five things Friday: December favorites edition

It was a festive month around here, indeed, in which I enjoyed many of my traditional holiday favorites: picking out a tree with Hendrik and Peter, having cookie decorating parties, opening stockings with the family... Just a few of the reasons why December is one of my favorite months. And it had some other favorite things in it too! Like:

decoration: oooh I enjoyed admiring the Christmas decorations around the house this year, but for some reason the garland draped over this mirror in the living room just made me SO PLEASED with myself every time I looked at it. Especially at this angle, with the tree reflected in it.

accomplishment: I already designed and ordered our annual family yearbook (made up of my Instagram photos for the year) for 2017!! I spend hours on these Shutterfly creations, so I am very pleased with myself for being so on top of this one. It's so fun to have it in hand to page through.

character: I was really excited about season 2 of The Crown - but then I started in on Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and I have to say, this character has completely charmed me. Such a fun watch.

e-vite: I've been making good use of Paperless Post and their lovely selections lately, for everything from parties to seasonal greetings for work colleagues, but my favorite one is this sweet e-vite for my sister-in-law's baby shower. Especially after I found this adorable banner kit to go with it for the event decor. Rifle Paper Co. for the win!

desk accessory: speaking of cute things, isn't this little pencil cup just adorable? Our kitchen is finally done now that the shelves have been hung above the corner desk, and so I could finally set up the little home office area again, with this fun addition.


Hope you have a wonderful last weekend of 2017 - and a happy New Year!

November in review

Popping in quickie recap of the month a la the hello/goodbye format inspired by Allison (who said hello to her sweet baby boy on the last day of October!) before we move on to lots of fun holiday posts starting Monday...

Goodbye Thanksgiving decor, and hello festive Christmas stuff!

Goodbye DIY wannabe-designer blog look, and hello fabulous new professional version (thank you all for the nice comments about it, and thanks to Stephanie for making it so "me"!).

Goodbye favorite ankle-baring flats (brrrr), and hello fabulous new ankle boots.

Goodbye thoughts of finally being exercise-injury free, and hello new "tibial stress reaction" and 3+ weeks sporting a giant boot (ugh, time to read my own coping tips again).

Goodbye fall capsule, and hello mini-holiday version (stay tuned for details!)

Goodbye 14 in 2014 items #7 and #13, and hello new sponsor column and new recipe avocado blueberry muffins.


And in case you missed them, here are some of my favorite/most popular posts from the last month:

• Getting ready for the holidays with my baking essentials.
• Also: the first two installments of this year's holiday gift grid, with gift ideas from stocking stuffers to big ticket items, for everyone from your blogger bestie to the hipster baby.
• Proof - yet again - of why a chambray shirt is a closet necessity. 
• Also: a black blazer.
• And the cutest little mini me to go with a girl's wardrobe ever.

October in review

The month in my baby turning into a little boy:

• In eats: no more formula...we're on to regular milk in sippy cups (somewhat to his dismay)
• In looks: first haircut and the appearance of a couple more teeth (8 in all now)
• In months: 12 of them! 

The month in this & that-ing:

• New favorite Hendrik foods: PB&J and mac & cheese
• New favorite treat: M&M chocolate chip cookie pie
• New packing challenge: mini mix & match suitcase

The month in remixing:

• Everyday style: three ways to wear jeans and not-jeans
• Foxy style: five ways to wear a graphic sweater
• Mini me style: a capsule wardrobe for the little man

The month in working on my 14 in 2014 list:

• Try a new recipe every month: overachieved with beef kofta, smooth hummus, salmon with pesto spaghetti squash and crockpot BBQ beer chicken
• One-in, one-out policy: no clothes coming in, so I extended it to the makeup drawer! Major cleanout and restock has me feeling oh so pretty.
• Stretch after every run: to the max, plus foam rolling like crazy - finally learned my lesson in taking care of these muscles now that I'm finally back to a bit of running...

The month in blogging:

• Most visited post: fall capsule: not jeans
• Most commented on post: cutie pie 1st birthday party
• Blogged this time last year: an October review with giant baby bump and tiny newborn baby photos. Hard to believe a whole year has passed already!

