Photo Journal: Family Photos 2019

I am so excited to share our new family photos with you, taken by Krissy from Bella Nicole Photography. This was our first time working with Krissy and we can not sing her praises enough! Not only was she wonderful with the girls, totally patient with our circus and easy to work with, but is clearly extremely talented! We are so very thankful to have photos like this to remember a time in our life that can often feel like a total blur. Before sharing more of our beautiful photos, I thought I would share a tip or two about taking family photos that I have gathered throughout the years. 

Modern Farmhouse Fall Decor

1: Wheat Wreath- I think this wreath would look SO classy on a navy or black door, it's super simple and also timeless. 

2: Gingham Door Mat- I love the layered front door mat look, I have a Halloween door mat that I layered over it, it's a great price too!

3: Hoop Wreath- I love this wreath, it's a little on the trendy side, but I love the husk mixed with eucalyptus and the hoop is just gorgeous! 

4: Outdoor Lantern- I have my EYE on a set of two of these, I'm just waiting for them to go on sale. I love the leather handle and they would make the perfect finishing touches for our front door. 

5: Goldenrod Arrangement- Adding a few seasonal arrangements to your home decor is such an easy and inexpensive way to add a Fall touch!

6: Ceramic Pumpkin- I love the neutral color of this one, it would look perfect on an entryway table on top of a set of books. 

7: Burnt Orange Florals- I love the look of a well styled tray and think this arrangement is the perfect size for a kitchen tray!

8: Gold Leaf Dish- I spotted this at Target and had to scoop it up for our new entryway table. 

9: Ratan Pumpkin- This little pumpkin has the best texture and would look so cute on a floating shelf. 

10: Neutral Pumpkin Filler- Another super easy way to incorporate seasonal decor is grabbing some vase fillers, grab a clear jar or vase and fill it with these adorable neutral pumpkins. 

11: Pumpkin Cutting Board- When it comes to festive table top, I think this pumpkin cutting board would make the cutest festive charcuterie board. 

12: Pumpkin Dutch Oven- I have had my eye on a super expensive pumpkin dutch over for the past few years and was SO excited to find this much more affordable option. 

13: Round Wire Basket- This is one of my favorite home decor purchases, I can't wait to fill it with neutral pumpkins!

Don't forget to follow our daily adventures on Instagram and if you're new here, welcome, here are a few  popular posts on the Snyder Family Co. Blog!

Back to School: Two Weeks of Healthy Snack Options

Back to School: Capsule Wardrobe for Girls

Back to School: Lunch Box Must Haves

Snyder Family Co. Travels: Magic Kingdom Day 1

Snyder Family Co.: Essential Oils- Our Why

Snyder Family Co. Living Room Tour

Snyder Family Co. Family Room Tour

Nursery 101: How to Organize a Nursery

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Photo Journal: First Day of School 2019

August 21, 2019

Avery's First Day of Kindergarten

Sometimes a picture really is worth a million words... or sometimes a picture is worth a million words because Mama is too busy sobbing in the corner to really write how heart broken she feels that her baby is already in Kindergarten. But really, I am so proud of the amazing little lady Avery has become and I can't wait to watch her SOAR in Kindergarten this year, she is loved beyond words and we all can't wait for her to get off that school bus this afternoon to hear about her newest adventure... 

Back to School: Two Weeks of Healthy Snack Options

1. Mini- Bento Box: Three compartments make packing a snack easy peasy, plus no zip loc bags to throw away! A spot for a fruit/veggie and a "crunchy" as we like to say at our house!
2. Bumpkin Reusable Snack Bags: We have used these for our little ladies for years, they are dishwasher safe, easy to zip/seal and come in the cutest patterns.
3. Zip-Tuck Reusable Snack Bags: Another great useable bag option, comes in a few different patterns and I do like that you can see whats inside!
4. SnapLock Snack Container: Perfect for packing a veggie with dip, yogurt with granola, etc.
5. HydroFlask Water Bottle: Has a great seal and keep the girl's water cold, this is the water bottle they will keep on their desk at school, I'll also put a cute name label on it to add a personalized touch.
6. Safe + Fair granola: With Emmy's food allergies, we love stocking up on Safe + Fair products, they are all delicious and I love how easy the snack bags are to pack!
7. Dragon Bars: My girls love these organic fruit & grain bars, my girls especially love the strawberry banana flavor!

