the little things we do

fill in the blank friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:12:00 +0000

Fill in the Blank Friday is brought to you today,
by the lovely Erin of A Symphony of Grace.
(Make sure to check out her blog!)

Thanks so much Erin for coming up with these blanks and giving me a break while I'm busy with a newborn!!

Now let's play!

1. My favorite place i've ever traveled to is anywhere. I haven't traveled a lot, so I kind of love all the places I've traveled to .

2. India is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by making up stupid games and songs or listening to music .

4. My three must-haves when I travel are an iPhone , snacks and a cozy blanket

5. My favorite travel companion is my husband Craig .

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is when we were going to Kenya. That morning there was a terror threat on the London Heathrow airport, and it ended up being the day they randomly instituted the "3 oz. rule" for liquids so we lost a lot of our carry-on items. .

7.  The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is    ostrich and camel in Kenya .

8.  If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in    Arizona...it's really pretty there. Or maybe somewhere in Northern California.  .

9.  I have been to    eight

states in the U.S.

Happy weekend!

Lauren

my awesome friend and a guest blog post.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I don't know if you know Kacie from
A Collection of Passions....
But, she's awesome.

I have been exhausted and muddling through this whole breast feeling thing and she so sweetly offered to write a guest blog post for me. Total life saver! I'm so thankful for awesome friends like Kacie and so many other friends and family (Matt & Claire, Chris & Becca, Kira, Liz, Jamie, and especially our parents!) that have offered their help during this time of getting into the groove of having a baby. We've so appreciated it!

Now...on with Kacie's Post!

Hi there, I'm Kacie from A Collection of Passions. I am so thrilled for Lauren and Craig and I can't wait to get my hands on Fern! I'm also a photographer and as soon as all this snow melts I'm going to zip over and take newborn portraits of their baby girl. I thought I would take this guest blogging opportunity to offer suggestions for a few easy and inexpensive ways you can help support a family with a new arrival.

Make them some food...

You can make them easy to freeze/reheat food. My personal favorite "new family delivery" is my Chicken Enchiladas. They are easy, and really yummy. The recipe makes two large pans so they can make one and freeze one. Tuna Noodle Casserole is also an easy, comfort food option. I have a "Gourmet" take on it here.

Chocolate Chip Cookies are always a good idea...

I would recommend making the dough and freezing it in balls on a cookie sheet. Then, just put all the dough balls in a big Ziploc for the new family to put in their freezer. That way they can pop a few of them in the oven for fresh baked cookies anytime they need a little pick-me-up. My recipe is here.

Bring a new mom something pretty...

When you're a bit tired and dishevled new nailpolish, lotion, or lipstick can go a long way. If you have babysitting skills, offer to babysit while she slips out for a massage or pedicure.

Bring over your favorite DVD...

TV shows are great because they are shorter. I love Mad Men and 30 Rock.

Bring your camera...

Even if you're not a professional photographer it's great to snap photos of the baby or family. They will appreciate it.

Bring over all the fixings for a hot cocoa date...

...or a hot toddy date.

Offer to run to the grocery store...

With a new baby, running to the store can be a little tricky. Offer to pick up some items for the new family.

Send a care package...

Even if you live far away, you can still offer your love and support in the form of a simple care package.

I wrote earlier this week on my blog about how important it is to be encouraging, loving, and supportive to new parents (you can read it here if you like). I hope this gives you some ideas for easy ways to do just that.

super cute DIY.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I've blogged about her before, but....

Alison of The Alison Show is super awesome.

She's got a great sense of humor, awesome DIY's and she's just genuinely likable. Like...someone you'd want to go get coffee with. Anyway...I loved this last tutorial she posted on her blog and I thought you guys might like it too.

Behold the DIY studded collar necklace!

Head on over to The Alison Show for the tutorial!

Lauren

my birth story.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Before I blog Fern's birth story,
I wanted to include a disclaimer:

I had an all-natural birth and I thought it was awesome. BUT...I know that a lot of people (for one reason or another) do not choose the route that I took and I want to say that I completely respect that and I don't judge. Just because I think natural-birth is great, doesn't mean that it's for everyone. End disclaimer and on with the story.

It all started in the early hours of Sunday, January 15th...

