5 on Friday

 

5 on Friday is back!! 

 

{one}
I participated in #OneDayHH on Wednesday to document all the mundane things in my day to day life that most of time do not get photographed.  It was alot of fun.

 

 

{two} 



This past Sunday, I did a family photo shoot as part of my mother-in-law's birthday celebration.  We did this last year and figured it was time to update our photo.  Thanks to my trusty tripod and remote, we were able to get a good shot.  The best part of this photo is Eloise holding on to Papa Mike's ear.  I've looked at this photo 100 times this week and that one little detail makes me laugh every time. 

{three}
Iced Pumpkin Mocha Latte from Dunkin Donuts. 
No real explanation needed.  It is delicious.  I'm not a coffee person so I need a lot of "jazz" in my coffee to enjoy it. 


{four}
These booties.

 

{five}     
The Goldbergs on ABC.  We didn't get into this show until this summer while it was on reruns but it is hilarious.  Check it out! 

5 on Friday: Volume 13

{one}
Faux Fur vest & Pigtails: Who wore it best?

Eloise vs. Maxwell (aka Jessica Simpson's daughter)  

                         

{two}

Booties. 
When the bootie craze started this season, I was skeptical about the look.  After seeing them on some real people and not just the skinny & super tall models on Banana Republic or J.Crew's websire, I was sold.  After a trip to DSW and some serious online shopping, I ended with 2 pairs.  Black ones are Dr. Scholls & Taupe ones are TOMS.  Both are actually super comfy!  In fact, I've worn both of them all day at work. 

{three}

Brussel sprouts. 
For no particular reason, I'm obsessed with brussel sprouts right now.  A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a bag of shredded brussel sprouts in the produce section and decided to give them a go.  There was a VERY simple recipe on the back of bag that I decided to give a whirl. At this point, I've been making it weekly so I have the recipe memorized.

• Olive Oil
• Minced Garlic
• Chopped Onion (I use the frozen chopped onion - super easy)
• Real Bacon pieces
• Brussel Sprouts, shreds or chopped
• Black pepper, to taste

Saute' some minced garlic and onions.  Add the brussel sprouts shreads & bacon pieces.  Stir to mix.  Cover. Stir periodically.  Let simmer until brussle sprouts seem tender. Serve immediately.  
 

{four}

My mantel decor. 

I got this great chalkboard print from one of my favorite bloggers - Jessica Garvin. Her blog sparked my love for chalkboards. You can find all her prints at her Etsy shop.

 

{five}
300. 
No, not the movie 300.  This is the 300th blog post for Sew Snappy!!  YAY. 

Thanks for reading! 

Don't forget that you can subscribe via email so you don't miss out on anything. 

Also, feel free to check out The Littlest Kalins, my blog dedicated to the all the awesomeness that is my 14.5 month old daughter Eloise.   

5 on Friday

5 on Friday is back from a few week hiatus.  Between my real job and weekend photo shoots, I've been busy! 

{one}  

St. James Farm

On Columbus Day, I ventured out to St. James Farm with my mom and Eloise to check it out.  It is such a gorgeous space!  I'm excited to have another great photo spot for outdoor photoshoots.  Can't you just picture a family or a couple in the middle of these trees! 

 

{two} 
Breakfast cookies.
I'm obsessed with these "cookies" and have been making various versions of them the past few weeks.  I've seen this recipe everywhere so I don't know who to give credit to but it is super easy!

• 2-3 ripe Bananas mashed
• 1 cup Quick Oats
• Handful of Chocolate chips
• Handful of walnut piece

Place tablespoon-size scoops of mixture on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake @ 350 for 15 minutes.  Other combinations: chocolate chips, walnuts & dried cranberries

{three} 
Gallery Wall update

Oh yeah...I need pictures in there too. 

{four}
Family Halloween Costume
Eloise is going to be a Bumble bee for Halloween & I'm going to be a Bee Keeper.  Gotta love a family costume!

{five} 
Top Secret Pregnancy announcement & gender reveal photo shoot
On Saturday morning, I'm doing this awesome and exciting photo shoot!  I'm literally one of the few people who know the gender of this couple's baby.  I made some custom props for the photo shoot too.  I have a bunch of fun ideas to incorporate into this photo shoot and I can't wait!  Stay tuned for the big reveal!

