Mama Style: PinkBlush Maternity & A GIVEAWAY!!

Hi! Today I'm featuring some of my favorite clothing items from PinkBlush Maternity and wanted to share all about my picks and why I love PinkBlush. Stay tuned for a great giveaway opportunity at the end of the post! 

PinkBlush Maternity has the cutest selection of maternity clothes!  They are so affordable and there are so many great items to choose from.  Normally, when you think of a maternity boutique, you may think of frumpy, loose maternity clothes, but that is not the case with PinkBlush!  From fitted tops to flowy looks, everything is trendy and will make you look your best during your pregnancy.  I love that they have nursing apparel available and lots of postpartum looks that are perfect once the baby is born to keep you confident and feeling good.  PinkBlush also has amazing customer service and they frequently offer discount codes on their website - perfect for shopping and stocking up! ;) There's also a PinkBlush for women, which has so many great options if you're not an expecting mama! 

PinkBlush Maternity Crochet Accent Top

My first item that I chose was this springy crochet accent top in peach and white stripes.  I'm a huge fan of stripes and love the top crochet accent! I'm wearing a size medium and its a great stretchy, light material.  It would definitely work well throughout your entire pregnancy to showcase your growing bump ;)  

PinkBlush Maternity - Pink Lace Belted Dress

PinkBlush has so many great cute maternity dresses for all occasions!  From casual maxi dresses to more formal occasion dresses there's something for everyone and every event.  I chose this pink lace belted dress for Easter coming up and I love the texture of the lace and it's so comfortable!  Again, I got this in a size medium and it could definitely accommodate a small bump to a full term bump. I think it's the perfect spring color and I love the belt accent - pair it with flats and a jean jacket or a cute sweater and you're all set for a stylish holiday. I also love this maternity maxi dress for a comfortable, yet pulled together look and this cute maternity dress - perfect for your baby shower! 

PinkBlush Maternity - Black Leggings

Ok mamas, I feel like towards the end, or beginning ;) of pregnancy, leggings are the most comfortable item you can wear.  These black fleece lined maternity leggings are beyond comfortable!  Did you read that...fleece lined?!?!  Where have these been all my life?! They are not see-through at all, which is a must for me to feel comfortable to wear these outside of the house for errands, etc.  It is one size fits all so they're extremely stretchy and accommodate your belly well.  These would be super cute to be comfy all day (see picture above) or to wear under a tunic or flowy shirt for going out.  

Overall, I'm so happy with my PinkBlush Maternity items and can't wait to stock up on a few more basics!  Thank you so much to PinkBlush Maternity for providing me with these special items!  

Now for the GIVEAWAY part... I'm so excited to offer you a chance to win a $75 gift card to PinkBlush!  Head over to my Instagram (@thebirdsnestblog) to win!! Giveaway starts February 25 and ends March 1, 2016 at 11:59pm EST.  Good luck! XOXO

Easter Basket Goodies

I love Easter! It's so early this year and I've been preparing and setting aside little gifts so I'm not scrambling around the week before trying to put together an Easter basket. Olivia's third (!!) birthday is in April and baby is supposed to arrive just a few days before, so I'm also prepping all of her birthday gifts as well.  I feel so accomplished...probably won't happen again for the next five years so let me relish my hard work ;) 

Easter was always so fun growing up and my mom is still required to have an Easter egg hunt for my brother, sister, and I.  It's intense and my sister always needs some help finding her eggs...sorry twinnie ;)  I can't wait to see the girls hunt for eggs too because this year they will get the concept even more.  We've been talking to Livvy about the Easter bunny and all she's been asking is "Maybe the Easta bunny will be a tooter toy" aka whoopee cushion.  She's the funniest little thing.  We, meaning Rob, bought her one after she had gotten car sick multiple times in the car and she was obsessed with it.  Hey, I guess in a house full of girls the hubby needs someone to laugh at potty humor with.  Anyway, so she'll be getting a "tooter toy" along with other fun goodies!  I rounded up some cute ones that I thought would be great for her age range and also switch out a few accessories for boy ones and you're set for a little boy!

