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Hello friend!

I'm Happy You Are Here

I'm Shelbie - or better known on social media - Ddotts. Born, raised, and currently living in Cincinnati, Ohio with my husband Derrek. We love traveling and making memories with our three boys. From my more personal posts to my informal guides, I hope you find inspiration and motivation to be the YOU-IST version of YOU! xo Shelbie

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DIY Personalized Gift Bags + FREE PRINTABLE!

Giving thoughtful gifts to elementary school teachers for Valentine’s Day is a wonderful way to show appreciation for their hard work and dedication. These DIY personalized gift bags + free gift tags are so easy! Teachers play a crucial role…

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Why I Love Lovevery Play Kits

As a mother, I’ve always been on the lookout for ways to provide my children with the best tools for growth and development. That’s why I can’t help but sing the praises of the Lovevery play kits. These thoughtfully curated…

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Spring Sensory Bin Ideas

Four Spring Sensory Bin Ideas Your Toddler Will Love If you’re looking for fun, spring sensory bin ideas, you’ve come to the right place! Sensory bins are a great form of sensory play as well as a fun way to…

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Odie’s Puppy Birthday Party

I’m so excited to share the details around Odie’s Puppy Birthday Party with you today! This theme was so much fun to plan! I found lots of inspo on Pinterest! Odie loves puppies so much so this theme was just perfect!…

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Botox Q&A with The Christ Hospital Med Spa

I have been patiently waiting through pregnancy and almost 2 years of breastfeeding to return to Botox. I received my first treatment in 2019. I truly love what Botox did for my skin, and was very excited to get Botox…

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Kings Island Camp Cedar

Know Before You Go – Kings Island Camp Cedar Luxury outdoor resort? Say less! I absolutely love camping with my family – but what I love even more? Camping with my family indoors with AC – full kitchen – bathroom/shower…

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24 HOURS IN INDY 

Hello summer! We had a blast during our recent trip to Indy! We kicked off summer with a special little day trip. We recently spent 24 hours in Indy & it was perfect – exactly what the doctor ordered! My…

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Parenting Tips & Tricks

Parenting Tips & Tricks from ABC Pediatric Therapy *This blog post is created in partnership with & sponsored by ABC Pediatric Therapy* We get by with a little help from our friends – and ABC Pediatric Therapy is just that…

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Fall & Winter Fine Motor Activities

*This blog post is created in partnership with & sponsored by ABC Pediatric Therapy* Fall & Winter Fine Motor Activities With chilly temps approaching – we will be spending more time indoors. Our friends at ABC Pediatric Therapy have helped…

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Howdy Baby Box Unboxing

I haven’t been posting as much as I should on my YouTube channel – but I really want to get back into it! One of my favorite videos to create and watch on YouTube has to be the unboxings! I…

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Mom & Baby Halloween Costume Idea: Bee & Beekeeper

I love a good couple costume – the big boys are kinda over the matching/themed costumes at their age – soooo Odie is getting to have all the fun! This costume is so simple and fun. I actually found this bee costume gently used at Once Upon A Child for like $5! So much fun for dressing up or Halloween!

Disney Tips and Tricks

The ultimate Disney tips and tricks from a mother of three! Everything we learned during our first visit to Disney World!

Gross Motor Skills for Young Children

*sponsored guest post from ABC Pediatric Therapy* sharing information about gross motor skills for young children Movement plays a crucial role in a child’s development. And while every child learns movements at an individual rate, developmental delays may cause concern…

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Five Developmental Activities For Infants

Your child’s first year is jam packed with fun milestones! Before you know it your little one is doing something new he/she just wasn’t the day before. Did you know there’s a wonderful array of developmental activities for infants you can do everyday? As a new mom – a third time around – I have become even more interested in learning about my baby’s development. When my older boys were born, I truly did not understand the importance of certain activities. I am so thankful for all of the wonderful resources & education we have today! I hope that sharing these activities inspires you to get excited developmental activities for infants as well!

Gift Guide For The New Baby

Christmas shopping for the new baby is kinda hard. They aren’t quite yet ready to play with all the fun toys on the market, but you still want to get them something fun under the tree! I’ve created a gift…

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Gifts For The Homebody

This is a gift guide for all of us in 2020 – the homebody. It’s official: you’ve made the whipped coffee, you watched the documentaries, you probably even hosted a zoom happy hour! If you were not a homebody before,…

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Giving Birth During A Pandemic – A C-Section Birth Story

On October 7th, 2020 at 8:01AM, we welcomed Odin Dean into this wild world. He weighed 8lbs 7oz & was 25 ½ inches long! We waited 39 weeks and 4 days to meet our sweet little guy. It felt like this pregnancy had been 5,000 years long and simultaneously over in a blink of an eye. I’m here to share that having a baby during COVID was not as bad as I worried it would be. Here is our c-section birth story.

Ombré Brows With Studio Hue

Back in October – feels like yesterday – I got my brows done with Erica of Studio Hue – formerly Dayton Microblading. Studio Hue offers a wide variety of permanent cosmetics as well as PMU training. Getting my brows done…

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Tablespoon Cooking Co. Virtual Class

Tablespoon Cooking Co. Website Tablespoon Cooking Co. Instagram I’ve been following Tablespoon Cooking Co. and their owner Jordan Hamons on social media for awhile now – check out tablespoon < here & follow along for yourself! I am always drooling…

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Surprise!!