The day before, my husband Craig and I had gone to our birthing class (just in the nick of time!) and afterward I wanted to go on a date. Craig was tired and wanted to go home and I got super emotional, saying that it might be "the last date we get to go on before Fern is born", so we compromised and he took me out for a milkshake later that evening. When we got home we watched some TV and went to bed.

Around 2:00 a.m. my contractions started. I'd been feeling a little bit "crampy" the day before, but didn't really think anything of it, since it wasn't painful. I had wondered before how I'd know if I was actually having contractions, but when they actually started I just knew. I laid in bed for about an hour timing my contractions on the iPhone app I'd downloaded for the occasion. The contractions were 3-5 minutes apart, lasting for one minute, which is when my midwife had told me was the time to head down to the birthing center. Could this be the real thing? I had fully prepared myself to be laboring for a long while - days even, since everyone says that first babies tend to take awhile (20 hours on average), but this seemed so fast! I sent a text to my midwife to let her know what was going on and she texted me back saying that I should go back to sleep and call her in the morning to see how things were progressing. Was she serious?? I tried to sleep for another half an hour, but by that time the contractions has intensified, so Craig got up with me and we started watching a basketball game he'd DVR'd. After about a half hour of that, I decided that this must be the real thing and called my midwife. She heard me have a contraction while we were on the phone and decided that I probably was in active labor and to wait an hour so they could get my room set up and then head down to the birthing center.

During this time we ran around the house collecting all of the things we'd need to take with us. The ironic thing is that I actually ended up forgetting the diaper bag with all of Fern's clothes/diapers/blankets, but did remember to put in pearl earrings. Craig laughed at me for this, since I did it right in the middle of a contraction, but hey - a girl wants to feel pretty while she's giving birth!

I was starting to get a little bit frantic during my contractions and had a hard time staying calm, but once we got to the birthing center I felt much more relaxed. It was like a breath of fresh air, a realization that I was ok now because this is where you have a baby....not on your couch while watching a Blazer game. We arrived at the birthing center around 6:00 a.m. and I labored in various positions for the next six hours - in the birthing tub, on the birthing stool, standing up while leaning on Craig and even on the toilet (I know it sounds weird, but it was actually kind of perfect). I tried getting in the bed once, but that was short lived. It was pretty much the most uncomfortable thing ever and I said that there was no way I was ever getting back in that bed again...and I didn't. Whatever position I was in though, I quickly learned that I liked to labor in complete silence (so much for that birth mix I agonized over)...eyes closed with focused breathing. I didn't want anyone talking, but I did want Craig to be right there by my side, which he was very diligent about.

Around noon, I started feeling a little defeated. My contractions didn't seem to be getting any closer together - they were still 3-5 minutes apart. (*Side note - and this is something I didn't realize before: the time in between contractions is amazing. I had read before that I would get "rests" in between contractions, but I figured that it would be kind of like when you stub your toe...after a bit, the immediate pain goes away, but there's still the slight throbbing of where the pain occurred, but no. The resting time in between contractions is AMAZING. In between contractions I felt totally fine...like...as in...the "I can't possibly be in labor, I'm falling asleep right now" kind of fine). At the birthing center they don't do cervical checks unless you specifically ask for them, because the way they see it - it doesn't really matter how far dilated you are - you'll have a baby at some point regardless. But at this point I felt like I needed to have at least a ballpark guess of how much progress I was making, so I asked my midwife to check me, but told her not to tell me a number, just let me know whether I was making progress. A quick check confirmed that I was almost completely dilated!

Yay! Now, comes the easy part right? Everyone always talks about how great the pushing part of labor is, so this should be awesome! Ummmm...not so much. The pushing was by far the hardest part for me. I pushed for about three long, hard hours. After the first hour, since I wasn't making much progress, my midwife suggested a bit of directed pushing, which while uncomfortable was incredibly helpful. Sometime around hour #2 of pushing I started to feel a bit defeated and started questioning my ability to have this baby naturally. This came out in my laboring. Before this there was some low (but definitely loud) moaning happening, but by this point there were most assuredly some tears and yelling...screaming even. I kept saying "I don't think I can do this!", to which my midwife replied, "Yes. You can. You're doing it right now." Touche. At one point the tears were flowing and she looked at me and sternly said, "You need to look at me. Stop crying and focus all of this energy on pushing your baby out. Crying isn't going to help you have a baby." True story.

