Molly the Dolly turns 1!!

On May 25th our little lady bug Molly turned 1!! We had an amazing birthday bash for her and it was so much fun! Here are some photos of the day!

 As our guests walked into the party they were greeted by a table with photo booth props and a time capsule

 we ordered the props from chellawilliams on etsy for $5.45 over 30 props! it was a digital download and we printed them at our local UPS store, cut them out, and glued them to wooden dowels and lollipop sticks depending on the size of the prop. I highly recommend her etsy shop she only had a mickey theme with boy colors and she customized it for me to match our minnie them!

For the time capsule we just took a shoe box and wrapped it in wrapping paper and stuck a bunch of minnie mouse sticker on it. Mollys God Mother Dawn designed it to match our theme and framed it. This really only cost me $1 to make, all we need were the stickers and my husband found them at the dollar store!! I got the idea for the time capsule on pinterest and put my own touches on it! I think its a great idea and a change from an ordinary guest book!

To the left of the table was our DIY "photobooth" my husband made it out of PVC pipe from home depot and we covered it with fabric we bought at "sew-fisticated" which is located at twin city plaza in Somerville,Ma the fabric cost 1.99 a yard Ithink it was perfect for our Minnie Mouse theme!

here are some shots from the day you can see even more on INSTAGRAM #mollythedollyturns1

my amazing husband worked the grill the entire party!

                                         having fun with ZOZO theclown!

                                           Auntie Ruthie,molly, and mommy!



For the entertainment we hired the amazing Jackie from the Party fun (thepartyfun.com) She was so energetic and great with all the kids she did face painting, airbrush tattoos, and even dressed up like minnie mouse during cake time! I would recommend her with the highest compliments. She made the party what it was she has the most amazing energy and was always smiling.she supplied the music and a bubble machine that the kids were amazed by!! she also made sure to have plenty of disney and minnie mouse options to go along with the theme!

This is ZOZO the clown also from the party fun! Isn't she adorable? shes actually Jackie's daughter and she made the most amazing balloon animals and shapes! she even did minnie mouse ears!! such a talented young lady!!

this was my attempt at a "hot digity dog bar" lol we had so much food it became an oversight the signs are cute though! haha

 the cake table!!! cake is by baylaboo cake boutique. It is the same lady we got her christening cake from! She included a smash cake too!  The cupcake towers i got on sale for are you read for this?... $.88...yes 88 cents!! One has matching cupcakes (patsys bakery somerville,ma) the other had my moms home made brownies! we also had some awesome #1 and mickey and minnie lollipops that molly's  godmother made. They were the first to disappear from the table haha

Mollys birthday Onesie was made by HDcustoms! follow him on instagram! 

                                         another special touch LADYBUGS!

                         
                                                               Pinata fun!!!

                                           
                                         outfit change! thank you for helping Ming Tina!!

                                         Molly with us and our moms!!

                                 Me and my mom---mollys to into mickey (her god father Ben is actually in there!!)

we had such a great day and so did molly!! THANK YOU to everyone who had a part in this special day!!

**all of the decorations are OFFICIAL minnie mouse decorations that were all purchased at PARTYCITY.COM

Breast feeding journey UPDATED

Hi! We have been so busy planning Molly's first birthday (2weeks away!!!) that again, I haven't been able to update much.  Sometimes I wonder how all these mommy bloggers and youtubers find the time to do all that they do.  Eventually I'll get there! Haha.

With just a little over a week to go I have very happy to announce that we are still breast feeding!! It's been a long road and I was not shy about wanting to give up.  The first 3 months were the hardest. Everyday I cried, I was doing it wrong, she didn't like my milk, is it ever going to get easier?  And it did!  When ever I'm asked advice on breast feeding all I can say is "don't give up, if it's something you really want to do. It will get easier!"  A few months back I put out there on social media for moms to be a part of this blog post.  So I asked a list of questions I thought would be helpful. I wanted to be able to share not only my experience but other moms.  Everyone is different, and I thought it would be a great way to share more then one breast feeding adventure. Yes, ladies it is an adventure! Motherhood? Yep, also an adventure!  I went ahead and picked a few that I will post and I will end it with my own updated answers! I hope this can help even just one new mommy who is having a hard time!

