Royal Feather - the official blog

Currently...{April Edition + Plum Organics GIVEAWAY}

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 02:37:00 +0000

I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but I have writer's block...grr!! It's almost like my head is so full with my never ending "to-do" list that I can't think of one particular topic to write about. I had this nagging little voice in the back of mind telling me to just open my laptop and get to typing, but I couldn't figure out where to start. So, I decided on my trusty "Currently" post that is always a winner in my book. Enjoy!
LOVING: All my new merchandise I found at Market and is IN TRANSIT as we speak! When I started Royal Feather Nicholas was only about 8 months old so most of my merchandise was targeted for the newborn age group. As he grew up, so did my product selection. I'm happy to announce that I'm going back and expanding my Newborn selection - yahoo!! To start I am bringing in the wonderful and always awesome brand Puj! When Nick was a baby I used the Puj tub and was completely obsessed. It was the best infant tub I found and would tell anyone willing to listen all about it. I'm so happy to be carrying this wonderful product PLUS their new Hug {Hands Free Infant Hooded Bath Towel}. Some more things to come will more than likely be some unique teethers and always useful Muslin swaddling nap blankets, and sippy cups.

Lollacup (BPA-free, Phthalate-free, Made in the USA) & Puj tubs & Hug Towels will arrive at our shop this Friday! - April 5)

READING: I was fortunate to have attended Blissdom, a blogging conference, in Dallas a few weeks ago. It was my first {of many hopefully} time attending such an event and I really wasn't very sure what I was getting into. One big relief was that I wasn't attending alone. I met my friend Bianca from Up Up and Away Children's Events there and thank goodness for that! Being in one huge room with 700+ women attendees can be a little overwhelming and very difficult to not feel as if you don't fit it or aren't "as good" as the rest of the bloggers. I'm really happy I was able to push past my insecurities and put myself out there and approach complete strangers. That was a big step for me since I can be a little introverted at times but it was definitely worth it. I was able to connect with and meet other Moms and real powerful women who share in all the same big dreams as I do. Surrounded by that kind of inspiration and motivation was a really wonderful experience. With that said, I'm currently reading some great books written by some of the speakers at Blissdom. They've been great reads & wonderful sources of motivation. I feel like they're speaking directly to me! I was bummed that I missed Scott Stratten on Friday but getting to listen to C.C. Chapman AND John Acuff on Saturday definitely made up for it.

WATCHING: Not much these days - thank you Mr. Time Change! Am I the only one who is hating the Spring Forward time change?! Our son even protested it for almost 3 weeks! What used to be the easiest bedtime routine EVER turned into a complete nightmare. I had never heard Nicholas scream and cry so much just to go to bed. Thank you Jesus that now has passed and my sweet baby boy is back to his old self: bath, allergy medicine, cup of milk, brush teeth, story time, and nighty night. After that, I used to use that quiet time to catch up on TV but now I'm focusing on getting more rest/sleep myself. Especially when my husband is working really late and it's just me and Nick. THINKING ABOUT: Knowing that I have quite a bit of giveaways coming up for all my lovely customers and fans is pretty exciting. There is no better way to show my appreciation than to give back :) More on that later...
ANTICIPATING: our family vacation! Later on this Fall, if all goes well, we'll be heading to Washington DC and Virginia. I'm a little nervous since this will be Nicholas' first plane ride but having the opportunity to get away for a little bit and visit such a historic place will be worth it. Any traveling tips are greatly appreciated and welcome!
WISHING: Of opening my own brick & mortar Royal Feather. I love going to Market but at the same time I feel like I'm being held back. There is so much that I find and want to bring in because 1) we don't have it available to us in our area and 2) the manufactures of these products aren't huge companies that simply mass produce everything. Instead, they really care! My last trip to Market a few weeks ago was great because my main goal was to attend a new temporary show. All the vendors I met were so wonderfully sweet and most importantly, they were completely in love with and invested in their product. And to me, that is what makes a product great - when you have a parent who has created such an item out of necessity and is so passionate about it that they feel the need to make it available to everyone. Little by little I'm working to get my shop to the next level. Please feel free to share my link and tell all your friends about our awesome little spot on the web to help me get there! I'll be eternally grateful :)
MAKING ME HAPPY: the time of the year. I'm so happy that it's April and warmer weather is upon us. I am a total beach lover and plan on making more of an effort to take Nick out to the beach - we do only live an hour away. I also need to get him signed up for his swimming lessons and I'm even thinking of highlighting my hair or going ombre. There's just something about Summertime that always makes me want to lighten my extremely dark hair. But then I remember how annoying the maintenance can be and I change my mind. We'll see what I decide.
And now, what you've all been waiting for...my Plum Organics GIVEAWAY!! When Nicholas started eating solids, I made him all his first foods myself. It was easy because I was a stay-at-home-Mom and Nick loved all the fresh fruits and veggies. But once I needed to start integrating meats into his diet, I turned to the Plum Organics Training Meals because making the meats at home was just gross to me. I just couldn't handle the smell and the texture was chalky. There was no way I was going to feed that to my baby. I felt comfortable feeding this brand of food to Nick because it is made with all natural and organic ingredients and the ingredient list isn't compromised of anything that I couldn't pronounce. As he got older, we tried all their Tots and Kids snack options and all of them were a hit. I love this line so much that I decided to share it with all of YOU!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Currently...{February edition}

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 03:54:00 +0000

I am SO excited about this year and all the AMAZING plans I have for Royal Feather {the shop}. I am very passionate about my store and dream for it to become THE gift and accessories destination that everyone would think of when they need a special gift. I'm working hard and steadily building my brand and my business to get to that level. I hope you will stick around and follow me along my journey. Don't forget to follow the blog {click Join This Site at the bottom of the left column} so you can always stay up-to-date with all that's happening in our little world. But for now, I'm currently...
LOVING: that my husband and I were able to take a mini vacation Super Bowl weekend. We jetted off to Las Vegas and did all the fun stuff - shop, gamble, eat, and enjoy all the craziness Vegas has to offer.

Quick photo op in front of the Trevi Fountain while shopping at the Forum Shops inside Caesar's Palace

The BEST part of the weekend was the George Strait concert we went to. I've seen him in concert several times before but this one was special since I was fortunate enough to enjoy it with my husband. Such a great night and loved hearing all of George Strait's classics like Amarillo by Morning, The Chair, hits from Pure Country, and of course The Cowboy Rides Away.

Martina McBride was phenomenal! Her voice is just amazing and she's so beautiful - great show!

READING: Every night before bed, I read Nicholas two-three books as part of his little bedtime routine. His library is pretty big so I strive to read him something different every night. Although some how his 'Trucks' book manages to slip into rotation very often. This little boy loves trains, trucks, cars, and Mickey Mouse. What are your favorite bed time story books?
WATCHING: hardly anything these days. When Nick gets home from school he wants to watch a few episodes of Dora the Explorer, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, or Little Einsteins. But stocked up on our DVR are the usual juicy dramas for us - Dallas, Suits, Revenge, Nashville and of course our favorite crime dramas too - CSI Las Vegas and Law & Order SVU. While Nick is catching up on his shows, I'm making dinner and our breakfast and lunches for the following day. After that, its bath, story time, and then bed for our munchkin. We've been blessed to have a baby that has always been a great sleeper. Before I go to bed, I like to sneak in to his room and check on him. I caught this great snapshot of him the other night.

Yes, that's a Micky Mouse, a bear, a rabbit, and "Gilbert" his Glow Seahorse all in his crib. They HAVE to be in there in order for him to be ready for bed. Kids and their crazy ways :)

THINKING ABOUT: all the things on my always growing "to do" list. I'm planning out what merchandise to bring into the shop next {it's going to be super cute accessories for boys AND girls}, printing flyers, reprinting more business cards, our current CUTEST BABY PHOTO CONTEST which is going to followed by a few more AMAZING giveaways, scheduling my Pilates regimen around Jacob's Crossfit schedule, building Nick's outfit for his Easter pictures, and getting ready to participate in a few local marketplace events. Plus throw in the usual grocery shopping, breakfast/lunch/dinner making, and laundry. I'm exhausted just typing all that!
ANTICIPATING: heading to Dallas next month to attend the blogging conference BlissDom! I'm so excited to be attending and to learn how to be a better blogger. When I first started this blog, I wanted to have a creative outlet while I was staying home with Nicholas. I wanted people to see that there was a real Mom behind Royal Feather in order for them to feel confident about their purchases - to know that what we have to offer are tried and true products that are meant to be useful and fun. I wanted to be able to interact with parents all over the world because I feel that's how we learn and grow as parents - when we talk to one another and exchange ideas and advice. WISHING: for a baby girl :) We'd love to give Nicholas a sibling soon but with so much we have going on I begin to wonder how we would manage one more child. Of course I know it can be done and it will happen when it should. But I can't help but look for inspiration for a baby girl's nursery on Pinterest and even toss around names for this future baby. Jacob and I had even thought about both of us going back to school to get our Master's degrees but then we'd REALLY not have any spare time. I guess we'll just wait and see what God has in store for us. I know he will never bring us to something we wouldn't be able to handle :) MAKING ME HAPPY: Is it cheesy if I say my LIFE?! My life and who I spend it with truely does make me happy every day. I created my store from scratch and continue to mold it and shape it into what I feel it needs to be. I'm constantly growing more passionate about it and I just KNOW that it will become the store front I've always dreamed of. We have this beautiful little boy that constantly amazes us and makes us smile and laugh without even trying. He has such a sweet soul and is quite the little charmer; he'll have you wrapped around his little finger in no time! He attends a preschool that he loves going to every day - that alone makes me happy! To watch his little face light up when he sees his teacher and his friends is just awesome. I can go about my day knowing that he's learning and having fun in a safe and comfortable environment. He's constantly learning something new {ie. days of the week, alphabet - and yes, he sings it, numbers 1-12, colors, shapes, math, and he planted seeds this week!} My husband has been my #1 fan since the day we met and was so supportive when I came to him with my idea to start Royal Feather. He patiently listens to me as I constantly brainstorm ideas with him, shlepped the the NEVER ENDING halls of the Dallas Market Center last Summer while I was on the hunt for the perfect new merchandise for the shop, builds my booth displays, sets up and breaks down most of my displays at events, and most importantly, is the most hard-working and devoted man I know. And he {mostly ;) } does it all with zero complaints. He's an amazing husband, father, and supporter AND I simply couldn't ask for more. I'm blessed to have a cousin who is my best friend. She'll help me out in a pinch, always makes me laugh but lets me be serious with her too, is an awesome nanny to Nicholas, and is so much like me it's almost scary. And lastly, I'm fortunate to have an amazing Mom. She'll do anything for her children and grandchildren, drop whatever she's doing at a moment's notice just to lend a helping hand, be our biggest supporter, love unconditionally, and most importantly, she's always there for us. God has blessed our little family with so many beautiful things that there is no way I couldn't be happy.

