fourth fun

This weekend was a one of those that I wish so bad I could go back to.  Matt was off on Friday and I can't tell you how much Georgia and I loved having him all to ourselves for 3 whole days.  His twin brother and his wife came in town, who also happen to be Gigi's godparents, and we even got an adult-only dinner in there!  Possibly the last for awhile, but nonetheless, it was so nice.  We frolicked on the beach with friends Friday, watched Georgia (dressed as a sailor girl) and my parents (dressed as Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam) ride in our neighborhood parade Saturday morning then headed to the pool with family for some more sun.  To say my little lady was on cloud 9 this weekend is the understatement of the century.  She absolutely adores her aunts and uncles and especially her cousins and I love celebrating with them all.  Sunday we had lunch at my in-laws and a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Oh and we are still on Baby Watch over here.  I turned 39 weeks on Saturday and truthfully I really thought my little man would be here by now.  But hey!  He's comfy I suppose.  But no really... Matthew you can come out now.  Everyone's ready for you.

Hope y'all had a great July 4th!  So thankful for this country we live in.

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gigi's easter basket

gigi's easter basket by deniselopatka featuring synthetic shoes

i caved and gave some of these things to her a little early (like the garden tools!)  but most of these goodies will be found on easter morning in her basket!

garden tools

duck & goose book

sun-san saltwater sandals (I got a pair in white and gold!)

sidewalk chalk

rain boots

Lilly dress (I found one on MAJOR sale at my local Lilly Store - like I only paid $12 bucks for it - so you mama's check out those sales!)

sunscreen

bubble bath

rash guard set (again, i got mine on sale but this one is sooooo cute)

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Holiday Gift Guide for HIM

Holiday Gift Guide for HIM by deniselopatka featuring a water glasses set

1.  The Gourmet Sea Salt Sampler.  My hubby enjoys cooking and grilling and he absolutely lvoes trying new "rubs" or seasonings.  And salt?  Well let's just say there's a love affair going on.  No matter how much I salt our food, Matt always has to add a little extra.  So I think this sea salt sampler is the perfect gift for a guy like him.  I know he would love trying out the different flavors (as will Georgia and I!).  $19

2.  Speck IPhone Case.  Guys like minimal - at least my guy does.  I can promise you Matt doesn't want an IPhone case in any color other than black (unless it's Wake Forest gold), and he sincerely needs a case.  I'm leaning towards this one because he can throw a card or two along with a bit of cash in the back which makes it so easy.  Love this case for guys.  $27

3.  Man Can.  Truth be told, my hubby likes candles.  He's been known to light one while I'm not home when he's cleaning or getting stuff done.  He's a keeper I know.  But how cute manly are these candles?  I love them!  I think Matt will definitely end up with one or two of these under the tree.  I'm thinking he may even like one for his desk at work!  $10

4.  Jelly Beans.  These are my hubby's favorite for sure.  So whatever the man in your life loves to snack on, make sure some form of it winds up under the tree!  I'm thinking this 4 lb. jar should last Matt about a month ;).  $23

5.  BMW Luggage Expandable Toploader.  If your hubby travels at all for work this is the perfect gift.  I've been trying to find one for Matt because he has been traveling more lately.  I love that this one serves a  briefcase but can easily slide over the handle of your carry on luggage for ease in the airport.  $300

6.  Math Glasses.  These are so fun.  Matt is super smart.  And loves math and science.  And I just think it would be fun for all the men out there to take their bourbon in a glass with pi on it! $38

7.  Weber Smoker Box.  As I mentioned above, Matt loves grilling.  He's always wanted to try to smoke something and I love that this little smoke box let's your try it out on your own grill.  $22

And congrats to the winner of the Mimi's the Look Giveaway!  Results HERE!

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Holiday Gift Guide for HER

holiday gift guide for HER by deniselopatka featuring cropped leggings

1.  Gabriella Backpack.  I mentioned in this post about my new love affair with backpacks.  They are chic and practical and I love everything about them.  I carry this backpack EVERYWHERE I go.  I use it on date nights with the hubs as my purse and when I'm running around with G as a diaper bag.  It's the perfect size and goes with everything.  $56

2. BKR Water Bottle.  I think these are the cutest water bottles.  I've heard great things about them and I'm ready to give em a whirl.  So the gloss colored bottle is on my wishlist.  $30

3. The Lip Scrub by Sara Happ.  This stuff smells heavenly and I've been wanting to add it to my regime for quite sometime.  Fingers crossed it's under the tree.  $20

4. The Perfect Lip Collection by Beauty Counter.  After I scrub my lips thanks to Sara Happ, I hope I get to moisterize, color and shine them with this colloection!  I absolutely love the nude lip color in this collection and this would make the perfect gift for you mom, sister, friend or wife!  $60

5. Hurley Crop Legging. I love these leggings!  I think they would be so cute at the gym (duh) but also just running errands if maybe the gym was just a nice thought (more likely).  $48

6. Luminous Skin Collection by Beauty Counter.  OK truthfully, this should be at the top.  I own this collection and let me just tell you that every women in your life NEEDS this scrub, oil and rosewater.  I like to take baths every Sunday and I'll use the scrub before I get out, following it with the oil all over.  A few spritzes of Rosewater Spray on my face and I honestly feel as though I'm leaving the spa.  The Rosewater spray is a constant in my life (I have on by my bed and one in my purse), and I love mixing a few drops of the oil (the rosemary and citrus scent is to die for!) with my lotion after my shower or baths.  And the scrub?  Anyone that has tried it is hooked.  It's that delicious.  $120 