So I kept pushing. Pretty soon, I was close and my midwife said she could see the baby's head. She asked if I wanted to see it in the mirror. "NO!!!" I shouted emphatically. At this point (around 3:00 pm) my water broke. I was so thankful it didn't happen earlier since it can help to make labor more comfortable. Thank you wonderful cushion of amniotic sac! I was laboring on the birthing stool at this point and they told me that that baby was coming soon and I couldn't give birth on the stool, so I needed to get into the tub. At this point I was sort of freaking out and I kept saying I couldn't make it to the tub (ummm...hello...I have a baby coming out of my vagina and you want me to lift my leg over the side of a giant tub?). They said it was either the tub or hands and knees on the floor. Craig had to give me a pep talk and then he and my midwives helped me into the tub. One of my midwives was telling Craig he had time to go change and get into the tub with me, but he declined and it was a good thing too, because literally moments later (at 3:32 p.m.), during my next contraction, Fern was born. Craig said she "shot out like a torpedo", which is probably pretty accurate.

As soon as Fern shot out I got that awesome flood of endorphins that I'd read about. Craig said he's never seen anyone's face change so suddenly or dramatically. He said I looked like I was being tortured one minute and the next minute I looked like I was going to Disneyland - all smiles and bright eyes. I picked Fern up out of the tub and looked her over and the first thing I said was:

"Wow! I did that! That's bad ass!"

Not the most sentimental first statement after having a baby, but oh-so-true. I have never in my life felt more empowered than I did at that moment. I had just birthed a human and I did it without so much as an asprin. If that's not bad ass, I don't know what is.

Fern Winter Hartmann
Born January 15, 2012 @ 3:32 PM
in Portland, OR

...During the first snowfall of the year (*Craig and I got married four years ago during the first snowfall of that year...kind of romantic, no?)...we thought this made her middle name kind of perfect.

After my first reactions, my midwives informed me that the reason I was having such a difficult time with pushing was because Fern came out brow first. Her head was down, but instead of having her chin tucked down toward her chest and coming out with the back part of her head first (i.e. the smaller part with more malleable plates) she came out with her chin lifted up and her forehead first (i.e. the bigger part with less malleable plates). I just googled "brow presentation" and this is what I found:

"Most babies who are presenting brow first will need to be born by Caesarean. This is because the diameter (or width) of the baby's head in this position is much larger than the baby's crown (i.e. about 13.5 cm compared to 9.5cm). On rare occasions, if the baby is small, and the mother has a 'roomy' pelvis with strong contractions, it is possible for the baby to be born vaginally."

My baby was NOT small (8 lbs 7 oz) and I still did it. Thank goodness I didn't know! The plus side is that my midwives said that the next time I have a baby it should go really quickly and be much easier. Phew!

Was it hard work? Yes. But, was it worth it? Absolutely. I would without hesitation do it exactly the same way the next time around.

Also...the birthing center was awesome. It was like being at a bed & breakfast. We got to order takeout from a big book of local restaurants, I got a massage, they drew me candlelit baths, did our laundry, cleaned up after us....the list goes on and on. It was amazing.

This was my post-labor meal of choice: a giant piece of chocolate cake.

I also loved that it was an environment that set me up for success. Everyone present believed in birth and in my ability to have a successful birth. There were no drugs to be offered. It was a calm and comfortable space and my midwives were amazing. Everything was kind of perfect.

I know that natural birth is not for everyone, but if I am fully convinced that if I can do it anyone can. I do not have a high pain tolerance. I've never broken a bone or really had anything notably painful happen to me, so I don't have a whole lot to compare it to, but I will say that it is totally doable and if you are committed to having a natural birth (of course barring any complications) you CAN do it.

My one suggestion for having a natural birth?

The power of positive thinking.

When you're pregnant everyone wants to tell you their birthing horror stories. I quickly learned to cut people off and let them know that I had no illusions that birth wouldn't be hard work, but that I was up for the challenge and that I believed that I was capable and that I could do it. I remained positive throughout (even if my words weren't always in line with my inner worries) because I really do believe that our words are powerful and that the power of suggestion is incredibly strong. Believe you'll have a good birth and it's more likely that you will. At least, I feel like that's what helped me.

