The Best Weekend Favorites

How is October already almost over?!  I'm ashamed to admit we're still in September on our calendar and have completely ignored October.  Guess I'll be starting with November soon enough ;)  Lately, I've been dreaming about decorating for Christmas - I just can't wait for the holidays to come this year.  I'm not sure if it's because it's Charlotte's first Christmas or that Olivia is older and it's becoming more magical for her or the fact that Pinterest is pouring over with fresh Christmas ideas that I'm loving.  I. Can't. Wait.  

{Current Inspiration via} 

Now onto some of my favorite picks this week, 

These bottle brush trees and this countdown calendar are both going in my cart.  PLUS, take an extra 10% off using code FALLHOME. 

How pretty are these plum Rockstar skinny jeans?  My favorite style, flattering with just the right amount of give. 

Baked Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast.  Probably the best brunch casserole ever created.  

Does this not look like the coziest bedroom ever?  Bedroom goals. 

Ritz Cracker Chicken,, Sheet Pan Greek Chicken,  and Slow Cooker Corn Chowder are on the menu this week.  

What are some of your favorites this week? XO 

Five Quick + Easy Breakfast Ideas

Hi friends!  Olivia has started preschool, ballet, and tap and we've been so busy lately!  September has flown by and we're official into everything fall related.  One of my favorite times of the year.  Preschool is three days a week and I need to get both kids dressed, fed (baby oatmeal for Charlotte) and ready to go early in the morning. Therefore, if you're like me and scrambling around, you'll need quick and easy breakfast ideas to keep your little ones full and keep you on time.  

1.  Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

{Image via Minimalist Baker}

2.  Baked Oatmeal

{Image via A Few Shortcuts}

3.  Hard-Boiled Eggs + Avocado

{Image via Popsugar}

4.  French Toast in a Mug

{Image via Princess Pinky Girl}

5.  Yogurt Popsicles

{Image via I Heart Nap Time} 

I love that these are all easy to prepare and can be made in advance.  In a pinch, I'll give Olivia a fruit + oatmeal squeeze pouch.  What are some of your favorite quick breakfasts? Cheers to the mamas holding everything together in the mornings ;) 

Five.

Happy Monday!  Sundays always go too fast, don't they?  While I love a fresh start to a new week, Mondays can be a little tough.  We have lots of fun plans throughout the week and I'm trying to fit in a lot before the start of preschool.  P r e s c h o o l.  I literally can't believe Olivia will be heading to preschool in a few short weeks.  This mama's heart is not ready.  I'll be the one still in the parking lot.  Anyway, I'd love to share with you some things I'm loving this week.  Don't you love reading what other people are loving?  It's one of my favorite kinds of posts! 

O N E

This coffee is my absolute favorite right now.  I go back and forth between Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, but this is winning in my book.  I have both the K-cups for lazier mornings and the ground version that I put in my own refillable k-cup, similar here.  It's so smooth and slightly nutty, so delicious with some cream and sugar.  If you're like me and look forward to that morning cup of coffee before you even go to sleep at night, this is for you.  So good! 

T W O 

I'm constantly storing away pictures for house inspiration on my Pinterest.  Farmhouse inspired decor always steals my heart.  This entire house is so good. I have dreams of farmhouse sinks, hexagon tiles, shiplap and sliding barn doors.  I have an entire board dedicated to my house dreams, here, and grays and whites are clearly my love language.  One day, my friends, one day! 

T H R E E

This weekend I stocked up on some basic pieces for fall and this tunic was one of my favorite finds.  This tee dress and these jeans also came home with me.  

F O U R 

This shopping cart hammock  has been such a lifesaver while food shopping. Though I swear it takes two hours longer because so many people stop and ask me about it ;)  Binxy Baby hammocks are brilliant.  With the infant seat in the main area of the cart you can't fit anything in there, with the hammock you can fit everything underneath and around the baby. Definitely a piece I recommend to all moms of little ones.

F I V E

These latte mugs from Anthropologie have been a favorite of mine and they're on sale for $20 plus 40% off sale price...bringing them down to $12, what?!? Amazing! Run! 

Hope you have a great Monday XO 

How to Choose the Right Car Seat // The Baby Cubby

Hi friends! Today I'm partnering with The Baby Cubby to share all of the information you'll need to choose the right car seat for your little one.  

The Baby Cubby is a great, one stop shop for all of your baby's needs.  The Baby Cubby's team is made up of parents, just like us, who have been there and experienced the same things as us.  They are passionate about encouraging, inspiring, and reminding parents that their role is so important!  Hundreds of hours are spent researching the safest, best products, which are then made available to us. I love that I can shop stress-free knowing the research has been done for me. The Baby Cubby is not only a baby store, but a great resource for new parents and seasoned parents alike.   Whether it's at their online store, their retail store, or engagement through their social media accounts, you can feel the difference.  One of my absolute favorite things about The Baby Cubby is that they price match, even Amazon!  They also offer free shipping on orders over $49.  Now let's get to car seat shopping!!

