{Adventures In} Bridal Shower Invitations

Who knew that there are so many ridiculously adorable purple ombre invitations out there on the interweb. There are so many adorable options out there, it was actually difficult to chose one! Here are just a few that I found and loved. 

top left - top right - bottom left - bottom right

And these are just the purple ones. I found so many other gorgeous ones in various colors - I was in love. But my mission is purple, so I had to contain myself. So which one did I chose, you ask?

Source
Adorbs. We're doing some minor tweaking, so I cannot wait to see how it turns out. Oh, and the shop owner is super helpful and nice, which is always a plus! We're well on our way to an unforgettable bridal shower. My brain is bursting with ideas - I am dying to execute them! 
Which Etsy stationary shops are your favorite?

{Adventures In} St. Patrick's Day

So remember in your early 20's when you spent the week before St. Patrick's Day anxiously awaiting the day you could knock back a few green beers? And by a few, I mean six three. Do you want to know how I spent this past week?  Waiting for Baby K's adorable St. Patrick's Day headband to arrive. Oh how times change. But I digress. 
Baby is still a little young to truly partake in the St. Patrick's Day festivities, but that didn't stop me from celebrating the holiday - you bet I dressed her like my little leprechaun (do you see the arm folds?). 

Pants - Bow

I can't wait until next year when we can really start celebrating the holiday with all things green! Think green pancakes, green fruit and lucky charms. Ugh! I can't wait!  How did you all celebrate the holiday?

{Adventures In} Couponing

So I just got a fantastic deal on these razors (below) and couldn't keep it in - I had to share. Here is how you get two packages of razors for only $5.15.

• Clip BOGO Gillette Coupon in 2/3 Red Plum Insert - this promises a $11.99 savings no matter how much the cost of the item is. 
• Clip $2/1 Venus Disposable Razor coupon in 3/3 P&G Insert
• Wait for Target to discount the razors.

If I had purchased two packages of disposable razors at full price without coupons, this is how much I would have spent:

$11.50 X 2 = $23.00

Here it is with coupons and the sale price at Target:

$11.50 - $1.93 (Target sale price) = $9.57 X 2 = $19.14 - $11.99 (BOGO coupon) = $7.15 - $2.00 (P&G coupon) = $5.15 or nearly 80% savings.

Pretty crazy, right? Razors are unbelievably expensive and this makes them reasonable. I made sure to rummage through my mom's inserts so I was able to get 6 of these guys for about $15.00. Hopefully it will last me until the next BOGO coupon. With couponing like this, why would I ever pay full price?

{Baby Swag} Stuff I Can Live Without

I am going to say something that I know you are not going to believe. Ok, here goes. You do not need to buy everything that everyone else buys for their babies. There, I said it. 

If someone told me that before Baby K arrived, I would have told them that they were nuts. Of course you need a Bumbo. Of course you need Sophie. They wouldn't be on everyone's registry's if you weren't supposed to buy them. Ugh, so stupid. The things you learn with the first, am I right? Here is a small list of typical "must haves" that I could have lived without. 

One - Two - Three - Four - Five

Bumbo - The amount of time your baby's bottom can actually fit in this thing is so minimal, it's hardly worth it. (If you have a chub-a-love like me). We used the Bumbo about 25 times, total. Most of the time we used it was when my husband and I needed a minute to eat and she wasn't big enough to fit in her high chair yet. Bottom line - borrow one from a friend. 

Sophie the Giraffe - Everyone touts this as the item you have to have, but Baby K won't entertain the idea of using this toy even though she's teething like crazy. Instead, she opts for these rings. Sophie definitely has a rubbery taste/smell to it, so I think that is what is so off-putting to Baby K. Bottom line, you don't have to have it.

Boppy - Ok, so I was not a breast feeding mom. I know that if I was, this would likely have been a necessity in my house. Not only did I purchase this before I knew what my breastfeeding situation was going to be, I also had an adorable cover made for it. Seriously, so cute. Where is my uber expensive pillow now? In the bin where I keep my dog's toys. Bottom line - figure out what your BF situation is going to be before running out and purchasing this (and an uber cute cover). 

Changing Pad with Cover - I never use mine. Why in the world would I want to change my baby sideways? What do I use instead? My bed, with a towel draped over it. Perfect height and you are able to address the situation (good or bad) head on. Bottom line - have one in the nursery, but you may never use it. 

Glider with Ottoman - Isn't this glider ridic? If I had almost $1,000 laying around, I would have bought it. Am I surviving without a glider and ottoman? Absolutely. My husband and I acquired a super comfy small couch before we were married. We couldn't part with it, so we reupholstered it and it looks amazing. Since we have a couch in the nursery, we had no room for a glider. Bottom line - a glider is a nice-to-have, but definitely not a necessity.

Everyone's situation is different -what works for me may not work for the next mom, I get that. But had I really known ahead of time that you may not need certain things, I would have probably held off on them for a while to see what was truly necessary and what wasn't. 

{Baby Swag} For Easter

What will I be wearing for Easter? I have no freaking clue. What will Baby K be wearing for Easter? I've had it picked out for weeks! (Isn't that how it always works?) Easter is super early this year, so hopefully the weather cooperates because baby needs to wear this outfit because I have no plan B it's adorable. 

