Friday Favorites: Minted

It's no secret that I enjoy sending (and receiving) real mail. December is such a fun month to check the mail because we get a steady stream of adorable cards coming our way. I enjoy all the cards but the photo cards are my favorites. I love all of the seeing sweet, smiling faces! This year I noticed a few cards we received, and a few shared in the blog world were ordered through Minted, and they were all so nice!

I have spent a little lot of time browsing the Minted website since the holidays, and they have some amazing cards and other stationary for other events too. I loved planning our wedding. I wish I had known about Minted back when we got married, because their wedding stationary is great, starting with save the date cards. Here are a few of my favorites.

Many of the designs, including the one above, are available in different formats, including magnets

Of course, I love the cards with photos. For a save the date card I think a photo can be really helpful for friends and family who may not know either the bride or groom.

I also like that there are multiple options for the back of the card, or inside if you do folded cards.

My preference is for photo cards, but I wanted to share a few of the no photo options too. Each card has a few color options, and most coordinate with wedding invitations

I had to include this one because we got a very similar designed invitation to a Christmas party this year and it was beautiful. The paper was a nice quality and the colors were great.

A little Minnesota love...

I really love the timeline option for the inside of this card.

And, really, how cute are the envelopes?!

With my wedding over, I have my eye on a few other Minted pieces, like the Valentine's Day cards (and classroom valentines), birthday party invitations, notebooks, and the Mommy calling cards (or more traditional business cards).

Because these are a few of my favorites, I'm linking up with Katie for Friday Favorites today. Head on over to see some of her Minted favorites too!

Full Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Minted, but all opinions are completely my own.

Friday Favorites: Baby Gear

Today I'm linking up with Katie with some Friday Favorites. I thought I would share a few of my very favorite baby items and a few cute baby photos that I haven't gotten to share yet :)

2 Weeks

I've mentioned that Baby C, even more than her big sisters LOVES to be swaddled. We have swaddled all three girls to sleep for close to the first year. At night we use the I use the Summer Infant Swaddle Me wraps. The newborn swaddle wraps we used with Miss A and Little J were fleece, so I picked up a few cotton ones for Baby C because she was a summer baby. We've been using all of them like crazy over here. I love these for bedtime because the velcro keeps them tight all night. Baby C is starting to outgrow the small size, so I recently picked up a Miracle Blanket. We tried it one night, and it wasn't great, but I think I will like it more when Baby C is bigger. For now I'm sticking with the velcro!

During the day, I use aden and anais swaddle wraps. I use them to wrap up Baby C for naps (or just to keep her happy), to clean her (and me) up when she spits, to cover her up in the sun and anything else I might need them for. We didn't have these for Miss A, but I picked some up before we took Little J to Mexico and they're probably my most used baby item since then. And my go to baby shower gift.

All of my girls have been pacifier babies (although Baby C also seems to really like her hand). We went through a few brands of pacifiers with Miss A before finding one we (well, really she) liked, Avent. The other girls have followed suit, loving the same ones, and not liking others very much.

6 Weeks

So far my favorites are following along with The Happiest Baby on the Block ideas, and the next one does too. We have a bunch of baby seats, but the one that we use the most is our Fischer Price Take Along Swing. It doesn't appear that Target carries anything similar online now, but it is pretty much the most basic swing they had when Miss A was born. I use it all the time. I move it around the main floor as needed. Baby C swings in the bathroom while I shower, in the kitchen while I cook and in the dining room when we eat dinner. She's even swinging now while I finish up this post.

Besides swinging, Baby C also likes to be carried. Before I had kids, I remember my neighbor carrying her younger daughter in a Baby Bjorn a lot. So when we registered, I registered for the same one. I liked it, and carried Miss A in it for a long time when she was a baby. I think I stopped using it when she was about 9 months old, mostly because it was winter and then I was pregnant again. I used it again with Little J, but as she got bigger it hurt my back. I really loved being able to carry her, so I ended up getting and Ergo. Best decision! I love my Ergo. I carried Little J in it until she was close to 2, and might have continued had I not gotten pregnant again. I am using it a lot with Baby C too. We also have a variety of strollers, but I like being able to snuggle her a little while still chasing after her big sisters. I also love that it has a pocket so I can carry a few essentials. Also, if we have a lot of walking to do (like the State Fair) we can keep Miss A and Little J in the double stroller and still have a way to carry Baby C. And I don't get any weird looks pushing a double stroller while wearing another kid ;).

3 Weeks... Our changing table has great light for photos :)

Any baby products you love for yourself or to give as gifts?

Friday Favorites 4

I'm linking up with Katie again today to share a few of my favorite things from this week!

