I recently got together and did a collab with one of the most down to earth, fun bright and colorful moms I know!  Here name is Jessi, but she currently goes professionally by Jessica Danielle. She is a party planner and photographer.

Together we chat DIY, party planning and she shows us how to make a Tulle Tutu.

Recently she put on an adorable Unicorn Party for her 4 year old.  Complete with the ponies and magical horn and bright color.

The girls pranced around and danced and had a blast.

Beautiful cake by Cakes by Jessica This little cake topper is so adorable.  I can’t get over it.

This adorable silver sparkled four year old unicorn shirt is from Aubrey Bills  Boutique

Adorable backdrop by Kristy Lynne Horsley.  Those unicorn cut outs and patterns is so fun!

This adorable unicorn costume is from Princess Paradise! Love all their costumes.  Such great quality and it was the perfect outfit for Brynley’s “Royal” birthday trot to presents.

I think every little girl at some point had a stage of exciting galloping around like a horse or unicorn.

Be sure to check out and subscribe to Jessica Danielle Photography here: https://www.instagram.com/jessica.danielle.photography/

And if you are located in the Salt Lake and West Jordan areas of Utah, be sure to inquire for your next upcoming birthday party!  Whether you decorate or just want someone there to document the day!  It takes such a stress off so you can enjoy the party yourself!

Below is Brynley’s full video captured by Jennie Case.  Jennie captured my 2nd child’s birth.  I am so comfortable with her and I love her videos. Consider her for your upcoming event or wedding!

Vendors:

Photography: Jessica Danielle Photography and Party Planning

Videography: Jennie Case

T-Shirt: Aubrey Bills Boutique

Cake: Cakes By Jessica

Unicorn Costume by: Princess Paradise

Our first grand stop on our epic road trip across the country with two toddlers in tow, all our stuff to live off of for the next 3 months and a small car…. Monticello.

We learned the correct pronunciation is Monte ‘ch’ ello, old Italian.  Thomas Jefferson was an architectural genius for his day. Here is our happy attempt to expose our kids to art, culture and history.  Sometimes I think we need remind ourselves they are only 2 and 3.

Here is what I learned in the start of our road trip.

1. Boredom is good
   1. With so many electronics and distractions to go with them, kids don’t seem to get much of this these days.  I found that if we try to avoid pulling out any kind of electronics, the kids have to actually use their “imagination” and come up with their own entertainment.  They quite literally are forced to learn how to completely entertain themselves.  And what might start out with a little whining somehow transitions into them making up their own songs and playing pretend with their little toys, and getting excited about things they see out the window, like the clouds or a big truck going by. And when you hear them laughing at each other in the back seat for the silly faces they are making at each other, that is a happy sound indeed.  True road trip bonding.
2. Mix it up!
   1. While I did not want to provide my children with something to do every moment of the trip, I can’t expect little toddlers to completely entertain themselves for a long road trip, especially when they can barely see out the window anyway.  So with many a fun activities ready to go such as these Little People Flipbook The kids love these! They will spend anywhere from 15-30 minutes flipping through them and imitating the voices of the different pictures. While Madeline is not picture reading yet, she will “picture” read to Milo. Aside from books, I will hand back one little toy at a time for them to play with and when they seem to get restless and are done with it we switch or move onto another little toy. Madeline loves these Disney Princess Little Kingdom Magiclip 7-Doll Giftset. She likes mixing and matching the different little outfits. Between toys, games and books, we pulled out little snacks here and there.
3. Resist the Electronics for as LONG as possible!
   1. We quickly learned that the second we pulled out an iPad or iphone that they were quickly eager to use them and NOTHING but them!  So my advice, wait to pull them out as long as possible.  We did not have a Charger Adapter and Chargeport for the ipad at the time, so when the battery was gone, it was gone for the rest of the ride, so we prioritized only pulling out the screens once it got dark!  It is hard for the little’s to entertain themselves when they can’t see anything!  So then we put on a movie for them.
4.  Greet groans with positive vibes
   1. We hadn’t even left the city yet when Madeline says to Matt, “Are we in California yet??”  So cute and really quite funny in that moment.  We forgot how much our sweet little toddler has to learn about the geography of the U.S. so we just laughed. My mom got her this fun puzzle to learn her states and see the different places we have visited and lived. Anyway, we just laughed and explained how far we were and reminded her of all the fun places we were going along the way.
5. Download a selection of movies
   1. We use Amazon Prime for our movies,  but we only got around to downloading 4 movies pretty much the night before traveling and… I ultimately would have loved a little more variety for mostly my own sanity.  We did cover about 50 hours of driving time.
6. Invest in a lap desk for the kids
   1. Encourage a little independence for the kids!  I would have loved to have invest in something like this Lap Desk for the kids so I was not twisting awkwardly back to help pick up whatever they dropped or what they want again and again. Don’t get me wrong, stuff will still find its way to the floor but I know that the kids would have loved their own little “stations” to help themselves to snacks or whatever they are wanting. Also, when it comes to reading books and coloring, they really needed something to lean their stuff up on so it didn’t slide off their laps as easily.

