Love List

1. We are ready for some FOOTBALL!
The first Iowa game is later this month & we can't wait! Football season is our favorite time of the year. Time to stock up on new Iowa gear for Harper (and myself!) & plan lots of fun football parties at our house. Harper is also obsessed with the football & loves trying to throw it. Just in time!!  Looks like dad almost has a new partner to play catch with outside during halftime! ;)

 Set, Hike!

You know I have an obsession with baseball tees for a while now. I have been searching forever for one for Harper & finally found these from American Apparel. They are so soft & comfy, I love them SO MUCH. Harper's is size 18-24 months & is pretty big on her, for your reference. :) There may be nothing cuter than a toddler in a baseball tee! I also got this zip-back baseball tee for myself & also love it! I can't wait to buy more colors for both of us!

Baseball Tee | Ruffle Bloomers

2. Target sales. I had been stalking these wreaths FOREVER waiting for them to go on sale & finally got them last week at half price! Second best part about Fall stuff hitting the shelves? Everything else goes on clearance! I feel like these could be kinda Fallish right?? Some pumpkins might make those peach flowers pop! The downside of having two doors is that expensive wreaths are way out of the question.
Also, I clearly need a bigger rug.

3. I am loving all of the Halloween outfits that are popping up everywhere!! Nothing makes me happier than a festively dressed babe, especially in this Boo onesie which actually looks cute with leggings (so we don't have to put the onesie on the outside!) & these amazing cat tights. I can't wait to see Harper's little diaper booty in them!

4. I finally printed some Instagram pictures! I ordered a bunch of small sized prints from Ink361
to save & send to family, as well as some larger art prints that we could frame in the house. All you have to do is select to import pictures directly from your Instagram, then you can choose all sorts of print sizes or even canvases. I was so happy with the quality (and they shipped so fast!) so I can't wait to print more!! Ikea also sells super inexpensive square frames that are prefect for 12x12 prints, this would make for such an amazing photo wall!

 5. My backpack obsession. I mentioned in this post how Harper is starting her little mother's morning out program & I ordered this ruffle backpack for her. I also discovered this camo backpack & can't get over how cute it is! The most perfect option for something that isn't too girly! I kinda want it for myself!

6. Harper's new school desk! Or, very old school desk I should say. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably remember this gem from a few months ago. I found it at a flea market for $25! Brandon has been hard at work restoring it & it is almost done. I can't wait to share after photos & see if Harper loves it as much as we do!

 

7. Fall treats. I got my first few cans of pumpkin from the grocery store the other day & am already looking forward to making the first batch of pumpkin muffins. Use the recipe from this post for the easiest & most delicious muffins that you can whip up in no time!
 

8. Hocus Pocus. Ok, dead giveaway that this would be on my love list. We have been watching it non stop. I also have to ask, have any of you seen the old classic Double, Double, Toil & Trouble? If you just squealed & instantly considered naming your next child Agatha, we might be best friends.

Our Weekend in Pictures

Seems to be a trend in our weekend posts, cute pictures of Harper & lots of good food. This weekend was filled with lots of rain, some sleeping in, birthday parties, Maid-Rites, a furniture makeover (more on that soon) & french toast sticks. Doesn't get much sweeter than that! :)

   Orange Polka Dot Onesie

Oh, and I also may have put up the very first of our Fall decorations.

 Tassel Garland

PS. It actually is five o'clock somewhere (here!!) & Oktoberfest has officially hit the shelves at most grocery stores. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? :) Happy Monday to you all!!!

$10,000 Destination Nursery Giveaway

So excited to bring to you today an unbelievable opportunity! We are honored to be a part of presenting the 3rd Destination Nursery/Kid's Room Make-over Giveaway with Mom's Best. What a unique opportunity for 1 lucky winner to have their dream space exclusively designed by Serena and Lily! This would be a dream come true! #thisisreallyakidsroomgiveaway Delighted to also partner with these other amazing blogs in presenting this opportunity... Mom's Best, Spearmint Baby, The Wise Baby, Mommy Guru, According to Nina, and In this wonderful life.

