I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE pictures. I have pictures all over our house. Honestly I don’t think I know how to decorate without pictures. One of my favorite pieces in our home is this gem which I found on Etsy. It’s the perfect combination of style, functionality and a great way to display lots of pictures (and invitations) without one of those ugly collage picture frames. I’ve found that printing off your Instagram pictures works well so you have the perfect size picture without your frame being overloaded. I love Printstagram for printing all of my Instagram photos. $12 for 24 square pictures mailed directly to your home. Love it!
Author Archives: annettelharvey
Sample Schedule 3-5 months
Our boy just turned 5 months this week (22 weeks) and we decided to try a 4 hour feeding schedule instead of his current 3.5 hour schedule. Mainly because of his last two feedings being so close together and for ease in planning our days. Not sure if it is going to stick yet but here is our previous 3.5 hour schedule which he was on from 12 to 22 weeks.
3.5 Hour Schedule (12-22 weeks)
- 7 Wake him up and Eat – nurse about 15 minutes
- usually a cat nap in the car on the way to work for about 20 minutes
- 9- down for a nap, on his back, in a sleep sack with his paci
- 10:30 Eat – 7 oz bottle
- 11:30/12 – he is usually ready for a nap earlier at this point (less wake time)
- On his back, in a sleep sack with his paci -even at daycare
- 2:00 Eat- 7 oz bottle
- 3:30-4:15 – short nap
- I pick him up from daycare at 4:30, occasional cat nap in the car on the way home
- 5:30 Eat – nurse about 20-30 minutes
- 7:00 Bath, Bottle, Bed – usually another 7 oz bottle
This schedule was great for our initial school (daycare) and work routine. I would wake up at 5:30 am and get completely ready before waking up our boy at 7. Then I’d feed him and pump (while he sat in his bumbo or played with Daddy) and then be out the door by 8:15 to head to daycare and then work. On days when I had to be at work by 8:30 I’d wake up earlier and pump before feeding him but keep his wake time at 7 am.
Basil Lemonade
My best friend made this for my baby shower earlier this year and it was a huge hit. I decided to do the same for another shower I threw this past week. Here is a simple recipe for a tasty spin on lemonade, perfect for a shower or party.
Basil Lemonade:
- 2-3 bottles Simply Lemonade (depending on the size of your drink dispenser)
- 1/4 cup sugar per bottle
- Fresh basil finely diced
Directions:
- Pour 1/4 cup sugar directly into Simply Lemonade bottle.
- Add fresh basil
- Shake and let sit overnight (shaking occasionally)
- Enjoy!
Crescent Cinnamon Rolls
When you are low on groceries and out of eggs and bacon. Here is a great, quick, recipe everyone will surely love.
Ingredients
- 1 tube (8 count) Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, unrolled and separated
- 5 tablespoons butter,softened
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2½ teaspoons cinnamon
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered Sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Place the unrolled and separate crescent rolls on an un greased rimmed cookie sheet(one with sides).
- In a small bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and cinnamon
- Evenly spread the cinnamon butter over the crescent rolls and roll up tightly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, mix together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Place in a zip lock bag and snip a tiny corner off.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cinnamon rolls.
Original recipe available here.
Diaper Diaries
It’s about that time again.. time to “up” our little man’s diaper size. How do I know? Well you can refer to the size chart that diaper companies provide or you may also know because you are constantly changing your little one’s clothing after multiple blow outs (3 exactly) in one day. That’s a definite sign that its time to “up” your diaper size. Here is my list so far in tracking how long our little one is in each size (pounds provided by Pampers). NOTE: I noticed that our little man started “exploding” out of his diapers 1-2 pounds sooner than the suggested weight range. For instance a size 2 diaper is listed for 12-18lb however we noticed they were too small for him at about 16lb. That’s been the case with every size so far.
Size N (Our boy: 0-5 weeks)
Up to 10 lb.
222 Avg. diapers per month
Size 1 (Our boy: 5 weeks – 11 weeks)
8-14 lb.
216 Avg. diapers per month
Size 2 (Our boy: 11 weeks – 20 weeks)
12-18 lb.
216 Avg. diapers per month
Size 3 (Our boy: 20 weeks – 30 weeks )
16-28 lb.
177 Avg. diapers per month
Size 4 (Our boy: 30 weeks – ?)
22-37 lb.
162 Avg. diapers per month
Size 5: 27+ lb.
Size 6: 35+ lb.
Size 7: 41+ lb.
It’s also good to remember how many diapers you went through. Here is our record (yes, I tracked them this long and I’m not really sure why!):
May (birth- 2 weeks): 141 diapers
June (3-6 weeks): 382 diapers
July (7-11 weeks): 378 diapers
August (12-15 weeks): 324 diapers
September (16-19 weeks): 291 diapers
Cheesy Chicken Rolls
One of our favorite go-to meals thanks to our neighbor, Jenny, who brought this to us after our little man was born. I’m returning the favor and making it for another friend with a new baby this weekend.
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 – 8 oz. cans crescent rolls
2 – 10 3/4 oz. cans cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
1 1/4 cups milk
In a saucepan on low heat, combine soup, 1 cup of cheese, and milk and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Pour half* sauce into a 9×13″ pan prepared with nonstick spray.
Open cans of rolls and separate. Set aside 1/4 cup of cheese for topping. Combine chicken and cheese in a bowl. Place about 2 T of the chicken/cheese mixture on wide end of each dough triangle, pulling side points of triangle over filling. Roll up each crescent roll and set in pan with sauce. Top with remaining sauce.
