NEWBORN ESSENTIALS

With Charlie reaching the 4 month old mark, I thought it was about time for me to share a few favorite items that I have been loving throughout the newborn phase.

1. Chicco LullaGo Bassinet 

Charlie has slept in this bassinet ever since he was a few days old. The best part about this bassinet is that it's made for traveling! We packed it up to see Grandma a few weeks ago and loved how convenient it was to take the bed he is familiar with on our trip.  It breaks down and folds into a carrying bag easily while still feeling sturdy when being used. 

2. Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets

This boy has loved being swaddled his whole life. We have used the heck out of these swaddle blankets. Seriously, we have 6 of them. If your baby loves being swaddled you better stock up so that you've always got one ready! The muslin material is amazing - it's breathable, but also keeps him warm and cozy when it's colder. Another great thing about them is their super large size which makes swaddling easier and doable even as the baby gets bigger. Oh, my heart, look how little. (Too bad he won't take a paci anymore!)

3. Cetaphil Baby Wash & Shampoo

Is a clean baby smell not the best thing in the world? This baby wash is the best clean baby scent. It has organic ingredients too, which makes it even better for their sensitive skin. I would definitely recommend it!

4. Baby K'tan

All mamas need this baby wrap! I had heard horror stories about moms having to wrestle confusing/tangled-up baby wraps and was really hesitant about getting one because of it. Then someone recommended this wrap to me when I was pregnant...about how it was newer and becoming more popular. I think it might be better than the Moby wrap (even though I haven't really tried the Moby, to be honest) because everything is already "wrapped" for you to just slip on like a backpack. You don't need to know how to wrap it. It has revolutionized my grocery shopping and going out experiences. When you don't want to lug your baby around in the car seat, or need some hands-free time, just wrap them on you and go! Charlie loves being in the K'tan especially when he is sleepy. And mommy loves wearing him in it too. I will be sad the day he grows out of it! 

5. My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow

Nursing can be hard as there are so many things to learn! This pillow helped me learn what worked best for me and my baby. I'll be honest - I did not like this pillow at first when Charlie was so little. He was just so small that holding him on his own ended up being easier. But as Charlie has grown (and gotten heavier lol) and as we have learned to nurse better, this pillow has been a lifesaver. It's firm and has two rests for the baby's head to fit snugly. We both relax more when using this pillow as opposed to nothing at all or a different pillow. It has been such a great purchase. 

6. Fridababy Nose Frida

This thing does the trick!! It's on my favorites list, but it is definitely NOT one of Charlie's favorite things. The poor baby hates the Nose Frida more than anything in the whole wide world. So be prepared to listen to a little sadness if your baby is like mine. He got really sick when he just turned 3 months old and this was the only way I could get the junk out of his nose. The bulb thingy was not cutting it. He really, really, really does not like having his nose suctioned by the Nose Frida, but I can tell he feels better after we use it. Maybe one day he will think what I'm doing is funny instead of screaming like it's the end of the world. Still, despite how much this child dislikes being suctioned, it had to make the essentials list because it's that amazing. Don't be freaked out by what you have to do to get the snot out either! It's totally sanitary and safe if you clean it after every use. Every parent needs one of these. 

Those are a just few of the things I have been so thankful for in these first few months. I can't believe my little boy is growing out of the newborn phase already. They said it would go by quickly, but I didn't believe it would be this quick!

What were your favorites when you brought home your baby?  Is there anything you recommend I try? Let me know in the comments!

MY FAVORITE SEASON + BABY'S FIRSTS

I have seriously been looking forward to fall for MONTHS. Ever since the very early stages of being pregnant last winter I imagined what it would be like this year. I just knew that this fall, with our new little bundle of joy, would be so special. I looked forward to all of the "firsts" our baby would get to experience during the best time of the year (fall and all of the holidays that follow). It has definitely been as sweet as I hoped!