Two Weeks of Easy Snack Ideas:

Day 1: Apples & Sunbutter
Day 2: Raspberries & Made Good Granola Bar
Day 3: Mini Peppers & Annie's Cheddar Bunnies
Day 4: Grapes & Organic String Cheese
Day 5: Strawberries & Organic Animal Crackers
Day 6: Carrots & Organic Ranch
Day 7: Yogurt & Safe + Fair Gavin's Granola
Day 8: Dragon Bar (code SNYDERCO10 for 10% off)
Day 9: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Muffin
Day 10: Organic String Cheese & Pretzel Chips
Day 11: Carrots/Cucumbers & Hummus (Tahini Free Recipe)
Day 12: Strawberries & Safe + Fair Birthday Cake Granola
Day 13: Graham Cracker & Sunbutter
Day 14: Banana & Yogurt Pouch

Coupon Codes: Safe + Fair SNYDER10 for 10% off and free shipping // Dragon Bars SNYDERCO10 for 10% off // 
Stuck on You for 20% off SOYBLOG19 (not valid on value packs)

When it comes to pairing a drink with the girl's school snack and lunches, 75% of the time I'm sending water. My girls are big water drinkers, it's great for their immune system and not packing a juice box is an easy way to cut back on a bit of sugar. I'm sure I'll be sending a juice box or chocolate milk in Avery's lunch from time to time, three options that are my juice box go-to's are: ReThink Water, Kirkland Organic Chocolate Milk or Trader Joe's Organic Lemonade Pouches.

Coupon Code: ReThink Water SNYDERFAM15 for 15% off

We hope your kiddos will enjoy these 14 days of delicious snacks- do you have a go-to snack we left off our list? Share your favorite snack time options in our comments!

Don't forget to follow our daily adventures on Instagram and if you're new here, welcome, here are a few  popular posts on the Snyder Family Co. Blog!

Back to School: Capsule Wardrobe for Girls

Back to School: Lunch Box Must Haves

Snyder Family Co. Travels: Magic Kingdom Day 1

Snyder Family Co.: Essential Oils- Our Why

Snyder Family Co. Living Room Tour

Snyder Family Co. Family Room Tour

Nursery 101: How to Organize a Nursery

Organizing 101: 6 Ways to Style a 3- Tier Cart

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Back to School: Capsule Wardrobe for Girls

Tops: A mix of everyday basics, a denim tunic and solid sweatshirt is a great base to mix and match with all of the bottoms we found! I tend to keep Avery's tops pretty neutral, that way she can mix and match and can also add a fun accessory. 

Back to School: Lunch Box Must- Haves

1. Food Allergy Labels: A quick and easy way for a little added protection for kiddos with food allergies- sticking this to their lunch containers is a great way to let supervisors know about important allergies. 

2. Bag Tag: An easy way to personalize a lunch box or book bag- add your phone number & bus number to the back!

3. Mini Bento Box: The best way to pack a snack, includes three compartments, perfect for a healthy snack!

4. Sandwich Shaper: Adding a little flair to your kiddos sandwiches, veggies, cheese, etc. I love knowing Avery will smile when she opens up her lunch box!

5. Label Set: It's time to label ALL the things, stick these cute name labels on lunch containers, water bottles, folders, etc. 

6. Cold Pack Lunch Box: I love that this lunch box includes a detachable ice pack, one less things to stick in the lunch box! Extra points for having a side mesh water bottle holder. 

7. Silicone Food Cups: I love using these inside of Avery's bento boxes- perfect for portioning out sweet treats, crunchy snacks, fruit and more. 