Bake at 375* uncovered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and then heat to melt additional 3 minutes.
Loaded Potato Salad
My family is getting together for Labor Day tomorrow. I’m always looking for new and different sides that we can try and that can appease a crowd of picky eaters. Here is my latest find. Homemade potato salad that they are sure to love.
Ingredients:
10 Small Red Potatoes, cut into small chunks – peel ½, leave skin on other ½
1 oz. Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix packet
¾ c. Low-Fat Sour Cream
¼. c. Mayonaise
½ tsp. Ground Pepper
½ tsp. Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
2 tsp. Minced Cilantro
¾ c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
5 slices Bacon, cooked and chopped
2 Tablespoons minced chives
Directions:
In a medium pot, place chunked potatoes and cover with 1” of water. Bring potatoes to a boil over high heat and reduce to medium, allowing to simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
While the potatoes are cooking go ahead and cook your bacon. We like to cook it in the oven for less mess and ease. Place bacon strips on lined cookie sheet in a cold oven. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and set the timer for 17 minutes. Depending on bacon and ovens the bacon should be crispy around 17-20 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayo, pepper, garlic, mustard, and cilantro. Cover and set aside in fridge.
When potatoes are done, drain and place on a lined baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with packet of ranch dip and fold potatoes over with a spatula until the dip mix is evenly distributed. Place baking sheet of potatoes into the fridge for approximately 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cool.
When potatoes are cool, pour into large bowl of sour cream mixture.
Fold in shredded cheddar cheese and bacon. Sprinkle chives on top of potato salad.
Chill for two hours until flavors meld. Enjoy!
Original recipe available here.
Established in 2011
I love personalized items, especially when decorating our home. I love using monograms and initials and am a big fan of rustic items. One of my favorite pieces is this burlap sign hanging on one of our walls in our entry way. Another Etsy find in a Pottery Barn frame, it reminds of me of where we began and everything we journeyed through since then. It reminds me of our beginning and makes me even more excited about our future. We are the Harvey family, established in 2011, and looking forward to years and years to come.
3 Month Clothes Don’t Fit 3 Month Olds
One thing I’ve learned as a new mom is that its tempting to buy clothes in advance for your little one but its probably best to wait to do so. Having a 10 week old who is in the 50th percentile for height and weight I was surprised that at 2.5 months not only did his 3 month clothes barely fit him but that the 6 month clothes fit him perfectly and everyone I talked to had experienced the same thing. Most 2.5-3 month olds (in my opinion) are in fact not wearing 3 month clothes but 6 month.. and thats the case for pretty much every brand out there. In addition to the sizing being completely off I’ve also learned that like my own clothing I definitely favor some brands over others.. Here is my review on everything you need to know when purchasing baby clothes:
CARTERS
- PRO: Mostly cute, good quality at pretty good prices. They are always having a sale and there always seems to be a surplus of coupons available for their clothing.
- CON: Their clothes are EVERYWHERE. Which can be a good thing- easy access, however it also means pretty much every other kid out there is wearing the exact same clothes and if you want your kid to have his or her own unique style, and look different than all the other kids at daycare, then Carters isn’t the place for you. Another downside to Carters is their designs. They’ve gotten better and started offering stripes and solids and even plaid in their onesies and collar shirts. They are getting better, however I can’t tell you the number of clothes I returned that had some sort of large animal on the bottom and across the front. Sorry Carters- I do not want my son to look like a large crab. Its not cute. In short, they have a lot of great stuff to get you started but I definitely wouldn’t stock your child’s full wardrobe with their clothing.
CHICO
- PRO: This is Target’s brand of clothing. Good quality at good prices and some cute designs/patterns for your little one.
- CON: Not a huge selection- especially for babies. Target.com has a much larger selection than in the store so figure out what size you need and then order online. If you have a Target Red Card you’ll get 5% off your order and free shipping. Can’t beat that.
GAP
- PRO: Much better quality clothing than all the others at slightly higher prices. Thick cotton and cuter designs for your little man to give him the preppy look you desire. Sizing runs slightly larger than the other brands. In my experience more money = more and higher quality fabric when it comes to baby clothes.
- CON: Higher priced then some of the other brands but Gap Outlet is a great alternative.
GERBER
- PRO: Cheap prices.
- CON: Their clothes are very thin and poor quality and the patterns and styles really aren’t that cute. Stereotypical: “you get what you pay for.”
KOALA
- PRO: Good prices, cute designs and pretty good quality.
- CON: Runs VERY small. If you buy 6 month in ever other brand you need 9 month in Koala. Sizing is way off.
OSH KOSH
- PRO: Similar to Carters (and part of the same company). Good quality at good prices, especially if you visit them at an outlet. They seem to have more of the “preppy” look and stay away from the large animal prints that Carters is known for.
- CON: Small selection, even in their own stores the pickings seem slim.
Creamy Chicken Taquitos
We were blessed by so many amazing friends and so many amazing meals after our little man was born. You never know how hard it is to feed yourselves until you have a newborn in your home. This was one of our favorite meals brought by my friend Jenn. We still repeat this recipe on a regular basis and stick them in the freezer – perfect for when we need a quick dinner. Add rice and beans and if you have dinner in a matter of minutes! Perfection!
Ingredients
6 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoon sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (I usually use a rotisserie chicken)
2 C grated pepperjack or plain jack cheese
small flour tortillas
cooking spray or olive oil
Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well. You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1 inch from the edges. Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Freezer Instructions: Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Yields about 12, when using 6″ tortillas, depending on how full you make them.
Original recipe by Our Best Bites and available here.