happy weekend!

i think she likes her tent ;)

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whew another week over! what are your plans this weekend? we're trying to stay home as much as possible since we put norah in UNDIES this morning! yay! she's doing really well so far. i'm hoping this long weekend  home and focused on using the potty will be the push she needs to be in undies full time. fingers crossed! it's also supposed to snow so it will be a great excuse to hang out inside, snuggle, and watch lots of movies :) have a great weekend and we'll be back on monday!

- take better photos with your iphone. great tips!

- loving this shirt over at hello apparel.

- 5 minute, 5-step, $5 leggings. cute!

- single serving chocolate cookie recipes: oven and microwave

- make your ikea billy bookshelves look like built-ins. genius!

- 6 hilarious low-effort toddler games.

- would you hover here?

- crazy awesome deals site.

- gorgeous tumblr.

- amazing DIY: cardboard playhouses! i would love to do this with wood for outdoor use.

- loving this triangle quilt.

- make something!

happy weekend!

- - - - -

the last weekend of 2012, what are you going to do with it? we're still pooped from christmas - ha! i have a few DIY projects i'd like to get done plus some party planning for norah's birthday (still in shock!!). we're also hoping to go look at a house or two! i also have a little blog-makeover in the works. hoping to have that done for a fresh start in 2013. whatever you do, enjoy the last moments of this year. looking forward to a new beginning on tuesday!

- birthday doughnuts

- fabric scrap houses! adorable.

- love this animal gift wrap.

- what a cool tattoo idea for sisters/siblings.

- dreamy.

- cute valentine's cards.

- 5 ways to grow more with less. good ideas!

- quirky kids' parties. love the lumberjack theme :)

- sweet heart gloves.

- and a great idea for updating old gloves.

- cutest socks i ever saw.

- new year's resolutions for families.

happy weekend!

santa drove by on the firetrucks last night! norah said "dats too loud, mommy!" 

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can you believe Christmas is next week already? this weekend we hope to get a ride on the "santa train" that runs through allaire park. i also have lots of cooking and baking to do in preparations for the holiday. mark has off on monday so we're thinking of going out just the three of us and finding something fun to do. i'd LOVE to go see the tree at rockefeller center but it's probably not the best idea to do that on Christmas Eve ;). I'm sure we'll think of something. Have a great weekend!


- treehouse wedding!

- ok, this is freaking me out.

- adorable clay ornaments.

- and an adorable painted ukelele!

- great ideas for random acts of kindness.

- merry christmas, ya filthy animal!

- gorgeous business cards.

- i'd like this for dinner.

- and this for dessert. mmmm....

- lovely quilts. the 2nd one is my favorite!

- DIY feather tee...cute!

- great quote.


P.S. if you could take a minute to vote for our christmas card picture HERE (#47) i would greatly appreciate it! :)

happy weekend!

"dis is beautifullllllll!"

- - - - -

WOW this week went really fast. it was a little weird getting back into the swing of things around here. we've had our power back for a full week now so i think it's safe to say we're in the clear! i've been writing the posts i've been meaning to catch up on, it's just taking a little longer than i thought. thanks for being patient! besides getting back to our normal schedule i've been busy writing, christmas shopping (i know, i know), and taking care of a sick daughter and husband on top of being sick myself. TGIF right? anyway we're looking forward to a relaxing weekend before the holiday madness begins. i'll be back monday with a fun DIY just in time for thanksgiving :)

- friendsgiving!

- also loving the "at home with..." series over at a beautiful mess

- fabulous house tour.

- broccoli soup nom nom nom.

- cute DIY idea: branch coat rack!

- date your daughter.

- i love this photo.

- giant alphabet letters. i'll take an "N" please.

- shop love.

- loving this shared girls' room. don't tell mark - when(if) we have another, i want another girl! :)

- do you like princesses? i'm still on the fence...

- too many ideas!

happy weekend!

"show mommy ears!"

- - - - -

tonight is my baby sister's homecoming game and she is on the court! it will also be norah's first football game :) and tomorrow we're getting our family pictures done by our wonderful friend abby! i'm so excited! we have quick snapshots of all three of us but they are few and far between. usually all the pictures are of just norah, or norah and mark (since mom is the family photographer). we've never had a family portrait done. norah is almost two so i think we're longgg overdue! we'll also be seeing some friends and family while we're down in south jersey and we'll also be taking a trip to the pumpkin patch. last year norah just tried to eat the pumpkin stems. i think this year she'll have more fun picking one out :) have a great weekend, see you on monday!


