As promised: Mom Approved Holiday Gift Guide for Boys.  As a girl mom, this one required a little more legwork- polling a few of the little fellows in our life. I included the usual suspects: legos, firetrucks, tools and super heroes. As well as a few of the less obvious gifts that I've seen win over some major hearts: teepees and headdresses, anyone?

It's November 1st, which means the holidays are officially right around the corner. This leaves us a little less than two months to check off all the good boys and girls off our shopping lists. The last few months of the year are always some of my favorites- bringing us holiday music, peppermint lattes, twinkling lights and all things red and green. But as the year comes to a close, things can also get a little hectic- as holiday visitors, parties and recitals can take over our already busy schedules, making it difficult to find time to pick the perfect present for each and every loved one. So in order to take the guesswork out of holiday shopping, I've rounded up my favorite gifts for girls: baby and toddler.

After a few weeks weeks of being steadfast homebodies, we are officially gearing up for a much needed family vacation- yay! Just a few days away, nothing too crazy- but a change of scenery before the holidays are in full swing. We're staying relatively local- road tripping just a few hours north to beautiful Old Saybrook, where the agenda includes: enjoying some yummy food, relaxing at the spa, perusing shops with MM and Nana, taking in the coast's fall foliage and a local fall festival. We've always loved taking these little trips here and there, but there's just something about discovering new places with MM that makes it all the more fun.

In less than a month we are headed to the happiest place on earth. It's been ten years since I last visited. Now married with a mini mouseketeer of my own, I can't wait to get back with my little pack of weirdos {pictured above, circa 1999}.

Growing up we would go every year, sometimes twice a year. It was a quick flight to sunny Florida from our home in Connecticut- and it was always a welcome break from the never-ending winters and sometimes-gloomy springs.

My childhood memories of Disney are some of my very favorite, and I the anticipation of creating new memories with my own little family fills my heart with joy.

We made it! Twelve hours of travel later and we are comfy at Mema's house in sunny California. Maddie was a rockstar, as was my mama who accompanied us on our maiden voyage out west. With a little prep and teamwork it was relatively painless- minus a few tears near the twelfth hour, literally. 

Here are few tips that got us through the day: 

The pleasantly sunny, crisp weather lasted nearly mid-way through February, making me hopeful we would get through winter unscathed. But, sadly, the cold arrived the past few days- confining us to the coziness of our homes all holiday weekend long.

Luckily, we have a trip back to California to look forward to on these bitter cold days- only a week or so to go until MM boards her first flight, and to Mema's house we will go!

When getting prepped for my hospital stay, I have to admit I didn't put too much thought into a bag for the Mister. Lucky for us, we live minutes away from the hospital, and he was able to sneak home for a shower, change of clothes, and a few essentials once I was settled and hanging with the family.

I'm guilty of it- I let my baby use my cell phone. I won't plop her down with it during the day, but I will use it in a pinch- most often when we are out and her normal toys are no longer keeping her entertained. With some research, I found there are actually a lot of fun, educational apps out there for baby.

I'm a planner- big time. So when it came to packing my hospital bag, I did some research well in advance of my due date, and had my duffel ready to go about three weeks before Maddie came. Laugh if you will, but it was a welcome luxury when the babe came two and a half weeks early...

I know, I know- Maddie is only seven months old {today, ah!} so what do I know about kid shows, anyways? Truth be told, I've been a fan of cartoons for a while.

There once was a time, not so long ago, when the word "bubbles" was used strictly in reference to the sparkly goodness that is a cold flute of champs. Today, it is now part of my every day vernacular.

For my second edition of Holiday Gift Guides for Abigail Fox Designs, I've picked my favorite goodies for the men in our lives.

Happy Friyay, lovelies! I'm kicking off my holiday gift guides for Abigail Fox Designs with some goodies for those special people that make our lives a little easier-from teacher to babysitter to the hostess with the mostest, here's what I'll be gifting this year...

The transition into life as a First Time Mom {FTM} is the greatest one I've experienced in the last thirty years- the polarity between my new life and my former being so vast, I couldn't possibly have anticipated the reality of the changes that would take place.

When we were expecting, my husband and I were clueless as to what we would need when Maddie Mae arrived. In fact, after nursery furniture was purchased my husband said to me, "that's pretty much it, right?" Not so much.