feb 14, 2015 | Valentine's Day

Hi!  I wanted to document our second Valentine's Day with our little girl.  Basically, a bunch of pictures, a few words and some fun outtakes at the end that hopefully will bring a smile to your face.  Let's be honest, it takes about forty pictures to get ONE decent photo with a toddler.. am I right?!  I thought so!  ;)

First, I have to share this photo from Norah's first Valentine's.  I'm always blown away at how much children change in one year.

We had breakfast at home, opened gifts and Norah had her first chocolate covered strawberry!

We got Norah this baby doll.  She has one that she loves so we wanted to get her another.  The new one has a pacifier and head band which she has had fun playing with.  We also got her these adorable magnetic letters!  I was surprised how interested she was in them.  [not pictured are two pearl bracelets from Poppy Lane & Co and I am so happy with quality and they look so cute on a chubby toddler wrist]

Around eleven, we headed to lunch at The Cheesecake Factory.  I'm always so impressed with the food every time we go.  I have no idea how a restaurant can have that large of a menu and every single thing be that delicious!

Yep, she's trying to climb ON the table!  #yolo

After her nap we spent the afternoon outside.  The weather in Houston was amazing today!

[tee is from Mama Said Tees]

And now for the outtakes!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones!  Thanks for reading!

feb 9, 2015 | diy: greenery wreath

I made this wreath last Spring and since I needed to re do the moss on it I thought I would share a tutorial on how I did it.  It is the easiest diy ever!  I promise.

[things you will need]

wreath

ribbon

letter

scissors

moss sheet

pencil

push pins

glue gun

First, lay out your sheet of moss with the moss side facing down.  Figure out which side of your letter the moss will go on and lay the letter that side facing down on top of the moss sheet.

Then, trace around your letter.

Next, cut along the lines you have drawn and peel off the backing of the moss sheet.

The back of the moss sheet is very sticky so be careful as you lay it on the letter.  Once in place, press firmly all over the moss.  Use your glue gun if you need to finish off any edges.

Run your ribbon through the letter and wreath.  You can hang your wreath many ways but I prefer to do it as shown.  Use flat head push pins and press into the top of your door as shown in photo.  

If you have a letter that doesn't have a hole like my B does you could secure the letter with green floral wire to the wreath and use a traditional wreath hanger.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and let me know if you have any questions!  If you re create this please tag me on Instagram so I can see :)

feb 3, 2015 | time for a change  

Hi friends!  I'm excited to share with you that Charming Heart is now...

This post may seem silly to some (or to a lot! lol) but because I LOVE doing it my blog is something I put time, effort and heart into therefore it matters to me.  I've been thinking about this for weeks after seeing this verse "charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised" Proverbs 31:30

Charming Heart was the name of my Etsy shop I used to have and when I started blogging I just carried the name over.  When I first thought up the name for my shop, to me it meant having a heart of love, a kind heart, etc because when you look up the definition of charming ONE of the words is "friendly".  After seeing that bible verse and looking more into it I feel that "charming" can mean so many things depending on how you look at it and it just doesn't sit well with me.  Having a gracious, thankful, & kind heart is something I try to live by each day of my life and I don't want others to be confused or to question it.

I feel that [A Mrs and a Mama] is the perfect name change because it's exactly what I love sharing.. motherhood, wifehood (and life)!  You can still find me on Instagram & Pinterest by clicking these links and I always have the buttons in the top right corner of my blog along with my email.

A huge, heartfelt thank you to each one of you who follow, support & and read my little blog!  It seriously means the world to me!

1.30.2015

{Baby Favorites}

Happy Friday friends!  This is a list I've been wanting to share for a while now and I hate it has taken me this long but I finally put it together.  Whenever I get asked "what did you use the most?" "what were your favorite products?" or "what could you not live without?" these things are always on that list!  Each of these products are all things I used when Norah was born and still use them now at 16 months (except one).  I will also share some tips that were given to me and that I always pass on to new momma's that I feel were very helpful to me as a new mom.


I use this Honest Co. dish soap to soak bottles, pacifiers, and now sippy cups.  I fill a big bowl with hot water and a little of this soap and let them soak.  When I was sanitizing bottles I would soak first like mentioned and then sterilize using a microwave bag.  It is more pricey than your traditional store brand dish soap but I don't mind spending a little more for a non toxic brand especially for what I use it for.  Also, a bottle lasts me around three months!  My favorite scent is White Grapefruit but I also like the Lemon Verbena.

Before Norah was born we watched The Happiest Baby On The Block and learned about how helpful noise is for babies.  We have two of these myBaby HoMedics SoundSpa noise makers and have used them since day one.  I would keep one in my diaper bag and one where Norah slept.  Our most used noise is the ocean sound.

We recently bought this sound machine to keep in Norah's room now that she sleeps in her crib and it works great.  We are saving big bucks on batteries now!  I will use the others now for on the go and traveling.

These Aden + Anais blankets were perfect for swaddling in the beginning and they are still the perfect size for Norah now.  I love how soft and lightweight they are & they have so many cute prints to choose from!

I cannot say enough good things about Indestructibles!  These books are drool proof and tear proof and you can wash them with soap and water which makes this germaphobe Momma very happy.  These we have had for a year and you can see the wear in the photo but not one page is torn and Norah still loves to play with these.  They are also very lightweight to throw in your diaper bag!  I linked to Amazon but recently saw them at my local Target.

This Aden + Anais body wash and lotion smells SO good!  Just like the soap, it's pricier than your traditional baby wash but I use a $5 off coupon for each at BuyBuyBaby.  These products are also free of: parabens, petroleum, phthalates, gluten & soy.  I'm not an "all organic toxin fearing Momma" but when it's something I'm putting on my child's body (or something she eats often) and is going to last a while I don't mind spending a little more.  The bottles seem to last us six months.  If you try this you will want to use the for yourself, they're that good! 

Lastly, one of our favorites is our Highlight subscription.  This is the only thing we didn't have from the beginning but Norah's grandparents got her a subscription for her first birthday.  We get a book every month and they have subscriptions for different ages.  Norah's are thick, laminated pages so she can't tear them.  She is a book lover but I feel that other children would love these too!

Tips:

+ bring the peri bottle home with you from the hospital and use it for washing your babies hair

+ if you are pumping breastmilk, put your pump parts in a container in the fridge instead of sterilizing after each use, sterilize once a day

+ use your elbow to check the water temp when giving a bath

+ we loved the dvd Happiest Baby On The Block and the book Twelve Hours of Sleep By Twelve Weeks


If you have any favorite products or tips I would love for you to share them below!  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend with your loved ones.

Love,
Katie

1.18.15

{Sunday Spotlight}

Wow! The days have seemed to (fortunately) fly by while taking care of a sick toddler all week and here I am writing up another Sunday Spotlight post.  I'm hoping to have my Momma Do post up this week as well! 

This Sunday, I'm spotlighting Willow Crowns, a one stop accessory shop for your little ones as well as yourself!  Megan the creator behind this adorable shop is a sweet and FUNNY momma who tells it like it is & I absolutely love that honesty about her!  If you aren't already, you need to be following her on Instagram because I promise she will make you laugh and brighten your days.  Also, her dear friend Stephanie recently joined the Willow Crowns team!  

We have purchased a few items from Willow Crowns and below are photos of our favorites! 

All of the pieces we own are wonderful quality and comfortable for Norah to wear.  She still plays with the cat ears daily!  Read on for more from Willow Crowns.

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Why did you begin Willow Crowns? 

I started Willow Crowns when my daughter was 10 months old, because as much as I loved being a stay at home mom (and I still do!), I felt like I needed to do something for myself. I felt like I needed something I could take ownership of and be creative with. I was making headbands for Liv already and thought that little hobby might be fun to expand on. Taking the time during her naps to sit down and create pieces, chat with customers, and fill orders was something I looked forward to every day, my little sanctuary in the middle of a busy day with a busy little one. I still look forward to it just as much every single day! 

How long have you been in business? 

We've been in business for 18 months, it feels like they've just flown by!
 
What are two random facts about yourself?

1. I was a Nutritionist before I became a mother and business owner - I loved it, but don't think it was my true calling.

2. My husband and I went on our first "date" in the 7th grade. We took a little break between 7th grade and our senior year of high school, but we've been together ever since!

What would you say is your peak and pit of owning your own business?

For me, the satisfaction of seeing a collection come together and then seeing it on customers is the absolute peak. I just love the creative process and seeing it come to life at birthday parties, holidays, special photo shoots, or just in every day outfits makes my day. I love that moms choose our pieces for their little ones and themselves.

If I had to choose a downside, I'd say it's that you're never really on vacation. Whether the shop is open or not, your mind is going. Whether it's thinking of new ideas, finding the best way to market a piece/collection, or sorting out a customer problem, the hours aren't 9-5. I love the flexibility that owning my own business gives me, but it's always on my mind!

If you could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to open a handmade shop what would it be?

Don't settle. Sometimes it's tempting to put something out there that isn't your best work, or something that you've seen somewhere else, but if it isn't your best, most honest attempt, don't do it. Whether it's honing your photography skills, developing relationships in the Instagram and online community, or researching materials and ideas until you can't keep your eyes open, don't settle. I really believe that if you put your best work, and your best work only out there for people to see, it will do well.

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I hope you all had wonderful weekend and are ready to take on the week!  Thanks for stopping by!

Love,
Katie

1.11.2015

{Sunday Spotlight}

Hi friends!  This Sunday I am spotlighting Violet Bowtique, where you will find the most adorable crocheted accessories for both women and children.  I love both of the pieces we own from Violet Bowtique (the bow head wrap and lace headband) they are top notch when it comes to quality & cuteness and have been keeping Norah's ears warm when she's outside playing!  Read on for more from Tish, the creator of this lovely shop.

Why did you open Violet Bowtique?  I started Violet Bowtique, honestly because I was spending WAY TOO MUCH money on headbands and headwraps for my new baby daughter. I got the idea to try and crochet one myself, because I hadn't seen anything like that around. Turns out it worked out well for me. :)

How long have you been in business?  I started my shop in August of 2014 - so not too long ago.

What are two random facts about yourself?  I learned to crochet in July of 2014 via YouTube videos. I watched them for stitch ideas and techniques and then made my own products up. I actually don't even know how to read a pattern. Haha! Also, I'm a college professor. I teach Spanish at the local university, so essentially I began Violet Bowtique and teaching college for the first time both in August. I feel super young to be teaching college (just turned 30). I was a high school Spanish teacher for 6 years before I had Violet. College is much more flexible, and I only have to teach 2 days a week. Teaching is my gift in life - teaching Spanish that is - so I'm so happy I still get to do what I love and be pretty much a stay at home mom at the same time. I've also always dreamed of being an entrepreneur of some sort. This combo is like a dream for me.

What would you say is your peak and pit of owning your own business?  Peak - seeing the pics of babies in my bow headwraps. That beats EVERYTHING. Pit - I can't seem to find the balance still between being a new mom, teaching, and being a shop owner. I want to do everything in the world and take on all opportunities presented to me, but I'm starting to learn that if I do that, I don't get to sleep. Literally. Haha. I've had months where I would sleep maybe 4 hours so I could keep up with orders. I'm learning to scale back and make it more manageable for me, because I LOVE it and want to continue to love it.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to open a handmade shop what would it be?  Reach out to the other shops and start networking. Some larger shops really helped me out at the beginning, and I owe them so much! Also, take quality pictures - really, that is super important. Read up on it, get a good app, and invest a little. 


You can find Violet Bowtique on Etsy and Instagram.  I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend!

Love,
Katie

[find more from me on Instagram]