And because, let's face it, this month was pretty much focused on celebrating Hendrik's big day around here, a little recap of the rest of our celebrations - besides the cutie pie party the weekend before his birthday, we celebrated on the day of with a children's museum date with mommy and some cake and balloons at home, and then since Peter had a really busy work week, we had a special family Sunday the weekend after:

For the day of: my dad made Hendrik his first personalized birthday cake, with an image from the H is for Hen(drik!) page from Charley Harper's ABC book, along with his initial off of the periodic table - a little left brain/right brain action for our smartie pie.

I picked up some balloons to match, since I knew he'd love them ("ball! ball!"), and when Peter got home we opened some presents sent by grandparents and great grandparents and then let him experience the cake - just a slice, not the whole smash cake action thing, since that cake was too nice to destroy (i.e., I wanted to eat it) - but unfortunately Peter got stuck at work kind of late, so it was pretty much bedtime and Hendrik was a little too tired to make much of it. He did rather like the tastes I fed to him, but he didn't go at it much on his own - no bath necessary.

For our special family day: we joked that what we should really do to celebrate Hendrik's birthday is go out for chocolate milkshakes, because that's the big treat I wanted (and got, thanks to Peter bringing one back to the hospital) after delivering him. So we decided to make an afternoon of it - it was the most gorgeous and sunny fall day to head to Oakley square and poke around in the toy store (train tables galore!) and children's bookstore for a bit, and then we got our shakes from Aglamesis Bros.

Hendrik liked the birthday pie and the birthday cake, but birthday shakes were definitely the winner (is he a momma's boy or what)... not all that skilled with straws before, suddenly he was an expert when he got a load of what was coming out of those cups. He helped both of us polish ours off and was still looking for more. I think we have a birthday tradition!

September in review

Before we cover September, reminders about lots of October link ups! Tomorrow is the fall capsule link up - come show any outfits you've been wearing from any capsule-type collection. Then Wednesday is currently with Jenna and me, on what we're currently smelling, loving, planning, baking, celebrating. For fellow pinners and doers, the next pin to present link up is Thursday, October 16. And I'm co-hosting The Circle, a really fun monthly link up by Kiki, on October 22. This month's topic: favorite books! See the bottom of this post for details.

The month in counting things up:

• Items in my fall capsule wardrobe: 37
• Years' worth of giant cardboard tissue paper fringe decorations: 75 
• Months of Hendrik: 11 (!!!)

The month in being home:

• Happenings in the kitchen: hummus making, baby meal time, and even baby play time
• Happenings on the couch: some book reading
• A look at it all goes down: my bloggy house tour 

The month in being away:

• Favorite date night: wine tasting at The Wine Merchant
• Baby's first plane ride: tagging along to Peter's work conference in Orlando
• Snazziest-feeling going-out outfit: black tank & jeans

The month in working on my 14 in 2014 list:

• New recipes tried (stay tuned for full posts): sausage, peppers, & onions and roasted lemony salmon
• Keeping up with the 15 minutes of abs: big fail - but I'm getting back on track with the Nike Training Club app, which has some great 15-minute workouts!
• Continuing to stretch after every run: not really a concern, since I still can't run due to the piriformis/IT band issues. BOO.

The month in blogging:

• Most visited post: fall capsule wardrobe reveal + linkup
• Most commented on post: the September currently
• This time last year(ish): fall-ified pregnancy outfits (!)

August in review

Thanks to slightly less hot/humid than normal weather, a family visit, and a happy baby, August came with lots of fun outings - and eatings! - around here. Here's little recap of the month (already?!), but don't forget that we'll be living in the present on Wednesday: come link up with Jenna and me on what you're currently writing, anticipating, missing, wearing, craving.

The month in wining & dining:

• Wines of the month: Cantine Valpane Barbera del Monferrato (nice) and Doural Branca Malvasia White (boring/disappointing) were the selections for the first pickup of our wine of the month club.
• Flavors of the month: tomatoes + basil + cheese
• Baby meal of the month: pretty much anything I make for him 

The month in whining:

• From me: not being able to run/exercise (and being in a lot of pain/discomfort) because of piriformis syndrome. Unhappy camper.
• From Hendrik: teething and a little cold, poor baby
• From me again: our great and always available babysitter's sudden move to Florida... at least we got in date night to see some good tennis first.

