LAKE GASTON | TRAVEL

So just like every year, we always spend Memorial Day weekend at our lake house... and just like every year, it. always. RAINS.... Every. single. year.

So, we only got one day of sun and pics -
 Some were posted on the gram already (because I couldn't resist) BUT there are a couple that weren't. Here are my favs :)

beachin.....

Looking over these pictures, I'm just really thankful that we get to take these vacations on a whim and spend time in the warm weather with our families. My mom, stepdad, sister and grandma all live in Florida in different locations from Palm Coast all the way to Miami, so we will get our fair share of trips there to escape the cold weather here in Virginia - so thankful for that! 

Anyway... We spent some time in The Villages visiting my grandma (I blogged about our time there here) and then spending some time with Devon's parents in Daytona for the Nascar race this past weekend. Such a fun event! We got to see the new speedway, WHICH IS HUGE by the way and of course, we made sure to spend the remaining time at the beach, looking or shells with Penelope while visiting my parents. 

 Also, Penelope is wearing the cutest little shirt from the cutest little shop called Little Shop and Co! The shirts are USA made straight from Miami, so it was only fitting that she wore it at the beach while we were there! Check out their Instagram (littleshopandco) or website (littleshopandco.com) for more products and shirt designs! Their tees are super soft and comfy for the little babes!

We're back home now and while we're definitely missing the warmer weather we're really glad we're back with our dogs and back in our own bed! Until next time ;)

xx, tbp 

A week in Florida.....

We're in sunny Florida for the week! Missing our pups but glad we could escape the cold for a little while. It's still slightly odd to see people in shorts and sitting by the pool in the middle of February but after the last snow and 20 degree weather we had at home, I'm glad that that we're here!

We're staying between Daytona and The Villages - visiting family and going to the race this weekend. We have a busy week ahead...

 One of our new favorite spots in BrownWood in The Villages, where my grandmother lives, is called The World of Beer. Although I didn't have any beer and Devon just had one bud light, the food was. to. die. I just had the meatball appetizer on a bed of arugula lettuce and Devon had two Ahi tuna tacos - AMAZING. If you ever get the chance to visit, you have to try this place out. I will get another order in before we leave for sure ;)

So, since we're just starting this week, I plan to blog what we do and share pics of our trip :) Here are just a few pics from today:

Hope y'all are having the best week and are staying WARM.

xx, tbp

christmas in new york......

Almost two weeks ago, we left for a quick girls trip to The Big Apple. For the short amount of time we planned to spend there, we made sure to pack in a TON of stuff. 

Here's a quick overview on what we did and little run down on the activities and good eats! 

Christmas Vacation | Sanibel Island

    If you follow me on basically any social network, you would be well-aware that we just took our annual family vacay and this year we traveled to Sanibel Island, right near the Gulf and it is definitely the cutest place I have ever seen!! Here are a few pictures of our trip from - I shared a lot on my personal Facebook Page and Instagram but I had so many that I wanted to post but most of them were landscape photos and I didn't want to overload pics on everyone so I've waited to share them on my blog, I hope y'all enjoy! And if you ever get a chance to go to Sanibel, some of our fav spots were: George and Wendy's & Taquita's for the chicken tacos - AMAZING,  Zebra Frozen Yogurt to get the frozen hot chocolate!!, Pinnochios for the seriously amazing ice cream and Over Easy for the BEST pancakes and breakfast! If you're in need of a good coffee-fix, make sure you get a coffee from The Sanibel Bean and try their the White Mocha latte - SO GOOD!  Also make sure you go shelling on the beach and to rent bikes to be able to ride along the bike paths to explore the island :) Really thankful that sunny Florida was so good to us ;)

instagram @taylorpilk

DISNEY VIDEO!

I have put together a seriously SHORT video of our trip to Disney, along with some pictures! It was P's first time going and since we all know she won't remember the trip anyways, I figured I would record EVERYTHING - and I definitely did! But only a few of my favorite clips made it to the video so here it is! Pretty proud of my first video debut - HA! I plan on doing more in the future so subscribe [HERE] if you have a YouTube channel yourself :) I'm also thinking an 'About Me' video will be popping up sooner or later, along with an official house tour when we're FINALLY done building ;) But in the meantime, here's our Disney trip from last month xo ENJOY!

DISNEY | 2014 xo

| the h a p p i e s t place on earth |

     I've FINALLY got around to making a collage of our Disney trip and posting my favorite memories from it! Going in October is such a good month for Florida because it's not scorching hot and it's not super cold so it ended up being the perfect time to go with a 7 month old - and at this age, YES, babies can enjoy a handful of rides too ;) The Little Mermaid being my personal favorite from the trip, along with Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean... We definitely rode those the most - seriously, so. much. fun. And thanks to P for making it perfectly acceptable for us to be kids again - no questions asked. HA 

