Five On Friday: Moving!

The paperwork is signed and it's official; we are moving!

We are staying in Charlotte and just moving out a tad to get a little more space for our family. So, the moving truck is due to be here any minute and I've got to fly. No Five on Friday for me today, but I'm still going to have the link-up below so I can read your posts! XO

Updating Bathrooms With Beautiful Fixtures

If you follow my Pinterest boards, you may have seen lots of home renovation photos being pinned by me recently!

We have some pretty exciting changes in our near future ... changes that may include a little more space for our family. :) I don't want to jinx anything just yet -- but I will be passing along updates when the time is right.

We are currently planning out some renovations, and one area I really want to focus on is the bath. A bathroom can go from blah to beautiful with a few key updates. For example, bathroom sinks can be immediately revamped by updating the faucets. I'm working with some pretty outdated faucets currently, but I love these looks:

source

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They all are classic and very polished-looking. Combine them with pretty countertops, maybe a nice painted vanity with updated pulls, and some beautiful bathroom accessories and you've got a beautiful room. There are so many tutorials online for any of you DIYers (that's not really me, sad for my wallet!) so that you can install these fixtures yourself if you have the talent. And patience. Lots of patience. :)

I'm even digging this gold option! If you already have some shiny brass in a bathroom you are working with, I think this pretty faucet would be a nice way to tie that in while still looking more modern.

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All of these faucet options and more can be found on the PlumbTile site, which is a great provider of beautiful home fixtures and accessories. Whether you are looking for glass tile & stone, knobs and pulls, lighting, you name it -- you can find lots of quality inspiration on that site. They are an industry leader in high-end bath and kitchen products.   

This is a sponsored post. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. 

No More Pacifier For Camille!

If your favorite blog posts of mine are about lipstick shades, this one may be a skipper. :)

Camille is officially done with her pacifier! Can I get a halleluyerrrr?!

Here's how it went down.

At her 2 year old doctor appointment in May, her pediatrician told me it was time to take it away. She said that in addition to some potential orthodontic issues, it could also make her more susceptible to ear infections. At this point, the pacifier was only for bedtimes -- nap, and sleeping at night. It "lived" in the crib -- when she was done sleeping, it stayed in her bed. I didn't just want to snatch it from her that very night of the doctor appointment, but we definitely began the talk about parting ways with "ni-night."

Me: "Hey Camille, what does Dr. C (pediatrician) say?"

C: "No mo' ni-nights."

Me: "That's right!"

We also began talks about how big girls didn't need them and that Baby Charlotte needed a ni-night. And I introduced her to the concept of the Night Night Fairy. We talked at length about how the Night Night Fairy would come during the time she was sleeping, take her pacifier (that she left outside of her door), and give it to a little baby in the hospital who needed it. In return, she would leave Camille a toy!

On July 15th, Camille was having lunch in her highchair and I was sitting on a barstool in front of her when she began talking without being prompted about the Night Night Fairy. I really built her up about it since I could tell she was adopting the whole concept of it, and I asked her if she was ready for the big visit that day during nap. She said yes, and we went for it!

So, lots of positive affirmations later, and we kept everything else about naptime the same -- a fairy tale, her blanket, sound machine on, and her cold teething rings from the freezer (that's another story), ni-night outside of the doorway, and she laid down and went to sleep with NO pacifier. 

While she was asleep, I replaced the pacifier with a new toy and put streamers on her door.

Not only were the streamers fun, but they were also a visual reminder over the next few days that the fairy came and that we now did bedtimes with no pacifiers. It was like every time we went back to her room for naptime or bedtime, she had a little reminder of this fact. 

For her toy, I'd ordered her this Doctor Set for $7.99 which was something she was really excited about. Ever since she started going to my pregnancy appointments with me, she has been really interested in playing doctor, listening to heartbeats, et cetera. So this kit (which, candidly, isn't the most stellar quality but it was so inexpensive and she LOVES it) really holds her attention with all of the parts and it was something she was thrilled to get. 