Thank you to everyone who participated. I tried to pick ones that were different from each other, so sorry if I didn't post yours!


Sally 26 years old

1. I breastfed for 11 months.
2. I made the decision to breastfeed because it is healthy for my baby and my body and it is free.
3. I started pumping at 10 weeks pp. I was returning to work at 12 weeks. I used my pump every day at work. I had a frozen stash for my daughter for when i needed to be away. The most i had at once was 370oz. I was so proud i took a picture.
4. I had a medela pump.
5. I was support by most of my family.
6. The hardest part for me was getting used to it. Its hard work to breastfeed but once you get into the swing of it, it becomes a lot easier. Most women quit early on because of that challenge. Toward the end of our journey the hardest part was pumping. It was discouraging to see the amount i pumped knowing my daughter's needs were higher. I was losing my supply. It was very sad.
7. The best part was the bond i had with my daughter. Knowing she needed me. Knowing all thr wonderful things i was doing for her.body its really amazing.
8.advice for.new.moms planning to breastfeed is to stick with it. It will be hard and draining and it will seem like your baby is always attached to you but its worth it!
9. Cheap nursing bras from Burlington coat factory!, my pump, nusing pads for when your baby starts sleeping through the night, ice water youll be sweating for a long time, deep freezer for storing milk.


I will breastfeed all of my future children


Tasha 20 years old
1. My daughter is 23 months old and I am still breast feeding her
2. I am a young mom and at the time I was very scared. I did some research and with the advice of my doctors I decided it was the best option, and of course it's free!!  I am a fan  if pop culture and there are a lot of celebs who are pro-breast feeding and it was very encouraging to me!
3. I do pump and I used a MEDELA manual pump as well as their pump in style advance, which I like way better then the manual one!!! My daughter drinks mostly expressed milk that I've pumped and stored in the freezer but will take breast at night and sometimes when she wakes.
4. The only support I had was from my dr and the lactation consultants after I gave birth. My family was not supportive and it took a long time for anyone to understand my decisions.  I have had people say it was gross, abuse, or my fav "just use formula, what are you a cow? It's like milking a cow!!"
5. The hardest part of breast feeding was the lack of support.  And the beginning.  It hurts and there can be obstacles.  My daughter had a hard time latching and when she did she was a cluster feeder, it was exhausting and painful but it lead me to this amazing bond with her and I wouldn't want it anytOther way now that I have experienced it.
6. The best advice I can give to any new mom is to at least try it,  and if you want to continue on just know you're not alone.  It gets easier and it does stop hurting.  The first 3 weeks are the hardest.  Try your best to make it past that! It is so worth it!!
7. My top 5 breast feeding products are 1-a boppy or supportive pillow 2-MEDELA nipple cream 3- pump 4-tomee tippee bottles 5-MEDELA freezer bags
8. I do not plan on having any more kids but if I change my mind I would most certainly breast feed them!!

Meghan's updated breast feeding journey!
Thank you again for answering those questions ladies!

As you may remember I had a rough road with Molly.  I am happy to say IT does get better!!
Molly will be 12 months old next week! She is still feeding 3-5 times a day
The hardest part has been that she refused a bottle.  I do have the MEDELA pump but never use it because I felt as though I was wasting my milk. She wouldn't drink it! The best part about  that has been she went right to drinking out of a cup with or without a straw. So she has eliminated the risk of "bottle rot"    I still continue to set goals for myself. I first set a goal of 3 months and I surpassed that   As we reach 12 months my goal is now to stop. Stop when Molly decides its time for her to stop. There is nothing wrong with breast feeding past one.  I do plan on introducing her to cows milk, but I am not going to force it in her.  I try to listen to her and let her tell me what she wants or needs and so far it's worked just fine! There's no more guessing if she's hungry or if she wants more. Now she will come up to my chest and give a sign she wants some and when she's done she gets off and goes back to her toys! It's gotten so much easier as she grows.  I am very glad that I stuck with it!

