popcornandpandas, Author at Popcorn and Pandas

My Favorite Christmas Present Came Early

Although I haven’t opened my presents yet this year, my husband couldn’t wait to give me this one early, and I already know it’s my favorite. He edited clips of our adventures during Nico’s first four months of life and strung them together to create a short video. It had me in tears about…ohhhh…five seconds in, and I decided I would share with my readers. For anyone who has children, wants children, or even just likes children, I think you will appreciate this video. I can’t believe how much has changed in so little time. Very excited to spend our first Christmas Eve together as a family of three. 🙂

Merry Christmas to all!

XO,

Gina

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4D7BM3ieCY]

{19} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading A little here. A little there. Chapter here. Magazine article there.

writing Finished up my Christmas cards over the weekend, and sent them out this week!

listening Christmas music…duh.

thinking I can’t believe the year is almost over, my maternity leave is coming to an end, and it’s almost time to go back to work. Bittersweet.

smelling Roasted pork in the oven.

watching Vanderpump Rules (cringing as I write this, because it’s so trashy).

wishing Everyone a Happy Holiday season and safe travels!

hoping That all my holiday gifts I ordered arrive in time and ship properly to my parent’s house.

wearing This tartan jacket, a gift from my aunt from last year’s Christmas.

loving That Nico is now sleeping through the night. I didn’t mind waking up once a night to feed him (he really is a great sleeper), but the two hour scream-fest before bedtime was not working. I now feel like a human being again since we aren’t fighting to put him to sleep every single night anymore.

laughing At this Xmas Jammies video. An interesting take on the holiday card, and also a smart way to plug the new family business.

wanting To get rid of this cough. Have been sick for about a week now, and can’t seem to shake it.

needing To pack for our holiday trip to Maryland.

feeling SO excited for Nico’s first Christmas with my crazy, lovable family.

craving Some new jeans.

clicking Through photos that I need to edit.

What have you been up to lately?

Have a happy one ya’ll!

Love,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

Florida Sky

I took these photos on our Florida trip back in November. It takes me back to the peaceful balcony at my Grandmother’s condo in St. Pete Beach. The quiet. The warmth. The calm. It was really the first moment since beginning motherhood that I actually felt relaxed. It felt nice.

These photos also remind me of spending quality time with my family for a number of reasons. 1) It was our first airplane trip as a family of three. 2) It was the first time my parents and grandmother were able to spend extended time with their grandson/great-grandson. 3) It was the rare occasion that we were able to spend time with the three of them alone. Normally, when we travel back to Maryland, it’s for a big event and there are tons of people, which I do love, but it was nice to spend some quality time on our own.

Thinking of family makes me extremely excited for our upcoming trip to Maryland for Christmas. There are so many firsts Nico will get to experience. His first Feast of the Seven Fishes night. The first time hearing my mom yell, “Santa came!” when we walk down the stairs. The first time being subjected to my dad videotaping Christmas morning (yes, he still does it every year, but by now I appreciate it.) The first time meeting some family members, and so much more.

My, these photos have gotten me off on a tangent here. As a final thought, I know the holidays can be crazy, but I am hoping for a day or two while we are down in Maryland to feel that peaceful calm again that I felt in these photos above.

Hope you all are having a good week so far!

XO,

Gina

Seeing Santa

Nico’s Santa Outfit: Cherokee for Target – on sale!

We were FINALLY able to see Santa last night! I had been trying to make it there for the past couple weeks, but things were just not working out for us. The first week, lack of sleep was an obstacle, and on Saturday, the snow and ice was a major obstacle. However, the Notes family was bound and determined to see good old Kris Kringle this holiday season. How could I look Nico in the eye when he got older and tell him I never got a picture of him with Santa on his 1st Christmas? So this time, we headed into the city via subway (also Nico’s 1st ride) to Bloomingdale’s for a lovely experience. They handed out cookies in line, allowed you to take your own free pictures, and offered professional photography as well. I would definitely go back again next year. Not only was this Nico’s 1st visit to Santa Claus, but it was also Daddy’s! Despite all the craziness of not being able to get to Santa earlier, this day definitely made up for it all.

Oh, and by the way…the winner of the Goodnight Zoo giveaway is Kimberley. Congratulations! I will be in touch soon with details on how to claim your prize. 🙂

XO,

Gina

Party Bling

It’s holiday season which means it’s party time! I was lucky enough to receive these gorgeous Party Bling earrings courtesy of JoJo Loves You to pair with this sequined dress I scored at Forever 21 awhile back. I love the red color as it excites me for Christmastime, and I definitely foresee me pairing these with other outfits this month and beyond.

Their shop, based in Brookline, MA is hosting their Annual Bling Sale today through Sunday, so definitely check them out. They would make a beautiful gift or stocking stuffer for your mom, sis, best friend…or pick a pair up for yourself to rock at your own holiday party this year!

Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Party Bling Earrings: c/o JoJo Loves You / Dress: Forever 21 / Shoes: Go Jane (old) – similar / Panda Ring: nOir / Eyes: MAC Knight Divine / Lip: Korres Think Pink / Nails: Essie Hot Coco

Happy Shopping & Happy Friday!

XO,

Gina

Goodnight Zoo {Plus a Giveaway!}

An artist and friend of mine, Hailey O’Connor has recently opened up her own Etsy Shop called Goodnight Zoo where you can find the most ADORABLE nursery art! I just love animals, and these pieces of art struck me as both beautiful and perfect for a little one. Since I know a lot of moms, moms-to-be, and people who know parents read this blog, I thought this could be the perfect gift for the holiday season, and just had to share her shop! You can purchase the prints as singles or sets, and she also has a wonderful hand painted collection as well!

