It's Nursery Time!

Back in the winter, we had some really sweet photos taken in Charlotte's room (amongst other rooms) because I knew this room would be turning BLUE!

I wanted to remember how it looked when it was just hers, with the happy floral curtains and the coral-pink walls.

This morning I popped upstairs and prepped the room for our painter's 7:30 arrival time, pulling art off the walls and unclipping the drapes. 

I work best under pressure and typically wait until the deadline to accomplish things, so this ninth-hour painting job was planned two days ago and as soon as the walls are dry, I plan to just wrap up the rest of the room!

Placement of everything will remain basically the same, but that little nine-cube storage shelf you can sort of see in the right side of the photo is going to be in the girls' shared closet for additional clothes storage. There's a white dresser in their room that I'm going to move to Baby Boy's room. 

I have some very old white matelesse drapes from my "single days" apartment that I may be using in his room, although Camille told me I couldn't because the matelesse pattern is floral and he is a BOY. Well, it won't be the first time he's going to have girly things as part of his life. His rock and play is a gorgeous shade of baby pink. 

So, I just went upstairs and it looks like the painting job is done, so now we just let it dry and then start putting things back in their place for little brother's arrival! I need to order a new rug, finalize what I'm doing with the drapes, swap out the bedding, get Ian to move the crib back up to the newborn height, maybe get a new lamp or two for his room, and move Char's clothes out of his closet. Which means a major downsizing of clothing since the girls are sharing a closet now. Hellooooo, Goodwill! 

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
A long weekend ahead for all of us, Monday being a day to reflect on all of those who have given their lives in the armed forces for our freedom! The ultimate sacrifice.

Memorial Day is also our 7th year anniversary this year, so we will be celebrating that on Monday.

Ian even agreed last night to giving our local restaurant Hawthorne's infamous "Inducer Pizza" a shot! Read about it here, interesting stuff. It's even been featured on Good Morning America!

T W O
Oh my goodness. A kitchen win. I picked up this cauliflower gnocchi at Trader Joe's the other day, and holy amazingness. Like absolutely melt-in-your-mouth. Now, it still does contain some flour and potato starch to bind it all together, but the main ingredient is cauliflower. And any time a veggie is the first ingredient, that's a good thing, right?!

So to prepare it, you can boil it, saute it, or microwave it. Which do you think I did? I microwaved that bad boy. Dumped the entire bag in my white Crate & Barrel dish, put the top on, and put it in the microwave for five minutes. When it was done, I added a tablespoon butter, grated parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning. Stirred. That is IT.

Ian raved about it like I was Ina Garten in the flesh.

We will most certainly be stocking up on bags of this and trying out different combos. I'd love to stir some brie around in it, or maybe toss it with shrimp, add in some sauteed cremini mushrooms, there are so many possibilities!

T H R E E

Just like everyone, I have been perusing the Nordstrom half-yearly sale and I have my favorites.

Leith Racerback Dress (here), very good reviews, down to $29.40! And I love this Purple Victoria color but I also think all black is definitely doing to be super versatile ... and year-round. 

Racerback Dress

Kendra Scott earrings 60% off and less than $30?! Y'all, grab these up, put them in your gift drawer (if not your own jewelry box) and don't look back! I love this color (Iolite) but there are a few colors available at this 60% off discount. 

Kendra Scott Iolite Ella Drop Earrings

This Halogen tie sleeve cardigan (here) is an easy year-round staple. I love feminine touches on anything that's practical like a cozy, long cardi. 

Halogen Cardi

And these Baublebar earrings for $20! Come to mama!

earrings

F O U R
These sweet little girls and their princess gowns. Camille loves to make Charlotte be the prince who has to come kiss her awake from her deep, deep sleep.

F I V E

Happy National Wine Day, my friends! Hope you have some very fun Friday night plans!

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That's it for today! Hope you have a lovely weekend -- thanks for linking up with us below!

Still Loving VS Moved Along

One of the best parts of reading blogs is finding out about things that you might have never known about. Services, beauty products, life hacks, you name it.

I've been reading blogs for about eight years now and writing mine for the same amount of time. That's a loooong time of hearing recommendations and also sharing them!

Sometimes I think to myself "Hey, self. Wonder if blogger XYZ still loves using that tanning lotion?" so today I wanted to update you on things I'm still loving and others I've moved along from.

