Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Ella Rose | 11 Month Update

I'm a little behind on posting Ella's 11 month update here on the blog. 
 I captured the photos on her 11 month birthday, I recorded all of the stats too... but it's taken me a few days to finally sit down and document all of it here.


As much as I'd love to ramble on and on, once again, about how I cannot believe that another month has come and gone, and question where on earth the time is going, I will spare you all, and keep those thoughts to myself... at least until next month when I will have no choice but to come to terms with the fact that this little lady will be one.  Totally and completely crazy to think about.



This little nugget weighed in at 20 pounds, 2 ounces this month, and measured 29.6 inches in length.  She's wearing size 12 month clothes now, and it turns out this is dangerous, because it seems the clothing options just keep getting more and more adorable as she grows, which means there is a temptation to shop everywhere we go, and it's tough for me to exercise restraint when it comes to itty bitty fashion.

Ella finally sprouted those 2 super cute bottom teeth (pictured above), and I don't doubt that the top ones will be following suit and poking through as well, any time now.


She still isn't quite walking, but she is crawling, scooting, cruising, rolling, and using any other means possible to get around.

She literally eats EVERYTHING we put in front of her, which seems to infuriate her super picky big brother, but you've gotta love a girl who can eat!


She sleeps well, laughs a ton, and continues to add so much more fun and personality to our days.

Watching the interaction between her and Max, as she becomes able to actually keep up and play with him, totally melts my heart.  Listening to the 2 of them make each other laugh in the back seat of our car during a recent 8+ hour road trip, had both Mike and I beaming from ear to ear.



Ella Rose, we love you so, so much... and even though we wish we could slow down time just a little bit, we are loving watching you grow and reach new milestones.
-Mommy





Sunday, March 29, 2015

Swoon Worthy


I don't know if it's because last year Easter was towards the end of April, or the fact that I was 9 months pregnant then, but it doesn't seem possible that Easter is only a week away.

I'm a day behind on this week's Swoon Worthy post, thanks to a weekend getaway that we had no choice but to plan on a whim... Which I promise to explain in my next post!

But... in the time being, seeing as Easter is what's on my mind right now, along with about a million other things, here are all of the seasonally appropriate things I am loving this week...

1.  Call me overindulgent, but I am swooning over every last ingredient that goes into the making of these festive bars.

2.  We're huge fans of Jellycat stuffed animals around here, so when I found these super cute tiny versions of their Bashful Bunny, I had to grab one for Ella's Easter basket.

3.  Love this sweatshirt and these adorable chick pjs for boys and girls.

4.  How sweet are these cookies???

5.  What a fun and simple Easter craft for little ones!

6.  I do believe we will be making these this week!

7.  Who knew there were so many color options when it came to dying eggs? I'm all for the radiant orchid.

9.  You know we love a good holiday themed read around here, and of course we have to have some reading material that touches on the true meaning of Easter.

10.  Last but not least, it wouldn't be Easter for me without Cadbury Cream Eggs.

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!
-J

Monday, March 23, 2015

Weekend Recap

Another weekend has come and gone, and though we are still in the midst of our bathroom renovation disaster (aka boxes full of toiletries and towels strewn about my house), it was undoubtedly a weekend well spent.


Seeing as it was the first official weekend of Spring, I felt it was only right to indulge in some rosé.


I also indulged in a little bit of white wine and fashion magazine reading, during my first trip to a salon in far, far too long.

Mike bought me a gift card for a day of spa pampering for my birthday... Which was in July, friends. I finally snuck away for about an hour and a half to get a much needed haircut. 

To say that I am loving my new long bob would be the understatement of the century.


I was feeling so relaxed and removed from my frumpy mama slump upon leaving, that I convinced myself, without much arm twisting, that I really need to treat myself a little more often. Even just a little time away for some pampering left me feeling totally refreshed.



Clearly M&E have no qualms over indulging in a little R&R.

Hope you all have a great week!
-J

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Swoon Worthy


Happy first official weekend of Spring friends.  It snowed here yesterday, which made it feel anything but spring-like, but it's supposed to warm up over the coming week, so fingers crossed that yesterday was winter's last hurrah, and we can move on to green grass and sunshine.