Her nap that day was only 30 minutes. I think she probably woke up and realized she didn't have her paci to help her go back to sleep. I still let her stay in the room for 30 more minutes before getting her, which wasn't the easiest on me, but it was a one-time deal and her naps have easily returned to their normal 60-90 minute lengths. 

She was REALLY excited when I opened the door and she saw the streamers and we got to go out to find the toy that was left. (Insert tons of talk about being a big girl, being so proud of her, and how exciting it would be to tell Dada when he was home from work.)

The main challenge for me has been that Charlotte takes the same type of paci that Camille did, so I really have to be diligent about keeping them out of her reach. About four times already I've looked over and Camille has had one of Charlotte's in her mouth and she has this look on her face like she knows she's getting away with something and that her time to enjoy it is limited. Ha! 

Other than those times, she has not had ONE time that she has fought sleep over not having her pacifier. (praise hands!!!)

So ... am I the perfect mother who holds all the magical secrets to getting her to drop the paci? Hardly. I think a lot of it is luck -- and patience to let it be her decision. Some parents take more of the cold-turkey approach with a lot of success. I wanted this to be Camille's decision, though, even if it meant that it took a little more time to happen. 

When did your little one drop his/her paci (if they took one at all), and how did you do it?

Full-Of-Meat Monday

Meatless Monday is so very hip, and those of you who participate in it are doing it right.

But today I've got a salad for you that is topped with a big honkin' pile of pulled pork ... and it's good.

One of our favorite takeout spots in town has a menu item called Jaco Pulled Pork Salad. Ian and I pick them up a lot. They're huge, not the cheapest, and topped with these delicious fried crispy tortilla strips. You can pretty much taste the oil in the tortilla strips when you bite down in them.

The other night I set out to make a copycat version of the recipe that was a little cheaper and (egads) a little healthier, too. Adios, fried tortilla strips.

Here's how I built these salads for us:

+ Romaine lettuce, cut into strips and washed

+ Chopped cucumbers

+ Sliced black olives

+ Chopped grape tomatoes

+ Pickled jalapeno slices

+ Cheddar cheese

+ Chipotle Ranch dressing (we used Harris Teeter's HT Traders brand)

+ Pre-made guac on top (from those single-serving cups ... I got mine at Aldi)

And of course, hiding under the guac, dressing, and cheese (did I dare call this healthy?!) is pulled pork that I made in the crockpot. All I do to make this is take a seasoned pork loin and drop it in the crockpot on low until it shreds apart with two forks. You can season however you like if you buy the unseasoned kind. Half a packet of taco seasoning would be perfect for this dish.

This salad was quite tasty. I may have to redact my mention of it being healthy because look at that OMGdressing! 

So while it may not play nicely with the whole "Meatless Monday" theme, it is a way to start off your week with a salad, which always feels like a good choice to us. It's like a smart little dinner cleanse after a weekend of pizza, Chinese, and burgers!

For more of my "What's for dinner?" posts, click here. 

Growing Little Minds with L’il Critters™ Gummy Vites™

This is a sponsored post for which I’ve 

received free product and/or compensation, 

but the opinions are 100% my own.

Do you know a baby genius?
(We're all thinking about our own children... let's admit it.)

When I was pregnant, Ian and I had lots of discussions about how we really wanted our daughter to be musically inclined. We'd see these videos of these lovely little violinists or pianists sweetly playing and just say, "Now THAT's what we want our daughter to be into."

Neither my husband nor I are particularly talented when it comes to music. He can carry a tune pretty well, and his air guitar skills are pretty well honed. I took piano lessons for one summer. But we started asking our friends about ways that we could involve Camille in music early on. We enrolled her in music classes, we bought little instruments for her, and we play a LOT of music in our home -- everything from Pachelbel to Pearl Jam.

Camille loves music class!

As Camille gets older, our hope is that she continues to fall in love with music. All we can do is provide her with the tools that she needs to hone this skill. I truly do believe that early exposure to music helps their little minds to thrive, and that is so important! We want her to accomplish big things in life. Balancing this exposure to music with healthy nutrition will help her thrive. L’il Critters™ gives kids essential nutrients they need to go on to do big things. It’s the gummy vitamin brand kids love and parents trust. L’il Critters™ Gummy Vites™ are gluten-free, and are made with natural fruit flavors and colors derived from fruits, vegetables and plants. This great tasting kid’s gummy vitamin helps support your children’s healthy habits.

