And like THAT... (insert swift finger snap)... she's ONE!

In true Elshane form, a celebratory event doesn't come and go without a celebration. Sunday's first birthday was no exception. But I had to be strategic-- this innocent soul wouldn't remember a thing from this special day-- so it had to be just enough, but not too much. 

Basically, we wanted an excuse for our family and friends to gather, eat cake, and take epic photos to last a lifetime. Mission complete!

Here's how it all went down...

Sunday Funday was a natural choice for a theme-- I guess you can say it's less a "theme", and more a "mentality". But hey, that's how I feel about life in general! So yes, our mentality was Sunday Funday. We celebrated on a Sunday, for Sunday's birthday, which strategically fell on a Sunday this year. Yes, yes, yes!!!

The FIRST thing I did when planning the party was book the entertainment. I knew there was only ONE choice- The Beat Buds! They're basically like The Beatles of Southern California. If you live in or around SoCal, there's truly no other choice for kid's entertainment. 

They strolled into the party with endless instruments both for them to play, and for the kids to jam out with, too. Their original songs (like how to say Hello in many languages) are so catchy that I honestly spied many parents boogie'n in their boots. (CAUGHT!)

Sunday said "BYE MOM" and hung out as a Beat Buds band groupie the entire party. No joke-- it's like I wasn't even there. (Ok, it was a little sad, but mostly thrilling to watch her undying independence and jam ability.)

And what's a party without Pinterest-worthy splashes of decor? That's where Minted came in. The stationery powerhouse was a one-stop-shop for perfectly pretty banners, photo backdrops, garlands, table confetti, and theme signs that sprinkled the entire outdoor space.

The washed pink canvas "1st Sunday Funday" photo backdrop was the icing on the selfie wall cake.

Shop these items in my Shop The Post section below!

CALLING ALL INSTAGRAMERS!!! You can't forget the must-have party moment for any Instagram-obsessed chick like myself-- a selfie wall!!

With the help of Pottery Barn Kids x Emily + Meritt's newest collection that just hit stores last week, I created a swoon-worthy stars Teepee, lion and cat beanbags, metallic pillows, and pom pom garland backdrop that welcomed tots in for a cozy photo in perfect lighting. 

And who can say no to babies in Teepees in perfect lighting?!

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And lastly, the moment we had all been waiting for... the SMASH CAKE!! I wondered what Sunday would do in that first moment that sugar touched her sweet little lips. Some babies cry, some scream, some dive in face first and never let go!

Well... as you can see from the photos... need I say more?!

Leopard is my favorite color.

Leopard is a neutral.

Leopard is calming.

Leopard is healing.

Have I hypnotized you yet? 

Doing a little matchy-matchy with the tot is always a fun time. I just realized that my last blog entry was a leopard post, as well. I guess that's what happens when it occupies 30% of your (and your little's) wardrobe...

Not sorry. Now back to regularly scheduled programing...

Leopard is organic.

I'm envious of my friends (you know who you are) who make photo albums after each vacation. Not an online Facebook album, not an Instagram hashtag; I'm talking an actual hard copy photo album that gets stashed on a bookshelf in your living room to dive into years later. I'm just not that girl.

Sooooo...now I have a baby, and I want to try harder to be that girl. Considering that all of her most precious baby items are literally the size of bagel crumbs, the idea of a keepsake box to store every token memory in one small space is practically genius.

Half of the box is for documents (think sonogram photos, doctor growth charts, etc.), and the other half is this miniature bookshelf-esque box in a box in a box system that fits her first shoes, first hat, favorite doll, and "come home from the hospital" outfit. 

News Flash: I now AM THAT GIRL!!!!!

I've been spending the last week of December rather uninterrupted with my family. This is really the only week of the entire year that both my husband and I don't feel {toooo} bad about checking out from work for a few days. So I've been soaking it up!

Although we love a good adult-only date day or night, lately we've been having the most fun spending our free time hanging out with this special lady you see pictured here. She's just at an age where she is 100% FUN all the time. We can't get enough! 