As some of you know, I missed last week's Swoon Worthy post, so I'm pumped to get right back to it this week.

Here's what I'm currently loving...

1.  These cookies... if you live near a Trader Joe's, you have to try them.  So good, and on the healthier side too!

2.  Gold, glitter, and 30% off right now.  These shoes are the cutest!

3.  We had these wonton tacos for dinner this past week... they were super easy to make, and so yummy!

4.  If you're looking for some bright and cheery spring decor, this garland is so pretty!

5.  The books we have grown to love so much around here are also available as puzzles!

6.  We're so excited for it to warm up so we can back to one of our favorite outdoor pastimes.

7 .  I am obsessed with this dress... and it's 25% off right now!

8.  Carrot. Cake. Pancakes. That is all.

9.  I love the "Happy Camper" version of this T shirt for my little guy!

10.  I think it's time for a fun new Spring palette!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
-J

Monday, March 16, 2015

Blogger Fail/Fun Spring Finds

Things have been a bit chaotic around here lately.  So much so, that I didn't even get the chance to sit down this past weekend and type up my usual weekly "Swoon Worthy" post.

Between our bathroom being torn apart, and the spring weather we're finally experiencing in these parts, I've been making a serious effort to get M&E out of the house, and let Mike do his thing in terms of home improvement projects... 

So, in lieu of my usual post, I thought I would share some of the awesome spring finds/purchases I've made lately for the babes. 
Generally twice a year, we go on an all-out shopping spree and stock the family up for the seasons.  This time around, however, it seems that I bought nothing for myself, but a ton of super cute stuff for my kids. It's just so much more fun to dress them!



{dress | bow}


{bows}



{anchor shorts, Carter's | blue pants | pink shirt | blue shirt}

{anchor romper | polo shirt, Carter's | plaid shorts}


There are so many awesome sales going on right now, that made it such a good time to stock up.  I don't think I paid full price for anything I bought between sales and coupons.  Gap is offering 40% off right now, Old Navy 30%, and pretty much everything was on sale at Carter's, plus I had a 25% off coupon.  I can never pass up a good sale!

I hope you all have an amazing week... and hopefully I can get my act together and get back to posting regularly!
-J

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Spring Is In the Air...

I look forward to it every year... Those first few warm spring-like days, the melting snow, that impending feeling of new beginnings... But this year it's all just a little bittersweet.


There are a lot of big changes coming in the near future for our family, the details of which are not entirely in place yet, so it will be a little longer until I can really "spill the beans" and explain exactly what I mean by all of this.

What I can tell you is that we are preparing to put our house on the market, which as I'm sure many of you know full well, means lots of projects, cleaning, purging, and organizing. So if it seems I've been a little bit absent lately, in terms of this blog, that should help to explain why.

{Before Demo}

We began renovations on our one and only full bathroom last weekend, and because we live in a small old farm-style house, this project has meant some stellar planning on my husband's part to keep our shower/bathtub up and running for as long a time period as possible.  As of now, he has (with the help of a friend) only gotten as far as demoing the existing bathroom (i.e. removal of the vanity, the flooring, and the horrible plaster walls that were in place in there), and some of the electrical work.

{our little helper}

In the meantime, naturally, I've been pinning away on Pinterest for design inspiration... however, we are taking on this renovation with the mindset that we will not be in this house for much longer to enjoy our new bathroom, so I'm not going too crazy with any of the finishing touches.  It seems so funny to me that we are finally closing in on completing all of the work that we knew we wanted to put into this house, just in time to pass it along to someone else, but such is life I guess... on to bigger and better things for us. 

As our family continues to grow, we have very quickly learned that we just need more space, and though like I said before, all of these changes are bittersweet, I am trying to prepare myself for what's to come as much as one possibly can, with mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement, which I suppose is to be expected.


I can't wait to share some photos once the bath is finally done being renovated, along with the rest of our news.