Buying a car seat can be so stressful because there are so many different things to consider.  My husband is police officer and also a child passenger safety certified technician so he's always able to help our friends with little ones figure out which car seat is best and install it for them.  Without help, everything from safety ratings, seat location, latch systems, your child's weight - it can get so overwhelming!  The Baby Cubby has a great information guide to break down all of the info you need.  Their car seat stages guide is so user-friendly and so informative for parents. From infant seats to booster car seats, it's covered for your buying needs.  

Before purchasing a car seat, there are a few things to consider:

1. Your state laws - Every state has different child-restraint laws.  
2. Your car - Not every seat fits in certain cars.  Go to the store and see if you can try the seat you are looking for in your car first before purchasing. 
3. Seat location - Some vehicles have LATCH systems and some do not.  Some seats may only be able to be installed on the sides, whereas some seats have to be able to be installed in the middle back seat.
4. LATCH system - LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children.  Car seats are now required to have LATCH systems, but some cars may not be LATCH compatible.  If your car is not LATCH compatible, you will use the seat belt and tether.  Do not use both the LATCH system and seat belt and tether at the same time! 
5. Weight Limits - It can be confusing to figure out the weight limit of a car seat.  Is it a combined weight of the child and the car seat?  Is it just how much your child weighs?  This chart is so great for figuring it out! 
6. Expiration dates & accidents - Car seats expire!  Most car seats have the date of expiration on the bottom or side and it's normally within 5-6 years of the manufacture date.  If you are using a second hand seat, it's so important to make sure the seat has never been involved in a car accident and/or that it is not expired.  If you are in a car accident (other than minor, which is determined by strict criteria) and the car seat is in your car, regardless of whether your child is in it at the time, it is no longer usable and now considered unsafe. Most insurance companies will replace the seat, which has actually happened to us twice so far.  

{Chart via The Baby Cubby} 

Buckling Your Child

Once you have purchased your seat, it is SO important to buckle your child correctly. It drives me nuts when I see babies and/or toddlers buckled incorrectly.  It's completely preventable and so important for their safety.  For rear facing children, the top of the harness straps should be AT or BELOW their shoulders.  For forward facing children, the strap should be AT or within one inch ABOVE their shoulders.   The chest clip should be armpit level, not belly level nor collarbone level.  Lastly, use the pinch test to make sure your little one is properly strapped in.  The pinch test is to ensure you cannot pinch enough fabric, which means your little one is nice and snug in their seat.  Also, if you live in a colder climate, do not put your child in a snow suit or bulky jacket in their car seat.  We actually have "car jackets", which are thin flannel jackets that are only used in their car seat.  Once we get to our destination, we dress the kids in their normal winter jackets.  It's so important because those bulky layers create space between your child and their straps, which can be extremely dangerous if in a car accident.  

Rear Facing or Forward Facing

Both of our kids are little peanuts so we chose to rear face as long as we could with Olivia, and will continue to do so with Charlotte.  When Olivia turned three, she started forward facing.  Depending on which state you live in, the laws may be different as to what age to forward face.  This list a great guide that shows the four different types of seats.  One of the brands The Baby Cubby carries just released a new convertible car seat and a booster seat and it is gorgeous! Um...such a mom thing to say, the little things that we love now ;) The Nuna AACE Combination Booster and the RAVA Convertible Car Seat are so nice! 

{Chart via The Baby Cubby}

The Baby Cubby has so many car seats available to purchase including brands such as Chicco, Maxi-Cosi, Britax, Nuna and Baby Jogger.  I love that they sell only the safest, best gear. For our girls, we have the Chicco Keyfit 30 Magic Car seat and the Chicco Nextfit Convertible car seat, which we love!  

I hope this guide makes your car seat buying experience successful and stress-free!  The Baby Cubby is such a great resource that I hope you will utilize and love!  P.S. - They're having a huge sale on diaper bags right now, run don't walk! ;)

As always, follow along with The Birds Nest on Instagram, Facebook, and Bloglovin'. XO

Handmade with Love // Chico Rose

Happy Sunday!  Hope you are enjoying your weekend.  It has been SO hot here, so we've been enjoying some sprinkler days, outdoor movies, and some down time as a family.  Today, I wanted to share some of our favorite bows with you.  

Chico Rose was created to provide simple, beautiful bows that would compliment your sweet little ones.  Chico Rose has the cutest bows and headbands for girls, and absolutely adorable bowties for boys!! When the bows arrived, I was obsessed with the packaging - literally I didn't even want to open them!  The attention to details is amazing and they are so well made.  

"Glow" Leather Hairclip // "Orchid" Cotton Classic Headband

I love the soft shimmer of the "glow" clip - matches perfectly with platinum Freshly Picked moccs ;) and "orchid" is my favorite summer/fall color - so versatile! I really love how you can change the clip around on the bows, depending on where you part your little one's hair and the colors are so bright and pretty.  With two little girls, I love to dress them in coordinating outfits so I chose the "Daisy" leather hairclip  for Olivia and the sweetest cotton classic headband for Charlotte. I knew instantly they would be perfect for our professional family photos. I also love that the headband was super stretchy, so nice for newborns.

