Things I'm Lovin':

Hi! 

I have some pretty cool things to share with you today.

Let me just start with the coolest. 

http://sevenly.org/

 For the past couple of months, we've been ordering, sporting, and gifting these awesome Sevenly shirts. 

 Basically this organization designs and sells a new tee shirt every week that benefits a designated charity. 

There are tons of different causes out there, and so many charities that have so much trouble getting their name out there and being heard on behalf of the causes they are working so hard to overcome and lift up. 

Sevenly is an awesome way to spotlight different causes, needs, and organizations working so hard. 

They've got some pretty awesome shirts too. 

I have one that helped bring clean water to a family in Hati, and I have one that helped women in poverty get free mammograms. 

Philip has one that helped bring clean water to a family in Hati, and he has one that helped bring farming seed and supply for a family in Kenya to be able to grow and harvest their own food. 

 Every week there's a new tee and a new charity, and even if we don't get a tee shirt, I always like to check out the charities and causes out there. 

It's really an awesome thing, and I love Sevenly! 

So keep them in mind for some of your upcoming Holiday gifts for both your loved ones and those in need.

You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.

Deuteronomy 15:10-11

Okay. So the other things I have aren't AS cool as Sevenly, but they are still pretty cool!

Alright. 

I've got puppy pictures.

Who doesn't love puppy pictures? 

Yep, Scarlet is pretty cool! I love me some Labradoodle.

I've been missing Gracie so badly! I'm looking forward to having a doggie back in our house. I hope she brings us as much laughter as Gracie did!

1 more month until Adeline get's her baby puppy!

Aaaaallllrighty ready for another cool thing?

Preschool Prep Meet the Sight Words

My friend Rachel turned us onto this, and I think it's super awesome! 

[available @ LuLeLo ]

Adeline has watched the first DVD about 5 times now, and she can already recognize 9 words!

(play, for, said, to, he, a, I, to, of)
She's only 2 1/2. 

I want to let her recognize all of the words before I show her the other 2 DVDs, but she really loves watching the DVD and asks for it a lot now. I also got the app on my phone, and she asks for that too. It's an awesome learning tool, and I love and really believe in educational toys, games, and play!!! Thanks Rachel!

Okay, speaking off app, look what app I've recently fell in love with:

Philip has been doing a lot of work in Texas, so he's been driving a lot. This app has come in so handy because he send us a little voice message randomly while he's driving, or Adeline can tell him goodnight if he's busy working and he can hear it at his convenience. Super cool free app. Love the free ones! 

Okay and last thing I think is pretty cool here lately is this Etsy shop: Naptime Diaries

She's got the cutest, sweetest little designs. I love this one!

Alright. That's all the coolness I have for now. 

Until next time, friends <3

Fav Things Thursday

1. These Chewy Oatmeal-Crasin Cookies

Out of the oatmeal cookie recipes I've baked, this one is my favorite so far! Yummy!

2. Scentsy

I'm realizing that I'm a late comer to this bandwagon, but I will say I'm so glad I've found it! I've been through candles, air fresheners, and plug-ins galore, and haven't found anything that radiates through the house for long enough. Jackpot! Love it!! and the scent I'm loving is from the men's fragrances; it's called something Watson.

3. Another one of my Hydrangea plants bloomed. These are blooming really pretty too!

I just love Hydrangeas!

4. This beautiful piece of art:

A FB friend found this beautiful piece and posted it yesterday. Honestly I've looked at it probably 100 times since. I've pictured it in my living room, breakfast nook, and bathroom and I cannot get it out of my head. $3000 is slightly way over my price range though.

5. The Calypso line at Target:

 I love the aquas and greens in the Sea Collection, and I went ahead and bought this shirt for myself. I love way it fits and I love that it reminds me of Pensacola, which is where I love to be in the summer time.

Anyway, I hope you have a lovely Thursday. I cleaned half of my house yesterday and saved the second half for today. So hopefully I get some good nap times out of the babies.

Fav Things Thursday

1.

I really enjoyed the 90 minute Glee on Tuesday! I love that show, and even when I'm a little too busy to watch, I still keep it on to hear all of the songs. So I've been rocking out to the Gleeks @ the gym this week, and that is one of my favorite songs from Season 1. I actually saw Wicked in the theater last year, and when I heard them sing Defying Gravity, I preferred the Rachel and Kurt version. haha

2.

