April's Favorite Finds

Have I mentioned that I love hearing what other people are loving?! 

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a million times- I am a marketer's dream. Tell me you love love love something and that I absolutely have to have it, and there's a real good chance I'll take your word for it.

This month's Favorite Finds post has all sorts of random goodness for you fellow marketer's dreams (you know who you are).

I love linking up with Elizabeth each month and sharing with y'all what we're loving. You can check our her favorite finds here and be sure to leave us a comment if there's something you think we just HAVE to try!

1. 

Ben & Jerry's Salted Caramel Core Ice Cream

My friend Andrea thought she needed to give me something for hanging out with her kiddos while she went to a doctor's appointment (crazy thing- she absolutely did not!), so she brought me home one of my favorite drinks from Starbucks (nonfat white mocha- Mmmm, I love that drink) and a pint of this amazingness. I'm talking this could be a serious new unhealthy addiction. It was SOOO good. You must add this to your shopping list this week.

2.

Arbonne's SeaSource Mud Mask

I love a good mask for my face. This one is a detox mask that makes my face feel tingly and refreshed. It is definitely one of my favorites! If you don't have an Arbonne rep but want to give it a try, I have two great friends (Andrea is one of them!) who sell it. Leave me a comment or shoot me an email {notesftn@gmail.com} and I'll put you in touch with them.

3.
Incredible blog post on God's grace through loss

Chelsea linked up with our Mid-Month Confessions link-up last month, and after reading her post, I thought she and her blog were so darn cute that I should browse through the rest of her blog for a minute (unashamed blog stalker here). That's when I read her post of pregnancy and loss. It brought me to tears but in the most uplifting way. Her perspective on God's grace was beautiful and so encouraging. Even if you haven't experienced miscarriage, you will feel so challenged and uplifted by her words. You can check out the post here.

4.

Speaking of Mid-Month Confessions, these monthly linkups are one of my favorite ways to connect with y'all. If you haven't already, jot down a few of your humorous, embarrassing, or straight up real less-than-stellar moments from the past month and plan to join Elizabeth and me on Friday, May 15th for the next Mid-Month Confessions link-up. I can't wait to read your posts!

5.
Trader Joe's Island Soyaki Sauce

My sister told me about this stuff, and let me tell you- it is the bomb. If I had known about it before I made my Top Ten Trader Joe's Products post, it would have definitely made the cut.  I've started using it with my Chicken Fried Rice recipe and also use it as a marinade for fish and chicken. It is SO good!

6.

Handmade Wooden Art

I love buying something and knowing that I'm supporting a good cause with the purchase. I also love having unique decor that makes people ask "Where did you find that?!" If you haven't already, be sure to check out my post that I shared on Monday. A friend of mine is selling really amazing wooden art to raise money for her upcoming mission trip to Israel. There's also a giveaway in the same post that ends tonight, so make sure you go over there and enter today! Click here to see the post and enter the giveaway.

7. 

New shower door and front door

I'm loving our new shower door and front door! I shared all about the new renovations here. 

8.

Favorite Hair Products

Also, in case you missed it, I shared my three favorite hair products last week. You should definitely give them a try!

Okay, that's it for this month's favorite finds. What are YOU loving this month?! Leave a comment below and share your favorite finds!

9 Months: Crawling, pulling up, feeding Tally, and lots of firsts

This past month has been full of milestones and has been tons of fun. Our sweet little happy-to-hang-in-one-spot boy has become BUSY! He has figured out that crawling will take him around the whole house, get him to the Roomba (he may love the Roomba more than I do), and let him find new things to pull up on and explore. He loves to stand and has gotten pretty brave about moving his hands from one spot to another while standing (which has also led to more falls- poor buddy!). He's also started to notice ceilings, fans, lights and anything UP. Watching him crawl around the house and then return to a sit position and study what's above him is one of my favorite things. He is so curious right now and it's so fun to see.

His bedtime has moved to 8 (he used to go to bed around 7). It took us three nights of thinking something was going on and that our easy-to-bed boy was turning a page before we realized he just wasn't tired. So on night 4, we moved the bath, books, and bed routine to an hour later and he was right back to his happy-to-go-to-bed self.

