We finally made it to the Magical Winter Lights this year and I'm so excited we did! There was so much to do and so many beautiful installations, it's definitely something we'll attend for years to come. 

MWL is a 20-acre, 52-day, larger-than-life lantern festival that presents a fresh multicultural take on traditional holiday light shows.

Their hours of operation are Sunday – Thursday: 5PM – 10PM 

Friday and Saturday: 5PM – 11PM

Extended Nights:

                        Thanksgiving Day                         

Christmas Eve – New Year’s Day 

5PM – 11PM 

Of course, Mila's favorite place to be was the dinosaur tent! We had a blast and were tired out but they also have carnival style food & rides that we didn't get to try out because we were exhausted haha. 

The Magical Winter Lights is located at 1000 FM 2004, La Marque, TX 77568. Visit their website for more info. 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by James Avery, however, all the opinions expressed below are my own true opinions!

For the next 6 months, I will be sharing my favorite items at James Avery as a James Avery Ambassador! James Avery is a family-owned company that offers finely crafted jewelry designs. Each timeless piece is originated by skilled artisans in the Texas Hill Country and is created to celebrate life through the beauty of the design. 

I've always loved James Avery for their simple yet beautiful designs in Jewelry. Getting someone a charm bracelet as a gift is probably one of the smartest things you could ever do in my opinion. After that, all you have to do is buy them charms for gifts!

It’s officially the onset of the fall season, and James Avery released new pieces for the new season.

Changeable styles, make it easy to create a new look whenever you wish.

Check out the fall catalog for their new releases that can help you change out your style for the new season! 

The Honey Bee Ring

I was in love with the whole honey bee collection they have at James Avery but decided that I would get the ring first. This ring always gets me loads of compliments! It's a simple way to make a statement

The Hammered Band 

I wanted this hammered band to add something a little more simple to my jewelry collection. I tend to go with big and bold earrings so the rest of my accessories tend to be a lot more simple, this was a great addition!

Deep in the Heart of Texas Charm

I have wanted this charm ever since I got my charm bracelet & I'm so happy I finally have it! Texas is the prettiest shaped state and anyone born & raise here will let you know just how great it is. This is an amazing gift for literally anyone in Texas.

Shop my Favorites: 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Johnson’s®, however, all opinions expressed below are my own honest opinions. 

Giving your baby their first bath can be a daunting task, especially for new moms! It’s a new experience for you and baby, and chances are they might hate it and scream the whole time like Mila did or they could spend the whole time staring at you wondering what the heck is going on as Bella did. You honestly don’t know until you try, but I’m here to make sure you’re prepared for the whole thing! 

1.Make sure you have all your supplies close by

There’s nothing worse than having your baby in the water, wailing and realizing you forgot the soap. Here’s a list of things to have before putting the baby in the water:

Soap: A gentle soap that won’t irritate your baby’s skin like my favorite new Johnson’s® CottonTouch™ Newborn Wash & Shampoo! It’s made with real cotton, and it’s clinically proven mild and safe for fragile newborn skin. If you could bottle the smell of a newborn this is exactly what it would smell like, I seriously can’t get enough of it. 

Lotion: Just like with the soap you use, the lotion should be just as gentle.  The new Johnson’s® CottonTouch™ Newborn Face & Body Lotion is a breathable and hydrating water-based formula. I love the lightweight texture that absorbs super quick and doesn’t leave any unwanted residue on my newborn’s skin. 

Diaper: Have this one the closest, you don’t want to get peed on because your baby is cold.

Towel & Clothes: I usually have the towel unfolded and ready to go on the side that way I keep the baby as warm as possible to keep her from crying. Also, don’t forget the mittens & socks.

Pacifier: This helps to soothe baby if they’re crying after taking their bath. We all know how hard it is to get a crying baby’s clothes on.

2. Test the water with your elbow before putting your baby in the water

The last thing you want to do is startle your baby with water that’s too cold or scald their sensitive skin with water that’s too hot. Newborn skin is way more sensitive than our skin, so when you test the water temp use a more sensitive spot like your elbow and not your hand. 

3. Have patience & stay calm

Remember this is your baby’s first bath, and it’s a completely new experience for them. Use a calm and soothing voice and talk them through what you’re doing. Yes, they don’t understand you but hearing your voice is calming enough, and it will distract you from all the nerves.

Make the process as painless as possible by using products that are one-hand friendly like the new design in the Johnson’s® product line. You won’t really have an extra hand to spare, especially when bathing a newborn.

What is your favorite Johnson’s® scent? 

Get the new Johnson’s® CottonTouch™ Newborn Wash & Shampoo and Face & Body Lotion at your local Walmart! 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Walmart, however, all opinions expressed below are my

true & honest opinions.

Now that Mila can tell us what she wants, the holidays are a little bit harder to navigate for us. Luckily Walmart is having a super fun wishlist event at a Walmart Supercenter near you! The best part is they’ve also created their very own catalog making it even easier for the kiddos to tell you exactly what they want. 