The month in showing and telling:

• About my glasses options: #WarbyHomeTryOn (thanks for the votes - I went with Watts!)
• About my closet: everything from oldest and newest items to current favorites
• About my Pinterest projects and yours: pin to present linkup (and we'll do it again on Sept. 11 for those interested!)

The month in blogging:

• Most popular post: wearing lately: back to basics
• Most commented on post: Warby Parker home try-on poll (thanks for the votes!)
• Blogging collaborations announced: fall capsule wardrobe linkup with Jacquelyn starting September 2; monthly currently linkup with Jenna on September 3

And as for my 14 in 2014 list - um, no changes since last month (though I can report veggie tacos, tomato pesto, and classic hummus as new recipes tried). But check this monthly update off the list, anyway...

July in review

Yikes! I swear the months go faster in the summer. But it's time already for the recap of what I was up to last month... Next week, though, we'll discuss the happenings for the new month, so be sure come back on Wednesday to link up a post on what you're currently reading, enjoying, listening, photographing, feeling.

The month in celebrating things:

• for Peter's birthday: Eli's BBQ and BYO birthday cake
• for both of our birthdays: cupcake pairing party with friends
• for National Ice Cream Day (and National Ice Cream Day Eve, and Post-National Ice Cream Day): Dairy Queen blizzard, Graeter's Buckeye Blitz, and Walker Bros. ice cream date with Allison

The month in taking advantage of convenient things:

• fast dinner: shredded crock pot chicken
• go-to stylish outfit solution: black maxi dress
• easy reading: lots of library Kindle downloads, including the excellent Storied Life of AJ Fikary

The month in trying new things:

• in the kitchen: sriracha chicken quinoa bowls and zucchini flatbreads
• around town: dinner at Bouquet with Katie and her husband (crossed off my new list of 30 things to do before we move away from Cincinnati!)
• at the gym: yoga class (plus a 1st ever visit to a chiropractor... running injury = MAJOR bummer)

The month in enjoying favorite things:

• in my closet: denim jacket, over and over
• in my belly: lots of tomato/cucumber/feta combos (also, see above on ice cream outings)
• in Henk's world: yummy eats and a new kiddie pool

The month in blogging:

• most visited post: wearing lately: summer chambray
• most commented on post: Hendrik at 9 months
• number of friends I met via blogging I got to hang out with in real life: 4 (so fun! and more get-together plans next month, yay)

And as for my 14 in 2014 list, nothing new crossed off this month, but still plugging away on the ongoing items (new recipes were sriracha chicken quinoa bowls and zucchini flatbreads). Sadly the stretching in #4 is just happening on its own minus the running right now because I'm dealing with some terrible glute/IT band pain... but it does free up time to really get back at #12, I guess.

June in review

While we're off celebrating one of the best things about July (woo, 3-day weekend!), here's a recap of the great stuff from June:

The month in turning 30:

• Celebratory indulgences: many (see this and add a 3-course meal at Boca, bottle of wine, and more ice cream, with cupcakes and cake to come...)
• Gift cards now burning a hole in my pocket (thanks, family!): J.Crew, Banana Republic, Warby Parker, Amazon
• Realizing how big of a number this is: 30 photos

The month in traveling:

• Suitcases packed: 4 (two for me, two for Hendrik)
• Rooms with a view: 2 (of Lake Michigan and of Vancouver Harbor)
• Unplanned fuel stops: 1 (Spokane, WA, thanks to having to route a long way around the "biggest line of storms" our pilot had ever seen)

The month in sweating it out:

• Miles run: 82.3
• Sundresses/skirts the heat made it feel necessary to acquire: 3
• Oven avoidance recipes employed for hot days: grilled chicken/radishes/bok choy and make-your-own trifles

The month in blogging:

• Most popular post: mix & match suitcase (black & white edition)
• Visiting bloggers: great guest posts from Heidi, Shea, Katie, and Dotty
• Blog visiting: co-hosting a "summer must-have" linkup with Bri

Oh, and since I didn't fit in a June update on my 14 in 2014 New Year's resolution list yet, here's the latest...

