as i sit here with happy tears streaming down my face, i had to share this beautiful video that i came across of a water birth.

i don't know exactly what is in store for me in the next couple of weeks. i know it won't be easy, i know it won't be painless, but i know that every second will be worth it after waiting so long to finally meet our daughter.

super delicious lactation cookies

in addition to my hostess gift from the previous post, the hostess had a baby 3 weeks ago, so i whipped together some lactation cookies.

lactation cookies are bomb. NO, they don't make you lactate, so your husband can sample without fear of leaking. NO, they don't contain breast milk. they contain flax seed (omega-3 fatty acids), brewer's yeast (b vitamins) & oats (fiber)...all great in promoting milk production + increasing energy. (not to mention, they are the perfect excuse to eat cookies.)

the batch was so big i split it three ways--my new mom gift friend, the hostess of the party, and i froze the dough of the last third for ME!

i just threw them into a little box, wrapped them up with some baker's twine & attached the recipe incase the mamas want more.

oatmeal chocolate chip lactation cookies:

ingredients

2T flax seed meal

4T water

1c butter, softened

1.5c firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla

2c flour

3T brewer's yeast

1tsp baking soda

3c rolled oats (not quick oats!)

1c chocolate chips

directions

1. preheat oven to 350°F. 

2. in a small bowl, combine the flax seed + water. let stand for 5 minutes.

3. in a large bowl, beat butter + brown sugar.

4. add eggs, beat. add vanilla, beat.

5. in a separate bowl, sift together flour (OH EM GEE I JUST NOTICED MY TYPO ON THE GIFT. my ocd self just cause me to lose my marbles about this. i'm so embarassed.), brewer's yeast, baking soda + salt.

6. add dry ingredients to butter mixture.

7. stir in oats + chocolate chips.

8. scoop by rounded tablespoon onto baking sheet.

9. (OH MY WORD. SERIOUSLY. i was clearly in a rush typing up this recipe card...i skipped 9.) bake 14 minutes. cool.

summer hostess gift

okay, i'm admitting it publicly: i am addicted to crafting.

i would like to blame this on my inability to properly "nest," since we are holding off on putting together baby girl's nursery until our big move to the midwest.

last week, we got invited to a 4th of july party at a friend's house. she said she was set on food + bev, but we couldn't go empty handed.

i am a huge fan of the lost art of hostess gifting. so, this was the perfect opportunity to feed my crafting addiction, while rewriting my generation's standard on bringing a gift to the gracious host.

of course this gift was 'pinspired,' but i added my own little flare to it.

to me, nothing is more summery than sipping a glass of lemonade outside by candlelight. so i combined the two, a summer-inspired gift, all wrapped up in a usable lantern. (that i found on sale at target!)

supplies:

lantern

bottle of sparkling water

cute straws

citrus reamer

lemon

snacks (i put in a little bag of sunflower seeds + a little bag of cinnamon almonds)

bottle of delicious lemon simple syrup (recipe to follow)

(+ of course, i created some custom patriotic labels for these littles, because i'm over the top like that + i love the USA.)

lemon simple syrup recipe:

ingredients

1c granulated sugar

2/3c water

1/3c lemon juice

zest of 2 lemons

directions

combine in small sauce pan, bring to boil. reduce to simmer, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. remove from heat + cool. keep in fridge for up to one month.

new mom (+ dad) hospital gifts

i don't know about you, but around these parts there are new babies everywhere!

let's face it, as soon as baby is born all of the attention goes from your cute little pregnant self to your new bundle of joy. that's why i wanted to create a mom-specific gift, to remind her that she is still a big deal.

with the influx of newborns & new mamas, i wanted to come up with a gift idea that was personalized and crafty...hence, the "prescription" wine. (i should note that this is 100% novelty & in no way represents a real prescription. also, i am no doctor, so the only info i have about alcohol while breastfeeding is from scholarly articles and research.)

maybe it's my 34 weeks of pregnancy-induced sobriety that inspired this, or the countless stories i've heard from my own mom about her first glass of vino after giving birth to me.

either way, this is how it turned out:

supplies:

4-pack of mini wine bottles 

set of personalized label stickers (designed by moi)

upspring baby milkscreen breastmilk alcohol test strips (these are so great! & you can find them at target.)

gift bag

i didn't want to leave out poor dad, either. after all of the hand squeezes and 'you did this to me's, he deserves a little somethin' somethin', too, right?

new dad + cigars go hand-in-hand. so, with the hub's help buying a cigar, i whipped together this little gem. a cigar & a cigar cutter, tied together with a curly bow & personalized with a boy-inspired mustache label.

needless to say, mom & dad loved the gifts. hope you can shower your new parent friends with gifts!

rockers...& gliders...& ottomans...oh my!

i've heard mixed reviews about buying a rocker/glider for our nursery. some say they are a must-have item to save yourself from hours of nighttime feedings, other say they are clunky and a waste of money.

i happen to be a believer.

i ruled out rockers, i wanted the freedom of turning in a swivel glider. i also wanted an ottoman to rest my tired feet & legs.

when looking for a glider, i was set on having one that was:

- modern-traditional...

- comfortable enough to spend lots of hours breastfeeding in

- & sort of neutral in color, so that the accent pillows can pop against it.

i definitely didn't want one of those old school, amish-y looking "regular" gliders. (i'm not like a real mom, i'm a cool mom. jk, but seriously.) while they are much more affordable, this was an area i was willing to splurge in the name of style.

i also didn't pick something based on being able to "fit it in" with our "regular" furniture. it's more like an investment for rocking & feeding our babes. if it doesn't "match" with our stuff after this, that's okay.

i came across a million that didn't fit the criteria...

 some were too modern...




some were too traditional...

