Beautiful Wedding Anniversary Wishes

We have been loving everything watermelon around here lately, and with a bunch of fresh slices in the fridge the other night, we decided to throw together some watermelon margaritas to top off the weekend. The thing I love most about margaritas is that you can make them with all different fruits & flavors without any additional sugar, just freshly squeezed fruits & a little salt! These are so fresh & summery, I already can't wait to make them again. I got a little hand juicer when we were first married at a thrift store, and can't believe how much use I have gotten out of it over the years! We have a little Sunday Funday tradition over here, we eat an early dinner & get the kids ready for bed before seven. They're usually so worn out from the weekend, so by the time we get them settled for a movie, they're ready to fall asleep. They go to bed while the sun is still shining, so we make a point to leave all the dishes in the sink & spend the next hour

Happy official first day of Summer, friends! Every year, we make a little list of things we hope to do over the summer, it seems like the weeks fly by so quickly, so it's fun to have a few things mapped out that we want to accomplish. It's fun for the kids, but also as a list-maker at heart, so fun for me! 1. Pack a breakfast picnic & eat it poolside. 2. Create the ultimate strawberry shortcake. 3. Take a trip to the beach & try not to bring too much sand home with us. 4. Find lots of excuses to wear off-the-shoulder dresses ( like this one ). 5. Go to a baseball game. 6. Have an outdoor movie night. 7. Paint something pink, and not just our nails. 8. Make a homemade pizza on the grill. 9. Work out at least three times a week, eat ice cream at least once a week. #balance 10. Take the girls on a surprise summer adventure, details tbd. Also rounding up a little summertime inspiration with a few of my current favorites, including the cutest pool float (slightly less outrag

The days are long, but the summer days are longer. I think that's how the saying goes, right? ;) We are just a few short weeks into our summer break over here, where the sun is up longer, and so are our kids. The weather is already hot & humid enough to feel like there is a wool blanket over your head. Summer schedules aren't really a thing over here, we usually have one or two big outings per week, like to the zoo or the splash pad. And you know, I do feel guilty sometimes when all my mom friends are taking their kids to music class and mommy & me yoga and all sorts of African safaris every single day of the week, but I just can't do it. Keeping three kids happy, cool & slathered in sunscreen every 30 minutes isn't an easy feat. It always ends in meltdowns & extreme exhaustion.   All three kids are usually awake these days before seven. On days that Claire slept all night, I feel like I can really get a head start if I wake up before them, s

It only took me four and a half years, but I finally have a tangible baby book in my hands! We recently partnered with Shutterfly to design & print a 12x12 custom photo book , and could not be more thrilled with the way that it turned out. My photos are scattered everywhere, on thumb drives, in folders, on old SD cards, and many here on my blog.  It's not your traditional baby book, which is what I absolutely love most about it. I wanted this book to be all encompassing, from my chalkboard photos when I was pregnant with each of my daughters, to my maternity photos, each of their births, and the many memories we have made since. I wanted my girls to be able to grab this book any time, and flip from front to back and be able to see all the chapters of their little lives.  I filled the first few pages with some of my chalkboard bump photos, and rather than put them all in there, or split them up by each baby, I put a few of my favorites all together. Harper loves

I have wanted to write this post for quite some time, and although it has taken me longer than I expected, I am finally able to look back and reflect on all three totally different experiences that I have had. At the end of the day, all three girls ended up happy & healthy, and that's more than I could have ever asked for. So I thought I would compare the journeys we have had with each baby, starting with my first. Of course I went into it knowing only what I learned from other moms & from our hospital birth classes, but was 100% determined to make breastfeeding work. The lactation consultants were so helpful in the hospital, but within the first 24 hours of Harper's life, we had already given her formula at our nurses request, as she was not latching and was losing weight. Looking back, I probably should have resisted a bit, a little spoon feeding or using my pump could have done the trick. But, I definitely don't dwell on it. After weeks of not being able to latch

These girls, they are my whole world. They are all growing like weeds, time is passing at light speed & I am just trying not to miss anything. Which is mostly impossible because I am usually in a total frazzled-sleep-deprived-fog, but you get the point ;) A little update for each of my sweet babies as we near Claire's first birthday.  Harper // 4 years, 4 months All of a sudden she is so grown up, it is so bittersweet to see my first born become such a big girl. She is my little sidekick, always helping me with everything & taking such good care of her sisters. She wakes up before me & comes downstairs to turn on cartoons, our remote has a voice feature where she can push the microphone button & say what show she wants to watch. I can always hear her saying "please play sofia the first" which makes me laugh from my bed because it is so her personality to say please to the remote. ;) She amazes me every day with the things she remembers or figures out on he

The Jessica Garvin x Free Babes Collection is now live, and we couldn't be more excited!! I was so excited when Hillary asked me to collaborate on a collection, we have loved her bows since day one & just adore everything she makes. I wanted the collection to be bright & colorful, full of texture & of course, have some pretty pinks & lavenders. I went on a hunt for a beautiful floral, and discovered Paper Raven who created the prettiest paper patterns! We were so thrilled when she agreed to have her designs printed on fabric for the very first time! I drew inspiration from that floral to create the rest of the collection, a grapefruit colored oversized linen bow, lavender chambray & a fun pop of bright starfruit for little pigtail bows. Thank you all for your support & encouragement, creative projects like this make my heart skip a beat! And thank you Free Babes for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful business!  Happy weekend, friends!!

It's not every day that you stumble across a place this beautiful. We went looking for a spot by the water that the girls could play & found this gorgeous gem hidden behind some trees. They were completely mesmerized by the waterfall & could have spent the entire day here playing in the sand and water. We try to save all the good stuff like this for the weekends when Brandon is home, but little Thursday morning adventures are good for the soul! Also trust me when I say, sitting on a (sharp) rock, balancing a baby while trying to ensure that your two toddlers don't go scuba diving is not as easy as these pictures might make it seem. But the splashing, laughing & amazement in these girls' eyes made every second of it worth it. So thankful for my sweet friend & incredibly talented photographer Ashley Scobey who agreed to meet us over here. This morning was magical, despite the amount of sand that now covers every square inch of the interior of my van. Black

I feel like I never used to be a shoe person, and to be honest, I still wear the same pair of black Old Navy flip flops that I have had since college whenever I am out running errands. But this whole mom gig has me wanting to dress up my plain tee & jeans in the easiest way, which is throwing on a pair of cute sandals. Rounding up six of my current favorites including my Rodillo Hi wedges that are my go-to sandal for every occasion! Rodillo Hi Wedges // Metallic Gladiators // Black Audrina Platform Espadrille Stripe Soludos Espadrille // Dolce Vita Gisele Leopard Wedge // Calla White Dot Lace Up Gladiator  I loooove wedges. Not always a fan of heels, but I love how easily I can walk in even the highest wedge. I have been on the hunt for a perfect espadrille sandal as well, so practical for moms while still being on the stylish side! What are your current summer sandal obsessions, are you a wedge lover or a gladiator fan? Or ten year old flip flops for life? :) XO