Hailey's Disney World Themed First Birthday Party

Last month, we celebrated sweet Hailey’s first birthday! It seems like just yesterday she was born and my greatest adventure began. But now she’s already a person with a tiny personality and my very best friend. I wanted her first birthday party to be something simple but memorable, and hopefully something where she would have fun! As I had shared last month, we did a Disney World themed party, mostly because I LOVE Disney! This theme was a little bit challenging but I relied on the color scheme to keep it all cohesive- as usual! 

Here are some more details about the party plus some planning tips if you’re interested in throwing a Disney World party of your own! I’ll provide sources for everything I had as well, so you can copy and paste this party for yourself!

*This post contains affiliate links

This party was different than most others because I had help! My SIL and sister stayed over the night before to help me set up. We mostly cleaned, prepared a few decorations and chatted over a glass of wine. However, that was a nice change over the usual pre-party prep where I’m running around the house setting up, baking, or trying to finish a project. Sometimes simultaneously! It was also super helpful to discuss the plan the night before so that the next day, I didn’t have to explain things as I was hurriedly trying to set up. I’ve realized my brain gets overloaded during times of pressure, and trying to explain what I need help with takes twice as long as doing it myself. Mostly because I can’t find the words! I’m not perfect, even though I may appear to be sometimes. Anyone who’s come to a party I’ve thrown can attest to that, hah! 

For more info about planning a party, I’ve got a whole series! You can learn more about how to plan a party in 10 steps, my favorite places for supplies, and 5 easy steps for party setup.

We bought a tent! Since this was the third large party we threw in our yard, I figured we should probably have the supplies we need. In the past, John’s amazing cousin has lent us tents, tables and chairs. He’d pack up his pickup truck and come early to help us set up, driving hours each way and staying until the end of the event to clean up too. We’ve appreciated it SO much but it seemed like a good time to get some supplies of our own. So, we got this great pop-up event tent on amazon plus 2 sets of these white folding chairs. We already had several of these folding tables that we got from family, bar height tables and a folding indoor/outdoor serving cart so now we are ready for any party that comes our way! 

For the food, we kept it simple with pizza. I orginally planned to print out a Pizza Planet logo for it, but that went out the window. I totally forgot, and pre-kids Cathy would probably have done it during the party, scrambling to find the right size logo and print out 3 copies until it was just right. After-kids Cathy said oh well. The little things in life add up and I’m trying to be less of a perfectionist these days!

The hit of the party was the inflatable pool filled with balls! I knew I wanted to do a ball pit, but I kinda went back and forth on whether it was worth the money or not. We already had the pool and used it all summer long, but I knew I’d need a lot of balls to fill it. In the end, I’m SO glad I got it! The kids loved them and it was so cute to see everyone playing together. Hailey especially loved it! I originally wanted to get pink balls but picked this set for future kids that may end up being boys! It just seemed better for long term, plus I thought these colors were still pretty cute- a slight change from the regular rainbow! For reference, I purchased 1200 balls for a 3-person pool. 

I loved the dress we got for Hailey for her party! I orginally wanted a Disney themed dress (for both of us) but they were too big. So, I went back to the drawing board and ordered a few options including a Cinderella dress, a Minnie dress, and this sweet pink tulle dress. I loved the layers, so I picked this one! It also came with the cutest hat that we used for her cake smash session and for wearing during the party!

Speaking of cake smash, we ended up doing an impromptu cake smash during the party! I went to BJs to get some cakes for the party and saw a small one. I figured I’d get it because Hailey went wild during her cake smash photoshoot and I was a little nervous she’d do it again during the party. I don’t mind eating her smashed up cake, but others might! She turned out to be very well behaved with her cake but her cake smash session was so cute that I ended up letting her have another. After all, you only turn one once! She went wild and everyone loved it. We got some great photos and videos, including her feeding John some cake. When I asked for some, she gave me side eye. 

We did the cake smash in front of this awesome It’s A Small World backdrop that I rush ordered from Etsy. I was originally planning to get it printed myself but then decided against it. The seller was SO nice and responsive, and I ended up getting the background just in time for the party! I plan to put it up in either Hailey’s room or a future playroom someday. It’s also got a great memory attached to it now!

