HoltFamilyVlog 09.24.2014: "Games is Life."

Today was a beautiful day here in Washington.  It wasn't as rainy as the past few days have been.  I woke up not feeling too good... It was one of the mornings when you wake up and you feel like you didn't sleep at all.  Meh... So I spent most of the day trying to get rid of my headache, and I eventually took a nap.  Since I slept for a few hours, Thomas basically entertained Chloe today.  =]

If you know Thomas, you know that he's quite a hardcore gamer.  And has been for pretty much as long as anyone can remember (just kidding... that may be a slight exaggeration).  It's just a part of him... But I think it adds to his funny personality. =]

Do your other halves have any guilty "hobbies" that they can't live without? =]

Rate My Blog @ Top Mommy Blogs

Good night from Chloe! She's so funny... She started off facing the OTHER way. =]

HoltFamilyVlog 09.23.2014: First Day of Fall!

If you didn't know, today was the first day of fall!!! For us Hawai'i kids... This changing of seasons is a big deal to us.  I've always loved the fall/holiday season, even when I lived in Hawai'i.  I just loved the atmosphere and spirit it brought.  One of the main reasons for why we left all the sunshine for more overcast skies, is because we prefer rain over heat.  Chloe's never really played out in the rain before, but she's always been eager to explore outside.  It was no surprise to us that she totally enjoyed this sweater weather!

This rain gutter was even more interesting with all the rain water gushing out of it...

I love seeing them walk together.

Please enjoy today's vlog!  We all agreed that we're pretty excited for what this holiday/fall season may/will bring!


Are you and your family excited for this upcoming fall/holiday season?  What are some family traditions that you look forward to?

Rate My Blog @ Top Mommy Blogs

HoltFamilyVlog 09.22.2014: Happy, Dancing Baby!

Today's vlog is a shorter one.  I had my 24 week doctor's appointment today (which went very well... But we'll get into those details a bit later on down the road). But after we came home I had a bit of a headache... So I ended up taking a nap.

The weather is definitely changing!  The air is getting crisper and all the leaves are turning such beautiful shades of red, yellow, and orange!  I'm hoping we can get outside for a bit tomorrow to enjoy our first day of fall!!

Good night from Chloe!!

Are you guys just as excited for fall as I am?! ^_^

Rate My Blog @ Top Mommy Blogs

HoltFamilyVlog 09.21.2014: Nature Baby

Can you believe that today makes one month of vlogging?!  You can check out our first vlog here... It's when we find out the gender of our little one. =]  It's crazy to see how much has changed in just one month... It makes me even more excited to see where this road can take me!

Our little bookworm.

Anyway... We didn't do anything special today!  We went grocery shopping... again.  Sometimes we just walk around and end up walking out with only a handful of things.  We like to look at all the produce and different foods.  And it's just fun to be out and about together.

Try as I might... Nothing will get this girl to leave her books on the shelf for more than a few hours.

It was another nice afternoon in the PNW, so Chloe got to explore outside again.  She was totally intrigued by one doorstep that she came across...  Please enjoy today's vlog!


What are your favorite family activities for end of summer/beginning of fall?

Rate My Blog @ Top Mommy Blogs

One Lone Podcast & Pandora Stations I love...

I decided to change today's 30 Days of Lists' original prompt of Podasts I love to One Lone Podcast & Pandora Stations I love...  There's only really one "podcast" I listen to and I don't even listen to the podcast version of it haha.  I watch it on YouTube.  And well... One item just wouldn't be a list!  So, I decided to also include my favorite Pandora stations!

I shuffle between these Pandora stations depending on what mood I'm in.  Can you tell that I love Holiday music... And piano tracks.  Enjoy my list for today!

When the Kids go to Sleep is put on by Shay and Collette (aka Katilette) Carl from the YouTube channel, ShayTards.  This couple left everything that they knew in Idaho and moved out to L.A. with their children to chase their dreams of starting up their own studio, Maker Studios.  Fast forward five years later and that dream came true tenfold!  They recently just sold Maker Studios to... Disney.  Yes... You read that right... Disney.  I watch their When the Kids go to Sleep podcast on the corresponding YouTube channel.  They talk about anything and everything under the sun, but mostly motivational and inspirational talks about how anything is possible if you truly want to chase your dreams.  Funny thing is... I never really watched any of their things until we went to VloggerFair about a month ago... I never knew who they were or their story until then!

Just thought I'd share some thoughts on my one lone podcast that I like to watch... =\ Haha.

I would love to know what some of your favorite podcasts are... Leave them in the comments below!

HoltFamilyVlog 09.20.2014: Old MacDonald Had a Farm!

Today was another fun filled day with Chloe!  It was a really nice afternoon up here in the Pacific Northwest so we decided to hang out outside for a little bit!  Chloe always loved to look out the window when she was little, and now that she can walk she's having so much fun exploring!

