and then finally it was time to head out.  We got frozen lemonade on our way out of the park and sat together to eat it while we waited on our shuttle.  While we were sitting there recapping our trip, Blondie said she hopped she wasn't dreaming.  I asked her why and she said because she'd just had the best time and hoped it all really happened.  That was the sweetest possible thing we could have heard and the best way to end our trip.

For memory's sake, we'll just pretend that is when the trip ended and forget about the long security lines, rushing through the airport, dealing with a very tired and very cranky 3 year old who didn't want to ride in the stroller, me swearing we will never all bring carry-on luggage again, and the exhaustion we all were feeling when the "magic" of Disney had worn off.  I'm going to let all of that just slip out of my mind and remember ending on the good note.

Seriously though, it was an amazing trip, the kids were as well behaved as they could be (considering one of them was 3 years old) and I know we all made memories as a family that we will be talking about for years to come.  And that, my friends, is what matters most!
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