Fall Pregnancy Announcement Ideas

This season represents new beginnings and changes. There are so many beautiful colors around; the weather is getting cooler, and if you have a bun in the oven, what better time to announce a pregnancy than during fall?

During my first pregnancy, I researched lots of ideas for the perfect way to announce it. And we went with a cute fall theme. In hopes of helping to bring inspiration to anyone looking to announce a pregnancy soon, I have collected this list of the cutest fall-themed pregnancy announcements that I have come across. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Patch

My favorite fall option is taking photos at the pumpkin patch. We carved a pumpkin and put a mini pumpkin inside for my first pregnancy announcement, and it was too cute! There are so many cute sayings you can use to go with it too, like “adding a pumpkin to our patch”, etc.

Apple Orchard

Just like with pumpkin patches, you can easily do an apple announcement photo. You could hold apples to represent each member of your family or simply hold one in front of your belly.

A New Leaf

Use some colorful fall leaves and get creative with them. Make a tree using the leaves, use them for a craft, hold a leaf in front of your belly, etc. Pair with the saying “we’re adding a new leaf to our family tree,” and you’re set.

Fall Onesie

A lot of people do baby announcements with baby onesies that have a cute saying. Fall time is no exception! Buy a cute fall-themed onesie or, if you’re a big DIYer, make it yourself. Then put the onesie on display for your announcement photo.

Halloween Costume

Try choosing a cute Halloween costume that represents your little one on the way. Maybe a pregnant character (i.e., Juno), or a simple shirt that has a baby character on the belly portion of the shirt (a skeleton with a Baby skeleton on the belly or a mama kangaroo with a Joey on the belly).

Fall Wreath Around Ultrasound

Some of my favorite announcement ideas are the simple ones with just an ultrasound photo and a couple of cute items around it. Try a simple flat lay photo with an ultrasound photo and a fall wreath around it. Or if you want something a little different, try some miscellaneous fall items beside the ultrasound photo. Sometimes the simplest photos are the most elegant.

Maternity Shirt

There are so many cute maternity shirts with items on the belly that are associated with the baby. Grab a fall-themed one (generic fall, Halloween, or Thanksgiving) and take a simple photo in it for the announcement. Easy to do, as cute as anything else, and you can wear the shirt for the rest of your pregnancy. Triple win!

Fall Baby Item

Use a baby’s fall item for your announcement. Think a baby stuffed animal for fall, a baby pumpkin or apple hat, etc.

Halloween Themes

Try a Halloween theme to announce by using a popular Halloween movie or saying. Think the “I smell a child” saying from the movie Hocus Pocus or “No tricks, just a treat”, etc.

Thanksgiving Themes

Try a Thanksgiving theme to announce by using a saying specific to Thanksgiving. Think “this year we are extra thankful”, “eating for two”, “a bun in the oven”, etc.

Fall announcements can be so cute and cozy. There are just so many cool ideas out there! Do you have a favorite fall pregnancy announcement idea? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY Turtle Birthday Party

For my son’s 5th birthday, he wanted to go with his favorite animal and do a turtle theme. He has a special doll of Squirt from “Finding Nemo” but wanted it to be generic and not specific to that turtle. I opted for some simple items and went with a blue and green color scheme. This is ultimately what I did to make the theme come to life.

Photo Backdrop

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Happy Birthday sign
• Streamer string
• Tape

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Attach the Happy Birthday sign to the wall. I used tape to hold it since it was lightweight and made of plastic, like a plastic table cover. I got it at Walmart super cheap and the colors I wanted (blue+green).
2. Attach the streamer string to the wall. I used tape to hold it since it was lightweight and made of plastic, like a plastic table cover. I got mine at Walmart super cheap, and it matched the colors of our Birthday sign.

Birthday Outfit

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Plain t-shirt
• Fabric paint
• Paintbrush

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Paint a black outline of the Turtle on the shirt. I looked at a photo on Pinterest of Squirt from Finding Nemo to use for our design.
2. Paint a brown shell of the turtle.
3. Paint the teal/green body of the turtle.
4. Paint the brown spots on the turtle.
5. Paint the eyes of the turtle brown, black & white.
6. Paint the florally pattern on the shell red and yellow.
7. Paint the age of the Birthday kid on the shell in blue.
8. Do any touch-ups needed.

Cupcakes

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Cake mix
• Icing
• Cupcake sleeves
• Gummy worms
• Peach rings
• Candle

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Make the cake mix. We made brownies and cooked them in a cupcake tray.
2. Put icing or something similar in texture on top of cupcakes. Ours came with a chocolate filling we used.
3. Stick a peach ring in the center of the cupcake for the turtle shell.
4. Break the green gummy worms into pieces and use them as legs and a head for the turtle body.
5. Break the pink gummy worms and put them in the center of the peach ring for the turtle shell.
6. Add a candle.

Balloons

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Green balloons
• Sharpie marker

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Blow up the green balloons.
2. Using the Sharpie marker, draw the body, legs, and head of a turtle onto the balloon.

I hope these ideas help inspire you to create your own turtle-themed party and have a great time with it. Happy creating!