Baby's First Pumpkin Patch
We took Charlie to Joe Huber's Farm a few weekends ago. Not only was this his first time to the pumpkin patch, but it was also at this same place almost two years ago to the day where Husband and I got engaged. So it was extra special to visit Huber's Farm on our two year engagement anniversary with a plus one. :) We rode the tractor to see the pumpkins, had a picnic lunch by the pond, and ate caramel apples from the farm market store. It was a perfectly fall outing.

Baby's First Camping Visit
Fall also means camping season is nearing its end. Oh how I have missed camping. Since we hadn't visited any of my family's campouts yet this year, we drove out to the campground they were staying at last weekend for potluck, s'mores, and Halloween festivities. It was Charlie's first campground visit! Otter Creek campground has the best activities on Halloween weekend. This weekend there was trick-or-treating, a campsite decorating contest, and movie on the big screen!

campsite decorations

the winning campsite!

Halloweentown on the big screen

Baby's First Halloween
And of course, it was baby's first Halloween! I could not wait to dress my baby up in some sort of fuzzy, cozy, and just stinking adorable costume. We went back and forth about what he was going to be quite a bit. I feel like there is some unwritten rule that babies have to be a pumpkin for their first Halloween. We almost went with this baby carrot costume (HERE) because why not? But we ended up going with a football outfit that we already had because it had yet to be worn! It was a Christmas gift from his Aunt last year before he had even arrived. Our plan was to take Charlie trick-or-teating on Halloween night in his football costume and enjoy a walk around the neighborhood ourselves.

Little did I know that our Halloween weekend wasn't going to go quite as planned. Come the Saturday night before Halloween, Charlie was so sick with congestion and a terrible cough that we were pretty much out of commission for the next few days. Baby's first halloween was spent indoors, cuddling, and sleeping his sickness off.

We did get to dress up on Friday night for a party before he got sick though, and it was SO much fun. Our family costume was actually Husband's idea. I made this all DIY. It was super last minute and easy because we had almost everything we needed in our closets already (except for the yellow shirt and black fabric paint that I got at Michael's Craft Store).

Don't his socks and shoes just make this Charlie Brown perfect?!  Y'all, I tried for like thirty minutes to put pin curls for bangs in my hair, it never worked, and #ImAMom and don't have time for that. Hence, the mom bun we ended up with.

Thus ends October and all of the fall festival and Halloween festivities. I hope you had a great month and are off to a good November!

Want to see more pictures and daily life with Charlie? Follow me on all my social media:
Instagram : @emilyjamesy
Snapchat : emilyreneehey
Twitter: @empottsy

DIY Fall Wreath (And The EASIEST Way To Tie The Perfect Bow!)

I realized I had reached a certain grown-upness in my life when I first started wanting seasonal wreaths for my front door. But no shame here, y'all. Being a wife and homemaker is fun.

Wreaths can be EXPENSIVE. At least the cutesy homemade looking ones I like can be. Craft bazaars, Etsy, sure - I can find the perfect ones out there. But for about a year (since last fall, anyway) I really wanted to just make my own. So when I came across a set of three plain grapevine wreaths for sale on a swap/sell Facebook page for just $10, I quickly snatched them up to make all of my wreath-making dreams come true!

FALL + HARVEST WREATH
I bought a package of fake leaves, some gold-edged burlap ribbon, and found some pinecones outside of our house to put on this wreath. Simple and cheap. I added a little something extra by mod podging some chunky gold glitter to the tips of the pinecones. I also decided to leave the ends of the string used to tie the bow because I thought it looked cute! But feel free to cut yours off when making the bow if you prefer.

The EASIEST Way to Tie a Bow 

One wreath down, two to go. Hopefully another day soon I'll have to make more time for crafting while mommy-ing. I had little man in his bouncer seat right beside me during this one. :) The next wreath I want to make will be for winter/Christmas, and the other will be a year-round boxwood type of wreath (thanks, Fixer Upper for all the boxwood wreath goals).

Just thought I'd fill y'all in about my wreath crafting venture. I hope it inspires you to get creative with your own. Happy Crafting!