8. Reusable Sandwich Bags: I can't stand flying through boxes of snack bags, Avery knows to throw these back in her lunch bag when she finishes her sandwich. 

9. Reusable Snack Bags: Another great reusable option, Avery and Emmy get to have a snack at school, these are super easy to pack and wash!

10. Bento Box Lunch Box: The cutest personalized lunch box that fits a bento box and ice box perfectly!

11. Thermal Bento Box: We LOVE these, not just for school, but for days trips to the beach or zoo too. My girls aren't big sandwich girls, so I like to pack pasta in the thermos spot. 

12. Lunch Box Notes: I sure am going to miss my baby girl when she's away at school all day, I love the idea of including a sweet note in her lunch from time to time. 

13. HydroFlask Water Bottle: I plan on sending Avery with a water bottle for her desk and one for her lunch box. This will keep her water nice and cold, perfect for hot days!

14. Large Water Bottle: This water bottle will be for lunch, my girls drink water like crazy- I'm hopeful this will be enough for her during lunch time. 

15. Thermos: Another Thermos option, I pack this thermos with the snack sized bento box in Avery's lunch bag. 

16. Skinny Ice Packs: We love these skinny ice packs, I place them right on top of the bento box and there is still room for a juice box or any lunch extras on top. 

17. Ice Packs: These ice packs come in fun shapes, I always like to have a few back-ups in the freezer in case I forget to unpack their lunch box right away! 

Happy lunch packing Mama's, I'm hopeful I'll end the year as strong as I'm starting the year... we will see if that happens. I'll also be back with more themed bento box lunches and healthy snack options soon!

Snyder Family Co. Travels: Magic Kingdom Day 1

Snyder Family Co.: Essential Oils- Our Why

Snyder Family Co. Living Room Tour

Snyder Family Co. Family Room Tour

Nursery 101: How to Organize a Nursery

Organizing 101: 6 Ways to Style a 3- Tier Cart

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What's Cooking: Ice Cream in a Bag

It's hard to believe we only have THREE more weeks of summer left before our Avery starts Kindergarten, which I am still SO sad about! We are making the most of each summer day that we have left and had the best time making ice cream in a bag last week. I went off of a few different recipes I found on Pinterest and our combo worked like a charm! It's SUPER easy and only takes about 15 minutes or less to complete. This would be extra fun for a birthday party OR if you are a teacher, I'm sure you could work a Science lesson into this! Here are the steps and materials you'll need to make a tasty treat with your kiddos:

Materials (per 1 serving or 1 baggie)

- 1 c. Whole Milk
- 1 c. Half & Half
- 2 tbsp. Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract / Essential Oils (Optional; see steps for instructions)
- 1 c. Kosher Salt (the bigger the grain the better)
- Ice
- Gallon & Quart Sized Baggies

* Bonus: I was able to make this using all organic materials, I spent LESS on all of these materials then I would have on a few pints of organic ice cream, win- win!

Steps

1. Pour: Milk, half & half, sugar and vanilla extra into a quart sized baggie. Optional: dip a toothpick in your favorite essential oil to add flavor (lemon or peppermint work great)- swirl toothpick into your wet mixture inside of your baggie.
2. Seal bag and double bag in another quart sized bag.
3. In a gallon zip-loc bag, fill ice 3/4 of the way full, top with kosher salt (ice cream salt also works, just find the largest grain salt possible).
4. Place the quart sized baggie of ingredients onto of the ice, double bag the gallon bag and get ready to shake!
5. Shake, Shake, Shake- we shook for a good 8- 10 min. I even put the bag into the freezer for a couple of minutes and then continued to shake to speed up the process.
6. Divide into ice cream bowls, top with your favorite topping and ENJOY!

The best part is, there is little to no mess- throw the gallon bag of ice/salt in the sink and clean-up is done!

