A due date poem

sriracha baby due date

Twas Baby B’s due date and all through my belly,
the creature was still stirring and his mom was a nervous nelly.
The babe’s clothes were washed in Dreft with care,
In hopes his little tush would soon be there.

I struggle every night moving side to side in my bed,
While visions of labor and delivery dance in my head.
And papa in his camo, and I still gestating,
Had just settled in for one more week of waiting.

As we wait to spring into action, the final countdown is on,
The next few days certainly won’t be a yawn.
The doc gave us hope as he went out of sight,
“Soon Baby B will be here, and all will be right.”

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Gift guide 2013: TOP 10 UNDER $20

It is December and the days are winding down for the year which can only mean one thing – you need to get going on your holiday shopping if you haven’t started.

Since Baby B is making his arrival any day now (you hear me little guy!), I have not procrastinated in this area. But if you have, don’t fret, I have put together this year’s ULTIMATE TOP 10 UNDER $20 GIFT GUIDE:

giftguide2013: Under20

initial mug / wine bottle holder / reusable tote / gem gloves / soaps
leather card case / necklace / ballet flats / bubbly / monogram cards

Keep an eye on the blog for more gift guides to come over the next few weeks!

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Scone baking 101

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone…

There is a lot to be thankful for this year, and we are so blessed that we were able to celebrate with friends and family over the long weekend.

Branstad Family Christmas tree 2013[cutting down the 2013 Branstad family Christmas tree]

Beaverdale Confections hot cocoa + marshies[cocoa and marshies from Beaverdale Confections]

Pumpkin Pie[the perfect pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving]

Elf on the Shelf 2013[Winnie the Elf is back!]

The lit Christmas tree 2013[relaxing before the little guy makes his grand entrance]

But it’s back to life, back to reality – back to counting down the days until Baby B arrives. Which is at three if you lost count!

Over the long weekend I also had the chance to learn how to make homemade scones from our favorite chef, Sharon Van Verth. She took time out of her busy holiday schedule and shared some great tips. These would make the perfect Christmas morning breakfast option served with gourmet coffee or tea and hot chocolate.

Scone baking 101

Blueberry Scones Recipe card[click recipe card for printable PDF]

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DIY wooden arrows

Brrr! That was quite the cold promenade, but I left with this from Eden along with a belly full of gingerbread cookies and warm cider, so it was definitely worth the frigid temps.

East Village Holiday Promenade 2013

On Saturday I tagged along as the Bean went to visit the big guy in the red suit at the mall. She loved him so much – can you tell?

Sid and Santa 2013[besties]

In the eve, we snuggled up to a warm fire to watch Christmas Vacation for the thousandth time.

Christmas Vacation 2013[Karl has it rough, right?]

We are inching ever so close to Baby B’s due date (December 5) and the nesting is in full force. I packed a whole lot into Sunday – see for yourself:

Catching Fire[Caught an early matinee – love me some Katniss]

Molasses cookies[baked heavenly molasses cookies via Short Order Mom]

Nursery artwork[finally hung the artwork in the nursery]

Last but not least, I completed a little project that I’ve been meaning to do for some time – DIY wooden arrows to put up as artwork in the little guy’s nursery. I got the idea from a few different sources (here and here) and made it my own.

DIY wooden arrows

Supplies (all purchased via Jo-Ann Fabric and Michael’s):
two 1/4″ dowels
box cutter or x-acto knife

embroidery thread
a pack of feathers
hot glue gun
gold Sharpie
a small wooden star

DIY wooden arrows: supplies

Cut the dowels in half using your box cutter (or an x-acto knife). Trim the ends of the feathers (I used three on each) then affix to the end of the dowel using the hot glue gun. After dried, use glue gun to adhere end of embroidery thread to the end of your arrow and wrap around over the feather ends. Continue wrapping and gluing with various colors. For the tip, cut off triangles from a wooden star. Color it in with gold Sharpie then attach to the end of the dowel using the hot glue gun.

DIY wooden arrows: full view

And voilà – you have yourself four DIY wooden arrows ready to be hung!

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It’s the holiday season

I know this is going in my stocking, but I just had to try it on first.

Pave link bracelet

[My new bit of sparkle goes perfectly with my 38 week baby bump]

And guess what else came in the mail the other day all the way from London? The pair of Joules wellies that I won via my gal Kiley’s blog, a sequin dress and breakfast, and they are absolutely adorable! Bring on the rain and slushie snow weather.

Joules wellies[Joules navy spot wellyprint]

It’s time to get a little festive tomorrow as I plan to waddle around downtown during the East Village Promenade. This annual event is just the ticket to kick-off the holiday season and do a little shopping while you’re at it. My list of must hit stores are: Eden, AllSpice and Ephemera.

2013promenade

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All linked up

Turducken was a complete success! The three birds never tasted so good and I’d like to think I had a hand in that. I mean, I did literally hold the bird together while Marcus stitched ‘er up.

