mocs & diaps

... that's how we roll.

lemon bars

Since I hate chocolate (I know, I'm crazy),  I prefer fruit-flavored desserts, particularly ones that are lemon-flavored. Lemon bars are easy to make and they look so pretty that they make the perfect little gift. This recipe has been in our family for quite a while and it continues to be a firm favorite.

Bottom Crust:

1 cup of butter

2 cups of flour

Pinch of Salt

1/2 cup of powdered sugar

Mix all dry ingredients together and cut in butter to create a crumbly dough. Press into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Topping: 

4 eggs

2 cups of sugar

6 tbsp flour

6 tbsp lemon juice

Grated peel of 1 lemon

Mix all ingredients together and pour on top of the baked crust. Bake another 25 minutes at  350 degrees. When complete cool, dust with powdered sugar.  

a little switch

Here's what our entry way looked like for the first couple months after we moved in: 

 The giant frame hanging over the console table is the BART map that I made for Nick last year. The problem with the frame was that it hung on the same wall as the washer and dryer in the garage. Every time we turned them on, the frame went a little cattywampus and we were constantly readjusting it. Additionally, in our open layout floor plan, the art looked a bit washed out from afar. So I decided it was time for a change. Inspired by this picture and motivated by a Pottery Barn gift card, I purchased two candle sconces for the wall. 

I hung an already-owned mirror in between the two sconces. 

Here's what the space looks like today: 

Overall, I am more fond of this look than what was previously there. However, it's not quite where I want it to be. I think perhaps I need a bigger mirror, in a metallic or rustic finish. I think things will look better too when we replace the floors and paint the walls... Ah the never ending to-do list that my husband so adores!  

P.S. 10 points if you can find the sneaky family member that photo-bombed the last picture... 

favorite baby items

When I was pregnant, I always liked reading about people's must-have baby items. I felt like it was really helpful to read what others found most useful, especially when you're the first of your friends to have a baby. So I compiled my favorites from the past (almost) 2 months! (Side note- I can NOT believe its already been that long!) 

1. Total Baby iPhone App: This app is perfect for keeping track of feedings, diaper changes, and sleeping habits. At our first appointment the doctor wanted exact numbers on all these and having the app made things organized and easy. I think we could probably  have stopped using it by now but my type-A personality still likes to know exact numbers so we're still entering data 7 weeks later...

2. Bob Revolution SE Jogger Stroller : We love this stroller. It's such a smooth ride for Baby Hayden and it folds up really easily to take in the car. We didn't want to have to purchase multiple strollers, so we like that this one works with a carseat adapter and without when Hayden is a bit bigger. We've only used it for walks right now, but we appreciate that it can be used for both walking and running.

3. Moby Wrap: This is a wrap that you can use to hold baby close to your body, handsfree! It's perfect for wearing around the house so that I can still do things (like make dinner, fold laundry, etc.) while still cuddling the baby close. Hayden loves the Moby and he really relaxes when he's in it. Plus, it comes with a book of a bunch of different ways to tie it, so that we can continue to use it as he gets older.

4. Mamaroo Infant Seat: The Mamaroo was a hand-me-down from my sister-in-law and we are sure glad to have it! It has several different rocking setting and Hayden loves to take his morning nap in the seat. He also likes to chill out in it when we're eating dinner. 

5. Boppy: A Boppy is a must for a breastfeeding mama! It helps support the baby while nursing. We use it for Tummy Time too, so that Hayden can be a little propped up. He also likes to lay in it when he's on our bed and it's much more effective at helping him stay upright than a regular pillow. 

6. Bum Genius 4.0 Cloth Diapers: We (bravely?) decided to go the cloth diapering route, without a diaper service. We knew that this would save us some serious money (disposables are so expensive!) and help out the environment. These diapers are great because they're adjustable so they grow with the baby and should last through the entire time Hayden is in diapers. They should also be around for Hayden's future sibling(s). These diapers are much more absorbent than disposables (we used disposables for the first 3 weeks, so we had some comparison) and they are super soft. Hayden seems so much more comfortable in these guys. Plus they come in such cute colors! 

