Sticky Sapling

(This post is over a week late in the coming, but the activity concept was so fun that I want to shoot it out there to you all either way - before I forget about it and it gets lost in a pile of neglected blog "drafts".)

In honor of Tu B'Shvat, I broke out a new form of art for Freida. It was quite the hit! While I personally feel she was too old to truly reap the benefits of such an activity, she seemed to enjoy the tactile observation either way. Ideally, this is the perfect art form for a 2 year old; mess-free, removable, and extensively creative.

The general concept is contact paper. Simply tape a nice big sheet of contact paper on the wall - sticky side forward. Give your toddler enough art materials to get insanely creative with (feathers, foam cutouts, scraps of colored paper, sequins etc.), and demonstrate the method! Watch their little hands discover the world of sticky goodness, and explore the properties of weight and layout. They'll learn so much from this activity, and you'll definitely get a nice chunk of time to yourself!

I gave Frieda a pile of brown paper squares, and a stack of colorful paper leaves. After some simple directions she went ahead to create her own tree! I was excited when I realized how capable she was! And the best part is when they come up with ideas on their own - she asked me if I could cut out some red apples for her to add to the mix! And after she finished her tree, she proceeded to request materials to make a "flower garden" (I stuck up some more contact paper, cut out some paper flowers, and cut up a few pipe cleaners to use as stems)! Nothing like schepping creative nachas! :)

Growing Gowns

My sister has been on a very long quest for an evening dress to wear to her girlfriends wedding this month, and all her shopping got me thinking about evening maternity wear... Somehow, both during my pregnancy with Freida and this time 'round, I haven't had an event that called for formal evening wear or a gown. But, I'd imagine it must be thrilling and exciting to create something wondrous to show-off that goddess-like baby bump! Happened upon this image of Gisele doing a maternity shoot for Vogue, and I'm just swooning over the natural and flowing texture - perfect for relaying the message of woman and her mysterious miracles.

For more maternity formal wear inspiration check out this star-studded lineup of red-carpet worthy looks!

Nature Babies

Naturally, I've got babies on my mind... and these images of newborn baby animals popping up all over Pinterest have surprisingly got my heart smothered in mama-love.

If any of you are swooning over these teeny-tiny animal features like I am, check out the Sharon Montrose shop (I mentioned it previously here) for a modern menagerie of baby animal photography - worthy of even the most sleek and svelte homes!

Yeah, it's baby fever. :)

Fruit Squeeze

I've been feeling super thirsty these last few weeks. Almost as thirsty as when I'm nursing! I find myself constantly craving shots of ice cold juicy fruit, carbonated splashers, and plain ol' ice water... all. day. long. While I've been drinking about a gallon of water daily during this pregnancy, it suddenly seems to not be quite enough! I want juice and sweet, tart, shots of sugary goodness.

My husband did a little impromptu grocery run last week to the health food store, and brought home the most delicious and refreshing frozen treats! Jolly Lama Squeeze Ups are made of all fresh, whole ingredients that create the most silkily satisfying shot of sorbet. He was struck by the kosher symbol, natural ingredients, but mostly, the mod graphics. :) Anyways, we've sure been enjoying them - Freida's hooked. And it's a far better freezer treat for a kid than any of the other "natural" pops out there. Plus, I've been polishing off pregnant-sized boxes of them!

You can check them out at your local Whole Foods, Sprouts, and other stores that carry a variety of healthier fare. They're really worth a try - especially if you're a sorbet lover! Plus, how quirkily great is that name?? :)

LOVE.

There's no denying that this little equation is the absolute best thing about love!

While browsing the web this afternoon, I came across 3 lovely love-themed things I'd love to share:

So many one-liners I'd love to type up for these little felted fortune cookies!

These love-struck brownies have got to be the easiest V-day dessert ever!

I would just swoon over getting one of these in the mail!

Hope you were all able to spend some special time together with you love today...