Turducken decor[the tablescapes + a turkey veggie tray]

Turducken 2013: before[Turducken 2013: before]

Turducken 2013: after[Turducken 2013: after]

My co-worker came in today talking about the snazzy bracelet she just picked up at Target and how it was on sale this week via Cartwheel. (If you haven’t started to use this app, I highly suggest it!) I’ve had my eye on a J.Crew version forever but just couldn’t deal with the sticker shock. Enter the newest splurge vs. steal scenario:

SplurgeVSSteal_linkbracelet

J.Crew vs. Target ]

Looks like the perfect stocking stuffer to me!

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Three bird Sunday

Thank you moms who responded to my call for help packing the perfect hospital bag. I added two items that may or may not get used:

hospital bag items[gown options and cozy socks via Target]

And as far as what Baby B will be wearing home from the hospital – you’ll have to stay tuned!

This weekend is our annual turducken feast and we could not be more excited. A couple of weeks ago there was an article in The Des Moines Register about whether or not turducken was a real thing, so of course I had to respond.

Turducken in The Des Moines Register[full article here]

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

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But what will he wear

Yes, I did start putting up decorations this weekend, and I don’t feel guilty about it. One less thing to worry about in the weeks leading up to Baby B’s arrival.

Holiday decor 2013

This past weekend I also started working on getting my hospital bags packed. One for me and one for Baby B. Here’s what I’m bringing along so far:

FOR ME
Clothes: (I plan to stay in the hospital gown – or one of my own if I find one I like – and my robe the majority of the time. Just doesn’t make sense to me to create more laundry for myself when I get home.)
Natori robe
Going home outfit (Loose pants + tank + cozy cardi)
Nursing tank
Nursing bra
Sized up undies
Ugg Tasman slippers
Tory Burch flip flops

Personal items:
Shampoo/conditioner/body wash
Burt’s Bees facial wipes
Lotion (face/body)
Chapstick
Deodorant
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Makeup
Lanolin
Nursing pads
Ponytail holder
Fun headbands

Extras:
iPhone + charger
iPad + charger
Camera + charger
DVDs (White Christmas + Home Alone)
Rifle notepads (thanks Erin!)/pen
Pearhead baby book

FOR BABY B
Going home outfit**
Boppy
Aden+Anais muslin swaddle
Pottery Barn Kids blanket
Car seat carrier

Current moms, did I miss anything? What did you bring that you didn’t need or forget that you wished you would have brought?

**Speaking of Baby B’s going home outfit – I thought I would ask you guys which one you liked better. You know, get a little more input on such a life altering decision (har, har).

Baby B going home outfit

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Glitz and gold

The Accents + Interiors open house was a hit, but I managed to walk out of there empty-handed. I tried to purchase something, but just couldn’t pull the trigger.

accents+interiors-holiday2013

In Baby B world, I’m 36 weeks and 1 day (yes, that day is important) and as Marcus would put it “gestating like a pro.” Things are getting real people. I had our car seat properly installed yesterday at Bob Brown Chevrolet. Did you know that on the first Thursday of every month they have a certified child passenger safety tech on hand to help properly install your seat free of charge? Check that off the list!

Due to the little guy’s impending arrival at the beginning of December, I’ve been focused on getting as much Christmas shopping done in advance as possible. It has also crossed my mind that maybe, just maybe, I should start decorating around the house earlier too. I know, it’s a bit crazy, but I do love my holiday decor and why shouldn’t I get to enjoy it a little longer this year? The tree ritual will stay the same though – picking it up the day after Thanksgiving – but it can’t hurt to have a few glitzy, golden touches popping up a little early, right?

In need to picking up a few new festive decoration items in preparation for the upcoming holiday season? These picks would fit in seamlessly with my sparkling, rustic decor:

GoldenHolidays[1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9]

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Open house

I took full advantage of the extra hour we earned this past weekend and managed to get all sorts of things done:

Chex Mix Pumpkin Spice[tried out the pumpkin spice chex mix]

daylight savings snuggles[daylight saving time snuggles]

putting my feet up[me and my bump: putting my feet up]

Yesterday, I had the privilege to be a part of a Lunch-N-Learn at Des Moines University where I work. Our amazing Wellness department hosts noon hour presentations about different health topics and this session was about light holiday entertaining. As part of the program, I showed attendees how to create quick and easy tablescapes on a budget. Here’s how they turned out:

Thanksgiving tablescape[fall tablescape: bringing the outside in]

Christmas tablescape[christmas tablescape: pears, clipped evergreen branches and dollar store ornaments]

The holidays are upon us, and so are the store open houses that go along with it. Tomorrow I will be checking out Accents + Interiors annual holiday soiree. Their shop has everything from unique kitchen linens to little kids gear. And at 20% off – what’s not to love?! The event (and discount) will run through the weekend.

accentsinteriors

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