Brand New Blog Makeover!

Hello!  I'm so excited to reveal my blog's brand new makeover!  As you can see, a lot has changed around here.  To start, how gorgeous is that header?! Love the mix of florals and watercolors. 

It's also much easier to navigate to find previous posts, labels, and popular posts.  To the right, social media links are a breeze to click through and follow ;) 

Template is from The Sunday Studio on Etsy and the designer was so helpful and prompt in answering all of my questions.  It comes with a full tutorial to install or optional install free of charge.    Take a look around and tell me what you think! XO

P.S. - If viewing on a mobile device, simply click on view "web version" on the bottom of the screen to see the new look;)

Blogger Meet & Mingle || And Hattie Makes Three

 

It's Meet & Mingle day! Every week I'm sharing some of my favorite girlfriends and their blogs.  This is a great opportunity to see who's "behind the blog" and to get to know other bloggers.  Today, I'm so happy to share Jen from And Hattie Makes Three  with you! I  always enjoy reading her Weekend Wrap Up posts...seriously, you need to check out her Chocolate Pudding Pie recipe...yum!!!!  Hope you enjoy getting to know her more with all of her answers to some fun behind-the-blog questions!

Your blog name & it’s significance

And Hattie Makes Three was created in early 2015 after the birth of my daughter. I was looking for an outlet to share all the fun things that we did and all the fun frugal finds we found while out and about. For years I had a coupon blog, and I decided it was time for a switch!

Tell us a little about your family

I've been married to Jeff for 7 years, but been together for 11. We have Miss H who is 18 months and our fur baby Riley Sue who is 9. We live in St. Louis, we're avid Cardinals fans, love BBQing, Friends, and enjoying all that St. Louis has to offer! I'm a SAHM to Miss H and we are super involved with MOMs Club, MOPs and more. 

Currently in my shower [favorite beauty products]...

Nivea In Shower Lotion - Total Game Changer for getting ready quickly. 

Bumble to Bumble Hair Dresser Oil -  Perfect right out of the shower, I've had the same bottle for 2 years! 

Peter Thomas Roth - Years ago I worked at Bath & Body Works opening the first flagship store in St. Louis and PTR was by far one of my favorite clinical brands. Anytime Sephora has a fun kit, I always get it. The face wash and strawberry scrub are to die for! 

I never leave the house without...

My Tory Burch Mini Clutch and Buxom Dolly Lip gloss. I purposely bought it last year to hold my keys, my iPhone, cards and a lip gloss. I can toss it into a diaper bag, a big purse, or just use it for running quick errands. 

First thing you do when you have 5 minutes to yourself

Check my Phone or grab a snack - I always forget to eat! I've been really bad this past year about spending WAY too much time on my phone, so I make it a habit to put my phone out of sight out of mind when Miss H and I are around the house. Nothing is that important that it can't wait till nap time. 

Favorite cupcake

Yellow cupcake, chocolate frosting and sprinkles, of course!

Top three baby items you’d recommend to new moms 

Nose Frieda - You'll thank me later. It's so gross, but totally works. 

Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddles - J. Crew has the cutest ones right now! 

Kiinde System - if you are a part time pumper, this is perfect! I've never washed a bottle in my life! 

Currently obsessed with…

Kon Marie Method - I just recently finish reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and we're on a mission to declutter the house! 

Iced Tea - So many options, so little time! My favorite right now is Passion Tango Tea. So good!

Swimming Pools - Miss H and I are going on a swimming pool tour of the city! I purchased a Splash Pass to check out all the local pools and we are well on our way! 

Top three meals you make for your family

1) Tacos Every Tuesday!

2) Beef & Broccoli 

3) Breakfast for Dinner

4) Mystery Recipe - Every week we try a new recipe. Some of my favorites from Mystery Night were Beef Stroganoff and Chicken Divan!

Favorite blog & why 

Fancy Ashley - I've followed her for years and her style seems so effortless, but she always looks put together. Bonus, she has super cute kids she dresses adorably! 

Social media links:

Blog - www.andhattiemakesthree.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/andhattiemakesthree

Instagram - www.instagram/andhattiemakesthree

Twitter - www.twitter.com/andhattiemakes3

Thank you so much for sharing a slice of your life with us, Jen! I just love learning about who's behind the blog...so fun, right?! Be sure to pop over to her blog and visit her social media links and follow along! 

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If you'd like to be featured for a Meet & Mingle, please contact me at thebirdsnestblogger@gmail.com.  Feel free to grab a button while you're here. ;)

Blogger Meet & Mingle || The Little Things

 

It's Meet & Mingle day! Every week I'm sharing some of my favorite girlfriends and their blogs.  This is a great opportunity to see who's "behind the blog" and to get to know other bloggers.  Today, I'm so happy to share Kelly from The Little Things with you! I really love her "Ten Little Things" posts...what a great way to think of the joys in your life!  Hope you enjoy getting to know her more with all of her answers to some fun behind-the-blog questions!