On the invitation (which I made myself on Canva), I told people to feel free to Disneybound. Since I love dressing for a theme, I went with a Minnie Mouse vibe unintentionally! I usually wear Minnie ears at Disney World, so that was a given. I had bought a T-shirt for the party but I ended up disliking the way it looked with my tutu skirt. I headed back up to my closet for an alternative and decided on a sparkly tank. As I was turning to leave the closet, I saw my pink bow boots and knew I HAD to wear them! And thus, a golden princess Minnie Disneybound was born. PS- This is my husband “being happy”

Other people were just as creative in the outfit dept. We had a lot of Snow Whites, Minnie Mouses, and even 2 dwarves! A friend of mine dressed up as the white rabbit from Alice In Wonderland which was pretty awesome! She had ears, a vest and everything. I love when people dress up with me. I’m always looking for an excuse!

Overall, the party was super fun and casual which is exactly what I wanted. Gone are the days where I can’t enjoy the party because I am so concerned with everything being perfect, and fretting over the things that didn’t get done. Nowadays, I’m happy if the decor is cute and the bathroom is clean! 

Sources:

Setup: event tent. white folding chairs. these folding tables. bar height tables. folding indoor/outdoor serving cart. Ball Pit Balls.

Decor: It’s a Small World Backdrop. Carousel. Pastel Fans and Paper Poms. Striped Fans. Once Upon A Time Banner. Tablecloth. Princess Kit. Gold Minnie Ears. Black Ears.

Tableware: Napkins. Napkins. Castle Cupcake Stand. Pink and Gold Cups.

Hailey’s outfit: pink tulle dress.

My outfit: tutu skirt. Gold Minnie Ears. Pink Boots (similar). Sparkly Tank Top.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures from Hailey’s birthday party! What do you think of a Disney World theme for a party? I can definitely see SO many more ways to make it big if you wanted to! Let me know in the comments below.

The Perfect Accessory for Every Outfit (under $14!)

I’ve got the accessory that will make every outfit look even better and the best part is that it costs less than $14. Oh wait did I say accessory? I meant accessories because this is a pack of 12 headbands for only 14 bucks. Yep you read that right and I’m excited about it too! I recently purchased a headband from Five Below and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever even wear it. I’ve always liked headbands but felt silly wearing them. However, I found that I wanted to add a punch to my outfits and cover up those baby hairs that popped up with my postpartum hair loss. Since then, I’ve been wearing headbands multiple times a week! Since I really only have 3, I went onto Amazon to see what I could find. That’s when I found this awesome mixed pack!

Although I can’t say I love every single headband in this pack, it’s so affordable that it’s worth it. There’s definitely several styles I would wear for less than the cost of buying just one in a store. For the few headbands I won’t wear, I’ve decided I’m going to give them out to friends that I think would love them so that hopefully I can encourage them to add a little pizzazz to their outfits too.!

When it comes to wearing headbands, people may ask how to wear them. Well I’m gonna start by saying the way to wear a headband is by just wearing it. I know that sounds silly and probably not the answer you were looking for, but it’s the truth. Just wear it! It’s going to feel silly at first (I know definitely did for me!) but soon enough you’ll realize that it’s really not a big deal and you actually love wearing them. You can wear them with pretty much any outfit or add them to any hairdo. Just give it a shot!

Personally, I love wearing my headbands with a little bit of my hair towards the front, or to hold all those little baby hairs when my hair is in a bun. They can also jazz up a braid which is really fun since braids can sometimes seem a little stuffy. 

One of the things that been struggling with lately is how to store these headbands, because if you stuff them away somewhere you’ll probably never wear them again. Out of sight, out of mind- you won’t even know they exist anymore. So I’ve come up with a solution for you! I bought one of these headband holders that I can put on my dresser or in my closet for only $16. If you own headbands, you need this organizer! It’s non-negotiable friends. Just add it to your cart already.

If this set isn’t the exact style that you like, don’t worry – I’ve got a solution for you.

If you like soft headbands, try these out. I love wearing these when my hair’s in a bun, since they slip right on. I think it’s a lot harder to use these when you have your hair down. Personally, I don’t love that there’s essentially a scrunchie on me and they seem to move a lot, which is why I prefer the hard ones!

If you prefer a bow headband, try this pack. I have a similar pink striped one which I love. I think it’s so cute for adding a slightly preppy touch to an outfit, like my varsity sweater. 