***CONTEST TIME*** For all my lovely locals {anyone who lives in the Rio Grande Valley}, don't forget to submit your photos for our CUTEST BABY PHOTO CONTEST. The submission deadline has been extended until this Sunday, February 24th at 9:00pm CST. Voting will begin Monday morning at 6:00am and continue through Friday, March 1 at 9:00pm. The photo with the most LIKES will be announced as the winner shortly after voting has ended. The lucky winner will win a free 1-hour on location photo session {could be just your child or entire family, you pick}, artistic editing, 20 digital images, virtual gallery, AND (10) 4x6 prints. This fabulous prize is being sponsored by the talented Esmeralda of Luz Natural Fotografia.

Thank you everyone for stopping by!

My Local Celebrity Moment

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 01:37:00 +0000

A few weeks ago Royal Feather was fortunate to have been asked to make a TV appearance on one of our local news stations. The fact that our shop aims to primarily stock all natural and/or organic products was what sparked the interview so those items are the ones I showcased.

It was only after I became a Mom two years ago that all these "BPA-free, phthalate-free, PVC-free, all natural" terms became common knowledge for me. I wasn't too concerned with them before Nicholas since I figured I had lived my whole life without worrying about them and I'm completely healthy. But as soon as Nicholas came into the world, my mentality completely changed.
When I shop for Royal Feather I always keep my customers in mind - the babies, toddlers, young children and their parents. If I think it's important to use healthy alternatives for my son, you can bet that I'm going to make sure I'm going to extend that same concern for all my little shoppers.

Excellent Choices for Your Little Ones

Making Bath Time Fun

Kids love to be entertained and sometimes you even have to make bath time a show. These new 100% organic cotton bath mits double as puppets and as learning tools - help your little ones learn some new animal sounds. Choose from the Pig, Alligator, or Hippo. And the great thing about the Sophia and Porter hooded towels is that they don't have to only be used at bath time, they can easily be used at the beach or by the pool. All these items are also great gifts because they're USEFUL; you know every kid has to be bathed {whether they like to be or not :) }

ALL-NATURAL HAIR CARE

Hot Tot is the only professional line formulated for the physical characteristics of children's hair. Their formulas are gentle yet effective and contain a unique combination of highly-effective natural ingredients. Hot Tot products are infused with antioxidants and are hypoallergenic. The complete line of Hot Tot is designed to cleanse, condition, and style your child's hair.

MEALTIME MUST-HAVES

These AMAZING silicone bowls and storage jars are a fantastic alternative to plastic. Because these dishes are silicone, they're easy to clean, can withstand hot and cold temperatures (so they're dishwasher, freezer, and microwave-safe) and most importantly are BPA, lead, and phthalates-free. Kinderville has now started packing these in only sets of (2), but I still have a few of the 4-pack cases left. Get them while they last!

Everyone loves to dress up their tiny tots and now you can even make them look super cute when they eat. Our boy options are either blue or lime and they are adorned with this dapper little bow tie. The girl options are pink and lavender and both have the double-strand necklace. All the bibs are adjustable for a wide range of ages and are extremely soft and flexible. No more scrubbing and pretreating those fabric bibs! Just wipe these guys clean and call it done.

Awesome assortment of unique fun spoons for your baby and toddler. Not only are they great at mealtime, but because they're silicone and are soft and flexible, they work really well as teethers too!

These affordable options are really neat because they're made out of plants! More specifically, the boy and girl sippy cup sets are made using renewable Plastarch Material and the dinnerware set is bio-based and also made from renewable plant fibers.

...A FEW MORE GREEN OPTIONS

This adorable little 4-piece set makes for the perfect Take Me Home outfit or loungewear for your little newborn. Then for the new little man in your life we now carry these great sports-themed burp clothes. Now feeding time can be a Dad's job too ;)

Shopping for the perfect items to bring to the shop is always a challenge because people obviously have very different expectations. Just know that I try my best to bring you only the most functional and unique merchandise that you and your little ones will enjoy. Check out our site, shop around, and follow our blog to read about what's happening behind the scenes or LIKE us on facebook to always stay up-to-date with new merchandise, sales, and giveaways. And speaking of giveaways, I'll let you guys in on a little secret...we have an AMAZING giveaway in the works. All I'll say for now is that we were fortunate enough to have a BIG sponsor help us out with the prize. Stay tuned!
Thanks for stopping by!

Year End Wrap-Up

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:32:00 +0000

So 2012 has come and gone and we're already 7 days into the new year. I cannot wrap my mind around how quickly time really does fly by. After I went back to work full-time in September, all my spare time to maintain this blog quickly dwindled away. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to carve out time every week to publish at least one new post. I started Royal Feather because I loved connecting with new parents and their kids and helping them find amazing and useful products for their children. This blog helped me connect with my fans on a much bigger level, and I miss that. Since it's been a few months since my last post, this will be a photo blog of sorts instead. Just a little recap of how our year ended.

Must Try Recipes

1. Cheesy Egg & Bacon Pull-Apart Biscuits 2. Mandarin Orange Oatmeal To-Go 3. Strawberry Shortcake Muffins 4. Hash Browns Breakfast Bites 5. Clean Eating Tilapia 6. Chicken Piccata 7. Easy Bean & Cheese Burritos

I'm very grateful for all the meals Nicholas' school provides, but there are times when I'm not too happy with their breakfast options. So because of that, I'll make batches of Hash Browns Breakfast Bites along with some type of a muffin (ie. items #3) and send him off to school with a healthy breakfast to start his day. Both of these recipes were taste-tested by our little guy and were pretty good. The beauty of the Breakfast Bites is their ability to never be boring {you can always vary what you mix into the hash browns; chopped bacon, turkey crumbles, chives, sausage, etc.} Not only were they tasty but the fact that they're bite sized is a big plus. Anything that he can grab and eat with his little hands is great since he's Mr. Independent now :) The new oatmeal flavor was also a big hit with Jacob. As I've mentioned before, there are days when he has to be at work at 4 or 5am so his lunch break is really a breakfast break. These flavorful and healthy oatmeal options are pretty popular in our house as well.

Project Pergola: Complete

After countless hours, (4) boxes of deck screws, (8) 8x8 cedar posts, (8) 2x12 cedar boards, (19) 2x6 cedar planks, (45) 2x2 cedar strips, and 5 gallons of Behr wood stain - the pergola is finished!!

Fall Family Fun

Pumpkin Patch, Corn Maze, Nick all dressed up with his pilgrim hat for Thanksgiving lunch, and Indian Corn teacher gifts for Nick's awesome teachers at his preschool

Nicholas Parties with

Chuck E Cheese

Last year Nicholas' 1st birthday party was rained out so this year I wasn't taking any chances. The theme to his 2nd birthday was tailored around his current obsession, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I was so bummed that I didn't get a picture of his awesome cake before we added the candles. But as you fellow Mommies know, you have to be quick when snapping photos of a toddler! I want to send a huge THANK YOU to the amazingly talented Jessica from Wee Sweet Treats for creating such a magical cake. Everyone loved it! And since Nick's birthday was on a Tuesday, I baked some super cute reindeer cupcakes for his class and staff members of his preschool. They came out great! Super fun and kid-friendly.

Christmas Time is a Happy Time

Christmas was actually a little challenging for us this year. The three of us were hit with a pretty bad viral infection that lasted almost 3 days. As a result, we missed Christmas but did our best to get better ASAP and at least celebrate the weekend after. Nicholas absolutely loved his train table from Santa - it was a HUGE hit! Traditionally we spend Christmas day at my Mom's parents' house but since we couldn't make it (nor could some other family members), we had a little re-do on the Saturday after. We ate tamales, played games, exchanged gifts, and took some pretty memorable pictures. Nick even popped fireworks for the first time! I love seeing our little guy have so much fun. His little smile always makes my heart so happy. Here, Nick happily posed with his Great Grandpa.

All in all, 2012 was a pretty great year. I love looking back through photos and reliving all our wonderful experiences. As a family we laughed, we cried, we grew stronger together and as individuals, and we learned to reprioritize. I learned to let go of things and people who won't change and are simply negative influences in our lives. If you can't be happy for us, then I'm done trying to convince you. In 2013 I have no plans of making unrealistic resolutions. All I resolve to do is to be happy, healthy, and wise. I want to only surround my family with all things positive and sincere - no stress and no drama! I will continue working on growing Royal Feather and making an even happier home with my best friend - my Jacob. Cheers to another amazing year!!
Thanks for stopping by!

Currently...

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:14:00 +0000

Oh my goodness!! We are halfway through September...where have the days gone?! Nicholas started Preschool two weeks ago and I somehow have less time to get work done than when he was at home. I miss my late nights where I could blog and stay connected. Oh well, Nick is doing wonderfully at school so if going to bed early is what it takes to get him there on time, so be it. Our little boy comes first and I'll continue to try and squeeze in time when I can to get all my thoughts/projects/recipes out to all of you :) But for now, I'm currently...
Loving: although it's still pretty hot outside I have been excited to see all the signs of Fall in stores and was anxious to do some decorating at home. We don't have a mantel that I can decorate seasonally so my entryway is my next-best-thing. I'm absolutely loving my Pottery Barn-inspired decor!