Your blog name & it’s significance

My blog is called “The Little Things” based on my mission to find as much joy in this life as I can.  I believe that there is joy in every day, even the ones that don’t seem so great, we just have to be open to seeing it.  My joy is typically found in my family and doing what I love most, creating!

Tell us a little about your family

We’re a sweet, southern family from Georgia consisting of myself, my hubby, our 3.5 year old son, Gavin (aka Mr. G on the blog), and our crazy cat, Tybalt.  In September, we will be growing by one more handsome little man who I refer to as RC.  I’m so blessed to be able to be both a SAHM during the day and a working mom three nights out of the week as a dance teacher. 

Currently in my shower [favorite beauty products]...

I usually change my products to whatever is on sale.  I’m sure that’s not the best reason to buy a product but it’s good enough for me at the moment.  My favorite face wash though, the one thing that never changes, is Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup remover.

I never leave the house without...

My phone

Burt’s Bees Chapstick (it’s attached to my keys)

Tums…pregnancy heartburn!

First thing you do when you have 5 minutes to yourself

Check Instagram/Facebook

Favorite cupcake

Anything that is called a cupcake is ok with me but is I have to choose just one flavor, I love anything caramel.

Top three baby items you’d recommend to new moms 

A swing – my son loved his and it gave me so much freedom to get things done around the house.

A carrier/wrap – I didn’t carry much with my first but plan to with my second.  Nothing better than being hands free when you have a toddler running around!

A Sound Soother – My son still uses his sound giraffe to this day!

Currently obsessed with…

Starbucks bottled Skinny Vanilla Latte – It’s pretty much the only coffee I really enjoy right now during my pregnancy. 

Top three meals you make for your family

Spaghetti – not fancy, but always a hit!

Crock Pot Chili

Thai Curry Chicken (I use the Campbell’s Skillet sauce, it’s amazing!)

Favorite blog & why 

A Beautiful Mess – Those ladies are so inspiring and I love their style.  Their DIYs are incredible and usually very simple with inexpensive materials.

Social media links:

Instagram – https://instagram.com/thelilthingsblog/

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/lilthingsblog/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thelilthingsblog

Twitter – https://twitter.com/thelilthingsblg

Bloglovin – https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/little-things-11235873

Thank you so much for sharing a slice of your life with us, Kelly! I just love learning about who's behind the blog...so fun, right?! Be sure to pop over to her blog and visit her social media links and follow along! 

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If you'd like to be featured for a Meet & Mingle, please contact me at thebirdsnestblogger@gmail.com.  Feel free to grab a button while you're here. ;)

Some of Our Favorite Quick Recipes

Hi! I love reading about food (who doesn't?!)...whether it's recipes, meal planning, or other families go-to meals.  Today I wanted to share some of our favorite quick meals that can be prepared the night before, in the slow cooker or prepared quickly after a busy day. Some are my own and others I've used from my Pinterest - where I have 4928375 recipes pinned ready to go;).  Here's to giving you some yummy ideas! All recipes are linked below. 

Breakfast:

Easy Banana Streusel Muffins

Cream Cheese Filled Banana Bread

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Scones

Overnight Oats

Snacks: 

Garden Fresh Salsa 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coconut Oil Kettle Popcorn

Three-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Dinner: 

Amazing Lemon Butter Chicken

Slow Cooker Tikka Masala

Cast Iron Skillet BBQ Chicken Pizza

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Tom Kha Gai Soup

Creamy Meatball Casserole

Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

Burrito Bowls

Roasted Salmon Salad over Steamed Green Beans

Ok, now I'm hungry! I really enjoy cooking and trying new things, so please feel free to share your favorites in the comments as well! For more recipes, follow along with my Instagram [@thebirdsnestblog] as I share them frequently! Have a great weekend! XO 

Natural Fruit & Veggie Wash || Essential Oils

I'm partnering with Jennifer from Oily Babies to share a natural way to wash fruits and veggies.  I'm so excited about this because we're huge fruit and veggie eaters and its really important to me to use safe ways of cleaning them for my whole family. 

Here's a quick, natural way to wash your fruits & veggies using lemon essential oil:

20 drops of lemon

2 oz of distilled water

2oz glass spray bottle

Shake before use

Spray veggies let sit for 5 min and rinse

I really love that Olivia can help me with this too.  She's so interested in "cooking" and helping in the kitchen so this is perfect for her to help with.  It's also teaching her healthy eating habits and natural alternatives to cleaning and preparing food. 

She also sent along an immune boosting blend which I've been using the past two weeks.  Olivia recently had a cold and I seriously thought I'd be down for the count and sure enough it has passed me by.  Totally a believer!  Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with us, Jennifer!  Be sure to follow along with her instagram (@oilybabies) to read more great tips and tricks to incorporate essential oils into your lives.  

Our Newport, Rhode Island Vacation

Hi friends! How are you today?  It's so nice to be home and settled from our Newport vacation, yet I miss being in vacation mode already! One of my friends told me that a vacation is no longer a vacation when you have kids.  It's a "trip." - Julia ;)  That's so true and although I love getting away from all the everyday hustle and bustle, it's hard work when you have little ones.  Packing up practically your entire house and driving somewhere to unload your house and every belonging you have into a different "home" for a few short days is quite the trip ;)  Mamas of little ones, am I right?  

Newport has been home to our family vacations for a few years now, and we just love it.  Great food, nice beaches, tons of shopping, and of course the gorgeous mansions.  Some of our favorite restaurants are The Red Parrot Restaurant , Brick Alley Pub , The White Horse Tavern , and there are tons of ice cream and cupcake places, too.  There are streets lined with stores and outlets for shopping and nice beaches to enjoy the day at.  Without kids, Castle Hill is beautiful for dinner.  On the way home from Newport, we stopped at the Mystic Aquarium and spent the afternoon there.  To read about where to eat, stay, and play in Mystic, read this post. 

Here are a few snapshots from the trip and head over to my Instagram to see more (@thebirdsnestblog)...

Overall, it was a great trip and I think Olivia really enjoyed herself.  I can't wait to go back again next year! 

Meet & Mingle || The Patricios

 

It's Meet & Mingle day! Every week I'm sharing some of my favorite girlfriends and their blogs.  This is a great opportunity to see who's "behind the blog" and to get to know other bloggers.  Today, I'm so happy to share Christina from The Patricios with you! I really love all of her "Introducing" posts - so great to find some new shops! I also love all of her book suggestions! Hope you enjoy getting to know her more with all of her answers to some fun behind-the-blog questions!

Your blog name & it’s significance

Hi, I am Christina.  I started blogging in 2008.  I wanted to start a blog so it would be like a diary of my life.  I blog about everything from daily life, motherhood, recipes, TV shows and movies, celebrities I meet, trips I take, crafting, sewing, Disneyland, fashion, and so much more.  I love blogging, connecting with other bloggers and reading blogs.  I am also a member of the philanthropy PINC.

Tell us a little about your family

I was a freshman in high school when I met my husband, Blake.  He was a junior.  We were high school sweethearts.  We grew up in Los Banos, CA and went to Los Banos High School.  Blake went to Santa Clara University and has a degree in accounting and I went to San Jose State University and have a degree in Liberal Studies.  We will have been married 11 years on July 10th.  We have been living in Fresno, CA since 2005.  Blake works in finance for his family's business and I am a stay at home mama to Carter (3 years old) and Kennedy (1 year old).

Currently in my shower [favorite beauty products]...

I am a total simple girl.  In my shower there are 4 things: a razor, acne free face wash, Dove soap, and shampoo.  I only use shampoo on my hair.  My hair does not like conditioner.  I have very fine hair, so conditioner just weighs it down.

I never leave the house without...

I never leave the house without my cell phone,  hand sanitizer, diapers, wipes, sippy cups for both kids, snacks, iPad for the kids, keys, and my coupons.  Most of this is all stuffed into my diaper bag.

First thing you do when you have 5 minutes to yourself

When I have moments to myself I will either jump on the computer to check FB, or blog.  I might get on IG or if I have enough time maybe watch a show that is on my DVR.

Favorite cupcake

There is a place in Fresno called Cupcakes Bakery.  I love that place.  My favorite is just a yellow cupcake with chocolate frosting.

Top three baby items you’d recommend to new moms 

Motorola Monitor, City Select Stroller, and a sound machine

Currently obsessed with…

What am I not obsessed with?!  My family, meeting celebrities, TV, movies, clothes, cooking, music, Disneyland, sewing, decorating, and holidays.

Top three meals you make for your family

Tacos, Chicken with Sundried Tomato and cream sauce, Chicken and vegetable kabobs

Favorite blog & why 

Favorite blog is Little Baby Garvin.  I am obsessed with her blog.  I love her pictures, her family, the way she writes, and everything she shares.  We follow each other on IG and when she comments or likes my pictures, I get so excited.  I think she has done a wonderful job with her blog and that is what I aspire to be like with my blog.

Social Media Links:

Blogger: www.thepatricios.blogspot.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/woitas99/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CMPatricio

Instagram: @christina.patricio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.patricio.3

Thank you so much for sharing a slice of your life with us, Christina! I just love learning about who's behind the blog...so fun, right?! Be sure to pop over to her blog and visit her social media links and follow along! 

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If you'd like to be featured for a Meet & Mingle, please contact me at thebirdsnestblogger@gmail.com.  Feel free to grab a button while you're here. ;)