Five on Friday: Chistmas-y things

How in the world it's already December 18, I have no idea. This Christmas season has just absolutely flown and I feel like we haven't really done the Christmas-y things we usually do! (Other than watch Love Actually: that is a must. Anyway.) We've been so busy with work, making progress in the nursery, and a smattering of Christmas events that I would love to have a weekend to just relax in our own home, sit by the tree sipping hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies but I don't think it's in the cards this year. Maybe next year when we have a 10 month old?? (HA!)

ONE. 
Being in my third trimester, I didn't have the energy to put up alllll the Christmas decor I normally do. Notably absent: our second Christmas tree, aka the "fun" tree with all our random ornaments from over the years. Truly, it was more the thought of me taking everything down at 36 weeks pregnant that sealed the deal for fewer decorations than normal! But here's our tree and stockings: THREE little stockings this year! So exciting.

TWO. 
Christmas Cards are my FAVORITE! I hope this tradition never, ever goes away. Or goes to an all-eCard format. Oh, the horror! Our cards are en route from Shutterfly as we speak and I plan to bust them out over the weekend.

Our cards and Advent calendar/tree

THREE. 
Parties, parties everywhere. Between company parties, cookie swaps, book clubs and family stuff, 'Tis The SEASON for sweets and overeating. Gotta say: living gluten free definitely removes a lot of the temptation!

FOUR. 
The nursery is really taking shape! I can't wait to get it all done, but for now I'm happy with the progress we've made in such a short amount of time (about 5 weeks). All the furniture has arrived, it's painted, I've found a rug I don't hate and the decor is starting to come together. When it's done, I know it will be my favorite room in the house.

FIVE. 
Here's a sneak peek at our maternity photos (that doubled as our Christmas card shoot). It was fun to document this sweet season with a pregnant belly and I know we will cherish these photos forever! Will share the rest soon :)

ENJOY the last week before Christmas and remember the reason for the season!
xo
KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

Five on Friday: almost Turkey Day!

What a week! I am tired, y'all.


ONE.
Baby gifts are starting to arrive! We've had several gifts arrive this week, since my shower is this weekend in Florida. The nursery and baby girl's closets are filling up fast!

TWO.
Speaking of the nursery: thanks to the helping hands of my mom, stepdad and brother, we were able to knock out the nursery paint over the weekend! And Alex and my stepdad Dave built her this awesome closet. So excited to fill those rods with sweet little outfits.

THREE.
Each year as part of my job, my team plans a huge fundraiser with an even huger budget. For the last 2 years, I have been the lead project manager for the event and while it's super fun, it's super stressful. The event was held this past week and it went so great - like the best yet (that I've been there for). My brother was still in town, so he got to see me "in action" and it was special to have both him and the hubs there for support!

FOUR.
My mom and I picked out the glider over the weekend for the nursery - her gift to baby girl! We chose a glider/recliner combo (Alex is very excited about the recliner feature), plus an ottoman because I thought that would be easier with a sleeping babe in my arms. This is the style, but not the color. Can't wait to get it in about 5 weeks!

FIVE.
We are en route to FLORIDA today for a lot of fun stuff: baby shower this weekend, babymoon next week, lots of family time and my favorite holiday! I am so looking forward to turning off my work email for the next 8 days and to R E L A X. Bring on the sunshine!

xo
KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

Five on Friday!

Another week bites the dust! Here are a few things making me SMILE this Friday:

ONE.
If you need a good happy cry, watch this video. 9/11 remembrance + old Golden + pregnancy hormones = I'm sobbing. Where are the tissues??


TWO.
I just bought this cradle/bassinet, Pottery Barn bedding, mobile and rug off a local Facebook page for $45! This is the first real purchase for baby, so it's a big deal! Can't wait to pick it up this afternoon. It might need a new paint job but for $45, I'm up for it!

THREE.
Sometimes, I drive by Goodwill and it calls my name. You just never know what you can find in there, and that's what happened last weekend. On a whim, I popped in and found these vintage bronze Chinoiserie sconces that I think I'm going to paint. I also randomly found the exact doormat insert that I needed to replace the one we had that the H had faded off it! I love cheap thrills.

FOUR.
This is a little late, but we had a yard sale two weekends ago to get rid of the stuff that had been occupying the two closets that are in the soon-to-be nursery. I was super proud of A for parting with a lot of old golf stuff, his PlayStation, and a lot of clothes. The sale was so successful: we sold nearly everything and made almost $900!! That's a great chunk of change for the nursery, plus we ousted a ton of junk!

FIVE.
Tomorrow is game day #2 for the Gators. I was impressed with the big win last weekend, but it was over NM State, so who knows how we'll fare against SEC opponents beginning next weekend. All I know is that we only had ONE penalty the whole game: a marked improvement over a typical Muschamp-era game. Excited that the new Coach Mac era is here!