Reading: I used to have this obsession with all things fashion. I easily knew what new trend could be paired with something classic and what trends needed to be avoided all together. Putting an outfit together from head to toe was once so effortless. But then came baby and life as a stay-at-home mom and all my fashion sense went right out the window! With some new and exciting changes coming my way {you'll read more about them in a bit}, I'm struggling to find solutions in a sea of clothing racks; it's a world that seems so foreign to me now. In order to find my way back to my old self, I recently picked up practically every fashion mag on newstands right now promising me "easy Fall hair & makeup", "your most stylish Fall ever", and "125 cute outfit ideas & easy styling tricks." Let's hope I find what I'm looking for!
Watching: Glee is back and that's a sign that Fall TV is just around the corner!! Shows I'm anticipating the most are Revenge, CSI Las Vegas, Modern Family, and Law & Order SVU. Grey's Anatomy was always a big show for me as well but I'm really disappointed that so many of the main characters have left the show. I'm not sure how much I'll watch this season.
Thinking about: my 10 year high school reunion. Yup, TEN YEARS! Talk about feeling old. As a former class officer I've been helping with some of the planning and with only two weeks until the Homecoming football game, it's all coming up fast. The funny thing about reunions {for me at least and this is all just my personal opinion} is that I really don't see the point of them since the inception of Facebook. Facebook is my high school and college reunion. Everything and everyone you've ever met and known is on there. You can read and see all about what former classmates have done since you've last seen them and what they're up to today. But for the sake of tradition, I'll be there cheering on my Alma Matter.
Anticipating: a new chapter in our lives. It's funny how once you go through change it is then when you realize how quickly time goes by. After Nicholas was born it was so difficult for me to imagine him any bigger than the little baby that fit so snuggly in my arms. Now as he's approaching 2 years old I can't believe how impossibly quick these past 20 months have flown by.
Wishing: for a day to sleep in again. Sleeping in was such a beautiful thing when Nicholas stayed home. We didn't worry about bedtimes or nap times because we just hung out and ran errands together throughout the week. We were really laid back and didn't have a strict schedule. But now, all that has changed. But it's a good change and I'm completely grateful. Nicholas has adapted quickly to school and the positive feedback we get on his daily report cards reassure us that we made the right decision. He's learning so much and getting to play and socialize with other children his age. It's a beautiful thing to see our baby grow. We wish for a wonderful life for him and will give him all the nurturing, love, and guidance we can to ensure that.

Making me happy: life. I have so many things to be grateful for and particularly right now because we've had such great opportunities present themselves. After talking it over with Jacob for quite some time, I made the decision to go back to work full-time and not only was I offered a job, - I was offered TWO jobs. I don't have an official start date so until then I'll continue to get my house as organized as possible...since I'm pretty sure that's how we'll all be able to stay on track. I'm excited and anxious for my new opportunity and look forward to new challenges. Don't get me wrong, Royal Feather will continue to be my passion professionally so please continue to shop and visit the website, but it might become part-time for now - until we decide for baby #2 :)
Thank you all for stopping by!

Retail Therapy

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:31:00 +0000

Saturday I went to the mall to buy some necessities for Nicholas and came out with some little goodies for myself as well, I just couldn't resist :)
During Nick's first year I stopped wearing strong perfumes and lotions because I didn't want to overwhelm his little senses with such powerful scents. So since he's bigger and walking now and doesn't have to be carried and risk having my perfume transfer onto him and his clothes, I'm welcoming perfumes back into my life! There were so many great options to choose from and it was very difficult to pick just one! My perfumes of choice need to smell fresh, clean, fruity, a little sweet, and need to have staying power - but never so strong that people sitting at the next table from you at a restaurant can smell it {that happened to us before we went shopping - yuck!!}. So, these were my options:

Hippie Chic won over the other three but it took me a while to finally make my selection. Once this bottle runs out and I need a refill I might purchase the Bvlgari Omnia or the Armani one....oh who knows! By then there will probably be a whole slew of new perfumes to chose from.
And then of course, I had to go to Sephora and pick up this super versatile eye shadow palette that I have been lusting over for quite some time now. Urban Decay did release a new version, Naked 2, but I like the original better.

This super fab palette also includes a brush and a bottle of their lid primer. I love how these colors can be worn solo for a simple daytime look but also layered to match a more dressy evening outfit.

Now I couldn't leave Jacob out of our little shopping fun. His shirt of choice is usually a traditional Polo shirt and fortunately for my wallet Dillard's was having an amazing sale. Almost the entire Ralph Lauren Spring/Summer collection was on sale. Polos were half off!!
And one last little treasure I discovered was a new store, Call it Spring. A pair of some cute and comfy flats caught my eye and an awesome handbag. I couldn't decide what color to get the bag in so I figured I would go back later if I really felt like I had to have it. After walking around the store and looking over all the merchandise, I kind of felt as if I was inside Aldo but with much nicer price tags. When I got home I whipped open my MacBook and hit up Google - sure enough, Call it Spring is an Aldo Group brand. And luckily I didn't purchase anything because once I was on their website, I saw an opportunity to get a 10% off coupon. All you have to do is sign up for their newsletter. So you see, good things do come to those who wait :)
What kind of retail therapy have you indulged in lately?

Recipe Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 18:23:00 +0000

If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen snap shots of some of the delicious new recipes we have tried recently. All were great and of course we now have some family favorites.

Loaded Fruit Smoothie

Now this smoothie recipe is pretty much a mix of two pins I found on Pinterest. The Martha Stewart oatmeal smoothie and another pin that showed making smoothie bags - baggies with 1.5 cups of sliced fruit and 3 frozen tablespoons of frozen yogurt. And by frozen tablespoons of yogurt I mean using an ice cube tray with 1 Tbl of yogurt in each cube space. The baggies are meant to be tossed into the blender with as much juice or milk as you like. For me, the smoothies came out tasting like only milk or only orange from the juice so I wound up with about 6 baggies just sitting in my freezer....until now!

Loaded Fruit Smoothie

1 - smoothie bag*

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons honey {this will depend on how sweet you like your smoothies}

1 cup coconut water {again this will depend on you - how thick you like your smoothie. Start off with 1/2 cup and then slowly add as needed}

*for my smoothie bags I used strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and bananas. I imagine any other fruit would work too.

Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

I'm pretty sure I'm obsessed with anything that's "Hawaiian"....it could be associated with my dream of one day living on a beach...regardless, this sandwich was delicious!

Mexican Lasagna

This was a big hit with the Hubs and I! Nick loved the black bean, corn, and cheese layer.

Taco Pasta

It all turned out great! The only thing I would do next time is add some ketchup or tomato sauce to give the ground beef some color and a little more flavor.

Italian Chicken with Basil, Tomato & Parmesan Seashell Pasta

I like to cook chicken tenders more than chicken breasts because they cook faster and are much more juicy. I recently discovered these salad dressing mix packets and decided to use them as seasoning on the chicken. Best idea EVER!!

Tilapia with Cheesy Zucchini Rice

This rice dish was DELICIOUS!! This was probably my favorite because everyone loved it - Jacob, Nicholas, and of course me. Tilapia was fantastic too. Great taste and if even the toddler enjoys it, you know you have a winner!

Baked Salmon

Not only was this salmon amazing, but it was super quick and easy to bake. And with a side of jasmine rice that was cooked in the rice cooker - bam! Dinner was ready in under 30 minutes. That is MAJOR with two hungry boys in the house :)

I highly recommend all these meals and hope you try them out in your home. Feel free to leave the link to your recipe posts in my comments so I can check them out too :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Wrap-Up and More

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:04:00 +0000

This post is so overdue!! Things have been a little crazy at our house the past couple of days...we've been working to finish the pergola and cleaning up the garage a little at a time. And I've been working to clean out and re-organize Nick's closet and playroom. So, my apologies for the short absence, but I'm finally back!!
This past weekend wasn't too out of the ordinary for us except for the fact that Jacob and I were finally able to squeeze in Date Night and a new baby girl was welcomed into our family!!
Jacob had to work both Saturday and Sunday but the silver lining was that he was home by about 5:00 Saturday afternoon. That left us with enough time for a quick bite and a movie. I snagged a coupon off of Facebook and we jetted to Chili's. The coupon was for a free appetizer with the purchase of one entree. Yes, our food choices weren't the best "health-wise" but they were so delicious and so worth every calorie!

Darn Southwest Egg Rolls looked so delicious I ate one before I got to snap a photo!!

Afterwards we went and enjoyed the hilarious new Will Ferrel / Zack Galifianakis movie, The Campaign. Sometimes a good comedy that is purely for entertainment (no thinking necessary here) is what you need at the end of a long week.
Earlier that day, I had planned a Sunday brunch to celebrate my cousin's return home. Not that she was very far all summer, just a few hundred miles, but Nicholas loves being with her so much {and of course we do too} that we couldn't help but plan a little get together right away. We stopped at HEB after the movie and picked up some brunch necessities - one of which included a bottle of pre-made Mimosas :) Sunday morning couldn't come soon enough!
I wasn't expecting my cousin till around 11am or so, but when a text message came in at around 8am, I was a bit concerned so I checked it immediately. It was her, but instead of saying she was on her way over, she informed me that her older sister was in labor!! Baby Lucia was going to make her debut a few weeks early!! This was all pretty exciting news for us and we couldn't wait for her arrival. All day I prayed for a safe delivery and for baby and Mommy to be well. Fortunately for us, all our prayers were answered.

Waffles & Mimosas...mmmm....and cheers to Baby Lucia!!

And here she is! Beautiful little Lucia :) Left: just a few days old Right: her first day at home on her fluffy bear blanket. So peaceful...she's smiling while she naps!

