A Case of the Mondays

Another summer weekend has come and gone, and here it is Monday again. Our weekend started off both busy and chaotic, and ended with all of us spending the day in pajamas on the couch.

Max has caught a case of the summer sniffles, and it seems to be starting to catch up to the rest of us too. 

Is there anything worse than a busy toddler with a runny nose?

On Friday we had a lunch/play date with friends... This entailed Max and his friend, Kylie, first tearing apart the inside of our house, and then the outside. When the playing was over and Max was down for his nap, I spent my afternoon fishing sidewalk chalk out of our kiddie pool and the water table. Toddler antics at their best.

Then Ella and I spent some serious time bonding together, you can tell by the look on her face just how serious this really was.

On Saturday, Mike and I had a wedding to attend. I can't tell you the last time I left my kids for more than an hour, so preparing for this took the better part of the morning.

We had a blast at the wedding, (a little bit too much fun), and got in some much needed "adult" time.

Sunday was my 32nd birthday, and it was completely uneventful. I'm not complaining though, a lazy day snuggling with the fam was just what I needed. 

Mike and the kids gifted me with a day at the spa... A gift that I absolutely cannot wait to take advantage of. We ate pizza, lounged, and recovered from our big night out.

Ella's expression emulates how I felt when I opened my gift. Sheer joy.

Today we woke up to rainy weather, and Max not feeling up to par. A total "case of the Mondays" kind of day. So we're resting up and working on projects in bed, hopeful that tomorrow we'll be feeling better and be ready to conquer the world... And my mile long to-do list!

Happy Monday to you!

-J

Swoon Worthy

We've been so busy enjoying summer that I'm a little behind on Swoon Worthy posts, but between our daily walks, playing with sidewalk chalk and swinging our days away, I managed to come up with this little list of things I'm currently swooning over.

1.  Most of you know by now how in love I am with my fitbit, the fact that Tory Burch started making  These  accessories only adds to my infatuation.

2.  This Caprese Panzanella Salad is life changing.

3.  Totally loving the fun prints Alex and Ally uses to make These items in her Etsy shop.

4.  Pineapple shaped ice cubes... Yes please!

5.  We love B. Brand toys, and These are no exception.

6.  Strawberry. Sangria. Popsicles. That is all.

7.  Purl Bee, you've done it again with This super cute gym short tutorial.

8.  I'm in no way trying to rush through summer, but I love These ballet flats for fall, and they're on sale right now!

9.  You had me at Hobnail, Starbucks!

10.  We just scored These super cute pjs for Ella (on sale, plus an additional 40% off and free shipping!)

Happy Friday!

-J

Ella Rose | 3 Months

It seems as though I blinked and suddenly our sweet Ella is 3 months old. It really is crazy how fast time goes when little ones are involved. It just flies right by.

One of the most fascinating things about infants is how quickly they grow and change. Ella is now weighing in at 13 pounds, 7 ounces and 25.4 inches long. I am completely in love with her chubby baby thighs and her tiny baby toes.

Without a doubt, her hair is still a source of amazement everywhere we go, and her eyes remain a beautiful bright shade of blue.

Our Ella girl has quite the personality these days, as she is a big talker, constantly cooing, I have no idea where that came from (insert sarcasm). She is a super smiley little lady, and she loves her sleep... Snoozing 10-12 hours most nights (thank The Lord).

I adore the fact that we can already see a bond forming between her and Max. Her eyes light up when she sees him, and she is fascinated by everything he does.

She is still eating (nursing) a ton, and has discovered her hands. When she isn't eating, she sucks on them like she has gone days without a meal... Which I can assure you, is not the case.

Ella rolled from her back to her belly for the first time a week or so ago, and we have found that she likes to scoot across the floor by pushing off of her feet. It isn't uncommon to lay her down one way, and find her several feet from that initial spot facing the opposite direction. I get the feeling we're going to be in big trouble in the not-so-distant future.

Happy 3 months Ella Rose!

