Happy Holidays!!!! 2018 flew by! So did Kenna's 4th Trimester! This week Kenna turns 4 months and she is no longer a new born! She is learning and growing which makes me excited about all the milestones she has been hitting and a bit sad because she is no longer a newborn. This is Kenna's FIRST Christmas, so I have been making a list and checking it twice! Here is my First Time Mom Holiday Checklist!

DISCLOSURE: The affiliated links that are listed in this blog post means at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if clicked on and purchased.

​​Baby Gifts (0-12 Months)
This year I started Christmas shopping early, but toys for babies in general are hard to come by because babies don’t need a lot to be entertained when they are little. Quite honestly, I would rather invest money into her 529 education account.  You can get great deals on Prime Day/Black Friday/Cyber Monday, but here are some great ideas to gift your little one or someone else's little one! 

Christmas Decor & Tree
I am slowly building up my Christmas decor around the house. This is the 2nd Poe Family Christmas and Kenna's First Christmas, although artificial trees are easy to put up every year, growing up in my family we always had a REAL tree! This year, Amazon sold LIVE TREES from Hallmark to be delivered straight to your door, this required a preorder in November. I paid $110, the last few years I had used a local service in San Diego called Pinery Christmas Trees that charged me about $160, so I saved $50 this year. The pictures below show the Hallmark tree in the box, the tree undecorated out of the box, the tree decorated in the day light, and the tree light up at night time. My tree decor is a mixture of items purchased from Michaels, CB2, Pier 1, Amazon, and Pottery Barn. ​Below is the image of large cork board of a "P" I made with A LOT of corks I saved up through the years, it's where I post all our holiday cards we get in the mail from friends and family and where I hang our stockings from Pottery Barn.

Family Holiday Pictures and Santa!!!!
2018 was the first year we got to take family pictures for our holiday card and also pictures with Santa! I am very fortunate to personally know two amazing photographers in San Diego that I will use EVERY year. Walter Wilson Studios who also did our wedding photography did an amazing job capturing our first family photo and Michelle Mattox Photography who took the adorable Santa photos with Kenna as well as took Kenna's Fresh48, Newborn, and Milestone pictures.

Holiday Cards & Newsletter
Over the last three years I have been using Shutterfly for all my announcements and holiday cards. We used one of the family pictures above for our Christmas card this year and another NEW tradition is our family holiday newsletter which you can download underneath the picture. 

*Use the link in the post for 25% OFF your order with Code: 25OFF2018

Christmas Parties
Now that Kyle and I are parents, we need to schedule our Christmas Parties way ahead of time with a babysitter. Thankfully we have our family that live in San Diego and Orange County. We also have a great part time nanny we can rely on as a backup. Be prepared for themed holiday parties whether its ugly sweater, cocktail attire, grinch theme, or holiday disco!

Lastly, Holiday Cookies!!!!
My favorite food blogger that also just so happens to be based in San Diego is Whitney Bond!!! Not only is she a great friend of mine but she has the most AMAZING recipes! Tis the season to bake! My ultimate favorite cookie recipe is from Whitney, just head over to her blog to print or view these delicious cookies!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with Nutella® Hazelnut Spread

I am in full blown nesting mode and want to prepare a family menu before baby comes so I don't have to worry about cooking for a while. We are Amazon Prime Members and live in an area where they have 2 hour grocery delivery which is extremely helpful. We also have an annual subscription to Postmates Unlimited, but eating out all the time is expensive and I want to prepare some healthy meals that will be easy to pop into the convection oven or microwave. I am picky with my food, I like a variety of chicken & beef, I spent hours trying to find recipes that look appetizing for both my husband and I and that I wouldn't get bored of eating. Below are some of the recipes I had researched on the internet. 

Here are some items I purchased for food prep:
(9) Silicone Freezer Bags or Plastic Freezer Bags
(30) Plastic Containers
Foil
Crockpot Liners
​Parchment Paper

Recipes: 

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili & Corn Bread by SallysBakingAddiction
8 Plastic Containers, 1 Freezer Bag, Crockpot & Liner, & 8 Inch Square Baking Dish 
- Reheat in Microwave 

No Bake Lactation Bites by BakerMama.com  
1 Freezer Bag (2 Dozen) &  Parchment Paper 

Freezer Crockpot Beef Stew by DiaryofaFitMommy.com
​1 Freezer Bag (Serves 6), Crockpot & Liner, 6 Plastic Containers
- Reheat in Convection Oven 

​Homemade Chicken & Pepper Jack Cheese Taquitos by HappyMoneySaver.com
3 Freezer Bags (Makes about 30), Parchment Paper, & Foil
- Reheat in Convection Oven 425 Degrees for 15-20 min.

Freezer Meatballs Recipe & Freezer Mashed Potatoes by HappyMoneySaver.com
6 Plastic Containers 
- Reheat in Microwave

Slow Cooker Carnitas by OnceAMonthMeals.com & Mexican Rice by SpicySouthernKitchen.com
8 Plastic Containers 
​- Reheat in Microwave  

Chicken Piccata Freezer Meal by HappyMoneySaver.com
1 Freezer Bag (Serves 6)
- Cook on Stove & Oven 
​