& some were just right...

i narrowed it down to three:

1. this land of nod swivel glider for $799.

2. this little castle glider for $449.

3. or this little castle glider for $449.

i loved the tufting on 2 & 3, so i ruled out 1. then i decided to go a little crazy & went with the pattern of 2! AND got the matching ottoman, for the same price as just the glider from land of nod. success!

menu monday | june 24 - june 30

getting back into the swing of things...

monday: tortilla pizzas w/ leftover kebab toppings (grilled onions, peppers, & chicken) 

tuesday: regular 'ole taco night

wednesday: grilled shrimp + asparagus & goat cheese orzotto

thursday: thai pork lettuce wraps

friday: bleu cheese burgers with caramelized onions, avocado & chipotle mayo

saturday: pizza after a long day at the beach

sunday: steak salad w/ homemade peppercorn ranch

where the magic happens.

i'm talking about sleep, people.

& choosing a crib...

there are at least 2.4 million cribs out there, of all different shapes, sizes, prices, colors, etc., etc., etc...

- i knew i wanted something more modern, but not so modern it looked like it was straight out of the jetsons' nursery. i just knew the high back/low front look wasn't for us. 

- i also was set on white. period dot. (i feel like an espresso stained furniture truck exploded in our house.) 

- & i really wanted one that converted into a toddler bed. (converting into an adult bed/headboard after that wasn't a big priority, because i'm sure i'll be sick of it by then...)

i loved the ouef sparrow:

but let's get real...nearly $800 for a crib?! you must be trippin'.

then the angel chorus sang harmoniously as i found this gem...for half the price:

presenting...the babyletto hudson:

so, the heaven's parted & we got it! i mean, c'mon, can you really tell an almost $400 difference here?

9 sweet navy geometric area rugs

despite the fact that her nursery in the new house will be carpeted, i knew for sure i wanted an area rug for baby's room.

geometric rugs are so hot right now. 

(if you picked up on the zoolander reference, 10 points.)

the criteria i used for choosing baby's first area rug (lol.) were:

- i decided i wanted a darker, almost navy color.

- definitely geometric. 

- i knew i wanted low pile, because our next house has carpeted bedrooms. 

i came up with three contenders (+ 6 more sweet, navy geo rugs.):

1. this 5'x8' from overstock for $194 (slightly over the price i wanted to pay.)

2. this 5'x8' from target for $149.99

3. or this 5'x7' from target for $149.99

4. this one that is kind of beehivey.

5. this one with adorbs monochromatic hearts.

6. i actually really love this one from wayfair, so it might wind up in our house somewhere.

7. this one that is a little less geometric, a little more aztec.

8. this striped one with a really cool texture.

9. okay, okay...this one is not totally blue, but it's so rad.

i. want. all of them! but, after much back-and-forth, we chose...#3! which one is your favorite?

nursery themes. say what?!

the first time i encountered the "what's the theme of your nursery going to be?" question from another prego, i was all... what does this lady mean...theme?

so, to spare myself from looking like a total dummy i said, "i don't know yet, what's your theme?"

then she said..."it's like a winnie the pooh meets fairies theme."

uhh...what.

i. was. terrified. am i expected to have a theme like that? i don't want to have a theme like that. waaaa!

i was barely into my second trimester & the thought of nursery details had barely crossed my mind. i didn't even know she was a she yet.

after we found out we were having a little baby girl, i went anti-theme & started scouring the interweb. that's when i was introduced to www.ontobaby.com by my fabulous friend monica from awinkandanod! 

it was obvious that themes were not a must-do. so, i decided on a color scheme instead. coral, blues, & greens. 

then my sister & i found this fabric for inspiration (which has since become a pillow,  achanging pad cover and a few triangles of baby girl's bunting!):

since i came up with a decor inspiration, it has been (kind of) smooth sailing...many more nursery decor posts to come...

i'm baaaack!

okay, it's time. i think an almost 6 month sabbatical is e-nough. don't you?

three big life updates:
1. in january, we found out we are moving to the midwest at the end of the year.
2. april 27th, stephen & i celebrated 6 months of wedded bliss. (it really is blissful being married to your best friend.)
3. may 23rd, we entered our THIRD TRIMESTER of the baby growing business!

...that's right! we are pregs!!

she's a she, & she's kicking with excitement as we speak, because mommy is back on the blog train.

we are thrilled! we love her to pieces, & at a whopping 3 lbs, she already has daddy wrapped around her little finger.

i have been doin' it old school style, writing in a belly book instead of documenting pregnancy on this bad boy, BUT i can say...i love being pregnant.

i'm not overly concerned with weight gain. i can proudly say that i have already put on a healthy 35 el bees in 29 weeks. the back pain is...tolerable. the having to tinkle every 20 minutes is...annoying, but expected since i'm practically drowning in h2o. on the plus, people are SO nice to pregnant ladies. i get to park in super special VIP preggo parking spots. everyone offers to help and tells me how cute i look. (which is the nicest thing to hear when i feel like a blimp carrying a whale on an ocean liner.)

anyhoo...i won't overdo it this first time back, but i have a TON of things to share, so stay tuned.

(photos compliments of the amazing ashley livingston photography)