5 on Friday

{one}
Wine colored clothing.
Deep burgundy must be super hot this Fall season as I have picked up a cardigan, 2 blouses, and a pair of skinny trousers.

{two}
This song. 

I'm embarrassed to admit it but I have been singing it all week! 

{three}
Fall Photo Shoots. 
This weekend kicks off a string of photo shoots that I have scheduled for the Fall.  2 this weekend, 2 more the weekend of the 11th and 2 more before the end of the month.  Fall is such a great time to do photo shoots.  I still have some free time - email me if you interested!

{four}
What's for dinner?  Venison. 
Brad got his first deer last weekend!  With the deep freezer stocked, I'm in venison-recipe mode.  So far, we've had chili, salami, and tostadas.  So good!


{five}
Eloise's Halloween Costume. 
I'm losing my mind over here trying to come up with an idea.  I've looked at everything from Tinkerbell to Blueberries to Rainbow Bright.  You are probably thinking that this is not a big deal but they do a parade at the daycare at the hospital.  I can't be the mom with the lame costume.  Help!

Here is her costume last year.  She was an owl to match her forest-themed nursery.  

5 on Friday

{one}
Chili
As Autumn turns into Fall, I couldn't be more excited that it is Chili season!  This past Sunday I made my first batch of Chili in the Crock pot and it was great.  My recipe is a mash up of various chili recipes but the key is it is super easy!

Mandy's Chili
1 jar of Salsa
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 cans black beans
2 cans kidney beans
1 chili seasoning packet
1 lb of ground meat - beef, turkey, chicken, or our favorite - Venison!

Brown the meat.  Stir in seasoning.  Dump meat & everything else in the crock pot for 4 hours. Enjoy!
Favorite toppings: Fritos, Doritos, Shredded cheese/Avocado/Tortilla Strips, or Oyster Crackers

{two}
Family Dinner Recipes
I don't know what has gotten into me but I'm a recipe printing freak lately!  My email is continuously getting flooded with links to Pillsbury, Kraft, and Betty Crocker.  I've always been obsessed with collecting recipes so I'm loving that there are so many yummy new dishes out there.

{three}
Fall TV premiers!
Last Fall, we were in a newborn baby haze and watching our favorite shows was the furthest things from our minds.  Now that our little baby is 1 and goes to bed like a champ, we can enjoy our shows again.  Here's to watching Modern Family, Big Bang Theory, Glee, Dancing with the Stars, Survivor, Bones, and whatever Bravo has to offer!

{four}
Gallery Wall is a go!
My personal handyman Brad is on board with my latest project!  As part of our date night last Saturday, we went to IKEA before dinner and our movie to get all the frames.  We decided to go with a combination of black and white frames with white mats in various sizes.  We even mapped out the layout the frames.  Some may think the hard part will be hanging all of these frames but I think it is going to be picking out the photos.  Thankfully we just had a photo shoot for Eloise's birthday with the amazing Chantel Ferraro so we have some great photos to pick from!

{five}
Eloise's 1 year Photo Shoot.
"The best that a photographer can do is have someone else take their family photos" - Chantel Ferraro.  We got to see some sneak peaks this week from Eloise's 1 year photo shoot and they were amazing.  We can't wait to see the rest!

5 on Friday

{one}
Market Salad
Right now I'm obsessed with this salad.  Easy pantry ingredients and so simple to throw together.  Mixed Greens, Dried Cranberries, Bleu Cheese crumbles, Walnuts & Balsamic Dressing.
Balsamic Dressing suggestion:

{two}
Gallery Wall

With the new interior paint, I find myself bored with most of my decor.  I've been sniffing around Pinterest for ideas and keep coming back to the concept of a Gallery wall.  I have the perfect place for it and everything.  Now to get Brad on board.  He loves a good project!

{three}
5 things you could live on
One of my favorite authors Shauna Niequist posed a random questions on Facebook - What are your 5 things that you could or do live on?  She said peanut butter, cheese, bread, wine, and coffee.  Me? Peanut Butter, Hummus, Red Bell Peppers, Cheese & Bread.  Runners up would be Diet Pepsi, Cold Milk, and Chips & Salsa.  How about you? 