- helping our children have healthy body images.

- and a great related article: why i walk around naked.

- and one more awesome related article: please don't tell my little girl she's pretty.

- lies i tell my toddler...definitely guilty of similar hehe.

- right here, right now. LOVE this.

- 15 memories from childhood our children won't have. this is crazy to think about!

- simple projects for kids' rooms. that playhouse bed is so cute!

- peanut butter owl cookies!

- cute painted shoes.

- hide your TV!

- "there. i said it." what's your dream?

- loving these shops. one. two. and three.

happy weekend!

a good part of each day is spent on the porch, watching the cars and "skoo busses" go by

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ahhh it's friday again. have you guys seen this e-card? made me laugh :) tomorrow morning we're going to look at a few new cars for me (woohoo!) so i'm pretty excited! mark will be taking my honda accord now that he's commuting for work. we'll be selling his truck and getting a wagon or smaller SUV for me. and the weather for sunday is calling for rain all day and much cooler temperatures - also excited for that! have a great weekend, see you on monday!

p.s. don't forget to check out my new sponsor page!


- well, i know what we're having for breakfast tomorrow.

- gorgeous little fawn.

- montessori-inspired fall activities. we'll be trying out a bunch of these!

- have an old cardigan? up-cycle it!

- the clean eating approved foods list.

- a great read on having an only child.

- thrifty kitchen tips.

- how often do you take your kid(s) outside?

- cute temporary tattoo.

- shop shades of autumn.

- adorable piano plush!

- vegan oreo-style cookie recipe. looks yummy!

happy weekend!

aunt talie pushing norah on the swings

- - - - -

a weekend....NOT in south jersey! i never would have thought it could happen ;) since we aren't traveling this weekend, we plan on spending lots of time together and out doing fun things in our area. there are several fall harvest/music festivals going on both tomorrow and sunday and we're thinking of maybe hitting up a local flea market early tomorrow morning. have a great last weekend in september! (that was fast, huh?)

- speaking of flea markets, here are some great tips for flea market shopping.

- this disney trip (sans kids!) looks like a blast.

- i know a shirt of norah's i'll be doing this to.

- how to not raise a brat. love it!

- great list of autumn goals. what are yours?

- why mom guilt is good. interesting.

- what a family needs after a birth. wonderful suggestions!

- recreating a simpler time.

- LOVE this little dress!

- hehe. yep!

- gorgeous blog.

- and adorable new blog! swoon.

happy weekend!

snacks in mommy & daddy's bed

- - - - -

friiiiiiiiday! and guess what? we're heading down to south jersey AGAIN on sunday. this time it is for an extra special occasion: my foster-brother-in-law (is that a thing? oh well) is getting baptized in the ocean! so we are going to be getting up bright and early sunday morning to make the drive down. i was baptized in the ocean 4 years ago this month and it was such a wonderful experience. i can't wait to be there for my brother! what are your plans this weekend? have a great time, and see you on monday.

- airstream road trip. so dreamy.

- lovely etsy shop.

- remember these cookies from last week? made them this morning - the best ever!

- loving these bonlook frames. i may or may not have entered more than one giveaway in order to get them ;) i also really like these and these.

- adorable DIY fox costume!

- yum.

- pumpkin pretzels. cute!

- loving everything in this big girl room.

- 7 things to do with pinecones. i really like the garland idea.

- i've expanded my ideas for norah's 2nd birthday party to include all animals, not just pandas. good thing i still have 3 months to narrow it down.

- great gift ideas! i'll have one of each, please.

- sweet little wooden brooch.

happy weekend!

"kiss, horsies"

- - - - -

it's friday and that means we're traveling..again! never too far though, we're heading back to south jersey to stay with mark's parents until sunday evening. our nephew's 1st birthday party is tonight (!), we're getting together with friends tomorrow, and then we're visiting our old church sunday morning and of course football all afternoon! we miss our home so much so every chance we get we head down if only for a few hours. have a great weekend, see you on monday!


- a dress with CATS on it! CAT DRESS.

