Weekend Things | 7.22.16
Happy Friday, folks! In my personal universe, this week both flew by and dragged, depending on the day. Yesterday was a tad tough considering Harlow woke up almost an hour earlier than normal, then barely napped, then proceeded to barrel roll in her Rock 'n' Play while I was in the shower, giving me a heart attack and very nearly a broken limb after things got squirrely between my wet feet and the tile floor. So, yeah...FRIDAY!
This weekend I'm planning on shooting some new outfit posts and getting my ducks in a row for next Wednesday's shoot with the Engaged collective. Hopefully somewhere in there we can see some friends, maybe try a new restaurant or go to a brewery. Any good recs on either?
Per usual, a few fun things to pass the time until the small hand points to the five.
SHOPPING
LOFT's current sale takes an extra 60% off of sale styles, and 30% off (40% for card holders) regular-priced items with code VACAY. This off-OR-on-the-shoulder tee? $8. I also snagged this drop-waist gingham dress for $20 (tip: it's cheaper in-store than online, at least in AVL). At this point the only place with better deals is Goodwill.
Retailers are gearing up for Fall (nooooo!) so they're trying hard to push summer merch out the door. On the other hand, Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale is now open to the non-card-carrying public and they've got loads of beautiful fall and back-to-school styles priced way down for a limited time. Included are hard-to-find Stan Smiths (going quickly!) and loads of other pretty things. I'm going to tap out and let the other gazillion bloggers tell you what to buy...
Back to summer shopping! J. Crew's sale items are an additional 40% with code SUMMER and the gingham is gooooood. Been dying for this printed peplum top and mini metallic bucket bag, both now coming in under $50 after the discount. LOVE this lightweight sweatshirt I nabbed. I'm wearing it for summer with a marigold maxi skirt and into fall under a blazer with jeans and ballet flats. I also bought the candy-striped dress in the background and it's SO cute and comfy! I fit into an XS so it does run roomy if your size is out.
PHOTO FUN
Mamas and mamas-to-be, this is for you. Have you heard of the Baby Pics app? It lets you overlay artwork onto your phone's photos to capture pregnancy and developmental milestones, birthdays, holidays, laughs, the works. Since we all know we're functioning as the personal paparazzi to our babies and baby bumps, it's so much easier to snap the photo and then edit it rather than arrange wooden blocks or numbers around a fidgety infant. You can download the base app for $2.99 then purchase extra artwork for .99 cents. Follow them on Instagram to see all the cute ideas other families have come up with. Here's a few faves of my baby girl...
I'm a puddle.
PARENTING
Harlow's pediatric sleep therapist, Meggan Hartman, posts the most informative, interesting articles to her Facebook page. Topics range from postpartum care and resources, to nap tips for babies and toddlers, to studies on a variety of subjects including learned behaviors, childhood obesity, and teaching empathy. Fascinating stuff!
A few posts/articles worth the read:
Forty-nine phrases to calm an anxious child (I think these may work on adults, too)
The PPA article really struck a personal nerve. As someone who's battled anxiety, it can be paralyzing, terrifying, and isolating. Though I don't think I was an open-and-shut case for PPA, I'm a natural-born worrier (a true Flaherty trait) and I definitely went overboard a few times fretting over Harlow. Recognizing it and TALKING about it openly will, in my opinion, help us work through our own personal issues and help other moms suffering in silence. We are a strong community, us mamas. Let's continue to cheer each other on because we can do this!
At some point in the future, I'd love to do a dedicated post to our experience working with Meggan, and I'm hoping she'll agree to do a Q&A with me!
EATING + DRINKING
A recipe for whipping rosé into a grapefruit cocktail. How early is too early to make this? It is currently 11 AM...
Enchiladas? Enchi-yes please! Natalie's recipe with roasted squash and zucchini sounds amazing! I try to choose dinner recipes that feature ingredients we can safely offer Harlow. She loves squash sticks so this sounds like a crowd pleaser!
If you love cooking with seasonal produce, here are 47 recipes that use fresh tomatoes.
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
xxBrooke