Love List

I just want to start off by saying THANK YOU all so much for the kind words & well wishes for baby number two!! We are over the moon excited! I can't thank you enough for all of your sweet comments, you really made our day & we are so excited to continue sharing our journey with you all here on the blog. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!! :) More baby updates to come very soon!

It's love list time!

1. Halloween Books. I was so excited to get out some of Harper's Halloween books from last year (and add a few new ones to the collection), they make story time each night just a little more festive! Some of our favorites are Room on the Broom, Ghosts in the House & Goodnight Goon! Of course, Where the Wild Things Are is pretty festive for the occasion as well! :) All of her books are displayed on these super inexpensive photo ledges from Ikea that are hanging in the playroom, I love switching the books out for every season. The sweet little plush black cats can be found here.

2. Holiday Garlands. More of my very favorite garlands have made a return this holiday season, can't go wrong with this embroidered metallic garland that is perfect for a nursery or just to keep up all year round!

3. Sweater weather. Also known as leggings weather. Either way, I am loving this waffle knit cardigan (not ashamed to admit I still shop at AE, can't beat their prices, especially when they have online sales almost every week) & this striped cable cardigan. Both of which will accommodate a growing belly! :)

4. Peach Cobbler. This is a total cheat recipe, it is SO easy. Perfect for unexpected company or a sudden craving :) The recipe can be found here, it is so so so yummy!!!

5. Itty bitty baby clothes. Shopping the other day, these little velour footed pants (in both navy & pink) caught my eye, the colors are so vibrant in person! I love love love them & can't wait to scoop up a pair once we know what we are having! :)

6. Fall TV is back. I hate to even bring up my love for Fall TV, but Parenthood, Modern Family & The Voice make me very happy! Gotta pick up a new hobby for the next few monthS since evening porch beers are now out of the question.

7. Festive Party Supplies. It's time for paper straws & cupcake toppers, I am loving the selection in this etsy shop! Just picked up some Halloween & Christmas straws, along with bakers twine & a few other goodies for our Halloween party!

8. Tomorrow is OCTOBER!! Officially acceptable to decorate for Halloween! For some reason, I wasn't as into my Fall decor as much this year (maybe a lack of energy & enthusiasm all around) but I am feeling much better & so ready for black bats & witch hats! You can find some of my favorite Halloween inspiration here & also see what we did around our house last year here! :)

Happy Monday Friends!

Little Baby Garvin... Round TWO!

We are BEYOND EXCITED to announce that Little Baby Garvin #2 is due in April 2014!!!

Harper, the original gangster Garvin, will be passing on her "Little Baby Garvin" title & we just know she is going to be the sweetest big sister in the world!
We are feeling SO blessed and thankful, and can not wait for our family to grow!! :)

Chalkboards are back in action!

Fifteen Fridays of Festive

 Happy Friday!! Excited to announce the winner of last week's  Camp Brand Goods giveaway, Erin Reddington! She just moved to the Windy City so I'm sure those cozy sweatshirts will come in handy this Fall & Winter! :) Thanks again so much to everyone who entered!

It's officially week three of our Fifteen Fridays of Festive, what goodies are in store?!

 You all know that I am world's biggest garland hoarder, they are a must have for every occasion!!

The oh-so-talented Janee, from Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard is offering one lucky winner THREE festive garlands for the upcoming holiday season! Bats for Halloween, felt leaves for Thanksgiving & of course, an ombre Christmas tree garland to top it off! Can you even get enough of this festiveness?!

Be sure to check out the Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard Blog & Shop (including their new collection of one of a kind, modern greeting cards) on your way out! :)

Enter below & have a wonderful weekend!!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall Style Favorites

One of my favorite things about cool weather is all the amazing, cozy outfits that come along with it! Boots, leggings & sweaters (or sweatshirts in my case) all day long. When I'm not frolicking around town in my mismatched pajamas, I really do love a cute outfit! :)

I have rounded up some of my current Fall favorites, for both mama & mini. I am loving festive socks, warm vests & of course, lots of army green & orange! 

And tell me that gorgeous dress wouldn't make the perfect Thanksgiving Day outfit?!

One | Two | Three | Four | Five

Six | Seven | Eight

This military inspired vest is also a current favorite, a perfect vest to pair with a gold glitter belt! I love these vests for Fall because you can wear them over anything depending on the weather, even cute over a plain grey tee if the weather is still warm where you are.

