Spring Things & Weekend Ramblings

I can't believe it is the last day of March, meaning we are officially in the home stretch as of tomorrow! Harper must totally sense some of the changes, she has been bonkers lately & I can hardly keep up. Of course she totally makes up for it all with her sweetness, but I can't help but wonder how crazy things are going to be when baby number two arrives. 

While I was in the shower over the weekend, Brandon got the bright idea to teach her how to do somersaults, so that has been quite the adventure for us all morning. It's only a matter of time until she somersaults off the bed or onto the cat or I don't even know where else but it's not going to be good. The best part is her yelling at me to do one because Brandon was showing off with his mad skills so instead I tell her I will sit down on the floor by her while she does them. To which she responds (after it takes me sixteen seconds to actually sit on the ground), "mama, get up."

I have been craving all things pineapple, our newest smoothie concoction is a handful of frozen strawberries, a banana & a (large) splash of pineapple juice. Harper sucked hers down in no time with not even a trace of brain freeze, then promptly stuck her straw in my cup & finished mine.

I also had my first (and second) major pregnancy hormonal meltdowns this weekend. I vividly remember losing my shit when I was pregnant with Harper over the smell of taco meat combined with a horsefly buzzing around our living room. This time, one involved me trying to put up a four foot by four foot wall decal in the nursery. I really don't know if it was user error or possibly the slight texture on the walls, but I couldn't seem to get it right. It ended with me in tears, wanting to karate kick a hole in the wall & call it a day. The second meltdown happened after I went through about a dozen eggs trying to make them over easy (why it was so hard that morning, I will never know), again ended in tears with our whole kitchen smelling like burnt eggs & me swearing I was going on strike from making eggs for breakfast for one hundred years.

Pregnant-crazy is real & my husband is a saint.

But it is Spring! And we love all Spring things! Including this garland above, that I originally bought (from this etsy shop) for Harper's nursery over two years ago & the cute new Oh Joy party line for Target (you've all seen this already, right?!) that is totally perfect for Spring picnics, brunch or even Easter.

It has finally stopped raining here, so for now we will be outside soaking up a little bit of sunshine. Bubbles, sidewalk chalk & a frozen pineapple + coconut milk smoothie are on our late afternoon agenda. Happy Monday, friends! :)

35 Weeks

 These Are The Days Tee

How far along: 35 weeks

Gender: Girl

Weight gain: 25 lbs.+

Maternity clothes: Mostly maternity clothes but still stretching out some of my favorite tees. I have been living in these seamless camis underneath my shirts, since none seem to be long enough to cover my belly, they are my favorite!

Stretch marks: No

Belly button in or out: Out

Sleep: I am still managing to sleep like a rock, but it takes me forever to fall asleep no matter how tired I am. My mind is constantly in motion & usually it takes me a few five-point-turns to get comfortable.

Best moment this week: Finished baby girl's nursery! It has been a ton of work but so happy with the finished product & love seeing her little dresser filled up with teeny tiny clothes that I have so many memories of Harper wearing.

Miss anything: Being able to play & roll around with Harper like she wants me to. I'm getting a little taste of what it will be like when I can't pick her up after my c-section, I know it is going to be really hard on both of us.

Movement: Baby girl seems to be running out of room, movement these days consists of lots of jabs in the lungs that take my breath away.

Cravings: Pineapple! And really all things citrus. Saw a recipe for a pineapple margarita the other day & may have literally started drooling.

Queasy or sick: Feeling good considering we are in the final stretch. Heartburn is not as frequent as with Harper, but is definitely wicked when it kicks in.

Looking forward to: Lots of fun planned in this final month of pregnancy, lots of quality time with my girl, celebrating my 28th birthday & Easter with our family.

Sugarboo Designs Giveaway

One thing I love so much about the blogging community are all of the people I have met & things I have discovered through other bloggers. I am so excited to introduce you to an amazing local Atlanta art studio, Sugarboo Designs, home of some of the most fun, whimsical art I have ever seen!

A few weeks ago, I met Chanel from Sugarboo, who gave me a tour of their studio, where all of the wood is cut & each piece is handmade. Some of their pieces are literally as tall as me! I fell in love with the style & couldn't wait to bring some home to hang on my walls!

