Our Day in Pictures

To sum it up, a typical day at home looks something like this. I wake up around 6:00 am (I know you'll think that's crazy, but we also go to bed no later than 10:30 pm each night). First things very first, I brew my first cup of coffee & put it in the freezer! :) I usually try to get my workout in right away, and like I've said, my workouts are no more than 30 minutes. I have time to get started working no later than 6:45 or 7 am.
Harper doesn't wake up until 8:30, so I feed her, we play for a while & then I am back working again by 9:15. She usually plays by herself (all of her toys are brand new in the morning) until she takes her first nap at 10:30. I continue working from 10:30-12:30 while she is napping. We eat lunch together when she wakes up from her nap & then usually take off for a ride in the stroller or wagon for a half hour or so.
When we get back, I typically shower quick while Harper plays in her playyard with some of her other favorite toys. Then we play some more, do bubbles outside, read, etc. until she takes her next nap around 2:30. I work again after that until she wakes up at 4:30. When she wakes up, we hang out in the playroom for another hour or so, I continue working while she runs in & out of her teepee five thousand times. I feed her dinner around 5:30 & while she is eating, I typically pick up & finish working.
Brandon comes home at six & takes Harper back upstairs to play. We do the bath/bedtime routine together & then does the bedtime bottle while I cook dinner. This way, we can eat right when she goes to bed & then we have plenty of time to hang out together by 8:00 pm. We usually both work for an hour or so on our laptops & then wind down watching whatever random season of shows that we are obsessed with at the moment (Dexter, Parenthood, Mad Men, etc.)
Then we are in bed by 10:30. I feel so old typing that, my brothers that are in college don't even drunk-dial me anymore because I would miss their call anyway. #lame

For those of you who work from home with your babies & have emailed me, the best piece of advice that I can give you is to wake up early & to not feel guilty when your kiddo plays by themselves a bit. I used to sleep in until Harper woke up, but I would wake up STRESSED. It's hard to get out of bed no matter what time it is, just know that you will feel so much better getting a head start. Also, your kiddos will let you know if they are bored or want your attention, so if they are happily entertained stacking blocks or chasing the cat pushing around a wagon, don't feel guilty! Take advantage of it! :) I will also say that while we really don't watch much TV in our house, Harper is way more entertained by it when I do turn it on for her for a little while. A short 15-30 minute show or video is enough to hold her attention the entire time since the TV isn't constantly on in the background.
Anyway, here we go.

6:00 am | It's squat day. 140 squats to be exact. Eww.



7:00 am | Brewing it & drawing it.

8:00 am | I like making her food pretty & I pretend that she likes it too.

9:00 am | Playtime begins. Just got myself Harper a Magna Doodle. It's never too early to learn to doodle, but for now, I draw on it & she sits on it. (Magna Doodle)

10:00 am | Books, blocks & Christmas socks. Then down for nap number one.

 11:00 am |  I am sipping coffee like it's my job (it kind of is my job), listening to music & working. From the couch. PS. Notice that we are back to red & white striped straws since Memorial Day & 4th of July are the next holidays on the roster. (I'm dead serious, I actually go out of my way to think about things like that)

 

 12:00 pm | Peanut butter sandwiches & fruit for lunch.

1:00 pm | Tippy toes. Harper & I make forts, read books & play with Easter eggs. She periodically peeks up at my computer to make sure Noggin isn't on.

2:00 pm | Izzy tries to prove that she can get on her tippy toes too? Harper chases her around for a while then goes down for nap number two.

3:00 pm | Back to work & debating on which color to paint my nails while I'm on my client calls. Spoiler alert: I went with the purple.

4:00 pm | Harp is awake & although it's raining, we need some fresh air. Calls for a quick trip to Starbucks. (Glitter Sandals)

5:00 pm | Still raining so no afternoon walk. Instead, we put blocks in muffin tins & do other fun stuff. Stir craziness begins to set in. Time for dinner! (B. Toys Blocks)

6:00 pm | Hell yes, dad's home! Harper is excited & so is my sanity.

