New Year Thoughts

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend. We spent most of the weekend relaxing & watching football while it rained outside. We are so excited for Wednesday to find out if we are having a boy or a girl, that always seems to make the week creep by just a little bit slower! 😉 There is not much going on over here otherwise, January always seems to just be a slow month of organizing & getting back on a schedule after weeks of holiday craziness. And that’s just about where we are at!
Eloise is rocking the best baby mullet ever. Her hair is filling in really fast though & seems to be getting a little bit lighter. I can’t wait to see what it looks like by her first birthday!

I saw a funny quote the other day, “What size pants do you wear?” “Leggings.” That is totally me. I live in leggings & it’s kinda pathetic. Especially being pregnant, I tend to just live in comfortable clothes but I am really going to try this time around to find more things to wear. I never lost all of my baby weight after having Eloise & already can’t fit into my old jeans (the ones I wore with both girls while pregnant) so I have ventured into maternity pants territory right out the gate. I bought these Maternity Andie pants in green on sale & love them. I don’t plan on buying any more, but it feels pretty good to have one pair of stretchy pants that can’t double as pajamas.
Harper got an Elsa dress & crown for Christmas, she basically never takes them off. We told her that there is a baby in my belly, she says it’s a girl & that we are naming her Baby Izzy. You all already probably know that Izzy is our cat’s name as well as her two stuffed cats. I love the way her mind works! She has also turned into a full time negotiator. Every conversation with her consists of “If I do this, then I can do that, okay?” One of the houses in our neighborhood that had an amazing Christmas display just took everything down & Harper was so disappointed when we drove by. She asked me if we can stop at their house & ask them if we can help put it all back up. When I told her it was naptime, her response was “If I take my nap, then we can go help put those decorations back on the pretty house, okay? But only if I take a goooood nap. Okay?”

Eloise is still stop-drop-and-headstanding all over the house. Someone commented on another post that their grandmother used to say when a baby does this, they are looking for a baby brother or sister. That made me smile! 😉 Maybe it’s true!

 It is not a resolution by any means, but I am going to try harder to make lots of new recipes over the next few months & add a few new go-to meals into our weekly rotation. This week we are trying crockpot carnitas, I got some input from friends who make them & also looked at a few recipes on pinterest. I can’t wait to try them. Do you have any easy recipes that you make every week? Would love to hear your favorites!
I added the Auld Lang Syne print into my etsy shop for those of you who are interested & also have a new coupon code that is good through the end of the week, 35% off with code HAPPYNEWYEAR. I hope you all know how grateful I am for your support of my shop over the last few years, I am so excited for some of the new prints & collaborations that will be coming in 2015!!

 I guess that’s all for now. Have a wonderful week!! XO

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  1. Gap's maternity clothes are fantastic – I still wear the plain long sleeve maternity shirts even though I'm not pregnant anymore. They're just so flattering on my not-so-flat post-baby stomach, and unless someone is actively looking for the subtle gathering on the sides, they'd never realize it was a maternity shirt. Good luck – there are some cute maternity clothes out there to be found 🙂

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  2. Full admission to being a bit of a loser, but I was re-reading your blog from the beginning, and I was up to a post where Harper was about the same age as Eloise and doing the exact same baby yoga pose! Cute sister traits perhaps 🙂

    WIshing you all the best with this pregnancy, I can't wait to find out what you're having either!!

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  4. Aww, sweet mama, thank you for sharing with us! Even when you must be exhausted. I love reading, and I'm so glad you take the time to post. XOXO

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  6. I never bought any below-the-belly maternity pants. I gained a *cool* 40 pounds while pregnant—thanks in large part to the 3+ gallons of whole milk (non-homogonized mind you) that I drank on a weekly basis. I knew I'd need those pants to act as a poor man's Spanxs after giving birth.

