The Liebster Award

We are SO thrilled to be nominated for the Liebster Award. This award is used to highlight smaller, less known blogs that have less than 200 followers. We are looking to spread our Tilly joy with lots of people, so we can't wait to pay it forward and nominated some of our favorite, small blogs.

After you have been nominated for this award you should:

Acknowledge the blog that nominated you.

Tell 11 facts about yourself.

Answer 11 questions the nominated blogger (Tasteful Tillys) has created.

List 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you believe deserve some recognition. 

Post 11 questions for your newly nominated bloggers to answer.

Notify the 11 bloggers that they have been nominated. (You can't nominate someone who nominated you.)

The Vintage Honeybee is an adorable little blog that posts things we love: thrift, vintage, and food. Thank you so much, Rachel! We are grateful for the blog love.

11 Facts About Tasteful Tillys

1. Jeanette is left handed. It is astonishing how many people don't know this.

2. Jessi has two belly buttons. It's true. She'll show you if you ask.

3. Our high school mascot was a Beetdigger. His name is Digger Dan. 

4. Jeanette was Jessi's bully in middle school. Jessi is really good at forgiving.

5. We both are blind as bats. Glasses and contacts rule our worlds. 

6. Jeanette almost let her husband name her son Noah Jedi Knight. (know-a-jedi-knight)

7. Jessi has taken a bath with pickles. She loves them that much.

8. Jessi gave kissing lessons to a boy in high school in exchange for drum lessons. (She never got the drum lessons.)

9. Jeanette is really good at playing Crash Bandicoot. 

10. We have been best friends for 12 years.

11. We really, REALLY love Ingrid Michaelson. Like really

Questions from The Vintage Honeybee:

1. Do you like to thrift? What is your favorite thing to buy?

Uh, yeah. It's wicked cool. 

Jessi is slightly a hoarder and gets trinkets for her shadow box.

Jeanette likes to find vintage dresses and skirts.

2. What made you start your blog?

We are inspired by Jessi's grandmother, Thelma aka Tilly, to create posts about things we love. We create a monthly theme, and write up posts within that theme that emphasize the importance of being frugal and family orientated. You can learn more about our blog at our About page. 

3. When do you find the time in your busy day to blog?

It's all about the naps. When the kids are asleep, we be bloggin'. (Or cleaning, hopefully.)

4. What is your favorite food?

Jessi: Classic spaghetti. Great with my aunt's breadsticks.

Jeanette: Steak and Potatoes. Au gratin. **Mouth watering now.

5. What kind of books do you like to read?

Jessi: The Hunger Games. The suspense is what keeps her coming back.  

Jeanette: Harry Potter. I almost cried when I got to go to Hogwarts in Florida. 

6. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Jessi: Faking sick to stay home with my little brother and play video games! (yes, my mom fell for it every time)

Jeanette: Building a mini version of Kennecott Mine in the backyard with my little brother and making it into a mud bath at the end of summer.

7. Where do you like to vacation?

Jessi: Hawaii. She got to take her bridal pictures near Honolulu and has wanted to go back ever since.

Jeanette: Her dad lives in Daytona Beach, FL, so she loves to go visit him and play on the boat and Disappearing Island.

8. If you garden, what do you like to grow?

Jessi: She lives on an Air Force base so hasn't really gotten a chance to garden.

Jeanette: She has a black thumb instead of a green one. Death is usually what comes of things she plants in a garden.

9. What is your favorite dish to cook?

Jessi: Red sauce spaghetti squash.

Jeanette: Meatloaf. Don't be grossed out. Mine is actually really yummy.

10. How did you meet your significant other? (In our own words)

Jessi: I met Brad when I was 17. We spent the day at an amusement park the first time we hung out. He was very shy. I was not. We balance each other :)

Jeanette: We met when we were 17 years old at Jordan High School. I asked him to come with me to see the Lights at Temple Square during Christmas time. He forgot his coat and gloves and used the line, "My hands are cold" in order to hold my hand. The rest is history. 

11. Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?

Jessi: I see myself happily married with 3 kids. I see my family living on the west side of the United States. I see us living and loving life!

Jeanette: I hope to have finished a BS degree in Nursing and becoming a Maternal/Newborn Nurse, working part time. Craig will be completely done with school and have a good job doing PR someplace in the US. We will have 3 or so kids, be living and loving life! 

We would like to nominate:

1. Lemon Freckles

2. Living, Laughing & Loving

3. Love Me, Dani Marie

4. soju + ravioli

5. The Albrechts Blog

6. Four Little Thiiiings

7. Wonderfully Sewn

8. Write From My Heart

9. Southern Love/City Lights

10. My Serendipitous Life

11. Date Right. Date Cheap. Have Fun.

We will be contacting you via email or blog comment to let you know we pass the puck to you!

Questions for newly nominated bloggers: 

1. What animal do you look like?

2. What is your favorite kind of cheese?

3. How much are you willing to spend on a pair of shoes?

4. Who is your favorite Avenger and why?

5. What is your favorite dessert?

6. What 3 things would you need if you were stranded on an island?

7. What song best describes your life right now?

8. What two celebrities would you pick to be your parents?

9. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

10. What kitchen utensil would you be? Why?

11. What motivates you to have a blog?

We are excited to see your answers! 