7:00 pm | Bath water is running & maid rites are cooking. I kiss Harper five million times & laugh as I leave the room while Brandon fumbles through Fox in Sox (have you read that tongue-twister?!)

8:00 pm | Beer me. No picture necessary (camera battery is probably dead anyway).

Speaking of beer me, it's Friday afternoon. Time to celebrate the weekend. 

Cheers!

Beachbound Baby.

We are heading to Florida for a wedding in just a few short weeks. It will be Harper's first time at the beach & I am oh so excited! Of course, I have to laugh at the picture perfect image of beaching it with a baby that I have in my head. We all know what it's really going to be like. Kid eating sand. Everything sweaty, sticky & germy. Pigeon poop everywhere.  People judging me while I try to sip a rum runner with my kid on my lap. Kid eating more sand. Ah, it will be bliss, right?

My favorite part of planning for the trip? SWIMWEAR! I couldn't pass up this adorable colorblock two piece that I found the other day, I put it on her just before bedtime the other night & we were just loving life!
Dad was less than impressed.

Color Block Ruffle Bikini

I am absolutely obsessed with swimwear. I put together a few cute swimwear styles with matches for mama, dying over all of this cuteness. I had to get Harper a fun straw hat too, girl's gotta be stylin' in some shade! :)

One: Straw Hat, Coverup, Striped Swimsuit

Two: Chambray Hat, Metallic Sandal, Eyelet One Piece

Three: Polka Dot Bikini, Fedora, Coverup
And matches for mama for each look!
One: Ruffle One Piece. Two: Eyelet Bikini. Three: Polka Dot Bikini. 

And dudes. So many cute styles for dudes! A simple navy swimsuit (Like this one shoulder one piece from J.Crew) for mama would be the perfect match for these adorable colorblock cool looks!

 

 One. Two. Three. Four.
Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine.

Here are some of the goodies that will be coming along to Florida with us, my new favorite suit & two of Harper's to match. Loving all the neon colors!


Baby Suits from Gap (out of stock), Jeweled Black Two Piece

Swimsuits are my one serious closet obsession. I wore the same pair of Nike Shox for literally eight years, yet probably bought eight swimsuits per year during that time. We do spend a LOT of time at the pool in the summer though, so maybe the cost-per-use rule can apply? :)

Speaking of the beach, I plan to recap all of our beach-bag essentials & road trip activities. Ah, yes, another road trip.
At least this trip is only seven hours & won't require my husband & I to drink tallboys in the bathroom while Harper sleeps in dark, quiet peace in our hotel room. Not that we've done that.
#wetotallydidthat.

Thirteen & Fourteen Month Favorites

I thought I'd follow the same format as the one year update going forward for each month since Harper is changing so much these days! I swear, every day we tell each other that THIS is the most fun age. She is so full of personality, so silly & totally entertaining.

Age:14 Months

Favorite Foods: Blueberries, Pasta, Grapes, Strawberries, Pancakes

Favorite Words: Nice (pronounced Niiiiiii), What's That? (pronounced W'sat), Wow (pronounced Bwwwwwwow)

Favorite Things: 

Footless Zip Pajamas | With Harper literally running laps around the house lately, we are giving up on footed pajamas & hoarding these footless zip PJs from here on out. It's rare to find them, but they are in season right now with the warmer weather, so we are stocking up!

Aden + Anais Security Blankets | Harper has always gotten her security blanket & paci at bedtime only. She loves them so much & I think it really comforts her to have them. Lately she has been almost weaning herself from her paci, shaking her head no when we offer it or at least spitting it out after just a few minutes. She has become very attached to her blanket though & loves it more than ever. I think these are going to be our saving grace for keeping her happy during naps & bedtime.

Melissa & Doug Piano | This was a gift recently & she LOVES it. It is one of the most annoying toys of all time in terms of sound, but she loves to bang on it all hours of the day. It's also the most fun toy to play with together, since she can sit on my lap & we can play music together. (I learned Yankee Doodle the other day & which makes me feel like a total badass).