Happy to say I have now crossed off #1 (see the completed master bathroom here!) and #10. Some tips on "hazardous" waste disposal I learned in the process: cans of leftover paint in decent condition can be donated to places like Matthew 25 Ministries for reuse; latex paint cans are acceptable for regular trash collection if you leave the lid off for a few days to dry it out first; Batteries Plus stores take the fluorescent tube bulbs for recycling (home improvement stores like Lowes take just the compact fluorescent ones) along with many types of batteries.

I've been keeping up only reasonably well with the monthly tasks (this is why having concrete goals helps, right? By this point halfway through the year I've kind of forgotten about some of the broader goals like #12). Need to get back on track with the ab work and with the one-in, one-out wardrobe policy. Though on the wardrobe, I did bring a big bag of clothes to the consignment shop and another to Goodwill at the beginning of the month, so I got a bit ahead on the "out" and thus stopped paying attention a little on the "in". This month it's time to get back to doing the in/out transaction at the time of purchase though, since that really keeps one accountable (or helps avoid unnecessary purchases!).

I did make a couple of new recipes last month to carry on with #13 though, including the grilled Asian chicken with with bok choy and radishes from our harvest box and this easy shrimp with rice, tomatoes, and spinach from Martha Stewart Living.

May in review

A heads up - next week (and every first Wednesday of the month) Jenna and I are hosting another currently link up. The categories for this round: cooking, watching, planning, reading, wearing. We had such fun reading all the posts last month, so we hope you'll join in again!

May was a month with plenty of outdoor time, from al fresco dining to race running to reading in the sunshine to walks with oh-so-grown-up Henkie in the actual stroller seat (not the car seat adapter any more). A little recap of my iPhone snaps and some other highlights:

The month in experiencing firsts:

• For Henk: rolling from back to front, riding like a big boy in a shopping cart
• For my belly: dinner at Dutch's (recommendation: proscuitto & mozarella sandwich with fig jam!), Bakersfield (recommendations: guacamole, margaritas, and fish tacos, the new A Tavola (recommendation: arancini and gorgonzola/pepperoni/sausage pizza).
• For blogging: being recognized in public by a reader (so exciting to meet you, Katie!) and hosting a link up.

The month in crossing things off lists:

• Most expensive: finishing the master bathroom update (from the 14 in 2014 list)
• Most exhausting: getting a PR by 10 minutes in the Flying Pig 1/2 marathon (14 in 2014 list)
• Most endearing: having a family photo shoot (30 before 30 list)

The month in sharing:

• With Henk: a first Mother's Day, a love of stripes, and a really bad cold (boo)
• With prospective runners: half marathon training tips
• With a favorite style blogger: a copycat striped blazer outfit

The month in reading and writing:

• Book club meetings attended: 3 (What Alice Forgot, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, & The Maytrees)
• Book review posts published: 2 
• Deep thoughts posted: on motherhood: the new normal

The month in blogging:

• Most popular post: wearing lately: ready for summer
• Posted one year ago today: pinning presently: baby stuff - I'm beyond the maternity stuff now, but this old post might have good ideas for some of my newly pregnant bloggy buddies!
• Blog love: some recent favorite blogging links and a list of some of my favorite mom blogs 

Have a nice weekend welcoming the arrival of June! I'm doing it at the beach - pretty much the only way to improve on the niceness of my May weekends... yay!

Sharing on the Coffee Date linkup.

April in review

Here comes May... I'm looking forward to even more spring headed our way this month, plus some other good fun: the big race I've been training for, Memorial Day weekend, trying another new restaurant for date night, a few days hanging out with my mom. In the meantime, April was a great month - and lots of food Instagrams are always evidence of that. Beer & BBQ at Eli's, date night at Metropole, lady date night at Lime, and even a new high chair for Henkie to enjoy his favorites in (currently: avocado, cauliflower, anything mixed with yogurt).

Some other highlights from the past month:

The month in combating April showers:

• Wet weather gear in frequent use (at least it's cute): jersey-lined rain coat
• Good project for rainy days: painted cardboard animals
• Good book for rainy days: Longbourn

The month in welcoming May flowers:

• Season-appropriate wear: a floral dress for day & night
• Season-appropriate fun: a spring checklist 
• Al fresco dining experiences: 4

The month in eating it or wearing it:

• Favorite thing to eat: pulled pork sandwich and dirty mac & cheese from Eli's
• Favorite thing to (outer)wear: red toggle pocket coat
• Henk's favorite thing to eat and wear: avocado, banana, and yogurt puree

The month in experiencing how time flies:

• Baby nostalgia arriving already: Henkie is 6 months old! Gahhh! Look how little he once was! 
• Latest holiday to sneak up on me: Easter (wasn't it just Valentine's Day or something?)
• Years passed since our engagement: 9 (!)