Downward Facing Dog

I'll start of this post saying my son's best friend right now is a dog. She is a boxer named Lily. She slobbers. We love her.

 I started noticing a few things since Noah has been "hanging out" with Lily more. He sits when he wants a snack.

He crawls out of the dog door every chance he gets.

And he drinks out of the dog bowl. The first time I saw him do this, he was in a perfect Downward Facing Dog position. 

I love yoga, and I try to go to at least one class a week. When I saw Noah doing this position, I thought 'Hey, I should do baby yoga with him.' Don't worry. I am not going to swing him around like a rag doll. (How awful is that?!) 

I think yoga has multiple benefits in general, but for kids the biggest one is a release of all that energy they keep bottled up.  There are tons of fun YouTube videos with silly songs about yoga poses. (Our favorite are the CosmicKids episodes.) Noah loves music, so starting with these types of exercises really work for him.

{Easy Yoga Poses for Kids}

There are a few yoga gyms in the Salt Lake City area that have Yoga for Kids class, though most start at age 4. Of course, an 18 month old isn't going to sit still and really do poses like shown, but I feel like it is a great time to start sharing with him something I love and something that will help keep him healthy and happy. 

Namaste! 

*We are loving the new A Beautiful Mess app! 

Joining today's Bloglovin' Collective.

The Sound of Music

No, not the movie. 

Although I LOVE that movie. 

Did you ever stop and think about how important music is? Music is a very powerful thing, one that is crucial to have in the home. Just one song can make you feel every emotion. That is why it is important that we teach our kids some good music. 

When I say "teach our kids some good music" I mean it in every possible way. Teach them to play an instrument or encourage it. Teach them about all of the different genres and that it's okay to like a little of everything. Let it be known that it is okay to BELT out a song and have it be totally normal. Teach them that when they are feeling down to crank it up and dance it off! 

When Olivia is crying, the first thing that Sam likes to try is sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Not gonna lie. It's the cutest thing. Half the time it works, too. Olivia is already started singing, or what sounds like it anyway. 

What if that scary movie didn't have any music? Would that moment when you are on the edge of your seat and the music starts be as scary without it?? NO. The music is what tells us that something is about to jump out. Or your favorite on screen kiss, would it be as amazing without the soft song in the back? Probably not. 

 

pic via Google ,                                                                           pic via Google        

Jeanette and I both love to sing. As a matter of fact, something you may not know about us is that we have both auditioned for American Idol. It was a fun experience. When we were 16, my crazy aunt drove us in the middle of the night to audition. It seemed like every time we stopped for gas/food, she would have us sing for everyone at the rest stop. It is one of my most favorite memories. Once we arrived, there were people singing EVERYWHERE. There were huge circles formed and each person would take there turn and a few people would throw out some suggestions. I got a full on singing lesson while in the bathroom. HAHA 

pic via Google

I'm hoping to learn how to play the ukulele soon! We have a dinky little keyboard that Sam loves to play. It may be dinky, but it does it's job. Sam loves it. What music moves you?

Products We LOVE {MAM Pacifier}

Now, not every mom agrees with this statement, but I LOVE THE BINKY. Call it what you may-pacifiers, sassy, chewy, wubby. My son has loved them since birth. He never had nipple confusion or anything like that. He knew the breast was best, but the binky was a close second. 

We came home with the Soothie aka the sucker fish face binky. He did like these right away, but I didn't love that they were almost the size of his head.

His "coming home from the hospital" picture.

We soon graduated to Nuk pacifiers. These were a bit smaller, and we could use a clip with them easier. He liked them. He could keep them in his mouth better.

Although we liked the two we used when he was a newborn, all my future children will use MAM. I LOVE MAM. The reason why I love them is right on their website, which says, "MAM pacifiers give babies the best start in life because they are designed and developed by pediatric dentists and orthodontists. MAM's attention to detail and work with developmental psychologists have resulted in a wide variety of pacifier sizes that suits baby's various developmental stages." 

With the MAM Perfect 

Many moms are anti-binky because of the effects they may have on teeth. MAM is designed to help the correct teeth growth patterns. Babies are born with the desire to suck. Many pediatric dentists and other medical experts DO recommend the use of a pacifier because it is much easier to wean a baby off of pacifiers than it is to wean them from something like thumb or finger sucking. 

For my son, the biggest benefit of a binky is the comfort he gets while sucking. He was a very great breast feeder, but also was a busy body who didn't want to stay long. He self-weaned at 10 months. It was really hard on me because the breast had been my #1 way to comfort him. When I realized just how much his binkies helped him sleep, I knew I would be keeping it for a while. He is now 18 months old, and he still uses a binky for sleep (naps and bedtime). He sleeps so much better with a binky. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a pacifier may significantly reduce SIDS. They say, "Although the mechanism is not known, the reduced risk of SIDS associated with a pacifier used during sleep is compelling, and the evidence that a pacifier inhibits breastfeeding or causes late dental complications is not." I feel safer letting him sleep with a binky until he is ready to not sleep with it. 

