IKEA love..

So one of the bloggers that I follow religiously, The Busy Budgeting Mama, has posted a giveaway on her blog. The giveaway is $500 to IKEA Pittsburgh! Crossing my fingers because we are moving soon and I am obsessed with so many things IKEA.

To enter, click here!

Good luck!

xoxo, Leigh

What I've been loving...

Here's what has been making me smile these days...

Love these bracelets and love even more that they are for a good cause!

Dying over this video where a kid pretends to be a celebrity for a night and everyone falls for it.

Obsessed with this app. I have been having way too much fun emailing and sending them in texts!

Losing the baby weight has not been my favorite part of having a baby, to say the least. Someone at Doug's work said his wife did Jillian Michael's 30 day shred after she had a baby and loved it. After having tried the old elliptical and giving kick boxing a shot (who was I kidding), I tried the video and loved it (well as much as I can "love" a workout video). I'm still in level 2 of 3, but its only 20 minutes a day and none of the moves have been too out there. I highly recommend. I am a couple of weeks in and have already lost 3 inches in my waist alone (this came after me sitting on my butt for 2 months, thinking the baby weight would just disappear and nothing happened...shocker).


Smacking my lips over this granola bar recipe I concocted.

 Homemade Granola Bars:

3 Tbsp of unsalted butter
2 Cups of old-fashioned oatmeal
3 Cups of Archer Farms Sunny Cranberry Trail Mix
2/3 Cup of honey
1/4 Cup of light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1/4 tsp of coarse salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 x 10 baking pan. Mix oatmeal and Sunny Cranberry Trail Mix in a bowl and pour onto the baking pan. Put in the oven for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Then reduce oven to 300 degrees.

In a small sauce pan, bring the butter, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla to a bowl over medium heat. In a large bowl, toss the oatmeal and cranberry mix with the contents of the sauce pan. Add salt.

Put entire mixture back into the re-buttered baking pan. Using a spatula, flatten out the mix until evenly spread. Pop it back into the oven for 25 minutes. Let cool for 3 hours and voila!

Enjoy,
Leigh

P.S.: I just celebrated my one year wedding anniversary this week with my most amazing husband. We have had quite an adventurous first year... from marriage, to a baby, and now we are getting ready to move! I wouldn't change a thing. xoxo

daily reads

I feed Rowan about every three hours! That leaves me with an opportunity to scroll through my phone and get in my daily reads. So I thought I would share some of them with you, especially mothers and mothers to be. Now I obviously don't get to all of these everyday, but they are in my rotation. Enjoy!

Always puts me in a good mood and is without a doubt the first site I visit each day Cup of Jo 

For outfit ideas and most recently baby ideas The Daybook

She is spot on with so many things Grace Full Mama

I love her finds Cupcakes and Cashmere 

To get in my daily dose of pretty The Beauty Department

Love the before and afters Design*Sponge

Obsessed with her and all things she has to say Tripping Over Joy

I love her craft ideas! The Busy Budgeting Mama

Like the gossip column for moms Lil Sugar

For some home help and fun ideas Real Simple


xoxo, Leigh

worth a thousand words

How amazing are these photographs! A couple of days after Rowan was born, Jonna drove from Denton to Austin (with her super adorable daughter) to capture his newborn look. She offered to come so soon after he was born because she said they change so quickly when they are that young. She was so right. Check out her stuff here or like her on facebook. Thanks Jonna!

xoxo, Leigh

where has the time gone!

Quite a bit has happened since my last post....

We had baby Rowan Michael on June 15th!! He was almost 9 pounds!! It is crazy to me that he is already 5 weeks old and has completely stolen my and husband's hearts. My parents and his parents came to Austin for the birth and the whole first week was a whirlwind. We are sleep deprived, love struck, and there is definitely a new center of attention in our home. We love our new family!

Have you ever been in the shower when the door bell rang?

Have you ever been in the shower when the door bell rang? While I was all suds up in the shower today, my door bell chimed. My first reaction was to let it go and pretend no one was home. Then I remembered I didn't dead bolt the door and panicked, wondering if someone from apartment maintenance would try and come in. Then I hear banging on the door. I hop out, still shampooed and soaped up and run to the closet to "throw" on some clothes. Well..... when you are 8 months pregnant there is no such thing as "throwing on clothes."  So I ditch that idea. Again another bang on the door. I throw a towel around me and humbly answer the door. There, patiently waiting was a little man holding some flowers. I laugh and sign for the flowers while hiding behind the door.

My sweet parents and brother sent me flowers the day before my birthday so that I could enjoy them the whole day tomorrow. Thanks for the flowers and the memory.

PS: Here is a shot of me in my current state of pregnancy (36 weeks)!

  

 

xoxo, Leigh

Monday = Date Night

So me and the husband had a little date night last night. It started off with a little round of golf, where Doug got to try out a couple of new golf clubs he recently bought. I had fun (and some occasional whiplash) riding around in the golf cart. I also was privileged with the duty of searching for his golf ball a few times. (I was never very good and almost picked up other players' balls a couple of times...yikes!) 