To celebrate the launch of the catalog, Walmart Supercenter locations across the country will be holding a "Wishlist Event" on November 3, from 1-4pm. At the event, kids and parents can come to get a copy of the catalog, join the fun, play with the hottest toys of the season, and get started on their holiday Wishlist!

You’ll even get to snap a pic with Santa and easily order a printed photo with the Walmart App. There will also be chances to enter to win fun giveaways, like a Nickelodeon poster or a LEGO catalog with stickers. 

Para celebrar el lanzamiento del nuevo catálogo, Walmart va a tener un evento súper divertido mañana 3 de Noviembre de 1-4pm. ¡Los niños y los padres pueden obtener una copia, con los juguetes más populares de la temporada y comenzar su lista de regalos para las fiestas!

Walmart’s new kid's catalog contains hundreds of toys for your kids to choose from & you might spot a few of your favorite influencers (like us!) in there. When we saw it Mila could hardly contain her excitement, and it was so easy for her to pick out the things she wanted that way we know we’re going to get the toys she actually likes! Among her favorites were literally anything Dinosaur, the Rapunzel Vanity, and of course Ryan’s New Surprise Egg! As a lover of Walmart, I love that whatever she picks, I know will be at an awesome price. What are your kids’ favorite toys? ¿Cuáles son los juguetes favoritos de tus hijos en Walmart esta temporada?

Remember to pick up your own catalog on November 3, 2018, from 1-4PM at a Walmart Supercenter, America’s best toy shop, near you! 

With baby Bella, I knew for a fact that she was going to enter this world via C-Section. My placenta was just too close to my cervix, and from my previous birthing experience, my doctor and I decided this was the safest way. I wasn't looking to be traumatized again, I was just ready for Bella to be here already. This pregnancy had been so hard on not only my body but my mind, and I was ready to just enjoy newborn snuggles and that new baby smell. So we scheduled the C-Section for September 28, a week before my due date, but Isabella had her own plans!

On Saturday, September 22 Jeff convinced me to leave the comfort of our house, get dressed, put on makeup and go to a wedding reception. I wasn't totally feeling myself and I hadn't for a while, but since these were Jeff's childhood friends I told myself to suck it up. Throughout the party, though I sat in pain and endured a few contractions here and there. I told Jeff but he thought I was just trying to get us to go home so he kinda brushed them off. Up until this point, I was heading my Doctors orders to stay in bed and doing my best not to stress myself out. We got home late, I was exhausted & went straight to sleep happy that I had made it through the night and that Jeff had a good time. 

At 1:50 AM I woke up suddenly and felt a distinct pop and immediately woke Jeff up and told him I think my water just broke. He said "are you sure?" still half asleep, I said yes because I didn't pee on myself. I admit I was scared to stand up, but I got up out of bed and waddled to the restroom. As soon as I got to the restroom I felt the immediate gush of water splash the bathroom floor right in front of Jeff. He panicked and scrambled to get his things together, and I kind of stood there in shock. 

I called my mom, not sure she would answer, she didn't so I called my sister who I knew slept with her phone next to her and wasn't a hard sleeper. She ran downstairs and woke up my mom and we decided she would come to pick up Mila and then we would be on the way to the hospital. At this point, my contractions weren't too bad and I could still function without really noticing them. I changed and got Mila's bag ready for my mom. Then I realized the list of things I was going to get done later on before we were scheduled to go in for our C-Section. One of them was to finish packing my hospital bag and to do one more final cleaning of the apartment. I felt kind of like I was going in slow motion the whole time, I felt really calm about the whole thing. 

Once we were in the car my contractions were strong enough that I couldn't talk anymore, luckily we lived 10 minutes away from my delivery hospital and I thought that once we got there the process would be fast and I wouldn't be in pain for that much longer. I was wrong! I dealt with my contractions for a little over 5 hours before I was finally in the operating room getting prepped for my C-Section. 

Baby Isabella was finally here at 5:46 AM on September 23, and was born 7lbs 2 oz & 19 in!

I was so happy she was healthy and that it wasn't this crazy emergency situation like Mila's birth was. The called Jeff to go and take pictures of her once she was out but he only lasted a few minutes before he got lightheaded and the nurses had to help him back to the chair. He said he knelt down on the floor to try to fight off the dizziness but he couldn't. I laughed at him because I had to imagine it since I couldn't see it for myself. 

Mila is flourishing as a big sister and is so in love with her. She's been the best helper and very patient with her little sister. I was so surprised because I was scared she would be jealous but she's so happy to have Isabella here. 

We kept most of the experience more private this time I think because we didn't want too many people in the hospital with us, we just wanted our immediate family. When Mila was born she spent the majority of the time in the NICU and when people would come and visit they would just sit there awkwardly staring at me without a baby. I remember feeling so swollen and not wanting to see people, and this time I knew it would be even more different because I was going to breastfeed. 

Overall I am beyond happy that baby Bella is here, healthy, thriving & that my recovery process is going much better than it did with Mila. We are adjusting to our new normal with our newest addition that has filled our home with more love than we could have ever imagined!