The month in blogging:

• Most popular post: vacation outfits
• Posted one year ago today: April 2013 in review (in which I went on vacation and to a baseball game, ate ice cream, and read more books than this year)
• A few favorite posts elsewhere: Do you make your bed? from With an i.e.; 8 bathroom accessories you'll love from Clementine Daily; Our favorite children's picture books from Jones Design Company; How to structure your baby's diet from Sparkling Footsteps

And another fun thing coming up in blogging: let's talk about what we're up to in early May! Next Wednesday Jenna and I are going to have a currently link up - we're going to post about what we're currently cooking, reading, wearing, loving, and anticipating, and we want to hear your responses too. Write up a post and come over on Wednesday and share.

March in review

With March we finally got to say goodbye to winter and hello to the first day of spring... and also goodbye to illusions of actually seeing permanent spring (I heard it snowed while I was gone - ew). A good month to spend almost half of in Florida! But now that I'm home, a recap - a la Allison's monthly linkup - of all the things we said hello/goodbye to around here this month:

Goodbye extended Florida vacation, and hello return to reality (and chillier weather).

Goodbye I'm-tired-of-this-hair feelings, and hello again bangs.

Goodbye early morning sunlight and hour of "spring forward" sleep, and hello baby tricked into an hour later wakeup.

Goodbye any hope of doing well in the family March Madness bracket pool, but still hello something to fill the post-Olympics TV void.

Goodbye 4-month sleep regression, and hello a whole month straight of sleeping through the night. (YAY.)

Goodbye to slowly making my way through The Goldfinch (so long - but I recommend!), and hello to quick vacation reads The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Insurgent, and The Good Luck of Right Now (also recommend!).


And in case you missed them, some favorite things from March:

• My latest mix & match suitcase, perfect for a mild weather vacation - or spring!
• A mix & match suitcase for the little guy
• Plus some adorable mini me baby matching
• And some cravings-satisfying recipes: peanut butter cookies & fish taco bowls

February in review

February is a good month for love, with Valentine's Day (+ adorable baby Valentines) and our wedding anniversary, plus we got lots of family love with visits from my parents and my grandparents. Other than that, I'm not too sad to see February go... One step closer to spring!

An especial good riddance to February and welcome to a (hopefully) spring-ier month after the threat of YET ANOTHER snow storm meant my parents had to cut their visit short this weekend - but before they left, we had a great time with wine tasting at Whole Foods, trying a new-to-us restaurant (50 West Brewing Co - we recommend the beer and the food!), going running and walking together in the short-lived mild weather, and getting Graeter's ice cream of course. Plus lots of excellent baby playtime - amusing a bunch of adults is one of his great skills.

The month in parenting:

• Percentage of Instagram feed made up of baby photos (plus other ways you know you're a mom when)
• Full nights of sleep since the 4-month sleep regression: 3 (plus a bonus one thanks to my ever so kind mother getting up with him)
• New baby gear acquired: play gym, 2 Babylit Classics books, 2 Dr. Seuss books, endless diaper and formula refills

The month in getting things done:

• 30 before 30 list item crossed off: #6, ordering a photo album of our married years
• 14 in 2014 list items crossed off: trying a mom group, plus a new recipe for the month
• Half marathon training miles logged: 77.3 (which includes a few hill workouts, finally!)

The month in getting dressed:

• Items most remixed: ankle boots
• Best winter date night combo: black and navy
• Personal style favorites: basics with a twist

The month in blogging:

• Self-affirmation blogger boost: great post on why you should start a blog (via Allyssa)
• Pinterest inspired posts: shrimp + orzo recipe, black + blue outfit, fancy pizza recipe, fabric envelope DIY
• Most popular post: tips for running success

January in review

Usually when I write a month in review post, I can't help but comment on how fast the month flew by... but not this month. How has January not ended about four times over by now? This weather is just killing us all, isn't it?