Oh...and suggestion #2:

Get yourself an awesome birthing partner. Craig was beyond amazing throughout my entire 12 hour labor. He massaged my back when I needed it, got in the tub with me during part of it, and literally let me lean on him during contractions. He was there to offer me sips of water during the resting moments and let's not even talk about all the things he did for me after I gave birth. I love that man so incredibly. There were definitely a lot of less than pretty/humbling moments that went along with giving birth...I even cried at one point about how embarrassing it was that he had to help me with some of these things, but he just looked me in the eye and said, "You have never been sexier than you are right now - and I mean that. You just gave birth to our baby." I couldn't possibly ask for a more amazing man.

If you have any questions about my birthing experience, I'd love to answer them, so feel free to e-mail me and thanks for reading.

Lauren

the weeks are like the weekend now.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I thought I'd do a weekend update...

But then I realized that the week is like the weekend now that I'll be home with Fern. I don't have to wait until the weekend to get rest and relaxation now...although I do have to wait until Fern decides to sleep to get rest and relaxation, but that's alright with me :).

Here are a few photos from our first week together...

Big yawn!

Meeting Marley.

Marley is still a little unsure of Fern. Every time she cries Marley starts pacing.

Maybe it's her maternal instinct.

Sleeping soundly.

Her first lesson in accessorizing.

Headband made by Alison of The Little Tiny and adorable little leg warmers made by my friend Becca. Fern looks like she's ready for some Jazzercize!

Adoring her daddy.

My first caffeinated mocha in ages courtesy of my wonderful husband.

Posing in her birthday crown made by my preschoolers.

A photo from our first date night. It was Craig's idea to go see a movie and the grandparents babysat. Fern did well, and I didn't cry either :). It was weird going on a real date though, since up until now every night could be date night if we wanted it to be...now it takes a little more planning, but date night will be all that much more special now.

A flower for Fern.

Snoozing the day away.

Basically all she does is eat, sleep and poop.

Lauren

we had a baby fern!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:02:00 +0000

I hope you'll understand, but Fill in the Blank Friday is being postponed this week, because....I wanted to introduce you to the newest member of our family!

Fern Winter Hartmann

Born Sunday, January 15th, 2012, at 3:32 pm

8 lbs. 7 oz. and 21.25" long

I apologize for the lack of blog posts this week, but we've been busy getting to know our little lady. Regular posting should resume next week, along with Fern's birth story for those of you who are interested. The short story is that I had a wonderful experience - 12 all-natural hours of laboring at a birthing center brought this cuteness into the world. It was amazing and by far my proudest accomplishment to date. I can't wait to tell you guys about it and to encourage any of you considering a natural delivery - if I can do it, I'm pretty sure that anyone can :). I also can't wait to tell you about how amazing my husband was - seriously...I love that man on another level that I never even knew was possible. He's been taking such good care of Fern and I - such a good daddy and husband that man is!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Lauren

fill in the blank friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

It's Friday!
...and that means two things:

1. It's time for Fill in the Blank Friday.
2. My due date is only five more days away!

OK...now that we've established this we can get back to the blanks.
Enjoy!

1. The last thing I ate was frozen waffles with peanut butter and jelly on them and a glass of milk .

2. The last song I listened to was "Do You Love Me" by The Contours while having a dance party with my preschoolers .

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell {Lauren}...learn, are, rue, ran, lane, run, Earl, earn, lure, rule, ulna, urea, urn, real, nu, neural, lunar, near, era, lean, ear, el, an, ale .

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick blue, because even though it's not my favorite color, it would be really versatile and I'd have to choose blue, because I couldn't live life without jeans .

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find makeup, gum, receipts, a granola bar, gift cards, ear buds, a necklace, a cardigan, 2 pairs of sun glasses, a grocery list, perfume, a water bottle and probably a whole lot of other crap I don't need to be carrying around everywhere .

6. When I finish filling in the blanks I'm going to go to bed! .

7. My all time favorite song to dance to is "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins or maybe "Jump On It" by Sir Mix-A-Lot...both totally cheesy, but I think it's because they both remind me of high school dances .

Happy weekend!

Lauren

my furry little friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

This is Hani.

...short for Samahani which means "excuse me" in Swahili.

He is an adorable little Havanese belonging to my friend Lisa Warninger.

And he has a Tumblr called

Busy Busy Hani.

It's filled with all the super adorableness that are his daily adventures all narrated with a funny little twist. You should go visit. It will put a smile on your face.

Lauren

the incredible growing woman.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

My belly has had quite the journey over the past 39 weeks.

So I decided to do a little photo roundup of all of my belly shots I took throughout the course of my pregnancy.