We notice that this little girl has a thing for grass!  It's so funny because most babies that I've known don't really like grass at first!!  She seems to really like playing with it!  It takes us even longer to get to where we wanna go because she always has to stop and check out any new patch of grass she comes across... But it's totally worth the smile on her face.

It's so much fun to watch Chloe discover and learn new things.  She really amazes me every single day with something new that she's learned or picked up!  I've noticed that she likes to try and sing to "Old MacDonald Had a Farm".  So, whenever I hear her making similar sounds to it I sing the song for her!  Today she absolutely amazed me at just how well she knows the song for such a little one!  Please enjoy today's vlog!

Were your little ones afraid of grass?  Or are they nature babies like Chloe!  Also, what nursery rhymes do your kids enjoy you singing to them?

Rate My Blog @ Top Mommy Blogs

HoltFamilyVlog 09.19.2014: "Oh, There! I felt it!"

Today, I was finally able to catch Thomas feeling Peanut moving!  It's so funny because Chloe was the total opposite!  She would be moving and responding all the time to daddy.  Not this little one, the second daddy comes around she plays hard to get!  Well, she's gonna run out of room to hide sooner or later!  I'm glad I was able to capture this moment in our vlog today!

I can't imagine how it must be for the daddies!  They watch us mommies go through the pregnancies, and we feel those little movements a lot sooner than they will!  Even though this little girl is being shy with daddy, I'm glad he's been able to feel her move for at least a week or so now.  Enjoy Thomas' reaction when he feels his baby girl moving.




Any of you other mommies have pregnancies that were very different from one another?  If you're not a mommy, have you ever felt a baby move in someone's belly before?  Thomas always asks me what it feels like.  He wonders how we don't freak out the first time it happens to us!  I told him it's the mommy in us... You're more excited and happy than anything else! Happy Friday everyone!

HoltFamilyVlog 09.18.2014: Baby Bookworm

If you've been following along with my daily 30 Days of Lists posts, you've probably figured out that one of my hobbies is reading!  I love reading blogs, books, news articles, you name it.  Anyways, it seems that Chloe has the same love for books as I do.  She's always taking all of her books off their shelves and she flips through them all the time.  Today we read a Curious George: Curious About Christmas and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear? (just to name a few)!

Enjoy today's vlog!

What were some of your favorite children's books?  Do your kids or grandkids have a particular book that they love to read over and over?

HoltFamilyVlog 09.17.2014: Crazy Christmas Lady!

Yesss... Crazy Christmas Lady strikes again!  To be honest, these sightings are probably just going to become more and more frequent.  I don't know how to explain how excited I am for this fall and holiday season!  Every time we leave the house I'm pointing out to Thomas all the trees that have leaves that are changing color on them. ^_^

Is anyone else this excited for the upcoming fall/winter season?! No?... Just me?... Give me sometime... I'll get you in the spirit! =]  Thanks for checking out today's vlog!

HoltFamilyVlog 09.16.2014: (The Beginning of) Autumn Leaves

Can you believe that summer officially ends in one week?! Also, Christmas is 100 days away (well technically 99 by the time this post/vlog is live).  But holy moly!!  Anywho... We spent today cleaning the entire apartment.  But we of course still managed to have a lot of fun with the Munchkin!  Please enjoy the vlog!

HoltFamilyVlog 09.15.2014: Getting Ready for Christmas?!

Yesterday's vlog is a short but sweet one!  It's filled with a bunch of my favorite things: baby giggles, Thomas' mom, Target, and Christmas things!!  Yes... I'm one of those crazy Christmas all-year kinda people.  I just love the feeling in the air during the holiday/fall season... ^_^

Enjoy the vlog!

HoltFamilyVlog 09.14.2014: Chloe and Spaghetti

I think that it's pretty safe to assume that when spaghetti and a kid cross paths... It's gonna end up getting pretty messy!  I hope you enjoy yesterday's vlog!

Best Places to Find Inspiration...

I'm excited to see what everyone else has for today's 30 Days of Lists prompt: best places to find inspiration.  Here is my list for where I draw inspiration from sometimes!

Amanda Rose Zampelli's blog is actually where I first heard of 30 Days of Lists!  I had been getting lost on the internet searching for inspiration for my own blog.  This was back in March, when I was kind of starting to lose momentum with keeping up with my New Year's Resolution of trying to put up a new blog post every week.  As I looked more into 30 Days of Lists, I had learned that it was a growing community of all different types of people (crafters, bloggers, just people who like to write lists, etc...).  The prompts seemed intriguing enough, and the commitment level was totally manageable.  You basically put as much or as little effort into this daily challenge... So long as you put together some sort of list... All while encouraging me to get my creative juices flowing at least once a day for a whole month.  Anyway... that's my short summary of how I even got into this daily listing challenge, and how I found Amanda Rose Zameplli's blog!

I believe I found the last two blogs on Pinterest while looking for any health related blogs.

