Ellie Turns 2

Ellie Claire turns 2! 

My baby is offically a 2 year old. I can't believe it, but I can't remember life without her. Honestly, what did Kody and I do before her? Our lives seem so boring back then, because Ellie has brought so much happiness and excitement to our life. 

Ellie is the most stubborn, determined, talkative, outgoing little girl I have ever met. When she sets her mind to something, there is no changing it. She talks in 3rd person. Everything including her favorite show starts with Ellie, not Bubble Guppies, "Ellie Guppies." 

She is spoiled beyond measure. She loves shoes and purses. Every time we go somewhere she has to run into her room, grab her favorite shoes and stuff her purse with toys. 

Kody and I have been planning her second birthday since the day she was born lol. We knew we wanted to take her to Disneyland. So when the birthday came, we took her to the Happiest Place on Earth. Even though we went to Disneyland the week before her Birthday, I still felt like she needed a party. So, I decided to bring a little of that Disney Magic to Utah. I threw her a Mini Mouse Party.

It was a lot of fun. Ellie had her grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles there. She kept singing "Happy Ellie, Happy Ellie," because she knew it was her big day.

I set up a crepe bar, with a variety of syrups and fruit. I also had veggie cups with my Mother in laws famous veggie dip. We also had these adorable Mini/Ellie themed sugar cookies and demolished the beautiful Mini inspired cake! 

It was a special day for a special girl. If you need assistance in planning or decorating your child's party, email me at brianamarieevents@gmail.com. I have tons of decor that will make your party one your kid will never forget. 

XoXo,

Briana Marie Smith 

Be Wild Be Free

Happy November! 

Is anyone else in shock that it is November?! It's Thanksgiving this month. I can't believe it. 

Today's blog post topic is something I am very passionate about. It is all about letting your kids run wild and free in the outdoors. 

I grew up in a very small town. My neighbors growing up were mine and my sisters best friends. We would play and play. The entire town was our playground. We would make huts on our neighbors land and scooter down every hill. Getting us to go outside was no task. We wanted to be outside getting dirty, and using our imagination. The best part is, our parents allowed it. Yes, we would have to check in every hour but they allowed us to wonder and explore. Our imaginations ran wild, and so did we. 

I am now 24 years old and wow, times have changed. Kids aren't getting outside like they use to and I don't think it's the kids fault. I think it has a lot to do with the parents. I'm as guilty as the next mom, Ipads and TV's are so convenient. Quite frankly, I don't think they are bad. Ellie learns and interacts with her shows and a lot of them teach valuable life lessons. I don't think there is harm in watching a movie, however, there is harm in not breathing in fresh air.

 In a recent article from Besawyer Blog , it said that more and more kids are having issues with their vision. Many kids are becoming near sighted from lack of natural sunlight. Some are saying there is an epidemic happening in Taiwan for Nearsightedness. The article stated that every hour spent outside in natural light, decreases the odds for nearsightedness by two percent!

Not only does playing outside help eyesight, it also aids in coordination, self confidence, problem solving skills, increases imagination and more. There is no question that a little fresh air and exercise will relieve stress and anxiety, not only for kids, but parents as well. 

I am making a challenge to play outside with Ellie for at least one hour a day. No cell phone, no distractions. Just Ellie and I. Do you want to take the challenge too? Comment below with outdoor activities you like to do with your child in Fall and Winter. If we all work together we can achieve this goal, and see the positive impact that getting outside has on everyone!

I can't wait to hear how your challenge is going. I look forward to reading your ideas.

XoXo,

Briana Marie Smith 

Ellie's Bear Tee: BeSawyer

Summer Time

Happy Thursday!

 How is everyone’s Summer going? Our summer is finally starting to slow down, well mine is at least. Kody is extremely busy this time of year. He is working construction for his parent’s business. They literally work 16 hour days everyday during the summer months. I don’t know how they do it, especially in this hot weather. I can’t think of anything worse than laying asphalt in 110 degree weather! My husband and father in law are the hardest workers. They seriously amaze me.

I planned on having an extremely busy summer. I have been the Miss Millard pageant director this year and have been hard at work planning the pageant in July. To mine and my family's surprise, my little sister decided to compete. (Totally unlike her, she is a collegiate athlete and has never shown interest in pageants before). Anyways, her decision led me to have to step down as director (Miss Utah  protocol). It’s been bittersweet. I am so excited for her to have this opportunity but am also sad that I couldn’t finish the year out. I’m so proud of my little sister though! It will be an amazing experience for her and the other beautiful contestants. Stepping down has definitely freed up my summer schedule though. Ellie and I are trying to come up with fun ideas to keep us both busy. What do you do to stay busy in the Summer? What are some of your kids favorite activities?

I’ve been getting asked where Kody, Ellie and I are living this Summer.. Haha well.. We are kind of homeless. We are basically living in Holden with my parents, but we spend a lot of nights in Delta, at my in laws. Kody and I are planning on moving to Delta and actually settling down there. We are just having a hard time finding a house to rent or buy. If anyone knows of a place, please let us know!

Anyways, that’s the Smith household update. Our life is crazy haha we are so transient, so don’t try and keep up with where we are living, because honestly, we don’t even know.. The joys!

I hope you all continue to have a fun filled summer! Please comment below with your favorite summer activities.

I can’t end this post without doing a shout out to the cutest children’s boutique Mommys Little Sunshine. I just found this boutique and am obsessed. They have adorable children and toddler clothes. I love it because all of the clothing is extremely affordable and high quality. Ellie has worn her floral top multiple times and it still looks brand new. If you are looking for a cute 4th of July outfit for your kids head over to Mommys Little Sunshine. They have the perfect 4th of July outfits available! Happy Shopping!

Below are direct links to Ellie’s cute outfit!

 Xoxo,

Briana Marie Smith

Ellie’s Floral Top: Mommys Little Sunshine

Ellie’s Flower Sandals: Janie and Jack (Currently on sale!)