Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, friends! It's taken me a few days to get off of Hawaii time and into Halloween mode again, but seeing Rowan get dressed up and trick-or-treat (we practiced at the Farmer's Market this weekend!) has been so much fun this year!

Wishing you all a safe and fun Halloween with your littles!

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Holiday Card Inspiration + Minted Giveaway!

This post was sponsored by Minted. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

I saw something on social media the other day... you know the usual "this many Fridays until Christmas" kind of thing and my jaw dropped. I have so little time to get my act together!

The moment we get home from Hawaii, you'll find me frantically searching for coordinating outfits and crossing my fingers our unpredictable toddler responds well to my bribes during our family photo session.

Thankfully that's the hardest part, because I've already narrowed down some of my favorite Minted holiday cards! Our photos always come out so clear with Minted, which is one of the main reasons I love them! If you're paying for a photo session, the last thing you want is a grainy image on your holiday cards.. right?! Plus the quality is so, so good.

I like to look for cards before our photo session in case there is a design I really like, that way the photographer can tailor a pose around that, but Minted also has a Find it Fast option which lets you upload your image and see it in all of the holiday card thumbnails. I used that last year and it was so helpful!

Here are a few of my absolute favorites from Minted's new collection! All of these have different wording options if you are looking for a more general "Happy Holidays" message.

Gilded Evergreen Foil Pressed. Wintertide. 

Merry Steps Foil Pressed (also love the non-foil option!)

Merrier Than Ever. The Happiest Holiday.

This year I'm obviously loving all of the white backgrounds and pretty greenery. I'm usually drawn towards the script designs but I think it's going to be tough to talk me out of the Wintertide card.

I admit I can get a little carried away with the pretty add-ons for each of the cards between the foil pressed print, shapes, and backer options but the free Recipient Address Assistant is a MUST. Seriously who has time to write all of that out these days?! You can also use the Buy Now, Personalize Later option so you don't miss any of their good promos going on like their current 15% off orders over $150 or 10% off orders of $100 deal. 

I cannot wait to wrangle my toddler for photos and see how they come out this year! In the meantime if anyone has already done family photos with their toddler and has some tips or tricks to getting them to cooperate, do share! Have you picked out your holiday cards yet?

Now the fun part, head on over HERE to enter to win one of TWO (!) generous $125 Minted credits for your holiday cards this year! It's super easy, all you have to do is enter your name and email address and you're set.

Giveaway is only open to U.S residents. You have until 11:59 PM on November 11 to enter! 

Good luck!

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Guest Bedroom Reveal + Annie Selke Giveaway!

This post was sponsored by Annie Selke as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

I'm so excited to finally share our guest room makeover! This room has come such a long way after this post... we painted the tan walls, added beautiful white bedding with lots of texture, and hints of Charleston to make it feel welcoming for our family and friends.

While I've always loved our farmhouse metal bed and antique dresser (which was originally in Rowan's nursery here), I think I'm most excited about the bedding. Between the bright white, subtle ruffles on the duvet, and textured coverlet, the style and comfort-level is exactly what I was looking for in this room.

When I saw this ruffled duvet in the Annie Selke catalog I knew I had to have it for this room! It picks up the farmhouse style without being too frilly.

I'm still not sure if I want to put a curtain up on that awkward window or not, but this is definitely the layout that makes the most sense in this room!

The coverlet and euro shams are so soft and add some texture to the bedding. I also added DIY watercolor floral pillows, made from a cloth napkin, and added some tassels to the striped lumbar pillow which I already had.

This Anne Selke peony candle makes the room smell amazing! I don't think I've ever had a candle make the whole room smell this good without lighting it.

I love this room so much, I can't help spending time in it now! The light is amazing and with the white bedding its the brightest room in our house. And thankfully we finished just in time for a visit from Grandma while we head to Hawaii!

If you're looking for new bedding, I highly recommend the Annie Selke brand. You've probably already heard about Dash & Albert, but Annie Selke's other companies like Pine Cone Hill are some of the top brands for bedding and home decor.

