Family Archives - Page 12 of 47

AM/PM: A day in the life of Haeley Giambalvo from Design Improvised

October 16, 2013

AM/PM chronicles a day in the life of busy mothers to explore how all different types of moms juggle their responsibilities — from stay-at-home moms to moms who work full time outside of the home. If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I don’t know how she does it” about another mom, read on!

Today we’re talking motherhood with Haeley Giambalvo of the DIY decor blog, Design Improvised. A creative crafter with a penchant for pom-poms (check out her super easy pom-pom balloons here!), Haeley’s work has been featured on Babble, Apartment Therapy, and BHG Style Spotters, among other blogs.

Haeley and her family relocated to San Antonio this summer, and shortly after they arrived in Texas, Design Mom featured a tour of Haeley’s old digs back in Chicago. What a farewell gift! Since the move, Haeley has been busy turning their new house into a beautifully decorated home.

Read on to learn how Haeley juggles all of her responsibilities!… READ MORE!

Community theater and Friday links

October 11, 2013

After spending the past three weekends either visiting or hosting family, I’m looking forward to a couple of quiet days at home. Besides trying to catch up on life, laundry, and our DVR list, we don’t have much else planned. JB promised to tackle a small painting project, and we have tickets to see the Omaha Community Playhouse‘s production of Les Miserables. I confess I’m a bit wary of a community theater tackling such an ambitious musical, but the show got a near-perfect review in the local paper. Encouraging!

Hope you have a fun and relaxing weekend! Here are 10 Friday links for you to explore…

Cozy throw blankets are synonymous with fall, but I like to cuddle up with one on the couch all year long. Thinking of replacing my well-worn throw with this super soft version from West Elm.(On sale now!)

Don’t let social media come between you and your significant other. Pars Caeli offers four ways to woo your loved one with technology.

I’m guilty of mindlessly watching TV when I find myself with free time (or when I’m procrastinating on a task), are you? Here are 50 things to do other than watch TV courtesy of BRIKA.

J.Crew now sells maternity ~~clothing~~ pants! And check out their new baby shop.

Are you active on Pinterest? I’m trying to pin more frequently (you can follow my boards here). For more inspiration, I’m going to check out Pretty & Fun‘s five favorite ladies on Pinterest.

Blake Lively is starting a “life curating” business a la Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP, and Hello Giggles supports her somewhat-elitist career move. Do you?

I usually rely on my husband’s knowledge of wine when it comes to picking a red that will complement my meal (before I was pregnant, of course.) Honestly, I don’t know the difference between a Malbec and a Pinot Noir. When I can drink red wine again, I’ll be referring to this red wine flow chart on Cupcakes and Cashmere to help me make more informed decisions.

A clever way to transport cupcakes from Donuts, Dresses and Dirt: a DIY shirt box carrier.

We’re addicted to Homeland, are you? We binge-watched the first two seasons before the premiere of season three, and neither JB nor I thought season two was as awful as we had been warned. Season three is off to a slow start, though, and one major reason is Dana’s story. The Daily Mail explores all the Dana hate.

Like Tristan from Besotted, I try to stay away from anti-aging creams and serums made from chemicals while I’m pregnant. Still, I’m paranoid about wrinkles and fine lines, so I might have to try the Argan Infinity Cream she recommends.

(Photos by Bruce Buck for The New York Times)

A day at the orchard: Apple picking in Nebraska City

October 10, 2013

One of the things I’m most looking forward to as a mom is creating family traditions. I still have fond memories of fall visits to apple orchards and pumpkin patches as a kid, and it’s important to me that JB and I create similar annual experiences for our children.

So far, I’d say we’re on the right track. We took a day trip to Kimmel Orchard and Vineyard in September, marking the third time Levi has gone apple picking! It was also our second time picking apples at Kimmel with our friends, and like last year, we just so happened to be there for the Apple Jack Festival. Another tradition in the making!

