Crazy Days

This week, while rocking a relentless headache from the day, my children (fur and human forms) decided to take their crazy pills.

While I admit we've been really lucky with Rowan sleeping so well, the past two nights he decided he'd had enough of this whole sleeping through the night thing. And it all started when I had the audacity to try to go to bed early for once in my life.

Then, once I finally lull my teething, coughing, super allergenic child back to sleep for a few hours, Ruby decided to bark her lungs off.

Thankfully my husband is back from his work trip today but damn if he didn't miss the most active two nights as of late. Wearing my busy employee and mama hats have taken their toll on me regardless of the amount of coffee available.

My to-do list is still fourteen thousand miles long and I'm taking on more responsibilities at my full time gig, which makes moonlighting as a blogger a little tougher.

We've decided to postpone work on our playroom built-ins because its just too much at once, but we'll still be working on them slowly over the next few months! We did finally cross off some nagging projects around the house, like spray painting outdoor light fixtures (and getting said paint on our siding... #fail).

I'll slowly be catching up on all of your emails this week and eventually I'll stop being hot mess express. Is it Friday yet?!

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5 Things Daycare Tells Me

I'm not sure if these are normal things to hear when you pick your child up from daycare, or maybe its a boy thing, but my sweet and oh so wild child has some of the most entertaining reports at the end of the day.

Here are some of the doozies.

1. School Photos

Perhaps my favorite was school picture day and the apparently Olympic-style meltdown Rowan had when the poor, unassuming photographer who dared to ask him to sit on a prop. I had no idea of this until I stopped at the desk to ask for his proofs... eager to see whether he sported his cute smile or something I'd be showing his future prom dates.

Front Desk Lady: [after searching for his proofs twice] "Ohhhhh I remember. We couldn't get any photos of Rowan because he was not having it that day."

Here's the kicker, y'all... she said, "We actually thought he was going to make himself sick so we gave up."

Whattttt. I'm not sure where that version of my child came from but I immediately apologized for his performance and exited the building.

2. The "Odd" Day

Every day when I pick up Rowan I ask his teacher how he did. On this particular day, she stopped and thought about it and all she could say was "Rowan had a really odd day."

When I prompted her for more information, she said he was good but... "He kept running up to me, pinching me in the arm, and then running away."

All I could really do with that little nugget was laugh.

3. Cow's Milk Dilemma

I haven't mentioned this here before but Rowan is currently on soy milk in an attempt to see if he has a milk allergy which could contribute to his ear infections. He was never a big fan of whole milk, but he tolerated it. Until this day, apparently.

Daycare ran out of his soy milk and mama forgot to bring more that morning. When they called to tell me he was out, I suggested giving him whole milk to hold him over. Their response? "We already tried that and he was having none of it."

Diva, party of 1 coming right up.

4. Sometimes you just have to sit

If you follow on snapchat, you've seen R sitting on (or attempting to) sit on just about everything. Plastic containers, toys, rolls of paper towels, laundry. You name it, he's sat on it.

When I asked if he did that at daycare they rattled off about 15 things, including toy boxes which he flips upside down, that he plops down on every single day.

Daycare teacher: "I've never seen anything like it."

You know when you see your kid taking things apart and studying pieces and you think, oh he is totally going to be an engineer? Well, my kid just sits on things and looks cute. Anyone have an idea of that future career?

5. The Biter

If Rowan comes home without bite marks and sans a bite report (as in, he bit another child), its been a successful day. Honestly I think his class must keep the ladies at the front desk quite busy with all of the phone calls they have to make each day because of bites.

Here's the thing... I'd like to blame most of that on him learning it from others, getting them back for days when he comes home with a full set of teeth marks stamped on his precious skin, or those damn molars that are taking forever to come in. But I'm hoping its just a phase like everything else so far. (Please mamas, tell me its a phase!)

Disclaimer: We have tried every trick in the book to keep him from biting. He laughs when I fake cry, laughs when we bite him back, laughs in the face of teethers. He doesn't get the word "no" yet, but we keep trying. Any other suggestions are highly welcome!

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One Room Challenge Week 2 Progress

That title was such a teaser because on the outside, our progress on the playroom and DIY built-ins has been....