I bought a few prints from Recipe for Crazy during a flash sale this spring, and finally got them ready to go up in the girls' rooms this week.  The Fierce print is going up in Baby C's room, and the Brave print is going in Miss A and Little J's room.

Since the arrival of Baby C, we have been super spoiled by friends.  Often when our friends have come to meet our new little lady, they've also brought some sweet gifts and lots of food.  Seriously, I think the best way to take care of a family with a new baby is with food.  A couple of my former co-workers stopped by this week and brought the sweet sisters frame above.  I can't wait to get a picture of my three girls in there!  They also brought these cool Sticker Doodle books for Miss A and Little J.  The girls think they're awesome (and I agree... they're great for keeping the girls busy with something quiet when I'm feeding the baby).  They also brought lunch, with lots of fresh fruit and veggies, and left the extra with us.  So thankful for those two, and everyone else who has kept us fed over the past few weeks!

Baby C's announcements also came this week.  In the digital world I know it is a little silly to send out birth announcements, but I love sending (and receiving) real mail.  I ordered these postcard style birth announcements through Pear Tree Greetings, and I am really happy with how they turned out!

Baby C and I also got a night out at the Minnesota Children's Museum this week.  The museum hosted a happy hour for the Smart Play Ambassadors, and it was really nice to sit and chat with other adults, while enjoying some good food and my first glass of wine since late November.  The MCM has so many fun things going on, and the staff is so great to work with.  I'm so thankful I've been able to be a part of the Smart Play Ambassadors program this year!  Baby C and I have another night out planned for tonight, this time heading to Cafe Latte with a friend.  I can't wait!

Favorite Twin Cities Kid Spots: Warm Weather Edition

I'm linking up with Katie for Friday Favorites today, sharing some of my favorite places to go with the little ones during the summer.  What are your favorite places to visit in the summer?  We're always looking for new ideas.

Nature Centers: My favorite nature center that we've been to is the Tamarack Nature Center.  It's only a few years old, and a spot we make sure to visit every summer.  In fact, we've been twice this week.  There is a big area for kids with a big rock climbing area, a stream and a wooded/log area.  I really like that everything is hands on.  For example, in the stream there are a lot of little rocks and sticks around so kids can build dams and see how it changes the water's path.  There are also walking paths, with one that goes through woods and a prairie area, and it's short enough for both girls to walk on their own.  I also really like the Dodge Nature Center.  The girls and I visited for the first time last fall, and it's a place I hope to get back to soon.  I think I tracked our walk there at 1.5 miles, and both girls were able to do that on their own.  We stopped along the walk for some breaks to check out a pond and a small farm with a bunch of animals.

Lake Elmo Park Reserve:  There's a lot to do at the Lake Elmo Park Reserve, but our main reason for visiting is the man-made, filtered swimming pond.  A daily permit for a car is $5, not bad at all.  The pond is great because there's a sandy beach, but otherwise it's more like a pool.  There's an area of the pond that only gets to 4 feet deep which is also great for having the little ones.

Como Regional Park Pool:  This is close to our house (big bonus!) and super nice.  The pool has a really great area for kids that is zero entry, with some splash pad like areas, space to swim and three little water slides.  There's also a regular lap swim style pool, a pool with a zip line and "cliff" to jump off, as well as a lazy river.  A family (up to 5 people) pays $20 at the most, so it's not super expensive, but also not somewhere we go all the time.  It's great for a couple of visits each summer.  Earlier this summer the girls and I went in the morning for a couple hours with friends, then went back with E for an hour or so in the evening.  That worked really well for us.

Como Zoo: Another place that's really close to us.  It's just about the right size for Miss A and Little J right now.  We actually haven't visited the bigger Minnesota Zoo with the girls yet because Como works so well for us right now.  My grandma was a huge carousel fan, so I also love Cafesjian's Carousel at the zoo.  Last summer they also opened a new playground at the park next to the zoo which the girls enjoy.

Horse Tracks:  We have two horse racing tracks in the Twin Cities area.  Canterbury Park and Running Aces Harness Park.  At first these might not sound like the best places for kids (and for some people maybe they're not) but we've always had a really good time going as a family.  Of the two, my preference is for Canterbury Park.  There's a play area for the kids all the time, and Sundays are family days with extra activities (like pony rides) for the kids.  Overall, there's a lot of space to run around and a lot to see.  The girls, especially Little J love being able to see so many "orsies."

Teddy Bear Park:  This is a super cute park in Stillwater, so it's a bit of a drive, but worth at least one visit each summer.  There are a lot of things for littler kids to play on, as well as a play structure for bigger kids, and some cliffs to climb next with sand below to play in (and for a soft landing).