{four}
Fall Decor
I've said a ton of times on this blog that Fall is my favorite season.  I love the food, colors, weather, holidays/celebrations, clothes, and decor.  Fall/Halloween is probably my favorite holiday/season to decorate for - more so than Christmas.  I love seeing pumpkins in the obvious and not so obvious areas of the house.  With a curious toddler on my hands now, I will have to do some serious thinking when it comes what I can do for Fall Decor this year.  I see a Hobby Lobby trip in my future...

{five}
And just like that...I'm done nursing.

I stopped pumping a few weeks ago and was just nursing in the morning and night. This past weekend, I dropped the morning feeding with no problem.  I figured that I would keep the evening feeding for another week or so.  Wrong.  Come Tuesday, I could tell that she was done.  If I would have known that Tuesday night was going to be the last night, I would have cherished it more.  Instead of playing on my phone or looking at the clock, I would have just stared at her.  Eloise & I have come so far in this Breastfeeding journey and I'm so glad that I was able to do this for her.  Here's to putting away the nursing bras, tanks, pads and all other nursing gear! 

Would you like a cocktail with dinner, you ask.  Why, yes.  Yes, I will.

5 on Friday

  

I took last week off from 5 on Friday as I was in the midst of some serious birthday party prep, but I'm back in action this week! This week's 5 on Friday is mash up of last week and this week.

{one}
Devin Jay Thakur
On 8.29.13, my bestie Sarah gave birth to her second child, a sweet little baby boy named Devin Jay Thakur.  Dev was 7lbs and 18.5 inches.  A few weeks before he was born, I made him a name banner for his room.  I've been dying to share it but I was sworn to secrecy when it came to the name.  Name banners are by far one of my favorite things to make for kiddos.

{two}
Toddler.
And with the passing of August 31st, all of the sudden my inbox is filled with everything Toddler.  "3 amazing facts about your Toddler," "Getting your Toddler to eat," and the best so far, "How to raise a patient and kind toddler."  I feel like I'm a contestant in a spelling bee and I was just informed that my word to spell is Toddler.  Use it in a sentence? Sure - I'm the parent of a Toddler.  Provide a definition? Sure - Toddler: what happens after a sweet baby starts to walk and turns 1.  Over on The Littlest Kalins blog, I did a Baby Face Friday post every week.  With this whole Toddler thing staring us in the face, I will have to come up with something else...

{three}
Do you remember my last post about looking for my reward, award, or medal for nursing for a year?  Well, my sister surprised me last Friday with a one of a kind trophy commemorating my year of nursing.  Seriously, sisters rule! I really want to display this next to my diplomas and professional licenses.  Heck, it may need it's own trophy cabinet.

{four}
Iced Pumpkin Mocha Latte
I'm a freak for Fall and all things pumpkin-flavored.  When I heard a commercial that Dunkin Donuts was debuting all their pumpkin menu items this week, I was eager to give something a try.  This drink definitely did not disappoint.

{five}
Donnie Wahlberg & Jenny McCarthy.
It's official.  They are a couple.  That's all.

5 on Friday

{one}
Pink & Yellow.
1st Birthday Party preparation is in full swing.  As pink & yellow is my color scheme, I feel like I'm seeing the two colors together everywhere.  I find myself hearing this song in my head while strolling the isles of Target, Home Goods or Party City as I look for items for the party.  Humor me and listen to the chorus and say Pink & Yellow instead of Black & Yellow.

{two}
Basil Plants 2.0
Since I killed off my first basil plant, I sent out an SOS to my parents on what to do.  They went a hunt for a sturdier basil plant and found 2 viable options.  This past Sunday, my Dad came over and replanted them for me as well.  Thank God my parents have a green thumb! Here's hoping I do better with my Basil Plant 2.0

{three}
Oh Kale Yeah
One of my besties Anita is a Vegan and champion for the plant-based diet.  Over the past few months, I think I have seen her eat every type of vegetable the Whole Foods has to offer.  Most days at lunch, she entertains the questions of "what are you eating?" "did you make that?" and "that's kale, right?"  With Brad out of town this week, I decide to get some kale and give it a whirl.  Of course, Anita was thrilled and was armed with lots of tips.  Homemade kale chips here we come!

