Pink Polka Dot Birthday Wreath

Happy Monday! Guess what? We moved last Saturday! Well, not everything, but we loaded up a 26' U-Haul and moved most everything out of our house and into a storage unit. It's so weird to see basically your entire life all piled up in a 10x15 cement space. We will move the rest this Saturday (and by "the rest" I mean just our beds!). My husband is gone almost this entire week for a work trip, so I'm kind of on my own to finish up. The appraisal on our house is Wednesday, and there are a few minor repairs from the home inspection and maybe a couple more from the appraisal, since it's FHA. Selling a house is definitely an adventure, and I truly hope we never have to move again. This week is going to be CRAZY - I just know it - but I'm super grateful to have my little Avabean to hang out with the whole time and make time for reading her new book from Grandpa's trip to England ("Peppa the Pig Meets the Queen") and eating lots of Chick-Fil-A, of course. :) What are you up to this week? Anything wild and crazy or exciting? Or just the same ol' same ol'? Which is truly a blessing, too!

Today, I've got a fun wreath tutorial for you that includes my 2 craft faves: POLKA DOTS + BURLAP. I could probably do a roundup of polka dot + burlap crafts from my own portfolio and fill up an entire blog post - I've done so many! Hopefully you aren't tired of polka dots + burlap yet. ;) I made this wreath for Ava's 1st Birthday last December. It may have stayed on my front door through Christmas, and New Year's AND Valentine's Day. My > St. Patrick's Day Wreath < was the only thing that finally brought it down, ha ha. This little ol' wreath is very simple & easy (classic Put A Bird On It, right?!). My fave part? The pink balloons pretending to be bows! 

POLKA DOT & BURLAP BIRTHDAY WREATH

You'll need a wreath form {I liked this straw one, because I didn't have to worry about metal or green styrofoam showing through}, balloons, polka dot burlap wire ribbon, floral pins

Wrap the ribbon around the wreath. The one spool was JUST enough.

Homemade Baby Vapor Rub for Chest Congestion

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great Easter weekend. My little family enjoyed an amazing church meeting {easter.mormon.org}, then spent the evening at my mom's house with my family. There was no shortage of delicious food, PEEPS, egg hunts, dirty diet cokes and strobe light dance parties. :)

I originally posted this baby recipe on Today's the Best Day. I'm happy to share it with you today! A few months ago, Ava got sick for the very first time! She had just turned 1. Seriously - she had never been sick before. I thank breastfeeding 'til she was 1 for that (really - I don't know - but as soon as I stopped, she got sick!). The thing about being a baby is that you can't have any medicine. But poor Avabean would toss and turn all night - whimpering and coughing and being unable to suck her binky due to a stuffed up nose. I felt SO BAD as her momma not being able to do anything. 

I'd heard the rumors of putting vapor rub on baby's feet, covered by socks, and that it helps with their congestion. I'd never tried it, but wanted to try something to help my little munchkin. I've been really careful about what I give Ava as a little tot - I made all her own organic baby food when she was 6 months, she drinks a local whole milk now - yeah, I'm kind of "that" mom. But don't worry, we kick it with Chick-fil-A and diet coke as much as the other guy. :) To help Ava with her congestion, I made a homemade baby vapor rub (NO petroleum or any of the questionable oils in vapor rub). A little on her feet + socks + bedtime = a happy baby. I didn't use it all day or every day, since she was only 1, but it definitely helped the days I used it.

Please do your own research when deciding what essential oils to use for your baby! Some are safe - some are not. Even specific TYPES of the same essential oil are not ok. For example, only the Smithii variety of eucalyptus oil is OK for babies. Use what YOU are comfortable with!

The following advice was given in the Mommypotamus article where I got my recipe:

"Please note that lavender and chamomile are generally considered safe for babies under two months, eucalyptus (only the smithii variety) can be introduced at two months and tea tree can be introduced after 6 months. Essential oils are very potent so use sparingly!*

I do love using essential oils now. I'm really careful and not hard core, but Ava and I love lavender oil baths and adding a drop of lemon oil to my water bottle is a must. Like I said, do your research, but essential oils can be great.

How to Sell Your Home While You Still Live in It with a Toddler!

Most of you know - we are MOVING! After 6 years in our beloved home, we are moving closer to my husband's work. We knew when we bought our home that this day would eventually come. It's just surreal to know that day is here!