Snyder Family Co. Travels: Magic Kingdom Day 1

Snyder Family Co.: Essential Oils- Our Why

Snyder Family Co. Living Room Tour

Snyder Family Co. Family Room Tour

Nursery 101: How to Organize a Nursery

Organizing 101: 6 Ways to Style a 3- Tier Cart

Subscribe to The Snyder Family by Email

Mom Style: Amazon Fashion

Life with three little ladies means most of my shopping is done online and this summer I have found myself really pushing the easy button with Amazon Prime for last minute summer wardrobe staples. You can't beat Prime shipping and super easy returns, here are some of my favorite summer Amazon finds!

1: Blue Light Blocking Glasses- Such a game changer, do you have a pair yet? 

2: Ray Ban Dupes- I have had my eye on the real Ray-Bans for quite some time, but with my history of losing sunglasses, I figured I would start with the dupes for now. 

3: 18 Pc. Scrunchie Set- Dry Shampoo. Scrunchie. Repeat. My summer hair routine. 

4: Essential Oil Car Diffuser- Road trips, car pool lines, or drives home after a full-day adventure, this little car diffuser is sure to come in handy, my favorite oils to diffuse in the car are Stress Away, Thieves and Peace & Calming.
5: Button Front Tank Top- Under $20, waffle material, henley tank- the perfect go to summer tank.
6: Scalloped High Waisted Two Piece- Such a great swimsuit, super thick quality and washes perfectly!
7: Smocked High Waisted Two Piece- Love the print of this suit and it comes with detachable spaghetti straps.
8: Adidas Leggings- Grabbed these on Prime day and I LOVE them, they run slightly big, so if in-between sizes, size down!

Don't forget to follow our daily adventures on Instagram and if you're new here, welcome, here are a few popular posts on the Snyder Family Co. Blog!

Snyder Family Co. Travels: Magic Kingdom Day 1

Snyder Family Co.: Essential Oils- Our Why

Snyder Family Co. Living Room Tour

Snyder Family Co. Family Room Tour

Nursery 101: How to Organize a Nursery

Organizing 101: 6 Ways to Style a 3- Tier Cart

Subscribe to The Snyder Family by Email

Mom Style: Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

I always love grabbing a few new things for Fall/Winter during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. I always try to buy items that I can mix and match, grab a few staples and add a new trend or two into my wardrobe too. Here are EIGHT of my favorite picks from this year's sale: 

1: Gorjana Huggie Hoop Earring- This is one of my favorite moderately prices jewelry brands, the quality and price are amazing. It's also one of my favorite brands to give as gifts! I'm hoping these can become my new everyday earrings. 

2: Treasure & Bond Plaid Wrap Scarf- I love throwing on a scarf when I want to "fancy" up an everyday outfit, I loved the colors in this one and think it will pair perfectly with the grey sweater I bought too. (Would also make a great gift!)

3: Madewell Beadlink Choker Necklace- I have been eyeing a choker style necklace for a little bit and always love the quality of Madewell jewlery, I also thought the color of the beads were so pretty on this one, I'm excited to give this trend a try. 

4: Zella Leggings- I always grab a new pair of plain black Zella leggings during the sale, I love working out in these and they are definitely part of my weekday "Mom uniform." 

5: Caslon Side Snap Tunic Sweater- I like to grab a new sweater or two during the sale and think that this one would look super cute with leggings, faux leather leggings or the denim I grabbed too. I think this is a super versatile sweater I can dress up or down with the two pairs of shoes I bought too!

6: Wit & Wisdom Denim- I have heard great things about this brand from a handful of friends, they have a built in elastic waistband and get great reviews, plus you can't beat the price!

7: Nike Free TR8- I love the faux leather touch on the heel of these, I think it makes them feel like more of an everyday sneaker that will also be added to my daily "Mom uniform." 

8: Treasure & Bond Mules- I kept seeing the snakeskin trend pop-up all over the sale and felt like this was a subtle way to add it in to my wardrobe. They also come in leopard, which is another great way to add a fun touch to your everyday outfits. 