If you’re a simple person who thinks this is way too many headbands, try a smaller three pack. They all have a gold trim which looks super elegant and since it comes in a range of colors, you’ll still have a headband for every outfit! I’m super tempted to buy this one too!

And, if you think that all these patterns are way too much and will clash with your outfits, try this pack of solid colored headbands. I love the lighter colors like the yellow and the coral, which I think would be great for fall!

No matter which pack you buy, it’s so much fun to add a headband to your outfits for a little bit of extra fun. It’s also great for wearing them around the house, even if you’re just wearing your PJs! I’d like to try to look put together, especially as a SAHM/WAHM, since getting out every day can be a challenge. Also, at this price point you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank! Even if you only wear four or five of the headbands out of the pack, just to be getting them for a steal compared to the cost in stores. And I really love the idea of giving these out to friends so they can accessorize their outfits too. You could even have a friend get in on it, where you buy one of the packs and they buy another, and then you share all the headbands and pick out all your favorites. 

So pick your favorite pack, and make the purchase right now so that you don’t forget. Or even worse, before you convince yourself that you can’t wear a headband! And, send this post to a friend that you think would love to accessorize her outfits too. I really think that it’s important to try new things, especially when it’s love to keep her off it’s pretty simple on the daily. Doing something like adding a headband can make an outfit feel so much more glam, even if it’s just a tee and jeans. Plus, if you pop that headband storage in your cart, you’re still under $30 and you’ll know that you have a place to keep them where they won’t be hidden or an eyesore!

So what do you think? Have I convinced you? Did I save your life by finding the perfect solution for your overflowing headband collection? Let me know in the comments below!

10 Reasons Why I Love thredUP

I’ve recently started shopping on thredUP and I am hooked. Like, head over heels, can’t-sleep-cuz-I-keep-thinking-about-you in love with them. At night I find myself on their app, scrolling for hours and dreaming about our future together. It’s because thredUP has some amazing deals. Like, “holy crap can this be right?” type of deals. As someone who loves a deal we’re a match made in heaven.  

Before I share why I love thredUP sooo much, I want to share my special link that will get you $10 off your first order with thredUP. Depending on what you purchase, this can be equal to a free item! Click here to get $10 off your first order.

Without further ado, here’s 10 reasons why I love thredUP so much!

1. You can find name brand stuff for way less than in stores.

What are your favorite brands and places to shop? Kate Spade? Yep, they’ve got it. J. Crew? Yep, got that too. Looking for luxury designer brands? Yep, got that as well! From $10 Old Navy dresses to Burberry pullovers, they have what you want. I got a Kate Spade shirt that retailed for $298 for under $40 and a J. Crew skirt that retailed for $148 for less than $20. You don’t have to sacrifice style or quality with thredUP!

2. You can hone in on your style

Because thredUP has so many different brands, you can very easily discover your personal style by favoriting items you love. Then, when you go back through your favorites you’ll probably start to see a pattern developing that will shape your personal style. For example, I saved a lot of pink (duh!) but I also realized that I prefer solids instead of patterns and stripes over polka dots. I also realized I saved a LOT of baby blue striped items, which I never would have expected. I’m not drawn to that in stores, so it surprised me! My favorites section is filled with colorful, simple yet fun clothes. I realized for me it’s also about the silhouette and while I like items in solid colors, I like them to have something fun about them. I like my clothes to be interesting, like me! I also found that this helped me to see the items in a mix-and-match way since they all go together so well. It helps to know I won’t just wear an item once!

3. You can shop all your favorite brands 

This goes hand in hand with point #1. With thredUP’s search functionality, you can filter results based on what brand they are! From J.Crew to Old Navy to more luxury brands like Kate Spade, pretty much anything you want you can find it on thredUP! This is also great for when you love an item in stores, but they ran out of your size. Check back on thredUP and you may be able to find it again! That’s what happened to me with this Old Navy shirt.

4. You can buy brand new clothes

If the thought of wearing clothes that someone else wore before skeeves you out, don’t you worry- you can shop for BRAND NEW clothes that still have the tags on! We’ve all had those items in our closets that sat there for years, and now you can snag your favorite items that came out of someone else’s closet and give them new life.

