SANTA WAS HERE

this has got to be one of the most laid back christmases since i've been a mama. i haven't done much shopping yet... and haven't stressed about it. today i just figured out what i will get the kids and most likely do my shopping during the week. but since niko's in school now, and its a co-op, we've had a couple christmas events and they were so fun for the whole family. each year niko's school has a block party with all the other businesses on the same street and we "the school" host the santa claus. raoul was in charge of setting up the booth and was so proud of the backdrop for the photos. he was able to hang out with the other moms and get a kick out of their silly sense of humor... we love all the families in niko's preschool. i love the sense of community the co-op brings. the day after raoul and i took luna to see "elvis santa" at my favorite vintage shop in long beach, in retrospect. niko was at his grandmas house and after being sick and cooped up in the house all day, we decided to get out and get a photo with the silly elvis santa. both santa photos aren't smiley... but they're not crying either so it's a win for me!

luna's dress: handed down, baby gap. niko's sweater: target. beanie, oshkosh. 

i didn't take many photos of the christmas parade because we were in it. and it was starting to rain but since we we're close to the front of the line i was able to snap these and posted them on instagram.

A DAY IN BERKLEY

papa had a gig in oakland this weekend so we drove up with him just for fun. we spent saturday strolling around the streets of berkley. such a charming little city it is. i honestly thought the drive was going to be dreadful but surprisingly the kids did very well. the plan originally was go to to san francisco but last minute berkley was easier. one day in sf isn't enough for me anyways, i am already looking forward to our next road trip up there...

 

driving up the 5 freeway, papa digging for records, "look Luna, this is a vhs", "awesome, how does it work?", vinyl on the walls of amoeba, 50¢ 45inch records at amoeba, cream- a little shop in berkley,  holding tight to papa's hand, a little flower from my sweet boy, riding a bike at the park, sliding down with joy, experimenting with face paint crayons, painting at the kids museum, fireman niko to the rescue, a happy little fireman, driving down the 5 freeway, zoned in the new dvd (Panda! Go, Panda!) we bought at amoeba because we love hayao miyazaki movies. 

TINY FRIENDS

yesterday we met up with our friends at a park in long beach. somewhere in the middle since we live kinda far away from each other. it's still far since there's alwayyyys traffic in l.a. but we made it. i love how little kids are so fearless of falling into a big pond with ducks and turtles but man do i almost have a heart attack.

on Luna: vintage romper, salt water sandals. on Niko: shirt, shorts, shoes from good ole target. 

ART PARTY

we went to our friends birthday party this weekend and it was the perfect day for a girl like luna. she loved painting and going wild with the glitter. our friends son turned two and it was art themed. she set up canvases, markers, paint, glitter, crayons, paper, and a ton of other supplies for kids to use. i think my favorite part was the food, she had a fruit stand inside but man the catering nailed it. i really love southern food and im glad she found some good stuff in l.a. since she's from atlanta. there were naked kids in the swimming pool and luna almost when in, so glad she didn't, we weren't prepared at all! one thing i didn't know was that home depot has chalk board panels for 9.99, super cool for art parties! her backyard is different because she lives on a hill so its three stories down, and every level had a couple panels.
their roommates pup was walking around like a little host and made friends with niko. his name is "sir peanut" i think he was just waiting around for chicken though. before we left we got a doll with our goody bag and its now one of luna's favorites. just like that, she named him "bubble boy".

DRESS LOVE

when i first found out i was having a little girl, i went wild for dresses. like any reasonable pregnant lady. i feel in love with gwen stefani's kids line "harajunku lovers" back before she did her discounted target line. i stocked up on a couple pieces that caught my eye but mainly used the hand me downs from my older sister's daughter. as i said before, sometimes i find it hard to let go of some of luna's clothes. i just always want to remember these years. and over time i have donated and gifted all of luna's clothes, specially with our recent move two weeks ago.
one thing i really have found a good investment is dresses. not all, but some have lasted over a year! while the kids grow out shoes within a couple months dresses have been worn long until they become tunics. and even for us ladies, i believe we all need a good maxi dress. maxi dresses & skirts (aka long dresses) are great during pregnancy and after when you want to wear something comfy. they're great for running errands, going to the beach or even dressing up with high heels. i love getting good use out of clothing. so many trendy  things seem like a good buy while you're in a shopping daze but don't work out in the long run. i hope if you have a little girl you find this helpful and keep beloved dresses a little longer! xo.

4 months- 18 months 

6 months - 16 months 

32 months aka 2.5 years old (photo taken this tuesday via instagram)

5 months - 14 months 

18 months

sharing at mama loves papa! :) 

ONE LAST WEAR

since moving ten days ago i have cleaned out everyones closets so much that i realized we gotta go little kid shopping again. luna has grown out all her shoes, she only has vans and gold mary janes that still fit her... i just hate paying full price for things she will only wear a couple months. am i just stingy or do we all feel like that? anyway.. onto a funner topic. today luna wore this cute little vintage dress one more time... and these little moccasins that never really stayed on her feet to begin with. we went on a really fun play date with a sweet girl i met through instagram. i have met a couple mama's through blogging and instagram and as weird as it may seem to people who don't use these types of medias, its pretty natural to me. we have followed each other for a while and interact through there and email and instagram, blogs, facebook and even twitter can be so personal sometimes that you really do feel like you know these people. but its even better when you actually meet in person, then it just solidifies your friendship and the connection to these people. my kids had a lot of fun playing tag and playing in their cardboard house. i am so happy to have another mom friend that is so sweet and easy going. she even made me a pie with the apples from her tree. that was so thoughtful (and delicious!). being a mom of two in a city where i don't know anybody can get lonely... i just gotta remind myself to get in the car and just drive. there's a whole world out there and there is fun to be had. 

dress: little reader vintage. shoes: minnetonka moccasins, from san diego farmers market.