Though the price is on the higher end, its so worth it for the quality! Plus if you sign up for the Annie Selke email newsletter here you can get 15% off of your first order!

Or enter below to enter for a chance to win one of 3 Annie Selke gift cards, each valued at $500! You have until October 25th to enter, good luck friends!

Annie Selke Giveaway

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Best Restaurants in Charleston

You guys I loved reading all of your comments and emails about the first part of my Charleston series, I'm SO glad it was helpful for so many!

If you know me, you know I love food. Luckily we live in a foodie town so the biggest problem we have is deciding whether to go to our favorite spot or trying something new. We've lived in Charleston over 2 years now and I still have a list of restaurants I want to try!

I should warn you, I'm not a fan of oysters or grits (Gasp! I know, my Southern friends are disowning me right now), but I'll tell you where all of the locals like to go if that helps!

Whatever you do, make sure you try anything with pimento cheese, friend green tomatoes, and She Crab Soup!

Also I have never once received a free meal or been paid to blog about these places, just thought that was important to point out!

Upper Charleston

Taco Boy - Love this place and the atmosphere! Can't go wrong with any of the tacos and I have to get the Mexican Street Corn every time.  
Edmund's Oast - Unique, delicious menu, awesome outdoor seating, and great drink menu. One of my favorites once the weather cools down!
Butcher & Bee - They just opened a new location and its so much bigger, which is great because the place is always packed! Great stop for lunch, check their social media for the menu each day.
Hominy Grill - Be ready for a wait if you go for brunch on the weekends but its worth it! The 'Charleston Nasty' is my favorite chicken and a biscuit with gravy in the city.

Sugar Bakeshop - Best cupcakes in the city! And super cute place I might add.

King Street 

The Darling Oyster House - I can't speak for the oysters but I've heard this is one of the best places to get them! I like the hush puppies, kale slaw and fry baskets.
Monza - My favorite wood fired pizza! Insider tip: if they have a wait, get a beer at the place next door called Closed for Business (Monza has more wine) and you can bring it into Monza with you if you're name is called.
HoM - Love their burgers and relaxed atmosphere if you have a wild toddler!
Indaco - Definitely a favorite for Italian food in downtown Charleston. My favorite is their burrata for an appetizer and pizza with brussels sprouts for dinner.
The Ordinary - Ah this place is just so, so pretty on the inside! I've only been for drinks but can't wait to go back for dinner. Oyster fans will love it. Make a reservation ASAP.

Jeni's Ice Cream - The most unique ice cream flavors and so good!
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit - This is a tiny little place and easy to miss on King Street but the line out the door will help you find it. Love their specials but the ham biscuit is so good too! Open late if you aren't old and in bed by 9 PM like we are.

Lower King-ish

Poogan's Porch - My FAVORITE of all time. We take all of our visitors here, in fact once we went for dinner and then brunch the next day. Items to try: chicken and waffles, french toast with berries and pecans, mac and cheese, scallops with pimento cheese ravioli, and pimento BLT. Told you I love pimento cheese!

Eli's Table - Love this spot for brunch and their courtyard is great if the weather is nice!
Queen Street Grocery - I don't go here enough but their sandwiches and paninis are so good. Perfect quick lunch or take it to go for a picnic.

Old Market area

Magnolia's - Upscale Southern food, you really can't go wrong. This is one of my favorite spots during Restaurant Week! Alternatively try out High Cotton if you're looking to recreate a scene from the Notebook.
Caviar and Bananas - They have a few locations but there is one inside the Old Market if you're looking for a quick coffee, pastries, or sandwiches.
5Church - I've only been here for brunch but it was really good and its a great spot if you're in the area.