{four}
Kitchen Revamp.
As mentioned earlier this week, we had the interior of our house painted. With new paint, comes new decor!  In preparation for the new paint, I had picked up some new accessories for the foryer area and living room but completely forgot about the kitchen.  For some reason, I guess I thought that what I had decorated the tops of kitchen cabinets with back in 2007 was going to work with this new color.  Wrong!  As soon as I took these decorations down, I started to hate them.  That's how it is when you are redecorating - you instantly start to hate what you've had for years simply because you are so excited about the change.  Thanks to a few Visa gift cards I got for my birthday from my girlfriends & Home Goods, I was able to start revamping the Kitchen accessories immediately.  Lovin' the new look so far!

{five}
Last Day of Pumping!
I know, TMI.  Deal with it.  So, where's my medal?  We get a medal for doing this whole nursing & pumping for a year, right?  No medal? Oh, ok.  A prize?  We get a prize, right?  No prize?  What?  No medal, no prize, no nothing?  So, remind why I did this again?  Oh yeah, because I wanted to.

One thing that I have learned since the moment that I was pregnant is that motherhood is all about doing what works for you and sometimes simply just survival.  No matter what you do - natural childbirth vs epidural, breastfeeding vs formula or cosleeping vs sleep training etc - no one is going to give you "something" as a reward - no medal, no prize, no award.  All you get is the satisfaction knowing that you did the BEST THAT YOU COULD for you and your baby.  Seriously.  Think on it.  It's so easy to sit judgement of other mothers and what they are doing when you are having one of those supermom days yourself.  Believe me, I've done it more times than I would like to admit.  When fellow new moms or other pregnant women ask for advice, I've found myself telling them this: Do you what you can and what works for you and your family.  I made the decision to nurse Eloise as long as I could from the beginning.  I would take it day by day, week by week, and month by month.  Now that we are staring at the finishing line, I feel great that I made it this far and I'm ready to be done with whole nursing lifestyle completely in the coming weeks.  Real talk?  I may run my car over the pump just to show it who's boss for once.      

5 on Friday

{one}
Book of Mormon Soundtrack.

Brad & I saw Book of Mormon this past weekend after months of anticipation.  It lived up to all the hype!  We were cracking up throughout the entire performance.  All week long we have been singing the songs and watching you tube videos of the various songs.  I honestly don't know why we haven't just bought the soundtrack! 

{two}
Duck Dynasty started this week.

{three}
My Chocolate Peanut Butter Addiction goes to another level.
At the Farmer's Market at work this week, the bakery booth had Chocolate Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls.  Seriously.

{four}

Canada? Yes. As in the country right above us. Brad leaves today for a week long fishing trip with 2 of his brothers and some other friends. It's a total "man" trip as they bring minimal clothes, lots of gear, and make bets about who can grow a better beard in a week. You may be wondering why this is part of my 5 on Friday since it is Brad's trip. Well, to be frank...all I have heard about for the past few weeks leading up to today has been all about Canada. "I need this for Canada"..."This one time in Canada"..."When I'm away in Canada"..."I'll take care of that after Canada" and sometimes even, "the weather in Canada today is..." Gotta love your passion & excitement Bradley!  I hope all the hours of organizing fish tackle, sharpening filet knives, shopping at Bass Pro Shops, and practicing casting pays off and you have the wonderful trip that you deserve!  Try not to loose any fingertips like you did that one time in Canada.

{five}
Oh Daddy
Brad's dream is that when he returns from Canada that Eloise will do this...

Brad & I are obsessed with this video as well as many other "welcome home videos." 

We know it's weird.  We can't explain it.

5 on Friday

  

{one}
The month of August is National Breastfeeding Month and the week of August 1-7 was World Breastfeeding Week.  I feel very blessed that I have been able to breastfeed Eloise for her first year.  Those first few days or weeks were hard to say the least.  Making it to 6 months seemed like a lofty goal and making to 1 year seemed impossible.  Seeing that August is Eloise's birthday month, I find it a little kissmet that the month of August celebrates breastfeeding.  Not gonna lie, I'm glad that we are in the home stretch!

{two}
My name is Mandy & I'm a Striped shirt addict.

If this whole stripes explosion/nautical look goes away tomorrow, I'm screwed.  I will have nothing appropriate to wear.  I don't know how it happened but I have at least 5 black & white striped shirts that I've bought this summer.  Granted, they are all different styles, stripe widths, and looks.  Don't remind me about how I'm not supposed to wear horizontal stripes if I don't want to look wider.  I'm a sucker for a cute clothing trend!