Don't forget to follow our daily adventures on Instagram and if you're new here, welcome, here are a few  popular posts on the Snyder Family Co. Blog!

Snyder Family Co. Travels: Magic Kingdom Day 1

Snyder Family Co. Living Room Tour

Snyder Family Co. Family Room Tour

Nursery 101: How to Organize a Nursery

Organizing 101: 6 Ways to Style a 3- Tier Cart

Subscribe to The Snyder Family by Email

Let's Celebrate: 4th of July 2019

I can hardly believe it's been a week since 4th of July, we made the best memories and I'm so happy I finally got around to recapping our day! We had the best 4th of July weekend- we were all worried the weather wasn't going to cooperate and we ended up with beautiful weather all weekend long. For the past four years, we have stuck to our 4th of July traditions- we start with the best parade, followed by a BBQ at our house and typically head to our town for the fireworks. It's a long day packed with all the typical 4th of July traditions: hot dogs, Bomb pops, glow sticks, poppers... it's such a low key, no stress holiday, spent best with friends and family!

Girl's Dresses (H&M) / Sandals (Target) / Hair Clip (Etsy)

Avery's Swimsuit (Target) / Emmy's Dress (Last Year Target)

Don't forget to follow our daily adventures on Instagram and if you're new here, welcome, here are a few  popular posts on the Snyder Family Co. Blog!

Snyder Family Co. Travels: Magic Kingdom Day 1

Snyder Family Co. Living Room Tour

Snyder Family Co. Family Room Tour

Nursery 101: How to Organize a Nursery

Organizing 101: 6 Ways to Style a 3- Tier Cart

Subscribe to The Snyder Family by Email

Little Lady Style: Shoes

Getting out of the house with three little ladies can be quite the chore, but one step I took to make things just a tiny bit smoother was limiting the number of shoes at the door! It sounds so silly, but having just a few pairs of shoes per family member in our laundry room has seriously saved SO much time when it comes to getting out of the house.

Kristin Sneaker (Pink Sparkle) / Robyne Sneaker (Purple Flower)

Each of the girls have three pairs of shoes each season: a pair of athletic shoes, a pair of dress shoes and some sort of seasonal shoe (like rain boots or snow boots). By limiting the number of pairs in our shoe pile, the girls can quickly find which pair they need to wear and we can be off on our next adventure!

I also include the girls in the "shoe buying" process, if they LOVE the shoes, they won't fight about putting them on, which always makes me laugh! Does anyone else's kiddos complain about putting on their shoes, like it's some long, super hard process!? This past Spring, I swear Emmy wore her purple sparkly rain boots every single day and you know what, it made life easier, she could slip them right on and they sure did make her happy! (Bonus Points: Pick shoes your kids can get on and off by themselves, velcro and slip-ons are your friends!)

Kristin Sneaker (Pink Sparkle) / Robyne Sneaker (Purple Flower)

Silver Sandals: See Kai Run

Here are some of my favorite brands and styles within each category, I'm also hoping to scoop up a few pairs for Fall and Winter during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale!

Pair One: Athletic Shoe

Pair Two: Dress Shoe

Pair Three: Seasonal Shoe

Kristin Sneaker (Pink Sparkle) 

Robyne Sneaker (Purple Flower)

Don't forget to follow our daily adventures on Instagram and if you're new here, welcome, here are a few  popular posts on the Snyder Family Co. Blog!

Snyder Family Co. Travels: Magic Kingdom Day 1

Snyder Family Co. Living Room Tour

Snyder Family Co. Family Room Tour

Nursery 101: How to Organize a Nursery

Organizing 101: 6 Ways to Style a 3- Tier Cart

Subscribe to The Snyder Family by Email

Photo Journal: Strawberry Picking 2019

Stade's Farm 

July 2019

Strawberry Picking 

Overalls / Tank / Hunter Boots 

Snyder Family Co. Mom Style: Mini Summer Capsule Wardrobe

This is the first summer in a LONG time that I am not: trying to get pregnant, pregnant, or nursing- which meant it was time for a little wardrobe re-fresh! Majority of the items I included are under $50, I swear I have tried on nearly 100 pairs of shorts and truthfully can not tell the difference between a $15 pair and a $100 pair! What I love about all of the items I included is that you can really mix and match just about everything. The accessories help you go from day, like the scrunchie and for night, just throw on the earrings. Now, if only the weather would warm-up in Chicago, I'm ready to start actually wearing all of these cute pieces! 

