Weekend Happenings: Busy House

Happy Monday everyone! Another weekend has flown by, but this coming weekend is the 4th of July, so I am eager to hop on and get this week moving along quickly. This past weekend was busy, but uneventful, if that makes sense. We had lots of things to do, but nothing 'fun' or 'exciting'. At least exciting enough for blog world, that is.

First off, while in night class Wednesday night, I received a text from my husband. "Jackson is not kid dynamite, he's kid haircut". Followed by a picture of my sad looking baby with what appeared to be some sort of slight haircut? The following morning, I smoothed his side part to find the sides were short, and the center hadn't been touched, resulted in a literal 'V' of his hair. HORRIBLE. I called Mike to tell him he was the worst hairstylist ever. In a fit of rage Thursday evening, while Mike was out at his grandparents farm, I let Jax finish his dinner, and because he seemed so content in his highchair, I pulled up Youtube and searched 'how to cut baby hair'. Below is the end result. So happy, so sassy, and so, so big :-( 

I think it is understood that the haircuts will be left to me from now on.

On Friday, I was off work around noon, and little man and I did our usual running of errands. I scored this portofino shirt at Express, where all clearance is an extra 30% off! Perfect for work, yet cool for summer. I also, by accident, stumbled across a pair of jeans that looked long and tried them on, and you guys, they were almost TOO LONG. And super super comfortable. And then I found out they shouldn't have been on the clearance rack and were full price. Sigh, But, I got a coupon for $25 off, so I am pretty positive I will be going back to scoop these up. They are fantastic.

Friday night, daddy golfed, and mommy and baby got cleaned up, put on our jammies, and watched cartoons before crashing two seconds into our bedtime story. Sweet boy.

Loving 'Cars', but so so sleepy.

Saturday, we were up and at em bright and early to go and meet with a lumber company to look at floro plans. We have found a lot and location we LOVE, and are seriously considering making the next steps towards calling it ours. Which includes figuring out cost to build and a floor plan we like. The floor plan we have down. Cost to build..still trying to figure that out. We are still trucking away at the process though. It is excited and scary all at the same time!

The rest of Saturday was spent cleaning, cleaning, and cleaning. We threw some burgers on the grill and relaxed on the couch, and little man crashed in daddy's arms watching Wallykazam. 

My boys, doing what they do best.

Sunday, I woke up to clean again (fun, I know). We had an open house, so we had to be out of there fairly early. We swung by Mike's parents, where Jackson threw on his new swimsuit (how brilliant are those one piece rash guards!?), went for his first wagon ride, and played in the pool. 

Cousin Logan makes a great recliner, according to Jax.

We made it home late afternoon, and our entire house took a long and much needed nap. We whipped up some pasta salad for dinner, gave the munchkin a bath, and called it a night with everyone in bed by 8:30. Isn't it funny how those summer days just suck all of your energy away??

Post bath snuggles and teeth brushing

More Wallykazam with dad. He is such a boy.

That was it for our weekend. Uneventful, but busy. Funny how that works, isn't it? This week we officially say adios to June and hello to July, which is just CRAZY. The months seem to fly by faster and faster. I hope everyone has a great week!

 



Linking up with Meg, Biana, and Ashley today!

First Birthday Wishlist

I cannot believe I am at this point, but we are preparing for our little man's first birthday! At only a month and a half away, I am already brainstorming for his first party, one year photos, and, more importantly, what we will spoil him with! There are so many things that I feel cross my mind, but then I forget about in the grand scheme of things. Some of these items are typical, some of them were found through research, and some of them just look like too much fun to pass up!

1.Co-Z coup
I feel like every child just needs one of these. It is a great toy to have outside, let baby entertain themself in, and truly a 'right of passage'. And, this baby will be able to be used by any and all children we may have.

2. Water table
I have a little water baby on my hands, and as much as I love letting him sit in his pool, he also loves to stand and be active, so I think being we will still have a decent amount of summer left after his birthday, this toy will be perfect and provide plenty of entertainment for our little(big) guy.

3. Jumbo legos
He is a boy. I have accepted this, along with the fact that this means he likes boy things. And I really am okay with that. He loves to play, build, and explore, and I wouldn't be a true boy mom if I didn't get some legos in my house.