For 2 short years we lived in North Carolina and it is time to say goodbye!  My husband finished his MBA and we are moving to California!  The best part?  We are driving there and are sharing our adventures along the way.  We will be squeezing the four of us, luggage and supplies for the next 3 months, equipment etc into our small economy car… so we ended up getting this awesome Yakima CargoPack Cargo Bag to take everything we needed!

I will always be fond of the time we got to spend there and how many wonderful memories we made with our friends there and with family who came out to visit and the adventures we shared.

Whether you are living in North Carolina, in the Triangle area, or coming for a visit, here are the things I loved and you just may as well too!

North Carolina: Triangle Bucket List

1. Asheville
2. 
   1. This place was a dream to visit!  We went in the fall, which I recommend!  And visited the Biltmore house, which is the biggest house in America… Mansion, that is.  It always kills me not getting to take pictures inside the beautiful tours we get to go on at places like this but I guess that keeps the mystery alive, so you will just have to go check it out for yourself!  And if you haven’t check it out, Serafina and the Black Cloak is a new book out that takes place at the Biltmore house. It was beautiful with all the fall color! I was in picture heaven taking pictures as fast I could with each stop with the short time we had.  The place we stayed (a house we all rented) had a neighbor with chickens we were invited to feed and the kids thought that was fun.  Everywhere we drove  was a beautiful sight, a painting waiting to be painted.  Matt and his sister went zip-lining through the trees, and the rest of  our crew went downtown in Asheville to enjoy a wonderful lunch at a quint little cafe called the Creperie Bouchon.  Then we walked around a bit exploring some of the little shops (which truthfully was a not a kid friendly activity, but nice to window shop for a bit) And we came across this building with a village of mini doors on the side where the “fairies” live.  The kids thought that was the best.