Happy weekending!
xo
KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

Five on Friday: Birthday Edition

Happy Friday!! So many things to be happy about today, one of which is of course that we're heading into a long weekend! And another is that it's SEPTEMBER: my favorite month. September brings my birthday, college football, all things pumpkin and fall, and (fingers crossed) slightly cooler weather. What's not to love?

Yesterday was my 31st birthday and even though I had to work, it was a great day! Hubby made it extra special for me and I went to sleep last last thinking about how good life is.

ONE.

I started my birthday yesterday morning with a quick photo shoot with my bump and my pups. Yesterday was a weird day, since I had to work and then it was game day for the Gamecocks and everything in Cola shuts down! But it was still a great birthday spent with thoughtful coworkers, festive friends and a sweet husband. Alex took me out to lunch and then I got off work a teeny bit early to run home and throw together an app for a football watching party at some friends' house. 

TWO.
When I got home from work, Alex surprised me with flowers and a sweet little birthday set-up in the kitchen (note the sweet potato, representing baby!). He also wowed me by swiffering, vacuuming and mopping the floors: acts of service is my love language, y'all. Best gift ever!

THREE. 
As quick as we could get there, we headed over to watch the Gamecocks with some friends (6pm kickoff on a Thursday is tough to make!). I brought some de-alcoholized wine so I at least felt like I was part of the festivities! And A had picked up some seriously delicious Gluten Free chocolate cupcakes from Whole Foods to share with the gang. 

FOUR.
When we got home late after the game, I opened my gift from Alex: these gorgeous Pandora stacking rings! I love that I can wear them alone or a few at a time. Guess I need to get a manicure now!

FIVE. 
The best part of the day was falling asleep and feeling Baby H moving around in there! The last 3 days, I have finally felt the baby and known for sure that it's the baby (not food digesting or gas, ha!). He or she has been so active and it's amazing to feel that little babe from the inside! Life is so good and we are  so blessed.


Happy Labor Day weekend!
xo
Kristin  

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

Five on Friday: Lilly Sale + more

Another week down! And what a doozie! The last two weeks at work have been absolutely nuts - just two of those weeks where all of your quarterly or every-other-month meetings seem to collide, you know? Suffice it to say that it's been hectic, but everything went well - now if only I could reward myself with a nice crisp glass of Chardonnay.

ONE.
The Lilly sale! The Lilly sale! What did you get? I kind of freaked out when I refreshed the page promptly at 8am and was already 27,000+ in line, but it went smoother than in years past in my opinion. Once I finally got in, I felt like I actually could breath and take a little time before compulsively checking out (plus I didn't want to get sent to the end of the line again!). I bought a few things for myself and a few gifts, including two baby Lilly outfits...just in case Baby H is a girl. If not, I'll keep them to gift to a friend. I just couldn't help it!

TWO.
The Land Before Time...yep, that low-budge dino movie from our youth. Hubs and I were in Target the other day, walked past the DVDs, and there is was on the front rack for $4.50. He held it up and gave me a look that said "This is now ours." We watched it a few days ago and it's just as sad as it ever was! Flashback to the late 80s!

THREE.
Last weekend, I unpacked gobs of borrowed maternity clothes from two of my besties, and y'all: they hooked. me. up. No joke, I have literally 75+ pieces of maternity clothing now - which is a good thing, since I'm rapidly growing out of my normal clothes. Most of the clothes are pretty casual so I'll probably need a few things for work, but it is such a blessing to have all the staples!

FOUR.
Football season is near! The college season actually kicks off on my birthday, September 3: double the fun! Alex usually goes to all of the home games here with his recruits who are in town, but I'm thinking I'll stay home most Saturdays and watch from the comfort of my air-conditioned home. Saturdays in the South + pregnancy don't play nice. I think we're going to make it down to Gainesville to catch a few Gator games this year too, which of course makes me happy! The Swamp feels like home to me!

FIVE.
My mom has been sending intermittent care packages for me, A and the baby and her latest this week about brought me to tears. She sent a series of children's books and they were all labeled: "My First Gamecock Book," "My First Gator Book, "My First Palmetto State Book," "My First Sunshine State Book," and so on. I love how creative she is and that Baby H already has a little library!

Happy weekend!

xo

KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

Five Lessons Learned in the First Trimester

Praise the Lord, we made it out of the First Trimester! I am now 15 weeks 4 days and feeling great (although I was pretty lucky and didn't feel all that bad even at my roughest). I'm by no means an expert, but I learned a lot in the first trimester.

ONE.
After 18 months of hoping and praying, seeing that plus sign was euphoric. But I was instantly suspicious. Is this real? Is this really happening? Is it going to "stick"?  For the first several days (maybe even the first few weeks) that I knew I was pregnant but didn't have any symptoms, it was hard to imagine that there was a tiny life inside me. But from what I've read, it's completely normal for it to take awhile for it to really set in that you're pregnant.

Five Weeks: when I was still in a state of disbelief. 