4. Melissa and Doug Puzzles

Again, cognitive development. Melissa and Doug products are fantastic, and now that Jax is more up to the level of developmental toys, I can't wait to introduce them more.

5. Play table
He loves, loves, LOVES to stand and get into everything, so I think it might be a great move to get him his OWN space to stand and play at.
6. Play Piano
This kid LOVES to bang on any piano or keyboard he can get his hands on. It might be great to give him his own little instrument to start experimenting with. After all, he needs to start practicing up for those piano lessons I will inevitably be enrolling him in!
7. Personalized Chair
Ok, how perfect would this be in his nursery!? As he grows, I know he will like to have his own place to sit, whether it be to watch cartoons, calm down before bed, or just feel like a big boy (much to my **dismay). This chair is just perfect. 

Does anyone have any other must haves for the one year olds in your lives, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Friday Favorites!

Hooray for another Friday! This one has felt like a long time coming, as this week seemed to drag a bit. Whether it was because work is a bit slow, I am sleep deprived, or just have a case of cabin fever (which happens when you work inside when it is gorgeous outside, seriously), I am welcoming this Friday with open arms. Despite feeling a bit overwhelmed and stressed this week, I have found the time to stumble across some new things I am digging. Because priorities people,  priorities.

1. Backseat baby giggles

I know this isn't an 'item', but I am so in love with this lately. The sound of my sweet boy giggling is the sweetest and most precious thing to me. For some reason, though, he loves to look out the backseat window when we are driving and giggle at absolutely nothing. And I literally. can't. handle. it. It is so sweet, and every time I catch myself turning down the music and smiling to myself as I drive to soak in the sweet sound of his happiness. Perhaps it is because he is in his own little world and he has no idea I am secretly enjoying the moment with him, but it just makes my heart so full to know that he is such a content, happy baby.

2. Ed Sheeran: Photograph

I'll be honest. I have never really been into Ed Sheeran. His early music was very 'meh' to me. But lately he has been hitting it out of the park. I absolutely fell in love with his song Thinking Out Loud last fall; as in, I played that song on repeat all day. Now I have heard Photograph and am thinking I might be doing the same thing. It is so sweet, so catchy, and so perfect. Ed Sheeran is stealing my heart, I think!

3. Boom Chicka Pop!

How am I just trying this out now!? I bought a bag of their sweet and salty kettle corn, and it is nearly gone already. It is low calorie though, so it is all good, right? I am eager to try their other flavors, I am really not a popcorn fan, but this stuff might win me over.

4. Gap Credit Card

Ok, it is time for me to admit it: the Gap owns my soul. I just went through my last credit card statement and saw 'GAP' on there more times than I should probably admit. That being said, as the girl who never signs up for store based credit cards, I am acknowledging that I have been a fool for not getting a Gap credit card. Better discounts, rewards cash, and birthday promos. I mean, I am practically wasting my money but not reaping the benefits of my all time favorite shopping location. Plus, it applies at Old Navy and Banana Republic, as well. Fine, Gap, fine. I'll officially sign my soul over to you in the form of a credit card.

5. Farmers Markets

I know that everyone has extra opportunities to get out extra during the summer months, us in the midwest only survive our 6 month winters because we have summers to look forward to. Because truly, late spring, summer, and fall in Minnesota are magical. The smells, the cool breeze, the literation that comes along with leaving the house without a jacket for the first time in months, it is all something we appreciate that much more because we are holed up for months during winter. One of the greatest things about summer in Minnesota is taking advantage of all of the fresh produce that is practically non-existent during the winter. $5 for a pitiful looking pint of strawberries is our reality most of the year. But not during the summer, oh no. Fresh produce is in abundance, for great prices, and we are loaded up on berries and fresh goodies all summer long. Yesterday my employer started holding their weekly Farmers Market, so my coworkers and myself walked on over, enjoyed the sunshine, and I snagged some fresh rhubarb. Someone, please direct me back to this post when I am grumbling about why I live in Minnesota in the middle of February. Because the weather and happiness I am feeling right now, that's why.

This weekend, we will be heading up to the lake Saturday for a family get together, so I am crossing my fingers our little guy behaves for the two hour ride each way! Sunday is Mike's first father's day! Obviously his request for 'his day' is to go golfing..I suppose I can oblige that request, as long as we can squeeze in some family time/brunch! Happy weekend, y'all!