I am also obsessed with peplum on kids, it looks so much cuter than a onesie tucked into pants. Harper looks like such a little lady these days! Her hair is getting so long & I just love it!!

Peplum Bodysuit | Skinny Jeans | Gold Leather Bow

 Hope you all are having a wonderful week so far. Good news? Parenthood returns to TV tonight & Tomorrow is Friday! BOOM!

Pumpkin Farm

We went on our very first pumpkin farm adventure of the season over the weekend when I saw that one of my favorite places just got their pumpkin selection in stock. I desperately needed some for our front porch, so we made our way over there shortly after rolling out of bed & stuffing our faces with  breakfast. This places grows giant pumpkins, half of them weighed more than Harper! You get to take your own pumpkin wheel barrow & fill it full of goodies, while sipping coffee (or beer!). 

Can we just live there?

 

Harper found herself a little seat on the spider leg pumpkin stands & was pretty proud of her pretty little self. She hasn't quite gotten the hang of the word pumpkin, she either refers to them as balloons 'loon' or 'up-kee' which I think is a mish-mash of the word pumpkin & cookie. Either way, it is cute as can be. I am obsessed with her baby gibberish.

 Striped Pajama Pants | Da Bears Tee

Don't be jealous of my killer outfit. ;) I never claimed to be a style blogger!

Here are the pumpkins that we came home with. White pumpkins with long stems are my favorite! And yes, those green/blue pumpkins (I think they may actually be gourds) are real!

Oh, and on our way out, we got a pretty little glimpse of the soon-to-be Christmas Tree Farm that we will be back to visit in just a few short months. 

It's not going in our yard Rus, it's going in our living room.

 Speaking of Christmas, I am so excited to see that West Elm has brought back the white felt garland that I love oh-so-much from last year!! Run, it was sold out before Christmas day. You can find it in their Holiday collection here & probably find a use for it in every room of your house! :)

Merry Happy Wednesday!!!

Our Weekend in Pictures

Happy First Weekend of Fall!! We have been waiting for this day all year long, the day that not only kicks off my favorite season, but all the amazing holiday goodness that is to come! The weather was amazing & we finally found some tiny pumpkins to put ALL over the house. I love putting them everywhere. 

Easter egg hunt style.

Like, have our house mistaken for a pumpkin patch style.

Poor Harpie babe woke up with a low fever, teething with her two year molars. The cure for almost everything is pancakes, so we whipped some up while we waited for Brandon to get home from a work trip. I know you probably think I am bat shit crazy for letting my kid stir pancake batter with a whisk on the floor, but she was careful as can be to not let a single drop out of the bowl. She is the sweetest little chef! :)

We kicked off our Soup Sunday Fall Tradition with loaded baked potato soup (recipe here). So so so good. This is one of my favorites since it is so hearty, cheesy AND has bacon. You really can't go wrong with a soup recipe that requires you to cook your veggies in bacon grease. Amen!

 {Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe}

We also had just enough time on Sunday before the Bears game to sneak away to the pumpkin farm to get our hands on these gems! GEMS! I am loving these greenish/blue pumpkins, they were perfect for the non-traditional Fall flavored porch I was going for (still trying to make those wreaths work). I added a chalkboard painted pumpkin that I made a few years ago & drew a simple G monogram. Clearly still working on getting a bigger rug.

Joke's on me though, you can't even see the pumpkins from the road since our front yard is such a steep hill. Guess I will need to just add more, more, more!!!!

 Happy Fall to you all! :)

Fifteen Fridays of Festive

It's Festive Friday, friends! It's late in the day since the toddler tornado has kept me on my toes since sunrise, but nonetheless, it's giveaway time!

 
We are so excited to announce the winner of last week's giveaway of a 4moms Breeze, Carey Gau who has a daughter that is Harper's age & a baby on the way! :) Congratulations, Carey! And thank you to everyone who entered!

This week's giveaway, just in time for the first weekend of Fall, you will have a chance to cozy up in the softest, warmest sweatshirts put on this earth from Camp Brand Goods! Camp Brand Goods is generously offering one lucky winner a $200 Store Credit!!! Happy Fall to YOU!

You know I live in my Happy Camper sweatshirt, so it should be no surprise to you that this is on our list of favorite things! I actually can not get enough of their gear, I would love to fill my (and Harper's... and Brandon's) closet with everything on their site.
So be sure to stop by their site & check out all of their amazing goodies, including our favorite toddler tees that are now on sale!