5. They offer the ability to bundle

This is another of my favorite features that thredUP has! Since you only have 24 hours to keep an item in your cart, you’ve gotta shop with speed. You can get free shipping when you spend $79, but not everyone intends to spend that in one sitting. So, you can start a Buy & Bundle and you can add items as you go for up to 7 days! They hold a $5.99 shopping deposit, and once your order hits $79 it’s automatically refunded. If you decide that you don’t want to add any more items before the 7 day mark, don’t you worry- you can choose to have your items shipped at any time, even if you haven’t hit that $79 threshold! This is a game changer so you can shop leisurely and avoid that shipping fee we all hate so much!

6. You can shop a person’s items

If you found an item you love, you can scroll down and see the More From This Seller section, where they show additional items that this seller sent them. If you like one item, there’s a chance that you found your style bestie and they’ll have even more items you like! Plus, they’re very likely to be in your size too. 

7. They recommend similar items you may like 

Just below the More From This Seller section, you’ll find a whole list of similar items to the one you’re looking it! Let’s say you’ve got a red pullover sweater. They’ll show you other, similar red pullover sweaters. This is great for if an item looks nice but maybe isn’t 100% your style. Let’s say you wanted a crew neck but it’s a neck. This section is great for finding alternatives! I love scrolling through this section to find items like the one I’m looking at. Sometimes there are some real gems here!

8. They’re always running promotions and specials.

I love a good sale! When you shop on thredUP, you can always find a deal but very often there’s also coupon codes on top! That’s savings on top of savings. I’ve seen them offer free shipping, 15-40% off coupons, and they even did a BINGO game in the summer that was super fun! It had different squares with different deals inside and you got points for each one you filled in, with a chance to win a shopping spree when you got BINGO!

9. They offer 3 monthly payments with no interest

You can break up your order into 3 payments if you want to. By partnering with Affirm, thredUP allows you to shop now and pay later! This might not be practical for everyone or in everyday use, but here’s an example of where it could be useful. Let’s say you get a new job and want new clothes. By shopping on thredUP with Affirm, you can buy these items now, wear them and ROCK your new job, then pay them off once your new paycheck starts coming in. It’s also great for buying back to school clothes for the kids, seasonal clothes, or vacation clothes! I’ve never used this before so I’d do some research into it before applying, but it can be super useful if you need some new clothes right now but can’t pay all at once.

10. Their interface is great

I guess you can say I left the best for last, but their interface is AMAZING. Unlike most places where you shop used clothes, it looks so clean and practically brand new. No more sifting through piles of clothes, no more trying to push over a hanger jammed in a small space, and no more horrible photos of clothes laying flat and lifeless. Each item is professionally photographed on a mannequin in accurate lighting. This means you can see EXACTLY what you’re getting and imagine wearing it! Looking through their items is actually enjoyable because everything looks so pretty. For me, one of the worst parts about shopping for used clothes is how gross everything can feel. Between the icky smells and the crappy shopping environment, it doesn’t seem worth the hassle. With thredUP, you don’t have any of that! You’ll actually love using their app since it’s so easy to navigate and pretty. 

So, there you have it! 10 reasons why I LOVE thredUP. I’m planning to write another post about how I used thredUP to narrow down my style and how I find the very best deals on their site. Let me know if this is something you’d be interested in by commenting below!

Be sure to sign up for thredUP now using my link and get your $10 to spend on your first order.

Have you ever shopped on thredUP? Let me know your thoughts and your favorite parts in the comments below!

DIY Halloween Tassel Earrings (with Googly Eyes!)

Eye have great news for you- Halloween is coming! Don’t turn a blind eye- add a little flair to your everyday outfits! You’ll SEE how many people enjoy it. Ok, I’m done with all the eye puns, but I have something really fun for you today! I always love adding some holiday accessories to my outfit, and it’s even better when they’re easy to make! These tassel earrings are so fun and easy that you can make a Halloween pair and then some basic ones for everyday. Don’t forget to pin them for later!

*This post contains affiliate links

You will need:

Embroidery floss (similar here)
Beacon Gem-Tac (here)
Googly eyes (similar here and here)
Earring Hooks (similar here)
Jump ring (similar here)
Jewelry tools (similar here)
Scissors (similar here)
Toothpicks
Tweezers

Directions:

1. First, let’s create your tassels. For starters, pull a bit of embroidery floss out and cut 4 small-ish pieces. Mine were probably slightly longer than my pointer finger.