Tuesday night was another "first" for Nicholas - his first night out of his ducky tub and into the big boy bath tub! Thank you Jesus for another smooth transition. From birth to about 5 months he used the Puj tub in our bathroom sink. I can't tell you how much I loved that thing! Its lightweight, soft, comfortable, and isn't cold to the touch like some of those hard plastic tubs can be. Not to mention, it's a HUGE back saver. Standing at a sink to bathe your little one versus hunching over a bath tub will prevent a lot of back aches. Once Nick was big enough to reach the faucet and turn the handles by himself I knew he needed to move to the bathtub. But at that age, he wasn't sitting up quite yet so we used the inflatable ducky tub. He loved that duck! The fact that it "quacked" when you squeezed the beak was so much fun for him. He technically still fits in the ducky but I figured I'd try and give him more room. Sure enough, he was in bathtub heaven. Our little guy is growing more and more everyday and becoming pretty independent. I'm such a proud Momma but so sad to see he's not our little bitty baby anymore. Time flies!

How was your weekend and/or week? What did you do?

Currently...{new regular entry}

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 15:54:00 +0000

Loving: how much I actually enjoy blogging. I started this blog because it was important for me that my customers and/or anyone who visited Royal Feather knew that a real Mom was behind the whole thing. I wanted people to feel that someone genuinely cared about what they were buying. And I really do! I love being able to help out anyone with any kind of baby/toddler questions they might have. But now my blog has allowed me to get my "voice" back. Any stay-at-home Moms reading this right now probably know what I'm talking about. Once you're home all day with your children, especially children who are still too young to have an actual conversation with, you feel like you've lost contact with the real world. No one is around for you to talk about current events with or something you saw on TV or something you read online. Your new world consists of Disney Junior, flashcards, Play-doh, and sidewalk chalk. Which don't get me wrong, I don't ever want to give any of that up, but sometimes, you want to be able to connect with other adults. And for me, this blog has been able to do just that. So to all my readers out there, THANK YOU!! Reading: Does Goodnight Moon count?? Unfortunately, I haven't been able to read any age appropriate books {my age that is, not Nick's}. I just don't have the time right now. Any down time I am blessed with, I usually use it to write up my next blog, scour Pinterest for new recipes, or hang out with Jacob if he's home. He works so much that there are days where we only see him for maybe about 4 hours. Retail hours suck, real bad. Fortunately for us, he's the Operations Manager at one of our local Big-Orange-Box-Home-Improvement stores but being a manager means he's a salaried employee....that means saying goodbye to regular 40 hour work weeks. Work weeks for him are more like 50-60 hours. But, he loves his job so that's all that counts.
Watching: I LOVE almost all the shows USA has been coming out with lately. For the Summer, I'm hooked on Necessary Roughness, Royal Pains, Suits, and Burn Notice. And ok, RHONJ and Teen Mom....I won't lie, I cannot miss an episode. I've been watching those reality shows since they started so I feel like I can't just quit now! I have to watch it all play out and see what happens to everyone. Yes, I'm 27 years old and I watch Teen Mom.
Thinking about: Nicholas. Last night was Nicholas' first night without a pacifier. He's 19 months old and only uses a pacifier to sleep. He's never really needed it, it was more like his security...something he was used to as being his companion since birth. And I never tried taking it away sooner because I felt it wasn't hindering him in any way since he wouldn't use it during the day and I simply did not want to hear him crying at night. It is very difficult for me to walk away from him when he's crying - with real tears streaming down his face. But as I was washing dishes at the end of the night, the thought crossed my mind to try and get Nicholas to give up the pacifier. While he was playing in the living room, I got out a pacifier and cut off the end. When he came shuffling into the kitchen I asked if he was ready for bed. As he got closer to me I knew he was going to want to grab for a pacifier {he knows where the clean ones are stored so that's where he was inching towards}. When I gave him the newly snipped pacifier, he didn't even look at it and it went straight into his mouth. Instantly, he started laughing! He took it out and inspected it and turned it around and would poke his little finger through the hole I cut. He kept putting the pacifier back into this mouth and laugh. As he continued this little game, I was telling him that the "mamo" {that's what we call it} was broken, that it just didn't work anymore. I said that we were going to have to throw it away since it couldn't do it's job anymore. Lastly I said, "Nicholas, we're going to have to say bye-bye to mamo and throw it away because it's broken, ok?" He looked at me with his big beautiful eyes and simply took the pacifier out with one hand and said "bye-bye" while waving at it with the other. He walked up to the trash can and tossed it in. I literally had to fight back my tears...I'm even tearing up as I'm typing this!! I was so fascinated with how "grown-up" he was about it, he was so confident and independent. He didn't cry all night and I simply cannot believe that getting rid of the pacifier was just that easy. Lets see how the rest of the week goes!!
Anticipating: the next few months. September is almost here and with it brings the beginning of Fall and the Holiday season. Although living in South Texas doesn't allow us the privilege of chilly nights or changing leaf colors, simply being in those months makes me feel great! It's not as hot during those months and all the holidays kind of snowball into one. This year Nicholas will be old enough to go Trick-or-Treating {and I probably need to start looking for a costume but I have to deal with the heat issue so it's a bit challenging}, and then it's Thanksgiving, then Nick's 2nd birthday!, then Christmas, then New Years, and then a whole new year begins. Jacob and I have even been toying with the idea of taking a delayed anniversary cruise at the end of December so that's pretty exciting to think about as well. He has Inventory at his store at the beginning of December and I have my biggest selling weekend right after that - our Junior League hosts their annual Christmas shopping extravaganza {Dias Festivos} during the first weekend of December and I {Royal Feather} participate in the 4-day event with a 10x10 booth. I really enjoy this event because it gives me an opportunity to actually talk to and catch up with all my customers in person. So after all our hard work, going on a little vacation afterwards would be perfect!
Wishing: for courage. For enough courage to face my fears and go and get a CT scan. My migraines seem to be getting worse sometimes and there are moments where I swear I'm going to die at any minute. I have prescription migraine medication, but at $120.00 {$500.00 without insurance - outrageous, yes I know} for only 12 pills, there are times when I say to myself "Its not that bad, don't take anything and just save them until it gets really bad." Of course I decided to read up on migraines and aneurysms the other day and I'm convinced I have the latter. I had a CT scan done a few years ago and it came out normal but I really do think I should do it again. But I'm terrified of the results!! I know, I just need to bite the bullet and do it.
Making me happy: our pergola is almost finished!! If you follow my blog you know it's been a long time coming, LOL!! Jacob has been working on this huge project all on his own for a couple of months. When we talk about our plans for the backyard all his feelings of accomplishment wash over his face and he gets this huge grin, it really is cute. He squeezes in time to work on it when he has a day off or gets out of work early. He's painted and cut and nailed practically every board on that pergola all on his own. Sometimes I think he's crazy for not asking for help but when I see that look on his face when he talks about how much he enjoys doing the work and feels like it's "therapeutic", I'm just happy knowing he is.
So now, what about you? What are you up to? Feel free to try your own "Currently" post on your blog and link it up in my Comments for everyone to check out. I must give credit where credit is due - thank you Danielle for inspiring me to start these regular posts.
Thanks for stopping by!

Royal Feather 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:03:00 +0000

Friday was such an exhausting but HUGE day for me. I have been working tirelessly for a few months on overhauling Royal Feather and Friday was finally my big re-launch. I was battling a migraine all day plus had Nicholas running around the house, all while trying to get the last minute tweaks fixed in order to go live before the weekend. I was so drained by the end of the day but I felt so accomplished afterwards that I couldn't help but be happy, regardless of the pounding headache. It has almost been a year since I opened my store and in that time, I have decided to solely focus on children's gifts and accessories. As much as I love interior decorating, my passion is my son and consequently everything kids-related. So currently, I am liquidating all the Home Decor merchandise. With that decision made, I felt the look of the store needed to be freshened up.
First, I was going to need a new logo to be the basis of my new foundation. I noticed an ad for Blessed Design Studio in the sponsors column of a blog I had been reading. I clicked on the button and instantly fell in love with all of her {Cindy - she's the owner} work and couldn't wait to contact her. Working with Cindy was {and still is} fantastic! She's so patient and eager to help you develop exactly what you envision. After quite a few emails going back and forth, my logo and banner were created. Next, I set out on building my new website.
I wasn't too happy with how my website {the original one} didn't have a homepage, you were instantly thrown into all the products. I wanted to have a landing page where I had the flexibility to change out photos in order to showcase new merchandise and/or sales. I found what I was looking for at a different hosting site and made my move. From there, I created "mock-ups" of how I wanted each page to look and then submitted them to the host for them to use all their fancy code to actually create my new shop. I pride myself on being a fast learner, but I knew there was no way I was going to be able to teach myself how to actually build a new website from scratch with a 19-month-old at my side.
After many long Illustrator/Photoshop nights and more email exchanges with my designers, my website was just about ready. Once the pages were built, I now had the task of adding all the merchandise content - titles, description, images, inventory count, and meta tags. I tried squeezing in as much "website maintenance time" into my days as possible, but boy was that challenging! Between Jacob, Nicholas, laundry, meals, groceries, my blog, exercising, building our pergola, and some me-time, my peak computer-work hours became between 11pm and 3am. Luckily for me, Nicholas sleeps in pretty late so I'm able to stay up late. But going to bed at that hour multiple times a week sure can take its toll.
But now, it's all done. I can breathe a huge sigh of relief and say that I'm pretty proud of myself. Of course I can't take credit for all of it, but I did do a pretty big chunk of it. My vision and goal was to create a website that had a clean and inviting look for all my customers. A website that welcomed shoppers and made them feel that they were going to have a good and satisfying shopping experience. Especially one where they knew they were going to be making safe monetary transactions. So to all my existing and new customers, I welcome you to the improved Royal Feather and hope you enjoy the shop. I planned it all with you in mind and will continue to offer you the most modern and unique merchandise for your little ones.