But reviewing all my posts and Instagrams from the month, I really can't complain - January did hae rather a lot of redeeming qualities. Just look at those photos of smiles and yummy eats, for starters. Plus there was a long weekend that included brunch, a fun New Year's Day 5-mile race, date nights of the going out and takeout varieties, cozy times in the nursery, and more.

The month in feeling like a mom (this still sneaks up and surprises me sometimes):

• Gearwise: looking at everything I cart around in my diaper bag
• Moneywise: Spending an extra $25 on date night to have a babysitter (but the time with Peter and the meal at Sotto were worth it!)
• Exciting weekend plans-wise: bath time as our big Friday night event (and loving that)

The month in dealing with the bitter cold:

• Longest stretch without setting foot outside the house: 53 hours
• Average number of times I reheated my microwaveable corn bag heat packs per day last week: 6
• Winter layering employed: sweater, blazer, puffy coat

The month in looking forward to some warm:

• March vacation destination option chosen: Sandestin, Florida (thanks for the tips, commenters!)
• Bathing suit ready 2014 resolution being kept: 15 minutes of abs per day!
• The bits of spring money can buy: $6 for 3 bunches of Tulips and $2.50 for a mini potted daffodil from Trader Joe's 

The month in blogging:

• Most visited post: Hendrik's birth story
• Cutest post I've ever put up: 5x Hendrik
• Blogs dded to my reader: Baby Rabies (funny mom blog) and The View from 5 Ft. 2 (great style blog from my height-match)

And in case you missed them, some favorite things from this month:

• I made a list of 14 things to do in 2014
• I recorded a day in my new mom life
• We finished Hendrik's nursery!
• I completed a 35-day running streak
• I cooked some yummy (despite its name) casserole dinner

November in review

Big surprise, this month's Instagram round-up is all Henk-grams... But really life is mostly about him at the moment. Now that Hendrik's approaching 7 weeks old (!) and starting to sleep a bit more and go a bit longer between feedings, life is actually feeling a little more normal - a new normal of course, but I've been able to get a bit more work, errands, and exercising done throughout the month. Still, with his extremely kissable cuteness, habit of dirtying a lot of clothes and burp cloths and diapers, increasing chattiness, demand for momma's milk, he can't help but be the center of our universe and most of our November activities...

But there were at least a few other things going on around here this month too - here's what we said hello and goodbye to in November, a la Allison's linkup:

For starters, goodbye (and thanks again!) maternity leave guest blogging friends, and hello again to my creative outlet.

Goodbye postpartum recovery restrictions, and hello return to running (also, goodbye to fall weather and hello to winter running gear).

Goodbye grand holiday DIY plans of years past, and hello new baby practicality.

Goodbye Scandal marathons (all caught up), and hello Orange Is the New Black replacement.

Goodbye newborn, and hello 10.5 pound one-month-old baby!

And in case you missed them, here are some of my favorite/most popular posts from the month:

• One of my most-worn wardrobe items (and commenters agreed - many were wearing them that day too!)
• My last maternity outfit
• Hendrik's first introduction to many fine things in life
• Things in papa bear, mama bear, and baby bear size

Sharing on Hello/Goodbye at Nestful of Love and Instafriday at Life Rearranged.

p.s. a reader (hi Flannery, thanks for reading/commenting!) mentioned that she's unable to see photos on my blog... I'm trying tofigure out what the issue might be, so please let me know if you're encountering this issue too! And in the meantime you can still get plenty of baby photo overload on Instagram, or you can view this album.

October in review

It was a pretty big one around here, so I didn't want to miss out on recapping the things we said hello and goodbye to this month - joining Allison's month-end linkup as we say goodbye to October (already)...

Goodbye belly, and hello baby!

Goodbye for now spinning classes, and hello recovery walks with the jogging stroller.

Goodbye warm weather, hello lovely leaves.

Goodbye not-quite-right because I'm too short for you black boots, and hello perfect Frye replacements purchased at 25% off!

Goodbye pumpkin-under-the-shirt, and hello my little pumpkin.

Goodbye old favorite show The Good Wife (just can't get into this season), and hello new favorite Scandal (tore through 2 seasons on Netflix to catch up to the current one).

Goodbye uninterrupted sleep, hello irresistible yawns.

Goodbye tomato plants (thanks for producing good stuff well into October though), and hello pumpkin potted mums.