Work(s) In Progress

It's been awhile since I have done a "crafty" post and showed you all what I'm currently working on. While I promise I have plenty more DIY tutorials up my sleeve for the future, I figured I'd share a little of what I've been working on as of late.

It's kind of funny really, I generally tend to do so much more knitting and crocheting in the cooler months. I feel like the two go hand in hand with cold days spent cuddled up under a quilt while sipping on a good cup of hot cocoa (spiked with some Bailey's better yet), but lately I've really been in a non-stop knitting and crocheting mode. As much as I enjoy time spent sitting at my sewing machine and sprawling out with the many other craft projects I like to take on, there is just something about the portability of yarn and needles/hooks. This comes in especially handy when you have 2 little ones who don't like to stay in one place for very long.

 I recently finished this hand knit tote bag, or "market" bag, as I like to call it. I found some inspiration on Pinterest, and then began mentally planning out a pattern for it since I couldn't find any that I liked after searching the internet. 

I'm really happy with the way it came out, and now I can't stop coming up with different color combinations and designs for it. I'm thinking I will be listing them in my Etsy shop in the near future.

I've hopped on the hexi craze bandwagon and can't get enough of working up This little pattern over the last few days. They're so quick to create, and the color combination possibilities are endless. I'm working on an afgan for my living room that will match these pillows... Although I'm willing to bet that by the time I finish the blanket, I will have bought new pillows. Story of my life.

I also recently finished this chunky knit heart blanket. I have been trying to work out a pattern/idea for some baby blankets, and this was the result of my first attempt. I still have a few kinks to work out, but it's getting there.

Otherwise, we've been enjoying the summer by spending lots of time outside, going for long walks, playing in the water, and grilling... Max makes a great hamburger!

Hope you're all enjoying your summer and taking the time to do things you enjoy!

-J

Mommy Favorites

Having two little ones by no means makes me an expert in the world of parenting. I will say however, that two years of experience and two babies later, I have finally figured out what products we as a family simply just can't live without. 

So, I decided it was time to compile a list of my "mommy favorites"... The things that I would buy a hundred times over and recommend to mamas everywhere, because they make my life as a mom just a little bit easier, and are just that great!

Munchkin Snack Cups | Sophie the Giraffe | Britax Marathon Carseat | OXO Bottle Brush | Babyganics Toy & Highchair Spray | Cloud B Sleep Sheep | aden + anais Security Blankets | Burt's Bees Calming Lotion | City Mini Double Stroller | Boon Drying Rack | Honest Co Face and Hand Wipes | Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer | Nose Frida Nasal Aspirator  | Baby Bjorn Potty Chair

Max's Birthday Party

I've always been the type that considered birthdays to be a pretty BIG deal... my baby's birthdays are no exception.

When I first began planning Max's birthday party awhile back, I knew I wanted it to be all about the things he loves most, which currently includes anything construction, and playing outside in the water and his sandbox.

His first birthday was an Elmo themed celebration, and I bit off way more than I could chew when it came to DIY projects.  I opted to make all of the decorations, bake the cake, and prepare all of the food myself.  While I loved how everything turned out, the never ending to do list and July heat, left me almost to frazzled to enjoy myself last year.  This time around, I decided to make things a little easier on myself, seeing as this summer I not only had Max to care for, but baby Ella too.

So, after deciding on a construction themed party, we ordered a cake, made some easy decorations, borrowed some construction gear (convenient due to the fact that Mike is a project manager for a general contractor), and chose a tasty, but low key  summer BBQ menu.

It turned out to be the perfect way to go.  Max had a blast, and I wasn't too stressed out to join in the festivities.

Everything ran perfectly smooth, until it was time to open gifts and Max had a melt down because we didn't actually open every new toy for him to play with right then and there.

In the end, cake and ice cream saved the day.

You can tell by the look on his face, that Max was exhausted from all of the fun. He crashed big time after everyone left.

Here is the recipe for the pasta salad that I served at the party.

Caprese Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 box (approximately 14 ounces) of pasta... I generally use whole wheat pasta, but in this case I used regular Gemelli.