Snyder Family Co. Travels: Magic Kingdom Day 1

We are home from the most Magical place on Earth and I can't wait to share all of the details with you! I thought it would be best to jump right in, sharing every single detail from our first day at Magic Kingdom. I'll be sure to share more about our accommodations and travel soon too, but I know this is the most requested post right now, so I wanted to share it with you right away!

A few things you should know before reading, we were traveling with SIX kids under the age of 5, yep you read that right. There were six adults as well, so we were all able to have at least one little buddy with us at all times. As you know, we have three little ladies and my brother has three little men, which means this itinerary is great for boys AND girls! Honestly, everything at Magic Kingdom is so magical, the kids loved it all. We were also visiting in May and lucky for us Florida was experiencing a heat wave, it hadn't rain in twelve days when we were visiting, needless to say, it was HOT!

Now for the fun stuff... come along with us on what was one of the BEST DAYS EVER! (P.S. You will find a printable itinerary at the end of this post!)

7:00 Breakfast: Contemporary Cafe- Quick Service, we had a lunch reservation for 11:00, so we knew we wanted the kiddos to get a good breakfast in their bellies before we went to Magic Kingdom.

Girl's Mickey Ice Cream Dresses (Hanna Andersson)

Snyder Co. Essentials Favorite Oily Tools

Here is a little round-up of some of our favorite oil tools. If you grabbed your starter kit already, I highly suggest the trio of spray bottles and rollerballs in the middle. Pair that with the fractionated coconut oil and you're ready to go! An extra diffuser is also great to add to your bedroom for sleep support, I love the one I linked here because it will run all night. Our girls would love that little bunny diffuser and beg to ask Unicorn Rollers with the rainbow top rollerballs. Finally, grab a label maker to add a personalized touch to your oil DIY projects- start off by making our grapefruit lip scrub, it's the best! Ok, and one more thing... go ahead and treat yourself to one of those adorable roller cases, I don't know about you, but I can never say no to Riffle Paper Co. prints!

Fractionated Coconut Oil // Rainbow Top Rollerballs // Wool Dryer Balls 

Amber Bottle Starter Kit // 1000ml Diffuser // Amber Glass Jar // Label Maker  

Essential Oil Pouch // Bunny Diffuser

Friday Favorites May 17

It's everyone's favorite day of the week... FRIDAY! What are your plans for the weekend? We have a super quiet weekend over here, which is perfect, considering we leave for Disney ONE week from Saturday! I can definitely use the weekend to run a million errands and finish up some last minute Disney details and packing. I'm really hoping to share a full blog post next week about packing tips, but that may be a bit too ambitious!

We will be spending the rest of our weekend cheering Avery on at her soccer games and celebrating a sweet Mama to be at her baby shower. Our friends and family are having babies left and right and I am LOVING it- I can't wait to snuggle on all of these precious new babies. I hope the sunshine finds it's way to you this weekend, have a great one friends!

1: This Week on the Blog-

Mother's Day 2019: Photo Journal Series

Mother's Day 2019: Photo Journal

Mother's Day 2019

Don't forget to follow our daily adventures on Instagram and if you're new here, welcome, here are a few  popular posts on the Snyder Family Co. Blog!

Snyder Family Co. Living Room Tour

Snyder Family Co. Family Room Tour

Nursery 101: How to Organize a Nursery

Organizing 101: 6 Ways to Style a 3- Tier Cart

Subscribe to The Snyder Family by Email