Camille's music teacher

L’il Critters™ Gummy Vites™ have no high fructose corn syrup and no synthetic (FD&C) dyes. That's an important trait to look for in a good vitamin! L’il Critters™ are available at club, mass, drug and grocery stores nationwide including: Costco, Walmart, Target and Walgreens.

 

You can find L’il Critters™ on Facebook here!

I'd love to hear from you. What skill is important to you for your little one to learn? How do you help to foster that? Comment below for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card!

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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
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Be sure to visit the L’il Critters™ brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Five On Friday

It's time for another edition of Five on Friday and I do hope you'll join along!

Remember, all you have to do is post about five things on your mind, add our logo (found at the bottom of this post), and join the party using the linky tools below. Easy, and a great way to find new blogs and be found. :)

Because today is the day that the Nordstrom sale opens to non-cardholders like me, here are my five picks for those of you, like me, who are still enjoying summer's warm weather! #nosuede #noboots #nomotojackets #notyet

O N E
Strappy Rib Knit Tank HERE
I love the ballerina look and color of this graceful shirt.

T W O
Expandable Tote HERE
Loving this light color of this classic tote.

T H R E E
Hanky Panky Undies HERE
One size fits most, love these! The watercolor floral print is lovely.

F O U R
Happy Camper Tee HERE
How cute for summer cookouts.

F I V E

Distressed Skinny Jeans HERE
Can't beat the price of these bright whites!

TGIF y'all, and hope you will join in on Five on Friday this week! Cheers to the weekend!

My thredUP Purchases

Not long ago, I blogged about placing my first order with thredUP.

I was REALLY pleased with the three items I got!

The first item I opened is this Lilly Pulitzer beige cardigan with cream trim and shiny gold buttons. It still has the original tag attached! It was listed for $59.99 but I used a coupon code to get it for $36. I think it will look so cute with these ivory shorts (Target) and my very favorite pineapple sandals. They are from the Lilly for Target line -- and I just looked on eBay and there are several pair available for sale if you're looking for a great sandal!

I also ordered these two J. McLaughlin shirts. I used a coupon code on them, too, and got them for $18 and $20. This line uses that really nice Catalina cloth fabric which is just so cozy and high quality. 

While thredUP does have a great return policy, I ended up just ordering brands I was pretty comfortable with the sizing on so that I didn't have any major worries about them not fitting. All three items fit great and were super quality!

If you're looking to give it a shot, you can use my thredUP referral link to get $10 towards your first order. It looks like they are still honoring coupon code SUMMER for 40% off of your first order with them. Combine that with the free $10 and you can snag a real deal!

Charlotte is Three Months

Charlotte, you are three months old!

Her sweet cheeks are really starting to fill out, and she has some delicious thigh rolls that ... y'all ... I have to clean out daily. I can't even make that up. She's starting to get into toys and anything that makes a pretty little jingling sound. 

She is taking a pacifier and getting better about trying to navigate it back to her mouth when it falls out. I'm trying to encourage her to reach for things and grab them. She's great at tracking things with her eyes around the room and we've increased the tummy time we are doing.

She is still sleeping in the crib and keeping the approximate same hours of going to bed around 9:30/10 and waking between 6:30/7:30. Some evenings she's up to feed once; other nights she sleeps all the way through the night. My goal for the next few months is to start making her bedtime a little earlier.

She's still in size one diapers and 0-3 month clothes, with the exception of some sized newborn gowns and outfits.


Here are the items we are loving! Excited to see what the next month holds!

Third Month Favorites:
1: JJ Cole Agility Wrap
2: Sassy Links
3: Wooden Clown Rattle
4: Mustela Foam Shampoo
5: Bella Tunno Paci Holder
6: Bella Tunno Peplum Diaper Bag

And a look back at second month favorite items:

Second Month Favorites
1: FP Cradle and Swing
2: Noodle and Boo Cleansing Cloths
3: Chicco Keyfit 30
4: Snap and Go Stroller
5: Magnificent Baby Magnetic Footies
6: Stim-Mobile

And what we loved at one month old.