(crickets)

Literally, nothing has happened. Unless you count finally installing furniture straps, cordless blinds, and unsuccessfully installing an over-the-range microwave... but clearly those are unrelated.

One of the many advantages to having a general contractor in the family is we can call him whenever we have questions. So when we were planning out the built-in design this week, we asked how to secure the built-ins to the floor without ripping up our carpet.

So what did our contractor say?

"Send me your measurements. I'll design it and write up a materials and cut list for you."

Umm, yeah that works for us!

So as of today we're just waiting on our plans from my ever so sweet brother-in-law! And I feel so much better because lets be honest, I was ready to scrap the project because it was so dang intimidating.

You better believe I'll share all of his helpful tips along the way! 

Side note: if anyone needs a contractor in the Chicago area, I'm happy to give you his contact info! I've seen the work he and his team do and it makes me so sad they aren't local to help with some of our projects!

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The Softest Footed Sleeper Ever

As a mama and lover of supporting small businesses, I feel like its my duty to make sure every mama, soon-to-be mama, future aunt and grandma hears about the softest footed sleeper EVER made. Like, so soft that I'm waiting for the day Softsie makes adult pajamas and I will literally never take them off.

I've been pretty picky about which small businesses I work with lately but I couldn't be more excited to share this one with you.

We're several washes into the life of this Softsie footie but it still feels like the softest thing ever. It actually feels cool to the touch too because each is infused with aloe vera, jojoba oil, and vitamin E.

The infusion process is all-natural and fragrance-free, so its perfect for babes with sensitive skin. You can read more about the infusion process here (call me a nerd but I think its really fascinating) and I'm so impressed with Natalie, the brains behind the brand, for coming up with this idea.


We've racked up quite the collection of footed sleepers by now because that's the only thing that Rowan wears to bed, but this Softsie sleeper is on major repeat especially on the cooler nights. I'm kicking myself for not knowing about these when he was a newborn with all of that dry skin!

And because I have a hunch you're wondering what I did- like is this thing going to require extra effort during the laundry process because who has time for that? Not to worry, Softsie footies can be washed like normal and put in the dryer. Praise hands!


I think these footies would be a hit for baby showers! For reference, Rowan is wearing a 12-18 month size which is pretty similar sizing to other big brands.

If you know any mamas with babies who have eczema, please share this info with them! Natalie came up with this idea because her daughter developed eczema that only got worse with the dry weather of winter, so she knew the best thing to do was keep her baby girl's skin moisturized.

Plus for every footie sold, Natalie is donating a dollar to the Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation. So sweet, right?!

I was provided a sample for the purposes of this review. As always, my thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Home Sweet Ruby possible!

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One Room Challenge :: Playroom Makeover with Built-Ins

Today I'm introducing you to our hot mess of a playroom.

Behold, in all of its unkept, bland glory.

When we moved in to this house I knew this space was going to get some use as it poses significantly less danger for my wild and crazy toddler than the wood floors, steps, and nicer quality furniture in our downstairs living space.

But its really freaking boring and there is zero lighting in this room at night. Which means after putting Rowan to bed I trip over and step on the loudest toys ever on my way to the steps.

Since we don't have enough spaces in the house I want to redo (you know... that series I mentioned and haven't touched yet), I'm adding this one to the top of the priority list! Every week for 6 weeks I will be sharing progress of our playroom makeover by joining tons of other creative bloggers in the One Room Challenge hosted by Calling It Home. So fun, right?!

As with every DIY project we do, we'll take our low budget and beginner DIY skills and hope for the best!

So here is the plan:

DIY Built-in Window Seat with bookshelves - I've clearly lost my mind because we've never done anything like this before, but here in my inspiration. I doubt we'll do cabinets, just all open shelving so I can throw a basket or two in there.

The cutest toddler chairs and table 

DIY Growth Chart like this  

Add a light

Add some color with these adorable Minted alphabet and number prints, and a fun banner

Add a chalkboard, art supplies station like this 

Ditch the ugly couch (we'll replace it eventually but we really don't sit on it much right now)

I'm not even sure if all of this will fit in the space, so if anything the chalkboard area can be ditched because Rowan is only 1 and will eat any and all chalk. 

Here is a peek at my horrible drawing skills.