One Month Old

Welcome to the world, Charlie Lewis James! He arrived on August 4th at 3:46 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs 11 oz and was 21 inches long. I gave birth to a perfectly beautiful baby boy who shares a birth month with his momma! What a wonderful gift he is.

Charlie is officially one month old. I'm writing this with him "frogging" as his dad and I like to call it (you know, scrunched up like a frog) on my chest. What a blur of a month, and yet I still remember the day he was born so vividly. I went into labor the day before I was scheduled to be induced because his due date had come and gone. And I was ready to get him on the outside! Little Guy decided to come on his own just in the nick of time. I was pretty thankful for that. When we checked into the hospital at 7 p.m., the nurses kept asking me, "Why were you scheduled to be induced?" To which I replied, "Well...before today this baby wasn't budging!" We checked in at 7 p.m., my epidural came at 11:30 p.m. (PS- Epidurals are amaaazing), a few minutes after 3 a.m. we were ready to push, and Charlie was born 38 minutes later!

I would be lying if I said it was an easy first few weeks of getting to know this little guy and what it's like to be a parent. Between Saturday when we checked out of the hospital and Monday when we had his first pediatrician appointment, our baby had lost one whole pound in weight. We were in and out of several different doctors offices during his first week of life - a really fragile time when new parents should be relaxing, recovering, and enjoying their newborn. After listening to several conflicting opinions and suggestions about what was going on, we finally found out that Charlie was having problems nursing due to a pretty significant lip and tongue tie. We decided to have the procedure done to release his lip and tongue, in hopes of helping him nurse and to benefit him later in life. At one month old, Charlie's weight is well over 8 lbs! He is a completely different baby now than those first two nights when we brought him home. He's full, happy, and healthy. And we are so thankful. 



I got a journaling Bible from my husband for Christmas last year, but with student teaching, graduating, and preparing for a baby in the months following, I really didn't make time to learn how to use it well until I was verrry pregnant and couldn't handle being outside in the summer heat anymore (LOL). I went to town journaling in that thing. One of the verses that I journaled right before Charlie was born was Romans 12:12 and it has been the verse I've come back to so much over the last month. I have felt a lot of hope, affliction, and seen a tremendous need for prayer in my first few weeks of being a mom. This verse has really spoken to me in this new season of life. I have to be a mom faithful in prayer that the Lord would give me joy and patience in the midst of affliction. I have to be a mom faithful in prayer for wisdom on how to make decisions for someone who can't make them on their own.


The saying "the days are long, but the years are short" has already become undeniably true over the last month as well. Listen, a newborn can give you some looong. days.  But as long as the days have felt sometimes, I can't believe it's been one whole month of Charlie!! One whole month of learning, feeding, crying, laughing, growing, hardly sleeping, and cuddling until my arms are about to fall off. About a thousand times a day I will just look at Samuel and say, "He is soo cute!" Needless to say, I'm smitten and can't get over this little human with a fuzzy head of hair.

I wrote a little list of 10 things I want to remember about our first month of being parents and things we have learned about our son so far. Enjoy!!

Dear Charlie, 

Happy one month of life!!! It's been such a sweet month. Hard at times, but your dad and I have laughed more at each other and at the funny things you do than we ever have! 

Let me tell you some things I want to remember about your fist month:

1. The 2016 Olympics in Rio were happening when you were born, so guess what mommy and daddy did with you day and night in the hospital and during those first two weeks? Held you and watched Micheal Phelps win his final gold medals! (It was SO fun!)

2. You are the cutest stretcher.  

3. You get this cheeky little smile in your sleep sometimes and it's pretty hilarious. 

4. You seem to actually enjoy bathtime! You really like the sound of the running water and when mommy pours a cup of the warm water over your belly. Getting out and into the cold air is a different story though...

5. Things you hate: being changed (clothes & diaper) and when I can't feed you fast enough. Other than that you're a pretty content little guy. 