Still Loving

Grove Collaborative
Referral link here - earns you a free 5-piece gift set with purchase
The reason why I continue to use Grove (versus Amazon, Target.com, etc) is that they filter out many of the household products that may be "less" clean so that having a greener household is EASIER. And they are upfront about their auto-ship policy with email reminders before ANYTHING ever ships to you, so hopping over to your cart -- which I do right from my phone -- to make desired edits or delay your shipment entirely is so easy. The Mrs. Meyers line is one I love to order thru them, and I love that they'll occasionally throw in promos with free products you can try out.

ThredUp
Referral link here - $10 off your first order
I love buying second-hand. Better for the environment AND the checkbook! ThredUp has consistently proven to me that their standards of what they will accept and resell are high, and I love buying clothes for myself and for the kids through this site. I often shop directly from the app. I wish the threshold for free shipping ($79) was a little lower, but I will say that making free returns with this site is extremely easy.

Walmart Grocery Pickup
Referral link here - $10 off your first order
Grocery pickup is a gamechanger. The closest Walmart that offers this service is about 15/20 minutes away, but I tell myself that I'm saving time in the aisles (and saving MONEY, too, because budgeting is so easy when you shop online) so it's worth the longer drive. You pull up, enter your last name at a kiosk, pull forward to a pick-up bay, and they bring your groceries out with a smile. No tipping allowed. $30 minimum on orders which is super easy if you're doing weekly shopping. Nice organics selection, great for buying large/bulky items like 12-packs of paper towels! For reference, the large box of diapers we used to get from Amazon is the exact same price as our Walmart.

Monat
Purchase here
I'm still using this haircare line, although I'll also use the Jason volumizing line (that I get from Grove Collaborative, above) from time to time. Monat has given my hair volume and I've been using it since October. I also love pairing this with Aveda's Volumizing Tonic when blow-drying my hair.

Massage/Heat Pillow
On Amazon here
I received a question about whether I'd still recommend this pillow. Heck yes! It has saved my back during this pregnancy. I keep it constantly plugged in and under the couch and just whip it out as needed. I have the champagne-colored soft one. You can use the massaging option solo or pair it with a little bit of heat (my favorite). It's that crazy piece of gear you are telling yourself you don't need, but once you get it you'll be hooked. PS, it even comes with a cigarette lighter adapter if you want to use it in the car ... which I've totally done.

Hubble Contacts
Online here
Every 30 days I'm receiving my $30 box of monthly contacts and I've been so pleased at how easy it's been! I'm saving SO much money from what I was spending on my daily contacts from my eye doctor, and they come direct to my mailbox. Not great for anyone with an astigmatism, but would highly recommend for anyone else to give the $3 trial a shot!

Guerlain Nerolia Bianca
On Amazon here
Am I still loving this perfume? OMG yes. My brother-in-law's girlfriend was wearing it this past Thanksgiving and it stopped me in my tracks. I got a bottle for Christmas (yay!) and receive compliments on it all the time. I know it may seem crazy to buy a scent online without ever smelling it (obviously I give it the major green light) but maybe you can find it at a local perfume shop or see if someone is selling testers on eBay?

Moved Along

RocksBox
Online here
Okay, on to items and services I'm no longer using. RocksBox is a jewelry rental/subscription service. If you fall in love with a piece of jewelry you can keep it and apply your $21/month payment toward it. I actually got some pretty awesome jewelry from it, but decided to stop my membership after my Kendra Scott collection grew to more than a normal person should own. Maybe give it a shot for summer months and see what you think? Their stylists are easy to communicate with. I just felt like I gave it a long shot and sort of got everything out of it I wanted.

Blue Apron
Online here
We used this meal subscription service for several months, but it was sort of pricey and the recipes always took longer to prepare than the recipe cards estimated them to. Maybe it was just me, ha. I genuinely enjoy meal planning and cooking so it wasn't a service I felt I needed to keep up.

L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara
On Amazon here
Never thought this would make this list! I've been a devout L'Oreal mascara wearer for ... forever. But now that I'm a distributor for Senegence products and am able to purchase those products at a discount, that mascara (LashSense) is what I've transitioned to. I honestly prefer the Senegence mascara, love the more precise wand, love that it doesn't flake at the end of the day, and love that it's waterproof but easy to remove. I've tried to go back to my old mascara but just have been let down. L'Oreal -- we had a good run.