Speaking of the gym-- I hate it! Until I leave that is. Mostly because I treat myself to a fountain diet coke for all of my hard work. I know it's not the best thing for me, but with drinking so much water all day and then cutting out most of my sweets, it's really just a good treat I feel intitled to.

3.

I'm so loving hand-me-downs right now! I got lucky and have actually been OVERLOADED with them lately. They've been mostly for Gideon, since I have a lot of friends with young boys. Seriously 85% of his wardrobe is hand-me-downs, and I'm loving it! It makes buying diapers so less painful when you don't have to buy clothes every few weeks.

4.

Hydrangeas are my favorite! I think i have 7 or 8 of them in my front beds. 3 of them have been in bloom, and I love going to see the new blooms and the pretty colors every morning when I give them a little morning drink. So pretty! One day I may just have them all around my entire house!

5.

My rocking chair has really gotten some good use here lately. Adeline has been wanting me to rock her more often lately, I guess since I'm usually rocking Gideon there. I love to just sit there and soak up these babies.

Fav Things Thursday

It's been a while since I've shared some favorite things of mine, so today I'll give you a few from my week. 

1.

If I had one last meal before I leave this earth, I'd request this Chicken Club Salad from Houstons in New Orleans. Mmmmmmmmm it's so yummy! We had to go get Philip fitted for a tux on Saturday for a wedding he'll be in in a couple of weeks so we stopped for lunch after getting him measured. It was Gideon's first outting other than an doctor's appointment, so of course I took pictures [on my phone] 

Lucky for us, Gideon slept the entire stay, no one touched him or breathed near him, and Adeline didn't spill or throw anything. GOOD LUNCH! So yea, got my favorite salad at my favorite restaurant, yay!!!

2.

This has been my drink of choice lately. The sweetness is just enough to curb a sweet tooth, which is something I definitely have! Yummm!
[I'm totally enjoying eating and drinking now that I'm not pregnant and everything makes me puke, kind of backwards, huh... also counterproductive towards weightloss!!]

3.

My babies are always my favorites, but here I'm talking about this tiny little NB shirt. With Addie, I always had her sleeping in a sleeper. I don't know, I guess I thought a sleeper was for sleep and it should be exclusive to it's name. Plus they're just so cute... Now, I'm all into these little night shirts. No pants, just shirts. Easy access to a diaper late at night when it's too dark to find my glasses is really a lot easier than zippers, buttons, or snaps. Call it lazy, but I call it convenient. Swaddle 'um back up and the warmth is compensated for. Works for me!

Hope you enjoy your Thursday, and find plenty of favorites throughout your week! :)

Fav Things Thursday

"A friendship which can cease to be was never genuine." - Saint Jerome

I've wrote and erased several different paragraphs elaborating on my relation to this quote. I'll just cut it short and say it hit home for me, and I choose to keep this one stored in my brain.

Anyway, today I'll share with you some of my favorite things from the week. Here ya go :) :

1. Christmas cards

See that? That's my Christmas card holder. At the beginning of December it starts off bare and blank. 

Then day by day it fills up with beautiful little smiling faces and bright cheery designs. 

December is my favorite mail month [minus the property tax, which I'm sometimes tempted to leave in the mail box].

I love racing out and opening a Merry Christmas wish, no matter who it's from. [Chase bank, I don't need anymore credit cards, but I appreciate the Holiday wishes]

 
2. These awesome gluten free peanut-butter chocolate chip cookies. Recipe here. 

I found this recipe last year and made it probably 10 times again. 
It's just such a yummy, easy recipe! 


3. This super comfy blanket/snuggy gift thing

Last Friday I was well enough to make it to our married bible study Christmas party. 

They did the gift swap thing, and I scored this blanket that converts into a snuggy.
Philip gave me a hard time about it since I've been giving him such a hard time about his camo snuggy that he practically lives in while home. Anyway, I've been loving my new throw blanket! The heater doesn't kick in until 68 degrees @ my house. YES I KNOW THAT'S COLD!!!
but I still puke daily, and when I get sick or nauseous I get really bad hot flashes, and the air being cold can sometimes help settle them down. So I enjoy the cold, and would rather wrap up in this cozy blanket and snuggle up with my baby rather than walk around in my underwear. Capiche?