"Daisy" Hair clip & White Cotton Classic Headband

"Daisy" hair clip  on Olivia

Some of my other favorites include the strawberry fields cotton headband, the pacific chico hair clip, and the lacette clip in slate.  There are so many cute bowties too!  How cute would these be for a ring bearer?!  All the heart eyes!  

Be sure to follow along with Chico Rose on Instagram and head over to their website to see all the other adorable styles!  Thank you so much, Alisa for providing us with the cutest bows!! XO 

As always, follow along with The Birds Nest on Instagram: @thebirdsnestblog and now Snapchat @birdsnestblog.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend! XO 

Three Years & Three Months

I thought it might be fun to share an update of the girls with you today.  I love going back and reading their updates throughout the last few years and weeks (for Charlotte). They're both growing so much and I love the stages they are in right now. 

Olivia - Three Years Old

Height: 3.5'

Weight: 28lbs.

Three is such a fun, crazy age.  The things she says literally crack me up, she's the funniest little thing!  It also has it's crazy moments where one second she's fine and the next it's a the-world-is-ending-because-my-milk-isn't-the-right-temperature kind of day.  She has such a great personality and she's so sweet.  Her favorite things are bunnies, chapstick, and playing with play dough.  She loves her baby dolls and packs their diaper bag just like mommy whenever we're going somewhere. She loves books and the library and loves to sing!  Her favorite foods are bacon, pepperoni, pasta, all kinds of fruit and anything with ranch.  We're working on the sodium intake ;).  Her favorite show is Daniel Tiger, which I love too - such great messages for them.  Not a great sleeper, but improving most days.  She loves to help me clean - dusting, mopping the floors, cleaning the tub, emptying the dishwasher.  I've started giving her a quarter for an allowance for chores and she loves it.  You go right ahead and save that money for the ice cream man, girlfriend.  She's a girlie girl through and through.  Loves lip gloss, nail polish, and sugar scrubs.  Her favorite color is purple and she loves to pick out her own outfits.  

Charlotte - Three Months Old

Height: 1' 9.5"

Weight: 10lbs 8oz

When the newborn stage is ending, it's so bittersweet.  Teeny, tiny baby clothes and that newborn smell, can't get any sweeter, but then you start seeing smiles and hearing those first giggles and its so fun!  She rolls over onto her belly...bye bye swaddle...mommy is mourning sleep...which I wasn't prepared for because she had been sleeping SO good. For weeks now, she'd sleep from 7:30/8pm until 7:30/8am, uninterrupted.  The past two nights has been the worst since unswaddling her so hoping to figure out a solution soon so we can all rest better.  She's full of gummy smiles - my favorite! She loves to go on her jungle activity mat and prefers naps on mommy.  She loves her mamaroo and talks to the colored balls hanging above.  Her bunny lovey soothes her and she loves to cover her face with it when she's tired.  I watch her carefully to make sure she can breath correctly and have gotten some looks, but she loves it so whatever works! She loves to watch Olivia and is definitely becoming more interested in what she's doing.  Such a delicate little flower - has full stranger danger and prefers only Mommy - we're working on that.  Really enjoys being outside and loves to nap on a blanket while Olivia runs through the sprinkler.  Sweet little peanut!

That last one makes me laugh!! As always, follow along on Instagram to see more, @thebirdsnestblog. XOXO 

Smitten

Happy Monday!  Is it really only Monday?! We've had a busy few weeks and this summer is just flying by.  Both girls are doing so well and I'm currently writing a 3 year and 3 month update to share soon.  For now, I wanted to share some things I've been loving lately and think you will enjoy them too! 

This bed - loooove it!  It's part of the Threshold collection at Target and I love how it looks Restoration Hardware-ish for a fraction of the price.  We currently have a queen size bed and we're both feeling the need for a king.  This is going on my list for future bedroom redo plans.

{Image via Target}

This is my new favorite Instagram feed.  Drool worthy!! Such pretty spaces and I'm obsessed with pretty much every room she has designed.  Those kitchens & bathrooms - amazing!  And herringbone tiled backsplash - dying.  

{via Home Bunch} 

This kitchen pictured above is my dream.  White cabinets, shiplap, subway tiles...those beams!!!  One day, my friends, one day.  

 {Image via The Girl Who Ate Everything}

This frosting is to die for.  Literally, I could eat the entire bowl. By myself.  It's cooked - totally weird, right?!  So, so good!  You must try it.  My sister found it on Pinterest and it's such a light consistency and will quickly become a new favorite.  

What are some things you're loving lately? I'd love to hear! XO

P.S. - Follow along on Instagram @thebirdsnestblog to see our daily shenanigans ;)