Flip & Peek Phone | She carries this with her everywhere she goes. Somehow it got switched to the Spanish setting though & I don't know how to turn it back, so it always says Hola! Which she loves. And tries to repeat. But then just says "ah-ahh" & throws it over her shoulder. I love that it's small so I can throw it in the diaper bag too.

Infant to Toddler Outdoor Swing | This is an absolute MUST for spring/summer if you have the trees/porch space for it. It's so fun for her to be able to swing at home instead of having to venture to the park every time we wanna hang outside. Plus they fit up to 3 yrs. of age!

Gold Bow Flats | This brand of shoes is ideal for first walkers (and kids who are always trying to take their shoes of). I wanted something more versatile for cool or warm weather, so I got these & love them. Harper picks them up every day & brings them to me, sticking her feet out for me to put them on. The cutest thing. Plus they come in gold or silver metallic so they match everything!

Safety 1st Magnetic Locking System | I've already professed my undying love for these to childproof doors/drawers in this post, but seriously. They're so great. We also purchased this Fireplace Hearth Cover which in my opinion is the best out there. I actually fell face first onto a stone fireplace when I was 3 & split my head open. It's not the prettiest thing but it is a must have for safety.

Favorite Activities: Wagon Rides. Mean mugging. Chasing the cat (hilarious video here, you'll hear her saying "nice" at the end, which is what we are trying to teach her for how to pet, it is SO funny).
She also loves watching Noggin videos, every night after dinner while I clean up the kitchen, she watches a playlist of Noggin songs & seriously gets so excited. I actually really like the songs, I think they're so cute & catchy. We don't really watch much TV so this totally gets her undivided attention when I turn it on. 

Least Favorite Activities: Diaper changes, getting out of the bathtub & the word "no" (we get an instant pouty bottom lip from her & sometimes tears). Go figure.

Signature Moves: Walking with her arms straight out (Frankenstein style) making a Chewbacca gurgling "oooooooohh" sound when she wants something. She also squeals at the top of her lungs & crinkles her nose when she gets really excited. Both are most often heard when I get out my chapstick or we are blowing bubbles.

 
In addition to the fake laugh, we also now have a fake sneeze. So funny. (short video here)

Mom's Proudest Moment: Yelling "DUDE!" when the cat tipped over my glass of ice water the other day, which prompted Harper to then yell "DOOOOOO!" Thanking my lucky stars that, for once in my life, I actually watched my language. Parent of the month award? Obvi.

Dad's Proudest Moment: Playing "hats" with Harper's food bowls, which prompted her to pick up the cat's water bowl shortly after & dump it on her head.

 Flutter Sleeve Piece

Have I already mentioned how much this age rocks? :)
You can find the rest of our month by month favorites here.

Birthday & Beergaritas.

 Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes & sweet comments on Instagram! You all made my birthday so extra special & I thank you all from the bottom of my heart! We had such a fun weekend, complete with a night out (whoa!) & a Cinco De Mayo themed birthday party.

 Chalkboard print available here.

 I ordered Harper the most festive purple one piece, hoping it would get here in time for the party, but of course, no such luck. So she wore her dress from Easter, which is easily one of the cutest dresses in the whole world. She had a blast running around with all the other little kiddos. 

She also had a very momentous occasion during the party, she had her first Frito!! ;) She only ate one (and loved it of course), but unfortunately I can't say the same. Those damn chips get me every time!

 Pleated Dress, Headband

I am bummed that we didn't get any pictures of the Taco Bar, it was gone way too quickly, but it wasn't very pretty anyway. We stuck with paper plates & bowls for easy cleanup. Although smashing a giant pinata all over our porch totally defeated the purpose (we opted not to fill it with guac & put candy & mini plastic booze bottles inside instead). But it was a blast!