And here is a quick look at our current homepage:
1. Yes, that's our son Nicholas perfectly (yet caught by total coincidence) motioning for you to please "enter" the new shop :) And I just LOVE this Palm Beach shirt on him- thanks Tom & Drew for your fabulous pieces.
2. After a horrible FedEx experience, we finally received our AMAZING shipment of Beatrix lunch boxes & backpacks - just in time for back to school!
3. Don't miss out on the Last Chance Home Sale!! Very little merchandise left...get one of these great pieces while you can!

Thanks for stopping by!

If You Really Knew Me

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:54:00 +0000

I started advertising on Sometimes Sweet this week and I am so happy to announce that my little 125x125 ad has created such amazing traffic to my shop Royal Feather. Thank you Brenna for steering me in this direction and Jesus for all you continue to bless me with :) Earlier this week Danielle, writer behind Sometimes Sweet, blogged about a post she'd seen "floating" around the blogosphere. The post has been about revealing a little more about who you "really are" to your audience. I instantly loved this idea because just this past weekend Jacob and I were discussing how some people (people we thought were close to us and complete strangers alike) have no idea who we really are. Said people assume they know us, but they truly don't. Should you decide to participate as well, post your link in my comments section so I can check it out!
Here it goes...if you really knew me...
you'd know that my husband and I live our lives for ourselves and Nicholas and no one else - period. The decisions we make are what's best for the three of us. We don't plot out ways to be better than others or to "keep up with Joneses" or to "one-up" anybody. The house we live in, how we choose to decorate it, the cars we drive, the things we enroll Nicholas in, and what we buy as gifts for each other are things we simply want for one another and for absolutely no other reason. Nothing annoys me more than to hear "oh, my child already has had that for so long, it's so old" or "oh, we have something like that but ours is better because x, y, and z" or, "you're son is barely doing that? mine did it at {insert some extremely unreasonable age here}." Really?! Seriously people! Why does everything have to be a competition? Especially between children. And even between adults too! That just really irritates me.
you'd know that I was laid off while I was on maternity leave with absolutely no explanation - none, whatsoever. As a result, I felt pretty depressed and lousy for a long while. To be told "we're terminating you, but not your position" is pretty rough to hear. And then when you're begging for an explanation and fighting back tears while holding your newborn and all you get is "I'm sorry you feel that way but the decision has been made", you just feel horrible. I remember being on an emotional roller coaster - first sad, then angry and upset, then hurt, then worried and scared about our future, then angry again, and then finally acceptance. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't want to spend every possible moment with Nicholas, I was just so angry about how the whole thing happened. Jacob and I weren't prepared for something like that. I was ready to return to work on a Monday when I got the "phone call" on the Friday before. Talk about leaving it to the last minute on their part.
you'd know that I love with my whole heart. But I do have to be treated fairly and equally to show that kind of affection. I've learned the hard way that being nice all the time doesn't get you anywhere but stepped on. Too many times people have confused my kindness for weakness and I simply won't have it anymore. If you criticize or judge my husband or my son, we're going to have a problem.
you'd know that I'm kind of a homebody. Now of course I do love going out on Date Night and trying out new places and restaurants or taking Nicholas to playdates or the library for storytime. But sometimes there are days when Jacob finally has a day off and I just love to stay home and relax with my family. We secretly call those days "Gray Shorts Day." Somehow the 3 of us coincidentally have a pair of super comfy cotton gray shorts and we wear them on those days when all we want to do is nothing. I know it's cheesy, but it's just one of our things that we enjoy. Being home means I don't have to do my hair or makeup and I can just be Me without any judgements.
you'd know that my memory is impeccable. Ever since I was a little girl I had this amazing ability to recall where I had seen or read something in vivid detail. My sisters and parents would say I had a photographic memory. And that's all still true today. I remember the faces of pretty much everyone I've met, things that have been said to me (directly or indirectly), how I felt when things have happened, sometimes even what I was wearing on certain occasions. So you better think twice next time you want to lie to me, it won't work :)
you'd know that I've always wanted a bulldog and to name her Lola.
you'd know that I'd love to just pack a suitcase for the three of us and live on a beach somewhere.
you'd know I would love nothing more than to be accepted by everyone. It really bums me out when people have a false understanding of me - when they've been painted an unfair, one-sided picture of me and then just judge me from there on out. Get to really know me first before you write me (and my family) off.
you'd know that I'm really bad at drinking water - always have been. I'd rather drink Crystal Light or more recently cups of herbal lemongrass tea. Even when I eat, I don't really drink much. When my cousins and I were younger and we'd stay at my grandparents' house during the summertime, it used to really freak out my Grandma that I wouldn't really drink anything all day. She couldn't understand how I liked to "comer seco" {eat without drinking anything}. Those summers were such a blessing.
you'd know that I'm a major night owl. Right now, it's 1:57AM and I still have to proof this post before I publish it in the morning and possibly add some pictures.
you'd know that I wish I had more time in the day to read books like I used to, I've been watching General Hospital for over 12 years, when purchasing something new, pretty product packaging gets me every time, I can't walk out of Sephora without buying something, I'm afraid of dying, I worry about not being a good enough mother to Nicholas, my guilty-reality-tv-show-pleasures are Teen Mom and RHONJ, and the dentist absolutely terrifies me.
How about you?

Lovely to See You ATX

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 18:21:00 +0000

Last weekend, my Mom, Nicholas, and I traveled to Austin for a a little 4-day trip to visit family. Nicholas has always done well in the car, whether it's short drives around town or much longer trips. But I'm still always weary, fearing that this time is going to be the time he will have a major meltdown and I'll need to turn the car around and just come home. But luckily for us, we can mark this trip as another success.

Day 1 got off to a late start, not surprising since I hate packing and always leave it to the last minute (as in the morning of). My Mom laughs at me and questions how I did it when I was in college and would come home for the weekends. But it was much easier then. I would literally just make sure I had the bare necessities - toothbrush, contact lenses & solution, glasses, makeup bag, & a change of clothes. If I forgot anything, my backup closet at my parents' house would surely have something in case of an emergency. But now with Nicholas, my packing list is more like - snacks, toys/books, baby shampoo, toothbrush & toothpaste, diapers, wipes, Desitin, pajamas, clothes, extra changes of clothes for emergencies, pillow, pack & play, crib/lullaby toys, baby monitor, and you can't forget those "what if" items like a thermometer, ibuprofen, bug spray, sunblock, and the list goes on and on. Finally, we were on the road by about 2pm and were in Austin by 8pm and that's including a few pit stops. I was pretty happy with our timing.
Days 2 and 3 consisted of making our rounds catching up and visiting family. Because Austin is my old college town and ex-home of 5 years, I love to go back and try to squeeze in as many new places to see as possible. Although I usually come back home with a list of quite a few places I wasn't able to fit in, I always tell myself that there will be a "next time."
Day 4 came pretty quickly and I was sad to go but anxious to get back home to Jacob and to see all the progress he had made on the pergola (updated pictures below!). After I made some "urgent" stops {Kendra Scott & Buy Buy Baby} we were back on the road at about 2pm again. Nicholas and I are grateful to have had such a wonderful time! We were able to get a lot done and manage to do it all with zero-stress which was fantastic!!

1. Nick already digging into his Plum Organics snacks about 1hr into the trip 2. Pit stop at Whataburger 3. We made it!

My nephew Gabriel all dressed and ready for his baptism

Top photo: my Mom, sisters, brother-in-law, Gabriel, and my nieces. Nicholas was very excited for Gabriel and gave him a "high-5"

1. We just had to get some milkshakes from EZ's on our second night 2. Great view of the Capitol

Nicholas was my lunch date at Jo's downtown in the 2nd Street District. LOVE their Tuna Melt :)

Nick's Austin Children's Museum adventure with cousin Gabriel

Clearly the museum wore him out! We barely had gotten out of the parking garage and Nick was already passed out!

1. Continuing our day at IKEA shopping for Nick's playroom 2. Of course I had to indulge my sweet tooth with the always delicious Tiff's Treats 3. Nick was finally out for the night

1. I couldn't leave Austin without stopping at Kendra Scott. That place is dangerous!! 2. Food trailers on South Congress. Too bad they weren't open for lunch yet

I gave Nick a little tour of my alma matter St. Edward's on our way out of town

1. Nick debating what to eat for lunch at Chuy's 2. Back at home, Nick trying out his new circus tent...another fab find at IKEA :)

Thanks for a great weekend friends and family! Hope to see you again soon!

Pergola update:

It's almost done!! Jacob managed to squeeze in the time to paint, cut, and nail (19) 2x6 beams in the scorching heat. Amazing, right?!? Pergola looks fantastic!

Thanks for stopping by!

Three Years Ago Today

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 21:24:00 +0000

I remember exactly where I was, what I was wearing, and who I was with when I received the call that my Dad had passed away. I remember everything about that horrible day in detail. Just recalling all of this even brings back the same feelings of anxiety. Jacob and I were at his brother's wedding and the ceremony had just ended. Jacob was taking pictures and I reached for my cell phone to check the time when I saw a flood of text messages and missed calls from my sisters and cousins. I didn't think much of it and just returned the first missed call on my list. My sister answered and through her tears all I heard was "It's Dad, you need to come home now. Dad died." As I stood there holding my phone I remember everything going silent. I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't feel anything, and I couldn't breath. "How could this be?!" I thought. "I just talked to Dad two days ago and he was fine...he wished me good luck on my job interview (that I was having the day after I spoke to him)...it's Saturday so he's working at the ranch like usual, this can't be possible...how did this happen...why did this happen...is this just a sick joke...what do I do"...I had a million things running through my mind. I somehow found Jacob and tried to tell him what was happening but as I was saying the words out loud, none of it was making sense. We rushed out of the wedding and to my apartment but I remember just crying and not understanding any of it. I didn't even know what to pack because I couldn't even bring myself to believe that I would be going home to attend my Dad's funeral. I think I just grabbed whatever I could and threw it in a bag and we got on the road. That drive was the longest 6 hours of my life. I had a throbbing headache and my tears just kept flowing.
Once we got to the funeral home we were told that my Dad suffered a massive heart attack while he was working at the ranch. They told us that even if someone had been out there with him, there wouldn't have been anything anyone could do. He died instantly.
These past three years have been extremely trying on everyone in our family. We lost the rock and head of our family - how does one rebound from such a tragedy? Everyday I tell myself that my Dad is in a much better place and is smiling down on us. I try to not get sad when I look at Nicholas and think how unfortunate it is that he never got to meet my Dad. I can't help but imagine what could have been. I know that everything happens for a reason and that God's plan for us is all a mystery. One of these days all my questions will be answered. But until then, I remember my amazing Dad and all of the great things he taught me. I pray he's resting in peace and for courage and strength to understand all of life's heartbreaks.