Then we headed off to watch the Round Rock Express (the minor league baseball team here) and get in on $1 hotdog and $1 drink night! When we got there, we were asked to participate in one of the games in between the innings. Husband immediately said no. I was a little disappointed. That was until I saw the games being played and realized how impossible and ridiculous it would have looked if a pregnant girl was bouncing around the field on a ball... thank you husband for looking out for me.

It was a beautiful day in Austin, but it turned out to be a rainy day in Round Rock. So we stuffed our faces with hotdogs, had fun laughing at the kids running around in the grass (we decided to bring a blanket and get seats on the lawn), and headed out a little earlier than expected because it was so cold and rainy.

We had so much fun together, we are thinking of heading back on Friday when the weather will be nicer.

xoxo

(almost) 6 months!

So we got to thinking and realized there are few moments in our pregnancy left where we would have someone free to take pictures of us. We already had a trip planned to visit my parents up in Denton, Texas, so we had an impromptu photo sesh. By the end, me and the husband just started acting goofy as we tried to think of ways to pose. We really just wanted one good photo to hang in baby Rowan's room. Here are some of the photographs we ended up with!

 

      

xoxo, leigh

Some exciting old news!

Douglas and I are expecting a little baby boy in June! This picture was taken about a month ago, so the bump has grown a little since then. We are both so excited!!! I just started registering for baby goodies and it is SO hard not to start buying everything myself.

He kicks and twists and turns and hiccups all the time to remind me he is still in there. I think he is going to take after his mama in wanting to be the center of attention and having too much energy for any one person to handle.... what comes around, goes around.

So here are the stories of how we find out we were preggers and that we were being blessed with a baby boy...

About a month or so after our wedding, Douglas and I were hanging out at the apartment and I, literally out of no where, burst into tears. Husband immediately grew concerned and asked me what was wrong. AND (i kid you not) in my head I was feeling like an idiot because literally nothing was wrong. So I made something up and blurted out "I think I might me pregnant." Well if you ever want to freak out husband, those are the words you should say! He begged me to immediately take a pregnancy test. I kept telling him no, that I didn't need to, because in  my head I didn't really think I was pregnant. Sure enough a pregnancy test and a few long minutes later... I saw the words pregnant flashing across a screen. Now the normal first thing to do would be to open the bathroom door and hug husband. Not me. I had just been sobbing my eyes out, so naturally I ran to the mirror and put on some make up, then ran to the closet and threw on a sun dress, so that when I told him I would looking like a glowing pregnant wife.... I am so vain. Either way, our entire world changed that day and we think about things so much differently now as we are preparing to be parents. I wouldn't change a thing though.

Now, husband was rooting for a boy and I didn't care either way. So naturally, the day we were going to find out the sex, I was pretty calm and husband was acting like he had ants in his pants! I love him. When we got into the room though, my heart started racing in anticipation. Then a few minutes later the sonographer said, "You see that there? That means you're having a boy!" Doug looked like he was about to freak out and jump out the window, but of course he had to act cool and collected until we were alone. I was on the verge of tears but wanted to see the rest of baby boy, so I resisted the urge. I was definitely a magical day for the three of us. A day I will never forget.

xoxo

First Married Christmas

So this was our first Christmas together. It started the weekend before Christmas when we got to celebrate with Doug's family. I had a blast making delicious and gooey Christmas cookies in the kitchen with his mom! Then we headed North.... well North Texas, for Christmas. My family has always celebrated on Christmas Eve, a tradition I got to introduce to Douglas. We are still working out a compromise for how we will celebrate with our future children.  We are thinking presents Christmas Eve and Santa presents Christmas morning. But I guess that's the funny thing about traditions, they sort of just happen and they are not always planned.  So only time will tell I suppose!

I was lazy about taking photos this Christmas, so I will have to steal from my mom and see if I can post any from our Holiday weekend. Me and the husband are headed to Katy, Texas for New Years Eve. I VOW to take pictures this weekend!

xoxo

I love him.

more home videos

Some of my favorite memories are visiting Doug on the weekends before we were married. Nothing better than takeout BBQ and rented movies.

"old" home videos

So I was going through my phone and I found a few home videos from before the wedding. I decided that instead of keeping them locked up on my phone forever, I would share them in the next few posts. Enjoy!

Doug and I both get allergy eyes when we hang around cats! Poor thing. I felt so bad for him here.

so much has happened!

A couple of weeks ago husband and I made a visit to Aggieland with Kyle and Frances!

We made the trip for a couple of reasons... we were dying to get together with Kyle and Fran since they live in Katy, Texas and what better way than to go to an Aggie Football game! Even better than that, Fran was getting confirmed into the Catholic Church in College Station!! We were so excited for her and the weekend turned out so special.

Kyle and Frances outside of Kyle Field.

The boys tailgating before the game.

This picture is a little blurry, but I wanted everyone to see her joy!!

After Fran's ceremony, Kyle and Travis were able to get their rings blessed by a Priest. Even though Kyle graduated last year, he never got a chance to do this. So Great!

Last weekend was thanksgiving. I didn't remember to take any photos, but we had a blast at the In-laws' hunting property. There was so much food and family! Many of the family that was there we hadn't seen since the wedding in September. It was warming to get to catch up with everyone and just relax. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

I am alone this weekend. Husband went hunting while I stayed home to take care of a few things. It has only been a day and I miss him SO much. How we did long distance for a year is beyond me.

xoxo, Leigh

Austin is home

   So my parents decided to visit us this weekend and they were our first guests to stay with us in our settled in apartment. What a treat! It was a cozy fit but so worth it when we all woke up and were able to eat breakfast together with our sleepy faces still on.
   I had planned to spend most of Saturday at the Austin flea market (I love flea markets). Unfortunately this one was a total bust and had nothing but junk. I'm not talking "one man's junk is another man's treasure" kind of junk. I am talking honest to goodness cheap plastic toys and "one day too old" bread kind of junk.  Fortunately my parents were good sports about it all and we turned dinner plans into lunch plans and headed to Saltlick BBQ.
    This was everyone's first time to Saltlick and it was SO fun! We visited their winery first and sat outside sipping wine and fresh squeezed lemonade while we waited for a table. When our table was ready, they took us into a far back room that resembled a rustic cabin and served us some amazing plates of BBQ and some of the best coleslaw I have ever tasted in my life! The day was saved.

My dad and I enjoying the view from the winery's porch.

Everyone in the back cabin together!

   Overall the weekend was so much fun and it ended up being a great way to have an early celebration of my sweet mother's birthday. Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as we did!

It was so windy all weekend and poor husband's tie got caught up with the wind!

Goodbyes

xoxo,
Leigh

Date Night

   Let me set the scene. Doug is working late and I barely get home in time to cook a proper meal. I race to the computer in hopes that I can find a recipe that will allow me to throw what ever ingredients I can find in the refrigerator. I decide on simple enough chicken fajitas, but husband will be home long before they will be ready. Not even five minutes go by and Doug calls. He wants to take me out to dinner! Life Saver!

    I must admit that I am not always in the mood to go out to eat. There is something about being cozy in our home as newlyweds and eating dinner together that I love. But last night's timing was perfect. Thank you husband for date night.

xoxo,
Leigh

apart for the weekend

So, husband went hunting this weekend and I went home to visit my parents.

   I was home for one of my closest friends, Becca, who is having her baby this coming January or February! My mom hosted a baby shower at her house on Saturday and it was so fun to see everyone!!



This is me with Becca and my friend Brytnei at the shower!



This is the SUPER cute diaper cake that my mom made for the shower!

   Then on Sunday my lovely mother and I spent the day together shopping - one of my favorite passtimes.  We were able to explore the new H&M in Dallas and get some goodies for Douglas and me. We also HAD to make a pit stop and get some hot chocolate and chai tea. Of course the hot chocolate was mine.



Check out this deliciousness!!



   Well, I haven't made it home to Austin yet, so I do not have an update on Doug's weekend yet. I'm sure he had a great time with the guys. CANNOT wait to see him.

xoxo,

Leigh

We have jobs!

So this isn't the craziest news ever considering Doug already had a job. BUT he did get a promotion which had almost perfect timing. We were considering moving locations in Austin, but decided we didn't really have the budget to live where we wanted. So instead of compromising for another place, we decided to sign a lease at this apartment for one more year. Almost the next day after signing is when he got his promotion!! Naturally. Well, God must want us here for a reason.

As for me... I have recently been hired by Pottery Barn! Yeah! Love their everything.

This is my pottery barn!

Day one after finishing training included 4 hours of wrapping presents for window displays. Surprisingly I still had fun because I was paired with a great lady to keep me company!

xoxo

Costa Rican Style

Happy Halloween! I know this is a little behind, but...

Two months ago Doug and I enjoyed honeymoon bliss in Costa Rica. Neither of us wanted to leave because it was so beautiful!! Take a gander at some of its beauty.

This was one of the views from the resort. Over this hill was the beach.

This is where we ate breakfast everyday. It overlooked the pools at the resort!!

Our resort!

My only wish is that we would have worked harder to take a picture together. It is so hard to get a picture when there is only two of you on the trip! Most of the ones with the both of us are the awkward angle shots with one person's arm extended. Better luck next trip!

xoxo, Leigh

R.I.P Toby

Toby is the name of my not so trusty laptop. I have spent the last two weeks getting married and being on my honeymoon. With those kind of events come lots of PICTURES and PRESENTS! Sadly, Toby decided to die on me and he took my pics and gift list with him. (I have spent the last few days mourning.) Now Doug and I must begin computer shopping!!! Doug wants a Mac, I want a PC... decisions.

xoxo