Anatomy 101

Friday, January 30, 2015

     Toddlers sure say the darndest things. For example the mini anatomy lesson I had to give Blair in the middle of Target the other day. We were waiting in the returns line, Blair in the shopping cart, when all of the sudden I feel her pushing on my chest. She continues to do so while saying,

"These are circles. They're like balls. I like them. Can I touch them?"

Uh, newsflash kid you are already helping yourself.

Next thing  I know is that she's got her shirt pulled up and is asking where hers are. I told her when she gets bigger she will have some. I then continued to tell her no more touching Mommy's chest because they are my privates (for lack of a better word). She then corrects me and says,

"No, your privates are right HERE" and reaches down to pat me in the crotch.

Awesome. Mini anatomy lesson completed in Target. Check.

Have any of you given any anatomy lessons to your littles lately? C'mon I know I'm not alone in this!

And here's an unrelated picture of my favorites...
Do you spy dirty baby?

Fertility Update: My next doctor appointment is February 12 and I couldn't be more stoked! He will be checking my thyroid, FSH, and LH levels more thoroughly. I've been reading a lot of articles regarding progesterone, thyroid levels etc. and really think I'm going to find my answer with this. I'm finally figuring out how to advocate for myself thanks to some help from a friend dealing with this too. And let me tell you having hope feels oh so good. Praising Him on the reg for giving me direction!

What to Wear {harem pants}

Thursday, January 29, 2015

I have to tell you I am 100% obsessed with my harem pants. They are like glorified sweats (elastic waist band and all) but much more chic. I got mine from CAbi last fall at an outlet and haven't take them off since. Well, not counting this week when Blair got Disney princess glitter chapstick all over the thigh. Dang it. But you get what I'm saying...I live in them! Below are some ways to style them and reasons why you should go and grab a pair! Oh, and excuse my unmade bed and pasty arms. I have a toddler annnnnnd it's winter.


by far my fave look!

date night

i love this look because it looks like a jumper which i'm all about!


playground chic
Here is why you need a pair...
1. They are as comfy as yoga pants but cuter
2. Elastic waist band...enough said
3. They can be worn with heels, wedges, flats, and converse
4. Although your hubby/bf will hate them I assure you your girlfriends will swoon
5. They make you look dressed when you're not

BTW Whole 30 ends Saturday for me and I will 100% be celebrating with a big. FAT. donut. I've read that for some people the benefits of Whole 30 don't kick in until day 45 or 60. No thank you. While I didn't lose any weight (major bummer) I wasn't really doing it for that anyway. M and I plan to continue with it but with the exception of having a cheat day or meal a week. That way I won't be so miserable deprived. ;)

Ilene's Shabby Chic Shower

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

     I wasn't kidding when I said it was the week of the baby showers! I helped host a baby shower for Matt's cousin, Ilene, this weekend at my home. She is due with her first baby, a girl, in March. To make sure the mom-to-be liked the style of the shower I made sure to ask how she was decorating her nursery. She's going with a blue shabby chic floral style for her sweet girl so I mimicked that. For some reason I had an impossible time finding fabric that really evoked a shabby chic feel. Target has a brand that nails the look but I wasn't about to buy a comforter only to cut it to shreds... I made do with some other blue vintagey floral fabric. Take a look!
















The cake was brought by another hostess...too cute!


These girls are sisters and due (both with girls) the same week!

The mom-to-be and me
     I'm always one for re-using items that I have already made and I was able to do that for Ilene's shower. The fabric backdrop was used for Blair's 2nd birthday last year. I just removed the pink fabric and cut/tied on the blue instead. I also own a lot of burlap which was perfect for the table decor. The tissue garland was also created for Blair's 2nd birthday. Again, I removed the pink which created a more neutral look.
     Here's the most awesome part of all...the flowers were from the shower I attended the previous day! (Gasp!) The hostess happened to be my friend so I asked her if I could pay for half the flowers and use them for my shower. No point in me running around town trying to find the right flowers to create my own arrangements, right? I meant what I said...this year I am trying to stress less and man did that help! It was also great to co-host a shower with Ilene's Aunts and divvy up the responsibility. Happy Wednesday!

A Lovely Breakfast Shower

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

I mentioned on Instagram (@natyouraveragegirl) that I had a weekend full of baby showers. On Saturday I attended one for my dear friend, Natalie, who is due with baby boy # 2 February 14! The ladies who threw the breakfast shower did a beautiful job. My pictures aren't the best because of how the sun was coming in (it was 80 degrees!) at that time of day but you get the idea.