Left: family wedding Right: my 24th birthday fiesta

A thousand times we needed you
A thousand times we cried
If love alone could have saved you
you never would have died
A heart of gold stopped beating
two twinkling eyes closed to rest
God broke our hearts to prove he only took the best
never a day goes by that you’re not in my heart and my soul.

Source: Kimberly N. Chastain We love you Dad and wish you were here with us every day.

Cheers to Many More Years!

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 15:33:00 +0000

Today Jacob and I celebrate our wedding anniversary! I'm usually pretty private about my husband, but since I'm so open about our activities with Nicholas and all the other aspects of our lives, I'm making an exception.
Jacob and I met on a Sunday afternoon on a Southwest flight that was headed for LA. We were both on our way to California for work trips and didn't even notice one another until he sat next to me on the second leg of the flight. His rather chatty co-worker was adament that the both of them move into the empty seats that were next to me. I didn't mind as long as I didn't have to give up my aisle seat :) For the most part, I was tuning them out as I kept to myself and my Jodi Picoult novel. Little by little, Jacob kept trying to make small talk with me so I put my guard down and we chatted the rest of the flight. As the plane began to make it's descent, I found myself not wanting the flight to end! We really clicked! I couldn't believe I had just had an amazing conversation with someone who was funny, educated, had a good job, and had so many similar interests as I did.
Once the plane landed and everyone started making their way off the plane, I gathered my carry-on and we said our goodbyes. I was feeling pretty disappointed that he didn't make an attempt to ask for my number or email address or anything. As I walked off the plane I found myself getting annoyed with the whole situation and just told myself he was such a jerk - "this guy is such a loser! He's probably married or has a girlfriend and here he is hitting on me! The nerve of some men! Ugh!!" I told myself to forget it all and to just enjoy my few days in California and simply concentrate on work. As my co-worker and I were waiting at baggage claim, who do I see making his way towards me?! Yup, that's right, Jacob. I thought, "Oh no! This is going to be so awkward!! Maybe I'll just keep my back turned and he'll stay away." It's all so hilarious now....remembering it all....good memories. Just like I had feared, Jacob came right up to me and just picked up our conversation where we had left off. I didn't want to seem too interested but we somehow got to talking about the season finale of CSI Las Vegas (my all time favorite TV show) and how we couldn't believe that they would just kill off Warrick Brown!!...and the rest is history.
We didn't see each other again until about a week after we were both back in Austin and our whirlwind romance just continued from there. From the beginning we knew what we wanted for our futures and our futures included each other. We've endured quite a bit of hardships in our short time together - the loss of my Father, living 400 miles apart from one another for most of our engagement, criticism from people regarding our relationship, and being laid-off while I was on maternity leave - just to name a few. We may not see just how strong we are in the midst of all the craziness sometimes, but I know there is no one else I would rather be going through it with. At the end of the day, we have a roof over our heads, food on our table, a beautiful and healthy son, and God on our side. We couldn't be luckier. We may not be perfect as individuals, but we work together perfectly. Cheers to us!!

Hope you enjoyed the photos and thanks for stopping by!

We Heart Hot Tot Haircare

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:05:00 +0000

Yesterday was just one of those days where I woke up in a blah mood. You know, the ones where you feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog's Day - you feel like you're following the exact same routine for days on end: morning diaper change, breakfast, dishes, diaper change, laundry, Nick's nap time = office time for me, another diaper change, lunch, more dishes, another diaper change, play time, dinner, bathe Nick, reading time, another diaper change, put Nick to bed for the night, and then finally some DVR/me time and daily re-cap with the Husband when he comes home from work. Plus add in trips to the post office to drop off packages and play dates and trips to the grocery store and the gym; the list goes on and on. But I digress, back to yesterday...it finally decided to thunder and pour like they had been forecasting and that just compounded my gloomy mood. Well, in an effort to get me out of my funk, my mom decided to take Nicholas and I out all day to run some errands. We had a few more things on our "to-do list" but I had to make a quick stop at home to drop off some leftovers from our yummy lunch. As I hopped out of the car and ran up to my front door, what did I see?? My shipment from Hot Tot Haircare sitting there waiting for me!! (--- hey, I made a rhyme, ha!) Seeing that beautiful cardboard box just made my day :) You have no idea how excited I am to be able to carry this amazing all-natural professional haircare line for children.

Don't you just love the packaging?! Talk about giving your little one the royal treatment!

Hot Tot was created by the very talented and sweet Megan Gage. As a retailer, I can't tell you how great it is to actually speak to (in an email and over the phone) the real person behind the brand. I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with Megan when I was placing my initial order. I loved being able to discuss the product line and all the uses of each product. Talk about amazing customer service!!
I was sold on carrying Hot Tot when I sampled their products on Nicholas a few weeks ago. Nicholas has a mix of my fine, straight hair and my husband's curly hair. So he's been blessed with curly, fine hair. Basically, that translates into a hot frizzy mess! But now, his gorgeous shiny curls have great definition with absolutely no frizz. That's right, no frizz! And that is all thanks to a combination of using Spotless Tot on his hair at bath time, followed by the Conditioning Detangler immediately after (those pesky curls on the back of his head get really tangled) and then once his hair is dry, I apply a pea size amount of the Sweet Pea Serum. The best part about the Sweet Pea Serum is that it gives the curls great definition without being sticky or leaving the hair crunchy. Nick's hair stays soft and touchable while smelling terrific too! All the Hot Tot products have a mild baby-like scent.

Nick's "before" pictures were too hilarious that I couldn't pick just one! Back to the matter at hand - look at his "after" hair...just gorgeous! His curls have so much more control and manageability all thanks to the Sweet Pea Serum.

Little stud Jake's hair product of choice is the Structure Whip. Jake's mom, Sarah from newdaynewdeals.com, is able to effortlessly style Jake's baby fine hair into a super cool faux hawk using this amazing Hot Tot styling product.

To get a better understanding of this fabulous line, this is what Hot Tot has to say - "Hot Tot is the only professional line formulated for the physical characteristics of immature hair. Created to improve the lives of little ones, our products aid in the development of a positive self-image. Additionally, we employ eco-friendlybusiness practices and donate a portion of our proceeds to charities that benefit children." How great are they?! I LOVE being able to buy something useful for my son that is going to yield great results while also being able to help other children in need.
The entire Hot Tot Haircare line also is made using natural ingredients and no harsh chemicals, is lightly scented (signature scent was inspired by a Cabbage Patch Doll), made in the USA, cruelty-free / never tested on animals, and all products can be layered to intensify hold as needed on various ages of children.
Please browse my shop to see the entire line and feel to contact me if you have any questions about the products. I love being able to connect with my customers and help out any way possible.
Have a great day & thanks for stopping by!

Adventures of a Toddler: Swimming Lessons

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:46:00 +0000

Today was Nicholas' first day of swimming lessons and to say he did great would be an understatement!! I'm so amazed at his ability to try new things with excitement and hardly any fear. I got into the pool first and then carried Nick in and he started smiling right away. All we practiced today was blowing bubbles, quick dips under water, and kicking. Clearly he won't be qualifying as an Olympic swimmer by the end of his lessons, but we will be proud to see him complete the class with the basic understanding of holding his breath under water....he is only 18 months old.

Did your little ones like their swimming classes? At what age did you first enroll them? I'd love to hear back from you guys :)
I hope you're enjoying your Summer because it sure is going fast!
Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Recipe Roundup: Breakfast Edition

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:04:00 +0000

Breakfast is probably my most favorite meal of the day, but since we aren't very early risers in our house, it's more like brunch. I'm always on the hunt for quick and easy meals (that both us and our son can equally enjoy) and these two recipes are just that.
Stuffed Pancake Muffins

1. I lightly sprayed my mini muffin pan with Pam so I wouldn't have a hard time getting the baked muffins out

2. Then cut fully cooked sausage patties/links or fruit (I used banana and all beef breakfast sausages) and place in tin

3. Prepare pancake batter per instructions on the box and then just pour it into the tin

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-17 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if muffins are baked - toothpick should come out clean.

5. Serve with your favorite pancake syrup and voilà!

These were awesome little treats for brunch - particularly a favorite for Nick since they're mini size and fit in his little hands.

Patriotic Stuffed French Toast

This was our delicious AND festive brunch on July 4th!

1. The "condiment" on these sandwiches is flavored whipped cream cheese. So you'll want to prepare that first - lightly whip your favorite cream cheese and add vanilla flavoring, honey or maple syrup to taste
2. Spread on a layer of cream cheese onto slices of bread and add a layer of your fruit of choice - you can use fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, etc. and top with another slice of bread
3. In a shallow dish, lightly beat 2 eggs (or as many as needed) and carefully dip both sides of sandwich. This might get a little messy because you want to make sure the fruit stays in the sandwich
4. Place sandwich in a heated frying pan or griddle and cook each side until golden brown and a little crispy. You want to make sure the egg cooks.* Again, when flipping these guys make sure you don't lose any filling
5. Serve them up with extra yummy cream cheese, fruit, and drizzle with maple syrup. Deee-lish!!
*you can also cook the dipped bread as individual pieces first and then build your sandwich. I think we liked the taste of the toast when cooked that way anyway - of course, that was my husband's brilliant thinking ;)
Let's see what else we can cook up in the next few days & thanks for stopping by!