After almost two years in our house, this wall in our family room still sat nearly empty because we couldn't seem to find something to fit the space. Everything fell into place once I saw these prints (found here), I loved the message & of course the neutral colors, can't wait to drape big colorful, vintage bulbs over them this Christmas! :)

  

And while I'm raving about Sugarboo, might I also mention their adorable screenprinted tees. Boy moms, this Mr. Fabulous tee is quite possibly the cutest thing ever!

Now, for the fun part. Sugarboo has so kindly offered to give away a set of these painted wooden prints to one lucky reader! Enter below, check them out on Facebook & Instagram, and we will announce the winner next Friday! Good luck & may the barest walls win! ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much Sugarboo for the opportunity to tour your studio, for the beautiful artwork & for the generous giveaway!!!

Easter Entertaining

I am getting so excited for Easter this year, our last holiday as a family of three! We will be hosting a little Easter brunch & egg hunt with our family and some friends, so I have already been drooling over amazing recipes as I plan our menu. I'm thinking some sort of baked french toast casserole, ham & egg cups and an excessive amount of dessert.

I have been obsessed with egg crates for years, I bought one for our first Easter after we got married & love using it every year! Lately they are popping up everywhere, in lots of shapes & colors so I was prompted to find more uses for them because I love them so much. So of course, mini cupcakes, perfect for an Easter Sunday dessert display or a hostess gift! 

 Yellow Egg Crate \\ White Egg Crate

These lemon cupcakes are just made from a box (my not so secret recipe) with this whipped cream frosting, using a mini cupcake pan baked for approximately 5 minutes less than what you would normally bake cupcakes at & they fit perfectly inside the egg crate!

Egg crates also make a pretty adorable jewelry holder for a nightstand or bathroom when they're not being stuffed with goodies in the kitchen! ;) I am loving this green wire one that I came across this morning, super affordable & would be cute mixed in with some of the ceramic ones. Always a good option over glass when kids are involved!

I've put together some of the things I am loving for Easter entertaining, including the coveted Jadeite cake stand that I have had my eye on for ever! I keep seeing originals at our local flea market, they are so nostalgic & perfect for Spring. Decorating & setting the table is almost as fun as eating the food!

 Jadeite Cake Stand \\ Wire Egg Stand \\ Cookie Cutter Set

Cupcake Kit \\ Gala Pitcher \\ Ceramic Egg Crate

So how about you, are you hosting Easter brunch or dinner this year? Let the planning (and jelly bean eating) begin! :)

34 Weeks + Nursery Update

34 weeks, well technically almost 35, I'm always a little behind on posting these. And as of yesterday, exactly one month until d-day! Even though baby girl is not breech, I am still going through with my scheduled c-section. I have done a lot of research on both options but feel most comfortable having a repeat c-section, just hoping we have as good of an experience as we did last time. So hard to believe we are finally getting so close, I really do feel like I have been pregnant forever, but I also know I will miss it as soon as she is born. 

Sorry for the world's worst lighting in this room, we are running out of spots to take this picture as the room fills up with furniture!

Maxi Dress (c/o Soon Maternity) \\ Denim Jacket (old from Von Maur, similar here)
 

Over the weekend we found an antique dresser on craigslist, so excited to finally have that checked off our list so I can start organizing baby clothes!! We need to touch up some of the scratches & secure it to the wall still for safety, but overall it is really sturdy & in great shape considering it is so old, but I love how much character it brings to the room. It's a bit darker than I wanted, so I'm thinking the stump side table will have to go & maybe I can replace it with something white or gold instead. I will be on the hunt for some new knobs once again, which I hope will lighten it all up a little. No paint debate on this baby. ;)

  

We still need curtains, but otherwise it is time to start hanging things on the wall & adding accessories. And soon adding a baby! ;)

Hope you all had a great weekend!  XO

5 Spring Things for your Weekend

Hope you all have been enjoying the first few days of Spring! I always feel such a boost of energy this time of year, so I thought it would be fun to share some ideas for fun spring things to do this weekend! 

