Archives for 2012

2012 Year in Review

December 31, 2012

Gathering never-before-seen photos and re-reading posts for Bunny & Dolly’s 2012 year in review is making me nostalgic. Over the course of the year, Levi grew from a itty bitty baby just learning to sit to a walking-and-talking toddler always on the go. He is a riot now, curious and full of personality, but I often find myself missing Levi as a sleepy, snugly newborn.

However, Levi’s developmental milestones weren’t the only big things to happen in 2012. Life changed in many ways for me, my family and my friends.

Here is a quick look back at some of the major moments in our lives this past year.

In January…

Strangers thought Levi was a skinny girl

I learned the difference between a vacation and a trip

I shared my top 10 newborn essentials

In Feburary…

I was feeling particularly stressed out

My grandfather passed away from Alzheimer’s

Operation Chubbs became Operation Butter Overload, and I continued to worry about Levi’s health

In March…

Levi caught his first cold

Shortly after, Levi started crawling!

I turned 32 years old (and felt old)

In April…

Bibs couldn’t contain Levi’s messy eating habits

I quit my full-time job to become a VPTWAHM

Levi reached another milestone

In May…

I did something that made me feel like a terrible mom

JB returned after being away from home for eight weeks

Aunt Flo made her grand return, bringing with her a special gift

In June…

The blog got a big redesign

I got a new hairstyle to conceal my postpartum hair loss

But then I couldn’t find time to wash my hair

In July…

My best friend and her family moved away from Omaha

I shared Levi’s birth story: Part 1 and Part 2

Levi turned one (!) and we celebrated with a party in NJ and a party in Omaha

In August…

I shared some thoughts on the business of blogging

We took a quick family road trip to Minneapolis

Then we made our second annual trip to the Iowa State Fair

In September…

Levi started riding in his convertible car seat

We went apple picking in Nebraska City with new friends

I started feeling uninspired as both a mom and a blogger

In October…

Levi discovered he’s got moves like Jagger

My doctor found a possible reason for why I feel tired all the time

Levi had (and hated) his first real haircut

In November…

I realized I’m desperate to have a weekly date night

Levi had his first ear infection

Levi took his first steps — and I missed them (luckily we caught his longest walk on video)

In December…

Our family photo session did not go smoothly

We celebrated Chanukah with latkes, presents and some drama

Levi was doing some pretty awesome things as a 17 month old

Speaking of growth (from personal to professional)…

I’m excited to share that Bunny & Dolly’s readership more than doubled from 2011. That’s incredible! And it’s all because of you. Thank you for taking a couple of minutes out of your day, every day, to spend with me, JB and Levi. There are literally billions of blogs to read, so the fact that you find mind worthy enough to visit during your very busy days makes me blush. I am so very grateful to you, my readers, for helping me take Bunny & Dolly a step further in 2012.

So here’s to you! Cheers! May we all live our best lives in 2013.

Happy New Year!

Tell me what you want, what you really, really want!

December 28, 2012

With 2013 just around the corner, I can’t stop thinking about what’s in store for Bunny & Dolly in the new year. I’m eager to take this little blog to the next level, but I need a little bit of your help with that.

To make sure I’m meeting your needs as a reader (keeping you informed and entertained), would you please fill out a short reader survey for me? It’s different than the one I posted on Facebook this past week. This survey has just four questions and shouldn’t take you longer than 3 minutes to complete. Easy peasy.

Ready? Click here!

PS: Thank you in advance for helping me out! If you knew how much time I spend thinking about Bunny & Dolly when I’m not actually at the computer writing a post, you would laugh in disbelief. It has become a huge part of my life (one that I would like to grow bigger), and that’s all because of you — the readers. So thanks again!

Have a happy weekend!

{photo by Melina Souza}

Cute calendars for kids

December 27, 2012

At 17 months old, Levi has not yet mastered numbers, months or days of the week (what a slacker!), so he has no legitimate need for a calendar. Plus, he has me as his mom/social secretary to manage his playdates and activities.

But there’s a big difference between need and want, and if Levi could talk, I’m sure he’d ask for one of these illustrated calendars. With modern designs ranging from superheroes to Star Wars characters to cartoon children wearing fruit and vegetable costumes, these cute calendars for kids appeal to both little boys and girls.

I think the animal calendar is especially appropriate for Levi, as he’s constantly practicing his mooing, baaing, and clucking — when he’s not asking to “go, go, go!”

Which calendar is your favorite?

{via cool hunting}

Do you send thank you cards?

December 26, 2012

I hope you’ve all been having a happy holiday season! Did Santa leave anything special for you or your children underneath the Christmas tree? Levi was fortunate to receive some additional Chanukah presents from family and friends while we were traveling last week. (Psst…Did you even notice I was gone?)

Now that we’re home and settled, it’s time to go through the mail that accumulated in our absence and thank anyone who sent us or Levi a gift. I’ve always wondered whether it really matters if “thank you” is said over the phone or in a card, so I asked two experts for their opinions.

First I turned to Chandra Greer, owner of the Chicago stationery shop, Greer. Since Chandra sells paper and pens (among other things), I had a feeling she would tell me that sending a thank you card is what’s appropriate, but I was curious as to why. She directed me to an interview she did with Dwell, in which she said, “Any gift requires time, thought and resources and should be responded to with something that at least approximates the effort that gift represents.”

William Hanson, an etiquette expert based in the UK (where they know a thing or two about being proper!), agreed that sending thank you cards is an essential post-Christmas activity. He suggests young children sign their name to a sentence written by a parent until they are old enough to write a simple sentence or two, around the age of five. Older children can write longer letters.

And what if they object to writing a thank you card? “As a child I was always told that if I stopped writing letters people would no longer want to send me presents,” said William. “I was a very materialistic child so I made sure I wrote my letters very soon after Christmas!”

Before our trip, I wrote a thank you card on behalf of Levi and mailed it to a friend who bought him a Chanukah gift. She sent us an email while we were away asking if Levi liked his present. Since we knew that Levi’s thank you was due to arrive in her mailbox any day, neither JB nor I responded. Imagine how embarrassed we both felt upon learning last night that she never received the thank you card! We tried to do the proper thing, but the postal service ended up making us look ungrateful. Fail, USPS!

A situation like that makes me wonder if a simple phone call (or even email) to say thanks makes more sense in today’s world of instant gratification…but then I remember how little time I have to chat on the phone. In fact, I took me over a week to find a quiet moment to call my aunt and uncle and thank them for their Chanukah gift. I intended to call in the evening when they would both be home from work, but nights are always hectic in our house and time just got away from me.

When I finally did call, I got their answering machine. And when they called me back the next day, they got mine. Perhaps I should have just written a thank you card!

How do you thank family and friends for gifts you receive? Do you say thank you over the phone, in a card, or by email?

{images: 1, 2, 3, 4}

Nursery Inspiration Board: Transit Authority

December 21, 2012

They say it takes a village to raise a child, so I’ve invited some fabulous bloggers to share their thoughts on motherhood. This week they’ll be discussing everything from pregnancy to newborns to baby gear for first-time moms. When I was designing Levi’s nursery, buymodernbaby was one of my go-to blogs for inspiration. Now, I’m happy to call Esther one of my blogging friends! Here is a very special inspiration board she created just for Bunny & Dolly.

I’m excited to be posting here this week during maternity/baby week. PJ asked if I would do a nursery inspiration board for her sister who is due in March and I was thrilled with the challenge. It’s always fun to put together a nursery board for someone else because they pick items or a theme that you wouldn’t necessarily gravitate to.

Her sister already selected the Transit Authority Crib Bedding from The Land of Nod, so I started this board with that as my inspiration. This bedding naturally begs for a transportation theme, but I made sure not to go overboard with it.

1- Hangin’ Around Lamp in Dark Blue from The Land of Nod- $100

2- Up in the Air Mobile from Petit Collage- $66

3- Simple Wood Wall Clock from West Elm- $40

4- Transportation Signs from The Land of Nod- $65

5- Skip Changer Dresser from babyletto- $400

6- Skip Convertible Crib from babyletto- $400

7- Storytime Rocker from Nurseryworks- $650 & Fauna Terrier Pillow- $40

8- Slink Rug from CB2- $350

9- Transit Authority Crib Bedding from The Land of Nod

I hope she likes it and congrats PJ on your upcoming aunt-hood!

Thanks, Esther! I had no idea I’d love two-tone wood furniture as much as I do in this inspiration board. I might have to buy my nephew his very own Fauna Terrier pillow so he and I can have matching pillows (go BU!).

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