6. You love,  l o v e,  LOVE being swaddled. 

7. The face you make when pooping. Enough said. 

8. One of my favorite things about your newbornness is your hair! It's so soft, long, dark, and sticks straight up!   

9. Napping with you is like napping with a toaster oven. You are a little toasty furnace, Charlie!

10. So far your nicknames are Charlie Bear and (per your cousin Carson) Cha Cha. I'm sure there will be more to come!


Thank you to everyone for the texts, cards, meals, prayers, and the thousand other ways you have helped our family as we adjust to life with a newborn. We are surely blessed with some wonderful friends and family!

-Emily

COLDPLAY// A Head Full of Dreams Tour

We saw Coldplay in concert last night!! I still can't believe it. Talk about the BEST pre-baby date night ever!

Nothing like a concert at 39 weeks + 2 days!

Back when it was first announced that their tour was coming to Louisville, I thought there was no way we would get to go since it was five days before my due date. I mean, we could potentially have had a baby by then! Even two days before the concert and Baby was still cozy and seemingly content in my belly, I was trying not to get my hopes up. See, I'm the concert junkie in this household, but Samuel has loved Coldplay since he was in middle school and had NEVER had the chance to see them live. We have talked about seeing them "one day" so many times. So I knew thought I might be able to convince him to get last minute tickets. Husband and I talked about it and he admitted he would be a nervous wreck the whole time hoping I wouldn't go into labor AT the concert and him have to figure out what to do with me then. Which is totally fair haha. But luckily my weekly doctor's appointment fell the day before the concert giving me the perfect chance to ask her if she thought it would be wise or not. To my delight - she gave me the green light on it being perfectly safe for Baby and said that if I was feeling up to it, we could go!

And boy are we glad we did. Little Baby did fine, just a normal amount of wiggling ;) , and we lost our minds at how amazing Coldplay is live. It will definitely go down in the books as possibly the best concert ever. Samuel was the first person to introduce me to the band so long ago. He bought me my first Coldplay CD, and left another one on my doorstep one time on as a surprise because he had a crush on me (and wanted me to like his favorite band). So it was pretty special to finally get to see them together, married, and pregnant! We're thankful that Baby cooperated and stayed put for the night too.

Now that we've checked that off the list, we are REALLY super ready to meet our son now!

We ate at our current favorite sandwich place, Potbelly, on 4th Street in Downtown Louisville before the concert.

 

The band gave out light up bands to everyone and they coordinated with the music! 

Thanks for an amazing show, Coldplay!

Our baby nursery!

Hey y'all! I'm trying to squeeze in another pregnancy post before Baby James arrives. Today I'm 37 weeks and a day along. The bags are almost (not really) packed, but hey - I've started a really great list of things I'm going to pack this week. This pregnancy has absolutely flown by. Even when I think back to announcing in December at Christmas it is still crazy! I totally failed at taking bump pictures in the last trimester, but the difference between each week was pretty astonishing. He was just a growin' bean! 

But back to the point of this post. We are finally done with the nursery area! Everything came together slowly but surely. Let me give you a little mini tour.

Up first when you walk into the room we have these black canvas drawers. I don't think they're intended for a nursery per se, but it works well for some extra storage for us. I'm storing diapers in that basket on top and wipes for easy access next to them. Top drawer is newborn clothes, second drawer is 0-3 months. Third is blankets, burp cloths, and crib sheets. And fourth is all things bath time - towels, wash cloths, etc.

Next is the dresser/changing station that I did a DIY makeover on myself! We're using the top of the dresser as the changing table which is a great space saver. The top left drawer is storing diapering items like creams, a snot sucker bulb, and other grooming tools. All of his socks, shoes, and hats are in the middle drawer, and extra changing pad covers are in the top right most drawer. The bottom four drawers are filled with clothes organized by month thanks to my sister-in-law who had two boys and lots of baby clothes to pass along. The clear "crystal" dresser knobs are from Home Depot!

Next to the dresser is our trusty diaper genie and rocking chair - I'll talk more about at the end of this post. Our little guy will be sleeping in a bassinet for the first few months, so we are waiting on a crib for now if you were wondering where that was. ;)

For whatever reason I was equally excited/nervous to put wall art up. I thought the space needed something there, but I am by no means the best at decorating or have the best eye for putting things in a gallery display on the wall. I found these cute pieces in clearance sections, and that was that. My mom made the banner for our baby shower - thanks Mom! The distressed white picture frame and wooden letter C are from Michael's, and I got the blue frame at Home Goods. Oh, and the rug is from At Home.