1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 block (8 ounces) of mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes

1 bunch of basil, roughly chopped

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 Tbs

1 tsp italian seasoning

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil Pasta according to directions on the box.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss tomatoes and garlic in one Tbs of EVOO and place on baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast until tomatoes start to burst (approximately 15 minutes). Drain and cool pasta.  Allow tomatoes and garlic to cool as well. Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Italian seasoning together to make dressing.  Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl, including juice from roasted tomatoes.  Serve cold.

Enjoy!

-J

Swoon Worthy

I must apologize for the delay in this week's 'Swoon Worthy' post.  Things have been nothing short of chaotic around here this last week.  We celebrated Max's 2nd  Birthday yesterday with a Construction themed party (post to come), and on an extremely sad note, we had to put our sweet hound, Homer, down the other day.  I will most likely be posting about this as well, when I feel ready to do so... Losing a pet is so so hard.
Needless to say, things have been both tough and busy around here, and now that the craziness is dying down, I think as a family we will need to take some time to decompress.
In the meantime, here are the things I am "swooning" over as of late.

1.  My sweet, dog loving friend and her husband recently started selling handmade, in Maine, dog leashes.  Check them out, they are so unique and beautiful.

2.  Another amazing item from my home state... I'm dying over this Sea Bags baby bag.

3.  We have been love, love, loving our copper Moscow Mule mugs from Crate and Barrel lately... probably a little bit too much.

4.  I need these Nike's in my life this summer.

5.  I love a good beach cover up.

6.  Max needs these, then I won't have to worry when he takes a big bite out of one, not that that has ever happened.

7.  If you have a toddler, and you don't have a water table, it is a total lifesaver when it comes to keeping them busy and cool in the summer!

8.  I can't get enough of this flavored coffee creamer lately.

9.  Romper cuteness overload.

10.  I had a pair in 8th grade that I loved and wore so much they fell apart, so I'm pretty stoked that Birkenstocks are trendy again.  I adore this style.

Since I mentioned above, how much we've been loving Moscow Mules lately, I thought I'd share a little recipe that I came up with recently for Pineapple ones... they go down a little too easy.

Pineapple Moscow Mule
1.5 ounces of vodka
1.5 ounces of pineapple juice
4-6 ounces of Ginger Beer (we use Reed's brand)
Squeeze of fresh lime juice.

These are best served over lots of ice in a copper mug.
Enoy!
-J

Mommy + Me Chambray

I am seriously obsessed with everything chambray and have been for quite awhile now.  I love the color of it and how it goes with everything.  There are so many great chambray options out there, for moms and little ones.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Chambray Baseball Cap | Baseball Hoodie | Chambray Shirtdress | Indigo Ruffle-Trim Dress 

Boy's Chambray Shirt | Chambray Espadrilles | Chambray Baby Tunic

Sleeveless Chambray Shirtdress | Bandana Chambray Scarf 

Strappy Chambray Fit & Flare Dress | Chambray Sun Hat | Chambray Sneakers

Organic Headband Giveaway

It's been awhile since I did a giveaway, so I'm giving away one of my Organic Ice Cream Cone Headbands. These headbands are adjustable and generally fit newborn-24 months plus. If you are interested in "big kid" or adult sizes, you can let me know upon winning. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Recap of Max's Year

The last 2 years on Max's birthday, I have made it a point to sift through photos of the last year. I'm not sure why I put myself through it, because I always end up a sobbing mess, but I like the tradition and I love seeing how much he's changed and grown over the year as well as getting a chance to reflect on all of the milestones he's reached, and the fun things we've done as a family.

This last year was a big one for Max. He got his first haircut, started walking, went away on vacation, started talking (a lot), and became a big brother.

It's hard for me to watch my baby turn into a little boy, but seeing him grow and learn is pure magic!

First Birthday

First Haircut

Vacation in the Hamptons

Dad's company picnic

Pumpkin Patch

Announcing we were having a baby!

Elmo for Halloween

Santa comes to visit

Waiting for Da to get home from work

Easter 2014

Welcoming Ella to the family

Max's 2nd Birthday!

The year began and ended with cake!

-J