Besides, he usually ends up without it.

I am so grateful to have trusted my instincts when it came to the binky issue. Noah is a happy, healthy little dude who happens to love his "BINK" as we call it around our parts.

How do you feel about pacifiers? Do your little ones prefer a certain brand or type?

*This is NOT a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

The Top 5 Unconventional Toys

Let's face it. We buy our kids hundreds of toys.

(I wasn't going to put hundreds, but then I thought about it. Yeah, it's hundreds.)

The toys they actually end up playing with are not even toys. They are usually items that we try to keep them away from. I give you my list of unconventional baby toys!

1. The Remote

pic via Google

Hopefully it's a cheap one. That you really don't care about. No matter how many times we try to buy them their own cool {baby friendly} remote, they don't want it. They want the real deal. I usually take out the batteries before letting them have a chew fest.

2. The Water Bottle

pic via Google

Just make sure the cap is on tightly!!

Remember to Recycle!! (Or upcycle in this case...)

3. Keys

pic via Google

These can be gross and dangerous. Most babies love these. Mine included. 

You can buy the plastic ones all you want...it's not happnin. 

4. Cell Phone

pic via Google

Watch out for slobber! Get a good case...

5. Door Stopper

pic via Google

The infamous door stopper...oh how I loathe you. Watch out though..that white plastic thing on the end comes off. I say just install another kind or super glue that little guy on there tight. I have perfect timing and always run my foot across this while the babies are sleeping. 

There you have it. I'm sure as you were reading you knew EXACTLY where I was coming from. 

Oh, the joys of parenthood. 

Some better choices...

Check out Peacoats & Plaid's The Collective.

To Our Moms...

With Mother's Day on Sunday, we wanted to use this space to let our moms know how much we love them.

Jeanette:

Susan. Mom. Grandma Sue. 

 My mom is THE strongest person I know, physically and mentally. She has sacrificed so much for her children. Being a single mom growing up with teenagers can't be easy. I admire you, Mom, for your example of hard work. I know, and hope to teach my children, that you can't get a thing without working your butt off for it. You have to make sacrifices. You have to hurt. You have to live in a way that you are able to receive the things you've worked for, too. 

I am so blessed to have you. You are always at my side, being my strength. You are who helps me daily to know what decisions to make as a mom. You are such a loving grandmother. Noah loves when he gets to see you. I wish it could be more often, but I know that you are working hard. I know you always put others first, which is why you rarely take a break. 

 You held my hand as I became a mother, and I am so grateful you have been there when I need you most. 

 Kalob and I have always looked to you when we were lost. You have been an anchor. There is never a doubt in my mind why I am so stubborn, but that comes from your strength that has grown inside of me all these years. We made it through some pretty tough times together. We seem to always come out okay. 

 I love you more and more every day, Mom. I wouldn't know what to do without you. I hope you know I think of and pray for you each day, and I am always hoping I can someday be as strong, brave, and loving as you. Happy Mother's Day.

Jessi:
Brenda, Mom, Grandma B

I know, I know..it's hard to tell which one is my mom. Can you believe she has all these kids?? I definitely do not have enough time to say everything that I could say. I'll do my best though. My Mom is AMAZING.

Some of my favorite things about her:

- She is loving and caring.
- She is giving.
- Her favorite dish to make is George Washington's Boogers.
(her answer when we ask "What's for dinner?")
-She is thoughtful.
-She is ticklish under her chin.
-She loves unconditionally.

-She flies standby all night to come see me.
-She adores my kids and they adore her.
-She smuggles baby turtles in her bra (you don't want to know).
-Her favorite color is yellow.
-She is obsessed with cheese.
-She dresses up every Halloween (full costume).
-She humors me.
She loves me, for me.

My Mom has been through a lot in her life. Enough to last her forever. She has strength like I've never seen. The amount of love that she gives is crazy. I have been so incredibly lucky to have her by my side through some pretty hard times.

Mom- I love you more than you know.


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY Tilly's Moms!! We LOVE you both!!!

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Portraits|Candle|Gift Card|Sandals|

These are some of our favorite gifts to get, so why not give what you'd like! 

Homemade cards are always the best gift to receive from your children. Showing that you had to put effort in your gift really can make a big difference.

I am in LOVE with Caitlin Connolly's art right now. I hope to have a large family portrait in my house one day painted by her. Her work is fantastic! 

Candles, lotions, perfumes-these are all time favorites in my book.

Which Wich has two locations in Utah county, and they just opened one in Midvale! It is seriously one of the best sandwich places I've eaten at in a very long time. You can give your sweet mother a gift card to her favorite restaurant.

With Spring in full, well, spring, sandals are becoming a must have. From classic flip-flops to strappy wedges, every mom deserves a new pair of shoes every now and again. Mother's Day is the perfect reason!

Last, but certainly not least, give your mom the gift of relaxation. Massages, pedicures, a haircut or a blow out at Pro Do-these are all very welcomed gifts from mommies.

Happy Mother's Day!!