His favorite things in life are people, food, books, and bath. He is also fascinated by the noise made when two things tap together and likes doing the "tap test" on anything he can reach.


Goodness I love a nakey baby hiney... and yes, even bath time looks a little different these days!

Milestones from 8-9 Months:

3/30- Started supporting himself on his feet and picking up his feet to walk when we held his fingers.

3/31- placed the ball in the hole of the shape sorter on his car

4/1- pulled up from sit to full stand at open gym

4/1- took a three hour nap after open gym!

4/2- pulled up in his crib

4/5 (Easter Sunday)- switched to big car seat

 

4/8- took off crawling all around the house

4/9- watched on monitor as he learned to go from crawl position to sit position in his crib

Learned to "give 5"

Learned to give kisses

Started sleeping through the night!

Started helping to take his clothes off (pulling his shirt up) before bath

4/20- Discovered his tongue and stuck it out on cue

4/20- Said first word- "HI!" to Nonna when she walked in the door

4/22- Faced out in the Baby Bjorn on our hike

4/24- waved hi on purpose ;)

Sleeping through the night:

Halfway through this month, Ryan realized what we've been thinking for some time- he no longer needs a meal in the middle of the night. Sweet Jesus! Going to bed and not getting up until morning has been quite a glorious thing. I kind of forgot how amazing it felt to sleep for that many hours straight. I'm sure we'll have some nights when more teeth come in or when he's not feeling 100% where I'll still get some middle-of-the-night snuggles in, but for now, I'm quite happy to see his sweet face between 7-8 when he wakes up. :)

New Foods:

This buddy still loves to eat and tomatoes are sill his all time favorite food. Although he was introduced to banana yogurt from Trader Joe's this month and he would bounce in his chair any time I took a container out of the fridge for him.  Other new foods he tried this month include: whole prunes, pineapple, clementine, Trader Joe's fig bars, smoked salmon, grilled salmon, shrimp, swiss and dill cheese, banana pudding, lamb, kale, black olives, deviled egg, corn, pasta, egg salad, raisin toast, grilled cheese with tomato and oregano, mushroom and fava bean soup, minestrone soup (he loves soups!), brie, fresh mozzarella, cole slaw, crackers, Ella's Kitchen pouches, Little Yums and Happy Baby organic teething wafers.

Other Moments from the Past Month:

Because climbing on top of things is way more fun than crawling around them

Checking out his new music table that he borrowed from Jackson and Aunt Karen (the Mickey Mouse pjs and also from them!)

First pair of sunglasses... if only he'd keep them on!

Making an obstacle course out of the nap nanny (I promise he didn't fall even though it looks like he's about to!)

Hanging with his buddy Finn!

Swinging with Papa:

Our cousin Rebecca came to visit and we all piled in Jackson's bed before his nap :)

Hangin with Mimi and Jackson

Playing with his cousin Jackson :)

Helping Papa anchor our picture table to the wall

He loves his Papa :)

kissing his reflection :)

Walk-a-thon at Noah and Maddox's school

Noah showing off Ryan to his friends :)

Open gym!

Laughing in his own funny way when Matt was blowing kisses on his belly:

Checking out the fishies at the pet store

Easter Sunday

Rooftop lunch on a pretty day!

Zoo!

Rocket's Mighty Words is one of his most requested books these days :)

Ryan with his cousin Riley!

Ryan and Papa

Playing piano at our next door neighbor's house :)

Masters party with Reynolds!

Cooking in the kitchen in their matching outfits. These two don't even know yet how good of buddies they're going to be. ;)

Admiring T's work on the fridge... or thinking about how he can get those letters in his mouth, one.

Hey!

Sweet buddy laying on my lap watching Baby Einstein when he wasn't feeling well

He loves using the laundry basket as a walker:

First trip to the library

First trip to Menchie's and first taste of frozen yogurt

Ryan and Tally Pics:

Ryan loves crawling to visit Tally on the rare occasion that Tally's not right by his side.

One of my favorite things he does is clap his feet together in the stroller when we walk:

Crawling toward Tally:

PhotoShoot:

Our photo shoots are a little less "still" these days ;)

This one might be my favorite- ha!

Also don't forget about the great giveaway and awesome opportunity to support a good cause that is going on this week! You can check it out here. The winner of the giveaway will be announced Friday morning!