However, while it was just Levi and his buddy a year ago, this year there were three kids. And next year we’ll be schlepping through the orchard with five kids, as my friend and I are both pregnant!

This was also the first year that Levi was interested in picking his own apples off the trees. We showed him how to twist and turn upwards the low-hanging apples to release them from their branches, but he wanted to reach the apples at the tops of the trees. When trying to jump didn’t work (he would lift his arms straight in the air, get on his tip-toes, and grunt!), Levi let his daddy hold him over his shoulders to “pick the apples in the sky.”

Here’s a tip: When going apple picking with toddlers, bring a supply of Wet Wipes or, at the very least, baby wipes to clean their sticky hands and faces. Levi thoroughly enjoyed sampling the different varieties of apples we picked, but he was a mess! Luckily, we had baby wipes available, but I might have even changed his slobbery shirt if I had thought to bring an extra one.

Rather than risk waiting in another 45-minute line for fresh out-of-the-oven spicy apple cider doughnuts like last year, our family and theirs each bought a dozen pre-packaged doughnuts before heading into the orchard. Although they weren’t hot and melty, they still hit the spot as we rode the hayrack back to the grounds.

Another highlight of our visit was Levi’s first pony ride! He’s had the opportunity to ride a pony before but was always too scared to get closer than outside the fence.

That morning he was feeling particularly brave, and his horse slowly walked in a circle, he gleefully yelled, “Neigh! Neigh!” Hearing his excitement filled me with so much pride. It wasn’t until the ride was almost over that he began to panic and wanted to jump back into my arms, which was impossible to do while he was strapped to the saddle.

We left the orchard with a half-peck of apples and a question: Why do apples taste so much better when you pick them off the trees yourself?

P.S. – Will you go apple picking this season? If so, here’s an easy recipe for apple cinnamon chips to make with your haul. Plus, German apple cake and 5-ingredient apple cider doughnuts.

Is it a boy or girl?

October 8, 2013

Today we find out whether baby #2 is a boy or girl!

Truthfully, I’m feeling terribly anxious about our ultrasound appointment. My primary concern is the baby’s health. Are the brain, heart, and other vital organs developing properly? Are the limbs forming correctly?

At Levi’s anatomy ultrasound, JB thought he saw something abnormal up on the monitor, and his panic-stricken expression filled me with such fear that I nearly vomited. Thankfully, nothing was wrong with Levi’s development; JB just didn’t understand what he was seeing on the screen.

But there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that we were seeing male genitalia during that ultrasound appointment. The ultrasound technician didn’t even have to announce, “It’s a boy!” As soon as the image of his lower half appeared on the monitor, my heart felt heavy with disappointment: I was not having a girl.

While most expecting mothers won’t admit to wanting one sex over another, I believe that most of us have a secret gender preference. Why else would we repeatedly ask pregnant women whether they’re hoping for a boy or a girl? Because, deep down, we know what gender we’d want if we were having a baby.

Plus, we all have opinions on so many other things — Coke or Pepsi, cats or dogs, iPhone or Droid — how could we not have an opinion on one of the most important details of our lives?

I suffered with feelings of gender disappointment for a long time after my 20-week ultrasound with Levi. There were many tears over many weeks, and I battled painful jealously for months upon learning that friends were pregnant with girls.

Eventually, though, the sadness subsided. And now, of course, I have Levi — and I wouldn’t trade him for the world.

I’ve purposefully been trying to not think about baby #2’s gender for the past 20 weeks, and I have no gut feeling whatsoever whether it’s a boy or girl. Yes, my pregnancy symptoms have been different this time around — for example, I had terrible acne when I was pregnant with Levi but am relatively clear-skinned now — but I know that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

Just for fun, I took some gender prediction tests online yesterday. According to one Chinese gender predictor, I’m having a boy! But then another revealed I’m having a girl! Hmm…

Wanna place a bet? Do you think I’m having a boy or a girl?