The Perfect Solution

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:24:00 +0000

With the scorching heat in full swing, here's a peek at one of our favorite products stocked at Royal Feather that is a definite Summer necessity - the
Perfect Pouch set by Jaq Jaq Bird.

I know first-hand how important being organized is when it comes to staying sane! Rummaging through your diaper bag to find your baby's snack or milk cup while he's wailing in the back seat as you're driving down the highway is not an easy feat. Make your life easier with this extremely versatile solution to all your organization needs. The Perfect Pouch Set is the easiest way to tidy up your diaper bag, car, or even your home. Gone are the days of using harmful plastic baggies to store snacks, pacifiers, small toys, and even toiletries. And with the temperature rising outdoors, make trips from the pool, beach, or lake an easy one by using the large Perfect Pouch to pack up your little one's wet swimsuits and toys.
The Perfect Pouch Set comes in two distinct sizes and has a grown-up look thanks to their modern alphabet design and easy zipper opening. Each set comes with (2) pouches and the size options are small (8"x8") or large (10.5"x12"). Not only is the Perfect Pouch a wonderful eco-friendly alternative to plastic baggies, but they're super safe for your family too because they are PVC, phthalates, and BPA-free. Shop today!
I hope you're enjoying your Summer as much as we are & thanks for stopping by!
xoxo,

Happy Independence Day!

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 20:34:00 +0000

Hello everyone! Yes, I'm finally back from my little hiatus...I think the Texas heat and the start of Summer distracted us a little :) But anyway, I can't believe how quickly time has gone by. Tomorrow is already the 4th of July!!

I've rounded up my favorite patriotic pins today to help you out with your last minute festivity preparations.

1. Giggles Galore did an amazing job with their 4th of July BBQ! Super festive and kid friendly
2. How adorable are these cupcakes in a jar from ReMarkable Home?! Love them!
3. I'm obsessed with Twizzlers so I'm a little biased when I say that this is my favorite pin :) Thank you Room to Inspire! I love simple projects that make a huge impact.
4. Did someone say cake? Look at this festive beauty! Deliciousness by White Lilly.
5. To say that I LOVE these Rocket Dogs is an understatement! Finding new and creative ways to prepare easy meals for kids is one of my favorite things to do on Pinterest. Kids get into their food slumps where they only want to eat one thing over and over. What better way to break the monotony of a boring hotdog with breadstick dough! Recipe by Family Fun Magazine.
6. Ahhh (sigh) sangria, how I love thee! A few years ago I traveled to Spain and it was there, on the little beach town of Alicante, that I learned of this super refreshing drink. Whether you enjoy red or white wine, sangria is THE best cocktail for summertime. Thank Recipe Girl for this perfectly festive drink you can enjoy tomorrow...or all week!
7. It's no secret that I have a terrible sweet tooth. But when I come across sweets made with fruit, I can at least lie to myself and say it's healthy :) Berrylicious chocolate covered strawberries by allrecipes.com.
8. What a quick and easy way to dress up simple drinks. Just grab some colored sugar, stir sticks, fruit, cookie cutters and voila! Check out Celebrations at Home for more fantastic ideas.
9. These fruit kabobs are perfect appetizers or dessert options for your 4th of July BBQ. Loving how simple this dish is - grab some skewers, bananas, strawberries, and blueberries and just thread the sliced fruit onto the skewer.

Well now it's time for me to run out to the grocery store and get all my supplies and ingredients for our little BBQ tomorrow. And can't forget to break out the baby sprinkles pool for Nicholas either!
Wishing you and your family a restful and safe (gotta keep your eyes on your little ones when playing with fireworks!) Independence Day! Have a fun and beautiful day!
Thank you for stopping by - xoxo,

Recipe Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:32:00 +0000

In the past few weeks we've tried some really great recipes that I found on Pinterest. I highly recommend these great dishes if you're looking for something quick and easy to make but also pretty healthy. Enjoy the deliciousness :)

BBQ Shrimp Flatbread

Creamy Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta

For this pasta dish, I used about 3/4 of the box of pasta but I didn't have enough sauce. If you need to make more than 4oz. of pasta, I would definitely double the sauce ingredients.

Grilled Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken

Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon

I absolutely loved this salmon recipe! I wanted seconds but I only made (1) 6oz portion for each person. This is definitely making its way into our lunch/dinner rotation.

Overnight, No-Cook Refrigerator Oatmeal

These oatmeal recipes are amazing! My husband can have some pretty crazy work hours where his "lunch" hour becomes his "breakfast" hour. These quick and easy oatmeal options make breakfast for him so much easier. I make these the night before he has to be at work and then he'll just pop them in the microwave. Since these oatmeal recipes are made with fresh and healthy ingredients, they are better-tasting options than the boring oatmeal packets where you just add water and much less expensive than purchasing the Perfect Oatmeal at Starbucks. The 3 flavors I've been making (per my husbands request) are the Mango Almond, Blueberry Maple, and Apple Cinnamon. After trying all three, he says his favorite is the Mango Almond. I've been wanting to try the Banana Peanut Butter, but I'm not sure how the banana will taste after soaking all night long.
I can't thank Pinterest enough for all these great finds!
Thanks for stopping by :)

My Honest Opinion

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:23:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was watching an episode of Ellen and Jessica Alba was one of her guests. Looking back, I can't even remember what exactly she was promoting but I do know she spoke about her new venture - The Honest Company - a company that produces chemical-free products for babies and families. Since she spoke about baby products, I was instantly intrigued and got online to find out more.
The Honest Co.'s website is very appealing with it's clean and simple look with really great information that is visible in a clear manner. One of the first things that caught my eye were the words "Free Trial." I clicked on the tab and was taken to a page with a series of a few short questions regarding my household. I was then given the option to choose the Honest Diapers and Wipes bundle and/or the Family Essentials bundle. Seeing as both options were FREE (all I had to pay was $4.95 for shipping), I chose both bundles. In just 4 short days, our package arrived.

Isn't this just the cutest packaging ever?! I loved it right away :)

The diapers and wipes bundle included 7 biodegradable disposable diapers and a pack of 10 biodegradable wipes. One note worth mentioning, you have the option to select some really cute and modern patterns for the color of the diapers you order - no more boring white! The Family Essentials bundle included sample size bottles of laundry detergent, shampoo & body wash, healing balm, face & body lotion, and hand soap.
My absolute favorite item was......the.....diapers!! These diapers are amazing! For starters, they're biodegradable, 100% non-toxic, chlorine-free, sustainable, and made of plant-based materials; all of which, make them super safe for baby. But also, they held up great and did their job fantastically too! I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about trying out a new diaper since our tried and true Pampers Sensitive diapers have never failed us - no leaks, no rash, no nothing for 17 months. Therefore, my approach to trying out these new diapers was to gradually do so. At first, we only used them during the day when I knew that Nick was only going to pee. Then I got brave and put one on Nick after he ate a complete meal fully loaded with fiber and protein! The Honest diaper passed that test too! Now came one more challenge - the overnight diaper. Since Nicholas can sleep overnight anywhere between 10 to 12 hours, a diaper needs to be really absorbent. And sure enough, the Honest diaper held it's own there too.
When I first put the diaper on Nicholas, I noticed that the elastic inside the diaper (the part that touches the inside of the leg) looked a little tight. I was afraid that Nick would get red and irritated there, but nope, they're apparently a lot more comfortable than they seem because there was no chaffing. The backside around the waist area has a small "elastic band" that helps prevent gaping and seems to make the diaper fit just right all the way around. Also, I quickly noticed that these diapers don't have that medicinal type of smell that regular diapers have - that's a major plus for me. The only downside to this diaper is that it seems to be really noisy. You know your baby is wearing a diaper with these diapers on. But for me, all the pros definitely outweighed this one downside.

Cutest baby bum ever!

My next favorite products were the samples of the laundry detergent, hand soap, and face & body lotion. All these products did their job well and have the added perks of being safe and non-toxic. The Honest Company does not use any harmful or health compromising chemicals in any of their products. I liked that all these products did not have an overwhelmingly obvious scent and that the hand soap did not dry out my hands. The lotion was also good because you could feel it sink into your skin and soothe any dryness. I strongly dislike lotions that are runny and/or sticky. This one was the exact opposite. Great products!
Unfortunately, there were a few items that I wasn't all that excited about. For starters, the wipes. When Nicholas was 6 months and started eating solid foods, we had to switch from the Pampers Sensitive Wipes to the Pampers Sensitive Thick Care Wipes. Let's just say I needed a wipe that could handle a lot more during diaper changes! I love my son, but it's pretty gross when you can feel what you're wiping. Sadly, the Honest wipes are quite thin in comparison to the wipes we currently use so I wasn't sold on this product. The shampoo & body wash wasn't terrible, but for Nicholas' fine yet curly hair, it seemed to make it feel dry and frizzy. Nicholas' hair is usually pretty shiny on it's own, but the morning following his evening bath, his hair just looked dull and messy. And yes, he did have bed head, but usually once I re-wet it and comb it, it settles down. However, that wasn't happening this time. Lastly, the healing balm just seemed like regular Vaseline. I'm fortunate to not have to deal with diaper rash a whole lot with Nicholas, but when I read "healing balm" on the tube, I expected a cream-like substance comparative to Desitin. I can see how this Healing Balm can help protect babies' bums from getting a rash, but I don't see it healing any redness or discomfort. But, since Nicholas didn't have any kind of diaper rash to treat while we were testing out these products, I don't know for sure.
And now, for how all this works. Should you decide you only want to try out the samples, you have until 7 days after you receive your trial package to cancel your membership. If you do not call to cancel, the bundle you selected will automatically be shipped out to you and you will be charged for your first monthly subscription. Since I wasn't ready to receive more diapers because we had just purchased some, I simply called the Customer Service line and had my membership inactivated. The process was really simple and the Customer Service rep was extremely polite and willing to help me. You don't see that very often anymore! The rep also informed me that they are flexible and willing to work with the customer when it comes to how often the bundles get shipped out.
All in all, I was extremely impressed with this great line of products. Another great thing to note is that with every purchase you (and I) make, Honest will donate diapers to children in poverty. I love shopping and supporting companies that pay it forward and help those in need.
Thanks for stopping by,

