Chatbooks

The initial reason I started an Instagram account was when I saw in Shutterfly I could make a book of all my photos I would post. Like a photo journal (along with my blog).  Since the time I started Instagram (888 posts and 172 weeks later) I finally am putting the pictures into books. But I'm not using Shutterfly. I'm using Chatbooks. It is SO easy to use (using the app) and al I had to do was change the covers. $6 for 60 pages/pictures + FREE shipping. Can I just tell you how much I love the word FREE? Speaking of FREE...if you use my code, you'll get your first Chatbooks for FREE! You can order one volume or all volumes of your IG pics and one of them (yes, even if you just order one) will be FREE! No catch or hidden fees. I'm not sure how long this code will last, so use it now!! I can't wait to receive mine and hear how you like yours!!

Family Pictures

One of my most favorite Christmas traditions is that of Christmas cards.  Growing up, I loved receiving them from friends and family, looking at the pictures, reading the letters (which most people don't do anymore) and then my mom would put them in a book.  I, too, have saved every Christmas card (and baby/wedding announcement) I have received since getting married.  And since we have been married, we have sent a Christmas card out.  I am so glad we started right away because each year is documented.  It is more fun with a kid though!
This year, we used a local photographer who goes to our church.  We met when she bought a rug from us :)  She was great and I love the finished product.  We took them down at Lake Wylie, where we love to go regularly.  I think it's beautiful with all the leaves and the water.  Fun fact: it also is the state line between NC and SC (one of the many right around us...we live in some kind of weird corner where there are like three different state lines I cross every week).  Of course, there needs to be a little surprise for when that picture arrives in your mailbox, so I'll keep that one a secret. Here are a few that I loved!   

We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!  

Monkeying Around

She is obsessed with putting on every pair of shoes she has throughout the day.  It started very early yesterday.

Yesterday was a long, productive day.  Order...1) Walmart return, 2) Monkey Joe's, 3) Lunch 4) Pick up clothes from alterations, 5) Put together ward bulletin board, 6) Pack for Utah.   I get tired just thinking about the day, even though it's over.  Some of you are probably saying, "psh, that's my schedule everyday!"  Lately, I have been trying to limit the amount of places I go, for Charlotte's sake.  She loves getting out, but she LOVES going back home!  We are spending the majority of the week at home getting ready to leave TOMORROW!!  I am so excited to see my family, I might have well served another mission again ;)   But we still have to have fun in the midst of leaving for the holidays.  Therefore, we explored Monkey Joe's for play group.  We had never been here before.  I didn't know what to expect and it was basically a bunch of bounce houses.  Charlotte took a LONG time to warm up to it, but finally she liked it.  I also have never put so much hand sanitizer on her, probably in her life combined.  There are no signs of sickness today, so I think I killed all her germs ;)  

After Monkey Joe's, we went to Chili's for lunch (I had a coupon for a free kids meal) and I got the BEST salad...Santa Fe Chicken salad.  And then to the church building to put up the ward bulletin board.  It's nothing to brag about, but it's better than what it was...nothing!

Once we got home, Charlotte crashed!  I went upstairs to grab something out of my room and couldn't help but snap a photo of her around around her baby.  It kills me.  Love this little trooper of mine!

   

Day at the Mall

I thought I would do a post on a trip to the mall. Why? For myself. To document how these trips usually go. It's a great place to run to on rainy days, like today.  We were originally planning a trip to ImaginOn but I forgot a I had to drop something off at UPS so we got a little late start. My main goal was to stop at H&M to grab a coat I saw on a fashion blog. We got to the mall in north Charlotte, stopped at H&M (got my coat) and wandered around the mall for a while.

Typical dressing room...squeeze into a little room and Charlotte doesn't want to sit still :)

We noticed the Santa station was all set up as a snow globe. Of course, the mall was totally decorated with Christmas AND Christmas music was playing! 

It was so cute. As we went down to the first floor, we noticed people were walking through it, so clearly, we went inside.

I don't know why my legs look so enormous...

Santa's workers guided us through the snow globe and it had snow coming down from the top! 

We finally made our way to Santa. It was his first day and I'm pretty sure Charlotte was the first child to see him. She wouldn't sit on his lap but I got her to sit next to him and give him a hug. He had a basket of "Frozen" activity booklets, which she was pretty excited about. 

I'm sure this won't be the only time we see Santa. Josh loves the mall at Christmas time and when I told him about all the Christmas stuff his reply was "we need to live at the mall." You don't have to twist my arm ;) 

After Santa, we had lunch at Chick-Fil-A, our favorite. We probably go there once a week. Charlotte totally zonked out soon as we hit the road. Such a little trooper!