(And, if you’re willing to admit it, I’d love to know whether you also dealt with feelings of gender disappointment during your pregnancy.)

Family photo books and other holiday gifts

October 4, 2013

One of my on-going goals is to sort through the gazillion photos I take each ~~month~~ year and create albums we can hold, flip through, and enjoy as a family. I still love browsing old photo albums at my parents’ house, and I want my children to be able to do the same as they grow up.

Creating a high quality custom book on Blurb is easy — it’s finding the time to sit at the computer that’s a challenge! Before the hectic holiday season begins, why not explore Blurb’s 2013 Gift Guide to find inspiration for your next project? You’ll find instructions for how to make a beautiful Blurb book for anyone in your life.

The gift guide also features selections from the Blurb Bookstore, which includes cookbooks, children’s books, fashion portfolios, and more. I love the children’s book Life Under a Rain Cloud on page 7 of the gift guide.

Get a head start on your holiday gifts by creating your own Blurb book and save 20% through 10/7 with the code EARLYBIRD20.

P.S. – My friend Mari wrote and illustrated a lovely children’s book called Birdie Learns to Fly that’s also available on Blurb!

This post was created in collaboration with Blurb. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors who allow me to keep Bunny & Dolly up and running!

Being Pregnant with Liz from Say Yes to Hoboken

October 2, 2013

Because every woman’s pregnancy is unique, our Being Pregnant series is a way to share a variety of maternity experiences on the blog.

I’m so excited about today’s interview with Liz Stanley of the hugely popular lifestyle blog, Say Yes to Hoboken. Although I don’t know Liz personally, I’ve taken several Alt Summit classes with her, and she’s always delivered on her promise of responding to questions and emails. That earns her an A+ in my book!

It’s rare nowadays for such big bloggers to take the time to reply to their emails — and it’s not like Liz isn’t busy! Besides sharing inspirational ideas for living a stylish and crafty life on Say Yes to Hoboken, Liz is the Managing Editor of Julep and contributes regularly to Babble.

Besides being an all-around Liz Stanley fan, I wanted to speak to Liz about being pregnant because she’s written so honestly about her struggle with secondary infertility. What a thrill that after four years of trying to conceive, she now has a baby on the way!

Liz was 28 weeks pregnant when we spoke. Read on to learn about her pregnancy experience…… READ MORE!

Maternity jackets and winter coats

October 1, 2013

I didn’t spend much money on a maternity wardrobe when I was pregnant with Levi. Since I was working from home as a full-time copywriter, there wasn’t a need to invest in office-appropriate maternity clothing. I was lucky to be able to wear leggings and sweats nearly every day.

Also, with Levi’s early July due date, my bump wasn’t big enough to warrant traditional maternity styles until the warmer spring months — and maternity tees, tanks, and stretchy skirts are much less costly than pants, sweaters, and jackets.

But now that I’ll be in my third trimester during the winter, I have to start considering maternity clothing for cold weather. My sister, who had a baby this past February, generously loaned me a suitcase full of maternity clothing that my mom brought to Omaha on a recent visit. Unfortunately, my little sister is just that — little. She’s 5’3″ and I’m 5’8″, so clothing fits us differently and not everything in that suitcase will flatter my figure.

My sister has a maternity jacket I can borrow, but just in case the sleeves are 3/4-length on me, I’ve been browsing online for winter coats in my size. Here are some of my favorites so far:

1. Isabella Oliver // 2. Seraphine // 3. Gap // 4. Topshop // 5. Old Navy // 6. H&M

// 7. Isabella Oliver // 8. Olian Maternity

P.S. — The first time I went shopping for maternity clothes, and the pregnancy t-shirts I would never wear!

Non-princess Halloween costumes for girls

September 27, 2013

Halloween is still five weeks away, but supermarket shelves have been stocked with miniature-sized candy for over a month. Pinterest is bursting at the seams with candy corn crafts and pumpkin-inspired decor. And my Facebook feed is filling up with questions about children’s costumes — where to buy them and whether they should be cute or creepy.