1. Hit up your local farmers market! The first weekend of Spring usually means farmer's markets will start popping up everywhere, the perfect place to not only find fresh foods (the best jellies & jams) & flowers, but just to stroll around with an iced coffee & enjoy the beautiful weather! Harper especially loves this since she gets to sample lots of yummy goodies along the way, added bonus if there is live music.

2. Put fresh flowers all around the house. Flowers are always prettier & cheaper this time of year, buying a bigger bouquet & breaking them up in small vases all around the house is sure to brighten up any room. I also love the way they look all clustered together like this, makes such a statement!

Image via.

3. Pick one area to do a quick Spring cleaning overhaul, something like the fridge or pantry will leave you feeling extra accomplished by the end of the weekend!

4. An afternoon mini-makeover. It's easy to get caught up in housework, yardwork or other to-do's during Saturday afternoon naptime, but this week calls for a little something different. A mini-facial, some new body lotion & a springy pastel nailpolish are sure to leave you feeling refreshed just in time for some Saturday night fun! ;)

Masque Bar Mask \\ BB Cream Body Lotion \\ Essie Play Date Nailpolish

5. Make a fruity Spring Sangria! A super simple recipe that I love to use is one bottle of white wine (I prefer Pinot Grigio), two cans of Fresca or even sparkling water if you don't want the added sugar & any of your favorite fruits. I usually cut up a peach or two, an apple & throw in a handful of raspberries.  

 

Happy weekend, friends!! XO

Easter Basket Goodies

Can you believe that tomorrow is the first day of Spring?! Let's hope that mother nature gets the memo!

I have been looking forward to Easter for a while now, Harper has been having so much fun this year already exploring the back yard, it will be so much fun for her to hunt her Easter eggs out there! My parents get in town the night before, so we are planning a big brunch after church & a whole day of fun. I know the days are going to fly by as we await baby girl's arrival, so for the first time ever (or at least during this pregnancy), I got a major head start on something, filling up the girls' Easter baskets!

 I always love putting a book in her basket, this year I chose I Had a Favorite Dress, which is so fitting because she has been playing dress up every day with her tutus & I know she will especially love the illustrations. All Natural Beeswax Crayons were a must, because one can never have too many art supplies & some alphabet stickers. Then I added some classic Jelly Shoes (windows up!), an oversized sparkly bow & a festive lamb sippy. In her Easter eggs, there is a clip-on bunny tail (also from the Target dollar spot that I know she is going to love since she has lately been asking us why animals have tails but she doesn't...?) & some new Spring hair bows.

If all goes as planned, baby girl won't be here until a few days after Easter, but just in case she makes an early appearance, I had to make her a little basket too! ;) The little kraft paper caddy is from the dollar spot as well since we won't get her a basket until next year, but I just put together a few things I already had for her to make a cute basket. A new pair of teeny-tiny pajamas, a bow & the cutest deer rubber teether ever, along with a bunny swaddle blanket & some new bibs in her Easter eggs.

These little kraft paper boxes are so perfect for mini Easter baskets for other friends & family as well. Especially dressed up a bit with some craft paint or wrapping paper, plus the little jute handles could be replaced with ribbon. I see myself doing a few craft projects with these very soon!

What are you putting in your babes Easter baskets this year?! Hoping mine is full of donuts.

UPDATED: The clear/vintage style eggs are from Target :)

St. Patrick's Day

Hope you all had lots of green, festive fun this St. Patrick's Day! It was cold, dark & rainy over here, and we came down with colds just in time.
For breakfast, I tried a new pancake recipe but added some rainbow sprinkles, which of course made them ten times better. If we get nothing else accomplished to celebrate a holiday, a festive breakfast is always a must!

Baseball Tee \\ Skirt from Gap Outlet

And for Harper, balloons are also a must! ;)

I kept trying to teach her how to say "Happy St. Patrick's Day!" which meant that she told everyone "Happy Birthday!!" instead. I'm so obsessed with her talking & saying funny things all the time!