Sadly, what I think will be my favorite part of the wall has yet to be added. We picked up the cutest "bookshelves" from IKEA. They come as unfinished wood and are technically sold in the kitchen section as spice racks, but Pinterest is filled with people using them as bookshelves. So I gave them a little splash of paint on the front bar (the same paint as the dresser) and ta-da! I'm planning on putting two and two on both sides of the wall art. I love to do crafts and assemble things, but leveling and screwing shelves into drywall is NOT one of my talents, so I'm gunna punt that one to my dad probably. He just doesn't know it yet. ;)

We also have this bookcase tucked into the closet for extra storage. You see those storage totes? Let me tell you 'bout those. They are only $3 from the Target dollar section and they are amazing quality. I grabbed the last two navy ones I saw when I was there last, and the gray one was part of a shower gift. I'm highly considering getting more of them if I can find any!

Last but not least, I wanted to tell you about our really special rocking chair. I mentioned this in a Facebook post, but this is by far one of my most favorite things in our nursery. This rocking chair belonged to my grandma who passed away in March of this year. She lived and loved for 90 years and I have so many sweet memories of her in this chair from over the years. Samuel and I actually got this chair when we got married. The original cushions were in really bad shape and needed to be replaced desperately. Finding someone who can upholster this older style of cushion was tric-ky! But finally my mom found someone who could do it for the best price we had been quoted. We found the fabric at Hancock Fabric's going out of business sale (upholstery fabric ain't cheap, so you better believe we waited until they had everything marked 50% off). So as my shower gift, my aunt and my mom saw to it that this chair had new cushions ready for Baby. Sure, buying a whole new chair may have been easier, but I wasn't about to do that. I am hoping we have this rocker for a very long time.

We can't wait to meet you Baby Charlie.

Emily 

PHOTO UPDATE 10.6.16. 
Our nursery is really REALLY finished now! Bookshelves included. Thanks, Dad! We LOVE how it turned out!

 (Photography by: Laura Cook Photography)

35 Week Baby Bumpdate

35 weeks, guys! This little boy's arrival is getting closer and closer. Matter of fact, in two more days we are exactly 1 month until due date. Oooooh my goodness.

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm "ready." At this point I'm starting to think those people are just wanting the wide-eyed stare and clown grin they know I'm about to give them in response. So I've just settled on saying, "Ready as I'll ever be!" YES, I'm ready to not be carrying around a watermelon anymore. Yes, I'm ready to see what our baby's little face looks like. Yes, I'm ready to count all of his fingers and toes as soon as he's born. Yes, I'm excited to be a mom! But let's be honest, sometimes I feel like Michael Scott from The Office.

It's going to be an adventure, but I'm comforted by these two things: 1) People have literally been having kids since, uh, day one. And they keep having kids so it must not be too bad, right? and 2) This boy already has the best daddy, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and a whole lot of other family and friends who just can't wait to love on him either. So let's get into the bumpdate!


How Far Along: 35 weeks and 2 days.

Size of Baby: He's the size of a honeydew melon. Around 18 inches long and over 5 pounds.

Gender: Boy! Read all about our gender reveal here.

Movement: Yes. Yesterday he moved around so much all day and it made me not even want to eat dinner. He gets especially busy in the afternoon and around 10 pm. It's so funny to look down and see my lopsided belly when he's moving! Also, his elbow (I'm assuming) has found a favorite spot in my left side. That's fun.

Craving: ALL kinds of fruit. And cereal just about every day.

Belly Button In or Out: In. If my pregnancy continues like my mom's was, I think it's going to stay in too.

Wedding Rings On or Off: On. I haven't had any swelling thus far, so thankfully I am able to keep them on.