I would have to say that I love all MEDELA products (no I was not paid to say that!)  I just find them to be above and beyond everything else out there.  I love my boppy pillow it was so helpful to me!! Especially with Molly's reflux. It was great to put her in the best position for her.  Good nursing bras and easy access clothes are a must!! I find the best selection at target especially for bras!!

I will continue to update on out journey until the breast is retired! Haha

I hope this helped some! You can do it don't get discouraged.  What ever decision you decide to make know its a good one. Everyone and every journey is different.  Do what is right for you!!!

***UPDATED****
It's now July and on the 25th Molly will be 14 months old! We are still breast feeding!  Still on demand and she is still a comfort nurser! I noticed her comfort nursing is when a new tooth is coming in. She's not a cranky baby so I can't complain !  She eats plenty of solid foods like, grapes watermelon, berries, noodles, toast, yogurt, chicken, potatoes and crackers. I let her have a taste of whatever she seems interested in.  She loves using her own spoon and fork and is very good at chewing her food at first I thought she was going to be a choker, but it turned out she was just greedy stuffing too much In her mouth.   As for when I will stop breast feeding her, that is up to her!   Hope your all enjoying your summer!

June Favorites!

June favorites!!

finally getting to my favorites post! 

favorite foods:

Molly-  string cheese!  daddy bought string cheese to add to his lunches for work and Molly ate them all!! i give her one with some fruit as a snack and that leads me to another fav for her GRAPES!! shes loving them she will eat an entire bag or container if we let her. She likes the mixed container from whole foods. They are affordable at about $4 for a good sized container that usually last her two to three days

Mommy- anything i eat lately is usually a shared piece ofsomething from molly as shes veryinterested in everything i have to eat.  I am trying not to raise a picky eater (i am terribly picky!) so if she wants a bite i dont see the harm in giving it to her.  As for a mommy treat that i try not to share is ANYTHING with salted caramel!! OMG! i dont know what it is but i am absolutly OBSESSED!!!! Wholefoods has these chocolate covered caramel bites with sea salt on top they are simply DIVINE and a little piece of heaven in my mouth  lol yes they are that good!!

favorite movie or tv show

Molly-we are still addicted to what else? FROZEN!! we watch it every single day but all of a sudden she has taken a liking to Tinkerbell so we break up frozen marathons with a little tink! as for tv shows she really enjoys anything wtih music. I would have to say Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, and Paw Patrol are her absolute favs but, shes been showing interest in Bubble Guppies and Jake and The Neverland Pirates in the past few days

Mommy- i of course am a reality tv junkie and i am  saying "thank you JESUS" for the return of the New Jersey Housewives on BRAVO! MAZEL!! if you watch then youll get the jesus and the mazel reference! i am also really loving Little Women LA on life time. i have some knowlege of Terra, i have see her on other shows about little people. I really enjoy the show and think its a great show to have on that really sheds light on the good parts and the struggles that we all have no matter our height.  They are HILARIOUS and really know how to have a goodtime!

for a non reality show, devious maids is my fav but i have really been getting into Chasing Life on ABC family. Its based in Boston so ofcourse that had me intrigued off the bat. Anything to do with where i am from draws my curiosity, and i am always dissappointed!  Anyways, its only a few episodes in and its about a girl who wants it all and is losing it all, as she discovers she has lukemia. I really reccomend it ifyou havent watched it.

favorite toy/activity

Molly- Her favorite toy is her "billy beats" by megablocks   its a piano and beat box thing! Now that shes old enough enough and running around she will hit the keys and it will play a song with a beat--she dances -- then when it turns off she runs back over to it and presses it again so she can continue dancing! You better believe that shes making sure everyone is looking at hertoo!!

Mommy-- anything with my little lady is myfavorite but if i had to choose something it would be our daily walks. We both really enjoy that!

Right now it is a beautiful New england summer so whatever time we get outside and can have fun thats where you will find us!

I will try to update more but i do find myself busy with my Molly dolly! its hard to pull away from her or to find anytime to myself to post!  

Thanks for reading!

For some reason my breast feeding update was posted as private i will try and fix that too!! 

Molly walks!!

I am very proud to report that molly is officially walking!! shes taken a few steps here and there or when ever she felt like it, but on Sunday March 16 at our family st.Patty's party she started walking and hasn't stopped!! she was 9 days shy of her 10 month birthday!! i cant believe how fast shes growing and how fast shes hitting her milestones!! how old was your little one when he/she started walking? share your pics of your kids with me on instagram #mollysworld525

you can check out more of her first steps on instagram @mollysworld525

quick update!

How do you like our new layout? thought it was time for a change!! its finally a nice day in Boston!! if you are from the east coast then you know its been brutal!! with the nicer weather i will have much more exciting news to report ! Molly's party is going to be here before i know it and its making me very emotional i am working on a birthday haul post and video and i will have a post of her party and all the details of how to throw an amazing birthday bash without hurting your wallet!!

we have one cute little video of molly dancing up on YouTube! check it out and subscribe to out channel! YouTube channel is mollysworld525

Baby firsts

First off I have to point out that this blog is about my journey and my daughter.  Every child grows differently so please don't use this as a comparison to any other child.  Some grow fast and some grow slow it doesn't mean something is wrong! The same goes for parenting. My style may be different then yours but neither of us are wrong.  What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa

Now to the good stuff!  In the past few months we have experienced Molly's first teeth (she now has 6!) which led to her first dentist visit, to her first holidays.  I am a very emotional mommy.  I cry, or atleast tear up at every new thing Molly does or gets to experience. I think I get emotional because she's growing so fast, and she's a head of the game when it comes to a lot of things, and I wish she would slow down!   How do you handle your child's firsts?   I find it very important to let her know that she's done something good.  "Good job Molly!" "Mommy is proud of you baby!" Are a few that I'm constantly saying to her.  I think it's a good pattern to start with her now, so she will have some sense of pride and confidence as she gets older.   I always had very low self esteem, and that's a cycle I want to break now that I have a little girl of my own.

  Here are some pictures of Molly's firsts!

I am constantly taking and posting pictures of Molly's silliness and all her firsts!  Follow me on Instagram @mollysworld525 and send me your little ones firsts.  Hashtag mollysworld525 and I will feature some on the next blog!

Also i am planning a big breast feeding update and would love a few "guest bloggers"  to share their breast feeding journey.  If interested please email mollysworld525@gmail.com for more info!

A cold and busy winter

wow! I haven't posted since October! what has been going on?? Last I updated we were super busy with planning molly's christening, and as promised I will post some pictures! Molly has also experience many firsts and has been hitting all her milestones! she even taken her first steps!! My husband bought me a new laptop so keeping up with this blog should be much easier then the iPad!!

Molly's first Halloween was the same weekend of her christening

her gown was absolutely stunning! Her god mother purchased it at www.zone4kids.com we went to their showroom in Lawrence, Ma and picked it out in person  the staff is very friendly! 

my little ladybug in church

 we did a "sweets buffet" for the favor

a lot of the items on the table are from oriental trading

cake by baylaboo cake boutique Everett, ma

we purchased all the decorations at PartyCity

guest book table

Mollys christening was an amazing day! so many of our friends and family attended and it made the day so special and we couldn't have done it with out the help of our family!