*This was written weeks ago before the threat of coronavirus was where it was today. As we have decided to share this incredible news a week sooner – to bring light and joy to the world – I originally thought…

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Honey Butter Roasted Carrot Recipe – #crunchout

As one of the simplest, purest foods in this crazy over-stimulated world, Carrots are becoming a symbol for escape from the chaos. After research and study, The California Crunch, Crunch, Crunch Council found that in this chaotic world, nothing can help give us a break & snap into serenity better than the invigorating CRUNCH of a carrot. They call it “Crunching-Out!” This “Crunch Out” campaign is one I am truly excited about! As a carrot lover with a hippie soul – – I just love this simple idea that crunching carrots conquers chaos.
With spring in the air, today I am sharing one of my favorite, fresh ways to enjoy carrots as a side dish!

This honey butter roasted carrot recipe is absolutely delicious with any meal & the perfect mix of sweet and savory!

5 Red Lipsticks Under $10

I love a good bold red lipstick – what better day to wear red? Valentine’s Day! All 5 Red Lipsticks Under $10 listed pack the power of high end! When looking at lip sticks I think there’s a lot that…

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Must Visit Bed & Breakfast in Springfield, Ohio

We recently visited Springfield, Ohio for the second time and it was unlike the first time. There really is a lot to do in Springfield! You can visit multiple times and make each trip completely different. Our first visit was full of adventure and play – this second visit was full of history and tradition. Staying at a Historic Bed & Breakfast set the tone for our trip – it brought so much life to what we already knew of Springfield, Oh.

The Ultimate Ludington, Michigan Travel Guide

Ludington left us better than when we arrived. The waves crashing on the shore welcomed us like a good friend with open arms. It hugged us so tight – and trust me – we did not want to let go! In fact, we may have even looked at homes for sale up that way! Don’t worry mom – we won’t be leaving Cincy anytime soon – but we will be visiting Ludington more often than not!

9 Things

Coming into my birthday month – celebrating my 29th year – I want to kick off a new series on the blog. I proudly bring to you – – – -drum roll- – – -9 Things. This has no rhyme or reason. This has no schedule per say, but every once in awhile I plan to update you with my latest 9 Things I’d like to share. This could be thoughts, feelings, favorite things, events coming to Cincy, latest travels, quotes, good music…you name it. I’ve wanted to do this FOREVER now, but I never found the time did not make the time. Coming into my 29th year and 9 being my lucky number – being born on 9/9/90 – I think 9 things is just fitting. It’s also a fun, creative way for me to share a little bit more over here vs Instagram all the time.

How-To Throw a Successful Impromptu Ice Cream Social : My Homemade Brand “Just Peachy” Party!

Homemade Brand is a staple here in Cincinnati. If you have never heard their story definitely click to read. It’s a real great story of boundless energy and drive. Even though Homemade Brand is now available and enjoyed in over 20 states, they still have the same simple approach from the very beginning: use the very best ingredients to make the very best ice cream. So, whether your favorite is a classic like Cookies ‘n Cream, a taste twirler like Cherry Cordial or a Seasonal Recipe Flavor like Peaches & Peaches, you’ll always get ice cream made with their utmost craftsmanship!

The Best Toy for Summer

The boys have been sooo lucky to be the first two in the United States to own these beautiful Vespa GTS Super Sport scooters – and we can barely contain our excitement! We have been rolling around town exploring & having a BLAST!

We cannot even take these out without people stopping in their tracks to get a closer look! Cars literally pull over to tell the boys how much they love their Vespas!

Sunless Tan – How to Get The Best Results

If it’s applying a sunless tanner at home or getting a spray tan at the spa…there are thing I do to prepare for and maintain my glow. Being out in the sun is so great for your mind, body, and spirit – but not so much your skin – you must use an SPF! Sun damage and skin cancer is no joke! Luckily, I’ve found my favorite at home sunless tanner & a great local spa offering spray tans. They help me achieve that summer glow without the risk.

Eyelash Extensions 101

What Are Eyelash Extensions? A service that lengthens and thickens your own natural eyelashes by applying a single strand of synthetic eyelash. Each strand is curved to replicate a natural eyelash. Because each strand is applied one by one to each individual lash, the look is natural, beautiful and gorgeous! They are perfect to get preparing for a special event or day to day wear.

How To Perfect Your Instagram Bio

If you’re wanting to:
gain a following

snag brand deals

overall – stand out from the crowd

your first impression on the internet is your Instagram bio!
So here’s a few of my tips/tricks/insights to make your first impression strong & stand out!

Remember you only have 150 characters and one clickable link – so you have to make it count!

I Tried It: Microneedling Facial

I have been following FFAesthetics forever now swooning over their work at their Columbus location. I was soooo excited when I heard they were coming to my city. I visited the NEW Face Forward Aesthetics location here in Cincinnati. So…

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Blogging Vol. 1 – How I Create My Instagram Stories

I have been getting a lot of DMs asking how I create my IG stories 🙂 I thought I’d go ahead and make that my first blogging post of the new blogging series.
I absolutely love creating IG stories. It really is so much fun to me. Beware though: it’s a lot of work! -but totally worth it-

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