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3. The Museum of Life and Science
   1. We loved loved this museum!  My mother in law was kind to gift us a yearly pass so we went often!  The kids would beg to go here often and especially for those colder winter days, it was the perfect place to get their wiggles out.  They have a butterfly house, a train, some smaller animals, a huge playground area outside, science themed experiments inside, giant foam block fort building, a ball zone for the smaller children, imaginative play areas, blocks and puzzles , a mini space craft… and so many more cool things.  I go to  photograph a wedding here too,which was fun and unique for me and we even got to attend a winter ball “Prom” there for my husbands school.  I also loved to explore the kids shop there with so many fun toys and games for Madeline and Milo.  One of my favorite purchases there were these snowballs for indoor.  So fun!
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4. Duke Basketball
   1. We had the opportunity to go to two games while we were here in Durham at the Cameron Indoor Stadium and it was such an experience!  We got to go to the award ceremony for Coach K’s 1000th win and that was both inspiring and wonderful to see.  I just learned that he has been coaching the Olympic basketball team for the last 20 years.  When we were there I also had a special experience getting to do a “backstage” behind the scenes tours or the offices, work out rooms etc of the team.  My biggest surprise, the locker rooms were fancy schmancy!  And another cool fact was the room the team gets pupped up in before each game, with black lights and such before they make their grand exit. Anyway, I cannot share any of my pictures of that but it was a cool experience! We took Madeline and Milo to one of the games and held them for most of the game.  I wasn’t sure how much they loved it… cuz lets be honest, kids only hold so much attention for a prolonged period of any event or activity… anyway , I dropped Matt off another time to a game and Madeline cried and cried that she didn’t get to go to the basketball game.  It is hard to not get to do what you want all the time as a kid.
5. Walking the Eno River
   1. The forests all over North Carolina are just beautiful.  We had fun exploring.  Matt and I were use to having some kind of elevation to climb up to actually get a work out in, so when we went out prepared to go on a “hike” we thought we might actually get a heavy work out of sorts.  It was so humid there that after a few minutes of this nature walk, stepping over the occasional root, we well, got sweaty… covered in humidity is more like it!  But hey, at least you feel like you are getting a work out in.  There were actually a lot of fun trails to go running on, such as the Washing Duke Trail, which is a gorgeous setting in the fall.  Anyway, a fairytale setting.  When we were at the Eno River we saw a turtle.  And when it rained every once in a while with a torrential downpour, toads would greet us at our doorstep. Same with lizards and tree frogs… and a lot of spiders .  One thing I always wanted to do but never got around to it is having a lazy day and just float around on the river there with tubes.  It was so peaceful. Those HOT summer days in North Carolina can get sticky and uncomfortable, so that is a great way to kick the heat.
6. Chicken and Waffles
   1. Have you ever had these? I thought that sounded like such a funny combination.  But every once in a while when you do allow a bit of gluteny, this is worthwhile.  We went twice while there to the famous Dame’s Chicken and Waffles. Basically they have a variety of amazing syrups and smears to go with their tender moist fried chicken and delectable waffles.  I also tried grits for the first time.  I think the best grits I have ever had while in NC, is at Watts Grocery which was a favorite girls day out brunch spot.  We also loved the Parlour, located in downtown Durham.  It is a wonderful ice cream stop and delicious.  They catered to my last event I captured with their cute ice cream truck and it was a sweet way to say goodbye to the wonderful cuisine of the Triangle area
7. Sarah P. Duke Gardens
   1. This garden was a treasure to visit and I was fortunate to capture many family and couple photographs and a wedding there.  Our family enjoyed many peaceful walks and picnics here.  Getting out into nature in general is food for the soul.  I so enjoy walking a beautiful garden and seeing the different items in bloom.  I also enjoyed exploring the JC Raulston Arboretum near the NC State Fair Grounds. Whenever we go out on a nature visit or just to the park for playdate at places such as these, I have loved using a Outdoor Water-Resistant Sandproof Camping Picnic Blanket Beach Mat it doesn’t pick up mud and dirt and I don’t bring the mess with me. It is also lightweight!

1. Strawberry Picking
   1. I had never gotten to do this before until moving to North Carolina and it was such fun! We went a few times and the last year we were there we went with all the family that came out for my husbands graduation.  It made for a fun outing.  Afterward we made a LOT of jam together in the kitchen and that made for some fun bonding time. Madeline and Milo enjoyed running up and down the isles at the Strawberry farms and helping collect the good ones.  They have an assortment of cute baskets there but I did bring this cute one along Two farms we loved were Waller Farm and Jean’s Berry Patch.