    I just made this recipe tonight for Vietnamese slow cooked chicken and I subbed in broccoli for bok choy and cooked it on high for 30 minutes at the end instead of 10. It turned out really good, but next time I probably won't salt the chicken because the soy sauce is salty enough. (http://www.yankeekitchenninja.com/2012/02/vietnamese-slow-cooker-chicken-with-bok.html)

    Sarah
    http://www.thepolkfolk.blogspot.com

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  7. Uh oh! My youngest of 3 daughters always does the 'stop drop and headstand'! My husband and I have been talking about trying for one more, but just today decided not to! Now I'm wondering if this is a sign?! Hmmmmm…… 😉

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  8. "What size pants do you wear?" "Leggings." just made me laugh out loud. I am 22 weeks and live in the Gap maternity leggings you recommended way back when. And Eloise's stop-drop-and-headstanding is hilarious! 🙂

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  9. My husband and his family are from Mexico and they believe when your youngest does headstands their mom is expecting. This was true when we were pregnant with my daughter. so excited for the collaborations this year! And the news on Wednesday!

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  13. oh Eloise is literally too cute when she is stop-drop-and-headstanding!! I can't wait to find out if you are having a boy or a girl! I was the youngest of three girls, and my parents said that when it came to me they had NO preference because three girls would be so fun, but it would also be equally fun to experience raising a boy. I hope you have a healthy and happy baby regardless if it is a little guy or gal. xo happy new year 😉

    http://www.glitterwithgrace.com

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  19. Been checking and re checking your page after your exciting announcement. My hubby and I are working on baby number two and I'm looking forward to your pregnancy blogs along the way. Congrats. Your girls are so precious!

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  20. Okay I have a super easy and filling recipe for Ya! They are my go to and I get a lot of leftovers from them. I do what I call "CHICKEN SQUARES". I use a rotisserie chicken to save time and I shred the meat and mix in a whole packet of cream cheese. I use two packets of crescent rolls. I usually get enough out of them. I take two triangles from the crescents and make them into a square and scoop out some of the mixture into each square. I then put bread crumbs on top and bake as the crescent rolls suggest. Then eat!! My two year old LOVES it!! They are so easy and tasty. 🙂

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  22. We have several go-to meals that we love!!! We do a spicy brats & veggie mix that is to die for. Usually sliced bell pepper, onion & broccoli with sliced spicy brats. Sometimes we will add a marinade or a sauce, but it's delicious either way!! We also have crockpot jambalaya with leftover porkloin, chicken, shrimp or freshly seared jalapeño sausage! I really want to add new recipes to our rotation, too. I feel like I'm stuck in a rut! Can't wait to see other ideas. 🙂

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  25. I am so excited for you to find out what you are having! I am making an early guess and saying Boy! 🙂 As far as easy recipes go… I have one that is a no fail guarantee! Chicken Tacos that will blow your mind. Throw your chicken in the crockpot (frozen or thawed, it doesn't matter) put a little bit of water in the bottom so they dont burn, Then you just pour a packet of Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch on top (this is one of the dry ranch mix packets, found by the salad dressing), and let cook on low for a few hours, shred the chicken (either by hand or in your mixer) and serve on tortillas with beans, cheese, sour cream and salsa. Its like a fiesta in your mouth. If you ever try it, you'll have to let me know how it goes over in your house! 🙂

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  26. When I was pregnant, I always claimed that I would never wear anything but maternity pants ever again… they are SO comfy! Now, after almost 2 years of wearing "regular pants" post pregnancy, I finally discovered leggings. They are just as comfy as maternity pants! I wear them pretty much every day! I will be devastated if they ever go out of style! lol. 🙂

    Can't wait to see what Baby #3 is going to be!

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  27. I just have to tell you how much I love this blog! My 2 boys are almost the same ages as your girls, my oldest is a couple months younger than Harper and my youngest is a little older than Ellie. You're relatable yet somehow seem to have it more together than me.. and I like that. You're blog inspires me to be better 🙂 Congrats on the new baby news! Even though my youngest is only 8.5 months old, I'm trying hard to ward off the jealousy! We're not quite ready for another one, but I WISH we were! 🙂

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  31. I'm trying to add new recipes to our routine too! I'll admit, I rarely used to cook (just very easy stuff…like frozen lasagna LOL) but we just recently moved into a new house with a HUGE kitchen, and now it's a whole different story! Now that I have space, it's actually fun!

