I was on Facebook recently like I normally am these days, either doom scrolling or passing time and came across someone’s story mentioning how they’d like to do a 40 by 40 bucket list. It caught my attention and sparked my interest. Now, I too want to make my own 40th birthday countdown to do list.

I did it! After years of back and forth, I finally decided to dust off my blog and bring it back to life. That being said a whole lot has happened since I last posted, the main one being I purchased my first home! A 1200sq foot Foursquare that I'm slowly DIY'ing into my version of a French Country cottage with touches of Transitional and Modern Organic interior design styles. One of the ways I am achieving this Shabby Chic style I'm going for is with lighting.

I cannot believe my first born baby turned 10 this year! We have these big plans of paying off debt and saving for a house but that did not stop me from wanting to celebrate Naliya in a big way. She is really into Japanese cuisine and culture. What better way to celebrate than with a surprise Japanese dinner party. 

I suppose a part of me has always enjoyed photography but it was not until being fully immersed in all things blogging that I had to tap into those skills a bit. A big part of blogging is taking photos, my abilities and curiosity in the field has grown over the years. There have been a few camera upgrades, some reading and videos to help along the way but it was not until this past year (2019) that I finally decided "this would be the year I actually feel confident behind the camera". I became intentional about trying to master the skill, all things are relative so for me and my current abilities, "mastering" meant starting off with a Camera Basics class at a local camera store here in N.J., Unique Photo.

Does your family enjoy themed costumes? Did you love The Greatest Showman? Ours sure did so much so that last year we decided to make it our costume theme. I prefer to DIY when possible, although it’s not always the cheaper or faster option. You’ll need to weigh it out but I think you’ll get a more authentic original look. Here is how I put our costumes together...

Don't you just love how adorable families look with their matching outfits; so put together, all cute and perfect, right? Like me, are you a momma who dreams of those Instagramable shots, well now it is easier than ever! Just head over to YaffiFashion.com, select the set you love, pick out everyone's size, add to basket and check out!

Disclosure: Today's post is sponsored by Balmex, however all opinions expressed are my own. 

A couple of months after baby Nerina was born she developed the worst rash, I am not sure if it was change brands of diaper or what but it was baaad! I literally tried everything and only two things seemed to work for her after many weeks of trial and error. 

If you've been around here for a while then you know our love for family costumes. I have been dressing up with the kids for the past 4 years, basically since Aarlen joined us. Thanks to Spirit Halloween we have a jump start on our family costumes. The possibilities are endless but I wanted to show you an adorable Dr.Seuss sibling costume theme you can use this year at the Halloween parade,  church harvest festival or local trunk or treat! Check out all of the Dr. Suess character costumes here!