Levi wore an adorable yellow duck costume from Carter’s last year, and this year he’s going to wear a bug costume I purchased at Pottery Barn Kids last November when all of their Halloween costumes were on clearance. It doesn’t appear as if they’re selling it again this year, so you’ll have to wait a month to see photos of what it looks like! If you can swallow their $60 price tags, PB Kids has some equally endearing baby and toddler costumes like this bumblebee costume and this giraffe costume.

But if you’re bored-to-death of zoo animals and cartoon characters, why not take a page out of photographer Jaime Moore’s book? When Jaime’s daughter, Emma, turned five, she dressed her up as a variety of influential woman from history — including Coco Chanel, Amelia Earhart, and Susan B. Anthony — to take creative birthday portraits. Jaime wrote on her blog that she wanted Emma to know about real women worthy of her admiration, not just fictional Disney princesses.

Have you planned your child’s Halloween costume yet? What do you think about transforming him or her into a historical figure for Halloween? Would you do it?

via Daily Mail

Personalized crayon party favors

September 26, 2013

When Levi turned one last year, I struggled to decide whether we needed goodie bags for his first birthday party. Since most of his friends in attendance were around his age, I didn’t think they needed (or cared about) fancy party favors. Still, I didn’t want to send anybody home empty-handed, so we gave Levi’s guests colorful balloons tied to bottles of bubbles that doubled as table decorations.

Levi’s friends at his second birthday party in July included some slightly older children, so I wanted the favors to be enjoyable for the bigger kids while still reflecting the interests of a two year old. Since Levi was just getting into coloring, I thought crayon party favors would be practical, fun, and, most importantly, age appropriate.

Rather than buying a bunch of small Crayola boxes, I reached out to Katie Gill-Harvey from A Childhood Store about creating personalized crayons for each of Levi’s friends. Kids are always happy to receive something with their name on it!

I had received samples of Katie’s handmade crayons in my Alt for Everyone and Alt NYC swag bags and loved that they were non-toxic and eco-friendly. She uses only soy and beeswax instead of paraffin wax (a petroleum by-product), which create slightly softer crayons than the traditional variety.

Since I didn’t know exactly who would be coming to the party when I started working with Katie, she made a package of name crayons for each child invited plus two additional “L-E-V-I” crayons in case we had last minute changes to the guest list. Luckily, only two of Levi’s friends weren’t able to attend, so I saved their crayon bags to give to them at a future play date.

Katie packages her crayons in small drawstring muslin bags hand-stamped with turquoise ink. From a selection of sixteen designs, I chose the cupcake but also really liked the ice cream cone. To identify which bag contained which child’s name, I labeled each with turquoise washi tape and a silver Sharpie. Finally! A use for all of the washi tape I’ve been hoarding!

Happily, the name crayons were a big hit with Levi and all of his friends, and I know their parents appreciated that they were non-toxic. (Yes, two year olds still put things in their mouths!) Aside from their natural properties, I also love how convenient the crayons are: Simply toss the drawstring bags into your purse or diaper bag for spontaneous restaurant placemat coloring.

Unfortunately, Katie isn’t taking any custom orders at the moment because she’s on maternity leave (hooray!), but she has plenty of pre-made designs for sale in her Etsy shop. I know that Levi would love the Things That Go or Robot crayon sets. And wouldn’t the 3-Month Crayon Club Subscription make such a fun birthday or holiday gift for your favorite toddler?

I’m curious, what are you thoughts on party favors? Are they necessary or a waste of money? And what have you given out in the past?

P.S. — Levi’s FIRST first birthday party and his SECOND first birthday party.

(Ed. Note: Morning sickness and general first trimester malaise killed my productivity this summer. That’s why this post about the party favors for Levi’s second birthday party, which took place in July, is so belated. I’m sorry!)

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