We made our favorite green apple smoothie, using 1 cup frozen mango, 1 cup frozen pineapple, 2 green apples (chopped), a small handful of spinach & a splash of coconut milk. And of course some shamrock shaped apple slices to garnish! ;)

Shamrock Bow \\ Dress from Gap

I don't know about you, and maybe it's just because we didn't get to celebrate St. Paddy's as much as we wanted to (rain rain go away), but I am ready for Easter! So looking forward to Harper's Easter Egg hunt that she is going to LOVE & lots more that she can actually participate in this year.
Plus, baby girl is coming just days after Easter so that just makes it that much sweeter! :)

33 Weeks

Happy St. Patrick's Day Eve! Hope you all are having a fun weekend full of lots of shenanigans & green beer! ;) 

 

How far along: 33 weeks

Gender: Girl

Weight gain: 25 lbs. (again exactly where I was with Harper this far along)

Maternity clothes: Leggings & maxi dresses. This green top (from my sweet friend, Hanna) is similar to the pink one I had a few weeks ago, non maternity but is the perfect shirt for a big belly!

Stretch marks: No

Belly button in or out: Out

Sleep: Sleeping well but can never get enough.

Best moment this week: A fun St. Patrick's Day weekend with our family & friends. I could hardly keep up (or stay up past my bedtime) but I'll always make an exception for holiday fun! 

Miss anything: A green beer in my hand!

Movement: We are in all new territory here, with legs jabbing my ribs & feeling lots of pressure lower in my belly that I didn't have last time. Hiccups are also becoming more frequent, Harper loves to feel them & pretend she has the hiccups too.

Cravings: Still all sweets, all the time. So happy that there is so much good fruit in season right now. Also so happy that Nutella comes in the XL size so I can fit my whole hand in to dip all of the fruit.

Queasy or sick: Still feeling good overall. I have been on an iron supplement for two weeks now which has helped quite a bit with my restless legs & exhaustion.

Looking forward to: Honestly looking forward to enjoying these last few (somewhat)quiet weeks as a family of three. We are trying to plan a few fun activities to do with just Harper before things really get shaken up around here!

And speaking of, I think it's time for a shamrock shake!! :)

Gold Shoes

Last week, after an early morning playdate & a few errands, I decided to totally press my luck with it being close to naptime by making a quick stop on our way home. I had my eye on these adorable gold flats that were on sale, so I wanted to get a pair for Harper & another pair for a friend's daughter for Easter. Of course the kids section is at the far back of the store & Harper has become miss independent, so she walked with me (touching everything along the way), tried on the shoes & then slowly made our way back up front. Within those few minutes, the line had grown & Harper's patience had started to dwindle. I debated whether the wait was worth it, but we were already there & had the shoes in hand, which was half the battle.

It seemed like things were moving along quickly so I figured we would just wait in line another few minutes, minutes that felt like an eternity filled with typical toddler shenanigans like trying to lay on the ground to break dance while holding my hand & pulling a pile of men's shirts off the display. After everyone & their mom finished signing up for store credit cards or returning all of their Christmas gifts, we finally made it to the front of the line (where Harper asked "hold you?" & then literally sneezed into my mouth while I was paying), checked out & made it home alive. With shoes.

Fast forward to this week, it had rained all morning so our plans were to go to the indoor trampoline jump place to run off some energy. (PS. If you're a Knocked Up movie fan, you may remember that you aren't supposed to jump on trampolines while pregnant. Or smoke crack.) Anyway, I put on Harper's cute gold shoes & brought socks for her in my bag. We grabbed lunch with friends then she ran & jumped her little heart out for a solid hour before it was time to head back for a nap. When I put her back in her carseat, I took off her dirty socks & put her shoes back on & away we went. Halfway home, Harper asked for her window down, which we have been doing lately since the weather has been nice so I cracked it for her. Then she says "widdo down more? more!" so I put it halfway down, to which she replies "I fix the widdo."  

No, actually I fixed it. But that's beside the point. 

Then, as we are going thirty miles an hour down the main highway, I hear her proudly say "fro!" just in time to look back & see a glittery gold shoe go flying out the window.

Camo Heart Top \\ Jeans \\ Gold Shoes

I tried so hard not to laugh, as I rolled up her window & told her we can't throw things out of the car. Especially our shoes.
How many times have you driven down the highway & saw a kids shoe on the side of the road & wondered how on earth that got there?! Now we know.

