4th Of July Pie

Every year for the past several years I've made this sweet summer treat we call 4th of July pie for its namesake holiday. It's a totally made up dessert that's quick + easy and can require ZERO baking. It's served cold but tastes just as great half melted in the summer heat and we cannot get enough of it. Last year I was 39.5 weeks pregnant and ate nearly the entire pie by myself. #noshame

Food photography is not my strong suit, clearly, but my hubby insisted I share this little recipe. The fruit colors make this dish perfect for all the patriotic summer celebrations but really you could use any toppings your little heart desires. So if your skills are lacking in the baking department, you need to throw something together for a party really fast or you just want a delicious pie to treat yo' self with, here you go!

Crust 

I make my own crust but you can certainly go the no bake route and buy a premade one. 

1.5 cups crushed graham crackers

5 tablespoons melted butter

1/3 cup cane sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together and press into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 for 7/8 minutes. 

Filling

12 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup cane sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat with a mixer until smooth.

If you made your own crust, let it cool for about 10-15 minutes. Then pour the filling over the crust in an even layer. Top with whipped cream and garnish with strawberries and blueberries. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 

Happy 4th fellow Americans!

Jams Are Our Jam

I will go ahead and state the obvious, we take our pajama game very seriously around here. I just can't pass up a cute pair for Fallon and lately I've even found some cute options for mama too! There is just something so soothing about snuggling up for bed in comfy jams and you know we spend many a day never changing out of them. The softer the better, which is why I jumped at the chance to work with Finn + Emma. 

Let's first talk about how incredibly amazing the material is! I wish all clothes were made of 100% organic cotton. Fallon is now wearing 2 piece sets and I can't get over how cute and grown up she looks in them. I love the fun prints and soft colors and she wears them out to run errands or on morning walks all the time since they basically double as outfits. We get compliments on them every time! 

As a mom I love knowing that my baby girl is sleeping peacefully in non-toxic pajamas made with eco friendly dyes. As a person I love that Finn + Emma products are produced in fair trade settings. Supporting a company with strong core values that makes safe clothing and toys for my baby is my pleasure. You can find Fallon's giraffe or arrow print pajamas as well the entire collection of Finn + Emma products here. Keep your jam game strong. 

Packing The Pool Bag

Summer has officially begun and I don't think I've been this excited about it since I was a kid. Having a baby I can do all the fun summer things with has me giving this season all the heart eyes. We joined our local swim club and it's my first time packing for the pool with my own kid. So the first couple trips were a a chaotic mess of me running around finding things I thought I'd need and trying to shove them into multiple bags. But after a few weeks of trial and error and buying a bag strictly for the pool, I think we have it down. Now my bag sits mostly packed and ready to go, just the way I like it. So I thought it might be helpful to pass on my ways of wisdom. Kidding. I am still totally winging it. But here's what's in my pool bag and where you can find it.

I planned to get a fully water-resistant wipeable bag with lots of pockets. But then I saw this adorable straw bag at Target and the pom poms were just calling my name. It has no pockets so I took my friend's genius suggestion to use my bag organizer and it's been working like a dream. There is plenty of room for our smaller essentials like sunscreen, wipes, swim diapers, lip balm, sunglasses and Fallon's snack container in all the pockets. I also bring a regular diaper and change of clothes for baby girl in case she falls asleep on the way home. I wipe her down with a full body wipe and toss her bathing suit into a little plastic bag. I can still easily fit a few pool toys + our Gathre mat (for concrete picnics), towels, blanket (for nursing/napping) and a small variety of chips/crackers. Now just imagine me carrying this with a baby on my hip and pushing a stroller with a cooler in the seat and a float on top. 

Towels / Gathre Mat / Muslin Blanket / Solly Wrap / Mama's Sunscreen / Fallon's Sunscreen / Snack Container / Baby Sun Hat / Hand + Face Wipes / Full Body Wipes 

Happy Summer!

Everyday Favorites

As a SAHM I no longer have to follow a dress code every day, but I've fallen into the habit of wearing a kind of uniform. Running errands, pushing the stroller through the park and chasing my wild child aren't actives that lend themselves to nice polished outfits. So most of the time you will find me in leggings with a tee and sneaks, a hat to cover my messy hair, sports bra underneath and earrings to make me think I look a teensy bit put together. And of course an iced coffee. I have the pieces that make up this momiform in varying colors and brands but after nearly a year on the jobI've found my go-to favorites. So today I thought I'd share them all with you.

My hat is under $10 and comes in lots of fun colors. These earrings are 2 years old but they're still a best seller and go with absolutely everything. The softest v-neck pocket tee that isn't too oversized yet not too fitted comes is several great colors and it's currently on sale! A sports bra that's supportive yet not restrictive and so easy to nurse in? Yea, I have it in several colors. Every mama needs a good pair of black leggings and these are hands down the best! And I couldn't be happier that sneakers are so stylish because these Nikes are incredibly comfortable + light weight and if I posted my outfit every day y'all would be SO sick of seeing them. Of course my momiform isn't ever really complete without some teething jewelry for Fally. Our favorite brand has the prettiest styles that you've probably noticed I wear all the time and you can save 15% off your purchase with my code HILARYPFEFF.  

What's your momifrom?

11 Months Of Fallon

So this is the very last monthly update before we hit the big 1 year mark. Can you even believe it?! I've said before and I'll say it again, I adore my daughter and of course have loved her through each month. But the more she grows and learns and is able to do things on her own the more fun it gets!

We all thought Fallon would skip crawling since she seemed so against it for awhile and never liked the all fours position. Well, girlfriend is still scooting along, dragging that left foot and avoiding the traditional crawl like a pro. We call her the spider monkey because she moves so flipping fast! She is also now cruising around furniture and the side of the baby pool and even taking steps while holding our hands in the water. It's only a matter of time before she decides to just go for it. That's how she does just about everything! 

She's had 8 teeth fully in for a couple months now but 4 more on top are making their way down. She'll have a nice set of chompers to dig into her first birthday cake next month for sure. Finally I've heard the word mama come out of her mouth but it's usually still dada or garbled attempts at kitty cat doggie and thank you. Not being able to communicate in the way that she wants to is often very frustrating for her and ends in massive meltdowns. Girlfriend is intense about all of her emotions. So on the upside, she smiles with her entire body and when she's happy it's unavoidably infectious. 

We can't get over how sweetly affectionate she is becoming, giving hugs, touching faces and loving on her furry siblings and stuffed animals. She even says "awwww" when she does it! Baby gate is going up because little bit can scale the steps all too easily. And one of her favorite things to do in the house is crawl around from dog bed to dog bed. Ours sit up off the ground a few inches so she climbs her way on and off and on and off and I get tired just watching her. 

Oh baby girl you are just as fun as you are exhausting. And I mean that in the best possible way. We are looking forward to a summer of birthday celebrations, early morning park walks, pool days and catching lighting bugs in the yard. The 1 year countdown is on!

Shopping Made Easy With Snap & Shop Tray

I used to think strolling through Target with my cute kid in the cart, iced coffee in the cup holder, taking my time to browse was only a dream. But I am happy to report that dream has now become a reality. Yes, it's true, we have had many a happy trip to the motherland or grocery store these days because I found the Snap & Shop shopping cart snack tray. This thing is golden people, golden.

Fallon has always loved being out and about, engaging with people and taking in all the new things around her. When she was tiny her daddy would carry her aka parade her through stores while I pushed the cart and shopped. So you can't really blame a girl for getting upset when she wasn't carried on my solo trips when she got big enough to sit in the cart. Although she was happy, it's not exactly easy to hold a baby and shop, and definitely not leisurely. I do my best shopping hands free so the search for a solution began. 

I tried puffs but it got old constantly feeding them to her. Teething biscuits she ate so fast I could barely blink and then she fussed to be held. Pouches she would drop (or throw) so many times I got a good work out picking them back up. But the Snap & Shop tray is a total game changer. It clicks right onto the handle of the cart, facing your kiddo, and you can fill it up with whatever kind of snack will keep her happy for the next 30 minutes. There are 2 sides to keep different snacks separate or as the division line if you have 2 children. It's deep enough so that you aren't leaving a trail of Goldfish crackers in your wake and also comes with an airtight lid so you can even pack in advance! 

You will never come here to read about something I don't actually use or believe in. So when I tell you that I absolutely love this thing, you can be sure I'm shooting you straight. If you want to have a mom win kind of day, trust me, you need one of these trays in your bag of tricks. 

This post was written in partnership with Snap & Shop but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible

The Amateur Editor

I've always been amazed by photography. The fact that you can literally capture a moment in time and have it forever is so amazing to me. And while I've slowly learned a little bit about lighting and camera angles, I am so far from being a pro it's not even funny. 

I don't have a real camera so I call myself an Iphotographer, but really I'm just a momtographer, trying to snap all the fun and happy times of Fallon's childhood in the prettiest way that I can. The iphone 7 plus has a pretty great camera so that's half the battle, but paying attention to backgrounds, shooting in the most natural light available and learning just a few ways to edit photos can make a huge difference in your pictures. Mostly I've figured out what I know through trial and error, a few pointers from pros and a YouTube video or two. I'm honestly shocked that people ask me how I edit my photos because mostly I'm just winging it and trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about. But if you still want advice from me, here it is. 

Taking a good photo is the first step. Editing can only do so much so if your picture is good to begin with, you don't have to worry as much about edits. Try to get straight lines by using something in the shot as your guide. The grid overlay is a great way to do this! Pay attention to your background. If you want your pictures to have that light + bright look to them don't take pictures inside dark rooms of your house! Natural light is always best so just see which rooms of your house have the best lighting at different times of day and try shooting near a window or glass door. And of course, getting outside gives you lots of natural light. Cloudy days are your friend!

After you've deleted 500 outtakes and have chosen the picture you want to edit, use the same apps every time for a cohesive feel. My favorites are Lightroom, Snapseed, VSCO and Facetune but I also like A Color Story and AfterLight. These are not all free to download and may not be available to Android users but you don't need to use them all! Instagram has editing tools you can work with as well, I just typically choose to edit with these apps. 

Lighroom and Afterlight are great for brightening (exposure), adjusting contrast and saturation levels. Lightroom allows you to decrease or increase saturation of specific colors as well as the picture as a whole. This is great for neutralizing skin tone as sometimes we can look slightly orange, green or purple in photos. Or just softening a very bright color that you'd like to tone down. Snapseed has a healing tool that allows you to erase imperfections like a bruise or scratch or a stain on the carpet! There is also a brush tool to adjust only a portion of the photo as well as a selective tool (for a wider area). VSCO has my very favorite filter F2 as well as other great options and I like to sharpen photos in this app as well to give a crisp finish. Facetune has a smooth tool to even out pixelated skin and a details tool to really highlight certain points of the photo that you want to stand out. Most of the apps including Instagram have a shadows tool to lift them off faces and a fade tool that's fun for a bit of soft blurred edges look.

It sounds like a lot and it is very overwhelming at first, I know! But just jump in and start practicing. Seeing how you can transform your photos from good to amazing can be so rewarding and fun! You will see improvement over time and the best thing you can do is to find people whose photos you admire and just ask them questions! I have yet to be "laughed at" or turned away and usually people are beyond flattered. 

Happy snapping!