Goodbye typical daily life, and hello motherhood - still can't quite believe this sometimes... I'm a mom!

And in case you missed them, here are some of my favorite/most popular posts from the month:

• A typical day in my life (unknowingly scheduled to post on my least typical day ever!)
• A glimpse of what's in my bag
• The fun stuff I've been reading lately
• The color I've been drawn to wearing lately
• A maternity leave fall guest blogger series - hope you've been enjoying them, and stay tuned for some more great posts from my blogging buddies.

Sharing on Hello/Goodbye at Nestful of Love and Instafriday at Life Rearranged.

September in review

Counting down to October with a recap of September by the numbers...

10 baby fingers & toes spotted again on another ultrasound!
9 dollars (only!) spent on a new pair of my favorite Old Navy workout capris. Score.
8 pancakes eaten at brunch outings on our babymoon and at our usual place in town
7 items checked off the pre-baby bucket list
6 books read
5 books reviewed
4 Pinterest-inspired posts written
3 prenatal appointments
2 new nail polish colors acquired and worn
1 breakdown of will... leading to 1 (large) bag of candy corn purchased

August in review

Happy long weekend! Saying goodbye to (yet another!) month - and official summertime - is made just a little easier with this Monday off, isn't it? August around here brought lots of travel, sun and beach time, fresh summer eating, and the beginnings of some nesting. September will bring plenty more of the latter, and much as I don't like summer to go, I'm looking forward to settling back in at home, getting back to some routines, and doing some really fun pre-baby stuff on the side.

As we're saying goodbye to August and hello to September, here are a few others from the month...

Goodbye huge carload-sized Goodwill donation, and hello progress on 30 before 30 list item #27!

Goodbye summer travels, and hello staying home and nesting.

Goodbye getting any reading done, and hello non-stop US Open tennis coverage.

Goodbye boring, plain throw pillow, and hello cute tasseled update.

Goodbye old OPI Cajun Shrimp pedicure, and hello freshly pampered toes in a new OPI San Fransisco shade to usher in fall.


And in case you missed them, here are some of my favorite/most popular posts from the month:

• A pre-baby bucket list (of things that really would be fun to do at any time)
• An update to our maternity photos, 10 weeks later (same outfit, bigger bump!)
• My quest for the perfect fashionable diaper bag
• A fun feature on Project Soiree
• Some favorite summer outfits for hot days and casual around-town days

Sharing on Nestful of Love's Hello, Goodbye monthly linkup and Instafriday at Life Rearranged.

July in review

Another month gone... I know I always say they go fast, but now the start of a new month brings extra emotions - quite a mix of excitement and trepidation as it puts us that much closer to baby time - we can't wait, but on the other hand, AHHHH that's all coming too soon!

July was a busy month with work travel to Istanbul and a beach week in Michigan - as you can see, pretty much all of my Instagramming was of those two trips (and the good things I ate on them!).

This month's recap is getting a new format - I thought I'd participate in Allison's fun linkup to change things up a bit. As we say hello to August, here are a few things I've said goodbye and hello to in July:

Goodbye second trimester, and hello third!

Goodbye Nike+ Running app (just for now, until the pregnancy-related pain issues resolve), and hello Map My Walk (thanks for feeding my mileage tracking needs).

Goodbye exhausting work trip, and hello relaxing beach week (and nice tan).

Goodbye resolve, and hello cute baby clothes.

Goodbye amazingly relaxed and flexible research rotation, and hello return to super early mornings/late nights for Peter (boo).

Goodbye three vials of blood, and hello yucky orange glucose test drink (but I passed no problem!).

Goodbye chipped Essie Too Too Hot pedicure, and hello fresh OPI Cajun Shrimp one.


And in case you missed them, here are some of my favorite/most popular posts from the month:

• Our maternity photo shoot
• A beach week version of my mix & match suitcase tips
• The conclusion of my blogging tips series - the business of blogging and easy upgrades
• A second excellent all-occasion maternity dress
• A recap of my favorite posts from the pin to present series

Also sharing on Instafriday at Life Rearranged.

