Harper's Christmas Wish List {Infant}

Even though Harper can’t tell us exactly what she would like this year for Christmas, we have some cute gifts ready for her! 

MinnieMouse Touch N’ Crawl //  Daniel and I were out shopping and thought this would be cute. She seemed to like it when we were in the store too J  Harper so close to crawling, so maybe having a little friend with help her out!

Placemat//  Hadleigh & Hayden both have this placemat already, so I had to get Harper one!

LearningHouse //  Super cute wooden toy that she can enjoy now and when she gets a little older.

SleepSack //  Harper has almost outgrown the one she uses now, so we bought her one that she can use until she’s over 2.

Kids Learning Touch Smartphone //  She loves playing with our phones, so I snagged this one when I saw it for sale at $7.99.  It lights up and has a bunch of different settings.  I’m sure she will love it.

What are you buying for your infant?    

Christmas Cards

I’m in love with our Christmas cards this year!  I wanted to buy them through Shutterfly, since that’s where I store all of my pictures and make the girls birthday books every year.  They were pretty expensive when I first started looking, but then I snagged them at a really good deal I couldn't resist!

I had a $20 off coupon, an additional $5 off coupon, and the cards were all 50% off when I bought these = I was THRILLED!

Front

Back

·        Did you send out Christmas cards this year?

·        Did you go for the photo cards, or traditional holiday cards with no picture?

Professional Pictures as a Family of 5!

I knew I wanted to get professional pictures done with Nikki after having Harper.  If you remember, we got pictures done with her last year for the girls’ 1^st & 3^rd birthdays.  This year we wanted to get them for a few reasons: 1) Newborn shots of Harper 2) Pictures of Hadleigh & Hayden since their 2^nd & 4^th birthdays are coming up and 3) to get a family shot of the 5 of us.

 

Nikki is amazing and got some great shots!  I was pretty nervous during the shoot.  Having three kids to cooperate is a little stressful and chaotic, but Nikki came through!  If you’re local to Richmond, you need to book a session with her – you won’t be disappointed.  Also, go see her blog for some more pictures from our session here.  

Spreading Cheer this Holiday Season

This is the time of year when everyone’s hearts are full of joy and happiness.  I love how simple little acts can cheer someone’s day or brighten up their week.  The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU does so much for children and their families throughout the year.  My husband and I are both VCU alumni and are extremely proud of The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.  This movement of Spreading Cheer is a wonderful way to boost the joy throughout the area and beyond.  The doctors and staff do so much for the families and children, but would love to hear how each of us #SpreadCheer!

There are 2 easy ways to #SpreadCheer this Holiday Season:

1.       Sending us their 6-word plan to #SpreadCheer this holiday season on CHoR’s Facebook page using the #SpreadCheer hashtag.

2.       Texting HEALTH to 50555 to donate $10 to help children in the hospital.

 

But, that’s not all!  Our favorite local bloggers Young House Love are involved as well.  Head on over to their blog for updates on how they will be Spreading Cheer to one of the hospital’s family waiting rooms. Their ideas are great and I cannot wait to see the finished product.

To learn more visit CHOR at VCU’s #SpreadCheer Launch page

How will you #SpreadCheer this Holiday Season? 

Cup of Cheer!

When I was contacted by Auntie Anne’s Pretzels to participate in their #CupOfCheer, I couldn't wait!! I received my box just a few weeks ago, and the contents were amazing.

Auntie Anne’s Pretzels & More Baking Kit

Auntie Anne’s #CupOfCheer T-Shirt

Essie Red Nail Polish

$20 Amazon Gift Certificate

Corkcicle

I knew that I wanted to make the pretzels with Hadleigh.  She loves helping me bake and this was a perfect opportunity for her to do some “hands on” baking J I usually am telling her the whole time we make brownies not to touch the batter, not to eat the batter….etc.

I prepped the dough and let it rise just like the directions said.  The kit comes with everything you need and the directions are very easy to read through.  Once the dough had risen, it was time to make some pretzels! I rolled a few long strings of dough (is that what you call it?!) and attempted to make the pretzel shape. I’m no expert, but I’d say they turned out decent.  Hadleigh ended up making “a bunch of pretzel babies” {aka pretzel bites}. J  

After popping them in the oven for 5 minutes (that.is.it) – they were done.  I sprinkled a few with butter and salt, but most were sprinkled with butter and then the cinnamon sugar mixture (selfishly my favorite). They tasted so good and the girls loved them as well!

We have Auntie Anne’s pretzels around us, but I love that you can have the same great taste in your own home.  It was a nice plus to be able to incorporate some Cheer into our day by spending the time together making them.