1. The DPAC
   1.  We enjoyed two shows at the DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center) while there.  Wicked and Phantom of the Opera . They were wonderfully done and a fun date night out. I always love listening to the romantic music of The Phantom Of The Opera.
2. Historic Yates Mill
   1. This was just an all over lovely place to visit.  The mill was interesting to learn about, but I loved the way the waterfall spilled over and the afternoon light reflected off the mist coming off of it, so I came back again and again for pictures for engagements and family photography sessions.  We even did a costume photo shoot here and Madeline was dressed as a witch. One thing that I really learned to quickly be cognizant of is the the bugs come out in the NC humidity! They always eat me alive, so I usually just keep some bug spray in the car ready to go!
3. Bennett Place
   1. The kids and I were out and really I just saw one of those road signs pointing the way to a historic site (have you ever just followed one of those out of curiosity?) And we checked out Bennett Place! It is the place of the largest surrender of the Civil war.  While that is a very deep topic, the kids and I just toured the grounds a little and peeked in the houses talking about the way people use to live in those days.  As for the war part, they can learn about that when they are a bit older.
4. The Outer Banks
   1. We got to visit the Outer Banks 3 times while we were on the east coast and I loved it.  I think the most fun we had with actually swimming on the beach was at the end of the summer once the kids had gone back to school and we didn’t fall into that category  yet so it was cheaper to rent a house with my family and we just had a blast! The other two times we went at the beginning of May and it was still a bit chilly since the season hadn’t started but still pleasant.  The little ones really just love the giant sand box that is the beach anyway.  I dressed the kids up in some adorable nautical children’s clothing and we did a photoshoot out by the Bodie Island Lighthouse there in Kill Devil Hills (which gets its name from the heavy wind (which could kill a Devil).  You can read more about our adventures from our first year trip to the Outer Banks here. We also loved going to see the Wright Brothers Memorial and Museum there.

1. The NC State Fair
   1. It had been quite some time since I had gone to a fair before and let me tell you… this is the largest State Fair in the US.  It is crazy!  I went the first weekend for a carnival themed photo shoot  and not only was it crazy packed but never ending!  I think I counted 6 carousels, 6 merry go rounds etc.  I honestly started to feel a but claustrophobic… when it was time to leave and I was trying to find the exit and it felt like being stuck in Alice and Wonderland or something.  Just going and going.  So if you go with kids, be sure to go on a weekday, in the morning.   They have a petting zoo, rides and such of course, a bazaar, and all the contest areas, like the best carved pumpkins, fairy houses etc.  How fun is that!  I love that community part of state fairs.  So Americana.  A favorite movie of mine is the 1945 version of the State Fair.  The kids loved it of course.  They would love it even more now since they are a little older and less frightened of all the crazy noises and such.  When we were at the fair there was plenty of greasy food galore.  When we were there with family I laughed with my mother in law, “I can feel myself breaking out” as we walked through the food isles.  But if you are in the south and haven’t tried it before, allow yourself to try at least one Hush puppy!  Why they are called Hush Puppies?  Apparently, they use to feed them to the dogs to keep them quite during hunting… “hush puppy”!  Why that should make you excited to eat them… they are not just for dogs! lol… but seriously amazing though!

1. The Scrap Exchange
   1. This is a environmentally conscious craft recycling center I visited in Durham and it was a crafters/ artists dream of a place to visit.  I went with a group of friends the first time, as part of girls day out just for fun and we explored it.  And you find things for super cheap.  It was the perfect place to go to create the pinterest project you have been wanting to create or something completely fresh of your own invention.  If I were a mom helping with a play at my child’s school creating set pieces on  budget, or making the unique science project or art piece, this is a fun place to go collect the supplies.  It didn’t really have a plan for anything specific until I walked in and my creative wheels started to spin!  This is where I found a cement tube and scrap foam for these cute Toadstools I made.  They had oodles of things like buttons and soda pop bottle lids (that you might want to make cute magnets with), a found some old book binders and board game parts that I got for practically pennies which me and the kids are making our out version of a board game and quiet books for fun.
2. The Kids Exchange
   1.  This GIANT consignment sale out at the State Fair Grounds was a hoot to go to!  We found tons of fun new toys and cheap clothes for the kids and it was a big sale that was fun to explore.  I went with my mom when she was in town and we had such a blast.  It was like Christmas for the kids. One toy we bought that we love is this Little People Carnival Set and this Little People Wheelies Stand ‘n Play Rampway which Milo loves as it is the perfect height for him to play with.

When we moved there, I did not have family nearby.  But it worked out just fine as I quickly found that everyone else was in a similar boat, many other small families, doing school, or recently out of school, not a big budget to spend on activities etc.  Here is what I recommend doing if you are moving to a new place away from friends and family.

