Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! We have had the nicest weather here the past few days and we've been soaking up all the sunshine that we can!  There's been park playing, breezes blowing through the windows and lots of happiness with all of this fresh air.  On one of our trips to the park, my sister showed up a few minutes after us and we realized we dressed the girls in exactly the same outfit.  That's what happens when your mommies are twins! 

With all this nice weather, the last thing I have wanted to do is cook and think about dinner.  I've had this problem most of this pregnancy butttt we're headed into spring, which always inspires me for some fresh recipes.  Tonight I'm planning on making a version of this.  It's basically a non-traditional Cuban sandwich that uses turkey and ham instead of pork.  Cold cuts are on the "no" list, but these will be heated so its a win.  Also, it's something different that we haven't had in a long time so that's a double win. 

The baby's room is coming along - the wallpaper is up, the other walls are trimmed and painted and we're just waiting on a closet system and overhead lighting.  Although I would like to go with a cute chandelier or farmhouse light fixture, the other bedrooms have fans so we're opting to go for a fan to have a similar look in all the rooms.  I started to wash some of Olivia's old baby clothes and it brings back such memories!  So many cute outfits that I had forgotten about and others that I remember so well that they were my favorite.  I have two outfits that I'm choosing between for her coming home outfit and they are both adorable.  Over the crib, I'm DIYing these letters because although I love the Anthropologie ones, her name is nine letters long so we're opting not to spend $162 on them.  I bought these paper mache letters and metallic spray paint and will be going to work on this project soon.  Any guesses as to what her name is?!  We'll be sharing once the nursery post is complete.  

Easter is just 16 days away and I can't wait!  I love Easter and I'm so excited for Olivia to hunt for eggs and see her Easter basket goodies.  My mom and I went shopping yesterday and she bought her this dress and she is going to look so cute! I love floral dresses on little ones.  Once Easter passes, our focus will be on her third birthday party!  She has requested a "purple party", soooo...I'll be looking on Pinterest.  I'm thinking that theme is so broad that it'll be easy to put together a cute, super purple event ;)  Since it is her third birthday, we'll be doing a family party like we did last year so it'll be low key and probably a week or two before her actual birthday because #newborn.  I already have this book in my Amazon cart so that's a start ;) 

I hope you all have a great weekend & enjoy the sunshine!  As always, don't forget to follow along on Instagram (@thebirdsnestblog) for a glimpse into our daily life and fun giveaways coming up! XO

Toddler Tales: 35 Months

So as the title states, "35 months", is how old Olivia will be in a few short weeks.  Pretty sure I stopped counting months after 18 months, so I had to think for a moment until it hit me that she was 35 months (what?!?) and will be THREE next month!!!  This was probably the fastest year so far and as much as I wish time would slow down, she has turned into the smartest, funniest, cutest little girl and I can't wait to see what year three brings us! 

One of my favorite parts about blogging is looking back at memories and being able to see all of the funny and sweet things Olivia has done or said in the past.  I'm not great about keeping a baby book (sorry Mom) and I'm trying to get better but for now, I'll keep those memories here ;) 

Favorite Foods:  Pepperoni, pasta, olives, cheese, fruit, butter, ranch dressing, baby carrots, french toast, milk, seltzer, nibble trays, bacon, sausage, hot dogs... 

Who is this child?!  I'm not a huge lover of meat in general and she has started to love most of it.  I'm happy that she is getting protein but I need to cut the girlfriend's processed meat down.  As in, "no, we have to get more at the store" - lies.  Pretty much every day I ask her what she wants for lunch and 99% of the time her answer is, "pepperoni, cheese and chips"...thanks Daddy for that.  Um, we may be out of that for most of the week ;) 

Favorite Activities:  Reading, arts & crafts, playing "soccer", brushing her teeth, taking showers, playing with friends, playing with her bunny house, Barbies, and Little People, going to the library, going shopping, Play Doh

The list goes on and on, she is so busy at this age!  She loves coloring and doing arts & crafts, especially if it involves glue and glitter.  She absolutely loves books!   I moved her to some higher level readers and her favorites are Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious, Splat the Cat, Henry and Mudge, and anything fairy tale related.  We've started reading her chapter books at night and she really enjoys listening. She has such a great imagination and it's so fun to listen to her playing with her toys because often I hear her repeating what was in a book we've read and acting it out.  She normally asks to "read" to us and will often go page by page and recite the words or scenario. It's so important to instill a love of reading early on and I'm so happy she enjoys it so much. 

Funniest moments:  She is seriously a character!  I think this age is definitely one of my favorites.  The things she says are so hilarious and clever, she keeps us laughing all day long.  Some things she's said lately that come to mind...

"Really Mommy, really?  Are you serious?"

While helping me to roll some coins we had around the house, "Mommy!  I rolled all your nipples!  There's so many nipples!"... Thank God we weren't in public with our nickels ;)

While her and Brynn were playing and having a little toddler argument, "Don't ever, ever come back here again BB.  You never, ever come to mine house again"...I had to hide my laughter while telling her that wasn't nice and would hurt Brynn's feelings.  Where did she get that from?!

"Leave me by myself in the shower Mommy, you go downstairs and play with Daddy.  I'll be fine"

Everything we get for the baby, she always says "one for baby, and one for Baby Jesus".  She loves helping to get ready for the baby but insists her baby doll gets the same.  Try leaving Target without random pacifiers while your toddler is yelling "where are Baby Jesus's B's??? Baby Jesus neeeeeeds them"  No, stranger staring at me, I'm not naming the new baby Jesus;)   

While driving to Target (I know, there's a theme) I called my mom on the bluetooth and said "call Mom's cell" and Livvy says "no call Mama" and I asked her how she knew it was Grandma and her reply was "because I'm cute, now you can call Mama"

The things she says, I swear she's almost three going on eighteen.  

She's officially been in her big girl bed for a few weeks now and her room is almost finished with accessories and decor.  I can't wait to share soon!  She does seem to take a longer time to go to bed (read: wants to read 475 books) but she normally sleeps through the night until about 6:45/7.  If she starts to come out of her room any earlier, I may invest in that time-to-wake clock for my own sanity ;)  I've started leaving toys in her room after she goes to sleep so she can play quietly in the morning and some mornings she does, some she's bright eyed and bushy tailed staring at me at 6:40.  

Potty training has been unsuccessful and I've decided not to push her from everything I've read.  She won't be going to college in diapers so I know it'll just be a short while until she's trained.  Her response to anything potty training related - big girl undies, potty seat, pull-ups, etc - is "when the baby comes out."  So, I guess we'll be having two in diapers unless she changes her feelings in the next few weeks.  I'd rather her not regress when the baby comes, so we're just going with the flow...or not;) 

She is going to be the best big sister and is so excited for the baby. She always talks to her and loves to kiss and hug my belly.  She asks all different questions, like if she can help give her a bath and change her diaper so I think she'll be a great helper.  I'm sure there will be some jealousy but she's very nurturing and sweet so I think be so sweet to see them together. 

Can't wait to see what March brings for us...her last month as a two year old! XO 

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