We are building a home, so it won't be ready for several months, but we really wanted to get our house on the market to sell as soon as possible. That way, we could move in with our amazingly nice family {immmm, family, we are moving in, ha ha}, save that house payment each month, and not have to worry about having to sell last minute. With the up and down housing market, we didn't know if our house would take days ... weeks ... or MONTHS to sell. The tricky part about selling your house before you move out of it is just that - YOU STILL LIVE IN IT! So having showings in the house you're trying to live in can get tricky. If you have a few days between showings and they're scheduled far enough ahead of time, you aren't as stressed. But most agents would call and want to come in an hour or two! We had 12 showings in the first week -- and 1-2 showing every other day the following week. So we couldn't ever really LIVE in our home. To get a call and need to have your house ready to show in 2 hours doesn't give you a lot of time for putting away that craft project, folding the laundry and cleaning up the lunch dishes...

I have compiled some TIPS for selling your house while you're still living in it with a toddler. It wasn't easy. It was very stressful. But we got through it and sold our house in less than 3 weeks! If you're in the same situation - YOU CAN DO IT! I hope my tips will help you get through it, too. :)

Bebe Bloom Boutique Feature & Giveaway

Today, I'm happy to introduce you to an adorable shop! Bebe Bloom Boutique is a handmade accessories boutique for our little one. Headbands, dresses, bow ties, suspenders, pacifier clips, hats - it's all there! Annie is the owner, and I love what she says on the About Me page of her website about starting Bebe Bloom Boutique:

SHOP | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST

"Born out of a need to find one-of-a-kind items that just weren’t being stocked in stores, Bebe Bloom offers unique handcrafted accessories and beautiful handpicked apparel for infants and children. As a mother of two beautiful little munchkins, I came across this little dilemma while searching for these hard-to-find novelties. Unsuccessful in my search, I decided to make them myself! As my hobby grew, I learned that friends, family, and colleagues were absolutely crazy about them! Realizing there was a market for exclusive hand-made items, Bebe Bloom was born."

Ava was able to try on a couple of these adorable headbands!

Guest Posting at Today's The Best Day ... Homemade Baby Vapor Rub

Hi pretties! I just wanted to let you all know that, yesterday, I guest posted over at Today's The Best Day and shared a natural remedy for baby's congestion. Skip the Vick's - use a homemade vapor rub for baby, instead! Head to Danielle's blog to see the full post. 

Homemade Baby Vapor Rub

And don't forget to enter the current >> GIVEAWAY << I'm part of, while you're here!

xo

Guest Posting at Boughtin Baby {DIY Polka Dot Burlap Wreath}

Well, friends, I am visiting another blog today! Remember the adorable onesies Ava got to where a couple weeks ago from Boughtin Baby & Bride? I am over there, at Cady's blog, sharing the pink polka dot burlap wreath I made for Ava's 1st birthday party. It was really easy (of course!) and extremely adorable, IMO, so make your way over there to read all about it! My favorite part? Turning balloons into bows! 

To get you excited...here is a peek at what you'll be learning to make!

Click HERE to view the tutorial!

xo

Enter the fab giveaways I'm currently hosting!

Target $160 Gift Card Giveaway

Wren and Rumor - Baby Swaddle Blanket & Burp Cloth Giveaway

Top 10 Hospital Bag Must Haves

Hi everyone! I had the pleasure of guest posting at MaMade Diaries, where I shared this list of my Top 10 Hospital Bag Must Haves. I now get to share this post with my amazing readers! I hope you enjoy my list. Leave me a comment and let me know what went {or is going in} YOUR hospital bag! xo

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I had my first baby one year ago. I was very nervous for my delivery day! I had no idea what to expect -- despite reading over and over What to Expect When You're Expecting. I still felt kind of helpless going into the "unknown" of delivery day. My only way to feel like I had any control over that day was to MAKE LISTS. I am a total LIST girl. Having a list of what I needed to pack for the hospital helped me feel prepared for the big day. And I use the word 'needed' very loosely. I may have gone a little overboard on packing for the hospital. I probably looked like I should be going on vacation for a week instead of going to deliver a baby; but, hey, it was my first time, and I wanted to be ready! With the next baby, I definitely will know what items are my MUST HAVES for the hospital bag. I have made a LIST (of course!) of my Top 10 hospital bag must haves to share with you! I hope this helps you soon-to-be-mommas feel ready for the best day of your life.

1. Newborn Outfit
No need to get baby all dolled up at the hospital, but you will want an outfit to bring baby home in. My baby mainly wore a cut off onesie in the hospital (to protect the umbilical cord); but, for the car ride home, you will need an outfit with legs! Otherwise, baby can't be strapped into the car seat. I recommend one with a zipper instead of buttons -- much more convenient!