A very special thanks to Serena and Lily for their wonderful generosity in donating all of these items for 1 LUCKY WINNER! You will have the choice between a nursery or kids's space for a boy or a girl. Serena and Lily will be designing a one of a kind space for the winner using some fun "new"items from their "Fall 2013" collection. Check out a few pieces from their new wall paper line!  

Nautical Theme Boy...all items can be found at Serena and Lily except for #3 Zebra sheet, #4 Denim Wall paper, and #11 Variegated Stripe rug...they will be debuting soon in their new Fall 2013 collection.

One | Two | Three (Zebra Sheet New for Fall) | Four (New for Fall) | Five | Six |  Seven | Eight | Nine Ten | Eleven (New for Fall) | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen

Sweet Stripes Girl...Loving the color palette for a sweet nursery or kid's space! All items can be found online at Serena and Lily except for #3 zebra sheet, #5 pink stripe wall paper, #8 aqua french tassel curtains and #10 pin stripe rug, they will be available soon with their new "Fall 2013 collection."

One | Two | Three | Four | Five (New for Fall) | Six | Seven | Eight (aqua color New For Fall) | Nine 
Ten (New for Fall) | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen   
 

Special Delivery: Mama and Child additional prize package! Talk about a chic mama and her baby or child! You could also win all of this! 1. Leanne Barlow great lengths maxi skirt, 2. Von Bon Apparel 1 complete set for baby, 3. Faas Design (2 pairs) patterned moccs and boots, 4. Little Bow and Arrow Leggings for a baby or child, 5. Make Pie custom made jewelry 2 custom items.  

To ENTER:

1. First watch our behind the scenes video ...to see exactly what may go into creating your dream nursery/kids space!   
2. Please leave a comment sharing your favorite Serena and Lily product and if you win will it be for a girl or boy...nursery or kid's space!  
3. You must complete all items listed below in Rafflecopter ...all entries will be verified so please be honest in completing all of the items. When Pinning the 3 images ...Please Pin them to a baby or kid's type board...There are a couple items you can share and do daily to increase your point score and chance for winning! Once you are complete now be sure to visit the other fantastic blog while dreaming about how much you are going to love your new dream nursery/kids room make over! Watch Instagram for more ways to increase your chances for winning. 
4. On August 26th we will randomly pick 5 semi-finalists...these 5 people will then be asked to submit a quick 30 second video clip sharing their story...this will Go LIVE to our Voting On August 28th. Then for 3 days, the public will have the chance to vote on their favorite video, you will have the chance to help us pick the final winner! Best of luck! Winner Announced by September 3rd!  
5. The only RESTRICTIONS to enter...you must be at least 21 years old and either 6+ months pregnant or already have children...we are offering a kid's room space for a child of any age. Anyone can enter that fits this criteria. Open to US and CANADA residents only.  
6. You may not enter to win these items with the intent of donating some or part to someone else. This is meant solely for the winner. Thank you! **This is a nursery/make over with design help...you will be expected to paint,prep, and assemble the space with items received in the prize package within a specified period of time... We will require before and after video footage from which we will create a mini video to share with destination nursery readers.  
7. You may NOT use more than one valid email address to stack your entries...doing so will disqualify you from being a semi-finalist. ****Mom's Best would like to bring a design team to your area as we make over your nursery/ kids space. You could be a part of our mini-web "Reality" series...as we travel to the next 3-5 winner's location! Watch for our campaign launching soon...raising the necessary funds to travel to each winners location...starting with our current winner Kailee Fitch from St. Louis! Will you be our next destination? ****All items will be donated to 1 lucky winner! This is a sponsored giveaway, we did not receive any cash compensation...but in some cases product samples were given to allow us to share our honest opinion. Thank you! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sleep Update: 18 Months

Before getting into all the super exciting sleep talk,  I just wanted to take a second to thank you all again for all of the sweet comments on recent blog posts & Instagram photos, emails & purchases from my Etsy shop. I'll never be able to express how grateful we are for all of your kindness & support. You all truly put a huge smile on my face each day & I can't tell you how much I love hearing that you've been inspired by my blog. A huge thank you from the bottom of my heart!! :)

A few things have changed over the past few weeks, making 18 months a pretty big milestone for our little lady. 