7. Gentle Giraffe: This gift quickly became an essential part of our bedtime routine. It has four settings and the heartbeat/white noise setting lulls Mr. H  to sleep each night. It stays on for about 45 minutes so he is fast asleep when it turns off. 

8. Aden and Anais Swaddles: These light  breathable blankets are perfect for swaddling in the summer heat (of which we had plenty!). They are so soft and really big so that you have plenty of blanket to use for wrapping. Hayden sleeps longer and better when swaddled so these have been extremely useful! They are also great for throwing over the carseat if he falls asleep while we're out and about. 

Now what baby-related post would be complete without a few pictures of my favorite little love?! 

  

wedding weekend

Yesterday, Little Mister, Nicholas and I attended the wedding of one of Nick's high school friends. It was Hayden's first wedding and he had a wonderful time. He dressed for the occasion, donning his first tie. 

The wedding was small and sweet and the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

This wedding was extra special because Hayden got to meet all of his pseudo-uncles (aka Nick's high school friends). They're quite a silly bunch!  

 Hayden's favorite part of the wedding? Staring at the red and orange lanterns that hung from the ceiling. 

 

i can't wait for...

Fall...

apples,

pumpkins,

soup,

boots,

Halloween,

Thanksgiving,

and making fall memories with this little guy.

days with baby

In the past few weeks, I've been asked a lot about what I do during the day and if I'm bored staying at home. I'm doing the most important job right now; caring for my son. I spend my days making sure he's well fed, clean, rested, learning, and active. We spend time staring at the sky, reading board books, taking naps, feeding, listening to music, dancing and singing, chatting, and cuddling. Sure, it's completely different than how I've ever spent my days before. But the truth? I've never been more fulfilled or happier.

phase 1 complete

It's a big day! I'm finally declaring our yard to be finished (for now). I had a list of projects that I wanted done for this year and we have finished everything on the list. In this post, I detailed our plans for this summer. Here's the plan:

• New wooden table with modern chairs 

•  Flowers, trees, plants

•   Grass  

•   Outdoor  lounge seating area  

•    Swinging egg chair 

Thanks to my birthday and lots of yard-related gifts, we got everything on this list.  My father-in-law Bob built us a beautiful rustic wood table. I bought white metal chairs from Ikea to complete the look. 

Originally, Nick and I wanted to build a sectional for the other side of the patio. However, with Nick's crazy work schedule the next few months + a new baby, we're a little short on time and decided to shelve this project for a later date. In the meantime, we decided to buy these $14 Adirondack chairs from Lowe's. They are comfortable, not too bad looking, and are cheap enough that we don't feel bad about using them for a filler while we wait to build what we really want. 

Last weekend, Chris and Jason came over and helped select flowers and plants to fill in our flower bed behind the grass. I couldn't really tell you the names of the plants or flowers but I love the little pops of color that they add to the yard.

You can see that our crepe myrtle trees are in full bloom -I love all the bushy pink flowers!

Now my favorite item might just be the swinging egg chair that Nick bought me for my birthday! It finally arrived last night and my sweet husband set it up in the dark so that Hayden and I could enjoy it this morning.  It's such a fun, cozy chair and I can see us spending lots of time out there! 

 Here's a view from up above, looking down on the yard.

 We've come a long long way since we moved into the house back in May. I am so happy to have this beautiful yard and so thankful for all the people that helped us create this pretty outdoor space.  Here's a look at the before, just to remind you of the ugliness that we started with:

 Next spring/summer, we plan on adding an arbor over the whole patio, fixing the patio crack, and building the sectional. For now, we are going to enjoy our new yard just the way it is! 

Check out these posts to see all the progress made on our backyard:

new table. our lawn. getting started. before.

Shared at Thrifty Decor Chick.