You can check them out over at Babble!

And see all the photos from....

12 weeks

to....

37 weeks

and all the belly photos in between :).

Lauren

P.S. Feel free to check out more of my Babble posts here.

my favorite thing about today #65.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

My favorite thing

about today was....

The "birth"day crown my preschoolers made for Fern.

In our class when it's someone's birthday they get to make a birthday crown and one of my students decided that Fern needed one, because,

"On the day she hatches out of you it will be her birthday! When she comes out we should all say 'SURPRISE!' and then you can put her birthday crown on her."

Kids make me smile :).

What was your favorite thing about today?

What has made you smile?

Lauren

possibly my last baby free weekend.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

My due date hasn't arrived yet.

But, it's weird to think that Fern could arrive anytime now and it's quite possible that I just had my last free weekend before becoming a parent. Crazy!

Here's how I spent it....

Having a girl's night at American Dream Pizza with

Becca, Echo (and little Poppy!) and Amanda.

Getting coffee at Ristretto with Lisa.

Having Lisa shoot my maternity photos in the Gorge

(this was just a little Instagram I took myself).

Getting my second round of pizza (and soda on tap!) with our friend Josiah at Hot Lips.

It was beer on tap for Craig though - obviously.

And then Sunday was spent doing a little of this and a little of that.

I went to IKEA by myself, which when mixed with irritable pregnancy hormones and the crazy Sunday crowds, basically makes for hell on earth. I wanted to punch every slow little lady I got stuck behind in the face. That's how you know you're pregnancy hormones have gotten the best of you...you suddenly want to punch harmless, sweet, little, old ladies. You can totally judge me, but just you wait 'til you're pregnant and you'll see what I mean.

I did get this trash bin for Fern's inevitably stinky diapers

And this cool contraption for drying her cloth diapers.

And some closet and drawer storage.

I also picked up some teeny disposable diapers and a couple of G Diaper covers to try. I think these will be the cloth diapers we go with, but I wanted to try a couple before investing in a whole set. They're so soft and cute though...I'm already kind of sold.

In the evening, I had a lovely Thai dinner with my beautiful friend Lindsey and Blizzards and a visit from my parents. T'was a lovely way to wrap up a weekend.

What did you do this weekend?

Lauren

fill in the blank friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Today's blanks are all about free time.

....You know....

that little thing I probably won't have a whole lot of pretty soon with a newborn hanging around? Yep. So, I thought I'd blog about free time to try to remember what it's like while I still can :).

Now, time for those blanks!

{How I spent my free time last weekend...lazing in bed.}

1. One of my favorite things to do when I have free time is watch a movie on the couch with my husband. If hot cocoa or ice cream is involved, then all the better .

2. When I have free time I tend to be more lazy than motivated. I've puttered away many an afternoon perusing Pinterest, Instagram (my username is: thelittlethingswedo), Twitter and Facebook and been perfectly content with that :) .

3. If I had an entire day completely to myself I would have breakfast at Genie's, walk around the shops on Mississippi Avenue, cozy up at Powell's Books with some magazines and a cup of coffee and sit for hours, have lunch at Meat Cheese Bread and then come home and eat Pok Pok takeout while watching a documentary and eating Salt & Straw ice cream for dessert. Apparently I'd eat a lot if I had too much free time :) .

4. I would prefer to spend my free time (alone or with others...) a little bit of both. I love doing things with friends and family, but I also need alone time to decompress - even if it's just running boring errands .

5. Most of my free time happens on the weekend - but even then I always feel overbooked. I'm a chronic overbooker :( .

6. The best thing about free time is that you don't have any obligations of course! The world is your oyster! .

7. The next time I have free time I should probably do baby laundry and prep other such baby things but instead, I'll probably putter and be lazy and just soak up my last moments of childless irresponsibility .

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Lauren

my favorite thing about today #64.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

My favorite thing

about today is....

Ron Burgundy :).
He always makes me smile.

What is your favorite thing about today?

xo

Lauren

enjoying the last of the little things.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Reality is settling in....

I'm going to be a parent sometime in the coming weeks and therefore, I should probably stop and enjoy the "last of the little things" before I'm too sleep deprived/don't have the time to enjoy them for a little while. Things like....

Hanging out with friends for a coffee date without having to plan around nap schedules and without schlepping around 25 lbs worth of baby gear in a giant diaper bag.