7.  Rip Curl One Piece Rashguard.  I fell in love with the rashguard trend over the summer but never pulled the trigger.  But I'm glad I didn't because this rashguard/one piece is on my must have list please!  It's adorable and would be perfect for chasing a toddler around in the sand come summer.  $69.50

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November Link Party + Life Lately

just hanging in my christmas PJ's and my daddy's hat

sissies

Hey yall!  Happy Monday!  I've been taking some time off from link-ups lately because things have been quite busy around here.  But I'm super excited about this one today with these fabulous ladies.  For today's link-up we are talking about frugal tips for the holidays.  I try really hard every year to be smart when it comes to holiday shopping.  Key word here: try.  I'm sure my hubby would vouch that I am not always successful at this, but I'm a work in progress ok?  This year, I'm really trying to be smart, though.  I absolutely love giving gifts.  I love the process of carefully selecting something that a loved one will adore, wrapping it so neatly and then watching them unwrap it.  It makes my heart sing.  But thoughtful, meaningful gifts don't have to cost a lot of money.  I've learned that over the years and this year here are three ways I'm going to be frugal!

1. Ebates.  Ok this is the best thing ever.  A friend told me about it and I had yet to give it a whirl until last week. You sign up with Ebates and when you shop online (basically ANYWHERE you can think of: Amazon, Sephora, JCrew, Target, Walmart, Gap, Piperlime, Belk, I mean the list is in the thousands), you go through Ebates to get to the site.  You shop as normal, check out and boom.  You get CASH BACK!  It's amazing.  You literally get a percent cash back for every purchase you make.  They can mail you a check or transfer it through your PayPal account.  To sign up go here.  It's amazing yall, and there's really no reason not to!

2. Planning.  I know this is a no brainer, but Matt and I really try to plan out our Christmas shopping so we don't end up buying everything in the same month/week.  That helps with budget as well.  If you haven't started planning yet, start today.  Make a list of all the people you will be buying for.  Then write some ideas down next to each name (and even a budget amount if you want!).  It helps, trust me.

3.  Remember that your loved ones love you more than the gift.  Ultimately Christmas is about Jesus, being with family and spending time with one another.  Don't let the hustle and bustle of the holidays drive you to forget that.  While your loved one may absolutely adore that gift you got them, I can bet you they love having you with them even more.  And if you can't physically "be" with all those you love most this year, schedule a special Skype session or face time with them.  That's what matters.  Not the present under the tree.

Have any frugal tips you want to share?  Link-up below!  And don't forget to check out all the other amazing posts.  **I'll be sharing my Holiday Gift Guides for everyone in the family starting next week so make sure to come back!

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking up with Elizabeth, Tara, Britt, Sarah, Denise, Katie, Keri, and Becky for our Monthly Link Party

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halloween wrap-up 2014

As previously mentioned, my tiny baby lady dressed up as the cutest mouse there ever was.  Well her sissy, Sevilla, decided she wanted to be a giraffe.  And mom and dad had zebra and monkey ears respectively, although we haven't managed to get a family picture yet!  Shame I know.  By the time Matt got home Friday night it was off to "trick-or-treat", or in our case, walk the streets and wave "hi" to everyone.  And this weekend was spent recovering from a nasty cold that said tiny mouse passed on to mom and dad  We are all feeling much better, but man!  Cold and flu season is for the birds!  Oh and throw in daylight savings time?!!?  What was once my favorite Saturday night of fall (hello more sleep!) has quickly changed as I've realized tiny mice don't get the memo.  So it's been 6:15 wake ups for us over here (but I'm not complaining.  Judging by my Facebook feed, I may have it good compared to some of you mamas!  babies go back to sleep!)  I digress... well here are some pictures of the mouse and the giraffe.  Best of friends I swear.  And a family photo to come soon.

PS - the sweet Elizabeth of All Kinds of Things was kind enough to feature me on her blog last week.  Check it out here!

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georgia the mouse

 If you follow me on Instagram then you already know I had mistaken this adorable mouse costume below, for an elephant costume.  I then proceeded to plan our entire family costume theme around the fact that Georgia was going to be an elephant!  I went with a zoo theme.  Sevilla the giraffe (thanks home goods!), mommy the zebra and daddy the monkey!  But it turns out the Lopatka Zoo doesn't feature elephants.  No, it features the cutest mouse there ever was.  So behold... Georgia the Mouse.  More family pictures coming soon :)

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pumpkin patching with a toddler

what is this thing in my hair?!

here mom, i think it belongs to you.

last weekend was participated in the yearly tradition of pumpkin patching.  we have a small pumpkin patch right near our house and took a picture last year sitting on their stoop with the tiniest baby g.  well this year, she pretty much acted like she owned the place.  she ran around fearlessly picking out over 100 pumpkins that were juuuuuuuuuuust right.  lucky for us, she let us get away with only bringing home 3 - 2 big ones and a baby one just for her.  and now i feel as if fall has officially begun!

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