- the rest of the shop where the cat dress lives. love the postcard set too.

- drooling.

- more drooling. i'll definitely be trying this recipe in the near future. (and we'll have those cookies for dessert!)

- escape into autumn.

- this article made me laugh out loud.

- the reason why i take advantage of snapfish's 99 prints for 99 cents deal.

- i bought this exact french press on clearance at target last week ($3.88! crazy!) thank you jess for teaching me how to use it!

- great prints.

- sad but sweet post from mandy about losing a pet.

- cozy fall collection.

- what parents say and what parents mean. hilarious!

happy weekend!

the greatest ever. i'll be so sad when she doesn't want to snuggle me anymore.

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friday, hooray!  tonight my sister is having a pasta party for her cheerleading team and the seniors on the football team. we're expecting about 70 kids to be here. 70! then tomorrow we're all going to the first high school football game of the season. also sunday is grandparents day, don't forget! what are your plans this weekend? have a great time, and see you all on monday!

- pretty camera straps

- WHY must this top be so expensive? i can't justify spending $75 on a shirt but if i had (someone force me!) to, i'd pick this one.

- swings in a living room! yes please

- i may or may not have started a pinterest board all about pandas. norah might be having a panda birthday party. had to start planning sometime, right? now i have 4 months to pick exactly what i want ;)

- another super cozy fall/winter outfit. love love love.

- great words.

- apple recipes for fall. yummm. 

- cute way to find out the baby's sex! 

- a very sweet post on birthing. 

- fridge work station. love this idea.

- looking forward to trying this recipe. anything buffalo = YUM

- keep the magic alive. yes yes one thousand times yes. 

happy weekend!

haha i don't even know

- - - - -

it's finally labor day weekend! YES i said finally...haven't you been listening to me talk about fall fall fall?? i'm so happy september is almost here. (only 8 more hours! not like i'm counting or anything.) to say goodbye to summer, we are heading to two different family bbqs on sunday and then spending the night at mom-mom and pop-pop's house sunday night into monday. i can't wait to spend some time with them! what are your plans for your long weekend? enjoy!

- genius gift idea for a tired mama!

- polaroid coasters. love this idea, will definitely be trying it.

- things you might not know about lead poisoning. thanks for all the great info melissa!

- i love this little sticker! it comes in print form too.

- cute shop.

- i want to see this movie!

- DIY color blocked shoes. i'll definitely be trying this one too. i have the perfect pair of flats to use.

- interested in montessori? here's some intro activites from randalin over at harvesting kale.

- so what if i want this book just because i like the cover?

- bacon hearts!

- lovely words.

- the coziest outfit i ever did see.

happy weekend!

can't get her out of this seat :)

- - - - -

weekend time! what are you guys up to? we have bbqs tomorrow and sunday so we've got nothing planned but eating and playing alllllll day :). i can't believe next weekend is labor day weekend already! so now we have to get as much bbq in as possible before it gets too cold. personally i cannot wait for fall! bring on that cool sweater weather! whatever you're doing i hope it's great. see you on monday!

- an entire board on pinterest dedicated to the zombie apocalypse. i kid you not.

- i love this little fox! so sad that he's sold. check out jen's shop for more.

- even more foxy love!

- this little blogger is only 13 but she's already way cooler than me! check her out. (we emailed back and forth a bit - not only is she adorable, she's super sweet! love her attitude.)

- how to sew the perfect corner.

- this is the worst. i'm speechless!

- SO going to do this with norah.

- pumpkin fro-yo? say whaaaaaaaat??

- not sure how i feel about this necklace but i LOVE her outfit.

- more mustard yellow goodness.

- norah is obsessed with pandas lately so i'm thinking of dressing her as one for halloween. found this cute costume but i'm thinking i can make my own version instead. it's ok to start thinking about halloween in august, right? 

- hahaha. i need to do this.

happy weekend!

"maaahmeee hoooooldd meeeeeeeeee"

- - - - -

woo hooooo it's the weekend! norah and i are heading down to south jersey today for some cousin time and a late-night pool party. tomorrow and sunday i hope to re-arrange her room and finally put up some projects that i've been putting off. with any luck, i'll have that all done by sunday night (let's see how that goes hehe). do you have any fun plans? enjoy, and see you on monday!

- a BILL MURRAY coloring book!