Sleeping in and just lazing in bed puttering around on instagram with no parental obligations.

Leisurely (quiet) breakfasts, just Craig and I.

Time wasting on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

I know that once Fern arrives I probably won't miss these little things, because our lives will be filled with a ton of even better new little things though and I can't wait :).

Lauren

things i find particularly lovely today.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Here are a couple of things I am

finding particularly lovely today....

This washi tape stag head.

This adorable dress for the Target Mini Harajuku line.

A favorite things party.

This ever-so-true quote.

A stripey sweater.

A sweet and inviting decal to come home to.

This cute and cozy throw.

Everyone's photos on Instagram for the "Photo A Day Challenge"

What are you finding particularly lovely today?

Lauren

we are party animals.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I'll preface this post by clarifying that its title is quite facetious.

We had maybe the most low key New Year's ever.

But, it was still fun.

I went home sick from work on Friday with a nasty stomach bug.

(*side note: pukey stomach flu while 37 weeks pregnant = not cool).

I seriously thought I was going to die - I don't think I've ever felt so sick in my life.

There was definitely some of this happening,

although not a lot because I felt too sick to eat most of the day.

But, somehow I mustered up an appetite to have a chocolate hazelnut milkshake from Burgerville - specially delivered by my super sweet husband. Totally well-rounded dinner in my book.

And then, the next morning....

I woke up miraculously cured!!

It was the strangest thing. I felt like I had never even been sick.

But, we still laid low for the day and spent our New Year's with the Hardesty's baking cookies and drinking sparkling pear cider and watching Super 8 (which side note was surprisingly good - kind of like a "modern day version of 'Goonies'" in Becca's words).

I did have fun living vicariously through everyone else and their sparkly sequin studded champagne filled New Year's celebrations on Instagram, although truth be told I was more than a little jealous since I really do adore champagne and sequins. But...there's always next year :). For now, this New Year's was just what the doctor ordered.

I also made a few simple resolutions for 2012 that you can read over at Babble if you're so inclined

(read them here)

How did you spend your New Year's?

Did you make any resolutions for yourself?

Lauren

fill in the blank friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:40:00 +0000

First of all...

I wanted to say thank you to all of you who e-mailed me your fill in the blank suggestions. I really appreciate it and will definitely be using them once the baby arrives. I figured I'd keep writing my own until then so I'll have a stockpile waiting for once she's here and my brain is a pile of mush and can't come up with its own blanks for you guys :).

Now, we can get on with the blanks...
(which are obviously New Year's themed!)

1. New Years is a great excuse for a fresh start. Of course you don't need a specific day to start something a new or tackle a new challenge, but it can definitely be nice to have a good jumping off point .

2. One of my New Year's resolutions will be to lose this pregnancy poundage! It's not really a "New Years resolution" per say...just something I'm resolving to do period, because it definitely needs to happen .

3. A New Year's resolution I've made in the past was to wear more dresses, which I was actually successful at. I never used to wear them unless it was a special occasion, but now I probably wear a dress once or twice a week...pretty good in my book .

4. The most time consuming resolution I ever made was the "30 Day Hair Challenge" I took on last year .

5. This year I will be spending New Year's Eve most likely doing nothing. I can't drink champagne and I'm usually tired by 9:00 these days, so where's the fun in that? .

6. If I could wish one thing for my new year it would be to be a good parent .

7. 2012 is going to be filled with more change than any other year so far and we can't wait! So excited to be parents to little Fern :) .

Hope you have a great New Years!

Lauren

function has officially triumphed over fashion.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Many of you have expressed that you enjoyed my pregnancy outfit posts.

Well, you may have noticed that I haven't done one of those posts in quite some time.

This is the reason:

(Hello giant baby bump!)

At 37 weeks pregnant I am feeling less than stellar about my body and basically nothing fits. It's actually a little bit ridiculous. I am sorry to have to admit that function has officially triumphed over fashion. I gave it a good run, but with dresses that no longer cover my bum, shirts that don't cover my belly and shoes that don't fit my swollen feet, my options are limited. I will say that while I haven't succumbed to wearing yoga pants and flip flops outside of the house, pajama pants are definitely happening more frequently during my at-home hours.

While I am most definitely excited to meet our daughter and I know that all of this will be well worth it, I must say that I am beyond excited to wear real clothes again and to get back in shape after Fern arrives.