Spring Decor Style With Kleenex

It has been a long winter over here, and between cold season & pregnancy, it seems like I have have been sniffling for the last few months. We have gone through so much hand soap & sanitizer, but our colds just seem to linger. And having a runny-nosed-toddler running around means you need to be prepared to have tissues at your fingertips at all time. So when Kleenex reached out about their new Style Finder, I was all over it. Having tissues within reach in every room is a must & having a cute box makes it much more fun!

With warm weather just around the corner, opening up the windows to bring in some fresh air, organizing room by room & freshening up some of the spaces around our house have been at the top of my to do list. Nesting much? Maybe.

 Some major Spring cleaning has been going down, which includes taking everything off every surface to dust & sanitize. This is great for getting a new perspective when you put everything away again, finding better ways to organize or different ways to decorate your space. I love using glass jars, votives or even small vintage dishes for things like q-tips or cotton balls in the bathroom, and of course baskets to contain all of the clutter. New candles with Spring scents & some fresh flowers are also great ways to freshen up a space. Did you know that ice cubes in your flowers will help keep them from drooping?

A punch of color from the modern floral Kleenex box fit right in & the pattern totally screams Spring! ;)
 

 

So check out the new Kleenex Style Finder to find out if there is a perfect design that would fit your decor style! Stay healthy & Happy Spring cleaning!

This post was sponsored by Kleenex, however all opinions (and stuffy noses) were 100% my own.

Love List

1. My sweet (and messy) little sous chef & I made some raspberry lemon sticky buns the other morning, a direct result of my major sweet & fruity cravings. You can find the recipe here. Let me tell you, these were so so yummy! I love trying new recipes, although I did not love zesting two lemons. Is zesting a word? I didn't have a zester so I had to use an array of sharp kitchen objects to get the job done. Anyway, wrist cramping & all-day-lemon-smelling-hands aside, they were totally worth it. Baking with Harper is my favorite thing to do, she is an expert stirrer & loves to taste test everything along the way.

2. I  picked out this Easter dress for Harper, I am in love with the super girly, vintage style & just couldn't pass it up! I'm excited to share some Easter basket goodies next week, including a little basket for baby girl just in case she makes an early arrival! ;)

3. It doesn't seem possible that St. Patrick's Day is already next week, where has the month gone?! I love the idea of rainbow fruit skewers as a festive, healthy snack for toddlers. Harper is going to love this, especially helping make them!
 

4. I don't wear a lot of jewelry but have always wanted something meaningful with my girls' initials on it. If you haven't heard of The Shine Project, their beautiful bracelets & the amazing cause they support, you must check them out! I have hardly taken these off since I got them & it is especially sweet wearing baby girl's first initial (hiding under that H!) on my arm.

5. This little stripe & polka dot ruffle rashguard might just be the cutest little girl swimsuit of all time!! Paired with some classic jelly shoes, this would be the perfect pool outfit for the summer!
 

6. I came across this free birthday infographic printable the other day & wanted to share since so many of you have asked about custom chalkboard birthday signs. This one is so cute & easy to fill in all of your personalized details!
 

7. Where are my La Croix sparkling water lovers at?! If you haven't tried the two new Curate flavors yet, Cherry Lime & Apple Berry, they are worth an extra trip to the store! A perfect addition to tonight's Taco Tuesday! ;)

32 Weeks

How far along: 32 weeks

Gender: Girl

Weight gain: 23 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Pretty much all maternity clothes at this point, including my favorite baseball tee dress (it was sold out but is now back in stock here) that I'm wearing above. Warm weather is so much easier to dress for, I hope Spring is here to stay!

Stretch marks: No

Belly button in or out: Out

Sleep: Still sleeping really well but feeling extra exhausted lately, you would think ten hours of sleep each night would be enough to keep me from feeling like dozing off in the afternoons.

Best moment this week: Finally having warm enough weather that we could get back in our hammocks, much needed relaxation this weekend! I have wildly unrealistic expectations of snuggling both Harper & newborn baby girl together in it one afternoon later this Spring. I know, keep dreaming! ;)

Miss anything: MORE COFFEE. I know it will be a little while still after baby girl arrives that I can have more than my single delicious iced cup of caffeine, but I am certainly looking forward to it!