5 Tips to Get Kids to Eat Veggies

If you’re a parent, I’m sure you know the struggle of getting kids to eat veggies. Maybe you’re blessed with a good eater, or maybe you have at least one picky eater. I know I do. I’m sure you’ve tried it all to get them to eat healthy, and that means more veggies.

If you are struggling to get your kid(s) to eat veggies – like I do with one of mine – or if you don’t even know where to start, I have a couple of ideas. Here are some of the ways I try to sneak more veggies into my kids' meals.

1. Mix Veggies in Food

This can be one of the simplest ways to sneak more veggies into your kids' food. They are more likely to try it if they don’t know it’s in there. Try mixing veggies into smoothies, casseroles, etc. Anything to help hide that veggies are included.

2. Substitute Veggie Items for Others

Try swapping some regular food options out for vegetarian ones. Cauliflower wings instead of chicken wings, veggie pasta instead of regular pasta, veggie nuggets instead of chicken nuggets, etc. These are some of my favorite meal options, and most of my kids love them too!

3. Offer Veggies as Snacks

Start offering veggies as daily snacks. Once your kids get used to eating them, they’ll like them more. Think raw veggie trays or even raw/fresh green beans, sugar snap peas, etc.

4. Cover Veggies in Sauce

If your child has a favorite condiment or sauce, try covering veggies in that. When I was a kid, the only way I would eat meat (which I wasn’t a big fan of) was to drench it in BBQ sauce. My son is big on mayo, so we try to cover some veggies in that for him.

5. Add Something to the Veggies

Try jazzing up your veggies by adding something to them. Try eating it with cheese or a dip, or adding peanut butter, etc. 

Every child is different. My son still fights eating veggies even with these tricks, but I’m able to sneak some in other times. Hope these tips help make your feeding veggies to kids tasks easier!

2nd Birthday Party Theme Ideas

When it comes to 2nd birthday parties, the themes are endless! You only turn two once, and every parent wants it to be a special day for their baby. Whether you have a big party with family and friends or just a little celebration, you want a cute theme with photo ops.

You can really do any theme you want. If there is something your child loves, why not do that theme? With my two older kids, I started letting them have a say in their theme when they turned two. I tried to tailor their 2nd birthdays to things that they loved at the time.

There are so many cute and fun 2nd birthday ideas out there! Here are some of the cutest and most creative themes I discovered in my own search.

Two the Moon & Back

Think starry nights, twinkle lights, and moon beams. Silvers and golds are great colors to pair with this theme.

Baby Shark Two Two

Does your child love Baby Shark or the song? Why not play on that? Try a Baby Shark show-specific theme or even a more generic, just-shark theme.

Two Wild

Safaris, jungles, and crocodiles, oh my! You could take this theme a few different ways, and every one would be super cute.

Two Infinity & Beyond

Who doesn’t love Buzz Lightyear or Toy Story? You’ll have so much fun creating this one!

Two the Rescue

There are multiple directions you could go with this theme. You can’t go wrong with a fireman, police, rescue worker, superhero, or even an animal rescue theme.

Two Sweet

Candy is the name of this theme game. So many options and all sugary sweet!

Twooty Fruity

A general fruit theme can be so cute and creative. Pick your faves or a mix of all kinds.

Two Fast

Who doesn’t love a good race car theme? I know I do! This is just that. If you want a more unique title, try going with “Two Laps Down” or “Two Laps Around the Sun”.

Yabba Dabba Two

Go back in time and enjoy this Flintstones theme 2nd Birthday.

Taco Twosday 

Any day is a good day for tacos. Create your own fiesta with Mexican food and have a blast!

Oh, Twoodles

Do you have a Disney or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fan? This one is just for you! You could do a Mickey, Minnie, or all-character highlight with this one. 

Donut Grow Up 

This isn’t “two” specific, but who doesn’t love donuts? This theme seems to be growing in popularity, and rightfully so…it is so cute!

There are so many great ideas for 2nd birthday party themes. What are your favorite ones? Have any other ideas I left out? Leave a comment below and let me know! Get creative and have fun making wonderful memories for your little one’s big day!

7 Ways to Save Money on Homeschooling

With a new school year in full swing, now is the perfect time to implement some changes to help you save more. One of my biggest worries when I started homeschooling was the added cost of curricula and having to do it all on my own.

But I’m here to tell you, you don’t have to spend like crazy to teach your kids at home. Your kids can still have a great education, even if you're at home.

I’m still pretty new in my homeschooling journey (this is only year number 2 for me), but there are a few things I do to help with the financial aspect of it. So I wanted to share with you some tips and tricks I use to help save money with homeschooling!

1. Shop at Consignment Stores

Buying second-hand can save you so much off retail prices. Consignment shops or sales are a big place I shop for all kids' items, including school books and supplies. You can find items still in good shape (sometimes practically brand new) for a fraction of the price.

2. Stock Up During Sales

Stock up on supplies during sales. I grab quite a bit once all the back-to-school supplies get marked down after the new school year starts.

3. Buy Supplies Throughout the Year

Spread out your spending by buying items you need throughout the year vs. all at once when you’re about to start the school year.