Sleep: I'd give my sleep about a B- right now. I definitely think I am sleeping above average for someone this far along, but I do notice a difference in how restful/comfortable it is. I sleep with a pillow behind my back (a.k.a. right between Husband and I -- sorry Honey) and one between my knees. The knee pillow just came into the picture about three weeks ago because I would wake up with my lower back killing me at 3 am. I read on the internet that having a pillow between my knees would keep my hips straight and help with low back pain, and it has!

One more notable mention about my sleep is that I can take record-breaking two hour long naps right now. I almost feel narcoleptic - totally fine and doing the day well when all of the sudden I HAVE to take a nap and you'll see me again in about two hours. I'm definitely enjoying it while I can. :)

Symptoms: No contractions yet - whew! Heartburn is definitely getting worse though.

Hospital Bag: Not packed at all. My goal is to have it packed it by 37 weeks though! That's early enough I hope.

Maternity Classes: Completed: Maternity Floor Tour at our hospital.
Scheduled for the coming weeks: Labor & Delivery Class and the Breastfeeding Class.

Baby Shower: Yes! I had such a sweet shower on June 18th with my side of the family and former church members who have known me since they were changing MY diapers. #Ifeelold I am blown away by the generosity of the people in my life who came/have sent cards or something for Baby James. Thank you all!

Baby Gear: Getting there. We've had our stroller for a while now. It's the Baby Jogger City Mini 4 Wheel stroller in a really fun red color. I have heard amazing things about the City Mini so I am stoked to get to use that thing. We are ordering our car seat this week! For a long time I was between the Graco Sungride 35, Chicco KeyFit 30, and the Britax B-Safe 35 which are all compatible with our stroller. Pretty sure we are going to go with the Graco! It's rated #1 Best Seller in Infant Safety Car Seats on Amazon and is really affordably priced and lightweight. Plus, the Pipp design is super cute. We still need to go get the bassinet we like at Target (we are going to wait a few months on a crib) and choose a baby swing/bouncer chair.

Nursery: It has come a long way since my last post! I still need to add the drawer knobs and find a lamp shade, but everything is just about in it's place for our make-shift nursery/home office. You can get a good sneak peak of it in my bump picture at the top, but I will have an entire post about it coming soon.

Happy to have y'all following along with this pregnancy journey. I can't believe we're already this far!
Emily

Baby Dresser Makeover

Who doesn't love a good ole DIY furniture project? This girl definitely does!

I was SO excited about redoing this dresser for our little boy's nursery. It was actually my husband's baby dresser that he used it up until the day we got married! It was originally a piece his parents purchased before they had kids,  and then it became Samuel's baby dresser when he was born. When we started the hunt for baby furniture, they offered this dresser to us.  It was perfect for the space we had to fill, so of course I jumped on it and started planning my big DIY project!

I knew I wanted this piece to be a dresser/changing table combo. I found several examples of what I liked on Pinterest and pinned them to my baby bedroom board, which you can peruse here. The plan is to make it a dresser with a changing pad, diapers and wipes in a cute little basket, and other decorations on top.

It's a super cute dresser even before fixing it up. Some of the drawer bottoms and pulls have seen better days, but it is solid wood, has a cute layout, and (most importantly) has sentimental value. And when you're pregnant and making big decisions, sentiment is a big deal. :)

MATERIALS

• Sander -Black and Decker electric sander
• Primer - Zinsser Cover Stain Primer 
• Wood Filler - Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty
• Brush - Purdy XL Cub 2.0
• Paint - Behr Paint & Primer In One in"Niagara Mist" - Satin sheen

All of the materials I used were purchased from my local Home Depot, aside from the electric sander and wood filler that I borrowed from my dad. I am so in love with the paint color we picked out, you guys. So in love. This beautiful light blue shade is called "Niagara Mist" by Behr. 