Movement: Feeling lots of knees & feet up top this time around, my last appointment confirmed that baby girl is not breech, so it will be interesting to see how movement feels towards the end instead of just a giant hard head in between my ribs, which was incredibly painful in the last few weeks.

Cravings: See above! ;) Also adding cucumbers to the list this week, can't stop eating them!

Queasy or sick: More heartburn & restless legs but overall feeling good.

Looking forward to: Lots of St. Patrick's Day shenanigans this week, can't wait to shamrock shape lots of yummy treats & of course, check one more holiday off the calendar before we meet our baby girl!

Hope you have all had such a great weekend!! XO

Family Weekend

Our family from Iowa made the long roadtrip to visit us, they came late last week & stayed until early this week. Our house felt like a child-proofed frat house for a few days & Harper is still coming down from the way-too-much-fun high. I catch her peeking around the corner to see if one of her six foot tall uncles is hiding in her teepee or if grandma or grandpa are anywhere to be found so she can talk them into another bowl of animal crackers. But alas, it's just me. And eighty loads of laundry.

It's really crazy seeing all of those little kids that I grew up with in a whole new light, they are now uncles to my daughter & she just thinks the world of them. I think back to the days of when I used to babysit them in the summers when my parents worked, I used to decorate & doodle on their paper plates every day for lunch, then cover it up with their food so they could find it while they were eating. I'm positive that cancels out the number of times my parents would discover my brothers drawing on their bedroom walls with permanent marker or locking each other in closets under my "supervision." Don't worry, I've come a long way. ;)

We laughed about how many cars & text messages it took to coordinate everyone going out to lunch over the weekend. My dad so kindly reminded us of the time all seven of us roadtripped in a small car to New York one year. I'm not going to get into the math & logistics of the situation, but I am vaguely picturing one of my brothers riding on the floor or possibly in the center console.

After this weekend, Harper has a new found love for basketball, piggyback rides & stacking (empty) red solo cups. I love hearing her confuse all of their names, similar to how everyone we've ever known has done. She hates when they wear hats & is a little gun shy of their facial hair, but loves that every one of them is willing to let her put a headband on them.

For the first time in over two years, actually since I was pregnant with Harper during Christmas in Iowa, we had the entire family together, so we put the camera self-timer to use on the back of my brother's truck bed & were able to take a family picture!

 I love everyone so much & can't wait to see our big family continue to grow over the years!

Nursery Progress

I can't believe we only have seven weeks to go! Honestly, I have not been quite as "on top of things" as I was with Harper, but I think that totally comes with the territory of being pregnant with a toddler. All of a sudden all of our weekends are being booked & baby girl will be here before we know it! We have quite a few things to check off the list still, but have finally made some great progress in the nursery so I wanted to share some pictures!

I love picking out some books to go with the colors in a room, I found a few last week at the bookstore (loved the gold dots & deer on the front of the Rapunzel book!) and am planning to display them in a wire basket of some sort. I have been drawn to deer for this room for some reason, between that & the tree stump table, it is feeling very woodsy & I am loving it! :) I ordered a few prints (actually in the form of greeting cards in 4x6 and 5x7 sizes which are significantly less expensive) for her room & plan to make another one myself just to tie it all together. Maybe something along the lines of "love you dearly," & I will make it a free download for anyone who may want to use it in their own spaces as well.

I still need to find a changing pad cover, crib skirt & curtains. I so badly wish I could sew, my hot glue gun will only get me so far in the fabric department. I have had my eye on this gold lamp but also keep hoping I will find something at the flea market with a more vintage feel. We used the glider, crib & changing table from Harper's room, so I haven't had to buy any new furniture yet. We are on the hunt for another small antique-style dresser in a lighter wood, then I will stock it full of Harper's baby clothes once I get ambitious enough to rewash them all, of course.

I found the oversized pom blanket at a local boutique & layered it with one of the new plus print blankets from the Evie Collection by Candy Kirby Designs that was inspired by my painting in the room! The line will be available in her shop in just a few weeks, I am so excited about how everything turned out. I will be sure to share all of the sources once the room is complete! :)

The cat has been living in the nursery these days, it's the only place she can hide to escape Harper constantly pulling her tail or trying to put headbands on her. If only she knew we were about to double the fun! ;) XO