    A few easy favorites of mine include chicken breast, 1 can rotel and 1 packet taco seasoning in the crockpot. Cook for a few hours and shred! I also love roasted garlic red potatoes as a side – chop up red potatoes and garlic, mix with olive oil, spread out on pan and cover w/ salt, pepper and any other yummy seasonings then bake for 1 hour at 400 degrees!

    Hope you share some of your yummy recipes!!! Have a great week!

    -Sarah http://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com

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  32. Oh my word. Eloise's chunky legs in that first picture. I die. How cute are baby rolls?! And one of my go to favorite meals is country style barbeque ribs. I buy the country style ribs at Sam's Club (they're pre cut and basically they have no bone), toss them in a baking dish, add a cup of water and throw them in the oven on 350 for about 2 1/2 hours. Then you take them out, lather them with Sweet Baby Rays barbeque sauce, and place them back in the oven for another 30 minutes. They fall apart and melt in your mouth. Worth every.single.calorie 😛

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  34. Easiest recipe EVER… chicken breast (I usually pound it a bit so each piece is uniform in size then cut into two or three pieces), salt and pepper, dip in ranch dressing, coat in 50/50 mixture cheddar cheese and panko breadcrumbs- Bake 350 for 20 min (or more if you leave the chicken thick). Easy, peasy and my picky husband says it's guest worthy!

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  35. Yay were both due in July! Congratulations! This is adorable! Everyone go watch my mother's Christmas surprise. It is adorable! She is a first time Grandma and she had no idea a baby was on the way!! She cried for five minutes straight! Too cute! I can't post it on Ellen Tube because it has music in the background. http://youtu.be/omCNmSQQE94

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  36. AHHHH!!! I had been religiously following your blog for months while I was pregnant, and then when the goober was born in September my life got all kinds of turned upside down and I didn't have all this amazing free time to just browse the internet (what's THAT about?!). Anyway, I just went back to work yesterday, which means back to checking my favorite blogs… and I come to yours and see you are PREGNANT!! Again, AHHH!! I'm so excited for you and that I get to follow another pregnancy of yours. Now I have to go back and check out the past few months of preggo posts… Good thing my baby will still be napping for another half hour or so while I read your entire blog (fingers crossed). 🙂

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  37. Congrats again on babe number three 🙂 I've also been sporting the leggings all pregnancy long (I'm 6 months) and there is truly nothing better! Besides no pants!

    I've just been putting together a bunch of recipes for my blog that we love to eat for weekly dinners. My current favorites are the baked chicken and mushroom skillet from Damn Delicious and baked salmon with garlic and dijon from Natasha's Kitchen. So, so good and easy! I also love my mom's lemon chicken wings. Just cover some chicken wings in olive oil, lots of dried oregano, salt and pepper, garlic powder and lemon juice. broil for about 8 minutes, flip 'em over, cover the other sides with ingredients and broil again for another 5 minutes until golden brown. Super fast and sooooo delicious!

    Love your blog and it's been wonderful seeing your sweet family grow! All the best!

    http://www.foreverfireflying.com

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  40. Hi beautiful mama. Will you be doing your chalkboard weekly updates with this new lil babe. I hope so. I love following along. Can't wait to hear if its a boy or another precious girl. Thanks for all the bloggin' they brighten my day xo

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  42. My baby is the same age than Ellie and I still wear legging everywhere! They are so comfy!
    A go to recipe for the crockpot is BBQ pulled pork. Put the meat with a beer and some beef stock, add spices and let it cook in the low setting until you can pull it apart really easy. Pix in some of your favorite BBQ sauce. We like sticky fingers sauces.

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  43. Your girls are seriously the cutest! I made a creamy meatball casserole the other week and it was so yummy! We can't wait to eat it again. It's super easy to throw together and uses things that most people have on hand. I also just made a spiralized greek salad which was so good and so fun to eat!

    http://nestdecorator.blogspot.com/2014/12/sunday-supper-creamy-meatball-casserole.html

    http://nestdecorator.blogspot.com/2015/01/spiralized-greek-salad-recipe.html

    Would love to know if you try it!