4. Adeline's "lemme think about it" face

This is her newest/cutest development. If you ask her a question, she looks up to the sky, tilts her head, and taps her chin while she says "Hmm..."

My kid's cute. I know.

Got some favorites this week?

Fav Things Thursday

1. 

My favorite, favorite thing this week was the heavenly pedicure I had yesterday. That's right folks. When my husband suggested I get one, I didn't even have to think twice. There's just something so relaxing about sitting in a chair soaking your feet in warm water, and then having someone clean them, massage them, and make them pretty. This one was only my 4th ever, but I'm pretty sure it was the best. She put this cooling lotion on my legs and feet and then wrapped hot towels around them. OH it felt so good! Yeaaaa! 

2. 

After a quick run into Victoria Secret for myself this week, I stopped by The Children's Place and picked up these boots for Adeline. They're so cute, and I love them! I still can't believe this child is in a size 7 shoe. She was in a 5 at the beginning of the summer. Growing... and growing!!

3.

I was able to eat, enjoy, and keep down these pancakes this week. I'm going to admit that they were so yummy and delicious, I was slightly disappointed when Adeline ended up loving them, and I only ordered 3 pancakes for Addie and me both to share.Piggy mommy, huh?

4.

The Child's Year  Cricut cartridge has been on my wish list for a couple of months now. I caught a really, really good sale and ended up buying it for only $17.95. It's one of my favorites now, and it's so sweet. I should really find time to catch up on scrap booking, so I can really put it to good use.

5. 

Is this some kind of weird pregnancy craving? It must be, because I really never watch QVC. Well besides many, many hours this week. Through the entire weekend and beginning of the week I was feeling awful. I couldn't stop throwing up, contractions, fatigue: just the normal pregnancy thing for me but turned up a few notches from normal. I find when I can keep my mind off how bad I'm feeling it helps, so I try to find a tv program or movie I'm interested in and with few commercials... who knew QVC was so captivating. All of a sudden I thought I really needed this margarita mixer [I don't drink.], and this awesome gift wrap set, oh and those jeans that make your butt look really good, although I don't think anything could make my butt look really good right now.......... 

Happy Thursday to ya'll, and have a lovely Friday and weekend too. 

I'll be cuddling and loving on my husband because he's coming home! 

Fav Things Thursday

I skipped my favorite things last week.

Whoops.

That's okay, I've got a bunch this week!

1.

Aren't these cute? Adeline's Paran's fiance Erica [got all that?] bought those cutie pie shoes and that adorably warm sleeper for baby Gideon. She's such a doll and incredibly sweet, not to mention she could be my new best friend for actually liking the name we picked out for him, since it's proving to be more unpopular with our friends and family. Anyway, love the gift! Such a sweety!!

2.

This Willow Tree Nativity Set is so elegant and lovely, I just ordered it for my mantle. I don't have a nativity set of my own, and I've been holding out for just the right set. I love Willow Tree, so when I realized they had this set, I snagged it up. It's my favorite new Christmas decoration.

3.

My brand spanking new ice pack is such a savior lately. I know I complain about pregnancy a lot, although I really try not to because I understand what a blessing it is. But between the nausea and the constant pain and fatigue, my body just doesn't wear pregnancy well. My chiropractor recently gave me an ice pack for my back, and while it's a simple and "duh" kind of thing, it never even crossed my mind to use one. I L.O.V.E. it!
Seriously, when my back hurts I run to the freezer and pull it out with a whole lot of giddy happy dancing as I plop down on the sofa and relax with it behind my back. Doctor's orders, really. ;)

4.

These are the beautiful fabrics I've selected for Gideon's nursery blanket. I'm going to attempt to make some sort of quilt thing, although I've never made anything like it before so who knows how it will come out. I was thinking of cutting squares in these fabrics, doing some patch work on one side, and then getting a silver minky fabric for the other side. Or maybe white. We'll see, I've got a few other projects until I'm going to tackle this one. I'm excited though! :)

5.

These are my new favorite shoes. I'd say they're my favorite boots, but they're my only boots. SO comfortable and so versatile. I picked them up from Old Navy this week for just a few dollars after saving up my rewards. I lovah-love them and wear them almost every day. With jeans and a tee shirt or even just a jammies around the house. Loooove! 

6. 

I have a weakness for Christmas scrapbook paper. Really. 

I can't help myself. This is my new favorite collection since it's got a vintage theme going on. I've been playing with it all week!!!