TWO.
Once the symptoms set it around 6 weeks, I was no longer doubtful that there was a tiny thing in there. I instantly jumped to the next bra size, felt like I was constantly hungover, and was SO TIRED I didn't think I could make it through the work day. But the most frustrating thing was feeling like none of my clothes fit! My boobs had gotten bigger, and although I knew it was wayyy too soon to be showing, my pants were tighter. Apparently, pregnancy bloat is really common and it's to blame for a wardrobe that suddenly feels like it's for a much smaller person. For me, it went away for a few weeks and then was replaced by a little bump.

THREE.
By Week 10, I had learned to live with the constant state of exhaustion, the ever-present feeling of queasiness and the extreme hunger that would strike out of nowhere. But around this time, I started to have days where I had no symptoms whatsoever, and it freaked me out. Apparently, this is also totally normal and I wish I would have embraced the days I felt great instead of stressing about my sudden burst of energy. 


FOUR. 
Pregnancy food cravings are real. And so are aversions. That's all I'll say about that.

FIVE. 
Seeing our baby (for us, at 9 weeks) and hearing the heartbeat (at 13 weeks) for the first time was incredible. I didn't cry - I laughed! Alex and I both were in a pure state of joy to see our baby bouncing around in there. It was suddenly so real that there was a tiny human in there - a person. Life is truly a miracle! By the time we had our first ultrasound at 9 weeks, I was certainly "feeling" pregnant, but seeing that tiny miracle was the moment it all changed I think. I felt like a mommy for the first time and the feeling was amazing.


What about you? How was your first trimester? If you're currently pregnant, let me know - I want to follow others' pregnancy progress as my belly gets bigger! :)

xo
KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

Friday, yay!

Friday is just the best day, isn't it? More than the fact that it's Friday, I'm happy August is here! Yes, I know we've still got some dog days of summer coming at us but the end of this cruel, cruel summer is near: I can't take many more 100+ degree days, y'all. I know Columbia is #FamouslyHot, but this is ridiculous!

ONE. 
In the spirit of continuing to make improvements to our home, we had our gutters replaced a few weeks ago on one side of our house, which happened to be the only place on our house that we had gutters, period. We decided to spring for LeafGuard, the kind you don't have to clean out, because we have a big scary tree over the gutter that drops all kinds of junk throughout the year and led to the previous gutter's demise. Well, when I got home the day they were installing the gutter, I was a little confused to see the sparkling new gutter...on the wrong side of the house. After a quick phone call, they told us they'd come and correct their mistake and they did within 2 days. Bonus for us? They left the mistaken gutter since it was already in place so we got Two for One gutters! I'll take that all day long! (Please excuse how excited I am over GUTTERS. I really am an adult.)

TWO.
I have baby tomatoes in my garden! This is crazy, guys - I've NEVER grown actual fruit or veggies all by myself! It will be a small harvest but it's a start. (And clearly I have something eating the leaves - better check into that.)

THREE. 
We enjoyed a few days at Edisto Beach, SC last weekend. Alex has been traveling SO MUCH for work this summer that it was nice to have a few days to relax with him and just let time slow down. We had some pics taken on the beach with the pups while we were there and I can't wait to share!!

FOUR.
THIS. Pumpkin and fall scents are back at B&BW. Enough said.

FIVE.
Big announcement coming tomorrow so check back! Eeeeeek!  :)

Happy weekending!

xo, 

KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

It's a Friday in the summer - what more could you want?

Whew, another week down! I'm still lucky enough to not be working on Fridays, which has been lifechanging. It is so nice to wake up on Friday morning and not do anything other than think about what errands I need to run, what household tasks I need to do, or what show on Netflix I'm going to watch next. But enough bragging ;)

ONE.
We got our foundation fixed last week and lemme tell ya, the cost is NOT one of the things I'm happy about this Friday! However, the fact that the two doors to our two guest bedrooms easily open and close might have been worth the exorbitant cost. Or at least half of it. No more sticking doors!! And the house doesn't sound like a giant is walking across the floor anymore, either. Still - sometimes being an adult is hard. There are a lot of other things I'd have liked to spend that money on!

TWO.
Figs, figs everywhere! Our tree is exploding with tiny ripe fruit. I'm sharing with neighbors, coworkers and friends as fast as I can before they all fall off! 

THREE. 

My mom sent me the BEST care package of gluten free goodies this week!  (Gotta love Amazon PrimePantry!). Crackers, wannabe pop tarts, cake and brownie mixes, mac and cheese, pasta - you name it! She is the best :) 

FOUR. 

I just love heckling out library books! There's something's very old school about it, and I love the way a plastic-wrapped hardback creaks when you open it. Diving into and old classic and a new find this week! Go Set A Watchman is next! 

FIVE. 

Getting ready for another girls weekend this weekend and this is just a portion of the food and bevvies I'm bringing. There is never a shortage of food on a girls' weekend!  Looking forward to a weekend of laughs, catching up and lotsa good with some good girlfriends! 

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci!