As I sit here and drink my coffee, I can’t help but notice how quickly life has changed. Things have really started calming down here lately. For the first couple of months after having Sophie-Rae, I felt like every day we were in survival mode. Trying to keep Hampton from feeling like the rug had been pulled out from under him was not easy. He was still a baby himself when she was born. He didn’t understand that she was coming home with us from the hospital. Once she was home, he thought she was leaving. He knows now, and he loves her so much. He hugs her and kisses her and I’m not as worried as I was originally when he was acting out.

For a while it was chaotic, loud, 2 babies constantly screaming. Both wanting to be held at the same time. Having to change dirty diapers back to back all day, Feeling helpless most days because I felt like I was getting nowhere. I wasn’t making either of them happy. We were just barely making it through the day. I had time to feed them, clothe them, change diapers, bathe them and very very little time for anything else. I became very good friends with dry shampoos and t-shirts. It was so tough and I was in a complete fog.

Sophie-Rae is almost 4 months old now. My what a big difference a month and a half makes. In some ways, that feels like forever ago, and in some it feels like we just made it out of that cloud. Mornings are now fun and enjoyable. They are filled with my boy screaming “Mama” from his crib, waffles, favorite story books and lots of laughter.We are getting into more of a routine and things are feeling somewhat “normal” again. My baby girl is (mostly) sleeping through the night now and is doing great. Thanks to a bit of acid reflux, she is still really tiny and hasn’t put on much weight, but she is perfect in every way.

I love watching my babies together. Hampton loves to give her Eskimo kisses and she always smiles so big at him. She loves to lay in the floor and watch her big brother play and he has even shared his Thomas the Train toys with her. That’s big, folks!

While those first 2 months were so so hard and tiring, they were worth it. Change is hard. For me, for my baby boy and for everyone. Once you get the hang of it, you begin to forget how things were before. You get accustomed to your new normal and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dress : Glamorous  // Boots: Sam Edelman // Bag: Nine West via TJ Maxx // Necklace, Bangle and Earrings: c/o Rocksbox

When I returned from my cruise last week, I came home to my first Rocksbox! I was so excited to see what was in my first box! I had added way too many pieces to my wishlist this month and I refrained from taking a peek at my box online, so it was truly a surprise.

I am SO ready for fall weather and getting this little tease made me dream of pumpkin spiced lattes and Halloween decorations. I may have even ordered Sophie-Rae’s Halloween costume. Not that I’m excited or anything…

I hope you have all enjoyed my week of cruisin’ to the Bahamas with the recap of our trip, cruise fashion advice and Ultimate Packing List. It’s time to set sail to this series, so jump on deck and read my advice on how to make the most of your cruise and have a great experience.

1. Pack Light – otherwise, getting on and off the ship will not be too easy. Also you don’t want to be tripping over your luggage in those tiny rooms.

2. Be Organized – know where your important documents are and have them handy for getting off and on the ship.

3. Book an Excursion – my favorite memory from our cruise was swimming with the dolphins. It was an amazing experience and I wish I could do it again and again. On a previous cruise, I snorkeled and it was also an incredible experience. You don’t want to miss out on these fun memories that could be once in a lifetime experiences.

4. Go to the Shows – Even my 21 month old son loved the shows! The early shows were family friendly and were very enjoyable.

5.Go to the Early Dinner and Show If Traveling with Kids – for obvious reasons. By dinner time, Hamp was worn out from hanging out at the pool or beach all day. He still did great and made it through the shows as well, but I don’t know that he could’ve made it through the later dinner and show and I didn’t care to find out.

6. Make Sure You Make Time for Nap Time – trust me on this. You will want you child to take a good nap every day. Otherwise, you may have a screaming toddler on your hands.

7. Take Lots of Pictures – Pictures are so important to remember things by. My son will probably not remember this cruise, but we will have photos to share and lots of stories to tell him. I even took my Instax Mini so that I could take photos for my family and give them to them right then and there. Everyone really enjoyed that.

Do you have any tips you would add? What is your favorite memory from your cruise?

My family and I went on a 4 night cruise to the Bahamas on Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas Cruise Ship. After taking my family (including my toddler), I wanted to share what you should and should not include on your packing list.

First off – the bags. It is always a good idea to pack as light as possible. Cruises can be tricky because you need so many clothing items on a large spectrum. Fancy dresses and heels as well as flip flops and swimsuits. There is no right or wrong way to pack, but I will share my advice on how to pack efficiently for your cruise with young children.

Bags: Bring one suitcase for clothes, shoes and hygiene essentials. Bring one bag that can be used as your beach bag/diaper bag that you can take onto the beach with you and around the ship. Bring your purse. I recommend a small crossbody purse to keep your passports I.D.s, etc in.

Documents: 
Passports
Birth Certificates for the kids
Photo I.D.

Clothes: 
Swimsuits
Swimsuit cover-up
Casual Shorts and Tanks/Shirts
Dresses (for dinner)

Shoes: 
Flip Flops
Dressy Sandals or Heels for dinner
Tennis Shoes for working out

Hygeine:
Shampoo, Conditioner and Soap (our ship only offered complimentary bar soap s don’t forget your shampoo)
Razor
Lotion
Sunscreen
Make-up
Medicines (for everything, especially if traveling with kids)
Hair Straightener or Hair gel/mousse/product

Helpful Hint: Pack hygiene items in a hang up bag so you can hang it up in your bathroom. It will save a ton of space.

Accessories:
Camera
Chargers
Hat
Sunglasses
Book
Batteries
Hair Bands

For the Kids:
Sound Machine
Favorite Stuffed Animal/Blanket
Pack n Play (some ships have cots that they offer, but I felt better taking my own bed for my son)
Snacks
Zip Lock Bags (to pack snacks in for the beach and put wet things in)
Sippy Cups or Bottles
A Couple of Toys (to play with while in the room)
Wipes/Diapers

Things I Wish I Had Taken:
A Small Float (for beach days) They have floats you can rent but they were pricey. My dad rented one for $18. No thanks.
Inflatable Tub for Hamp (ships don’t have tubs)
Waterproof Camera
Bug Spray (for some weird reason, we all got mosquito bites on the ship)
Surge Protector (there were not many outlets in the rooms)

Things I Should Have Left At Home:
Hair Dryer (They had them in the rooms)
Towels (They have them in the rooms and at the pool and beach for you)

Have you been on a cruise? What are some other things you would take with you? Do you have any tips of hacks to share?

It’s no secret my entire family went on a cruise last week. All 33 of us (minus my brother and his wife who stayed home to have my niece). The weekend before we left, I battled in my head over what to wear on the cruise. You go from one extreme to the next between laying by the pool in your swim suit to formal dinners in fancy dresses. You feel like you have to bring your entire closet. That is just simply not the case.

I obviously grabbed a couple of swim suits and cute cover ups, shorts and tank tops and then it came down to what to wear to dinner.

I decided dresses were obviously the way to go. They are comfortable and super easy. I took one pair of nude wedge sandals that went with all 4 of my dresses. For the casual nights, I wore what I would call sun dresses or cocktail dresses. They were dresses I would wear to church.

On Formal night, I went with a super comfortable and flowy maxi dress. It is actually called the “Resort Maxi!” Perfect for this vacation. It was great because it also hid my growing food belly. All. That. Food.  It’s what I like to call a win-win. 😉

Check back tomorrow for my Cruise Packing Checklist!

Have you been on a cruise? What did you wear to formal night?

Last week, my family took a week long vacation to Florida and then on a cruise to the Bahamas! The Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas cruise ship did not disappoint. We had so much fun! I was so worried about Hampton’s cast getting wet or worse – sand in it. Luckily, my husband is a Jedi Google Master and found an amazing cast cover at a surgical supply store in Jacksonville! Hampton was able to swim, and take baths. He was so happy and it made the trip really enjoyable!

This post is sponsored by Cheerios but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I used to never eat breakfast. Give me a cup of coffee and I was good to go. Lately, however, I have been eating breakfast and lighter dinners since I have been trying to lose my baby weight. I have grown so used to eating breakfast that when I don’t, I am starving and grumpy by the time lunch rolls around. When we went on our cruise, we ate really big breakfasts. It was amazing and I was in heaven.

Aside from the delicious French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon that was given to us on the cruise in unlimited quantities, my go-to breakfast is usually cereal. I have even passed this habit down to my son who loves his Cheerios. When I say love, I mean it! “Cheerios” was one of Hamp’s first words. As soon as he could talk, he found a way to ask for his Cheerios. He prefers them to waffles and almost any other breakfast foods (other than fruit and yogurt).

Cheerios are the perfect snack for kids. They taste great, come in so many delicious flavors now and have wonderful health benefits. Guess what!?! Publix is even offering a BOGO coupon for Cheerios!! Be sure to snag it while you can!

I recently discovered that people make so many other delicious recipes using Cheerios that go far beyond cereal! I’m talking muffins, ice cream bites that are making my mouth water and so many more! Check out all these delicious recipes here! Talk about mixing up your breakfast!

Giveaway Time!! Win $10 by:

1. Visit Cheerios and leave me a comment telling me which new flavor or recipe you’d like to try!

2. You even get a bonus entry for printing the BOGO coupon! Just leave me a separate comment letting me know you did!

I will pick one winner in 3 weeks! Good luck!

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

After You (Sequel to Me Before You) by Jojo Moyes – September 24th
See Me by Nicholas Sparks – October 13th
The Lake House by Kate Morton – October 22nd
Shopoholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella – October 27th

What is on your fall reading list? Have you checked out this year’s new releases?

I was so worried about preparing Hampton to be a big brother before Sophie-Rae arrived. Looking back, it’s silly because I know now (and I really knew then) that it would take time and experience. However, I still tried to do a few things to prepare him as best I could. He was only 18 months old when she was born, so it was difficult to explain to him that a baby was coming and would be staying. He did get to where he would rub my stomach and say “baby,” but he didn’t fully understand until she was here.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare your toddler for the new baby:

Before the baby gets here: 

Read them books about becoming a big brother/sister.

Talk to them about the baby often.

Let them help you set up the nursery and prepare for the baby.

Once the baby gets here:

Let them help with the baby by bringing you diapers/lotion etc.

Spend quality one-on-one time with them every chance you get.

Buy them a special older sibling gift.

Do you have any advice to add? How did you prepare your children for a new sibling?