And here's a fun little tip if you're planning on going to Disney: If you go, go in October during their 'Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween' because there's literally HALF of the people there for that as there are during the day, during normal park hours, which basically meant NO WAIT TIME for any ride we wanted to ride - jackpot! The event is after 6 or 7PM and you have to buy separate tickets but I personally feel it's better to go for that than to go during the day, when the lines are twice as long and it's twice as hot. We literally went right up the the front for any ride we wanted to - it was a rarity for Disney, that's for sure but definitely made the experience sooo much more fun!
     Last thing, if you're a foodie like me, GO TRY BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse in downtown Orlando and get the Pizookie!!!!! Literally best. thing. EVER. It's a giant cookie, topped with ice cream (pic below) and I'm seriously planning a trip around going there again because they're THAT delicious! Devon has been talking about them for FOREVER - ever since he went to Huntington Beach like 6 years ago so when we saw this on our way back, I knew we had to go there for dinner that night and being true to my character, it was seriously that important LOL
     Their food is delicious as well so it's an all-around good eating experience - and if you're into trying new beer/wine, then this place is perfect for you too because they have so many crazy things to choose from - you're bound to find something ya love!

follow me on instagram xo [@taylorpilk]

& don't forget to subscribe to my blog xo

\\ What we use MOST at 6 months //

So here's the deal: Yesterday we OFFICIALLY turned our living room into an infant jungle-gym. I knew the time was coming as Penelope has been crawling/scooting and pulling up on ANYTHING she can get her hands on!

Before I had a baby, I babysat a lot of kids but never remembered that they became mobile this soon - Let the baby-proofing begin and I have to add that I absolutely ADORE this phase!!! She's beyond independent and really takes interest in doing things on her own. I'm not claiming she's a genius baby or anything buuuuuuuut I think she's the smartest of all time sooooooo........

Beyond all of that, going back to a [previous post] on product favorites, we have put away the rock-n-play and don't use the bassinet upper part of our 4Moms Breeze any longer because she was on her way to doing a stunt right from the top of we didn't do it and do it SOON. So here's an updated list for y'all.. And if you're wondering, we still use & love our [4Moms] Play Yard! It really is something that we've used from birth and continue to use every single day. OH! And I always wanted to be able to go into the toy aisle and actually be able to SHOP and pick out fun things for her and that time HAS ARRIVED! Woooo! This age is the fun part because she actually enjoys what you get for her and can entertain herself for hours (or minutes, depending ;)) - pure bliss, for us and her!

1 ANY Play Mat: 

Even though we particularly like these two: [this] & [this].  Any will do! They're all awesome, it's just a matter of personal preference but I will say that the one with sides is the best because when they start rolling, that helps them stay-put in one area.

These things are a awesome because they are used from birth on up.. you can't go wrong with em'. Here are a few more we have and love... They're all great quality and have lasted wash after wash! Click [here] & [here]. All can be bought at BabiesRus.

2 Jumper:

Penelope loved hers from about 4mo to about 2 weeks ago. She would rather be on the floor, pulling herself around but nonetheless, this kept her entertained for a few short months and it also helped strengthen her legs to prepare her for what she's currently doing: pulling up on 

e v e r y t h i n g. Click [here] for the one we use!

3 Aiden + Anais Stroller&Swaddle Blankets:

[These] are perfect for when your little babe is a newborn and perfect for when they're older! I absolutely adore anything made by A+A so it should be no surprise that I'd recommend these as well! They are decently priced and are better than the swaddle blankets for winter time and cooler weather. We use this on the floor, stroller rides, a regular blanket and it's big enough for an adult and true to A+A fashion, these are reeeeally soft and durable... Plus, free shipping through BuyBuyBaby - You can't go wrong. 

4 TOYS

The title speaks for itself and even 6 month olds LOVE em' so I'm just going to list Penelope's favorites:

[here]

[here]

[here]

[here]

[here]

[here]
Anything that hangs and sounds crunchy and we're good to go!

For nighttime:

[Soothe and Glow Seahorse]

[Sleep Sheep]

Honest note: We don't travel ANYWHERE without the sleep sheep^^!!!!!! It is a must-have and has been since P was born! 

For Travel:

[here]

This blog is all over the place but I hope it's easy to navigate and pick through! Don't forget to check out [@babys_best] instagram.. Sometimes I don't blog about things and I update that instead xo

Also, be sure to subscribe and follow me on instagram & twitter x
IG: taylorpilk
Twitter: taylorpilk

DISNEY | 2014 xo

I've FINALLY got around to making a collage of our Disney trip and posting my favorite memories from it! Going in October is such a good month for Florida because it's not scorching hot and it's not super cold so it ended up being the perfect time to go with a 7 month old - and at this age, YES, babies can enjoy a handful of rides too ;) The Little Mermaid being my personal favorite from the trip, along with Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean... We definitely rode those the most - seriously, so. much. fun.
Here's a fun little tip if you're planning on going to Disney: If you go, go in October during their 'Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween' because there's literally HALF of the people as there are during the day which basically meant NO WAIT TIME for any ride we wanted to ride! The event is after 6 or 7PM and you have to buy separate tickets but I personally feel it's better to go for that than to go during the day, when the lines are twice as long and it's twice as hot. We literally went right up the the front for any ride we wanted to - it was a rarity for Disney, that's for sure but definitely made the experience sooo much more fun!

follow me on instagram xo [@taylorpilk]

& subscribe to my blog - love ya! xo