I can’t believe how fast this weekend flew by. I had Friday off from work and the weekend still doesn’t feel long enough. I really think three-day weekends should be mandatory, though I suppose we’d then be dreaming of four-day weekends because three days wouldn’t feel like enough.
This weekend has felt especially busy, like we’re on the go for most of it. Yesterday Ivy and I went over to my in-laws since we hadn’t seen them in a month, where Ivy had a chance to play with one of her cousins. Then after a 3-hour nap (her, not me… but wouldn’t that be amazing), we went to one of my best friends for a playdate. While our girls played, we prepped clothes ready to consign. (If you’re local to the Twin Cities – check out the Sharp Dressed Kids Consignment Sale the weekend of August 24-25 at the Isanti County Fairgrounds!). Today Mr. H and I are headed to the Twins game with a couple of his clients for a little kid-free day (or at least a few hours).
Last week I kicked off this new series, the Sunday Seven, on my blog. My intent is to share some of the brands, blogs and other things I’m loving from the previous week. So let’s dive into this week’s seven.
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It’s true that when you hit your 30s your metabolism seems to stop dead in its tracks. I’ve never been good with diets because I don’t think they tend to be sustainable long-term. I also struggle with working out because I’m like a single parent most nights of the week while Mr. H works. So, I’m participating in a little challenge, alongside my friend/co-worker, where I need to eat 800 grams of fruits and veggies a day. I kick it off tomorrow and have spent the past few nights scouring Pinterest for meals or side dishes that are heavy on the veggies. I found this delicious-sounding Cheesy Garlic Spaghetti Squash recipe on Kirbie’s Cravings that sounds perfect for this challenge (and the spaghetti squash can be made in the Instant Pot – huge bonus!).
Ivy started her new daycare almost a month ago and our new provider requires she bring a backpack everyday. For the summer, the only requirement is a change of clothes, however, come winter she’ll require a change of clothes AND winter gear. So it was recommended to me that we get a bigger backpack because her toddler-sized one just isn’t going to cut it come winter. Call me crazy, but I am not a fan of the character backpacks or patterns that are too childish; I’d must prefer to get a back she can grow with for a while. I was hoping to get one of the Pottery Barn Kids bags that they’ve had on-sale, but all of the neutral bags are sold-out in the large size. Alas, I found this cute blush bag that’s less than $20 on Amazon.
On my day off I did some solo shopping (oh it’s the best) and bought this super cute wall art from Kirkland’s. They have 25% your online or in-store order through today using the code HAPPY.
The last few weeks we’ve found out our close friends and my brother are welcoming little girls to their families (second kids for both of them). Shopping for little girls is so fun and I can’t wait to put together little gift baskets for each of them. These little personalized knotted gowns will be a must!
For parents with littles getting ready for back-to-school, this Visual Schedule idea is brilliant (heads up: this is an Instagram video)! Ivy won’t head to school for another couple of years, but I’m thinking about incorporating this into our daily routine soon anyway.
All the talk of back to school is a reminder that summer is quickly coming to a close so we need to savor it while we can. Here’s Jillian Harris’s list of 10 cocktails to try before the summer season wraps up. The coconut lemonade sounds like heaven in a glass.
The “Mom Confessions” post from Designer Bags & Dirty Diapers had me giggling out loud. I’m sure many of you mama’s can relate to a lot of this post (I may not yet, but I know my time is coming).
Have a great week, friends! Be sure to follow Growing Haines on Instagram to see what we’re up to during the week. I’ll also be back with some new content this week.