Paper Dolls

Bunny Dress Up Kit

Chocolate Bunny

Pinkalicious Easter Book

Carter's Pajamas

Easter Eggs

Bunny Sippy Cup

Zoocchini Bunny Hooded Towel

I'm so excited for Olivia to see her basket on Easter morning!  I'm especially excited about the bunny hooded towel, how cute is that?!  She's obsessed with bunnies so I think Easter is probably the most fun holiday aside from Christmas!  I'll be sharing more Easter goodies and recipes soon so stay tuned!  As always, follow along on Instagram (@thebirdsnestblog) for more! XOXO

Weekend Wrap-up

Hi! Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!  Don't they go so fast?!  Rob rarely has weekend days off so this was a special treat to actually have him home Saturday and Sunday.  It'll happen again in about seven weeks so maybe we'll be a family of four by then...or at least super close to it ;) This pregnancy has flown by and I can't believe I'm 31+ weeks.  Olivia's big girl room is almost done, just waiting on finishing touches.  The baby's room is underway with fresh paint and wallpaper coming this week.  I can't wait to start organizing it with teeny tiny clothes and special touches.  We're all super excited to be bringing home another itty bitty babe.  

This weekend was a mash up between homemade pizza night, painting, colds (for Rob and Livvy), a tea lunch with my mom and sister (at my favorite place), flower making and some movies snuggled on the couch.  Today, my college roommate and her daughter are coming up for a visit, along with my sister and Brynn and we're so excited to catch up and play with them! The girls are all within six months apart and it's so fun to see all them together. 

Always sad to see the weekend go, but we have so many exciting things coming up so these weeks will be flying by.  Stay tuned on Instagram (@thebirdsnestblog) for a great giveaway coming up! XOXO

Friday Favorites

Hi friends! I'm so happy it's Friday (I totally just typed Wednesday...#babybraininfullswing) but really Friday is what I've been looking forward to all week.  Today, my sister and I are planning to run some errands and do some last-minute Valentine's Day shopping with the girls.  I've requested that my hubby make this deliciousness for dinner on Valentine's Day because let's face it, we have a toddler and she'll be included too because we didn't make plans early enough.  Have you read this post on Honest Toddler?!  So funny and so true! Speaking of some toddler fun, these are some candid snapshots from this week ;) 

Cheesin' before toddler time

Superbowl at my sister's house - they know how to party #partyhats 

Snuck downstairs while protesting a nap..."Hi, Mommy!"

Now on to some favorites of mine this week...

I cannot wait to try this Molten Chocolate Latte!! I'm sure a trip to Target will be occurring while we're running errands so this will undoubtedly be enjoyed. Even if the toddlers are losing it in the dollar spot. Starbucks + Target are a match made in heaven.

I've been making Valentine's crafts with Livvy all week and she is loving it!  While all of the glitter, paint, and glue can cause slight anxiety (read: everywhere) I know she's really enjoying it and she needs to learn how to use everything before she goes to school.  Trust me on this, teach your kids to use scissors and glue before they start and it will make a world of difference. These are some cute crafts I've seen on Pinterest that would be great for little ones to do: rainbow heart sun catchers, bee mine valentine, heart shaped animals, and a handprint monkey valentine.  

We just ordered the 4moms Breeze and I can't waitttttt to get it!  I did some mystery shopping for 4moms and received a gift card to put towards it so I'm SO excited to use it for the new baby.  I'm a neutral girl through and through so we got the black and grey version and I love that it can fit into our home decor.  I've never been a fan of baby-themed products that are super colorful or pastels unless it was going in the playroom so it'll be so nice to have something that sleek yet totally baby functional. Also, it's amazingly easier to set up than other playards so it's a win win! 