I did plenty-o-research before doing this project about DIYing furniture. Do I need to strip it first? Is primer necessary for painting furniture? What the heck is wood filler? The most helpful blog I read was this lady -->  Addicted2Decorating. All of the products I used were because of her recommendation. If you're thinking about redoing any furniture soon, definitely check her blog out for easy steps and tips. She also had a really helpful post about why she doesn't use chalk paint. On top of the price for a small amount of product, chalk paint is mostly for distressing or antiquing furniture. I wasn't going for that look on this dresser so I decided to take the latex paint route.  

Possibly the most important step was using the wood filler. It TRANS. FORMED. the dresser in such a huge way. I am so glad I took the time to do this step. It works like a putty to fill in the dings, scratches, and missing chunks of wood to make a new smooth surface for the paint. (And for a dresser that has seen a lot of life, you're sure to have a surface full of that.)  It was especially helpful on the top and edges, as well as on the drawers where the original drawer pulls had left rings in the wood. Being a newbie to this product I realize I could have done even more filling, but I am still happy with the results. It was so worth the extra work. Left is before any work, and right is after sanding, wood filler, and a coat of primer. 

After taking the redo process super slow over the course of two weeks, it is finally finished! (Minus the new drawer knobs that I still need to go get.) I am so thrilled with how it turned out! It was really tough to capture this picture in true color,  but take my word for it - it is exactly like the paint swatch in real life. And it's really a perfect, beautiful baby blue color.  I've got a few more finishing touches to add before I show you this completed wall of the nursery. There's going to be wall art, storage, stuffed elephants, lamps, drawer knobs, a rocking chair and even more on the next post so be sure to check back! :)

T-minus 40 days until due date, 

Emily

Putt Putt & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Starting off Memorial Day weekend (also anniversary weekend) with some fun! 

The great thing about our anniversary being on May 30th is that it will usually fall on or around Memorial Day! The year we got married there were 5 weekends in May and our wedding weekend was actually the last weekend, the weekend after Memorial Day weekend. This year our anniversary falls on Memorial Day, so we get a day off to spend together! I'll keep ya posted on what we do that day. :)

I think my nesting kicked in last week. I've been really planning painting baby furniture for the nursery (which I will be starting next week!) and cleaning out closet space for baby items to have more room. The first closet I cleaned out had a huge tote of kitchen items and dishes that my Aunt Barbara gave me before we got married. Since she passed away in January, I have been so thankful for all of the thoughtful things she gave me for married life. One of the things in the tote was a really adorable blue cake stand and topper! Keep reading for pictures/how it was used below.

Friday night:
Kicking off the summer with our first game of putt putt! Y'all might think that this is just something you do on vacation at those cheesy mini golf courses, but not this family. We are hashtag #blessed with a great putt putt course right near our parents' houses. Some people have season passes to Six Flags, and then there's us who always has a three game ticket in our wallet. Sometimes I'm really good and beat my husband (how I measure a putt putt victory), and other times I completely embarrass myself, ha! This weekend was definitely the latter of those two, but that's okay. I still gotta get warmed up for the putt putt season, ya know? We are just getting started.

Saturday: 
Our day consisted of rest and cookies. I tried a new "best chocolate chip cookie" recipe from Williams-Sonoma's website that I saw on Pinterest.  The only thing I changed in this recipe was the amount of chocolate chips and sugar. By the time I mixed all the dough together and was ready to add the chocolate chips, I thought there was NO WAY I was about to add 2.5 cups of chocolate chips to the tiny amount of dough! I only did a little over a cup of chocolate chips and it turned out just fine. I also left out one of the tablespoons of sugar and I'm glad I did because they were sweet enough. Also, I totally took their advice and scooped the cookie balls out with an ice cream scoop. Yep, never going back to the regular spoon again.

Let's talk about baking and being pregnant. I thought I was going to die the first time I baked something knowing I couldn't lick the utensils because of the raw eggs it contained. I don't think I had ever baked anything and not been anxious to lick the spoon. But alas, I have restrained myself during this pregnancy. My husband doesn't like to lick the spoon ever! He would rather wait for the treat to finish baking before taking a first bite. Not-pregnant me always thought that was so weird! But you know what? I've kinda enjoyed saving the first taste for the finished product. (That's something I never thought I would say.) I don't feel as sickly sweeted out before I even get to the cookies. Maybe I'll keep up the habit even after Baby comes!