If the built-in shelving and crown molding trim goes well, we think it would add so much value to the house and help majorly in the organization department. The kicker is, we play in this space every day after work so keeping it kid friendly while in construction is going to be rough. Because you know, we move at a snails pace around here!

We've got a contractor friend on speed dial for advice and I'll be sure to share all of the highs and lows with you along the way.

If anyone has completed a built-in project like this before please share any insight you've got. We'll need all the help/motivation/wine we can get!

See more of the vision for the playroom here and the DIY projects we'll be using as a guide here.

And in case you're interested, scroll through some of my favorite projects we've done so far here! 

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DIY :: Square Photo Display

If you've been around here long enough, you know I'm a sucker for an easy DIY project. I don't have a lot of time for them lately, but I've had tons of requests for a tutorial for this photo display from Rowan's first birthday party and I figured it was time to share.

I loved this photo display because it was a little different than what you see at most parties, it can be used for any of your photos (thinking Instagram photos would be so fun!), and I could glam it up with a little eucalyptus garland.

I have to share a little secret though...

I made it harder than it should have been.

So this is one of those "do as I say, not as I do" posts.

What you'll need:
Dowel Rod
Thread or some sort of thin rope
Square photos
Tape (regular or washi tape)

Determine how long you want your dowel rod to be and cut to size. Craft stores have them at varying lengths but mine was from Lowes and needed cut.

Lay out your photos and decide how you want them to be arranged.

Cut rope or thread for each of the columns and the top portion that will be used to hang your display. Tie these to your dowel rod.

Here's where I screwed up... I used hot glue to attach the photos. Like a dummy the tape never occurred to me and let me tell you, washi tape is way easier. I added some to the backs just to give you a visual.

If you want to add a garland like I did, just cut a bunch of stems and attach them with floral wire or the same thread you used if its not noticeable.

If you're a stickler with details you may end up having to hot glue a few stubborn leaves to the garland. My mom thought I was crazy doing this but I'm such a perfectionist.

And that, my friends, is all there is to it! If you end up making this be sure to email me or tag me on your photos, I'd love to see the finished products!

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Mom-Bod Approved Shorts

I hope you all had a fun weekend! I know some of y'all up North had some cold temps but it was beautiful here so we ditched the to-do list to hit up a local festival and wander around downtown Charleston.

We over-indulged in sweets... including a red velvet oreo brownie (!!) and a funnel cake at the festival. We also thought it was high time Rowan tasted his first gelato so we couldn't pass that up before letting him run around the waterfront.

As a result of my serious lack of self control within 20 yards of sweets, I'm dreading shorts weather this year.
Last year I used the excuse of recently birthing a child for my unsightly legs. But that isn't going to fly this year. Even if I wasn't a mom, nearing my 30s and the date of my last gym appearance call for something other than a teeny tiny inseam. 

Also I'm currently on stage 3 of the Mom Bod process, just in case you're wondering.

In an effort to hide as much of my pale mom legs as possible without sweating it out in the Charleston humidity, behold... my favorite mom-bod approved shorts.

 Loft Scallop Shorts. J. Crew Factory Scallop Shorts (white is a tad see-through, so I went with navy)

Loft Chambray Sailor Shorts (also love these but haven't tried them on yet).

Loft Denim Shorts. J. Crew Factory White Denim.

 J. Crew Factory Distressed Denim Shorts. (Love this splurge pair... maybe someday!)

J. Crew Factory Pull On Shorts.  

Old Navy Linen Shorts (these will wrinkle because they are linen but for the $ and comfort, they work for me. I also love this version in red).

So what qualifies as mom-bod approved shorts, you may ask?

One. I aim for a 4 inch inseam because no one wants to see this mama chasing a toddler around in anything shorter.And before you think I'm crazy, longer inseams do not equal bermuda shorts! I'm tall so a 5 inch inseam works for me, especially with these pull-on shorts.

Two. Anything that needs ironed is a joke. 

Three. Stretchy waistbands get major bonus points.

I either own every one of these shorts or I've tried them on in store and I'm currently waiting for a sale to bring them home with me. My faves that have lasted several summers are the pull-on shorts (the best ever), dark denim shorts, and the white denim shorts. In general, Loft and J. Crew Factory always work for me because they offer so many different inseams.

Anyone else a fan?! Share some of your faves if I'm missing them!

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