First, and most exciting, Harper is paci free! She has always had a pacifier for bed & naptime since she was a baby, we never really let her run around with it or have it any other time, but it has always calmed her so much. On car rides or when she is over tired, plugging in the paci sends her right to sleep. Lately I've noticed that it's on the floor or in her crib when she wakes up, but she rarely sleeps with it in her mouth. Our ped mentioned that we should wean her from it by the time she is two, so the other night, on a whim, we decided to try not giving it to her. Guess what happened? She fell right to sleep just like normal. Same happened the next day for her nap & bedtime the next night. So, we washed them all & packed them away. Um? Talk about anticlimactic! I know all kids are different, but if you are stressing about it (like I was) maybe just give it a try? It might be easier than you think! ;)

We've also packed away her bottles, as she just drinks her milk from her straw cups before bed. Again, super easy transition, she was only upset once about it but took it like a champ. She gets a few bedtime stories (Belly Button Book is her favorite, she even says bee-bo!), songs & a prayer before bed. Then she sleeps with just a small stuffed animal & two or three small blankets. I didn't start letting her have blankets in bed until the last month or two, but they are all of the breathable muslin material. She loves snuggling with them!

Harper has also officially transitioned to only one nap. This really was a hard transition, for both of us. We went back & forth between morning, late afternoon & napping right through lunch time. Sometimes after her morning nap, I thought we were good to go & would attempt taking her to the mall or out for a late lunch. Then of course she would lose her marbles & have a total hey-lady-its-my-naptime-meltdown wherever we were. But we worked through it & finally got her heading down for her afternoon nap around 1:30 each day & sleeping for at least two to three hours. She still sleeps through the night & has even been sleeping in a little later each day since going down to one nap (from about 8pm-8am). Sounds crazy, but I am loving the one long nap much more than two.

Of course, we can't have a sleep post without rounding up the cutest jams on the block! I am so happy there are new pajamas to buy, Harper has outgrown so many of my favorite pairs & I have hated packing them away! I am loving all of these bright colors & patterns for the Fall!

And if you haven't tried a pair of these Giggle striped organic pajamas, you are missing out. They are my absolute favorite, so stretchy (easy to put on fresh out of the bath tub!) & so incredibly soft. Well worth the money!!

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven

And if you loved Harper's Fox Pajamas from last Fall, they are back in stock this year! I love buying the same things in bigger sizes, it makes for such cute pictures to compare! :)

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!!!

Booze on the Baby Blog

Oh, ya know, just another booze post on the baby blog. We're no stranger to that around here, so for anyone who has asked about the yummy Sangria we had last night, this one's for you!

Floral Straws

Remember how I suck at recipes?

I use a bottle of red wine (preferably Pinot Noir, otherwise Merlot), 1/2 Cup (ish) of Triple Sec, one squeezed lime, one peach, one apple, one pear & one orange. I chop all the fruit first, then add the booze & then add the ice, it helps keep the fruit at the bottom to soak up all the good stuff. 

You can also find my half-assed recipe for white wine sangria here.
Just make sure you eat the fruit at the end, it's the best part!

 Brandon took the day off work yesterday after being gone on business trip, so we had some much needed family time & decided to pretend it was Friday by grilling out with some music & cocktails outside.

You know how people always say you feel more energized after working out, yet it just doesn't seem possible? Doing this sort of thing in the middle of the week has the same effect. It's a lot of work, sounds much easier to make an easy dinner & relax on the couch, but it actually gives us hope that weeknights don't have to always be boring! :)

 4Moms Breeze Playard | Momma Sippy Cup | Sleeveless One Piece

Of course, pretending like it's Friday still doesn't make the weekend come any sooner.
Damn damn double damn. (name that movie!)
Happy Hump Day!

