i noticed a huge difference in KK between 18 and 24 months, so instead of doing one big post, I’m breaking it up by month. here are her ten favorite things at 18 months!
(see the full list of favorite things from birth until now here!)
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my most popular posts
Consider this your Haley Wynn Guidebook. The best posts to read when you don’t want to read all the things.
These posts are my most popular posts of all time, yes. But they also answer 99% of all my FAQs.
The Haley Wynn Starter Pack, if you will!
Read Moreimpromptu freezer cooking day
I normally don’t do dedicated freezer cooking days. here’s how I usually stock my freezer.
but when I was a teacher, I definitely would do a freezer cooking day (or several) at the end of summer to make the back to school transition easier. having a few meals on hand really helped those first few crazy weeks/months.
and nowadays, i also always appreciate dinner help, no matter how that looks. brett gets an extra paycheck twice a year, and I do like to use that as a tiny bit of permission to spend a little more on groceries and do a freezer cooking session to help out Future Haley. especially now that the weather is beautiful, and I don’t always feel like cooking.
(I also like to do a freezer cooking session as one of my birthday traditions - more on those traditions here!)
unexpectedly, brett was taking KK to his parents, so my Saturday was suddenly wiiiiiide open.
and I decided it would be super helpful if I made a few dinners to throw in the freezer for Future Haley.
(and yes, this may sound 10000% boring to you, and that’s totally okay! having some uninterrupted time in the kitchen sounds heavenly to me. and if I’m able to help out Future Haley in the process, even better!)
if at all possible when freezer cooking, I like to have a few appliances going (slow cooker, IP, etc) while I assemble some casserole-y things. maximizes my time!
here’s a few potential things I might make!
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our easter baskets, 2022 edition
here’s a full post on how we celebrate easter + how our Easter basket formula came to be.
but the gist is this: we use our Easter baskets as our way of purchasing some essentials for the upcoming Texas Summer. because I’ll need to buy things like swimsuits and sunscreen and pool hats anyway, so I may as well call it an Easter gift.
plus, this is my annual reminder to make sure Brett and I both have summer things we feel good in. because who do you think is taking all these babies to the pool all summer, and to the beach for our annual trip? mama and daddy.
also, that said, because we splurge on these Easter baskets to make sure we’re all outfitted for Summer, it is much pricier than if we did, say, Easter trinkets and candy. so we put a little money aside for this all year long. and because while it’s expensive up front, everything in these baskets gets used a ton, both that upcoming summer, and summers to come. (did I mention we live in Texas? so really they get used for the majority of the year.)
without further ado, here are our baskets this year, for Summer 2022:
Read Morea tour of our play spaces
a few things you must know:
i wanted a home that prioritized play. my college degree is in learning and development, I used to be a teacher, and I know the invaluable benefits of play - therefore I wanted plenty of play worked into our home’s layout.
and I didn’t want - at least for the time being - a closed-off, separate room with a door for play. i wanted kk and future siblings playing near me. I wanted to be able to cook or work on household stuff or rest or do whatever I need to do, all while able to see them playing (and they can see me). which means I needed play things worked into the main living area of our home.
but I didn’t want my home to feel like a primary-colored toy store. i wanted the play things cohesive with our home’s decor - I wanted it to still look like adults lived here. which meant buying things in white (or painting things in white), and keeping things in white or wicker baskets, as white and wicker are two big decor components in my home.
this felt like a pretty tall order, but I managed to get it done and I’m in love.
of course, like with everything else, this will all change as our needs change. but for now I’m smitten.
okay, let’s tour the play areas of our home!
Read Morebag o emergency toys
we have a bag of toys that I keep near both our Evacuation Bag and our Emergency Tub, which means it’s kept where we shelter for tornados. which means if I need to occupy/distract KK in either of these situations - sheltering or evacuating - I have easy access to some special toys.
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our evacuation bag
i know, i know - not the most glamorous post.
but I wanted to mention something we have that brings me an incredible amount of peace of mind: our evacuation bag.
and really, you must know: this all started because we had a power outage when KK was seven months old. and we heard that my parents’ home seven minutes away still had power and guest room with a big, cozy king bed and a crib. so we were like oh yes, let’s go there. but i quickly learned packing in the dark while taking care of a child is not for the weak of heart - I couldn’t do it. my brain was mush.
and I was like MY WORD, this isn’t even an emergency situation? what if we actually had to evacuate because of, say, a nearby fire? or some other time-sensitive reason?
so my Evacuation Bag was born.
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our emergency stash
I wanted a spot for alllll the little possible emergency things that you hopefully never have to use, but you kinda want in one easy location, just in case?
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my ten favorite things right now: march
my favorite shorts of all time - i own three or four pair in black, and between the months of march and october, it’s safe to say I’m wearing these 95% of the time. they’re the best. comfy, high-waisted, incredibly flattering, and long enough so that when I bend over I show no bum. aka THE BEST SHORTS EVER.
see my other warm weather essentials here
my favorite hair oil - i rub a little bit into my palms and apply it to my showered hair. i’m in the pool all the time - both swimming laps and playing with KK - and this stuff is my thick, thirsty hair’s holy grail.
our outdoor play favorites
y’all know brett is bigggg into gardening.
our backyard is on the smaller side, and Brett has taken probably 60-70% of it for his garden.
which is fine, but it does mean we have to be very intentional about what we offer in our backyard for playing.
we do love to play outside. and since we’re in Texas, we’re able to play outside pretty much all year. (yes, we do hit a point around July where that outdoor play needs to involve a pool, but you get the picture.)
so investing in some very specific outdoor play things for our home that we can grow into - both as KK gets older and as we potentially grow our family - is 1000% worth it. especially since Brett loves to be in his garden, and he likes for KK to have other things to play with, other than “helping” him.
but also? now that weather warmer is upon us and KK is more active, I reevaluated our rhythms and routines and realized I want more outdoor time and more outdoor play.
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