First Month Favorites

1: Bella Tunno Poetic Plush Elephant

2: Bamboo Swaddle Blankets

3: Rock and Play

4: Nuk Pacifiers

5: Noodle and Boo Lotion

6: Bath Sponge

"Retired" Bloggers: Who Do You Miss?

I was driving around yesterday thinking about a blogger I used to follow, wondering what was new in her life. Luckily, she and I can keep up via Facebook, so I can get my answer pretty easily. But what about all of the others I used to follow? I would check into their blogs daily -- before fancy blogreaders, before Instagram (!!!), before Snapchat. I felt invested in their lives and (selfishly) a little gypped when they stopped blogging about their day-to-day adventures. Of course I respected their decision to stop blogging, but I missed them!

SOOOO...
I had an idea. I'd love to reach out to a few "retired" bloggers to see if they would do a little life update post here for me and all of you. I thought it would be fun for all of us ... and for them, too! So, hit me up with who you'd love to hear from. What bloggers do you miss? Let me see what kind of strings I can pull!

Monday Notes

We had a good weekend. I mean, good -- but not incredibly exciting or anything. Saturday night we did have dinner out at Brio with some of my family members which was nice (and their gorgonzola beef medallions are a delicious menu choice!) but other than that, it was filled with normal family-type stuff. 

I did get time to freshen up my toesies, and used one of my very favorite Essie shades. The perfect fuschia with a little iridescent sheen. This color always reminds me of my college bestie Ashley that lives down in Miami now :) And not even for the name of the shade! 

Essie - Miami Nice ($8.50 here)

Essie - Gel Setter ($9.99 here)

I cleaned my nice jewelry this weekend which got me out of the rut of wearing my diamond stud earrings on the daily. I'm in love with these turquoise KS earrings and I wore them all day Sunday. Minus a few earring grabs by Baby Charlotte, they were comfortable to wear all day long. That's why I like KS earrings ... they definitely make a bold statement but without the heft. Nothing is more uncomfy than earrings that tug your lobes down, ouch!

Kendra Scott - Alex Earrings ($55 here)

Lastly, our home has been smelling wonderful recently thanks to my new Voluspa candle. I picked mine up from Nordstrom. When the sale goes live to the public on Friday, I am going to pick up this trio of candles because the price is awesome. I paid $16 for mine just for reference, and you can now pick up a 3-pack for $29.50.

Voluspa Candles

Two Wick Candles ($29.50 here) - this is the size I have and love.

Mini Candles ($15.90 here) - I have also owned this size and it's perfect for stocking stuffers

Saturday Sip and Shop: Baby Shower Time

Today I am focusing on an awesome punch recipe and some really nice gift ideas for baby showers! Seems like this time of year, invitations are popping up left and right. I rarely turn down an invitation to go celebrate a mama-to-be. These are some of my favorite parties to attend!

Sip:

Recipe HERE from The Melrose Family
This punch is non-alcoholic which is really nice for baby showers!

Shop:

A special baby shower gift is not hard to find, it just takes a little more effort sometimes! Camille's silver rattle from Ian's grandmother is so special to us. And both of these blankets are currently part of the Nordstrom sale (opens to non-cardholders on July 22 ... obviously open now to those who have a credit or debit card with them). My friend Beth gave Charlotte the Little Giraffe lovie and had it monogrammed. Such a sweet idea, and it's the softest, coziest blanket!

monogrammed stroller blanket (Nordstrom - on sale)
sterling silver rattle (Amazon)
little giraffe luxe baby blanket (Nordstrom - on sale)

Five On Friday

It's time for another edition of Five on Friday and I do hope you'll join along!

Remember, all you have to do is post about five things on your mind, add our logo (found at the bottom of this post), and join the party using the linky tools below. Easy, and a great way to find new blogs and be found. :)

O N E

Citrus jalapeno sauce. We don't have dinner plans tonight, but it might just involve some oven-baked fries and THIS sauce (recipe here)! Yum! 