Love List

Ready for some Monday randomness?! Good. Full dose, coming right up! I had to share with you a few things on my Love List right now, hope you will LOVE them just as much! :)

1. Mimosa Popsicles. Oh yes, just as tasty as they sound! I made them this weekend & they were such a tasty treat for Saturday & Sunday morning with breakfast! I bought this ice pop maker, used high pulp orange juice, champagne & a few cut up strawberries. Yes, yes, double yes.

 

2. I think I died & went to Heaven when I stumbled across these knit pants for kids this morning. I bought them in every single color & am positive that Harper will LIVE in them this entire Fall & Winter. Drooling!

3. All of the amazing things in this pear print are on sale & I love it ALL. Appropriate to buy stuff in every size to hoard for another baby someday?! I think so. Kelly green is my favorite color right now.

 

  Pear Print Bloomers | Headband

 4. Essie Smokin' Hot nail polish. Many of you have asked what is the color on my nails recently, it's this beauty! It's from last Fall so it can sometimes be hard to find, but I have stocked up on a few extra bottles just in case I ever run out. This is my go to color from July 5th through Thanksgiving. Of course I have dates, right? #weird

5. Harper doing the robot.

 Marled Terry Pants | Headband

Kidding, she was being a little shit & sticking her foot in the Ivy after I told her no while we were outside watering plants. But it's funnier to pretend that she was doing the robot. Cut a rug, babe! ;)

6. This glitter cat ear headband, which Harper & I might both be wearing for most of October. Has anyone else been thinking about Halloween costumes already?! You know I have!!! ;)

7. Online shopping now officially exists at H&M. Shopping in the store requires a level of patience that I am really just not capable of, so this makes me extra happy.

8. The Syrup Shop. You've probably already seen this all over my Instagram (@jlgarvin) but honestly, I just can't get enough. I have had a crazy obsession with Burlington, Vermont for years, all stemming originally from my love for Hocus Pocus, then Salem, MA & then all the other beautiful Fall places on the East Coast. ANYWAY. I found their syrup on Pinterest, went to their site & could not stop myself from loading up my cart with all of their amazing gear! Then it turns out, that their shop owners are quite possibly the sweetest people on earth, which makes me love them even more!

PROOF. 

Random conversation with my husband the other day about shirts, where he totally calls me out for wearing my Syrup & Happy Camper shirts for entirely too many days in a row.

 Hope your week is off to a great start!

Food Truck Park Summer Adventure

Did you all know that there is such thing as a Food Truck Park!? I heard about this a few weeks ago while on my quest to get a sno cone before summer is over & could not wait to check it out!

BBQ, Italian ice, pretzels, tacos, hot dogs, gourmet popsicles, you name it. The food truck park is not only filled with tons of amazing food vendors, but also hosts live music, a farmers market & a huge grassy area filled with bocce ball & other yard games. Obsessed!

4Moms Origami Stroller

Can you spot Sophie photo bombing in this picture?! :)

 Harper was mesmerized by everything going on & loved sampling all the food as much as we did! Blue Raspberry Italian ice was definitely a fan favorite! And hot dogs. Always hot dogs.

 

Places like this are such gems in big cities! If you are ever in the Atlanta area (maybe not in the sweltering summer heat) this is a must see! :)

You can see where else the Origami is going this summer & enter to win $100 in 4moms store credit by playing in the #origamisummerstroll trivia contest on their Facebook page.

Hello Onesie | Grey Skirt from Gap Outlet (similar here) | Headband from J.Crew (similar here)

This may also be one of my favorite outfits Harper has ever worn, I love girly tutus & headbands paired with graphic onesies. I would wear this outfit in a heartbeat! ;)

A thank you to our friends at 4moms for sponsoring this post & our fun summer adventure!