Life Lately

Well the secret is out, I'm a big ol' blog slacker lately. I try to "unplug" from the internet as much as I can on the weekends and so that leaves me the weekdays to blog, run an Etsy shop, work a part time job and take care of the kids and the house. Yikes, I need a vacation. Not because of life though, life is actually pretty awesome and I do rather well with hectic schedules and chaos. They are kind of my jam. I just need a vacation because it's getting warm and the beach is calling our name! So until I have some actual content, here are a bunch of pictures from my phone over the past few weeks.

Seven Things on Etsy You Need in Your Life

I love Etsy. Being a shop owner myself really puts into perspective how hard these handmakers work to provide such beautiful things for everyone else to buy. It's very time consuming but oh so rewarding to see your orders go into the mail everyday. I've recently started to try and purchase more handmade things when I am able to, because I know how hard these people work and I want to make sure I'm supporting those who I want to support me. I'm in the process of decorating and remodeling our entire house, so I'm always on Etsy looking for unique things to add to our decor. I've put together a list of my favorites and I think you will love them too.

Store: ginably

These animal pillows are hand drawn, hand cut and hand sewn. They are so cute and they are the inspiration for the remodel in Emily and Blair's room. I literally just ordered the fox pillow and cannot wait to get it. She also has some gorgeous prints and stationary with the same whimsical theme.

Store: Penny Jane Designs

This shop has gorgeous prints and I will probably order all of the prints I need for my dining room and the girls' bedroom from this shop. I haven't seen a print I don't like. She also offers a buy two prints get one free deal.

Store: For The Host

You may have seen the spectacular kitchen utensils trending on Etsy already and for good reason. You can pick your color and they are super affordable. The perfect gift for newlyweds or first time homeowners.

Store: pomtree

I'm a little obsessed with pomtree and their party decor and supplies. They come pre-assembled or with all the supplies for you to DIY (at a much cheaper rate)! I'm already making my wish list for Blair's first birthday party.

Store: Knot Unraveled

This store has the most amazing crochet hair accessories, pacifier clips and coffee cup cozies. The owner has MS and is currently spearheading an auction at the end of March to raise money and awareness for MS. Check out @makersagainstmsauction on Instagram for more details.

Store: Hill Country Woodcraft

These handmade wooden toys are really adorable and bonus, they are eco-friendly. And the icing on the cake: customizable. I can't wait to start shopping for Blair's birthday presents.

Store: Live Sweet Shop

I'm not sure that I even need to say anything about how amazing this little plush fox is. The shop is full of all kinds of other whimsical gifts that you just have to see for your self.

Elizabeth Blair // 7 Months

Blair is my third child and it still amazes me how fast babies learn and grow. Just yesterday all that she could do was sleep and eat. Now she's pulling up, working on cruising and hates to sleep. (Yeah, that last part is super fun for Mom and Dad.)

STATS // 16.7 pounds & 27.5"

MILESTONES // Blair is just on a roll the past couple of months with her new skills. She is a professional crawler, pulls up on anything she can reach and has even took a few steps while holding onto my bed. She also acquired her first two bottom teeth this week. On the not so fun side, Blair had her first head cold. For a baby who needs her pacifier to sleep, not being able to breathe from her nose made for a very long night.

DIET // She seems to be getting more interested in solids these days. I've actually decreased her bottles to 4-5oz every three hours, because she stopped drinking the whole bottle. Still doing oatmeal for breakfast and now she has 1.5-2 jars of baby food with a sippy cup of water at dinner. She snacks on fruit puffs during the day as well.

SLEEP // Naps seem to be getting further apart, which is kind of depressing. But she's been going to bed around 9pm and sleeping until around 5am. She usually goes back to sleep for another hour or so after she has a bottle.

LIKES // Playing with Emily, feeding herself and being free to crawl wherever she wants.

DISLIKES // Having her nose wiped.

LINK

Easy Cheeseburger Stuffed Tomatoes

I think I may have said I'd never make up my own recipe. Obviously, I was sort of fibbing. I didn't exactly make this up on my own; I just adapted it from this recipe I found on Pinterest. (Where else?!)

I hate complicated and time consuming recipes. There just isn't enough time for me to spend two hours cooking dinner while I also chase a crawling baby and a curious two year old. But I do love food. A lot. The original recipe has these tomatoes as a side item, but I didn't really feel like coming up with an entree and more side dishes. So I made these stuffed tomatoes the entree and the sides, all in one.

 WHAT YOU NEED

5-6 Slicing Tomatoes

1 lb Ground Beef

1 (15oz) Can Corn

1tbsp Olive Oil

8oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese

3tbsp White Wine Vinegar

1/2 cup Honey Mustard

1 (3oz) Pkg Crumbled Bacon

Salt and Pepper to Taste

WHAT TO DO

1. Cut tops off of tomatoes and scoop out insides.

2. Brown hamburger meat and drain.

3. Drain corn and cook in olive oil.

4. Mix hamburger meat, corn and all other ingredients in a bowl.

5. Spoon mixture into tomatoes.

6. Drizzle tomatoes with additional honey mustard if desired.

7. Eat and enjoy.

Review & Giveaway // Freshly Picked

I'm pretty cheap when it comes to children's clothing. Kids are messy and destructive and they are never ones to think "Oh no, I shouldn't play in this mud puddle in my brand new white t-shirt." No, no, no. Kids are more like "Hey, a mud puddle! How many times can I walk through this puddle before my mom notices I'm doing it." This is true for my two year old and my nine year old.

When I first heard about Freshly Picked and saw their adorable moccs, I was immediately obsessed with getting each of my kids a pair. But then I saw the price... $60? For kids shoes? Woah. Despite their cuteness, my excitement quickly turned to dismay. There was no way I was forking out $180 for three pairs of shoes. But then I realized they don't make them in Alyssa's size, so I didn't have to get three pairs anyway.

Then a miracle happened. I was offered the chance to review a pair of Freshly Picked moccs. I picked a pair of gold ones for Blair and watched the mail daily for their arrival. As soon as they arrived (which was super fast!) I took them out of their cute little drawstring bag and was immediately impressed. The moccs are made of 100% genuine leather and they are just so, so, so soft. The insides are like butter. The shoes are a shiny, soft, buttery mess of heaven, shaped like a tiny baby moccasin.

Totally worth $60.

The moccs stay on Blair's feet while she crawls around, which is pretty impressive on its own. I chose a size 3, which is really a size up from what she would actually wear at this point, but that way she will be able to wear them for the rest of this year at least. If you're like me and are on the fence about spending $60 on baby shoes, don't be. These shoes are absolutely worth it. And if you follow Freshly Picked on Instagram, you will often catch several styles of these moccs on sale.

Now for the good news! Freshly Picked and I are teaming up for a giveaway. One winner will receive a pair of Freshly Picked moccs in the color of their choice, as well as a three month membership to Lamb & Ivy's newest Headwrap of the Month Club. The giveaway is taking place on my Instagram account, so head on over and follow @lambandivyco to get the details. Good luck!

A special thanks to Freshly Picked for the opportunity to review their super cute moccasins.