Revlon Volumizing Hairdryer
On Amazon here
So, a caveat to why this is in this category. I did NOT fall out of love with this hairdryer -- in fact, I really miss it! Interestingly enough, when I just pulled it up on Amazon I saw that I purchased it exactly one year ago today. Well, about a month or two ago, it started making a REALLY loud and scary noise and I guess the motor is going kaput. I stopped using it, afraid it would blow up. I'm out of my return window for Amazon but I saw that it apparently has a 2yr warranty on it with Revlon, so I need to pay to send it back for a new one. One day, when I get a few spare minutes, I plan to do so.


Okay, so that's it for today! Did I miss anything you've been curious about? Let me know!

Easy Button Birthday Party

I have no shame in my "easy button" game!

Camille's 4th birthday celebration was the easiest (yet one of the smartest and most fun) parties I've hosted. Originally I had us booked at Ben & Jerry's -- which actually does a fantastically cute kids party -- but it was going to be in about the mid-$200s to host and I just sort of had a panic moment and switched gears.

What's important to four year olds? Sweets and friends.

So I took that and just ran with it and we met some friends and their families on Sunday morning at Dunkin' Donuts!

my outfit details:
high-neck swing tank (non-maternity) // fabric necklace (similar) // monogrammed sandals (similar)

I found a couple of cute donut images on Google (just searched "donut iphone wallpaper") and let Camille choose which one she liked best. Purple background won out, obvi. I added some text using the WordSwag app and let Camille choose five friends (and their families) to invite. Then I just texted out this image. Done. 

Sunday morning, we arrived at ol' DD about 10 minutes before our friends and purchased two big boxes of donuts for ten bucks a piece. I'd also brought single-serve organic milks for the kids, our own purple paper plates and rainbow unicorn napkins. 

Gift bags were simple -- bubbles and candy.

Donuts, milks, paper plates, napkins and treat bags, I was about $35 in on this party. 

We didn't even need a cake or cupcakes because ... donuts! The grown-ups were able to relax with a coffee and just chat. 

The entire party lasted about 45 minutes total. It was truly like a flash mob party -- swoop in, celebrate, sing Happy Birthday, clean up, leave!

High-fiving myself on this one a little bit. It was simple, enjoyed by all and just enough to make Camille feel like a princess for the morning.

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
Camille's birthday was on Monday and we had a wonderful little family celebration! We rented this inflatable again (we also had it last month for Char's birthday). There is a local mom who rents it out for $15, which includes delivery in a clear tub to your house as well as pick-up the following day. Literally all you have to do is plug it in and it blows up on its own. It's so simple and packs such a fun punch!

Cute little business idea for all of you ladies out there! You can find the exact same one HERE for $64 ... four rentals and you've nearly paid it off!

inflatable birthday cake

T W O
Adorable dress I'm snagging for post-baby bod! This gingham number is from Old Navy and it's available in all sizes and currently on sale. Yes, please. So cute (but also nursing-friendly) and assuming it fits well when I can actually try it on, I'm thinking it will be a great choice for some family photos or just a simple family weekend away at the beach.

It's so darn ME.

The code LUCKY will get you 30% off your purchase today but isn't applicable to this dress because it's already marked down as a "Hot Deal" item.

Yellow Gingham Dress

T H R E E

Okay one more shopping thing here and no, you're not getting a photo of mine. And I super-duper wavered on whether to share this one or not (tackiness level) but then I realized that we girls gotta look out for each other ... right?! 

It's about underpants. Yes, I said underpants. I'm choosing the most nerdy, innocent, benign word here on purpose. But y'all, get thee to Target and pick up some of these laser-cut hipsters. Five bucks each, fit true to size, and they feel like a dream. Like a whisper of an underpant. (hahahaha)

I'm honestly sorry for making one of my five about my undies, but ... just put them on your body and you'll see why I absolutely HAVE to shout it from the rooftops. 

I'm not even going to insert a photo. Just click here. 

F O U R
Doctor's appointments this week ... we certainly had a few!

Camille had her 4 year old well-check, doing wonderfully. It was a good lesson to learn that day about shots -- sometimes we dread something so much and then realize it isn't so bad after all. She didn't even cry when it was go-time.

And I had my 36-week appointment. Baby Boy is growing well, has a great sounding heartbeat, and so begin the weekly check-ups. 

And Charlotte got fitted for some shoe inserts (SureStep) that hopefully will give her some confidence with walking solo. We hope to have them in by the end of the month. 

