Holy crap. How is today already the last Friday in June?!
Time. Is. Flying.
Here are some of my favorite things this week...
1.
The Head and the Heart
The eternal struggle...what a great name for a band!
And a great song for reflecting on your week.
2.
Cute accent nails.
We've all seen the glittered ring fingernails, which I admittedly love.
But why not try something a little different?
I heart the heart.
3.
D.I.Y. Travel Case for Curling Irons/Straighteners
Made from cute pot holders.
Read: You can pack 'em while they're still hot!
I mean, how many times have you been late embarking on your travels because you were waiting for your hot iron to cool so that it didn't melt any plastic goods in your carry-on?!
Thus, this is essential for any woman.
I think I need to make these for friends' birthdays. STAT!
4.
Leinie's Summer Shandy
It is summertime in Wisconsin. So, as they say, when in Rome...
5.
Making "Mom" Friends
Ew. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dreading this inevitable task.
Forcing a relationship that otherwise would NEVER happen, always trying to impress or "one-up" each other, comparing your kids constantly, etc...Bleck!!
(Thank God two of my very dear friends are also fellow moms!)
Read all about the woes of making legit "mom" friends,
After reading one of the latest editions of Real Simple,
I was inspired to share some of my favorite organizing tips.
1. Buttons.
Label the little plastic bags that extra buttons come in
and place them in your sewing kit.
When you lose one, you will know EXACTLY where to find the replacement!
2.
Galvanized tubs or baskets.
Use them to store summer essentials on the deck or boat!
3.
Rolling shirts.
I do this all the time when packing for a trip,
so why not utilize drawer separators and do this in my drawers at home?
It is so much easier to find the shirt you're looking for versus digging through a pile.
Not to mention it keeps the wrinkles away!
4.
Plastic bags for baby outfits.
When traveling with baby, it is essential to make life as easy as possible.
Put together complete outfits, down to hair clips and hats,
and place them in gallon-size plastic ziplock bags.
Sounds like a great system to me!
5.
Recipes. I'm talking pre-Pinterest, the ones you ripped out of Food & Wine magazine.
I whip out my label maker and organize them into categories -
Regions, Kids, Slow Cooker, Baking, Sides, etc.
Now my 500+ recipes have an appropriate home and I know EXACTLY where to look when I need one in particular. Once I test them and determine "it's a keeper", I create specific books to store in my kitchen beside my cookbooks on even more categorized shelves.
6. A "Where is it?" List.
I do not have one of these, but am pretty sure I need one!
Make a file on your computer where you write down everything that you don't use often, along with EXACTLY where in the house you're keeping it (for example, under the guest bed near the headboard).
You'll be able to find that "cowboy costume" or extra fan in no time!
7. Deep cleaning kit.
Assemble necessary tools/products along with a list in a caddy.
Store it under your sink.
You will be able to deep clean (without forgetting something important) in a much more efficient manner.
A sample list {HERE}.
8.
A DIY Weekly Planner
Who needs to spend a lot of money when you can print this template at home?
Or, if you want to get fancy, print it off at Kinkos and have them bind it for you.
(Still cheaper than buying a pre-made one...plus you get to customize it!)
Perfect for truly organizing your life.
I would truly be LOST without a planner.
And I'm totally digging these templates specifically for meals/grocery lists in one.
Cute!
Hope these ideas inspire you to get your ducks in a row!
:)
~photos by b (first 3 of Real Simple magazine) / images via The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking, artsy-fartsy mama & kamleylane.com~
We're guessing he weighs approximately 13+ pounds now.
Cute little rolls abound on his arms and legs and tummy!
It seems he's getting more and more hair everyday...
Some days it looks strawberry blond, other days it looks brown.
His wide, bright eyes remain a crisp blue.
He continues to giggle and coo up a storm,
though especially seems to be a morning person.
He still loves bath time...though now makes the Puj tub look a little small.
He continues to be a good eater, breastfeeding ~8 times per day...
including at least once from a bottle by Dad!
He sleeps at night anywhere from 4-8 hours straight. Wahooo!
He enjoys being "in the mix"...a.k.a. being held so that he can scan the room freely,
often sitting upright on your lap like a "big boy."
He still isn't too keen on tummy time,
but has started to make serious push-off efforts,
indicating rolling over and even crawling are not too far away.
He loves his noisy soft blocks, Sofie the Giraffe, empty plastic wipe bags to kick, the color red,
and to our surprise, his "WubbaNub" pacifier with "Clifford" the red dog.
He literally grips onto Cliff for dear life!
Perhaps this new-found love has to do with his fixation on putting things, including his whole hand, into his mouth. Along with an increase in drooling and "spit bubbles", we're thinking a tooth or two are also not far off.
And he is learning to grab and grasp things much more efficiently!
He LOVES to stretch and wildly swing his limbs, especially on the activity gym.
(He seems to have it out for that poor purple elephant!)
He enjoys learning to sit up in his Bumbo seat.
And he likes napping and watching his mom cook from his swing,
all the while relaxing to piano music or "Classical Baby" on HBO.
Perhaps the thing we love most are his huge, toothless grins.
He smiles at us all the time...
When we go to pick him up out of the crib.
When Dad comes in the door from work.
When Mom walks into the room.
When he rips a loud #2.
When a grandparent plays with him.
Those smiles are precious and priceless!
My heart melts each and every time.
I honestly didn't know I could feel so loved by someone
who cannot even speak a word.
(those little lip dimples kill me!)
Looking forward to see what fun surprises and milestones
