This is 30!

Today is my last day of my twenties, and tomorrow I kiss them goodbye and turn the big 3-0! I know it's typically a "dreaded" age, and though getting older has some sucky points, I'm totally embracing it. I have every intention of making my 30's an amazing decade!

I figured turning 30 was a great opportunity to share a little more about my life. So, please excuse the embarrassing kiddo pictures of me as I highlight some of the best parts of the last 3 decades for me. :)

I was born on March 5th 1986 to a 17 year old Mama. She was young, but there wasn't one moment in my life that she didn't put me first. I was her everything. We lived with my grandparents, so I was always surrounded by love and very, very spoiled!

 

I had a great childhood! I was so blessed to be able to have a lot of experiences even at a really young age. I look back at old pictures and think, "Wow. God was really looking out for our little family!" I got to go to preschool when I was 2 while my mom went to nursing school. There, I met my friend, Jenelle, who 28 years later is still my friend to this day! My mom wanted to make sure I got the best education that I could, so she sent me to private school from Kindergarten until 12th grade. I have always appreciated being able to go to amazing schools where I knew everyone, made some great friends, got a lot of one-on-one time with my teachers, and was able to learn about God and being Catholic.

My first birthday:

 

My first Christmas:

 

Age 2:

 

First Disney trip:

 

Age 3:

 

Age 5 with Jenelle:

 

First day of Kindergarten:

 

When I was 6, my mom married the man who would later adopt me and officially become my dad. He's been the most amazing father ever since I can remember and I have always felt so lucky that God blessed me with him. 

A few years after they got married, they gave me one of the best gifts I've ever received...my first baby sister, Nicole. Then, three years after that I was twice blessed with another sister, Gina Marie.

Despite the age gap (9 years and 12 years), my sisters and I have always been super close. I love that God gave me built-in besties who I can always count on.

My dad and I with baby Nicole:

 

 

Nicole and Gina Marie:

 

Sister love:

 

Sisters and Mama: 

 

4 Generations! Notice my all-girls private high school uniform...

fashion statement much?! lol 

 

High School was some of the best years of my life. I went to an all-girls school, which I hated at first, but I learned to love it. It was great to not have to do my hair or makeup every day, and to be able to act crazy with all my best girlfriends without worrying what the boys would think. I made a lot of great friends and has a blast going to all the dances and participating in our drama department. 

Senior year, I got my first job as a "bear builder" at Build-A-Bear Workshop. I ended up promoting to management and worked there for 7 years! To this day, it was the most fun job I've ever had!

Senior Prom:

 

Graduation: 

 

BABW Management Team: 

 

After high school, I went to a local Cal State University and decided I wanted to get a bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies so that I could be a teacher. After a series of unfortunate events, I ended up not finishing, but it was for the best! I have about 10 classes left, so I have every intention of finishing one day, and possibly teaching one day when I'm done being a SAHM!

While working at BABW, I met my very best friend, Jenny. We have spent the last 13 years getting in to all kinds of shenanigans and always being there for each other. We have a friendship built on shopping, secrets, laughter, tequila shots, dancing, and cowboy boots and I wouldn't have it any other way! 

 

Lucky for me, Jenny got married in 2007, and 4 years later I started "talking to" (is that still a thing? lol) her husband's little brother. He was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and stationed in Hawaii at the time. After a few months of incessant texting and phone calls, I flew out to Oahu to spend some time with him. We fell in love, and I didn't come home for almost 5 months! A year later, we were engaged, and nine months after that, we were married on October 18th, 2013! 

My husband, Brian, is the most incredible man. I am so very blessed to call him mine. :)

Hawaii days: 

 

 

Our wedding:

 

 

Jamaican honeymoon:

 

Not even a month after we were married, I became pregnant! Then, 9 months later, sweet Baylee Christina Grace was born, and it's been a whirlwind ever since! My girl is crazy, but she's the best thing that's ever happened to me. God has blessed me in more ways than I ever thought he could!

 

So, here I am now ready to rock my 30's! Cheer to it being my best, most adventurous and love-filled decade yet!

 

Until next time! XoXoXo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leap Day Love List

Happy Leap Day everyone! And Happy Birthday to all you "Leaplings" out there! I always thought that February 29th would be such a cool birthday. :)

 Let's start off this official first day of Leap Year with a Love List.

So, if you follow me on IG (@mrs_tibbetts) you saw my yummy iced tea post yesterday. As I mentioned in the last post, I gave up coffee for Lent which has left me tea obsessed! I'm dying to try this recipe for copycat Olive Garden Peach Tea. Peach tea is my absolute fav!

This week I will break out all the green St. Patrick's Day decor, and I'm so excited! As, always, Target has some great, inexpensive decor like this shamrock wreath for only $6.00. I wish their online site sold One Spot merchandise, because the green pom garland I got there is perf. I can't wait to hang it. I'm still debating on what to make for dessert for St. Patty's but I think I might try my hand at this mint puppy chow (aka muddy buddies). It looks delish!

I found two new companies that I am recently drooling over for kids clothes and toys. June and January has the best basic pieces in the most beautiful colors. They are launching a play dress on March 11th and I am literally counting the days until I can order one for Bay! I love the tank jumper also, and they have headbands and blankets that come in coordinating colors. Perfect for baby shower gifts! :) P.S. They have free shipping today only with code: LEAPDAY.

The other company I'm lovin' is Blabla Kids. They make all kinds of cute heirloom toys, bedding, and decor, but what I love most is their knit dolls! They're handmade and totally adorable. I think Baylee may be getting Belle the Dog for her birthday this year. :)

Speaking of my little gremlin... Oh, I love her so, but she has been testing my patience lately. It's a good thing she's so cute! 

She actually has been letting me try new things with her hair though, so I've been having fun with it as it gets longer and thicker. She pulls it out as soon as she gets in the car to go anywhere, but win some lose some. 

Braids and curls. I was so meant to be a girl mom.

  Heart eyes!

 

Lastly, my 30th birthday is in 5 days! Oh-em-gee! Let the birthday week festivities begin! You still get that when you're 30, right? ;)

Until next time! XoXoXo 

 

Today With Bay!

7:15 Good Morning Sunshine!

Baylee usually wakes up around 8:00-8:30, but for the past week she's been up by 7:00 no matter what time we put her to bed. The little brown dog (who finally got groomed!) agrees with me that this is entirely too early!

 

7:30 Tea Time!

I made my tea, (I gave up coffee for Lent! I know...I'm brave.) and was stressing about all the cleaning and errands that needed to get done. Then, my tea bag reminded me to slow down. So, I decided to have a breakfast picnic with kiddo instead of starting the day with a To-Do list. :)

 

8:00 Breakfast Picnic

Baylee loved our picnic and ate every single bite on her plate which never happens! Win!

 

8:30 Mickey Mouse on the arm of the couch. (Baylee's new spot.) 

 

9:00 Finger Painting

For Christmas, Baylee got some Crayola Color Wonder finger paints, and I freaking love them! The paint is clear and only appears on the special "Color Wonder" paper. She loves to get a finger full and then see what color appears. This activity kept her busy for a half an hour, people. A half. an. hour! (Double win!)

 

9:30 Milk and Ariel

While we were cleaning up from painting, Baylee asked for "Meeeelk and Awee-ol". Can't say "no" to that! 

 

10:00 Protein Shake

While Baylee watched her movie, I made myself a protein shake. I threw a banana in with it and it tasted like dessert! Bay, of course, was trying to thief some the whole time I drank it.

 

10:30 Nap time! 

Early rising means early napping! I layed down to shut my eyes for a few minutes after I put Baylee in her crib, and then woke up two hours later to her making noise on the monitor at 12:45! So much for a productive nap time! Although, I guess naps can be productive too...

 

1:15 Lunch time!

Lunch today was turkey, pasta salad, bananas, and cottage cheese served in a muffin tin. Try it toddler mamas...I promise your kid will love it!

 

2:00 Get ready! 

After lunch we got ready to go run errands, but first we took a matching top knot us-ie. :)

 

2:30 Shop 'til we drop!

We went to Hobby Lobby and a few other stores, and had so much fun! Baylee was such a good girl the whole time. She insisted on carrying my shopping bags to the car after each store...even if they were as heavy as her! Such a good little helper! It must have pooped her out though, because she knocked out in the car on the way home.

 

4:30 Snack! 

Snack today was yummy peach greek yogurt. Baylee kept clinking her water bottle with the yogurt cup and saying "cheers" because I taught her to do that with her tea set. It's freaking adorable. :) Not so adorable was her spitting water all over her shirt prompting the third outfit change of the day!

 

5:00 Outside play!

 

5:45 Dinner! 

Dinner tonight was leftover creamy chicken (chicken in the crock pot with some cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup) and broccoli. I also let Baylee have the last muffin. I'm so nice. 

 

6:00 Holy Cannoli!

After dinner, Baylee and I split a cannoli from the local Italian market for dessert. She had never had one before, so I was curious to see what she would think, and she ate almost her whole half! Such an Italian girl! Mama is proud.

 

6:15 Scrub-a-dub in the tub! 

 

6:45 Milk and snuggles!

My favorite. :)

 

7:45 Teeth brushing!

 

8:00 Story time and lights out! 

 

 

And now, like every night, I'm at my desk blogging and thinking about how much I miss my little bestie. :)

 

Until next time! XoXoXo