Hope you're all having a great week!
-J

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Swoon Worthy


Happy set-the-clocks-ahead weekend friends! I couldn't be more thrilled that the first official sign of spring is finally upon us. Despite the fact that this means darker mornings, it also means it will be light out past dinner time, and that is definitely something to look forward to.

The weather forecast here in Western Pennsylvania is calling for temps in the 50's next week, so hopefully we'll get the opportunity to throw on our wellies and play in the mud!

We're going to be putting our house on the market in the near future, so we're about to take on the daunting task of renovating the one and only full bathroom we have... Please send positive vibes that this project goes quickly and smoothly for us, and I promise to share some photos of the process, as well as some other exciting news in the near future!

In the mean time, here are all of the things I am currently swooning over....

1.  With St. Patrick's Day coming right up, I've been on the hunt for fun and festive snack ideas.  How cute are these simple shamrock pops?

2.  I think you guys have gotten the hint that I have Spring on my mind big time... I always love these free seasonal print outs... This spring print is no exception!

3.  Every once and awhile, I like to splurge and treat myself to some great make up... This palette has a little of everything, and I must get my hands on it!

4.  Between the fact that my husband is training for a marathon and runs his long training runs on Saturdays, and it being Lent, on Fridays, I'm always on the hunt for a hearty vegetarian meal for us to have for dinner. Last night we tried this one pot pasta for the first time... It was so, so easy to make, and tasted incredible!

5.  You guys.... This dress... So perfect for spring!

6.  I'm not much of a cocktail girl these days, I only indulge occasionally, and mostly stick to wine, but my husband loves a good vodka tonic, and hates when they get watered down by melting ice. We recently ordered these ice molds... Problem solved!



7.  Super soft T shirts like these have become a staple in my wardrobe. I like to layer them, wearing them over tanks and under cardigans.  I picked some up at Target this past week, since they were 3 for $24!


8.  I have confessed my love for Boom Chicka Pop many many times on this blog... But this flavor that we found in Target's Easter section is beyond addicting!

9.  Max has become a professional door slammer as of late... I'm currently eyeing up this genius product as a solution to the problem.

10.  The Mainer in me will always love a good boat neck striped shirt.  I adore this one in the deep red color.

I also wanted to mention, to those of you who are on IG, that Jacquie @sweetersidemom is hosting an incredible giveaway in celebration of reaching 5k followers.  This giveaway includes a set of bows from Little Peach Blossoms, so if you're on Instagram, check out her feed for details!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
-J

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Wednesday Things

I feel like I've been a really terrible blogger lately, but in all honesty there hasn't been a whole lot going on around here worth sharing.


We have officially entered the "beyond over winter" stage, and have quite literally had more than enough of freezing temperatures and  forecasts that call for snow and freezing rain.

I am aching to get outside with my kids and play, and I'm sure they too are yearning for some fresh air and sunshine.




In the meantime, with all of this indoor time, I have been working on lots of new items for my Etsy shop.  As much as I enjoy knitting and crocheting handmade items to sell, I found that my maker-heart was aching to create more, so I have happily delved back into the world of hair accessories and even some fun jewelry for kids.  In the beginning I really just wanted to create some bows/barrettes/headbands for Ella, but I found that I was really enjoying making this type of stuff, and decided why not add some of these items to the shop... so keep an eye out for some really fun new items that I will be adding as I create!

Other than that, we're doing all that we can to keep ourselves entertained with the hopes that over the next few weeks we'll be able to enjoy some warmer temps, and perhaps even get the opportunity to bask in the sun.



Before I go, I thought I would share the super easy recipe for these "cookies" that I made this morning.  They are adapted from this original recipe that I found on Pinterest, but I am lovingly referring to my version as Chunky Monkey 2-Ingredient Cookies.

I mashed 2 ripe bananas, added 1 cup of old fashioned oats, and mixed them together, then I added 2 Tbs of PB2 and a small handful of mini chocolate chips.  Then I dropped the mix by large spoonfuls onto a well greased baking sheet, and baked at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. That's it!

These cookies (if you can even call them that), are so simple to make, are healthy, and the mix-in options are really endless!

Hope you're all having a great week!
-J
 
Real Time Web Analytics