Linking up with these ladies today!

Five on Friday // Oh Hey Friday! // Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites

Weekend Happenings

Well, weekends are always a bit more interesting when you have to work in the middle of them. This is not a regular occurrence for me, but the occasional Saturday afternoon event does manage to slip into my schedule every few months. Not that I can complain. I work in a cushy office, with great people, promoting wellness and community engagement, and if that means spending a Saturday with a bunch of sweet kiddos, who am I to say no?

To compensate for my Saturday event, I was able to enjoy a Friday off. This more than makes up for giving up a Saturday. While working a Monday to Friday job is great, there is just something magical about hitting up the stores right as they open at 10am and browsing in solitude. Or maybe I am just a little bit strange ;-) So, Friday morning, my little man was up and at em bright and early, so we went for a run, had breakfast, got ready, and were in the Gap Outlet parking lot waiting for the doors to open with Starbucks in hand.

Wake up, MAMA!

I am so, so, SO sad that they took away our regular Gap (and just as I was figuring out how awesome that store truly is), but the outlet is pretty awesome. Usually I make out like a bandit with goods for my little guy, but on this particular trip, I scooped up a couple of loose, flowy long sleeve tops, and an adorable white jean jacket. And EVERYTHING was an additional 40% off! I had been on the hunt for a white jean jacket, so to scoop one up that fit perfectly for all of $25 was an epic win.
After the outlet, we headed over to the mall, if only for the purpose of walking a lap. I love to window shop, even though I almost always end up coming home and making my purchases online. Little man loves to people watch, too. He just drinks his milk and rides in style.

After our morning out, we went to my parents and sat out with my sister in the kiddie pool. We both agreed that having a baby is the best, because you can sit in a pool ten times too small and justify it because the baby is having fun. I cannot wait to do things that are only acceptable for a child and blame them on Jackson ;-)

Clearly loving his new pool toys

STUD

Friday night we just hung out at home, at pizza, and relaxed.

CRASHED after all of his fun in the sun

Saturday, I worked the morning into the early afternoon. I will say, this event turned out GREAT, and I left in a fantastic mood, truly happy with the turnout and amount of children we were able to reach. Some days I am just so proud of my job and love seeing the impact we are able to make. After work, I bolted home and got ready, and we dropped Jax off with my in-laws and headed out to Anton's for dinner, after a few weeks of me nagging. And I leave that place so happy and satisfied every. single. time. It is one of the only true 'supper clubs' left in town, and was a speakeasy back during Prohibition. The booths are covered in canvas like old wagons, and the food is just incredible. I would post pictures of my food..but I may have cleared my plate. I worked through lunch and hadn't had a real meal all day, ok?

My mother in law picked these from her garden. Aren't they gorgeous!? I love love love peonies.

Sunday, I had every intention of getting to church, but my little guy was fussing and ready for a nap right when we needed to be getting ready. And, as I laid him down in his crib, he woke right back up. So, too late to make it to church, we obviously loaded up and ran to Target for groceries. I scored an adorable puppy stuffed animal for Jackson, after coming to the realization that he literally has NO stuffed animals to cuddle with. And I came home and he crashed for a nap in his crib with his arms wrapped around that puppy for over two hours. Best investment ever?

We spent the afternoon at Mike's parents, letting Jackson swim a bit, hanging out on the deck, and just enjoying the summer weather. 

There may or may not be a bunch of baby raccoons living in my in-laws yard. Adorable, and terrifying at the same time!

 

We wrapped it up with grilling some burgers, and called it an afternooon when we made our way home to watch the season finale of Game of Thrones. OMG you guys, OMG. I am reflecting on what happened in that episode and my heart is just broken. And they are going to make me wait way too long until the next season comes out. They are officially ahead of the books, now, so I am DYING to know what they writers come up with!

After a busy, happy weekend, it is back to the grind today. I hope you all have a great week!

Linking up with Meg, Biana, and Ashley today!

Friday Favorites!