Beautiful flowers made the shower extra special. SO much better than store bought!

Guests wrote their names on these wooden circles.
I re-purposed this "baby boy" sign from a this previous shower I threw...winning!

The flowers were STUNNING!

The most adorable/perfect drink dispensers.


"Oh Baby" making a re-appearance! (Now who has Britney Spears stuck in their head? You're Welcome.)
Paper airplanes also came out to play again. My motto...save EVERYTHING!
The beautiful Mama-to-Be in the middle...even though you can't even tell!
The best advice I have for people who like to throw parties is to save everything and re-purpose it! I was able to pull out some generic boy baby shower decor from my "party closet" which took me practically no time. And that kind of decorating really fits into my "stress less" and "say no" philosophy I'm taking on this year. ;) Easy and still cute! No point in re-inventing the wheel twice! I do like to use bits and pieces from other party decor over again but let's be honest...I wouldn't be caught dead throwing the same party theme twice....party faux pas! I'm too Type A for that. ;)

Val Day for Toddlers

Monday, January 26, 2015

*** just realized that I never posted this on Friday...whoopsies!

Have you been seeing all the cute things out for Valentine's Day yet? I'm a sucker for holiday attire, gifts, decor etc. Basically I love holidays. ;) This year JCrew did not disappoint (but ugh they are so expensive for toddler clothing) and Gap had some cute items too (no surprise there). Check them out!






And while the boys selection is not quite as extensive (let's be real Val Day is for the ladies) I didn't forget about you boy Mamas!


If my wallet were overflowing I'd be outfitting Blair head to toe in JCrew, but it's not, so she will be donning last year's Val Day sweater because it still fits. ;) 



PS I probably really won't have much news to report fertility-wise until after I meet with my new doctor in a couple weeks to look more extensively at my thyroid/hormones. So till then "Infertility Fridays" will be on hold. :)

Whole Thirty Thursday

Thursday, January 22, 2015

We are 21 days in and I have to say I'm ready for a donut. All these things I read talk about how you will have boundless energy and will lose weight. I have to say I'm not impressed. My energy level hasn't seemed to increase (but I had a lot of energy before this) and I've lost a whopping 2-3 pounds. Are. You. Joking. Me. I gave up desserts for that?! I know I know this is all in the name of getting healthier for fertility reasons but come on let's be real...I was hoping to shed a few Christmas lbs too.

I do have to say I am LOVING my new weight lifting routine for the gym. I took before pictures, measured, did my body fat % (yikes) and hope to see some results by the end of April when the contest ends just in time for swim suit season! ;)

Here are some of the top contenders as far as meals go this week...

Egg, tomato, spinach, chicken sausage, bell pepper scramble.

What I had to resort to out of sheer laziness and lack of leftovers. Tuna with mustard (it was so dry I was gagging it down), left over brussel sprouts (which I actually love), annnnd two pickles. See? It's a good thing I have Matt!
Chile chicken lime burgers from Trader Joes, sprouts, guac, onion, bell pepper, with a lettuce bun. And sweet potato fries! This is one of my favorite meals for sure.
This weekend I'm hosting a baby shower and I'm already sad because I know I won't be able to eat jack. Sigh. I just have to look at the big picture and know this is all for a good cause. Brownies and cake will be here forever but my baby makin' years will not. ;)

Pretty Sneaky

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

I keep saying it but this age is my favorite! Blair says the most hilarious things and has so much personality now I just love her to death. In exchange for a sucker she let me snap a few pics of her at the grocery store this week. ;)





Even though she's wearing the "pretty sneaky" shirt I'm the one who had to be sneaky in order to get some pics of her without dirty baby. She stayed in the shopping cart and observed if you were wondering where she was. ;)

sweater: Cotton On
shirt: kate spade for gap
shoes: freshly picked
bow: happiness lives here etsy shop

Autumn Designs and Co. Valentine's Chalkboard Prints

Monday, January 19, 2015

Hi friends! Valentine's Day is right around the corner and we just stocked the shop with some fun chalkboard prints! Digital and hard copies are available so find something for someone you love (or yourself!) and grab them a gift.






All purchases can be made at Autumn Designs and Co. :)