7.

I found this lovely headband on Etsy, and isn't it darling? It's perhaps my favorite Etsy find this week, and while I didn't buy it, I think I'm going to attempt to make something similar. I just love it, although I have a feeling it probably looks much cuter and more appropriate on this pretty model's head than it would on mine. 

...and this week, these are a few of my favorite things!

Fav Things Thursday

-In response to my last post: I'm super excited about getting all of you some mail out! Be patient with me, I'll be slow, but hopefully compared to the bills and trash mail you might normally have, I hope it at least brings a little smile to your mailbox. Thanks for sending your addresses, and feel free to keep them coming if you haven't already emailed me. 

-In response to my post before last: Thank ya'll all for the prayers and encouragement about my contractions. I go to the Dr. this morning, and I'm just praying little Gideon is going to slow it down and hopefully I won't be on bed rest or medication or anything like that. 

& for today's post [hehe]

You could be bored reading about my week's favorite things, but I'm not bored gushing about them so you'll have to just have to excuse me once again. :)

Pecans top my list this week. That's so weird since I'm usually not too much of a nut person. A few weeks ago, when Philip was home we picked pecans at his grandparent's house. Well we ended up with a ton to try out and crack and what not, which isn't a problem because um you can bake a million things with pecans and the fresher=the yummier! I've been needing to make my pumpkin muffins all week because I had a pie pumpkin that really needed to be cooked before Adeline got her hands on it and threw it like a basket ball again. So all week I've been slowly cracking pecans intending on putting them into my muffins. Well the muffins never happened because Addie and I couldn't stop eating the pecans. They are so good and so fresh that we couldn't stop ourselves. Mmmmmm!

Adeline's work of art is always my favorite, but with these colors I'm really loving her paintings. I'm also really proud to announce that she knows all of her colors upon identification. She can only say purple, pink, blue, red, black, and only sometimes yellow, but she'll point out green, orange, white, and brown if you ask. ;) She's a little smarty pants! I take the credit for teaching her her colors, but Leap Frog gets credit for the letters, and my Shapes App on my Iphone gets the credit for her shapes. ;)

This may be more Adeline's favorite than mine, but it keeps her busy so I'll take it! These little leaf window stick ons were in the dollar bin at Target. Can't beat that! I'm sure it won't be long before they're all too full of dog hair and cheerios to stick to the side lights, but we're enjoying them while they last.

Does this look like regular gift wrap, fabric, and craft junk to you? Well it looks like progress to me! Remember how I mentioned I had to switch my craft room to Philip's work out room and then turn my old craft room into Gideon's nursery? Well I'm working on that very slowly. I only say slowly because that's the only pace I can seem to tolerate, or else it would have already been done two months ago, and might I say that I've been doing it by myself during nap/bed times. It's a bigger job than it seems, I assure you, but I've made a big dent! What you see here is some organized things in my new craft room, which still has Philip's junk in it because again, I'm working alone here. [Can you sense a little animosity there?] Oh it's alright when I'm feeling good I love organizing, but this is proving to be unusually exhausting for me. Foo!

 This is a precious little wipe case that my friend Rachel made us. I was scanning some of the new things she posted on her Cutie Pie Crafts FB when I came across this wipe case and thought the little thumbnail was cute. So I clicked to enlarge it when I realized, whoa that's for my baby... and that's my baby's name.... and uhh I have another baby, a baby boy. Haha, I don't know, it was just the first time I saw his name written out somewhere else I guess, and then it kind of hit me that I have two babies now.

 and this is my favorite picture this week!
Last night I realized that I didn't have a picture of Addie's pumpkin at night while it was lit. So in the humid, muggy, gross, rainy night I snuck out and took a quick shot before the mosquitoes ate me alive.
When I scrolled through the couple of shots on my camera, I was bummed because I didn't realize my lens had fogged up, but when I uploaded the picture to my computer I thought it was awesome!
The combination of the flicker of the candle and the fog really depicts the actual weather last night, and it's a cute little pumpkin too! Too bad we did him too early to last until Halloween. He's getting a little moldy and will be on his way to the garbage can before Friday. ;)

Oh well, ya'll know I could go on and on, so I guess we'll wrap it up here. I've got those pumpkin muffins that I won't shut up about to bake. ;)

Happy Thursday! :)