Another busy work week, another week gone. This week has been absolutely crazy for me, multiple events and meetings out of town, some late nights, and unfortunately a half day tomorrow for an event. I have quadruple checked my calendar, and I am pretty sure this is my final Saturday event of the year, so fingers crossed on that one. As always, I am digging lots of things lately, and can't wait to share.

1. Fridays off
I don't have to work today! This is, of course, to compensate for the late days during the week and having to work Saturday (this is one of the pros of being hourly versus salary..of course there are plenty of cons to that one too!) As much as I hate working a Saturday, there is something so nice about having a day off during the week to get some errands done and enjoy life free of the weekend crowds. To top it off, the weather today is supposed to be absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to take advantage.

2. Baby talk

Little man can't officially say any real words yet, but I just love listening to him talk. 'Ga ga ga ga ge ge gshhhh ga ga' is his favorite conversation and he babbles all day. We are saying mama and dada to him on repeat in hopes he will mimic our requests, but so far no luck. Yesterday, however, I said yayyy so he would clap his hands (a new favorite game of his) and before clapping he proudly said 'yayyyy!' melt this mama's heart. I don't know if 'yay' qualifies as a real word, but he consciously said something that is more than just jibberish, so I am calling it a win.

3. Gap sales
If you don't subscribe to Gap's emails, you are missing out. If you want to save money, you are probably smart. They run so many good sales, I have a moment at least once a week where I feel like I would be insane not to make a purchase. I was able to scoop up these and these, which were already on sale, for an additional 40% off. And Gap carries TALL sizes, which speaks to my soul. You all, those gray jeans came to a grand total of $17. Their sales are too good to pass up.

4. Bath and Body Semi Annual Sale

Speaking of sales..candles. Give me all the candles. I absolutely love Bath and Body Works 3-wick candles, and when sales like this come up, I have to stock up. Thanks to the last semi-annual sale, I have a collection of Christmas scents stored away and ready to go when ?Halloween? rolls around. Ok, maybe I will hold off until Thanksgiving. But seriously, at the sale this week I was able to get this one, this one, and this one, and they all smell delicious. I have gotten into a habit of burning candles whenever I can, so I know they will get used. There are just so, so many yummy smells, I can't resist! Right now, the candles are 50% off (which beats their value at the 2 for 24 promotions), plus there are coupons floating around for an additional $10 off your purchase, which brings the price per candle down well below $10.

5. Maternity clothing
No, not pregnant. However, after my last pregnancy where I procrastinated on buying clothing, which resulted in me never owning a pair of maternity jeans, I am already doing searching for affordable and sale pieces. Maybe this makes me crazy, but I don't care. I got so frustrated with my search for jeans last time (tall girl problems, remember?) I survived wearing maxi dresses and skirts to work every. single. day. last summer. Which was incredibly comfortable and awesome, to be honest. But not all pregnancies fall perfectly where right as I am outgrowing my pants the weather changes over and shirt dresses and skirts become acceptable as daily wear. My next pregnancy will most likely mandate a pair of jeans and dress pants, so I if I stumble across those unicorn finds of maternity, size, and length, I may already be snatching them up. And being my cart already had a few cute items in it, I threw in this top. I would wear that thing not pregnant, so it is acceptable that I just did this, I swear.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend with lots of beautiful weather and sunshine! Today, my little man and I are going to sneak in some pool time, a run, and probably a trip to the craft store for supplies to start a Christmas project. I just can't control myself.

Liking up with all of these fabulous ladies today!

Five on Friday // Oh Hey Friday! // Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites

J's Nursery

I know, I know. I am a little late to the game here. Little man is far from a 'newborn', and we are much closer to his first birthday than the day he was born and started putting this nursery to use. Honestly, sharing it just slipped my mind. I have snapped pictures of it from time to time, but it just never occurred to me to share it on here. A picture I shared on his 10 month blog post got some attention, and it was then that I realized I hadn't shared his sweet little room. So, without further ado, Jax's 'nautical nursery'.

As those who know me are aware, little man arrived four weeks early. Despite my constant nagging of everyone involved, his room was not ready when we brought him home. If it were up to me, everything would have been set up and perfect a solid two months before my due date. Everyone pushed things off, and we finally even purchased his dresser two whole weeks before he arrived. Putting that baby together occurred a whopping 7 days before his arrival.

Oh, and did I mention he was born the day of my baby shower? The one that I had a bad gut feeling might be cutting it short from the day it was scheduled? I did? Ok, good. I am going to venture to guess that when our next baby comes around, people won't treat me like such a nag for wanting things done sooner rather than later. My next hospital bag will be packed a solid 5 weeks before the next due date, just sayin.

The first step was to paint the room. Lots of Pinterest, internet research, and discussions were had before finally settling on a pale gray/blue with a navy and white stripe. It was quite a bit of work to get that stripe done, but well worth it. It makes his room so much more fun!

After much research and debating, we settled on the Hemnes dresser from Ikea. It is seriously wonderful. It is super spacious, has a large enough top that it doubles as our changing table, and the drawers roll in and out so smooth. I am so glad this was the dresser we went with, I would 100% recommend it.

Our crib is a basic crib from Target, the Delta series crib. Combined with the baby sale and coupons, I'm pretty sure we got this baby for right around $100. And we have had no complaints or issues. It also converts to a day bed and finally a full bed. Speaking of which, I should probably get on top of ordering a conversion kit if that's the route we decide to go.

I found the drapes on amazon after much searching, and am super happy with them. They are 'blackout' drapes, which are coming in extra handy now that the sun doesn't set until well after baby's bedtime. The colors match just perfectly with the 'nautical' theme.

Please excuse the terrible lighting. I could not get a good shot of the window! The drapes are navy on top and a deep red on the bottom.

The chalkboard I made myself. It consists of an old picture frame from Goodwill, a chalkboard slab from Home Depot, and white Annie Sloan chalk paint. I love love love my chalkboard. I regularly debate where else I can put a chalkboard in my house, I am totally itching to make another one.

His crib quilt and skirt are from Pottery Barn. I seriously struggled finding bedding that wasn't overly cartoony, and matched what I was going for. This was clearanced out online and I literally got the last one, so unfortunately it is long gone. The bumpers are breathable mesh. I know that bumpers are super debatable and some consider them dangerous, and after quite a bit of going back and forth I did settle on these, because even if baby pushes his face up against them, they let air through. And, now that he is super mobile and rolls around, these really are helpful in keeping him from sticking his limbs through spaces and out of the crib.

My decor was found all over the place, ranging from Home Goods, to hand me downs, to Amazon..usually Amazon. If there was a certain product I dreamed up that I wanted for his room, Amazon usually delivered. They seriously have everything.

For anyone looking into a nautical themed room, whether it be a nursery, kids room, guest room, or living room, stores are majorly delivering this summer. I feel like everywhere I go, nautical is the first thing I see on the shelves. Only a year late, as this time last year I had to search high and low for a navy blue anchor, and now I swear I could probably pick one up in the grocery store if I really wanted to. Sigh..I just tell myself it means I was ahead of trend!

This nursery truly is my favorite room in the house. It turned out exactly how I wanted it to, and is the perfect place for my little man to sleep through the night.

Linking up with Holly today!

Our Weekend

Despite Monday rolling around way too fast (really, why does it always have to be like that?), this weekend was so nice and refreshing after our last weekend that was plagued with sickness. We went into this weekend with literally nothing on the calendar, and it was a great weekend to recoup and get ready for another week. Speaking of the new week, I have purchased a kiddie pool and highs are in the high 80's the next few days. Did someone say baby swim time!? Seriously, not sure if I will be able to handle all of the cuteness.

On Friday, I worked a half day, and was able to sneak out of the office around 1. After picking up my little man, we ran over to the mall to get a few errands in. Dry Goods was finally open, do any of you have one of those in your area!? Super cute stuff. Unfortunately, every purchase I make lately must pass the 'is this professional enough for work' test, and the stuff in Dry Goods just didn't quite make the cut. Perhaps if the day ever comes that I am happy and satisfied with my work wardrobe, I will do some major damage in that store. It was super fun to look around though, everything was really nice and would be great for getting dressed up for a girls night out.

Of course I had to grab an iced coffee, and baby enjoyed his milk at the same time. He is all about cruising in comfort and thinks he is hot stuff with his legs and bottle up.

Friday night Mike was out golfing, so baby and I watched cartoons, little man had a bath, and we lounged in front of the TV. Nothing beats a lazy Friday night in!

Friday night was a .nightmare!. We are working to not wake up with Jax, who has been up multiple times a night lately, so Friday night we let him cry a bit, and would then just go in, lay him back down, tuck him in, and give him a kiss and say goodnight. When this didn't work, we would rub his back for a few minutes to try and get him to sleep. Basically, we were up every. single. hour. on Friday night and it was horrible. Just one of those times where you wonder how much more you can take before you just collapse in exhaustion. We survived..barely.

Saturday we were pretty lazy, needless to say. We did venture into town and had a 'lunch date', including baby. He was super well behaved and even got his own meal, which just kills me. But that's what happens when I don't have the option to order him a side of mashed potatoes or applesauce! Really though, he was digging his Mac n cheese.

Saturday night we did more relaxing and recovering from our sleepless Friday, and baby played and played until finally giving into sleep after an hour of top notch fighting. Sigh.

On Sunday I woke up to a noisy baby..at 6am! He FINALLY went straight through the night, and we were both thrilled and felt like a million bucks after finally getting to sleep like normal. Baby and I snuck out on a run bright and early before heading to church, and then of course a Target stop. Is any weekend complete without a trip (or three) to Target?

The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging with his grandma and getting some chores done around the house, and sneaking outside again to soak up the beautiful weather on a walk.

Some pictures I look at and just about die. My baby looks like a little boy, and sometimes it takes everything in me to not break down and cry. I am so proud of the sweet, charming boy he is becoming. 

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and are enjoying the start to summer!

Linking up with Meg, Biana, and Ashley today!

Friday Favorites

It is finally Friday! With that, it is the first 'full work week' I have put in for three weeks, so I am more than ready to say hello to the weekend and enjoy some time off! We really have no plans for the weekend, which is fine by me. Things always seem to pop up, but sometimes going into a weekend knowing that you aren't obligated to anything is so refreshing and much needed! And after last night, where my ten month old was up as much as a newborn baby, I desperately need some down time. If that time happens to be alone without a baby for a few hours,  I won't argue..this nightmare of a sleep cycle is just about to break this mama.
I will say, I have been digging a lot of new things lately, and can't wait to share.

1. Tall Clothing
Any other 6 foot ladies out there!? If so, I know you can 100% relate to the struggle to find clothing that fits.The struggle is real. I feel like I have literally grown up with the internet, and am so thankful for the abundance of options it provides. Long gone are the days of only being able to find a pair of jeans long enough at the Buckle. And, online 'tall shops' mean that not only are pants long enough, but so are skirts, dresses, and even the sleeves on shirts. I cannot say enough how much it warms my heart to buy a tall shirt and actually have the sleeves make it down to my wrists. It's the little things.

2. Christmas Crafts
I know, I know. It's June. And that means the holiday season is still 6 months away, but it also means the holiday season is only 6 months away!! I have already ordered some supplies and am plotting gifts I will be making. DIY makes my heart happy. I can't wait to share what I end up making!

3. Wedge Sandals
Yet another tall girl problem is typically finding cute shoes that don't make you tower over every man in the room. I ordered these from dsw and am so excited to get them. I have been lookig and looking for some wedges, but for good reason I have a hard time with your standard 3-4 inch heel.And the are less than 2 inches. Tall girls say what!?

4. Rhubarb

Is there anything better than all of the new fruits that come into play during the summer!? Berries are sooo cheap after the grocery stores after a winter of high prices and poor quality, and we have strawberries in our house on the regular. And does anything go better with strawberries than rhubarb!? I think not. I am so happy I have family and friends with rhubarb plants, I have some chopped and prepped and can't wait to try out this recipe this weekend.

5. Work events

Ok, I just had my first work event that required looking semi put together, mingling, and fed me appetizers and cocktails. I felt overwhelmed, but I also felt empowered. I am just so excited to have a job that I feel really is contributing to others and is also appreciated by others. And awesome new coworkers. It says a lot when two weeks in I can sit down to lunch with these ladies and not have a single awkward pause. I'm feeling super grateful for my new opportunity and can't wait to see where it takes me.

I hope everyone has a great weekend, around here we will be enjoying our first sunny weekend in awhile and getting in some outside time! I am linking up with these ladies today!

Five on Friday // Oh Hey Friday! // Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites