Thursday Giveaway from Stuck on You!! {CLOSED}

name puzzle, sketchpad, lunchbox: c/o Stuck On You

I may be biased, but I think Evelyn has the prettiest name :) So when I saw that Stuck on You had all kinds of ways to personalize items from towels, to travel tags, to backpacks, to waterbottles - pretty much anything - I was sold! Evelyn has been working on shapes lately, namely putting them in the right holes in the bucket, so I thought a puzzle would be fitting for our morning "school" time. She loves it! It's been a great exercise for her as she has repeatedly learned letters and shapes simultaneously :)

Evelyn is also a coloring fiend. We were going through paper like caarazzy. I love that with her sketchpad she now has her own personalized coloring "space" where the paper is just spacious enough for her little hands to scribble like mad and no more paper pile messes because her artwork is kept together :) It's super handy to take to church or other places where she needs to be in her quiet mode. 

And how adorable is that lunch pail?!? Bah, I love it! It is the cutest thing to see her carry it around. It's so light weight and easy to clean that it is perfect for even an 18 month old to manage the responsibility of carrying her own lunch :) We've been able to use it on several occassions so far and I love that this will be something she can have for years to come. I was also able to get my hands on some of their stick-on and iron-on labels, which will be helpful at future playdates when we accidentally leave a cup or jacket behind.

How bout all that jazz?! And to think that Stuck On You offers a plethora of customizable gifts and labels beyond this, possibilities are endless! 

Today Stuck on You is offering 4 readers, YES, FOUR, 

a $50 voucher to their store!!

To enter, both are mandatory:

1. Be a follower of Little Almanac 

2. Visit Stuck on You and leave a comment saying what item(s) you would use your voucher on!

Giveaway ends Thursday, August 23.

Good luck!

Winners!

Congratulations! Send me your email ladies at littlealmanac@gmail.com to claim your win :)

they better have this in heaven!

If you follow me on instagram, you will know that I attempted to make Key Lime Pie for the first time this past Saturday....and.... The angels did come out and sing folks, it was THAT GOOD! While my fingers were burning from the acid of squeezing 20 limes, it was all worth it for that sweet creamy tang and homemade graham cracker crust. Wanna give it a whirl?

Key Lime Pie
originial recipe here

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust:
1/3 of a 1-pound box graham crackers {I prefer Trader Joe's Cats Cookies - sooo yummy!}
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar

Filling: 3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons lime zest
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice

Topping: whipped cream

For the graham cracker crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Break up the graham crackers; place in a food processor and process to crumbs. If you don't have a food processor, place the crackers in a large plastic bag; seal and then crush the crackers with a rolling pin. Add the melted butter and sugar and pulse or stir until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and side of a pie pan, forming a neat border around the edge. Bake the crust until set and golden, 8 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack; leave the oven on. 

For the filling:
Meanwhile, in an electric mixer with the wire whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to beat until thick, 3 or 4 minutes longer. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice, mixing just until combined, no longer. Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the filling has just set. Cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate. Freeze for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Pipe whipped cream on however you please!

baby boy's "nursery"

I think it is important for each person to have a "space" in a home that is theirs. This is even true for babies. With Evelyn, we had a 1 bedroom apartment, yet I still decorated her little corner in our room. We are now living in a 2 bedroom, but that again leaves us with a baby in our room. Luckily we have a little nook right off our bed that is the perfect spot for baby boy to go. A while back I did an inspiration board  which I love, but I couldn't validate spending money on stuff to decorate a corner. So here's my design on a dime :)

So... tada! That's it! Simple but sweet, right?! 36 more days! Oh, and inspiration for airplane mobile here.

take a space ride with a cowboy, baby

First off, what was NSync even thinking with that song "space cowboy?" Have you ever listened to the lyrics? What does it even mean? Moving on... This past Saturday we decided it was time to take Ev to one of her happy places. Although she never told us the National Air and Space Museum was on her happy list, we figured with her love of trains and airplanes we could bet a good buck or two that she would be enamored with it. And she was!! Jared and I have actually always been fascinated with space. One of our favorite movies is "October Sky." The other day Jared was just humming the theme song and got goose bumps, so we like to think of ourselves as space fanatics. Couple my obsession with space ice cream + Jared's fascination with flight + Evelyn's love for anything that has wings {including pigeons!}, the Air & Space Museum was a successful trip!

Friday Giveaway! {CLOSED}

Peeps,
Seriously.
Can you believe that there is someone talented enough in this world to fashion such adorable baby wear?! Well, Jessica is the designer behind the beauts above and I can truly testify of her work and dependability. Remember Evelyn's easter dress here and here? Yep, that mustard bow dress is in her closet and she ALWAYS gets compliments on it. And I can hardly wait to snatch up some of these bowties for baby boy! So, let's get down to business, shall we? Jessica is offering one lovely reader a $40 credit to her shop Dream Catcher Baby! To enter:

Mandatory {1 entry}

1. Be a follower of Little Almanac and leave a comment

Additional Entries {leave a separate comment for each}:

2. Favorite Dream Catcher Baby on Etsy

3. Follow Jessica's blog, Swenson Love

4. "LIKE" Dream Catcher Baby on Facebook

Giveaway Ends Friday, August 17th! Good luck!

Happy Friday!

Congratulations Melissa!

what I overheard

Two nights ago Jared was ending a phone conversation with his parents in the other room. Here's what I heard:

"Yeah, by the end of 2012 we'll have two kids, I'll be done with grad school, I'll hopefully have heard back from ____ government agency, and I'll have a management position at work. It's an exciting time for us! We feel very blessed."

At that moment a smile came across my face. Without him telling me directly, I knew in my heart that he was satisfied that we were doing all of this together. That we were a team and that he viewed his/our life together as a success. I couldn't help but be grateful for that simple summary he offered of his optimistic view of our future which testified he has faith and hope in us. in himself. in God. in our little family.

...Betcha didn't know I was such a eavesdropper, did ya dear? ;) Thanks for asking me to marry ya 4 years and a week ago today!

August Sponsors!

I am so excited to introduce you all to some fabulous blogger ladies today! 

Hi!  I'm Kim, stay at home mom to a comical, curly haired 2 year old.  I love photography, hot showers, travel, afternoon naps, and good books.  Join me at Tales + Tips where I share useful household tips and tricks as I master the art of homemaking!

blog // facebook

 I dont think I can completely categorize my blog, much like my personality its a little bit of everything. I love party planning, and paying attention to details.  Oh and vintage shopping, I just love me some good vintage items.  But in one word "mama".  Thats the definition of my soul.  - Sonya

blog // instagram

My blog is a love letter to my family.
Sharing the immense love I feel for my three children and husband.

It is about enjoying the journey of motherhood.
Improving and strenthing our marriage and family.

Embracing the chaotic days and learning to laugh.

Documenting life's precious little moments.

It is my thoughts and things I enjoy.

Sharing fashion and style.
My journey to making my life a better overall life.

Having faith and sharing experiences.

Showing that being a mom is the best job in the world.

-Christy

blog

**Comments have been turned off so you can hop over and say hello!**

a weekend with no plans is kinda nice

We had absolutely no plans this weekend. Nada. I will be the first to admit that I am addicted to plans and a schedule, so to have nothing in the works seemed a bit odd to me. But the weekend came together with highlights of its own. We spent Saturday afternoon at the pool, where Ev showed off her kicks for Dada. She's doing great with her swimming! She can probably hold her breath for about 4 seconds and has great form, but she is so long and without an ounce of fat on her that poor girl has no buoyancy and just sinks if I let go, so I have to balance her a bit on the surface.

And of course good food was on the menu all weekend long, ending Sunday evening with some cookie dough testing and bedtime wrestle with Dad. All in all, it was pretty chill and fab.

life's snapshots

How is it August 3rd already?! This year is going by so fast! And I can't believe I've been pregnant for all of 2012 so far. That makes this whole processs seem waaaay too long. Today Evelyn had her 18 month appt. The Doc talked about her development within the next 6 months and things we'll check up on at her next appt, which will be her 2 year birthday! That put me to a halt - I can't believe I'll have a two year old! Oh time, I wish I could make you stop. Especially since my 26th birthday is creeping up and I'll be entering the latter end of my 20's. Tear* Tear*

Happy Friday!!

Oh, p.s. That one photo of Ev up there laying on my tummy? I might have to get that one framed and hang it over baby brother's crib. Something about it is just so endearing to me.

all aboard the choo choo train

A dolphin. That's what my child has been called due to the high ear piercing pitch that comes from her vocal cords when she is so excited about something. And a train would be one of those things {and a horse, bus, her blankie, stuffed animals, the list is endless}. Yesterday we went with our friends to a local park that has one of the best train rides for your  dollar $2.50 spent, and I'm definitely a person that appreciates getting what I paid for. It was 10 minutes of backwoodsin' it by a lake, waterwheel, and the trip even included a tunnel. Bargain. What sweetened the deal was that the weather decided to break it's 92* heat + 70% humidity streak and left us with beautiful 83* weather. It felt darn good to be able to straighten my hair without worrying about it curling/frizzing with the moisture in the air. I've kinda given up on getting myself ready in the summertime. With all the sweat and pool dipping we do, there's not really much of a point, ya know? And I forsee my lack of self-readiness going well into the fall as I'll have 2 little kiddos around. So Jared, I guess that means I'll get back to my banging self in... hm, 10 years when the kids are all grown and in school?