- Part 96

January 23, 2015

High Five for Friday

Hey Friday! Did this week fly or was it just me? We enjoyed the week and even the snow. I love when we get a beautiful blanket of snow, it’s such a beautiful sight before it all turns to slush. I wasn’t out playing with the kids this time around, but I hear snow angels were made :)

Here’s a look into my week:

1) A girl who dives into her big brothers toys as soon as he heads off to school :)

2) The nuggets all bundled up. Poor little girl. I don’t think she was thrilled that she had to wear her brother’s old snow pants/boots and a jacket that’s about a year too small for her. Oh well, the troubles of being a younger sibling!

3) Freshly fallen snow as I waited for Jack to arrive home from early dismissed school.

4) Are you all familiar with the Afterlight app? I’ve had it for a while but had forgotten how much I like it. It gives you many more options to play around with before you post to Instagram (or wherever you’re posting). I used it on a few of the above shots. It’s my way of making art :)

5) Have you guys played around with wallpaper in your home? I’m toying around with the idea of the girls potentially sharing a room at some point and I’m in love with this wallpaper to use on an accent wall. I hope they share the same love of colors that I do!

Enjoy your weekend gang!

January 22, 2015

Keeping it Casual

It can be rather frustrating looking into your closet and realizing that you can’t fit into the majority of your clothing. Although I’ve added a few t-shirts (which are necessary) I’m still doing my best to avoid much maternity shopping this (last) time around. It has little appeal to me anyway, so it’s honestly not all that hard to avoid. I have, however, had to tackle finding a dress to wear in my SIL’s wedding at which I’ll be a lovely 33 weeks pregnant. Thankfully, ASOS maternity seems to have done the trick. It’s certainly not my ideal pick, but I don’t exactly have all the options in the world at this point. In the meantime, I’m going to continue dressing in loose comfortable layers, enjoy the money that’s being saved and appreciate the little miracle bouncing around inside :)

Details: Target sweater / Motherhood Maternity t-shirt / Gap maternity denim (similar non-maternity) / Madewell scarf / Converse sneakers / Madewell tote / Stella & Dot monogram necklace and bracelet / Tiffany bow necklace / Michael Kors watch

January 21, 2015

For Your Bride to Be

I don’t know if I should proclaim this as the year of the weddings or the year of the babies because both seem to be in full swing. Although babies are certainly on my mind, for good reason, I’m going to chat about the bride’s-to-be in your life. I realize it’s convenient and appreciated by the Mr. and Mrs. to receive monetary gifts, but for those of you that are close to the bride, adding something a bit more personal can be a very thoughtful touch. There are a ton of cute ideas out there and I’ve gathered some of my favorites to share with you. Logo tee’s would be perfect as the bride prep’s the morning of. They’re also great for traveling and to show off on the honeymoon immediately following! I love the thought of tying in a ‘something blue’ with a cute new pair of pj’s or an adorable polaroid camera. Again, think honeymoon. And there’s always the ‘wifey’ and ‘mrs.’ logo’s displayed on various items they’d use on a regular basis (ie, coffee mug, jewelry and iphone case). Any of which would bring an immediate smile to her face day after day.

Being a bride and becoming a wife is an extremely exciting time in a girl’s life. Going a step above your traditional gift will without a doubt overjoy your bride and help to make her day as memorable as ever!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

January 20, 2015

Green Smoothie (with a side of sweet pea)

Being the one that’s in charge of the grocery shopping, and basically all of the food choices for our family, can be quite the task. I do my best to make healthy choices in order to set a good example and hopefully set our children up for a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives. This isn’t to say we don’t ever indulge! I know there are many recipes I’ve shared that speak to the contrary, but in moderation, everything’s alright ;) Smoothies are one way I can pack in vitamins and nutrients for all of us, yet our children continue to see it as a ‘treat’. I often find myself begging for drinks of my own smoothie before they slurp it all down! These photos should be proof enough. I could barely get a shot of the smoothie before my daughter snagged it from me!

We’ve had a Nutribullet for a while now and it does a rather impressive job. It’s also convenient (and saves on clean-up) as it allows you to blend the smoothie in the same cup you drink out of. Kind of like the Keurig of blenders.

We love this smoothie recipe that I found on Lexi’s Clean Kitchen via Pinterest. It calls for vanilla protein powder, but chocolate (which is what we had on hand) works just as well.

Ingredients
1 cup spinach
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 frozen banana
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp coconut oil
1 scoop vanilla protein
Optional: 1/2 tsp mint extract {not peppermint}

Instructions
Place all ingredients in your high-speed blender and blend until smooth

January 19, 2015

Blush

It’s hard to go wrong with a cute tee and a blazer. I realized that most of my blazers were on the neutral side in navy and grey, so when I found this one in blush I knew my closet needed to have it. I should also mention that it’s a great maternity piece allowing me to layer and maintain a sophisticated look despite having a belly that’s growing by the day. I like this look in particular because it can be varied in so many ways. I could lose the statement necklace and throw on some skinny jeans for a more casual look or take it up a notch with a cute pencil skirt (weather permitting) and some pumps. The point is, stock up on your blazers and t-shirts, they’ll take you places!

Details: Maurice’s blazer (similar / similar) / Old Navy t-shirt / Gap maternity pants (similar non-maternity) / DV booties (love these) / LOFT necklace (similar) / Tiffany bow necklace / Kate Spade bag (love this one) / bracelet gifted

Linking up with Style Sessions

January 16, 2015

High Five for Friday

Hello Friday! We had a fairly uneventful week around here, which can actually be a good thing. I’ve been having a few restless nights which I don’t exactly welcome, but that’s just all a part of this pregnancy game. Or should I say a warm up for what’s to come? Time is certainly flying by which is exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. My daughter now gets her toy stethoscope out on a regular basis to chat with her little sister…via my belly button, of course. She’s going to be a terrific big sister (as is her brother, but he’s an old pro) but I’ll be sad to let go of her being my ‘baby’. I’m hanging on to that for these last few months!

Here’s a look back on my week:

1) Roller skating for the first time at a friend’s birthday party. He was a natural…after his wheels were tightened ;)

2) You can’t grow out of vests and scarves ;) Some current maternity favorites.

3) I haven’t gotten around to doing a post on this dinner, but it’s become a favorite around here so I wanted to pass along this Chicken Avocado Burrito recipe.

4) I know this isn’t unusual because I’ve seen a number of friends post pics of their daughters surrounded by dolls and animals in their beds, but seriously, how can one sleep this way?! I can barely have my husband brush up against me when it comes to getting my sleep!

5) I’ll leave you with this book that I just wrapped up studying with a handful of girlfriends. I love having a group of women that continue to push and lead me in my faith. This particular study was pretty eye opening when it comes to the way I pray. Certainly worth it on your own, but even better if you’re able to gather some friends to work through it with you.

Hope you had a pleasant week and I look forward to seeing you next week! Thanks for reading along!

January 15, 2015

Winter Florals

You are likely well aware of my love for pastels, but add in florals and I’m more than sold. I love this sweater’s soft contrast to the harsh winter weather, while remaining warm and cozy at the same time. Although some of that warmth may have something to do with my body serving as an incubator for a certain little someone ;) Typically I’m an icebox during the winter, but it hasn’t phased me nearly as much this year!

Details: A&F sweater (similar) / Gap maternity denim (similar non-maternity) / Elie Tahari coat (option) / Necklace was my grandmothers (very similar) / Nixon watch / Anthropologie flats (similar)

January 14, 2015

Winter Getaway

So does anyone happen to be planning a tropical getaway within the next few months? Actually, no, don’t tell me, I’ll be extremely jealous. We’ve done winter getaways before and they are amazing. You come back feeling refreshed with a nice tan to carry you through the last bitter months of winter. It’s a genius idea for those of you that are able to make it happen. I need to work on making that a yearly priority! This year, we don’t have any trips planned, at least nothing tropical, but a girl can dream. I can also pretend I have a figure that would fit into these cute swimsuits, because at 23 weeks pregnant, that’s not happening. They try with the maternity suits, they really do, but I just don’t feel it. Anyway, for the sake of my dream, I’m packing my virtual bags and sharing them with you in case you’re lucky enough to be heading toward any sand and sunshine!

one-piece suit / sandal / tote / coverup / sunglasses / bikini / bag

January 13, 2015

Side Dish: Baked Broccoli Cheese Rice

I love when I am able to recreate foods that bring me back to childhood. Rice-a-roni was a favorite side dish of mine while growing up. Actually it still is, but as we are always making efforts to cook with less processed and more fresh foods, I’m happy when I come across knock-off recipe’s that allow me to pull that off. This dish was rich, full of flavor and passed the ‘seconds test’ from my husband ;) My kids happen to love broccoli, but for those that don’t, this a great way to sneak it in. I served this as a side to these Baked Parmesan Pork Chops which were also outstanding. Just be careful not to over cook them as I almost did!

Baked Broccoli Cheese Rice via Cinnamon-Spice and Everything Nice:

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing pan
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt and a few cracks fresh black pepper
2 + 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I used only 2C and it was plenty)
1/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded
3 cups cooked rice ( I used brown)
2 -3 cups cooked broccoli florets

INSTRUCTIONS:

Grease a 9×13-inch casserole pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large saucepan melt the butter over low heat; add garlic and saute until fragrant.

Whisk in flour and cook 3-4 minutes, whisking constantly.

Slowly whisk in milk, mustard and season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer 4 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Add 2 cups of cheddar cheese and parmesan; stir until mostly melted; remove from heat.

Stir in rice and broccoli florets, pour into casserole pan, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over top.

Bake 30 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden on top. Allow to set 5 minutes before serving.

January 12, 2015

It’s a…

…girl!! It looks like the girls are officially going to take over our household. In numbers at least ;) I wasn’t feeling strongly that it was one or the other, but when the technician gave us the news, I quickly realized I was totally expecting to hear ‘boy’. A wave of emotion hit me as I realized that this will likely be the completion of our family and that’s a crazy feeling. I’m thrilled nonetheless, that Madelyn will have a sister to grow up with and hopefully have a strong connection with as adults the way my sister and I do. And somehow Madelyn’s clothing purchases now seem much more justified knowing it will all get used more than once! As I laid there with these thoughts running through my head, my husband utters, “two weddings”. It’s okay my love, you have some time to prepare ;)

As for the outfit, which seems much less important, this style seems to be my go-to lately. A comfortable tee and an open sweater. Easy, comfortable and guaranteed to fit! Of course this sweater had to sell out yesterday, ugh. I just can’t seem to blog fast enough to keep up with everything selling out lately. Fortunately there are always alternatives such as this, this and this one (love!).