{three}
Project Life Scrapbook
A few of the bloggers that I follow have been raving about this Scrapbook kit and I'm totally digging it.  I used to love to scrapbook and I have grand ideas for making one for Eloise's first year but I feel like I don't have the time to sit down and do it all.  It's hard enough editting photos, journalling about the week, and putting it all together in a blog let alone making a awesome scrapbook too.  This seems like a great compromise between doing nothing and making a scrapbook that lives up to the masterpiece I have created in my head.

{four}
RIP Basil Plant.
I don't what my problem is when ti comes to Basil Plants but I can't keep them alive to save my life! My parents made me my own personal herb garden for my birthday and everything else is thriving but that basil plant.  Dang.  Back to buying overpriced packages at the store. Any tips on how to keep suckers alive?

{five}
To say that I'm excited about Eloise's 1st birthday party is the understatement of the century.  I have planned out every detail, made my checklists, and cleaned up my secret Pinterest board chuck full of all my ideas and plans.  The invitations have gone out, the various party attire pieces ordered from Etsy have slowly been arriving, the decorations are in production, and the menu is being finalized.  Brad has been helping me plan and indulging in all my random party conversations.  My sister & I are having a sleepover next weekend with 2 goals in mind: complete a central decoration/craft for the party and finalize our game plan for the cake pops.  

5 on Friday

{one}
"Working out as a working mom is like a unicorn. It's a myth. It doesn't exist." - Sarah Thakur
THIS is why we are best friends.

{two}
Fall clothes for Eloise
Fall is my favorite clothes season, hands down.  I can't wait to dress Eloise in skinny jeans, cardigans, jean jackets, and hoodies!  I may even have to buy us matching outfits.  Carters had a great sale last week and I was able to stock up on some fall essentials.  Here are a few of the outfits that I got.

 

{three}
Frozen Waffles
My poor baby is getting her 1 year molars or at least that's what we think.  In lieu of her sticking her fingers deep in her mouth to chew, we have been giving her frozen waffles along with her dinner.  It seems to be helping and I'm grateful for all the fellow moms who recommended this!

{four}
Guided Access on my iPhone.
Before you want to judge us for letting our 11 month old daughter play with our phones, just try and keep a child calm while their bottle is warming or you are trying to give them antibiotics by syringe.  I read on another blog about the Guided Access option on the iPhone and instantly set up.  Nothing is more frustrating when your child deletes an app, email or photo from your phone because they are clicking and swiping away.  Here is how to set it up:
1. Settings>General>Accessibility>Turn on Guidded Access
2. Set a passcode
3. Open an app that you want to tun
4. Triple click the Home Button to start.  You will be prompted to turn it on. 
5. When you are done, triple click to turn it off.
Boom!  No more baby finger deleting disasters!

{five}
THIS
http://onenation.livenation.com/shows/exclusive-world-premiere/episodes/new-kids-on-the-block-exclusive-package-tour-video

...still obsessing over NKOTB

5 on Friday

{one}

NKOTB new album - 10.  

It happens every time after I go to a concert - I become obsessed.  I have to listen to all the songs on the new album as well as watch you tube videos from the concerts or music videos of the songs.

{two}

Post concert crazy.

Again, it happens every time after I go to a concert.  I'm not even halfway to my car after the show and I want to google the tour schedule to see where the next show is.  I start wheeling and dealing in my head about how can I get to said next show.  It's craziness but the best kind.

Donnie Wahlberg & guest Vanilla Ice

{three}

Cups by Anna Kendrick.

We are attempting to detox Eloise from Macklemore's Thrift Shopping for obvious reasons and this is Brad's choice. 

{four}

Baby Boys

Calm down.  No news to share.  I have baby boys on my mind because my BFF is expecting her 2nd child and it is a boy this time.  I'm throwing her a little Baby Sprinkle Brunch tomorrow and I can't wait.  My craft room, Pinterest searches, and never ending to do lists have been filled with all this baby boy. 

{five} 

Bibs.

Seriously.  I'm the hunt for good bibs that Eloise can't or won't try to yank off her neck the first chance she gets.  

