Mothers Day Gift Guide

I really love searching high & low for the perfect gifts. I think it is so much fun to see the (hopefully) excited reaction of an unexpected gift on someones face.

Mother's Day is no exception. Obviously, flowers & a festive breakfast are staples on everyone's list, but there are so many more options out there for those important women in our life!

Art Print // Heirloom Seeds // Wreath // Necklace // Metal Sign

Truly, truly I love Minted. We have gotten our Christmas cards from there, a few art prints & most recently our baby shower invitations and have absolutely loved everything we've received from them. I can't say enough good things! This collaboration with Every Mother Counts is no different. EMC is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to making pregnancy & childbirth safe for every woman around the world. If your eyeballs be curious, you should check our their site!

Flowers for Mother's Day are obviously a no brainer, but to spice it up a bit you could gift some heirloom seeds instead! They will last longer than a flower arrangement & it's always fun to watch a garden grow!

What mother doesn't love some pretty jewelry? I stumbled upon Rebekah Gough's site & fell head over heels when I spotted the "Mama Bear" necklace. I gravitate towards simple, delicate jewelry & she has so many options! There is even a "Nana Bear" necklace :)

Another option along the line of flowers is a wreath. I have spotted so many bright, beautiful wreaths while we're out & about now that the weather is getting warmer! 

Joanna Gaines can do no wrong & I'm sure all the mothers would agree. There are so many gift options from Magnolia Market it's hard to choose just one, but the metal signs are so neat! 

Happy Wednesday! :)

Friday I'm in Love

It's Friday ya'll! Woot Woot!

And I'm about to freak my ish because, hello, Game of Thrones starts this weekend!!! I can't tell you enough how much I love it. Like real true love... or maybe it's just Jon Snow.

I'm also loving a few other things lately, so I've put together a little "Love List" for all of you! :)

This Essie nail polish is the perfect pop of color.

Ummmmm, this trailer looks ridiculous! Nate read the book & said I would love it, but I never got around to it. Now I am for sure going to read it.

I stumbled upon this website one day & I continuously go back to it.  It has some really neat activities for young kids, recipes, beauty tricks & many other things for Mom's & women in general.

These soaps smell delish! I would know. I cram them up my nose each time I visit the store. A wee bit on the pricey side, but it's okay to indulge every once in a while, am I right?

And these candles also smell amazing, plus they come in an insanely cute jar! 

I just donated a bunch of crap. Pretty nice crap I may add. That means these sandals are fair game to add to my wardrobe, right? I may have to rethink them though since it's becoming harder & harder to tie my shoes. But I love these as well.

Happy weekending!

27 Week Bump Update!

How far along: 27 weeks - baby is the size of a cucumber!  

Gender: Not finding out :)

Weight Gain: 20 lbs

Stretch marks: Nope

Maternity clothes: I'm sure I will be buying some maternity shorts very soon.

Sleep: Pretty good

Best moment of the week: The weather! It has been soooo insanely beautiful!

Worst moment of the week: Since the weather has been so warm I walked outside without shoes & within minutes I was stung by a bee!

Miss anything: The same it is basically every week... a hoagie.

Movement: Heck yeah!

Cravings: This is always hard to fill out because honestly I haven't had any! They have just been normal, week to week cravings I had even before the pregnancy.
Symptoms: None really. My feet are back to normal!!
Belly Button in or out: In.

Queasiness or sickness: None.

Looking forward to: The warm weather that is supposed to continue this week & GAME OF THRONES starts Sunday!!!

Happy Monday! :)

26 Weeks!

Wowza! Almost the 3rd trimester!

How far along: 26 weeks - baby is the size of an eggplant!  

Gender: Not finding out :)

Weight Gain: 20 lbs...

Stretch marks: Nope

Maternity clothes: Nope.

Sleep: Decent

Best moment of the week: Was able to see my family! :)

Worst moment of the week: None come to mind!

Miss anything: The same it is basically every week... a hoagie.

Movement: Yes! :)

Cravings: Hot & Spicy
Symptoms: Lower belly pain & swollen feet
Belly Button in or out: In, but it looks like it is about to close up since it's so tiny!

Queasiness or sickness: None.

Looking forward to: The warm weather that is coming our way this weekend!

Happy, happy week! :)

Spring Beauty Favorites

We had a taste of Spring a couple of weeks ago. Everything was budding, the grass was becoming greener & we were happy as could be with all the sunshine. Then April came & brought a dose of Winter with it. It has been gloomy & freakishly cold, but Hallelujah it's going to be in the 70's later this week/weekend!

We all know that once the cold weather is gone we whip out a more "structured" beauty routine.  I know for me, once the warmer weather graces us with it's presence, I tend to wear far less makeup & go to basics once my skin gets some color. So, I thought I would share with you my favorite beauty items!

Olay Day & Night // Jergens Natural Glow // Maybelline Mascara // Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse // Herbal Essence Dry Shampoo

I have always used Olay lotions & absolutely love them. I've tried others along the way, but always come back to the original Olay lotion. I put it on every morning before I put makeup on & it is so light weight and never leaves my skin feeling greasy. A few years ago I began using their original night cream & love that just as much!

Jergens Natural Glow has definitely been a Spring staple for me. I really like it & it's easy to apply without leaving any color on your hands. It's a gradual tan which I really love as well. I typically only apply it to my legs & arms in the Spring until I get an actual tan. Another benefit is it has a firming element to it!

Maybelline makeup has always been my favorite.  It works well for my skin & they are affordable.  For the most part I either wear no foundation at all or very little just around my eyes throughout the warmer months. 

We all know the supposed benefits of not washing your hair on a daily basis. I guess unfortunately for me, I do wash it daily throughout the week. BUT... I will go two days on the weekend without washing it & for me that's good enough. Now that my hair is much, much shorter I will reach for a dry shampoo to give it some volume since it falls so flat. I'm sure there are better brands out there, but this is far cheaper & since I don't use it too often I don't want to spend a lot of money on it.

Other favorites I use on a daily basis are these makeup remover cloths (they make my skin sooo soft) & this lip balm (in "cupcake" - it smells amaze balls). Also, I thought I'd share a little beauty tip I read a while ago & I really believe it has worked for me. It's important to allow your skin time to breathe. For about a year now, I go without my facial lotions on the weekends & I try to go at least one day without makeup at all, two if I'm lucky.  My skin has been so clear since I started doing this & all around feels better! :)

What are your Spring beauty favorites you can't live without!?

25 Week Bump Update

How far along: 25 weeks - baby is the size of a rutabaga! 15 more weeks to go..

Gender: Not finding out :)

Weight Gain: 15 lbs

Stretch marks: Nope

Maternity clothes: Notta

Sleep: Decent

Best moment of the week: Getting baby items in the mail & testing out the car seat. It makes both of us feel sooooooo old.

Worst moment of the week: None come to mind!

Miss anything: Oddly... a beer...

Movement: Yes! :)

Cravings: Hot & Spicy
Symptoms: It is insanely difficult to tie my own shoes..
Belly Button in or out: In.

Queasiness or sickness: None.

Looking forward to: Traveling home for the weekend!

Have a happy week! :)