As always, no jumping through hoops to take part in this giveaway, just enter below & follow our blog! Please be fair in only entering the giveaway once, winner's IP address will be double checked for multiple entries & will be disqualified.
Oh, and it is also mandatory that you have a good weekend!! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


View last week's giveaway here! Be sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram @jlgarvin for more Festive Friday fun! :)

Love List

1. Mother's Morning Out. Even though there are still a few tears here & there (from both of us), Harper's pre-pre-preschool is going very well! The three hours home by myself has become crazy productive & I love sneaking over to see her a little early while she is still interacting with the other kiddos. Plus, her running into my arms when I pick her up is seriously the highlight of my day!

2. Caramel & walnut dipped grapes, a favorite Fall treat! My grandma always made these when we were little, I couldn't wait to make some for dessert last night when I saw big bags of ripe green grapes at the grocery store. So yummy & much easier to eat than caramel apples.
(PS. Nailcolor is Rimmel Steel Gray)

3. Gap 35% off Fall Sale! I have been patiently waiting a good Gap sale so I can scoop up a few things! Currently on my wishlist? These ribbed stripe leggings that I plan to live in for the rest of the year & this peplum style onesie for Harper.

4. White Pumpkins. I haven't found any good looking fake ones yet, so I guess I'll be waiting patiently for the real thing. But grabbing a sharpie & adding some lettering or a monogram is an easy way to dress it up for some unique black & white decor.

5. Adding some Fall decor in every room of the house! I don't feel like I have found a lot of good stuff in the stores this year, but I did stumble across these awesome frosted wicker pumpkins at our local TJMaxx, perfect for the bedroom! :)

6. Apple Cider K-Cups. I have been using these & can not get over how delicious they are! Add a little caramel syrup & whipped cream on top to make your own caramel apple spice. Also this Fall sangria recipe needs to happen around here asap.

7. I know it's way too early to even be thinking about Christmas (who am I kidding, it's never too early, muhahahaha!) but I am dying over this Land of Nod vintage airstream camper playhouse! What kid wouldn't love to get that on Christmas morning? Better question, how can we DIY one?! :)

8. Halloween costumes! I am love, love, loving all of the kids costumes I have been seeing in stores, especially Pottery Barn Kids, but am having a hell of a time deciding on something for us. Anyone else in this spot? I am also wondering when I need to give up on trying to DIY Harper's costumes, considering I can't sew. I have all of these elaborate ideas but could never pull them off with my skills, duct tape & hot glue will only get me so far. Eventually she will resort to being a ghost with a sheet draped over her if I keep insisting that her costume be homemade.
Side note, I always wanted Brandon & I to go for Halloween as Smokey The Bear & a "forest fire", you know with like Christmas lights, orange fabric & cardboard... and stuff. Guess we can't pull that off with a toddler tagging along, so I really need to pull it together & come up with our family costume STAT.

Fall Around Here

This weekend is the official start of Fall, no more pretending, waiting or wishing! Are you all just as excited as I am?! A few things we are looking forward to this Fall include a trip to the pumpkin patch, apple picking & of course, a pumpkin carving party! Can't wait to share some details soon! We also do Soup Sundays in the Fall every year, where we make a different homemade soup every Sunday to eat during football (and to have lots of leftovers for the week!) so we are excited to kick that off this weekend as well! :)
What are your favorite Fall traditions?!
I love that Harper is old enough this year to enjoy some of the festivities a little more! 

I am still waiting to get my hands on some more pumpkins, but for now we finally put some decorations out around the house. A few ombre pumpkins & some felt garlands are making our fireplace extra festive, especially with Hocus Pocus playing on repeat!
FALL-LA-LA-LA-LA!

Felt Leaves Garland | Yellow Gourd | White Felt Garland from West Elm last year

And one can not decorate for Fall without a caramel apple spice in hand or a pumpkin pecan waffle scented candle burning in the background. 

PERFECTION.

Speaking of perfection, our weather has been in the 60s/70s the last few days, say whaaaat!? So we have finally broken out the hammocks again & are getting a real taste of Fall in our backyard.

 Striped Pajamas | Boots | Sippy Cup

 Even though our weekdays can be a little bit hectic, it was pretty epic to pretend it was the weekend for an hour & go swing outside this morning. And yes, there is totally a string tied to hers so I can "push" her from my hammock! Husband is a genius.