On to the good stuff. Beergaritas. They are SO. GOOD. I know there are a million names for these & probably even more recipes for them, but this is actually a drink that we started making probably four years ago when I first bought these giant glasses & we had some mini coronas leftover from our Cinco De Mayo Party.

The half-assed recipe goes something like this. Fill your blender 3/4 of the way full with ice, one frozen Minute Maid Limeade concentrate, one squeezed lime (just the juice) & as much tequila as you want. I used probably 1/4 of a regular size bottle of Jose Cuervo for each batch. (See why I suck at recipes?) Blend it. Rim your glass with salt. If your glasses won't hold a bottle of beer, you can just add the Corona to the blender, otherwise just tip it into the glass at the end. This works best if you can find mini Corona bottles! Each batch makes about four beergaritas, depending on how big you want them! :) And you'll want them big. Because they're delicious.

 I think we took my chalkboard saying quite literally & are now paying the price. Rule number one when you try to balance booze & babies... kids don't give an eff if you have a hangover. 

Sources: Garland, Paper Straws, Pleated Dress, Headband

Cinco De Mayo Party Planning

You knew it was coming. You didn't really think I could wait until 4th of July for another excuse for holiday fun, did you? :) We are having an early Cinco De Mayo Fiesta this weekend to celebrate my birthday. I bought an excessive amount of recycled-glass fishbowl margarita glasses on clearance a few years ago (you can find similar ones here) & I am ready to put them to good use!

As soon as I had a color scheme in mind, I had to order my staples right away, a festive garland & fun paper straws. We will be knee-deep in Beergaritas & soaking up the tequila with a taco bar, served on these awesome taco racks!

My husband suggested filling the pinata with guacamole. And he was dead serious. That's why he isn't in charge of party planning.

I love all of the bright colors that come along with Cinco De Mayo celebrations. These would be my picks for festive outfits to celebrate the occasion! :)

 Navy Striped Romper - Orange Plaid One Piece

Yellow Dot Onesie - Floral Sequin Top - Plaid Flutter Dress - Bows

I haven't decided what I'm wearing yet (guess I gotta put away the dance pants for the night) but as soon as I do, I will have to quickly decide what to dress Harper in. Do you all remember her festive little photo from last year? I guess that can't really be topped.

How about you, will you be celebrating Cinco De Mayo? I will be sure to share pics & recipes! :)

We are going to fiesta like there's no mañana!

Spring Cleaning & Baby Proofing

They say that cleaning your house when you have kids is much like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos. I think someone says that, anyway.

Ruffle Sleeve Onesie, Hunter Flats, Headband

I actually love Spring cleaning. If I don't get to put pumpkins everywhere or put up a Christmas tree, I want my house to be clean & clutter free. That is a total joke when you have a kid, so this year, we focused more on kid-safe cleaning products & containing the clutter (rather than getting rid of it, since there is really no such thing). At least I want to have the appearance of a neatly organized home! :) I am a basket hoarder. Diapers, blankets, toys, and all other "everyday essentials" are hidden away in baskets around every corner. It's a BREEZE to clean up. 

Our cleaning schedule really consists of two things, picking up each night after Harper is in bed & a deep-clean every Sunday afternoon. We do dishes/sweep/pick up toys every day, which keep things in working order. Then, on Sundays, we scrub bathrooms, floors, vacuum, lint roll our cat-hair-coated-furniture & dust. We also do ALL of our laundry on Sundays. It's a joke to try keeping up with it throughout the week & things end up sitting in the washer overnight.

Spring cleaning also means organizing & making room for new things (psst... that's my favorite part). Here is my list of Spring Cleaning Favorites! :)

Mason Jars - I use these for EVERYTHING. You can buy them by the dozen here. I use these not just iced coffee, but for cotton balls, q-tips, washi tape, pacifiers, paint, chalk, etc. We also use the quilted jelly jars for drinking, but these are also perfect for storing small things all around the house.