5 on Friday

{one}
NKOTB 

My sister Laura & I are going to the New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) concert tonight and we have amazing seats, as always.  Believe me, we get made fun of so much for our devotion to all things NKOTB but we truly don't care what anyone says.  It represents more than a Girls Night Out or an homage to our childhood.  It is not a guilty pleasure by any means.  It is 2 sisters taking time out of their busy lives to drop everything & change schedules around to attend every show that comes through the Chicago area.  Note - we went to Indiana one time.  It is 2 sisters doing something they love with the one person in the world who understands it completely.  We have a couple ground rules for NKOTB shows:

1. Never have a budget or a limit on the price we will pay for good seats
2. Study up on the new music before the show. 
3. Don't drink alot of liquid before the show because bathroom breaks are not an option when NKOTB is on stage.
4. You have to buy some item of NKOTB swag.
5. Wear flats.
6. Donnie is mine; Jordan is Laura's.  No room for sharing.
7. Don't invite other people to the show because I'm sure they cannot follow the above listed rules.

{two}
RIP Cory Monteith
It broke my heart to hear the news of Cory Monteith dying this past weekend.  I immediately thought of Lea Michelle who has played his girlfriend on Glee and had that same role in real life.  I'm a huge sucker for a good love story, especially between 2 characters in real life.  I've loved Glee from the pilot episode and rooted for Finn & Rachel from the start.  The story of his death is so tragic as he was so talented. 



{three}
Infant-to-Toddler Rocker
When it comes to getting ready in the morning, it is all about containing and entertaining Eloise.  She has outgrown all "containment" items we have whether it be in size or interest.  I stumbled upon the Infant-to-Toddlet rocker when I doing some birthday present idea searching and thought it would be worth a try.  I know my older nieces still enjoy using this as Toddler so I was hopeful.  After the first try, I would say that Eloise gives it a thumbs up! 

{four}
Michael Kors bag.
I'm a sucker for monograms and initials.  When I was engaged, I was always eyeing all things Michael Kors because of the "MK" monogram that perfectly matched my initials for my perferred name - Mandy Kalins.  Much to my surprise, I got a sleek Michael Kors tote for my birthday from my mother-in-law.  I decided to deem it my at-work bag - the bag I bring to meetings, lunch, and errands around the hospital.  It's absolutely perfect!


{five}
1st Family Vacation.
We are stepping into unchartered territory tomorrow by going overnight for the first time with Eloise.  We are going to Timber Ridge Waterpark at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva.  Granted, it is only one night but it's still a big deal.  Wish us luck as we try to remember all the essentials, not bring too much, and try to have fun!

5 on Friday

Here we go again! 

I was bitten by the "link up" bug in May when I did the Blog Every Day in May Challenge so when one of my fave bloggers Sara posted about "5 on Friday" today, I couldn't resist.  5 on Friday couldn't be more perfect for Sew Snappy since all I have to do is blog about 5 things in my life...any 5 things.  I'm sure some weeks I could do a 50 on Friday but let's not get cocky. 

1. Throw it out!
This past week we were all about cleaning up and throwing stuff out.  I'm talking fill up those big black contractor bags to the brim type of clean up.  One of my favorite things to do is to throw stuff out so garbage day was heaven for me on Monday. 

2. Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.
We are obsessed with this song in our house - even the baby.  Let's be real - you are obsessed too.

3. Birthdays on the Brain
This week and next week involve mine & Brad's birthdays - July 9th & 15th respectively.  In our family, we do birthday weeks so it is non stop cards in the mail, using gifts cards, taking tissue paper out of the baby's mouth, and eating treats for 2 weeks straight!  With that said,  we are in full on birthday party planning mode as Eloise's 1st Birthday is next month.  Don't worry,  when it is all said & done, I will make my secret Pinterest board public for all the world to see.

4. Summer Fedora Hats
I love this look so I bought one this week.  How come I don't look as cute as Lauren Conrad or Jennifer Lopez like the big posters at Kohl's?  Is it my big head, curly hair, or both?  Hopefully I figure out how to rock this puppy and it doesn't collect dust here the rest of the summer.

5. Swim suit shopping still sucks
I don't know why I thought that I could slip on my swimsuits from last year and they would still fit after I squeezed in them at 30+ weeks pregnant last summer.  Stretched out is an understatement for what that bump did to my suits.  We are going away next weekend and I've been on the hunt for a cute "mom" suit. So far, lots of returned purchases. Maybe Eloise will let me borrow her suit...

Care to join in?  Click here for more info