Sending cool weather vibes your way, friends! Happy Hump Day!

Our Weekend in Pictures

Our first real Fall weekend... cool weather, spicy chili, pumpkins & lots of football. We kicked off the weekend Friday morning with some pancakes on the patio, the weather was just too amazing to stay indoors. Plus, toddler cleanup is a breeze! ;) Pancakes are one of my favorite foods, I love trying new recipes & can't wait to try my hand at some pumpkin ones soon!

Saturday was a full day of college football, with our Hawkeyes pulling off a win in the evening! It's a family tradition that we play a little football in the yard before the game & during halftime. Harper has become obsessed. About as obsessed as I am with her crazy, bonkers PIGTAILS!

Iowa Onesie

 Throw some chili (and a few cold ones!) in the mix & I would say that is a total win for everyone.

{recipe here}

There are pumpkins & mums at all of our local stores, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on some! Usually our church has the best selection (that's when I really go nuts!) but since they haven't arrived yet, I just grabbed a few to put on the back porch. Pumpkin picking day (with a tasty coffee in hand!) should be a holiday in itself! ;)

Also excited to share some pictures of our finished screened in porch! So far, Harper (and the cat) are loving it!

And Brandon discovered that if he pushes the chairs to the far end & leaves the door open, he can watch football from outside. Will I ever see him indoors again?

 Hope you all had a fabulous (Fall-feeling) weekend as well! :)

Giveaway Kickoff: Fifteen Fridays of Festive!

We are so excited to kick off our Fifteen Fridays of Festive Giveaway! Think ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas... only better! ;) You know we love Fall & the holidays (and most of you love it just as much as we do!) so in the spirit of the season, we want to make things even more exciting around here!

 

 Each Friday, from now until Christmas, we will be giving away one of our favorite things! We have partnered with some of our very favorite brands to bring you so many goodies, including baby products, clothing, festive decor & more!
I have always wanted to find a way to thank you all for all of the love, support, encouragement & comments over the past few years (years? whoa!) of blogging. I love reading your comments & emails so much, and while I don't always have a chance to reply to all of them, know that they mean the world to me & they are the reason why I keep blogging. This giveaway is sorta my way of thanking you all, so the only thing you have to do to enter? Just keep following along! :)

To kick off the series, our very first giveaway is brought to you by one of my favorite brands of all time, 4moms! Wanna win a 4moms Breeze, so your little one can kick it outside with you & your husband while you grill & drink sangria? :) Or maybe just because it's the best looking, easiest to use playard of all time? Well here's your chance!

 Enter here to win & be sure to show them some love on their facebook page!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway is open until next Thursday at noon, winner will be contacted via email & announced on Friday! For reminders & sneak peeks of prizes, be sure to follow us on Facebook as well! :)
Happy Friday!

Mama + Mini All Gold Everything

Can you believe we are already a third of the way through September? The official start of Fall is almost here, wouldn't it be wonderful if someone gave mother nature the memo! Bring on the cool air!

Gold is one of my favorite colors, especially gold glitter & especially in the Fall. I wear my gold glitter belt with just about everything. Actually, I take that back, I wear pajamas like 80% of the time, so I guess I just wear the gold belt with the rest. Either way, I love gold accessories, especially since they always match all of Harper's gold glittery headbands. And they are perfect to stick around all season well into the holidays & for the new year! ;)

Here is a little roundup of all things GOLD that we are loving!

One | Two | Three | Four | Five

I am telling you, Old Navy is really on top of their game this season!  I could not scoop up those gold polka dot leggings fast enough. I just know they will be a staple in Harper's festive Fall & Winter wardrobe. Of course, all of these gorgeous gold goodies can be paired with some of our favorite headbands, like the gold stars shown below or this gold feather & floral headband, one of my all time favorites!

Gold Star Headband | Black Knit Dress | Leggings

Gold is not just for wearing this time of year, we have it sprinkled all over the house with our Fall decorations!

I scored these gold leaf branches on clearance last year right before Thanksgiving (you can find them here) & was so excited to put them out again this year. Do you shop after holiday clearance?! It is an addiction for me. Target also has lots of affordable gold & bronze mercury glass beauties that I can't get enough of.

And now that Harper is snoozing away for her afternoon nap, it might just be the perfect time to put out all the rest of our Fall decorations. Have you started decorating yet? :) 

Happy Hump Day!