On top of that, one lucky popcorn and pandas reader will be able to take home one of these stunning prints for free! That’s right. The talented Hailey is giving away one of these amazing animal creations!

To enter, all you have to do is “favorite” the Goodnight Zoo shop on Etsy and leave a comment below stating which print you like and how you would use it (for your own nursery, as a children’s holiday gift, for a baby shower, etc.). You must enter using the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post, and you can receive extra entries for tweeting the giveaway, following on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and more. You have until Sunday (12/15) at midnight to enter, and the winner will be announced on Monday.

*All images are courtesy of Goodnight Zoo.*

Good luck and happy shopping!

XO,

Gina

Click here to enter the Goodnight Zoo & popcorn and pandas Rafflecopter Giveaway !

‘Tis the Season

‘Tis the Season! I did a little me-shopping for the holidays, and picked up this jeweled sweatshirt from StyleMint as well as these adorable burgundy bow smoking slippers from Seychelles. This outfit was a perfect blend of being polished and dressy enough for the Thanksgiving weekend festivities, but also allowed me to stay comfortable at the same time. This particular day, my family all came to my parents house to meet our little Nico for the first time. It went well and our little guy certainly has a lot of people who love him!

I also took advantage of the Starbucks drive-thru while in Maryland. My neighborhood doesn’t have one, and I haven’t been venturing out of it too often while on maternity leave. I absolutely swoon over their holiday lattes, and this year was no different. I tried the Caramel Brulee Latte for the first time, and loved it so much, I got one the following day for the drive back to NY as well. Yum!

Photos by: Mary Ann Guaragna / Edited by: Myself

Sweatshirt: StyleMint / Bow Blouse: Piperlime (old) – also like this one in coral / Smoking Slippers: Seychelles / Pants: Motherhood / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelet: Stella and Sparkle / Lip: Smashbox Maven / Nails: Essie Hot Coco

Things have been a little crazy in the Notes household this past weekend. We’ve been trying to get Nico on a better sleeping pattern (i.e. trying to get him to go to sleep without it taking 2+ hours). It hasn’t been fun, but after a few short days, I think it’s actually starting to work. The whole family might be on a track toward good sleep (fingers crossed). This is just the first of many tough parenting decisions we have had to make. No one can really explain how hard motherhood can be sometimes. We are just figuring everything out along the way. Oh! We have also come super close to finding a nanny for our little guy! We have interviewed a lot, and we think we just may have found the one. Hoping it all works out for the best!

Happy Monday everyone!

XO,

Gina

Stripes, Polka Dots, and Sparkle

I donned this get-up on a “business” lunch the other week with my boss and coworkers. Nico was in tow, which is why the business is in quotes, and it was more of a catch up session on what’s been going on in the past few months as well as a chance for my office to meet my little guy. I liked this stripe, polka dot, and sparkle mix so much I decided to sport it again while on our trip to Maryland over the holiday. Pattern mixing can sometimes be tough, but I think it works well when you keep within the same color palette. How do you all feel about pattern mixing?

Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Striped Blazer: GAP – now on sale! / Polka Dot Button Up: J. Crew (old) – similar / Sparkly Loafers: Seychelles / Jeans: Motherhood / Watch: Coach (old) – similar / Lip: Lancome Groupie

The holidays are in full force! We put up our tree last night and decorated the house. It was so sweet to watch Nico’s eyes and smile grow wide when he saw us putting up all the lights. He was kicking so hard with joy in his rock-and-play, I thought he might jump out and try to help! We did get him a super cute sock monkey stocking and a brand new ornament which he helped to put on the tree. It’s crazy to think how different this Christmas is from last year’s. I even cried while dancing to Silent Night with my little family. Ok, enough of the emo stuff. Nico and I are off to his 3 month doctor’s appointment today. Hope you all are enjoying the week and the holiday season!

XO,

Gina

Glitzy Glam

Nothing says holiday season like a little glitter and gold! While in Maryland last week, we were able to get out and about to a few holiday parties both with and without our little one. This particular night I was dressed up for our annual friends potluck dinner that is now going six years strong! We had a great trip, and I’m excited for all the festivities coming up this month!

Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Jacket: StyleMint / Top: Urban Outfitters (old) / Pants: Motherhood / Shoes: Dolce Vita – similar / Bag: Rebecca Minkoff – similar in rose gold / Butterfly Ring: nOir / Watch: Betsey Johnson (old) – also love this one / Necklace: Family Heirloom / Hoop Earrings: Gifted / Lip: Smashbox Maven

Millions of Peaches

I came across these photos that I had taken back in August. Our yard has a peach tree out front that grew more peaches than we could possibly eat! After passing them out to the neighbors, I swore I was going to make my first peach pie on the Friday of Labor Day Weekend. I was planning on gathering all the ingredients early in the week, and I was going to make a blog post of how amazing it all turned out. Well, folks, that clearly never happened, because I went into labor on Labor Day Weekend. I had more important things at hand, like meeting my baby boy. I can’t believe that was three months ago, today. My life has changed in more ways than I could have even imagined. I thought I could never love any more than the day when they put Nico in my arms for the very first time, but that love has continued to grow and grow with every day that passes. My husband and I just constantly look at each other, look at Nico, and verbalize how lucky we are to have been blessed with such an amazing boy. They told me time would fly by, and they weren’t lying. Happy 3 Months my little guy. We love you.

Oh and by the way…those peaches did not go to waste. We were lucky enough to have my mother-in-law stay with us for a few days after Nico’s birth. One of the ways she helped out was by baking that amazing peach pie. In my haggard new-mother state, I failed to capture this pie with my camera, but let me assure you, it was delicious!

*This post was intended for Nov. 29th, but we were on holiday celebrating Thanksgivingkah. Hope you all had a great weekend! I’m off to partake in Cyber Monday sales!

XO,

Gina