T W O
Did you know that a little store called Nordstrom is having a sale? Yeah, me neither.

Well anyway, I do follow a few fashion bloggers and really enjoy seeing their posts about upcoming trends. Here are my four picks from the sale -- all items I will genuinely be trying on for size. They're good prices, a heckuva deal with the sale going on. And all are trends that I would love to embrace this fall (sayonara, maternity yoga pants ... it's been real).

Pre-sale is open for cardholders now (not me) and the sale event opens July 22 for everyone else (me). I've got my calendar marked! This girl is ready to embrace some fall trends. I'M A COOL MOM ;)

blue cross-front blouse (various colors) // distressed ankle jeans

booties (various colors) // olive military vest

T H R E E
So Camille has decided that she would like a purple bedroom. We're currently looking at lavender colors for her! Anyone have experience with Sherwin Williams paint in those hues? This one is called Enchant and it looks pretty. I'd love to hear your ideas if you know any good paint colors.

F O U R

Speaking of purple rooms, look how pretty this color scheme is! Love light-colored walls with furniture in the same hue, but darker.

via

F I V E
I recently made these big fluffy boutique bows in Lilly's print called Lobstah Roll. A few have already sold -- if you'd like one, please email me or comment here!

TGIF y'all, and hope you will join in on Five on Friday this week! Cheers to the weekend!

Black And White Summer

Nothing is more sophisticated than black and white by the water. Today I've rounded up some super-affordable beach and poolside finds that I am loving this summer. Not only will these look chic, but they aren't a pattern that will go out of style next year.

halter bikini top

plus-sized bikini top

tassel coverup

jelly flip flops 

(and check this blush/platinum combo that's on sale for $29 ... I just ordered them)

b+w stripe flip flops (major sale for $12)

kendra scott alex earrings

Time for a poll: if you were going to sport one of the above items on your next trip to the water, what would it be?

Last Night's Painting Class

Last night I did something pretty cool -- I attended a painting class taught by the amazing Evelyn Henson. She's ALSO a fellow Furman alum, and a fellow ADPi too, but (ahem) quite a bit younger than me. Anyway, she's tearing it up in the art world and she has also partnered with our local Make A Wish Foundation to teach art classes to novices like me and donate proceeds to a very deserving charity.

I wanted to share some photos of last night's class with you for anyone in the Charlotte area -- or anyone who may be an artist themselves and could take a page from Evelyn's book and plan a really fun girls night out like this!

(I WAS wearing shorts. Mental note = this top deserves longer shorts next time)

The class was taught at an art gallery. Each table was already stocked with canvases, acrylic paints, paintbrushes in two sizes, and water cups. Evelyn walked us step by step through the process of creating a gorgeous floral painting like hers and even helped those who wanted to customize their colors (I used the same colors as hers, because why mess up genius?!).

I'm SO glad I took this class. It was a step out of my comfort zone; I left both girls at home, obviously, and I knew no one else in the class! But it was a fabulous way to chat with some new ladies and try to hone a new skill.

And you know what? I think I might be making a trip to Michaels soon to pick up another canvas. I think this vase of flowers needs a mate!

To see the upcoming class schedule, click here. 

A Mountain Weekend

In the nearly one year that I've been a stay at home mom, there have certainly been challenges (going from to incomes to one, mainly) but the most awesome benefit of our current setup is that it affords us the flexibility to sneak in some long weekends away when Ian's schedule allows. His busiest days are the three middle days of the week. It was awesome to be able to leave town for the mountains early enough this past Friday to make it to Boone in time for lunch.

It was also tremendously helpful when we ended up having to extend our stay through Monday due to the power being out at our home! It was out for about 44 hours over the weekend (!!!) and there was no way we were returning home to a dark, HOT, did I mention hot? home with two little ones.

Friday evening we went down to The Inn at Ragged Gardens where we attended Music On The Lawn. The outdoors area was packed with fold-out chairs and people sipping on cold bevvies, chatting, and moving to the music. This was my first time attending this and we will definitely be back. I wouldn't say that it's THE most family-friendly event but we set up our chairs over in a side area where we weren't too much in the way. It's not that it's anti-kids, but by far the vast majority of the crowd was older. You can read more about it and see the music lineup here. 

Saturday, my mother-in-law and I took the girls to The Children's Playhouse while Ian got some things done around the mountainhouse. We all met up for lunch where Ian told me that he made two appointments for me, and I could take my pick: a 2 o'clock mani/pedi appointment, or a 3 o'clock massage appointment. This was a HUGELY nice surprise, and it took no time for me to choose the massage! I've been pretty stressed recently and this was such a treat. 

That evening we all went out to have some BBQ for dinner at The Pedalin' Pig and Ian and I ended the night by taking the ranger out to a nearby horse farm, solo cups in hand, and we enjoyed a drink together as the sun set. The only sounds we heard were dogs barking in the distance, whipporwills, and the swooshing of the horses' tails. It was fantastic. 

Sunday was our planned departure day, but with the power out back in Charlotte, we were in no rush home. We had a pretty relaxing day and even donned the kilts later that afternoon for a photo opp. I know this seems super random, but our original goal for the weekend was to try to attend the Scottish Highland Games, and we ended up deciding to forego it until the girls are a little older -- but I already had our outfits ready, so we figured may as well snap a photo. I'm wearing my mother-in-law's kilt ... how cool is it?!

Sunday night Ian and I had dinner together at our favorite area restaurant, The Gamekeeper, while my MIL stayed at home with the sleeping girls. It was a perfect ending to a nice family weekend.

REMEMBER!
Don't forget that today is Prime Day for all of you Amazon Primers! I'd love to hear about any deals you score. If you're not a Prime member but you want to take advantage of these sales, click here for a free 30-day Prime trial membership so you can take advantage of the low prices today. I can't wait to see what sort of savings I can rack up!

Five On Friday

It's time for another edition of Five on Friday and I do hope you'll join along!

Remember, all you have to do is post about five things on your mind, add our logo (found at the bottom of this post), and join the party using the linky tools below. Easy, and a great way to find new blogs and be found. :)

O N E
This has been an exciting week for Camille ... her first week at Summer Camp! She goes three days a week for the morning only, and they have been doing all sorts of arts and crafts and even had water play day on Wednesday!

This theme this past week was camping, and yesterday's snack was a s'mores cone ... an ice cream cone stuffed with graham crackers, part of a chocolate bar, and marshmallows. This girl was in HAWG HEAVEN. How can I ever serve her apple slices as a snack again -- ha! She is loving camp so much, and it's given me a lot of time to accomplish a lot around the home and get in some great one-on-one time with Charlotte.

T W O

So, recently I've had my eye on some removable peel and stick wallpaper. YEP, did you know that was a "thing"?! You get the fun of wallpaper without the hassle of putting it up with traditional wallpaper glue. And you can DIY it. And it's cheaper. Win, win, win! The seller I'm looking at on Etsy is this one and she has great reviews. 

I mean ... check out this option! You can even customize the color ... baby blue for a little boy's nursery, or a punchier pop of color for a small powder room maybe?

via

T H R E E
Mark your calendars for Amazon Prime Day next Tuesday the 12th! Four days away! So many items (over 100,000+) are going to be on sale for Prime members. Want a peek at what's in my cart (real life here)? I've got these diapers, and this meal-planning notepad, and this portable DVD player, and a kid's bento box (in Camille's favorite color, purple!). I'll pop in to my cart on Tuesday to see if the prices have dropped for Prime Day.

F O U R
I painted my nails this week (a rarity; but so awesome when it happens). I used my new favorite Essie nail polish color ... the perfect pale pink!

F I V E

Looking for a way to burn some time this weekend? Stick your child in box with crayons. HA! Thanks to our recent huuuuuge Amazon subscribe and save delivery, Camille was able to make some very fun art last night!

Camille's Nike shorts found HERE

TGIF y'all, and hope you will join in on Five on Friday this week! Cheers to the weekend!