This Ice Cream Castles romper has been a wardrobe staple on her for months now. Onesies are such a no brainer for cold weather. Also, my fur slides that I'm wearing are finally back in stock here. Get them while you can-- they go QUICK!

I hope everyone has a beautiful holiday and New Year with their family and friends! Tons of love and see you in '17!

They grow so fast! But it keeps getting better...

Now that Sunday is so mobile and active at her ripe age of 8 months, we love taking her everywhere with us on the weekends. I used to lug my 25 lb stroller everywhere I went-- the schlepping, OMG! Break it down, throw sorry I mean use all my arm strength possible to jam it in the back of my trunk, put it back together, narrowly squeeze through crowds with my wide load... I think you get the idea.

There's a time and place for the big mama stroller-- but when you're on the go on the weekends, something ultra light, foldable, thin and portable is just what the...Pediatrician ordered. ;) 

A friend recommended Joovy as her go-to "umbrella stroller" brand. (Get it? It folds up on the go like an umbrella.) I've been loving the accessibility of it, and I know Sunday feels pretty fly in it, as well!

I mean, really though. What does she have to complain about? The girl has a multiple car garage for herself. We're doing just fine.

Whereas most mamas I've encountered run toward the opportunity to start giving their babies solid foods at the four month mark, I was really happy to sit back and wait until the other recommended age, six months. Sunday could hardly sit up on her own at four and five months, so the thought of her swallowing and digesting food just didn't yet make sense in my mind.

Fast forward to five and a half months...

I blinked and the girl was crawling around the house at lightening speed, sitting up on her own, and saying "dada" as frequently as a I chant "Chanel". {I know... HELP!}. So just like that, I knew it was time to whip out "the Bentley of high chairs, and the Harvard of baby food makers" as my husband so accurately jokes!

Like most other infant essentials, the process of finding "the right" high chair was daunting. I saw some with bells, some with whistles, and some just completely aesthetically chic (and unchic for that matter). Every mom had an opinion, and I was a little too tired to care, to tell you the truth.

I did my own research and found the newest high chair on the market, made by 4moms, the company that created my favorite vibrating swing and bath tub that Sunday rocks, so I investigated further. 

What I discovered is that this high chair is a-c-t-u-a-l-l-y the best. She seat belts in like a sturdy champ, the tray pops on and off with one hand (because you're obviously holding baby with your other hand while getting her in and out), and the entire chair can be wiped clean with one swipe of a wet paper towel.

Don't think I forgot to mention the coolest part. The tray is magnetized, and 4moms makes magnetic bowls and utensils. Think about this... a bowl that is magnetically stuck to the tray to defy baby's strong, strong desire to throw plates filled with food across the room. (Side note-- if baby tries hard enough, yes, she can break the magnetic bond. Maybe that's just because Sunday is The Hulk, though). 

Also, I found it interesting that 4moms decided to make their high chair sit lower than your standard high chair. I wondered why until I started using mine. It's at the perfect height for you to sit down in your chair at the table, and feed your baby at eye level. It's genius. 

As a super busy working mom, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to give Sunday the most carefully thought out, nutritious meals. I saw a lot of moms on Facebook constantly whipping up the most ridiculous baby meals and I just didn't have the time or patience to go down that road. 

Cue BabyBrezza brand (remember my #1 must have newborn essential blog post, featuring their formula maker, which I still use every four hours of my life), coming in for the win!!

They make a 1-step glass baby food maker which is every busy mom's best friend. After filling the machine up with purified water and tossing in any raw, uncooked organic chopped concoction, just throw a lid on it, and press the steam and puree button and, you my friend, just cooked your baby a nutritious meal! You, meaning ME! I became ONE OF THOSE FACEBOOK MOMS; all because of this food maker. 

(Bragging Rights: Last week I made my husband a clean roasted chicken with roasted carrots, Brussel sprouts, and squash. After dinner, I grabbed some of the remaining leftovers and threw it ALL in the BabyBrezza at once-- the chicken, carrots, Brussels, and squash-- and pressed the puree button and had myself a stock of Gwyneth Paltrow-approved baby food for days to come. Sunday LOVED it! I also froze a bunch of it in these convenient freezer square savers to reintroduce to her next month. If you follow me @elshanesworld on Instagram, you would see these exciting shenanigans on my Instagram Stories.)