1. Don’t wait to make friends! 
   1. We made friends quickly through church and through my husbands school and playgroups. But if you do not have these social settings, then seek them out or look for settings such as the library.  There are many fun groups where you can start there.  We went to several “music classes” made just for toddlers to do little dancing and get some wiggles out.  This is one of many ways to be able to have the much needed social interaction with other moms!  And if you are shy, step out of your shell!  Say hello and strike up a conversation. Chances are, chatting it up with another mom may make her day as she may just as well be in a similar situation!
2. Get involved
   1. While my husband went to school, it was wonderful the activities they had for the “partners” or non-students to be involved in.  One of the moms leaving that year when her husband graduated suggested I helped on the committee for planning the family activities at the school.  They had seasonal parties and weekly get together.  I accepted and myself and another mom helped make all these events fun! We put together a carnival party, a Halloween party, a Christmas party and a Valentines party as well as planned play-dates etc for the moms/ dads.  I got to know the other moms and my kids could play with their kids much more then we might of otherwise!
3. Get out and explore!
   1. As a wedding and portrait photographer, spending years building a clientele and then having to move away from that was hard!  So when we first moved to NC, I was a bit tired and put out by the idea from starting from scratch, but soon I got out with the kids and we went ‘location scouting‘ and went on family outings and quickly fell in love with all that this beautiful state had to offer!  And soon enough I couldn’t wait to find and photograph some new clients!  We went and toured historic places, beautiful gardens and found fun new playgrounds, museums and the zoo!
4. Plan get together’s
   1. If you are not finding the fun,  create the fun. Be the one to make the plans and make friends that way!  We had a playgroup rotation playgroup at our church, taking turns hosting, so I hosted!  Arranging a regular playdate on a set day of the week, such as at different parks or moms homes was such a blessing to my kids!  It is something they eagerly look forward to each week and in regularly seeing the same children, they are able to work on building relationships and socializing at that young age.
5. Throw yourself into your surroundings
   1.  I already talked a bit about getting out with the kids but this is all about simply looking at what your community has to offer and taking advantage of it.  So maybe that is nature based, or maybe there are great farmers markets you could go explore.  And if there is not that fun something you are looking for, than perhaps you can be the one to start it!  One summer I did a fun “art in the park” for local community children.  This was before kids, but if I were to do that now, I am sure they would love it just as much.  Maybe there are beautiful trials in your area, so you could start a walking group and go walking together with the kids on a regular basis.

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That day or series of days that most of us dread and when you have kids and the amount of stuff you own pops out like a can of worms it gets even more fun!  Moving Day!  But hey, we made it fun chasing each other around the empty house and having the kids help with the small tasks to gradually undo the coloring on the walls.

In the times we have moved I have learned that there are a series of stages that I go through… they start with Pinterest and perfect organizational expectations and then end with I don’t care, just through that item in a box and we will find it eventually.

Here are my top tips for moving that I have learned over the past ten years:

