DIY Bow Holder

Let's just pretend that it hasn't been 100 years since I last blogged! I'll have an update of what's been going on around here soon! 

I've been searching for a cute, non-cheesy bow holder since before Emma June was born and kept coming up empty handed. Finally one day while trying to figure out what to do with her 6,463 newborn pictures it hit me! I could just use a simple frame and attach some ribbon. Easy peasy!

What you'll need: 

Frame & picture

Thick ribbon 

Ruler 

Glue gun 

BOWS! (I get mine from polkadot posies & the smocked swap on Facebook)

3 year old big brother to help ;) (optional) 

Measure the ribbon an equal length apart, make sure to leave lots of room if your bows are big! 

Use really long pieces of ribbon - you can always trim after you're done! 

Hot glue your ribbon to the back of the frame

Hang it up! 

Have your helper inspect. And then trim the bottom of the ribbon. 

Ta-da! Easy, inexpensive & totally customizable! 

How I Make My Iced Coffee!

My sweet instagram friend, Amber was saying that she just couldn't get her iced coffee to taste right and I knew I needed to help her out! 

A few years ago I fell in love with a venti Hazelnut Breve Iced Coffee at Starbucks and just COULD NOT GET ENOUGH. I'd legit dream of them. A few months into my new addiction I KNEW that I could figure this out. I mean, it's coffee not rocket science... right?

Well, I'll let you know what doesn't work: Keurig, Instant coffee, Regular coffee maker....they just aren't the same. I can't put my finger on it but serious iced coffee lovers will know exactly what I mean! 

Right, so what does that leave?

COLD BREW. 

I've touched on this here with a review for the Toddy Cold Brew System. 

But I got bored with the Toddy. It was so big, it took a while to strain and I had to make so much at once that even a coffee addict like myself would find that it would start to taste stale. I needed a quick and easy way to make fresh iced coffee.

One day it clicked! YES! My french press! Same idea. Just smaller.

So here is how I do it! 

What you need:

• A good coffee - I am only using this one because it's decaf and I was already at Trader Joe's. I prefer Starbucks Iced Coffee Blend found here. 
• French Press - it doesn't need to be fancy, I think this one was around $20 
• Syrup or some sort of artificial sweetener. Sugar will not dissolve since the liquid never gets hot. I buy my hazelnut syrup in a huge bottle for under $10 at my local starbucks (ask for a pump!). 
• Half & Half 

How to:

Step one:
Fill the french press up with 80% water and 6-8 scoops of coffee - this is not an exact science - some like more, some like less, start with 6 and then move up or down from there. 

Step two:
Use the back of a spoon to press the coffee down. You don't want to stir just get all of the grinds wet. 

Step three:
Put the lid back on but DO NOT PUSH THE PRESS DOWN. Let it sit overnight. 

Step four:
In the morning, press down slowly, you'll need to use some pressure. Pour over ice and add your syrup (I do 4 pumps) and half & half (I just eye it - I'm not shy with it!). Put whatever is left in a mason jar or some other covered container! 

Ta-da! Perfect iced coffee! It's so smooth and refreshing! 

If you make it - I'd love to hear your thoughts! And as always, please let me know if you have any questions!! 

Baby #2 Bump-Update

I decided that it was probably time for a bump update since I'm oh-my-gosh out of my first trimester already! Everyone is SO right when they say that the second one goes by so fast because you are busy with #1! 

L2R: 13 wks, 13.5 wks & 14 wks

Here we go! 

• How far along: 14 weeks!
• How I'm feeling: Good! My nausea and sickness is really subsiding. I have the most energy in the morning so we are taking full advantage of that by doing lots of fun activities out and about before nap time! 
• How big is the baby: the size of a LEMON! 
• Maternity clothes: Yes and no! Despite how big my bump looks in the two side pictures I'm still squeaking by with some regular clothes and definitely mixing some maternity in. I really had forgotten how different the bump looks depending on what you are wearing! 
• Sleep: Yes please! I'm napping almost everyday when Trey napsand am usually in bed by 10. I do need to pull out my pregnancy body pillow though! 
• Best moment this week: We had an ultrasound yesterday and some cysts that my dr was concerned about have significantly shrunk! (SO blessed!) and hearing the heartbeat and seeing my baby move around on the screen! We got some great pictures too! 
• Movement: none yet - hoping I feel it soon! 
• Food Cravings: Popsicles, Water Ice, Limeades & cereal 
• Food Aversions: Ewww. MEAT. It's so bad. I can't see it, cook it or eat it. 
• Labor Signs: None, thank goodness! 
• What I miss: not much, maybe just some extra energy! 
• What I look forward to: finding out the sex in the next couple of weeks 
• Big Brother: Trey is so excited and is frequently kissing my belly, saying hello to the baby, asking to see my belly (and JDs - ha!) and showing me his "baby belly" ha!! We've been enjoying reading big brother books and just generally having fun! I'll be doing a (late..) 2 1/2 year update on him next week!