2. Comfy PJ's
I stopped at Target and picked up a couple cute and comfy pajama sets for myself, and I'm SO very glad I did! Right after delivering baby, of course you are just wearing your hospital gown; but, after a day in the gown, I was ready to put on something a little more normal. Buy a big size, because you won't be anywhere NEAR your "normal" size immediately (unless you are super super super super super lucky, but sorry you probably won't!). I also had a button up top set, which was nice for nursing. I wore these to go home in, too, and didn't even look at a pair of jeans for probably a month!

3. Toothbrush & Toothpaste
Kind of self explanatory. I wouldn't want to subject my cute little newborn to morning breath! :)

4. Movie
This one is completely subjective to the type of delivery you are having. I was induced and had an epidural, so there was a period of waiting. My husband and I both fell asleep watching Dark Knight (although we only made it about 30 minutes in before baby was ready to come!). Check with your hospital/birthing center to see if there is a DVD player in your room. After an hour and a half of pitocin-induced contractions (pre-epidural!), I was super happy to have something to get my mind off everything.

5. Slipper Socks
I'm a sucker for a cute pair of socks, so these were a must have for me. I didn't do much walking around at the hospital, but just to get up to change the baby or go to the bathroom and I was grateful to have these no-slip socks to walk around in. Throw them in the wash when you get home and they are good as new!

6. Baby Blanket
The hospital will have blankets for you to swaddle your baby in, but I brought one anyway. The hospital ones are kind of small, and I wanted something special for my baby. Plus, I delivered in the winter (in Utah!), so I needed a warm blanket for the car ride home. The adorable one pictured is from Wren and Rumor -- I love their stylish baby blankets!

7. Nursing Tank
I totally preferred nursing tanks over a nursing bra. It was just way easier to wear a tank as a shirt under my pj's or robe, rather than worry about a bra! Personal preference here, but I know lots of women that agree. Target has cute ones for less than $20!

8. Hair Ties
Whether your hair is short or long, you will definitely not want it in your face during labor! I recommend hair ties, bobby pins and headbands. I didn't shower while at the hospital, so by day 2, I needed something to tie my hair up with. But who is to say you can't look fashionable while pushing out that baby? I love these "Ampersand collection" hair ties from Mane Message. There are so many adorable choices on that site!

9. Speakers
My husband and I are total music lovers. We create playlists for everything! Dating...honeymoon...trips...cleaning on Saturdays...there is always music playing. Naturally, we had a Baby Birth Day playlist ready for the big day. We brought a portable iHome with us, and I will always bring one for future babies! One of my favorite memories in the hospital is of us in our room, holding our sweet new one, listening to Norah Jones. It created the perfect atmosphere for lovin' on our little one.

10. Lip Balm
This little baby was a total lifesaver while I was in the hospital. It is a small thing, but chapped lips are NO fun for anyone -- especially after giving birth. If you are nursing, it is easy to get dehydrated, so it's important to drink lots of water, which I tried to do, but my lips got chapped more easily. I loved this C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve from Bath & Body Works.

Honorable Mentions

I polled my momma friends on Facebook and here are some of their "real mom" hospital bag must haves!

"Toothbrush and toothpaste." - Tracy

"Baby nail clippers because hospitals won't give you any. Slippers, music, pictures of family if you know they aren't there but you want them to be. iPad or laptop." - Chrissy

"Slippers and sweats," - Dresden

"Comfy pajama bottoms! Every baby I had my mom always made sure to buy me lots of pajama bottoms and sounds crazy but after everything your nether regions go through you really do need them," - Santanna

"iPad to play pandora, my pillow, stadium blanket and mixed nuts." - Kim

"Hair ties, hair spray and headbands." - Brandy
"A really comfortable pair of yoga pants, lanolin, comfy socks, hairbands, and a nightgown that is awesome for nursing and cute too." - Nikki

I hope you found some help for preparing your hospital bag! You will never forget that special day. It is such an important day for you and your baby, so don't feel bad pampering yourself and being prepared -- even if you are over prepared like I was. 

xo

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Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway!

Boughtin Baby & Bride

Custom Baby Onesie giveaway

My Love Monday ... Our Weekend with Boughtin Baby & Bride

You guys! I have been SO EXCITED about today's My Love Monday feature. It is all about Boughtin Baby & Bride! I found Cady Boughtin's adorable shop on Etsy and fell in love with her baby onesies. Her designs are unique and CLEVER as heck. The one that really solidified my love for this shop? This little number:

I mean, come on, a Mean Girls reference on a onesie? Brilliant + Adorable. I was so excited when Cady wanted me to do a feature post on her shop. I just had to share her stuff with all of you! 