2. Thread one of the strings through the loop at the top of your embroidery floss and tie a knot. I made a double knot to ensure it didn’t come loose. Repeat for the bottom.

3. Take off the paper packaging that’s holding your embroidery floss in shape, and tie a knot at the top. Mine was about a fingertip’s width (not length) from the top. Repeat on the other bottom, making sure that they are the same size.

4. Fold the embroidery floss in half to find the center, and then carefully cut across in a straight line to create two separate tassels.

5. Optional: Comb out your embroidery floss so that your tassels are a little bit thinner and it looks less like embroidery floss! You can see how that looks here.

6. Now that your tassels are made, it’s time to make the earring! Attach a jump ring to the top of your tassel by looping it through the first string you tied at the top. Then, loop your earring hook through and close it. You want to make sure that the knots are at the back, so figure that out before you put the earring hook on.

7. Get a scrap of paper, and place some GemTac on it. Take a toothpick and place a small dab of glue on your tassels, then use tweezers to place your tiny googly eye onto your glue. Repeat until you have enough tiny google eyes to fill the top. For the larger googly eye, you can probably just use hot glue.

So, what do you think? Can you SEE yourself wearing these earrings? Will you be making a pair for yourself and everyone you know? I made these two pairs and I’m kinda wishing one of them was orange so I could have rotating pairs! Don’t forget to pin the DIY for later or share with a friend who LOVES halloween!

Cute and Comfy Fall Uniforms

When it comes to getting dressed, there are three things I need my outfits to be- cute, comfortable, and colorful. And most of all, I need getting dressed to be easy. There are some days when I’m literally throwing on clothes at the time that we were supposed to be leaving the house! So, I decided to create a handy checklist for myself with easy outfit ideas that I can mix and match in my closet. It’s actually been really helpful for getting dressed, so I decided to share this list with you guys so that you can get dressed easily too! 

I’ve also created a free printable that’s available in my resource library (sign up below!), but here are a few sneaky peeks of what’s inside. I hope this will help you find new outfit ideas that you can wear all through the fall, and maybe even into the winter!

*This post contains affiliate links

The printable is available in my resource library, which you can get totally FREE access to, just by signing up. What exactly do you get? Access to all my printables, including party planning guides, checklists, and my projects. By signing up, you'll have access to all projects- past, present and future! 

Sweatshirt + Sporty Skirt + Sneakers

I’ve been wearing this sweatshirt since I made it because it’s so comfortable. When it’s paired with a sporty skirt, it’s a really cute and casual outfit that’s perfect for hanging out on a cool day. My skirt is from J. Crew and so comfortable! My favorite sneakers are from Old Navy, and even though I wear them a lot they still look brand new!

Colorful Jeans + Chambray + Sweater + Wedges

This is the outfit that started it all! I like that the bright orange jeans add a pop of color to a fairly neutral outfit. Fun fact: the day of this shoot was suddenly extremely hot and I was SWEATING. But, now that the temps have cooled down again, I can wear it over and over! It’s a great way to stay warm but still look cute without a jacket. To accessorize, I added a headband and some pom pom earrings plus a statement necklace that matched the pants. PS- you can find the DIY for the floral pumpkin here. It’s one of my fave fall decor items!

Chambray + Skirt + Tights + Boots

For this one, I wore a chambray tank top from Old Navy with an orange cardigan on top! Layering is perfect in the fall because the weather can go from cold to hot in 3 seconds flat. I wore gray tights under my skirt, which I normally would think was too dark but I think it complimented the outfit well. I wore this outfit when we went apple picking and decided that the whole fam should match so we could do out own little photoshoot! My SIL came with us and took this shot. Hailey was SO happy to be walking on her own.

I hope this helps you to find some outfits for fall that are colorful and cute, but still really comfy. You can chase your kids in these outfits, or walk around the pumpkin farm, and be 100% comfortable in style! Don’t forget to download your printable too for even more fall outfit combos. There’s 13 on that list!

The printable is available in my resource library, which you can get totally FREE access to, just by signing up. What exactly do you get? Access to all my printables, including party planning guides, checklists, and my projects. By signing up, you'll have access to all projects- past, present and future! 

So, what do you think about these outfit combos? Are you into a colorful look for fall, or do you prefer a more muted wardrobe? Let me know in the comments below!