I'm just overwhelmed with (pregnancy) hormones and emotions lately and am just so excited about being a mama to two!!! 

I have some goals this week to plan some nurseries and to finish up printing pictures of Trey and filling in some blank spots in his baby book! 

Now, I just need to keep up the pictures for my Belly Book and updates for the blog! 

Drive it Home By Allstate ~ A Recap

Last week I had the privilege of attending the Drive it Home Event sponsored by the Allstate Foundation. 

The event was targeted towards teens and parents of teens who are about to start driving but I personally feel that EVERYONE should attend an event like this every few years. It's so easy to become distracted while driving - kids, music, noise, other passangers. It was a {sad, but eye opening} reminder that we all need to pay better attention while operating our cars.

We watched a few skits that were hilarious but definitely drove the point home.

We heard from Allstate representatives,The National Safety council and a parent who lost his son in a teen driving in teen related crash. I'll be honest - my pregnancy hormones couldn't handle it. I cried all through his speech, after and then at home that night while recapping the event to my husband.

No parent should have to bury their child.

And the worst part? The crash was 100% preventable. 

For any of you that are about to begin (or have recently begun) the driving process with your children, here is some very important information. 

Some chilling statistics about teen driving:

Parents don't understand the most deadly risks to their teen driver. Research shows that inexperience is the No. 1 cause of teen crashes, but 74 percent of parents inaccurately believe that risk-taking is the leading cause.

• Despite the fact that nine in 10 parents say it's very important for teens to learn to manage night driving and driving with passengers, one in three parents admit they have not adequately covered these items with their teen.
• Nearly 30 percent of parents are not setting rules around some of the most dangerous behaviors including nighttime driving and passengers in the car. Many parents also don't require their teen to get permission before driving somewhere.
• Sixty-four percent of parents are actively looking for resources to help manage their teens' driving experience.

Mom on Dealz, Me & Stuttering Shell

And one thing that really hit home with me, was to raise a great driver, YOU need to be a great driver. Setting a good example is KEY. 

Here's a video on Teen's talking about their parent's driving behavior. 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Drive It Home: An Event Invitation for Local Readers

Thank you to the Allstate Foundation and National Safety Council for sponsoring this post. Check out Drive it Home, a website by and for parents, dedicated to keeping our teen drivers safe.

Here are the details:

What: Drive it Home Show, presented by the National Safety Council and Allstate Foundation

When: Wednesday, April 10 from 7pm - 8:15pm

Where: Sandler Center for the Performing Arts (201 Market St, Virginia Beach, VA 23462)

Price: Free! no tickets required

Parking: With more than 3,200 free parking spaces, Sandler Center guests can park within close proximity to the venue. The Armada Hoffler Tower is the main parking garage at Town Center. This nine story parking garage can be accessed from Town Center Drive or Central Park Avenue. Dick's Sporting Goods Parking Garage is located at the corner of Independence Blvd. and Columbus Street. This five story parking garage can be accessed from Market Street. The Cosmopolitan Parking Garage is located across from the Armada Hoffler Tower. This four story parking garage accommodates Town Center guests. Also, there is a parking lot across the street from the Cosmopolitan that provides additional parking. Both can be accessed from Town Center Drive and Columbus Street.

What else? Well, at the event you can register to win gas cards and... A NEW CAR! How fun is that?

If you’d like to attend, click here to register and let them know that Clever Girls Collective sent you.  Hope to see all my local girls there!! 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Easter Edition

Minted Winner!

A big congratulations to Elizabeth from Beyond Blessed!!!

Elizabeth, I'm sending your email over to the people at Minted.com and they will be in touch!

Thank you to everyone who entered!!