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  44. Your girls are so so cute. Totally off topic, but we are in the process of redoing a small bathroom in our home and I really want to paint it navy blue, but am afraid it might be too dark in the space. I noticed the wall color in your bathroom. You should do a tour of your home on the blog! Eloise is just a bit older than our little girl and they have the same chunky little legs for sure. Love that mullet!

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  47. I've never heard the headstand thing. Funny thing is, my daughter started doing that a few months ago and we're expecting our second in just 2-3 LONG weeks. Can't wait to find out if you're having a boy or girl! We have an ultrasound tomorrow but it's to see if baby is still breech or not. Fingers crossed S/He (we're Team Green) is head down!

    http://www.shhmommysdrinking.com

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  51. We are a huge fan of crock pot chicken tacos as well and when my crew gets tired of that I just throw in black beans, corn and tomato juice in and viola…chicken taco soup! One of my favorite things about his post…Eloise's thighs in the bathtub pic! So sad when the grow out of those little rolls. Happy January Garvins!

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  52. I have heard that of the baby headstands as well. Freaked me out every time one of my babies would do it as I have 4 kiddos Lol

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  55. Good luck at the ultrasound today! So exciting, and totally with you, I'm in a major meal rut and also have been organizing like a fool. Which also makes me want to spend more $ than christmas on getting new things for the house, oops.

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  56. Hopefully you will be sharing with us the sex of the baby!
    One of my goals for the new year is to try 2ish new recpies a week as well.
    A favorite crock pot meal of mine is French dip sandwiches… 1 chuck roast, 2 cans of beef consume, a few teaspoons of season salt. Put all ingredients in a zip lock and let marinade over night (or freeze it for later use). Cock on low 10-12 hours.

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  57. Holy wow, super congratulations on your new bundle of joy! Loved watching baby 1, baby 2 and now baby 3 come into this world and grow to be cute little babies and toddlers.

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  58. SO excited to find out if the next little baby garvin is a boy or girl!! I love your blog and your family, I feel like I know you all! Looking forward to updates on the new baby!

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  59. I can't wait to hear what you are having! As far as easy recipes go, I actually posted a good list on my blog the other day. I hate cooking so I have started making freezer meals so that I only really have to "cook" once every few weeks. And I made a few before our son was born and it was one of the best things I could have done. We had dinners for the first few hectic weeks which took some stress off of things.

    http://www.simplysummerann.com/2014/11/freezer-meals-for-those-who-hate-cooking.html

    Xoxo,
    Summer Ann

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  61. Please please, if the carnitas turn out, share the recipe! Also good luck today with your ultrasound, I hope you'll let us all know 🙂 I'm calling girl!

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  64. Hi, I love reading your blog and I look forward to reading updates! I don't have a way to make or access an Instagram so I usually follow the link on the blog to view your posts, but I recently noticed the account was private…I was wondering why it's now that way? Best wishes to you and your family with the new baby on the way, can't wait to hear the gender!

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  65. Easy crockpot carnitas > Trader Joe's Salsa Verde and a pork tenderloin plop them in the crockpot for a few hours and they are mighty tasty. this works really well with chicken too

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  68. Great easy meal! Three thawed chicken breasts in a crock pot, chopped onion, a jar of your favorite green salsa, we add diced peppers also. Throw some chicken broth in there and let it cook! We mix with tortillas. So simple and great!!

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  70. Your stove sandwiches are one of my go-to (usually the day I get home with groceries since they take so little time).

    -Slow cooker soups are easy (left a beef stew cooking today).

    -Pork roasts in the slow cooker are super easy (8hrs for a 3lb roast – I just add a little water, bullion, brown sugar, chopped onion – you can even add potatoes).

    -Any "one pot" meals are great! Easy clean-up and you throw all the ingredients together. Currently liking chicken, rice, broccoli, cheddar one-pot meal.

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