adios google reader...

as many of you already know, google reader is going the way of the dodo tomorrow. so if you'd like, please feel free to add Monkey + Squirrel on Bloglovin'. i just made the switch (everything last minute, as always!) and i'm already enjoying the new setup. change is good!

pizza night with the fam...

evan comes from a big family. i mean BIG. he's the youngest of 8 kids whom one by one are having kids of their own. the good thing about that is, cousins for penny! lots and lots of cousins! a few of her out of town ones were here in Charlotte recently, and there were many a day spent playing, swimming, and for penny, getting reacquainted with them. cause when you're only almost 18 months old ya tend to forget someone who you last saw at christmas. i'm pretty lucky to have married into this family of mine...

an impromptu rainy puddle jump session. is there really anything better?!?!

26/52

"a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2013."

penny: we spent the first half of this week dealing with an ugly stomach bug. first you, then daddy, and finally mommy, fell victim to the awful belly aches. you were such a trooper though. snuggling on the couch on the day you were sick, and then being perfectly content to watch movies with mommy and daddy while we tried to recover. it was no fun at all, but we made the best of it, and it makes our healthy days that more much appreciated.

linking up with jodi

from last week... i love these portraits of ruby, cole, and eliot. the sweet little moments captured with the most gorgeous light!

urban baby bonnets

about a month ago i began somewhat obsessively browsing urban baby bonnets website dreaming of the day i'd have a few spare dollars to splurge on a good quality hat for penny. see, this girl is a fair skinned, light eyed, little beauty so naturally we need to be aware of her sun exposure. also, she generally will keep any hat on for about 2.5 seconds... on a good day. 

enter the stork and the beanstalk giveaway. now i'm not one to enter blog giveaways often. only if it's something i've already had my heart set on, and it's not just something frivolous. and wouldn't ya know it, i got an email last week that i won! there may have been a happy dance or two around the living room, but i can not confirm or deny it. but i can confirm that within minutes of that email hitting my inbox, this hat was being added to my virtual shopping cart.

as soon as it arrived at our door i put it on penn's head. the thing about this lil' bonnet is that not only is it adorable, and well made, and a great bit of sun protection, but it also is held on with snaps. SNAPS! anyone who has a toddler will understand the appreciation of that little addition. penn put it on, and wouldn't let me take it off. we oooo'd, and ahhhhh'd in the mirror, and she got a real kick out of herself. so, to sum up my thoughts on it...

it's crazy cute, it's practical, it's super well made, and we hands down love it!

this is by no means a sponsored post. these are just one mama's honest opinions!

thanks so much for the giveaway Ashley & UB2!

park days

having friends with babies is awesome, and thankfully more and more of our friends seem to be popping out wee ones these days. so when we all suddenly found ourselves with no saturday plans, we  made it a point to get our buns to the park for some hangouts of the very best kind... the kind that involve PICNICS!

oh summer, you're already lookin' pretty darn good!

25/52

"a portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2013."

penny: this past week we had our struggles. you're realizing that you can have an opinion on things, like sitting in your chair for breakfast, and you've decided to voice said opinions LOUDLY. while i do love that you're realizing you're an individual, it's made for some pretty rough mornings. luckily you seem to be understanding that some things are not negotiable, and you're giving your mama a bit of a break. and that brings us to this weeks photo. this was the first day that we didn't have to struggle over the seat, and you made silly faces during your entire meal. i love you so much no matter what sort of mood you're in, but on this particular morning my heart could have burst!

linking up with jodi

from last week... i love the portraits of these three kiddos. they each stand out as individuals even set against the same backdrop.

pool days...

happy happiest summer to all! last week we officially kicked off the season with some afternoon pool parties. there is absolutely nothing better then spending a hot afternoon poolside with your best buds, some cocktails, and a bit of southern sunshine. 

and wouldn't you know it, we're doing it all again today. so penny, feel free to wake up from your nap any time now. we've got some splashing to do!