And because I'm 30 weeks pregnant and hungry I thought I'd throw some recipes in the mix that I'd like to try...because #dinnerrut .  This Bruschetta Chicken Pasta looks yummy and simple, Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti - yummmm, White Chicken Chili - perfect for cold nights, and Pioneer Woman Beef Stroganoff would be right up my hubby's alley.  I made homemade Arancini last night and it was so good.  I paired it with lemon-garlic roasted broccoli and we gobbled it up.  For the Arancini: 2 1/2 cups of cooked rice, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, mozzarella cubes, panko, 2 beaten eggs   Mix together rice, egg, and parmesan cheese.  If it's super loose, add another beaten egg.  Roll rice into balls and stuff with a cube (or two) of mozzarella cheese.  Roll rice ball in egg wash & coat with panic breadcrumbs.  Lightly fry each side and place on baking sheet.  Bake at 425 until cooked through and golden brown.  For the lemon-garlic broccoli: Coat fresh broccoli florets with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh garlic.  Toss together and roast at 425 for 10-12 mins, flipping once halfway.  Once broccoli is roasted, squeeze fresh lemon over the top.  

{@thebirdsnestblog}

Be sure to follow along on Instagram, Facebook , and Bloglovin' for more snap shots of our week! Hope you all have a great weekend! XOXO

A Weekly Cleaning Schedule (that you can actually stick to)

Cleaning is something that I enjoy doing (most times) and I feel it helps me relax when the house is clean & calm.  Are you like that?! I'm not saying I love scrubbing the toilet, but little things each day make all the difference to have a clean home and clear mind.  It's been really hard to keep and to want to keep the house clean while having a toddler, husband, dog, cat and being 30 weeks pregnant.  Embarrassingly so, I've let the housework go longer than it should have and once that happens it's overwhelming to try to get everything back in order and clean.  My mom has always suggested a weekly routine to keep on top of housework so I created one that I can stick to and hopefully it'll be helpful to you to! Here's so to a little less cobwebs and more joy and peace;)

I'd love to hear if this is helpful to you or if you have tips to keeping on top of cleaning. XOXO

Valentine's Day Round Up: For Kids

Pretzels / Craft / Window Clings /  XOXO /  Book /  Re-Play Plates

Valentine's Day is coming up and I love to make holidays extra special for Olivia.    This year I'm planning pink, red, and heart shaped balloons and fun breakfast of heart shaped pancakes and fruit for her to wake up to! I've also filled her bookshelves with Valentine's Day themed books for her to enjoy all month long. 

She loves to help in the kitchen and I know she'll love to make & eat chocolate covered pretzels! Re-Play plates are our favorite and I can't wait to get her some flat plates in bright pink ;) 

Target always has fun dollar spot finds and these window clings are perfect for her to stick and re-stick (twenty times a day).  I also love that "xoxo" banner...so cute to hang in your little one's room or playroom.  

Crafts are one of our favorite things to do and it's so important to develop their fine motor skills.  Cutting & gluing are great for them to learn at an early age! This bee craft is simple and fun to get in the Valentine's Day spirit ;)  She's super excited to make Valentine's for our family and friends so we'll be making plenty of these.  

Lastly, there are so many cute Valentine's Day books out there.  We normally buy ours on Amazon and also check them out at our local library.  Some of our favorites are: Happy Valentine's Day Mouse,  Ollie's Valentine,  The Biggest Valentine Ever, Clifford's First Valentine's Day, and What is Love, Biscuit?.  

What are some of your favorite Valentine's Day books?  Do you have a favorite craft to do with your little ones? I'd love to hear! 

Pizza Party: Toddler Style

Is there anything sweeter than a toddler pizza party?  On Friday, my sister, mom and niece Brynn came over for a little homemade pizza party.  The girls were so excited to make their own pizzas and although it was messy and they ate more toppings than they used (ahem Olivia) it turned out to be such a fun night.  We used Naan bread, which I looove, and it was the perfect size for individual pizzas.  I whipped up a quick batch of homemade pizza sauce (crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, oregano, and sugar) and chopped up some fun toppings.  Olivia is currently obsessed with pepperoni, which she asks for for breakfast some days...#gag...so olives and pepperoni were the winning toppings for her.  Afterwards, we had a yummy dessert that my sister made - Fastest Fudge Cake and the girls shared a purple bath together.  

Do you homemade pizza night in your house?  I definitely think this will be a regular occurrence in our house!