F I V E

Lastly, just a little reflecting on the love for these little ladies! They sure do keep me on my toes during the day (and cause me to fall in my bed at night) but they are just great and sweet little girls. Every day is an adventure, and whew ... we have one more coming. Deep breaths! We can do this!

*affiliate links used. thanks y'all!

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That's it for today! Hope you have a lovely weekend -- thanks for linking up with us below!

Camille is ... FOUR!

I absolutely cannot believe that this girl, this girl right here, is FOUR today. Blows my mind. 

She is such a light, such a ball of energy, such a magnetic and awe-inducing little girl to me. She is captivating. 

I'll never forget the moment I told Ian that we were expecting. I drove home from work -- I'd been keeping the secret since 4am when I woke up, took a test, started shaking at the positive readout, and never went back to sleep. We had team t-shirt day at work, and I took the ECU Pirates theme (his college alma mater) and ran with it ... came home with purple and yellow balloons wrapped around a baby onesie. 

The video quality is terrible but I'm so happy that I have this moment captured. 

Camille was born at 6:43pm on May 14th (due May 5th, so fashionably late).



She was a deliciously sweet baby with big, alert eyes, a big presence, and a big voice.

Still is. Still just so engaged, so hungry for knowledge, so captivating to everyone around her.

We will be celebrating our special four-year-old today with some small family celebrations.

I can't describe how much I love my Camille Elizabeth. I hope this birthday and every other birthday are nothing but magical for her.

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
Happy, happy Friday! It's the Friday before Mother's Day and I was lucky to attend not one but TWO Muffins With Mommy this week. It was darling spending the morning with both girls and their school classmates and seeing their sweet artwork. Camille pretty much nailed it with her "My Mommy" questionnaire ... I am most definitely 23 years old and I get such a thrill out of cleaning the floors.

T W O

On Wednesdays when Charlotte's in preschool, we have what Camille calls "Mama and Mill-Mill" day and we usually do some sort of fun activity that is sort of for big girls, like making slime, getting a manicure, or going out to a girly lunch. This past Wednesday we met up with some friends at a favorite park and played before having a little picnic table lunch.

But wow, 35 weeks preg and I'm all ....

T H R E E

I love finding easy updo tutorials on Pinterest, and isn't this just the simplest yet most graceful summer 'do?!

F O U R

We have so many cute rosebud bonnets for sale now, perfect for beach and pool days! But I'm down to just one solid pink bonnet left, size 3-6 months. It's pebbled white eyelet and has the cutest ric-rac trim on the double ruffle. It's $25 ($3 to ship) and available on Instagram - @thetipsybunny

I also donated this bow holder and some football-themed bows to a charity fundraiser this week, it sort of got me excited for Fall already!

F I V E

Lastly, a fun family event and The Tipsy Bunny hairbows will be out there as well! Sweet Carolina Fest is tomorrow 11-3 at Baxter YMCA in Fort Mill, SC. Such a cute idea and a great way to spend a sunshiney day!

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That's it for today! Hope you have a lovely weekend -- thanks for linking up with us below!

Thursday Catch-Up!

Hello there, friends! 

Just catching up on life this morning. All day yesterday I thought it was Thursday -- noooope, only Wednesday. We've already packed in so much this week!

This morning I've got "muffins with mom" at Camille's preschool, and yesterday I attended one at Charlotte's preschool. I will be SO happy when they are at the same preschool in the fall! It is so sweet how they spoil the mamas with these little performances, and the best part is the Mothers Day art. Am I right?! I can't get over the little handprint art they create. Right when I think their little hands are huge, then a year goes by and I want to shed tears at how littttttttle they once were. 

Later this morning, around 10:30 Eastern, I'll be sharing HERE in this Facebook group a little about my experience slingin' lipstick, haha! I'm always a little nervous going live on FB but it's also a fun adrenaline rush. If you feel like popping on and saying hey, I'd love to see you!

I did some IG stories yesterday on our backyard landscaping project and it's DONE! Will photograph today and share ... what a huge difference.

Dinner idea for you! I purchased the adobo-rubbed cod from Aldi -- totally delicious and just takes a quick broil under the oven. I simultaneously roasted baby carrots with olive oil and Trader Joe's "Everything But the Bagel" seasoning, and I sauteed some fresh spinach with olive oil and sea salt, topping it with some parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Simple, healthy, and the perfect weeknight meal. Ian and I ate it right up. 

Time to start mom duties! I'll be back here tomorrow for Five On Friday!