June in review

Good gracious, the end of June already?! It was a month with some big happenings (finding out we're having a boy! Entering the last year of my 20s!), but we also did as much soaking in of mundane stuff as possible while Peter was on his final month of the amazing research rotation schedule: walking Ginger together in the mornings, going out for breakfast or dinner whenever we felt like it, going to the gym together, doing a spur-of-the-moment yard makeover. The regular long residency hours start back up Monday, but the break was amazing while it lasted...

The month in Instagram:

The month in my quest for the perfect pair of fun going out heels:

• Winners: Corso Como Del in coral suede for really getting fancy; Anne Klein Teppy in cognac/gold for summer evening date nights and more (both really comfy!).
• Loser: old Target peeptoes worn - and majorly suffered through - to the ENT department dinner, which inspired this quest.
• Coulda beens (but for comfort, price, fit, etc.): Seychelles Thyme in coral; Nine West Mymoon in cobalt; Nina Fern in bronze.

The month in eating well (not necessarily eating "right"):

• At home: easy summer recipes
• Out and about: some great Thai, Mediterranean, and Italian places, but the big highlight was my bday dinner.
• Sweet spots: indulging in a little more ice cream than usual - treats from Graeter's, soft serve from the party store around the corner, and a little Aglamesis Bros. too...

The month in being pregnant:

• Photoshoots: one at 20 weeks for baby, one at almost 21 weeks for us (sneak peek at bottom right above... Excited to share more soon).
• # of people who didn't know about baby and asked when I'm due: 6 (up from 2 in May).
• Craziest moment: seeing baby movement from the outside! Super cool but also super weird.

The month in blogging:

• Most popular post: wearing lately: maxi maternity style
• Most commented on post: wearing lately: day to night
• New beginnings: with Bloglovin', now that Google Reader is done in a few days. Follow me there!

May in review

It was a pretty low-key weekend around here, but as usual we found some fun in some good food: While Peter was on call Friday night I got to have a yummy girls' night dinner (we tried a bunch of appetizers at the new Seasons 52 and they were quite nice). Saturday night we were both tired so after some errands picked up some delicious crispy pad thai to eat on the couch with some West Wing episodes (an excellent evening). And then Sunday, there was PIE.

And according to my Instagram photos from May, the whole month appears to pretty much have been about food too. That, and being pregnant...

The month in Instagramming:

The month in wardrobe remixing:

• Eight ways (with blog buddies): coral blazer
• Three ways: yellow jeans
• A new way: revamped belt

The month in getting pregnant-er:

• Number of people who have congratulated me based on seeing my belly only: 2
• Number of people who have touched my stomach uninvited (and were not my husband or mother): 2
• Number of pants that no longer fit: most, but not all!

The month in Pinteresting things:

• Recipes tried: fish tacos and brownies
• Outfits copied: jeans & a white tee
• Inspirations recorded: all things baby

The month in blogging:

• Most popular post: 5 things Friday: haircut ideas
• Most commented post: weekend: good times (aka pregnancy announcement!)
• Blogging tips from me to you: part 1: the basics | part 2: helpful resources

April in review

As evidenced by this month's snaps, April was full of extra time with Peter (yay, research rotation!), as much time outside as possible (yay, overdue arrival of spring weather!), and a couple of fun trips. A few other highlights...

The month in Instagramming:

The month in making the most of Peter's free time on research:

• Times out for breakfast: 3
• Episodes of West Wing watched on Netflix: um, about 36?
• Bonus, nonofficial vacation time trips: Florida and Chicago

The month in making the most of spring:

• Wearing pink: with great frequency (examples: 1, 2, 3)
• Dining al fresco: several lunches on the deck and a trip to the patio at our neighborhood diner
• Other outdoor activities: lots of family walks, a couple of tennis outings, the start of yard cleanup, and a baseball game

The month in reading (by location):

• Lounging on the beach: The Fault in Our Stars, Wonder, Trapeze (reviews)
• Sitting on the sunny backyard deck: Whose Body?, Strong Poison, The Yard (reviews)
• Curled up on the couch: Defending Jacob, Birds of a Feather (reviews)

The month in blogging:

• Most visited post: wearing lately: spring uniforms
• Most color-coordinated post: five things Friday: happy color edition
• Best blog tips encountered: creating a graphics style guide from Elembee, making hoverable social media icons/menus from The Barn Blog, adding text to photos from Nicole's Classes