Minnehaha Falls:  I've always love water falls, so having such a beautiful spot right in the Twin Cities is great.  It's a great park for walks and just hanging out (we even had family pictures taken there a couple years ago).  I'm not a sea food lover, but I know Sea Salt Eatery is a big hit with those who are.  I believe there's also a nice wadding pool/splash pad area, but we haven't made it there yet.

Puppet Wagon:  A nearby suburb has a puppet wagon that travels around to the city's parks each week during the summer.  You watch a short puppet show, then the kids get a turn to try out the puppet wagon themselves.  Puppet wagon + picnic + playing at the park is a great combo for us!  Besides the daytime performances, the puppet wagon also visits the weeknight Discover Your Parks events.  We went to one last year where they made snow for the kids to play in.  So fun in the middle of the summer!

Lakes:  Minnesota is famous for its lakes, and they're one of our favorite spots to spend our time.  Before moving to St. Paul, E and I lived in the Uptown area of Minneapolis, and spend lots of time walking around Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles.  Now that we're in St. Paul, we walk around Lake Como many times each week.  This summer, the girls and I have been meeting up with one of my friends to walk around Lake Harriet.  Not a place I previously spent much time, but I've been loving it.  The playground is great, the walking path is quite shady, there are swimming beaches and there is an elf living in one of the trees.  Mr. Little Guy, or Thom, moved to Lake Harriet in 1995, and if you leave a note for him at his house, he'll write back.  The girls left notes last week, and they're (we're!) excited to see what Mr. Little Guy has to tell them.

Splash Pads: Splash pads seem to be the cool thing for cities right now, and we're loving that.  It feels a little more manageable to me to take two kids to a splash pad than a pool, so this is an easy way to get out of the house and cool off on hot summer days.  Here's a list of splash pads around the Twin Cities.

Minnesota Children's Museum:  I also shared this in my cold weather favorites, but the Minnesota Children's Museum is always a favorite of ours!  This summer Creativity Jam is back and there's a special Thomas the Train exhibit (more info coming soon!).  Every summer they also open the Rooftop Art Park.  It's always fun to check out the view and see what they have going on up there.

Friday Favorites 3

Today I'm linking up with Katie to share a few of my recent favorites.

The warm summer weather we've been having!  Our winter and spring weather was not very nice this year, but the past couple weeks have been beautiful.  Yay for seeing the sunshine again!  We were even able to host a BBQ with 5 of my coworkers and their families last weekend, and be outside the whole night!

The Longest Shortest Time Podcast.  Heather got me started on podcasts awhile back, and I recently found this one through This American Life (another favorite).  The Longest Shortest Time is about challenges in early parenthood, and I've listened to almost all of the previous episodes over the past few weeks.  The stories are real and honest, and it's a good reminder of what's about to come when baby arrives later this summer.  I also think it's fun that new episodes post at 3am :)

Archer Farms Salsa Caliente from Target.  I like salsa that is not chunky, so this is perfect for me!  It's spicy, but not too spicy.  I like it best with chips and tacos, but I also think it's pretty tasty on carrots.

Baby hiccups.  One thing that really surprised me when I was pregnant with Miss A is that I could feel her little baby hiccups throughout my pregnancy.  It's really one of my favorite things.  I love feeling most baby movements, but baby hiccups always make me smile, and giggle a little.

Puddle Jumpers.  One of my friends introduced me to Puddle Jumpers last summer, and I don't know what I'd do without them now.  With both girls using Puddle Jumpers, I feel comfortable taking them to the pool myself, which I imagine will come in really handy this summer, as I'll be looking for any way to beat the heat.

Friday Favorites 2

I'm linking up with Katie today for Friday Favorites.  Head over to Running 4 Cupcakes to see more Friday Favorites!

My littlest helper and her "princess dress."  I love that right now she wants to wear her fancy dress all the time.  When she's wearing it, she tells us, "I a princess."  A princess who likes to help put the dishes away.

Fresh flowers from Trader Joe's.  We picked up this bouquet for Miss A's Tea Party, but that was almost 2 weeks ago, and they still look great!  The flowers add such a great burst of color to the house on these often dreary days, and the prices at Trader Joe's are awesome!

Our new globe.  E has been talking about finding something to collect, so I picked something for him... globes (and probably maps too, because I don't know how many globes you can realistically find a place for).  When my mom and sister came to visit a few weeks ago we made a trip to another favorite, Junket Tossed and Found, where I found this great globe to start E's (really our) collection.  The lady I bought it from said she dated it to 1971.  I think it is a fun addition to our living room, and it's fun to look at how countries have changed even in recent history.  (And yes, I know I'm a bit of a nerd as a geography teacher with a globe collection, but I don't care.)