So that's my solid foods story. This is only the beginning...

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I'm having flashbacks to my perfectly curated home. The home that had every corner prop-styled and Pinterest-photo ready... Do you have similar flashbacks these days?

Fortunately (at least as of now), only one room in my house has been taken over by the baby storm. And double fortunately, toys these days are so darn cute that I don't even mind! 

My first step in baby takeover land was getting one of those foam mats -- that's sort of an entryway into motherhood, right? But, the thought of having one of those multi-colored ABC mats truly freaked me OUT! Instead, I found this SkipHop foam mat that I had so much fun putting together. The squares and circles are interchangeable so you can make the mat as wild or monochromatic as desired. I went for a middle ground!

Yes, let's now side note to Sunday's ridiculously cute romper. Have you ever met a baby butt you didn't wanted to squeeze? There's just something about little pockets on baby bums that will get me every single time.

The romper is by Mainio and you can't deny it-- you want one for yourself, too. I can read your mind.

This activity box has been an A++ learning toy for Sunday lately. It can flip to five different sides, each showing Sunday a unique hand/eye coordinating skill. And wooden toys are chic, so there's that, too...

Sunday's finally big enough to sit on her Yummy World pink donut chair. What this really means is that my Instagram is about to be bombarded by pink plush furniture photos. Can't wait!

You'll see a bunch of Apple Park toys scattered across the play mat. There's a purple musical turtle and a few adorable soft 3-D ABC blocks. A bunch of friends introduced me to the Apple Park toy brand when Sunday was a tiny tot because the toys are made of organic and eco-friendly materials. As someone who was never into the whole organic craze before baby, it's comforting to know that whatever Sunday is putting in her mouth is as safe as possible.

Lastly I have to give a shout out to my JellyCat unicorn. Why didn't we have stuffed animals THIS SOFT when we were growing up? If you've never felt a JellyCat stuffed animal, then I'm sorry but you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about.

Part of me wants to take this unicorn to bed with me every night for a snuggle. Needless to say, Sunday is obsessed with all of her JellyCats! (She has a pink poodle, too.)

Being a beach babe never felt so REAL!

Taking babez to the beach can be a really fun experience-- if you're prepared! Fortunately, the Virgo in me had us packed up and ready to go the night before-- and it was an utter success.

Here are our beach essentials that I recommend not leaving home without:

1. Your baby carrier (I use a BabyBjorn). When schlepping all of the bags, chairs, tents, dogs {Wouldn't leave home without Homer, of course!} you need all the hands you can manage. Keeping baby on your chest is a safe and easy way to "set up shop". 

2. A tent!!!! So necessary. Alternately you can use a pack and play and put a fitted crib sheet over the top for shade. The tent is necessary for 90% of baby's beach time. Sunday took her naps in the tent, did her tummy time, and we also changed her diapers in there. She was only outside of the tent for short intervals throughout the day since the sun was so bright and we didn't want her to get too much sun exposure.

3. BabyGanics SPF 50 sunscreen. No explanation needed.

4. Long sleeve clothing, a sun hat, a sweater, and extra changes of clothing. I'd rather have a hot baby than a burnt baby any day of the week! Sunday is wearing SkipHop's newest long sleeve collection which I have been loving now that the weather is cooling down a bit.

5. U-Line plastic drawstring bags. This is a classic stylist hack-- these U-Line plastic bags are my go-to for everything, from packing for a trip, to a day at the beach. They're drawstring, big enough to fit a stack of folded clothing, and perfect for everything from separating sandy/wet clothes from clean burp cloths, to organizing toys and accessories. They're durable and reusable!

6. A monogrammed baby beach towel. Ok, you caught me. This is NOT an essential, but it should be. Sunday rocked her monogrammed unicorn beach towel and she meant business. I don't know about you, but I've never personally owned a monogrammed beach towel. And I'm pretty sad about it. Plus, they're on sale now here for under $15. Great baby gift idea!!