1. Do a major purging and fit it to your lifestyle
   1. Take on the whole Japanese technique of asking yourself with each item … does it bring me joy?   No, lol, but really, just go through everything you own and make realistic judgements of whether you will use it or not. With clothing it can be… have I worn this in the last year? And think about your future plans… such as if you plan on having more children and those items should be donated or kept for round 2.  As a photographer I have a TON of stuff.  I am a passionate film maker as well, so in addition to my photography props, film costumes, makeup and equipment, things stack up!  And to add to that there is my crafting supplies, activity supplies etc.  We are very active people who plan a LOT of fun activities so we really do end up using a LOT of stuff.  For example, I like planning parties, hosting playdates and teaching preschool and crafting with the kids… all these activities require objects, supplies etc.  So when I go through my stuff I ask myself what is realistically going to get used… the rest donations.  With costumes we didn’t need anymore for film work or photoshoots, I got rid of.  Also in the purging process, there were a lot of old paints and other kinds of supplies that were trash or projects that I was not longer interested in and knew I would never get around to so it was time to say goodbye.  I also found that it is best when you are in a get rid of that cleaning up kind of mood to be most realistic and helpful in this process.
   2. Make comparisons of how your lifestyle may or may not change and this will also help you decide on what to bring. Also, if you consider your current square footage with your upcoming square footage you can make better judgements about it all.
2. Do the Math
   1. Budget it all out!  Are you moving yourself or is a company moving you?  How far are you moving and what is it going to cost to transport all that you have.  Is it worth it to simply get rid of items and rebuy them once you get there instead of transporting them?
3. Get a slightly bigger truck or pod then you think you will need.
   1. Really.  I have heard so many stories of people, friends etc who have had these2 am frustrations of packing the last bit only to realize that it won’t fit and they have to just get rid of it or otherwise repack or arrange a second smaller truck with help etc.  Not fun!  If you aren’t sure and are making the gamble then be sure to prioritize what gets moved into the truck first!  Such as the most sentimental important stuff/ expensive stuff.  Then the items that are on the maybe list won’t be such a heartbreak if they can’t go and can be more easily replaced.
4. If you are not moving your truck yourself take some sentimental items with you!
   1. I have heard horror stories of trucks getting stolen… items gone.  I was in a bit of a panic attack the first day the movers came trying to get organized and making sure anything sentimental was scanned and backup up online so that if our truck was broken into it would not be a stress!  There were a handful of family history items that I had the hubster fit into the trunk and you know what, it put my mind at so much ease!  I was stressing about something that was pretty much out of my control and just by taking a few sentimental items with me helped so much!
5. If your items will be going into temporary storage before you move in, ask questions and plan ahead!
   1. Is it temperature controlled?  Will we be able to access it…. etc.
6. Collect perishables, aerosols and cleaning products and set aside
   1. Use and donate these items before they are moved.  All moving companies do not move these items for liability reasons so it will save you the stress if they are sorted out in advance.  If you are moving yourself be sure to get rid of those items in advance!  I had a whole box of spray paints for crafting etc that I could not bring, so we gave them away.
7. Take a quick little video of your place!
   1. Madeline helped do ours where she gave us a little tour of our house.  It wasn’t perfectly clean but that is ok.  So many memories take place in our homes and sharing little snippets about favorite memories.. such as “Milo loved to climb in this little cabinet all the time”  are fun details that you will forget!  Family history!  Our took us about 10 minutes to walk through and talk about special memories.
8. Vacuum Bags!
   1. I recently discovered these on our last move and they are amazing!  I wish I had some video of it so maybe we will post that on a future vlog.  Basically they are the best.  I had a whole bin of scrap fabric planned for specific projects.  Got rid of some but the rest I put in one of these Vacuum Seal Storage Bags and ZZZZRRRrmmmm! Boom!  It skrinks up like magic to be 1/10 the size or smaller depending on the airiness of the item.  Pillows, blankets, sheets, stuffed animals, you name it.  So much space saved!!
9. Wardrobe boxes
   1. I so love these over other medium to large boxes for all the closet clothing!  Just one of two were enough for us to fit our closets of clothing into.  And we didn’t have to take them all off the hangers.  We simply used rubber bands and then put the bundles in. Easy peasy!
10. Moving Saran Wrap!
    1. These come in big rolls and they are amazing!  We have used it for medium sized furniture by throwing a blanket over it then wrapping it in this saran wrap so htat is doesn’t get dinged up!

I do have many more tips but these are my top ten.  I hope you find a system that works for you! It certainly helps to be more organized but really I find that not matter what you reorganize everything when you get there anyway so preserve your energies where you can! Good luck and happy moving!

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It is official!  I am mommy vlogging our everyday life.  Not everyday but our everyday if you get me.  And it is an adventure.  When I set out to create Up and Away Moms, I wanted to create a community of mothers sharing their real life… and so for starters I am starting with sharing mine! The messy mom bun, no makeup, no Photoshop side of motherhood. Yes, there are the perfect pictures all over pinterest, but I want to share more of the mess… why?  Because we are all just doing our best!  And in the end, happy healthy kids who feel loved is what matter.  Not so much a spic and span house.  So join us in our little household made a home with these crazy hooligans running around learning and growing each day! Let’s find Joy in the Juggle!

Check out our next vlog of our Moving Day here!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more regular motherhood fun! Homemaking, DIY, Shake it off with a little laughter and more.