My Kindle, and books by Erik Larson.  I was initially reluctant to switch from paper books to an e-reader, but now that I have, I love it!  I have a really basic Kindle, which I find easier to read than my iPad, and it's easier to hold than a book.  I finished Isaac's Storm this week, and it was really good!  Isaac's Storm is about hurricane that struck Galveston, Texas in 1900.  This is the third book I've read by Larson, and while I enjoyed the other two more (Devil in the White City and In the Garden of Beasts) this was still a great read.  His writing style really draws you in to the story, even though the books are non-fiction.

Friday Favorites: Children's Books

1. Harold and the Purple Crayon, Crockett Johnson
• This is one of the first paper books Miss A would ask to read.  The illustrations are basic, but perfect for little people to follow the story of Harold's adventure.
2. The Very Best Daddy of All, Marion Dane Bauer
• We've gotten E a few Daddy books for Father's Day.  I add a picture of Daddy with his girls on the last page.  It makes the books extra fun!
3. Josie the Giraffe, Nicola Baxter
• This will be a new addition to our collection (for Little J's birthday next week).  She loves giraffes and the paper seems pretty tough, always good with two year old.
4. A is for Annabelle, Tasha Tudor
• I think books with the child's name in them are extra special, so I search names on Amazon, and see what I can find.  We currently have 3 books with Miss A's name and 3 with Little J's name.  Miss A especially loves to read the books with her name in them.  She was "helping" me get a photo, and asked if we could say one of the giraffes was A too.  
5. A Book of Sleep, Il Sung Na
• I love the illustrations in this book. The owl visits a bunch of animals while they're sleeping at night.  It's fun to see how the animals sleep and try to find the owl on each page.
6. My Garden, Kevin Henkes
• I actually like all of the Kevin Henkes books we've read, but this one is my favorite.  The little girl in this story talks about helping her mom in the garden, and imagines her own amazing garden.
7. The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Suess
• It's a classic for a reason.  I had this one basically memorized for awhile, as did Miss A.
8. Barnyard Dance, Susan Boynton
• Another author that I love, especially for the really little ones.  These were some of the first books we read with the girls.  They're really fun, and have a great rhythm. 
9. Miss Spider's Tea Party, David Kirk
• This is one of Nana's favorite books, because it has great, bright illustrations.  We also have the iPad app, which is great and free!
10. Little Blue Truck, Alice Schertle
• Such a fun little trip with the little blue truck and all his animal friends.  Little J loves all of the animal noises throughout the book.
11. Give Me Grace
• This is a sweet prayer book, with one prayer for each day of the week.  We read the daily prayer with the girls after we finish their stories, just before bed.  The illustrations are nice and bright too!
12. The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats
• Another classic children's book, and while I love the story, I also love the size of this book.  The one we have is about 9x12 and still a board book.  Perfect for reading as a family.  
13. Baby Giggles
• Both girls have pretty much outgrown this book, but still read it occasionally.  It's perfect for babies, who seem to love looking at other babies.

Friday Favorites: HLS

Last weekend my bff Heather was in town for the Healthy Living Summit.  Not only did I get to hang out with Heather for 5 days, but I also got to attend HLS13 and I came home with a lot of great SWAG.  Here are my 5 favorites from HLS13 (so far).

1. Sargento Cheese Sticks: The actual cheese sticks disappeared quite quickly, but my very favorite part is the string cheese cooler (don't tell me it's not the coolest thing!).
2. Driscoll's Berries: Because I was one of the locals at HLS13, I ended up bringing home a TON of berries: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries.  I was SUPER excited to have a fridge full of berries, and so was the rest of the fam. E and I have been taking berries to work and making yogurt treats.  Maybe even some smoothies this weekend. 
3. Musselman's Applesauce: I didn't know that Musselman's made big cups, but now that I do, I am in love.  I take applesauce in my lunch quite often, but the regular cups never feel like quite enough.  
4. NatureBox Sante Fe Corn Sticks: Heather told me these taste a lot like Doritos, and I'm afraid she's right.  I could have easily eaten the whole bag in the first sitting, but practiced a little self control and stopped around half.  They are SO tasty.
5. Wild Harvest Natural Shells & White Cheddar Cheese: I haven't actually tried this yet, but I rarely meet a mac & cheese that I don't like.  And switching from Kraft to Wild Harvest would probably be better for me, and the little ones too. Not to mention the awesome Wild Harvest reusable bag and shirt.  I'm in serious Wild Harvest love right now. Local friends, check for Wild Harvest at Cub.