One - Two - Three - Four

And while we're on the topic of Easter, here's a look at Baby K's Easter Basket. I obsessed over the Pottery Barn ruffle Easter basket forever and when I decided to pull the trigger, it was sold out. UGH. Learn from my mistake and act fast, my friends. So just when I was about to give up, who came through for me? Target. That's right, Target. Is it just me or has Target really stepped up their Easter game this year? Anyway, I just love how her basket turned out. 

All items from Target

We went with a more minimal approach for her first Easter because, well, she not even a year old yet and we buy her tons of crap gifts through out the year. This year will be pretty anti-climactic so I cannot wait until next year when she'll be running around searching for her Easter eggs. 

Where are your Easter finds from?

The Nursery Tour - Sources

As  I said before, this room was definitely a labor of love. My husband and I did not want to go to a big box store and purchase matching furniture with corresponding bedding (although there is nothing wrong with that, it's just not "us"). So we scoured local flea markets and Home Goods/TJ Maxx stores until we found exactly what we needed. Mix that in with a little bit of Etsy and you've got yourself a nursery! Here are links to mostly everything in our nursery.

Small Dresser - Purchased from a vendor at the Pasadena Flea Market.
Shelf - Piscataquavalley on Etsy.
Blocks - Tinygiraffeshop on Etsy.
Fan - Hunter Table Fan purchased at Target, but available at Amazon.
White Humidifier - Crane Humidifier.
Letter "K"- Purchased at TJ Maxx.
Print - Wickedpaper on Etsy.
Faux Flower - Purchased from Pottery Barn 2 years ago.
Vintage Bottles - Purchased from flea market and antique stores over the years.
Blue Frame - Purchased from flea market.
Milk Glass Vase - Purchased from flea market.

Crib - Liberty Crib by Franklin and Ben. Similar to the Jenny Lind but slightly more expensive and available.
Bedding - I picked out the fabric from a local fabric store and my mom's best friend created the bedding for me.
Letters - Large cardboard letters purchased from Joann Fabrics. My mom and I used Modge Podge and affixed the fabric to the letters. Time. Consuming. But. Worth. It.
Two-tiered Table - Purchased at a local flea market.
Books - Clothbound Penguin Classics available at Amazon.com but I purchased for 1/2 price at TJ Maxx and Marshalls.
Blocks - Tinygiraffeshop on Etsy.
Clock - Pocket Watch Clock available at Pottery Barn.
Flower Print (Top) - Joystclaire on Etsy.
Carousel Print (Middle) - Carlchristensen on Etsy.
Balloon Print (Bottom) - TheGinghamOwl on Etsy.
Frames - Ikea.
Pillow - Sweet Baby Pillow purchased at a local antique store.

Cork board - Purchased from Home Goods.
Garland - Yellow Bird Yellow Beard.
Vintage flashcards - 58andGrace on Etsy.
Basket - Pool Locker Basket available at Restoration Hardware.
"Love" Print (Left) - Jacky Winter.
"Your First Breath" Print (Middle) - RetroLovePhotography on Etsy.
"Moon" Print (Right) - Yellowbuttonstudio on Etsy.

Large Dresser - Purchased from flea market.
Changing Pad cover - Carters Changing Pad Cover available at BRU.
Mirror - Purchased from Home Goods.
White & Blue Containers - Purchased from Target.
Glass Container - Purchased from Target.
Diaper Pail - Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail available at BRU.

I may have missed a few items, but that should be it! I'm happy to share any that I missed!

{Monthly Baby Update} 7 months

Trying to figure out where my face went.

Weight: 19.5 lbs.
Height: 28 inches
Clothing Size: Tops are 6-12 months comfortable, but the bottoms are a little too short so we may be moving on to 12-18 months soon. It's looking like Baby K is going to be tall like her Daddy.
Diaper Size: Still size 3.
Feeding: Feeding is still going really well - she's a trooper and will eat anything. Unless it's avocado. Then she wants nothing to do with it. We're still on 5 bottles per day. 8 oz., 4 oz. (with food), 8 oz., 4 oz. (with food), 8 oz.
Milestones: Babbling like crazy. She hasn't quite said "mama" or "dada" yet, but we get a lot of "nana" and "dodo", so I think it's only a matter of time. Baby K has no interest in laying on her stomach and trying to crawl. She just lays there and screams, actually. I hope she crawls, but we may have a butt-scooter on our hands. Or she just may go straight to walking. Isn't it crazy how different babies are? 
Loves: Teething toys. Baby K started cutting her first tooth a couple weeks ago (yay!), so her Sophie and monkey are helping a bit more now. She still won't give up her rings though. She's fascinated by hair - the hair on my head, the hair on her dad's legs and arms, even our dog's fur. Obsessed. She also loves that she can make noise. So when she bangs two toys together or drums on a gallon-sized water bottle, that really gets her going. Oh and bath time. She likes the bubbles and trying to "catch" the water coming from the faucet.

Hates: She still hates being on her stomach. Not sure how she's going to learn how to crawl, but I'm sure we'll get there.
Looking forward to: St. Patrick's Day and Easter. Well, dressing her up for both. And finally get a "mama" and "dada" out of her. However she's so obsessed with our dog, we may hear "Jack" first. Who knows.

So while taking her 7 month pictures, she gave me some sweet ones (see above), but she also gave me some not so sweet ones (see below.) It's not all roses over here.

#gangster #chublife

The Nursery Tour

I absolutely adore the way Baby K's room turned out. It was a true labor of love (see what I did there? - ha!) and I fall more in love with the room every time I walk in there.

I hope you love her room as much as I do and I'll be sure to share all of my sources in a future post!

Nursery sources can be found here.