- going on vacation? want to rent a bike while you're there? rent someone else's instead of going to a shop and save!

- joanna talks about scheduling sex ... too weird for me! what do you think?

- i'd love to check out this book.

- a parent's love story book to give to your kids. so sweet!

- zucchini chips. definitely going to try these!

- can this be my bedroom please?

- balloon avalanche! so fun :)

- homeschooling is not for me, but the reading list that james has prepared for her children sounds wonderful.

- eating clean on the go.

- kung fu panda 3! it's not coming out until 2015. maybe norah will still be panda-crazy then.

- a song that we love. norah sings "oooh oooh oooh" near the end :)

happy weekend!

glowsticks in the bathtub!

- - - - -

friday already! this week went so fast. what are your plans for the weekend? as of right now we've got nothing going on but i'm sure we'll find something fun to do. i've got a project that i need a big strong husband to help me with so hopefully we can get that done. and maybe, just maybe, you'll get to see what it is on monday :) here are some fun links to hold you over until then.


- sweet way to announce the baby's gender

- 50 rules for dads with daughters. such a sweet post.

- AND, rules for a really great marriage while we're at it.

- i need an attic just for this.

- glitter walls! glitter! i would like this on a ceiling too.

- it's all about perspective.

- stumbled upon this kid's consignment shop earlier today. i'll be spending a LOT of time on here :)

- the "best time to buy" guide. great to know!

- birthday freebies! i'll be signing up for many of these.

- we can all learn a lot from the berenstain bears.

- great advice.

- a hilarious video my brother sent me. i absolutely HATE this song, but i endure it just for this guy.

happy weekend!

the newest trick: showing off her guns!

- - - - -

what's everyone up to this weekend? we're looking forward to a lazy saturday and then our friend's son's 1st birthday and our niece's 3rd birthday parties on sunday! there will be a PONY at the second party! i can't wait, norah is going to lose her mind. see you all on monday!


- another paint recipe i came across on pinterest. will definitely be trying this one!

- family night at a drive-in theater. that backseat looks sooo cozy.

- rachel at smile and wave also gives us a review of the book of new family traditions. i'd definitely like to check this one out.

- i've got baby fever! someone talk me down!

- summer e-course sale at red velvet! 25% off with code SUMMERSALE. good until august 1st!

- great advice.

- a painting party! i would love to do this for norah but it really should be outside. darn winter birthdays.

- this is too funny: instagram cookies!

- interesting post on "mompetition" - what's your take on the topic?

- when all else fails...take a nap.

- project life art journal series by janel at run with scissors...love!

- the color run is coming to new jersey!!! wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

happy weekend!

little feet, big shoes

- - - - -

what's everyone up to this weekend? i'm on the hunt for a local place to go strawberry and/or blueberry picking, then on sunday we're heading down to stay with mark's parents for a couple of nights! whatever you do, enjoy your time and i'll see you all on monday :)

- summer bucket list.

- shaving cream paint for the bath: very popular at little mouse's house.

- mommy and me journal. so sweet! 

- 10 simple things to make you happier at home.

- we had chicken & veggie stew for dinner last night and for the first time there were NO leftovers! delicious.

- feather toms!!!

- leigh-ann from freckled nest has some great advice for those seeking a creative future.

- trending: black and white rugs in kid's rooms.

- need to buy a house so i can build a home office/studio.

- summer camps for grown ups!

- hehe, yep.

- i know it's old but i just can't resist.

happy weekend!

bubbles on the boardwalk!

- - - - -

what are you guys up to this weekend? we have no set plans(!) so i'm looking forward to spending lots of quality time with mark and little mouse. maybe we'll go on an adventure or two or if these thunderstorms hit us we'll resort to fort making and living room picnics. here are some links to hold you over until monday:

- colors of humans

- ahh .. sanity ;)

- 7 parenting tips for raising a life long learner

- a new reality show about extended breastfeeding?

- a lovely place for a family vacation

- thinking of trying a project from pinterest? check here first. too funny.

- i highly recommend this chicken carbonara recipe

- love this etsy shop .. we have a couple not enough prints in norah's room

- and speaking of prints, i NEED this one ... and this one too

- hehe so true

- bow garland!!

- my friend makes awesome jewelry out of old skateboards! check out her shop here