Glass Canisters - You've seen these in lots of my pictures, we store Harper's headbands in them, flour/oats in the kitchen, makeup & craft supplies in the play room. If you're looking for a super affordable, pretty storage solution, these are perfect for every room of the house.

White Zip Organizers - We have these stashed away in drawers & cupboards all over the house, helping to organize everything. You'll see them in Harper's Nursery Tour too, they are so great for getting a baby's room organized, plus they are soft & safe for kids to get their little hands on.

Method Lemon Mint Dish Soap - Smells amazing & looks good enough to leave out on the counter all the time!

BabyGanics All Purpose Cleaner - We use this for just about everything, it's always hard to find a baby-safe cleaning product that smells good & actually works. Babyganics, we love you!

Glade Plugin Sweet Pea & Lilac - I always hated the idea of scented plugins & always stuck to candles, but on a whim we picked this one up a few weeks ago because of the scent, and LOVE IT. Our house smells so great, every time we walk in the door you notice the fresh, spring scent right away.

Wire Baskets -These are perfect for containing the clutter, even if you have a bunch of little bottles, cleaners, odds & ends, if you contain them in a simple wire basket, everything looks a hundred times better. We use these all over our house too, super affordable & they make such a statement when grouped together.

Accessory Tray - Love these for countertops, again you don't have to get rid of clutter, just contain it. If you typically have nailpolishes, jars, facewashes, etc. all sitting on your bathroom vanity, put it all together neatly on a tray & you will see a totally different, more organized look. Another favorite is the acrylic tray that I have from the Container Store, the clear finish will match any room in the house! :)

CLUTTER. CONTAINED.

 
 On the topic of cleaning & organizing, one thing that we desperately needed to do in our house was finish BABYPROOFING. Harper has been given the freedom of no more baby gates, so she runs laps around the entire downstairs, getting into anything & everything within reach. The biggest debate between my husband & I was about how we would babyproof our cabinets.
I despise the plastic spring loaded door/drawer stops, they drive me utterly bonkers. We were determined to find a different solution.
I absolutely do not have the patience to hear a door open & slam shut for children's everlasting entertainment, nor would I be able to contain my self from hulk-smashing our silverware drawer to the ground every time it taunts me when I try to open it. I'm a bit of a "ram-rod" as my husband says. I yank open drawers when I'm in a hurry & would lose my shit at the sound of all the metal slamming to the front as the drawer comes to a hault after opening one measly inch.

ANYWAY.
We did some research, and ended up going with the Magnetic Locking System & I will never look back. They are more expensive than the alternatives, but well well well worth the money. The doors/drawers don't open at all unless you hold the magnetic key up to the spot where you have attached the lock, which then pulls the little lever inside down. That means no partial opening slamming at all.

 BEST PART. They have an on/off switch. So once you put the kiddos to bed, you can just turn the switch to off for the night, so you can cook or put away your dishes like normal. Hell yes.

Harper has tried opening the doors, realizes that they don't budge & now doesn't even bother with them. Jackpot. You can find them here. 

I'll be sure to include more of the baby proofing products with our 13-14 month favorites post soon, but for now, time to get back to birthday week fun (aka. a guilt-free slice of Publix cake).

The Sun Never Sets on a Badass.

Gorgeous weather & this gorgeous girl made for a pretty spectacular Saturday.

 Highlights of our weekend so far include french toast, being lazy in the hammock & a trip to the park, where Harper strolled around like a little rockstar in her oversized sunnies. She also learned the word WOW, which has never sounded cuter to me in my whole entire life. Sometimes it starts with a B when she says it... bwwwwwaaaow.

Outfit Sources: Grey Terry One Piece, Sandals, Sunglasses, Headband

Today also kicks off my birthday week! Whoop! As if I'm already not trying to cram too much fun into every other day of the week, I'm really going to be pushing the limits for the last few days of being 26. I'm talking birthday-cake-flavored-everything, festive cocktails on the fly & probably staying up past our bedtime. Let the games begin.

Hope you all are having a fabulous weekend!