And at 37 weeks pregnant I am officially full term, so this could be just around the corner as one of the little boys in my class reminded me yesterday....

Child: "Teacher...how come your baby is taking so long to get hatched out of your belly?"

Me: "I don't know buddy. Why don't you ask her."

Child: (proceeds to tap on my belly) "Fern! Hurry up and come out!"

My sentiments exactly :).

Lauren

music to have babies to.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:18:00 +0000

DISCLAIMER:

(The title of this post,"music to have babies to" should NOT be confused with "music to make babies to". These would make for two very different soundtracks.)

Today over at Babble I posted my birthing playlist.

Here's the upbeat portion of the list....

Birth Mix: Upbeat by Lauren on Grooveshark

Head on over to Babble to see Part Two of my birth mix,

Then let me know if you have any "must add!" song suggestions for me.

Lauren

snapshots.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

I'm maybe (ok, for sure) kind of addicted to Instagram.

(follow me @ thelittlethingswedo)

...And here are a couple of photos I took this weekend

using its awesomeness.

Coordinated wrapping paper + the scarf I got my mom for Christmas.

A magical unicorn to make wishes on, found in the the magical land

otherwise known as New Seasons.

Making frosting for sugar cookies with my little cousins. They wanted neon frosting - not so

Christmas-y, but they're tweens who like iCarly and J-Beibs, so it makes sense.

My silly husband with his favorite Christmas gift...a giant pile of rope. He seriously asked my parents for this for Christmas. It will be the line for the winch on his G-Wagen. Apparently it's "45% stronger than a steel cable!" Such a boy :).

Lakers V.S. Blazers Christmas day basketball game.

This is the player formerly known as Ron Artest. He changed his name to "Metta World Peace". What a douche. I know most of you probably aren't into sports, but the irony of this just kills me. Read about "The Malice in the Palace" or better yet watch the Youtube video. What a joke.

OK.

That's all.

How did you spend your weekend?

How was your Christmas?

Lauren

fill in the blank friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Today's blanks are Christmas themed!

I apologize to any of you who don't celebrate...you can feel free to change the blanks to suit the particular holiday you do celebrate...Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Festivus....whatever floats your boat!

1. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is obviously by "singing loud for all to hear" :) .

2. The thing I love most about Christmas is just getting to spend time with family. It's relaxed and not rushed and I love the cozy feel that comes along with Christmas .

3. The holiday season is a time for counting your blessings and spending time with family reflecting on the real "reason for the season"...Jesus! .

4. My favorite thing to eat at the holidays is clam dip and prime rib. My father-in-law make delicious rosemary prime rib and clam dip with original potato chips is a must for every holiday. I do wish I could have some hard cider or a cocktail to round things out though. For some reason I'm craving one like crazy! Only a few more weeks though... .

5. I will be spending Christmas with my family and my in-laws. They're pretty good about sharing the love, so there's not crazy, chaotic running around from place to place. We actually all celebrate Christmas day together, which is really nice .

6. Tis better to (give or receive?) give. I love gift giving and finding the perfect gift for that perfect someone. Although...I'm not gonna lie...I love receiving gifts as well :) .

7. I'm dreaming of a peaceful, relaxing Christmas.

Hope you have a lovely Christmas!

Lauren

last minute gift ideas that don't require going anywhere near a mall.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

OK.

You waited 'til the last minute to buy a gift.

But, don't stress. I've got you covered.

I've got a couple of ideas up my sleeve for you that won't require going anywhere near a mall and that also won't require Martha-Stewart-like craft skills and supplies.

Give the one you love a subscription to the "_________ of the Month Club"!

Don't worry. I'm not talking about a "real" club. No jelly-of-the-month subscriptions here (although I think that I would probably love the subscription myself). This is a club that is specific to the person who will be receiving the gift, so all you have to do is think of something they'll love and fill-in-the-blank!

Here are some suggestions:

*Baked Good of the Month Club

-Just whip up a baked good and deliver it to the recipient once a month. They'll look forward to eating something new each time!

*Book of the Month Club

-Take the book lover in your life on a date to the bookstore once each month to choose their newest read; or you could always surprise them with a book of your choosing.

*Brew or wine of the Month Club

-Find a 22 or a bottle of wine that will strike the giftee's fancy.