ETSY | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM 

Cady sent me three darling onesies that have become staples in Ava's wardrobe. Ava wore all three this weekend, and I wanted to show them to you in real life settings. I could have done a cute photo shoot in a studio with props and balloons and all that jazz, but I wanted you to see how these onesies can be worn in real life, in real time, on real babies, in every day settings. Not that photo shoots aren't sweet and fantastic because they are...but I figure that's what the company's website is for...to show you their designs professionally photographed in studio, and it's MY job to show you their products and how you can use them in your every day life. Does that make sense? Ha ha, hopefully. And hopefully you enjoy this type of lifestyle photography and product display, because it is ME and my style. I love "real" lifestyle blogs...that show life just happening in real time. Ok ... enough with the chatting ... and on to the CUTENESS!

Our Weekend

*with Boughtin Baby & Bride*

statement necklace onesie || five guys restaurant || ava's first movie

"my auntie shoots people" onesie || grandma's house || with Aunt Sandra the photographer

"magnifique" bird onesie || grandma's house || with momma

Cady wanted to make a custom onesie for Ava, and I left the creative work to her! She brilliantly came up with a way for us to literally PUT A BIRD on Ava. :) I love these onesies, because they all play into our life in perfect ways. That's one thing I love about Boughtin Baby & Bride...there are so many designs to choose from, you can pick onesies that are perfect for your personal taste. And Cady makes 100% custom onesies, too, so you can modify any onesie to your style OR design your own for her to make a one-of-a-kind onesie for your baby. I love following Cady on Instagram and seeing all the awesome custom onesies she makes for people. She just posted clever camping onesies she made for a camping themed baby shower. They are too cute for words. Check it out here!

AND -- Cady is giving away a custom onesie to one of my readers! She is a doll to do this, and I can't wait to see what you pick for your baby to wear. Show your personality through your baby!

Just enter using Rafflecopter below. Giveaway ends February 2 at midnight. All entries will be verified.

As if Cady isn't enough of a sweetheart, she is also offering my readers 25% off with promo code BIRD. This is an amazing deal! You can find lots of adorable onesies at Cady's new site Enjoy Essential. Contact Cady for custom orders. Now all that's left for you to do is pick out your fabulous design.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I hope you all have a fantastic Monday. Conrad and I are officially on STAYCATION today through Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep. That needed a gajillion exclamation points, because we don't take vacations often. Conrad works very hard and is really busy during the week, so having 3 days OFF is like CHRISTMAS to me! We are going to Park City to do some snowboarding, relaxing at the hotel and of course a visit to World Market! This is all dependent on if Conrad will let me outside longer than 10 minutes in the cold...because I'm still recovering from PNEUMONIA. Kind of a bummer during staycation, but I refuse to let not feeling 100% ruin these 3 days! Choose Happy!

I may be a little MIA over the next few days, until we get back. I guess we'll see how I feel and how much down time I actually have in the hotel, ha ha. Have a great week and DO SOMETHING FUN even if you aren't on vacation. It only takes 3 minutes dancing with baby in the kitchen to your favorite song...singing in the car to the radio...taking a #selfie and posting for the world to see...or doing a Top Knot and trying that RED lipstick...to make your day a little better and remember to be grateful for THE NOW. There is no time like the present.

xo

Don't miss out anything from Put A Bird On It! Scroll the left side of my blog for all the ways you can stay connected with me. I recommend following through GFC and getting updates sent to your Inbox! xo

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Ad Space Giveaway on 22 Blogs, ends Feb 7

Valentine's Day {Harper Style}

My Love Monday ... Emme + Ivy {giveaway & discount code!}

The winner is Ashley Danley! Congrats!

Email me at {danieladavis17@gmail.com} to claim your prize!

I must warn you. This post contains massive amounts of cuteness. Mainly because it stars Baby Ava. But also because it stars adorable moccasins from Emme + Ivy. If you have properly prepared for the cuteness overload {which is with a dirty dr pepper and a bag of peanut m&m's}, then you may continue reading the post!

Today's My Love Monday is:  Emme + Ivy! I was first introduced to this charming shop at a craft boutique in my home town. I was visiting my family and we stopped by to see what this boutique had to offer. And I am so glad I did! I found the cutest booth where the most darling handmade baby leather moccs and leather headbands were being displayed. I'm so happy to share them with you! I just LOVE them. Visit their website for all the color choices. The colors are spot on for what is trendy right now. I'm in LOVE with the metallic choices!

Emme + Ivy : instagram / shop

{keep reading for your chance to WIN a pair of moccs!}

Emme + Ivy sent me a couple pairs of moccs for Baby Ava to try. They are amazing, and I fell even more in LOVE with them. They are so soft and precious. What made me even more happy was how much Ava loved them! It was hard getting a photo of her looking at the camera, because she was too in LOVE with looking at her pretty pink moccs.

These forest green ones are my second fave! I LOVE that all these colors look stunning on baby boy or baby girl.

Be sure to follow Emme + Ivy on Instagram for more info, discounts and giveaways! And right now, you can enter to win a pair for the little one in your life! Emme + Ivy has graciously offered a pair of forest green moccs {size 2} like the ones Ava is wearing above to one of my readers! I can't wait to share these with one of you!

How to Enter

*required*

Follow Emme + Ivy on Instagram

{@emmeivy}

regram & tag friends on giveaway photo on my IG

{@putabirdonitblog}

{bonus entries}

follow Put A Bird On It on facebook / instagram / blog {GFC}

*LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST TELLING ME WHAT YOU DID TO ENTER*

each option is worth one entry * leave one comment per entry

If you just can't wait until the giveaway ends to get your hands on a pair of these moccasins, you can use my special promo code for 15% off your order! The code is: BIRD. This promo code will work on anything from Emme + Ivy, which includes their adorable leather headbands and the Girlie Glue to go with!

You will fall in LOVE with these moccasins {and headbands!} just like I did. Good luck!

xo

Valentines Day {Harper Style} ... Guest Post by Amanda from Happily Ever After

Hey guys! I'm Amanda from Happily Ever After and I'm so excited to be guest posting today on Put a Bird on It. This is my first guest post, and I couldn't think of a better blog to start with! :)

I absolutely love dressing my 1 year old, Harper and when I found out I was having a girl, I immediately headed to the mall to start shopping for cute little outfits! One of my favorite things to do, is find an outfit for each holiday. The next holiday coming up is Valentines Day, so I thought I would share some of my favorite festive outfits they have over at Old Navy.

All of these adorable outfits can be found over in the Old Navy toddlers girl section.  

They have so many choices, and I have no idea how I'm going to decide on just one outfit! Maybe she will have several festive outfits, like she did for Christmas. ;)

I hope this post gave you a little inspiration to start shopping for your little! Over on my blog, I talk all about marriage, being a military spouse, my favorite things, and lots of {Harper Style} posts! Come visit me and say hi!

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Thanks Amanda, for sharing with us those adorable Valentine's Day outfits! I'm way inspired now to get some cute, new things for Ava for Valentine's Day. Ava and Harper are only a week apart, so I'm always inspired by Amanda's cute ideas.

Be sure to stop by Amanda's blog and check out her other adorable posts!

Here are some of my favorites:

DIY Tissue Paper Garland

DIY Kitchen Chalkboard

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Mommy & Me ... Guest Post by Whitney from Polish & Pipsqueaks

Hey, birdies! I am so happy to welcome Whitney from Polish & Pipsqueaks. I love Whitney's blog, because she is all about "real women doing real things." Her fashions are always AFFORDABLE and her pipsqueak is too cute for words. 

We are doing a blog swap, so I'll be over at Polish & Pipsqueaks today. Come say HI and see what I am posting! {hint: it has to do with West Elm and lots of metallic polka dots!}

See you next week!

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Hey guys! I'm Whitney from Polish & Pipsqueaks and I am delighted to be guest posting on Put a Bird on It today! I just love all the creative and fun posts Daniela has to share here and of course her sweet little pipsqueak Ava that is just to die for! I am so excited for 2014 because I know this year will be AMAZING! Life is good isn't it? 

 I wanted to share a fun outfit post of Ruby and I playing in the snow and bringing in the New Year with a little gold tinsel... because who doesn't love a little sparkle? Come by and check us out! 

Outfit details Whitney //Shirt: Target (in stores only) $11.98//Pants: Gap//Shoes:ON SALE! Old Navy//

 Ruby //Coat: Gap//Sweater: Old Navy (similar)//Pants: OshKosh//Boots: Target//

Happy 2014! 

xoxo

Whit

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Thanks, Whitney for sharing with us your festive outfit idea! Ava has those boots from Target. They are awesome! Perfect for Utah winters. 

Here are a couple of my favorite posts from Polish & Pipsqueaks:

 Dirty Secret

Mint Limeade

Be sure to drop by Polish & Pipsqueaks and say hello!

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