I loved how bubbly, friendly, and real Julie Fagan from Peanut Butter Fingers was.  After browsing her blog for just a few minutes, I really felt like I was getting to know her!  Her style of writing and daily posts continue to inspire me even months after I stumbled upon her blog.

I found Erica Castillo's blog, To the Sea, when I was looking up healthy postpartum lifestyles.  Let me just say, power to you girl!  Erica attended UH Law School (another reason for why I love her blog: she spent time living in Hawai'i like me) and was right back in the classroom the Monday after delivering her daughter.  Her and her family are very well traveled (a goal that Thomas and I have for our family).  She also does an excellent job at documenting her children's lives (something I aim to do).  She is also very honest in a real and edgy way.

I just thought it was worth explaining how I found these blogs and a few of the reasons for why each of them inspire me!  I hope you enjoyed some of the places that I get my inspiration from.  My family also inspires me... As well as motivate me.  Enjoy yesterday's vlog!

The Best Things About This Week...

Today's 30 Days of Lists prompt is the perfect way for me to end this week.  Exactly one week ago Chloe turned one!  Thomas and I spent a lot of this time really enjoying all the blessings that we've received over this past year.  Here are a few of the blessings I listed down for today's list...

It's just so amazing how much little kids learn in their first few years.  It seems like everyday Chloe is learning something new, figuring out something new, or discovering something new!  I love to show and teach her new things.  Please enjoy our vlog from yesterday!

Must Haves for a Night In...

Thomas and I were always considered the "old" couple amongst our friends.  We never really went out to parties and such.  If we did have a date night it usually just consisted of a movie and dinner... But we really did just enjoy staying home, cooking, and relaxing in front of the TV.  Luckily for us, this kind of helped us transition into being parents because it wasn't like we really felt like we were sacrificing much when it came to our social life... That's why for today's 30 Days of Lists prompt is a simple and short one!

Yesterday's vlog is just filled with fun times with Chloe!  I hope she's able to make you smile and make your day that much brighter!

Things I've Finished this Year...

Today's 30 Days of Lists prompt really put into perspective how important it is for me to set goals!  I was really determined to start documenting our lives in some way, shape, or form... and I'm so glad I stuck with it.  I really wish I could add a couple of book titles to this list... But I have a few jotted down from our prompt the other day for me to look into!

Another goal I really want to meet is taking the time to meditate/stretch at least once a day.  I try to make it a point to take a few minutes a few days of the week to just sit down and "meditate"/stretch before anyone else wakes up... There's just something about taking a few minutes to gently wake up your soul.  But there are a few days where I'll do it while Chloe is watching her Baby Einstein.  Today we bought one of those rubber non-slip mats for the shower... and when I opened it up... Check out what Chloe did!  She seriously is so smart and amazes us everyday... Enjoy the vlog!!

Subjects I Could Talk About for Hours...

Today's 30 Days of Lists prompt was a fun prompt for me to think about.  Now that I'm typing out this post, I realize that these are topics that I truly have a passion for!  This year is about pursuing my passions and finding myself so it was a good reminder for me... This is definitely another one of my favorite prompts so far this month.

Luckily, yesterday's vlog goes very well with today's prompt!  It's filled with some of my most favorite things: my family, and food... more specifically, fall themed food!  Enjoy!

Ain't Nobody Got Time For...

Today's prompt for 30 Days of Lists is an interesting one.  I wanted to include some serious and some funny things that I "ain't got no time for..."

Chloe got another package in the mail today!  Check out what was in it in the vlog!

Books Everyone Should Read...

I absolutely love today's prompt for 30 Days of Lists: books everyone should read!  Growing up reading was what we did in our spare time (to this day it amazes Thomas when he mentions a cartoon or video game and he's met with a blank stare...).  Both of my parents love to read... And so does my Nana.  In Hawai'i it isn't uncommon for our grandparents to be like second parents to us... This being said... Nana took my sister and I to the library all the time.  We were the kids that had all kinds of trinkets from the summer reading program at the public library and always got free personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut for completing some reading activity in school...

Anyway... I think you get my point.  I'm always looking for a great new book to read!  If you take a look at my list I like a pretty good variety of books.  I was very lucky to find so many books that I enjoyed reading throughout school (4 out of 7 books were from school reading lists spanning from elementary through high school... and these are just a few of my top picks)!  I'm very excited to see everyone else's lists!  I mentioned in my first Currently... post at the end of August that I'm itching to find a really good book to read!

I can't explain how much more perfect this prompt is for today!  Please enjoy yesterday's vlog... Our daughter clearly has the same love of books as me. ♥

Chores I Actually Enjoy...

Today's prompt for 30 Days of Lists was a bit harder for me to answer.  I think that's because when I think of a "chore" I think of any household activity that needs to be done and I don't exactly enjoy doing... and I do it because I know it has to be done!  I know some people consider cooking for their family to be a chore... but luckily Thomas and I both love to cook so that was a no-brainer for me.  Anyway... Here's a peak at the rest of my list =]

Also... Enjoy yesterday's vlog!