4. Use Free Resources 

Thanks to the internet, there are actually quite a bit of free resources out there. You can find almost anything you want on YouTube or Pinterest. Some homeschooling companies even offer free products for you to test out.

5. Use Your Public Library

Public Libraries are probably the best free resource! You can find books on pretty much anything. If you’re doing a book study or working on a certain subject, just check the book out for free vs. buying one. Libraries also usually have fun programs like story time and different events.

6. Create Your Own Studies

Try your hand at DIYing or creating your own studies for different subjects vs. buying an entire curriculum for it. For example, if you want to do an ocean study, you can find ideas on Pinterest, check out library books on the subject, watch the Oceans documentary on Disney+, etc.

7. Recycle & Reuse

One of the biggest things I do with homeschooling is reusing items. When I buy workbooks, I take the pages out and put them into sheet covers and into a binder. My kids then use dry-erase markers to complete their pages. When they’re done, you simply wipe the page clean. You can keep reusing the same workbooks over and over if they want to repeat it or for future years with other kids. It ends up saving so much over the years of not buying new ones every year.

A big thing I love about homeschooling is that there is no one-size-fits-all. Every family and situation is different. There are so many options! And with all the technology nowadays, there are so many free resources to help you on your journey. You can start saving money even with homeschooling anytime!

North Carolina Zoo

In May of 2021, we visited the North Carolina Zoo for the first time. We made it a big family day with all of my siblings and parents coming down and meeting us there for the day. 

It was a long drive for us, but it was well worth the trip. We only had two kids at the time, but they love animals, so we knew it would be a great time. 

The Zoo is big and spread out. As you drive to it, it seems to be in the middle of nowhere (not in a big city, etc.). There are lots of animals to see inside and lots of walking to be done. There are restaurants and a gift shop as well.

Parking

The NC Zoo has two main parking lots. The North American Lot is open year-round. The Africa Lot is open only April-October. Parking is free at this zoo. Bus & RV parking is also available. There are electric car charging stations.

Tickets 

At the time we went, we had to make a reservation and purchase tickets ahead of time (because it wasn’t long after the pandemic).

Note:

If you have a Zoo or Aquarium membership check to see if you get a discount. At the time we went we didn’t have one but we currently do have an aquarium membership in NC which gets us in free to this zoo now. Many zoo/aquarium memberships can get you up to 50% off on tickets when you visit other big zoos.

Animals

The Zoo has many exhibits with animals based on their home geographical locations. Some of the exhibits are only open during warmer seasonal times, but we were able to see most of the animals during our visit at the end of May.

North America

Home to animals of North America, including polar bears, black bears, red wolves & hundreds more native to North America. It features these exhibits:

• The Prairie Habitat features American Bison & Elk.
• Honey Bee Garden
• Grizzly Bear Habitat
• The Streamside Habitat features a Barred Owl, Bobcat, Copperhead snake, Cottonmouth snake, North American River Otter, Timber Rattlesnake & Longnose Gar.
• The Cypress Swamp Habitat features an Alligator Snapping Turtle, American Alligator, Barking Treefrog & Cougar.
• Marsh Habitat
• The Rocky Coast Habitat features an Arctic Fox, Harbor Seal, Polar Bear & Horned Puffin.
• Red Wolf Habitat 
• Black Bear Habitat 

Africa

Home to animals of Africa, including chimpanzees, giraffes, gorillas, zebras & elephants. It features these exhibits:

• Baboons Habitat
• The Forest Glade Habitat features the Western Lowland Gorillas
• Lemur Island Habitat 
• The Kitera Forest Habitat features Chimpanzees
• Zebra & Giraffe Habitat 
• Red River Hogs Habitat 
• The Watani Grasslands Habitat features the Addra Gazelle, African Elephant, Bongo, Waterbuck, Fringe-eared Oryx, Greater Kudu, Southern White Rhinoceros & Thomson’s Gazelle.
• African Lion Habitat 

Desert

The Desert Habitat features a Blue-tongued Skink, Desert Pupfish, Desert Tortoise, Gila Monster, Ocelot, Vampire Bat, Spiny-tailed Monitor, Ornate Uromastyx, Beaded Lizard, Sidewinder, Laughing Kookaburra, Sand Cat, African Pancake Tortoise, Crested Coua & many Desert plants.

Other Attractions 

Other attractions include an outdoor carousel, a Giraffe deck for feeding the Giraffes, tree house trek, and the Kaleidescape Butterfly Garden. There is a Giant Garden Friends playground for kids, a kid zone & hiking trails. There is also a zoofari ride and ropes course.

Note:

Some of these attractions may be at an extra expense.

Note:

Some of these attractions may be seasonal only so check on availability/times they are open beforehand.

North Carolina Zoo is located at: 4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27205. For more information about the zoo and/or to plan your visit, check out their website here: https://www.nczoo.org/

There is plenty to keep you busy at this zoo all day! So many animals to see and fun little statues for photo ops. Some animals or exhibits may be seasonal and not available all year round. Our highlight of this zoo trip was the Kaleidoscope Butterfly Garden. It was so much fun!

If you’re in North Carolina and have kids or just love animals, then you should give North Carolina Zoo a try!