Husband was a huge fan of these cookies, so I will definitely be keeping this recipe in my back pocket.

Hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend with lots of good food and family time!
-Em

Babymoon-aversary to Gatlinburg, TN

May has been a big month for our little family of two (and a half ;).

On May 9th, I graduated from college with my Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. That one is still sinking in. The end of the month, May 30th, is our one year wedding anniversary. Cue all the feels. Also, since I'm 30 weeks pregnant (when you're reading this), my hubby planned a babymoon for May before I got too incredibly pregnant to enjoy our one last travel as two. Major props to whoever started that trend 'cause what a great idea.

All that to say, we just got back from possibly one of the most celebratory vacations we will every take. It was a babymoon-aversary to the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Made that word up myself. ;) Timed perfectly before all the kiddos get out of school for the summer and before the real heat of summer sets in, we had the best weather and hardly any crowds.

Our little cabin was tucked into the hills about a mile and a half off of the main parkway between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. It was an ideal location for just about anything you could want to do. Before we left for the trip I was checking the weather constantly, and they were calling for 60-70% chance of rain every day that we would be there. But it never rained! We were able to spend a lot of time outside walking the strip of Gatlinburg, playing Farkle (the best dice game ever) in rocking chairs on our porch, and sight seeing on the mountain outlooks without a single drop of rain falling on us. Bless.

Speaking of sight seeing on the mountain outlooks....we did have one funny little mishap on the trip. In true little James fashion, we locked the keys in our car when we were on the side of a mountain, almost to our 5,000 feet up outlook destination. It was a classic snowball of unfortunate situations. We were not only locked out of our car, but the temperature had dropped about 10 degrees cooler, there was an impending rain cloud coming towards us, AND we were hungry and about ready to eat our picnic lunch at the next outlook spot (which was now locked in the car). Hungry pregnant lady warning. What happened was I locked the car, but thought my husband had the keys in his pocket, and he did not. Marriage communication 101 yall. Haha!

That day actually ended up going about as amazing as it could have though. We met two kind Christian men, Allen and John, from Chicago who drove us to find a park ranger and let us warm up in their van. About an hour later, two volunteer park rangers arrived! The man broke out his handy bag of tools and ended up using three of those air pumpy thingys to unlock my, apparently, super resilient car. Did I mention these two volunteer park rangers were a man and woman who had been married for 64 years? How cute is that! This couple now spends their retired years driving around the Great Smoky Mountain National Park helping people out for fun. If that aint #goals I don't know what is! So much kindness was shown to us that day.

Some other highlights from our trip included eating breakfast at The Pancake Pantry, the Star Cars Museum (we got to see actual cars used in the movies!), dinner at the Apple Barn, seeing the new Captain America: Civil War at the Forge Theater in Pigeon Forge, eating a caramel apple from the Chocolate Monkey, and just enjoying hanging out in our cabin. It was a much needed trip of relaxation, good conversation, and anticipation for what's coming soon with my honey.

Other random travel favorites: 
Song: "Boy Problems" by Carly Rae Jepsen. Seriously. Listen to it.

Snack: Twizzlers & Pringles. Only the healthiest of choices.

Books:
1) Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney. I read this before our wedding last year and am re-reading at our one year anniversary. I highly recommend this book for any female considering marriage, about to get married, or already married!

2) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The Illustrated Edition. My graduation gift from Samuel! IT IS AMAZING.

Souvenir: New cups! Apparently I have a thing about water bottles and coffee mugs. Those were my souvenirs of choice for this trip.

Outing: The lookout spots in the National Park were pretty amazing. I almost wish we had done that twice.

Eats: The Pancake Pantry, of course. Their pancakes are outofthisworld good.

This picture was taken minutes before I walked back to the car to get my jacket because I was cold, and then realized that the car was locked. Notice that scary rain cloud approaching...

Thanks for a wonderful little getaway, GB. 

Much love, 

the Jameses