*Clean-Up of the Month Club

-Come over and clean-up a room in said-person's home once a month...or if you're feeling particularly generous and ambitious, a top-to-bottom clean-up. New mamas would probably love this gift!

*Dinner of the Month Club

-Drop by a meal or a gift certificate for a meal once a month. Also...probably a great gift for new parents.

*Date-Night of the Month Club

-Take your honey out for one extra special date every month for a year (we're not talking Chipotle and a Red Box here people).

*Movie of the Month Club

-Add a DVD to his or her collection once a month.

*CD of the Month Club

-Add a CD to their collection each month.

*Tool of the Month Club

-This one could get expensive, since tools aren't cheap, but I know my husband would be thrilled to add a new tool to his tool box every month.

*Beauty Product of the Month Club

-Surprise a special lady in your life with something new to pamper herself with each month this year.

*Babysitter of the Month Club

-Offer up your babysitting services once a month for a year. The gift-receiver will appreciate being able to plan ahead for date nights or other social functions.

*Outfit of the Month Club

-This could also get expensive, but being taken out to shop for a new outfit every month would be divine!

Get creative and see what you can come up with!

Maybe whip up some cute little coupons for your present.

This is the gift that keeps on giving for the whole year :).

Lauren

confessional.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

So, I have a confession to make....

I kind of suck at being a blog friend these days.

Ever since I started blogging for Babble, I feel like I just don't have time to read all the blogs that I'd like to and when I do, I just don't feel like typing anymore, so I don't leave comments. It makes me feel terrible, because you all leave me such sweet comments and I'd love nothing more than to reciprocate this, but I just don't seem to have the time/energy these days.

Being 9 months pregnant might have something to do with it, but still....it makes me sad.

So, in an effort to try to connect with you all more, I thought I'd remind you of the other ways that we can connect via the wonderful world of social media....

(*Note: I'm much better at connecting via these mediums, because I can check them easily on-the-go - see...I have most of them readily available on my iPhone!)

My Babble Blog: Being Pregnant

Twitter: LaurensLoDown

Facebook: The Little Things We Do.... and

Lauren Hartmann @ Babble's Being Pregnant

E-mail: loveoflittlethings@gmail.com

Pinterest: Little Things

Instagram: thelittlethingswedo

Let's connect!

Lauren

pretty in print.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

This weekend my issue of Kinfolk arrived in the mail.

I was so excited to finally see one of my styling projects in print!

Kinfolk Magazine is all about small gatherings, and the projects I was a part of was a "Forest Picnic For One". It was such a great collaboration with Chelsea Fuss, Lisa Warninger and our lovely model Jennifer Sullins. Jennifer was great and I always love working with Chelsea and Lisa.

This was the first time I'd seen any of my styling in print and it was so exciting! I think I could get used to this. I mean...I've seen my projects online, but there was just something about seeing it in print that was that much cooler...that much more legit.

If you haven't seen this issue of Kinfolk, I definitely recommend it. It's filled to the brim with loveliness!

See more photos over at Chelsea's blog {Frolic!}

Lauren

Project Credits:

Photography: Lisa Warninger

Wardrobe styling: Lauren Hartmann

Prop styling: Chelsea Fuss

Model: Jennifer Sullins

Hair and Makeup: Lindsey Strand at Amore Salon

my weekend in instagram.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @The Little Things We Do....) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

If you were to follow me on instagram (my username is: thelittlethingswedo) you would've seen that this weekend I....

Got my issue of Kinfolk in the mail.

Found I am incapable of resisting the allure of H&M's baby section.

Realized that there are only 31 more days until Fern's "guess date".

Actually....only 30 now. Whoa.

Lazed about on Sunday drinking cinnamon hot cocoa + marshmallows

and wasting time on Pinterest.

Took a picture of Marley's Pavlovian discovery. She's realized that if she follows someone to the bathroom, she'll have them as her captive audience for all the free pets she can get. This is kind of cute, but probably also kind of awkward for our guests.

I also....

*Did my Christmas shopping. I decided I was too exhausted to DIY it this year, but I officially hate the mall. Next year, I'm totally going back to the DIY route.

*Tried out some new makeup at Sephora. I never buy new makeup, so I need some direction.

*Saw the play "White Christmas" with my friend Casey. Fern LOVED the singing and dancing and went crazy in my belly...especially during the tap dancing numbers. Maybe we've got a little thespian or dancer on our hands :).

What did you do this weekend?

Lauren