For All My Ladies

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:55:00 +0000

There was a time when I would've loved to ask every woman I met, "What brand of makeup are you wearing?" I always felt like everybody else had such flawless, even-toned skin while maintaining a fresh, natural look. I longed to have that same complexion. My biggest insecurity has been and continues to be my skin (on my face). I struggled with acne as a teenager and as a last resort after using practically everything my dermatologist prescribed was Acutane. Those 8 months were amazing! No breakouts, no shiny/oily T-zone, nothing! However, after all the creams and peels and medications I had used, I still had redness on my face and acne scars. There was no way I would ever leave my house without makeup on because I was (and still am) extremely self-conscious about my non-perfect skin.
Over the past 12 years that I've been using makeup, I've used so many different brands - Estee Lauder, Lancome, Chanel, Christian Dior, MAC, Origins, Smashbox, Bare Minerals, Stila, Laura Mercier, and a few others I'm sure. I never stuck with one particular brand because I never loved the way my skin looked, it was always just OK. But one fine day, as I was just perusing the makeup counter at Nordstrom, these sparkly little bottles caught my eye. I didn't even notice when the associate came up and asked if I was looking for something in particular and I honestly wasn't, but when she asked if I wanted to test out a makeup, I figured "Sure, why not?"
Well folks, I can FINALLY say I LOVE my makeup because it makes my skin look fantastic! After a long, hot and humid South Texas day my makeup isn't melting off or creasing. With the help of the non-silicone primer I started using, my makeup stays in place and gives a very natural and soft finish - nothing cake-y. I personally don't like to see when women wear makeup that's super thick and obvious. So fortunately, this makeup allows you to wear as little or as much as you'd like. Another important note, my makeup routine takes only about 10 minutes - max. With a toddler either waiting for me to get dressed or still sleeping while I'm getting ready, I obviously don't have tons of time.

Although you can't see it so well in this photo, the green/black sparkly canister of the Prep+Prime bottle is what initially caught my eye :)

I've used other makeup primers before but never really liked how they felt on my skin, particularly the silicone-based ones. I could instantly feel my pores getting clogged with those! The Prep+Primer Skin Base Visage is creamy yet airy and fluffy and glides right onto my skin, leaving it feeling extremely smooth and surprisingly hydrated. After that, I apply the Matchmaster foundation using a foundation brush and then dust on a little of the Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder. I love this stuff! It's very much like the Makeup Forever HD Powder. It has no color so it simply mattifies the skin. I usually only use it on the areas of my face where I know I have shine.
More recently I've started getting facials and microdermabrasion procedures a little more frequently. I have seen a lot of improvement in my skin but it's still not where I'd love for it to be. I'm waiting for the day where I'm blemish free and can walk out the door for quick errands without worrying about my face. Until then, I'm so grateful for that super sweet associate that tried out this new makeup on me. I couldn't be happier :)

Pergola Update:
Over the weekend my husband was able to squeeze in two days to work on the pergola. Unfortunately, these pictures don't really show all the time and labor put into this project plus the fact that it was a steamy and humid 90+ degrees for those two days.

Since the 6x6 cedar posts were already installed, the next step was to work on the frame for the roof. Eight 18ft cedar boards had to be cut and painted in order to build the 13'x16' frame

Here are 2 out of the 8 18ft boards cut and getting painted

Ta-da! And the frame is complete! Next up, the 2x6 beams need to be cut, painted, and installed above the frame.

Stay tuned & thanks for stopping by!

We Love Our Mother Earth

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Finally! I've just now been able to squeeze in some time to update the blog. Things have been a little chaotic over at our house this week - our son was battling his first-ever fever that was caused by an ear infection, then a bad reaction to the antibiotics, then loss of appetite, and finally he's back to normal. Not to mention we received a new shipment of merchandise that needed to be tagged and then uploaded to the website. Craziness!!
This past Sunday, we celebrated Earth Day by creating a little herb garden. As I've mentioned before, I'm just now getting a little more comfortable cooking and I find it incredibly frustrating when I find a recipe that needs parsley or cilantro so I go to the store and buy some, only to have it spoil days later because I only needed 1/4 tsp of it. With that in mind, I decided to make a little garden where we can always have fresh herbs available.
I had my heart set on a particular pot that I had seen at The Home Depot. But of course, when we went to buy it, there was only one left and it had a crack right over the edge of it. So off we went to hunt down another one! After two more stops, I finally found another one that was perfect.

I started off with 3 bags of Organic Choice potting soil, my awesome pot, and 6 different herbs -
parsley, cilantro, sage, rosemary, mint, and basil.

Ta-da!! All finished!

After I started my little project I realized that all 6 herbs weren't going to fit. I ended up returning the basil because I know how much it will grow and we won't have use for all of it. I'd hate for it to go to waste.

I love how my mini herb garden turned out and it only took me about an hour to do it. While my son was having a blast on his swing, I was able to get it all finished. Only downside, the mosquitos!! I'm anxious to see how these little guys grow! Now all I need are cute little markers for each herb...any idea where I can find some?
Thanks for stopping by!

Backyard Oasis - Phase 1

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:25:00 +0000

On Thursday, my good friend and I took our 15 month old boys to the beach. I'm happy to report that the boys had a blast and we (the moms) were pretty proud of ourselves for tackling a successful day trip on our own. The only downside was that there were a whole bunch of bees that came sneaking up on our little spot under our umbrella and I got scorched. But my skin will heal and the bees didn't sting anyone. Unfortunately, we didn't get to snap any pictures because priority #1 was hanging on to our little guys since all they wanted to do was run into the water. I love that they are so adventurous! Being out there reminded me how much I enjoy soaking up the sun. Luckily for us, we only live about an hour away from the beach so we will be heading back out there soon.

Back on the home front, my husband and I have been planning on what to do with our decently sized backyard since we moved in over a year ago. We planned to maintain a grassy area where Nicholas could play, but we also wanted to add stamped concrete. One area would be for a dining set under a pergola, another would be for a sandbox, and lastly, a small, cozy sitting area with a fire pit. As much as we'd love for this whole project to happen overnight, we know that's just not possible. But little by little, we've been tackling what we can.

The first project we finished, well my husband really, [ I picked out the fabric :) ] was the sandbox for Nicholas. I found this great pin on Pinterest with step-by-step instructions on how to build this fantastic sandbox. The sandbox only took 2 days to complete. A few days later, Nicholas and his friend Milo broke it in. The sand freaked them out a little, but they got over it and then ran to the pool! And since we live in South Texas, this sandbox and pool will be getting a lot of use!

Here's the semi-complete sandbox. All that was left was to stain it,
staple the canopy on, and fill it with sand

Here, Milo & Nicholas tried it out for the first time. I think Milo was telling me a joke here :)

"Mom, could you please stop taking pictures of me? It's embarrassing"

As soon as they saw the sprinkles of water, they just had to check it out :)

Next step of our backyard transformation - the pergola. Most of the cedar needed to finish building the pergola has already been delivered and hauled from the curbside to the backyard. My husband has made the drawing as to how he's going to build it, so all he needs is time. After the pergola goes up, next on the list is landscaping! That's the one part I'm not looking forward to. The extreme heat and lack of rain where we live makes having nice plants and flowers challenging. But, we're still going to try.

This is what one side of our backyard looks like right now. In a few weeks the pergola
will finally be completed (my husband only has 1-2 days a week to work on this project).

Stay tuned to see the big reveal! Thanks for stopping by!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

noreply@blogger.com (RoyalFeather) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:42:00 +0000

Well another Easter has come and gone, and I'm actually a little sad about it. The warm weather, all the bright and cheery colors of the season, and seeing the smiles on our children's faces as they run around in search for all their eggs and then watch as confetti flies all over, is such a wonderful feeling.

We were pretty busy last week prepping for an Easter party, assembling mini Easter baskets, and painting egg shells. Here's a look at our life last week in pictures - enjoy :)

Goldfish carrots for the mini Easter baskets

Bunny Bait treats I made for an Easter party
Nicholas was invited to - it was delicious!

This picture makes me laugh every timeI see it! It looks like he's
holding on fordear life!

Working on his little egg decorating project

Score! Nicholas came out with a Rice Krispie Treat! He kept going back for those...
I think he was mesmerized by the shiny, blue wrapper.

As kids, we always colored Easter eggs with food coloring and vinegar, but I always remember hating the smell. So now, on Pinterest of course, I learned you can color egg shells with Kool-Aid. So here's Nick's first attempt at it. Not too bad for a 15-month old :)

Here are the colors we used for his "Kool-Eggs"

I was pretty surprised to see that we didn't make a huge mess!
Nicholas would just color one egg at a time and then
let me take it out so it could dry. I was loving how into it he was!

Now we moved up to coloring 3 colors at one time!

And here is his masterpiece

Saturday afternoon, Nicholas went over to his cousin's house for another Easter party and he had a blast. Another piñata and another egg hunt!! I was a little disappointed that I couldn't make it to the party (my husband and I had bought tickets months before for a concert out of town. At the time of the purchase, I hadn't realized it was on Easter weekend. But I knew our son was in good hands with my Mom and sister).

Nicholas waving "hey" with his cousins Kayla & Claire

Piñata time!!

LOL! He's very happy to have found another Easter basket

Confetti in his curls

On Easter Sunday, we were able to get a great picture of Nicholas with his Easter baskets. I love his madras pants!

And last but not least, here are a few of my favorite shots of Nick all dressed up for his Easter pictures. Thank you to All Good Productions for these great photos!

I hope everyone had a blessed and memorable Easter!