This is a more personal post about some honest thoughts and mom guilt I've struggled with lately. I hope this helps anyone in a similar phase of life feel like they are not alone. It is past midnight and I can't sleep. I went to bed two hours ago, but as soon as my head hit the pillow our toddler woke up. This has been a common occurrence lately. Last summer I got through the newborn phase by ... Read more
2019 Flora Family Cookie Day
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is getting together with family for a marathon baking day with our Louisville family. At our annual Cookie Day, we bake dozens of cookies using recipes from my husband's grandmother. This year we borrowed the binder of recipes to copy so that we can have them, too. Each person/couple/family picks their recipes and then bakes them and we place them on a table ... Read more
Flying With a Toddler
The last time I flew with my youngest she was 2 months old. It was was an easy and smooth trip with no hiccups. Flying with her at 18 months as a toddler, meanwhile, was ... challenging. My mistake was choosing an evening flight. My daughter's normal bedtime hit during the end of the flight. I could tell she was tired, yet she was ready to play. She refused to be rocked or nursed to sleep, yet ... Read more
Our 2019 Family Photo Session in Chicago
** This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made after clicking these links at no additional cost to you. Every year we take family photos to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It began the first summer Graham and I moved to Chicago, in 2015, when we contacted Abigail Joyce Photography to take photos of us with the Chicago skyline in the background. Since then we ... Read more
How We Prepared Our 5-Year-Old for Kindergarten
V started kindergarten yesterday, which is mind-blowing. It's been a busy couple of weeks of shopping, attending classes, visiting her new school and meeting her teacher. We have tried to pump her up for the start of school and she seemed excited to go to a new school and make new friends. Yesterday morning we walked her to the school bus stop, because she wanted to ride with her friends in the ... Read more
How to Prepare for Family Photos
One of my favorite Flora family traditions is taking photos around the time of our wedding anniversary. It began when Graham and I moved to Chicago in 2015 and we were celebrating our first anniversary. I researched Chicago photographers and found Abigail Joyce Photography and I really liked her style. I chose a city skyline background and she suggested the perfect spot for our photos. This year ... Read more
Parenting Assumptions vs. the Reality of Motherhood
I was unsure if I would ever have kids. I always wanted to adopt but had no idea if I would be able to do it. I did, however, have opinions on things I would or wouldn't do as a parent. The past few years have taught me I was wrong on many of those assumptions. I'm sharing the things I said I would never do as a mom vs. what the reality has been. I said I would never cosleep. I never ... Read more
Amazon Favorites for Baby
** This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise! I recently shared my lifestyle favorites but I left off baby/toddler products that have made life easier and more fun for us lately. These are items I've ordered from Amazon and they've all worked out well for us. Also, Prime shipping has ... Read more
Family-Friendly Florida Attractions on Our Wish List
** This post about family-friendly Florida destinations is sponsored by VISIT FLORIDA. All opinions are my own. #FindYourFlorida When we visited Florida for the first time as a family of three in 2017, I was pleasantly surprised by how familiar the state felt to me. When we pick a travel destination, we always prefer places where we can see an abundance of fauna and flora, and Florida has no ... Read more
Adelina’s 12-Month Update
My baby turns 1 today. I've been an emotional wreck lately ever since it hit me that Addi's birthday was approaching. This past year has been life-changing for all of us, in the best way. We all adore Adelina and she has been the perfect addition to our family. It's been four months since I shared a baby update, so here's what this little miss has been up to lately. This will likely be the last ... Read more