Campus Book Rentals

Although I’m not in college right now, I once was.  Books were expensive then and even more expensive now.  I found out about campusbookrentals.com a few years too late! Oh how I wish it was around when I was in college!  Just think of the money It could save you – you could put more $$ towards partying loans J

Here’s just a few perks of renting textbooks:

-save 40-90% off of bookstore prices

-free shipping both ways

-can highlight in the textbooks

-flexible renting periods

-largest selection in the Nation

And I think one of the biggest perks is that they donate to Operation Smile with each textbook rented.  So you’re saving money and doing something good at the same time – jackpot!

They also have a new program, RentBack, which is more $$ in your pocket too.  For those books you have already purchased, you send them to CampusBookRentals.com (they provide free shipping label) – and they put it in their database for students to rent from.  Every time your book is rented, you get paid! So easy!

For a compete run-down on how it all works, please see the following video.

Now go sign up with them!  You have to buy the textbooks either way, you might as well save some $$  J

Charles Emerson Designs

Who doesn't love jewelry?! I stumbled upon this local business about a year ago and I’m so glad I did!  Not only is the jewelry super cute, it’s affordable AND local (as I mentioned already).  Erin (owner’s pretty awesome name) is really sweet and can answer any questions you may have.  She ships quickly too!

I mean look at some of these pieces…

Now go check out Charles Emerson Designs and get 10% off your entire order with promo code: PartywithErinHarris

Birthday Pictures

Nikki did it again!  We got pictures done for the girls birthdays (Hayden=1 & Hadleigh=3).  When we were there it seemed like there was no way Nikki got any good pictures.  Not because of her, but because the girls were EVERYWHERE.  Nope. She caught some amazing images of the girls being themselves and running around exploring.  Nikki does an excellent job and my girls just love her, which makes things even better.  If you are in the Richmond area – you should definitely schedule a session with her!

Nikki's Website

Nikki's Facebook

Nikki's Blog Post from our session 

Linking up for Wildcard Wednesday!

Design Bug Studio {Review}

I ended up going with Design Bug Studio for Hadleigh & Hayden’s birthday invitations.  I first decided on Hayden’s since her birthday is a month before Hadleigh’s.  She has the cutest designs on her Etsy shop.  I didn't want to go with a “theme” for Hayden, just a cute design.  Becky was so sweet to work with and she was very quick on getting your picture ready to print. 

We had already decided on a mermaid theme for Hadleigh, and I didn't see a mermaid design in her shop.  I decided to reach out to her to see if she could do a custom design for me.  She immediately responded and had my design that same evening!  She is great!  If you’re looking for invitations for the birthday girl or boy in your life, go to Design Bug Studio!

E-Mail

Etsy 

Twitter

*I was not paid or perked for writing this review.  These are my own opinions and experiences*

Little ThreadWagon {Review}

I actually won these super cute shoes for Hayden from Wifessionals series Supporting Small Businesses.  Surprised that I won, I got in touch with Ruthie immediately.  She was very quick to respond and great to work with.  I was pretty flexible on patterns because well…I’m a horrible decision maker when it comes to things like this.  I ended up giving her a couple different patterns I liked form her shop and told her to surprise me.  Let me tell you… I was not disappointed!

They are adorable online, but even more so in person.  It helps when you have a cutie to model them too. J  

This is the best I could get - sitting still is not her forte'!

The fabric is vibrant and colorful.  The buttons are to die for – can I get some in my size?!  Hayden’s not walking yet, but when the time comes, she can wear them outside.  

Note: The customized bag is a small additional fee.  Great for gifts at only $4!

The bottoms are anti-grip and made with indoor/outdoor materials.  

Hayden's foot is pretty slim, so I ended up putting socks on her and then the shoes to avoid them falling off.  I surely wouldn't want to lose these precious shoes!

Check out Ruthie’s sites!  She has products other than baby shoes as well.  You will not be disappointed.

Email Little ThreadWagon

Little ThreadWagon Etsy

Little ThreadWagon Facebook

Go Gaga! {Review}

No...this post has nothing to do with Lady Gaga. Sorry to disappoint!

The other week we were in Target (surprise!) and Daniel happened to pick up this teether/rattle toy.

Found here

At first, I didn't really have an opinion one way or the other.  It’s just a toy that Hayden is going to put in her mouth, just like anything else she can get her hands on.  But, I was quickly in love.

First, the shape is great for those little hands.  It looks awkward, but she handles it so well.  Her hands fit perfectly around the green & orange plastic parts coming out of the middle.  She loves the independence of being able to hold it, shake it, and bring it up to her mouth.

The other thing I love is that the pieces attached are all natural wood.  Just enough hardness to feel oh-so-good on her gums.  It’s smooth, so no need to worry about splinters or anything!  It’s also BPA free which is a must for anything your child will be playing with and putting into their mouth.

I definitely recommend this on the list of “must-haves” for your 4-12 month olds!

{I wasn't paid or perked for this post.  Just happened to buy it and love it.  Naturally, I wanted to share J}