Just Outside of Charleston

Tavern & Table - We have been to T&T several times and I have never been let down, plus the restaurant looks like JoJo from Fixer Upper came in and worked her magic. It's on the water in Shem Creek so at least stop for a cocktail during happy hour!
Vickery's - This place doesn't look like much on Shem Creek but there is something for everyone. I get the Crab Cake salad with white vinaigrette dressing every.single.time.
The Obstinate Daughter - This charming place is on Sullivan's Island and books up fast so make a reservation ASAP. I recommend the homemade ricotta gnocchi for dinner.
Beardcats Sweet Shop - This is on the first floor below the Obstinate Daughter so its a great spot for dessert after dinner! Love their homemade gelato (red velvet gelato.. yes please!) and ice cream sandwiches!

(P.S. Mamas- there is a really great park near the Obstinate Daughter and Beardcats, great for letting your toddler run off some energy!)

 
Restaurants still on my list? Fig, Park Cafe, Xiao Bao Biscuit, and the American. But the one I cannot wait to checkout is Leon's Oyster Shop! Everyone raves about it even if you don't like oysters, but they had me at the frozen Rosé on tap.

But really you can't go wrong here, this is definitely a foodie town!

If you're planning a trip, don't miss my top 10 things to do in Charleston!

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Preparing for Cold Season with your Baby

This post was sponsored by AstraZeneca as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Over the past year we've learned a lot about taking care of colds and viruses with our sweet babe. I think it's well-documented here how our household has had its fair share of sickness since Rowan started daycare.

On more than one occasion I even considered flying Grandma in for reinforcement.

My fellow mom friends have asked for tips on deal with symptoms and by far my biggest suggestion has been to keep a a nasal aspirator, thermometer, and a sippy cup with water and/or Pedialyte on the side table when your baby is sick. It makes it so much easier to console them if you need to go in their room in the middle of the night!

When Rowan was 11 months old, he came down with RSV and it was easily one of the hardest weeks seeing him so sick. He coughed for hours each night and fought 103-104 degree fevers until finally we realized this was not your run of the mill cold.

Thankfully Rowan's case was on the milder side but we learned its actually the top cause of hospitalizations for babies, typically between October and March. Premature babies are especially at risk but its highly contagious so it's not uncommon for it to spread through daycare, schools, and mother's morning out programs before parents realize what they are dealing with. 

We had a lot of sleepless nights while Rowan fought off those germs, holding him upright to help with the cough, keeping him hydrated, and the glamorous parental task of suctioning snot from his nose. 

I wouldn't say dealing with colds has gotten easier because seeing your baby sick always hurts your mama heart, but I think we've learned a few tricks to help ease his symptoms while he fights off the bad germs.

Wash everything. Washing hands is so important, especially for parents of sick babes because its so easy for the whole house to get sick at once and that is not fun. Unless your doctor advises otherwise, bathe every night during the week to get those school germs off of them before bed. Also wash any clothes, toys, or blankets that come home from school immediately.

Know what dosage of fever reducer your babe should get based on their weight. This is so important, I always make sure R's Pediatrician writes his dosage down at each well check!

Keep a nasal aspirator on hand. I still can't believe I've physically sucked snot out of my kid's nose with my mouth, but when our kids are sick we do whatever it takes. I find the nasal aspirator we got from the hospital works better than the Nose Frida with a squirmy kid. 

Keep your baby home. RSV is very contagious (nearly every baby will contract it by age 2! Scary!) so keep them out of school and away from other children until the symptoms clear.

Have a dependable thermometer. I love our forehead thermometer for Rowan because its so, so easy, but I also keep a basic thermometer on hand for axillary (under arm) temps if the forehead reading worries me.

Lots of fluids. I cannot emphasize fluids enough! We saw so much improvement when we got Rowan to drink water and now we buy Pedialyte in bulk when he is sick.

Ditch the sleep rules, even if it means making new habits. This may be obvious but ditch alllll of the sleep rules when your baby is sick. Especially if they are fighting off a fever. We had to keep a steady rotation of fever reducers to keep Rowan's temp down when he had RSV and he would chug an entire sippy cup in between coughing. 

Personally we never thought a humidifier helped, and our Pediatrician agreed, but I know moms who swear by them so its good to have one on hand just in case!

Since we've personally dealt with RSV I think its so important during National RSV Awareness Month for other parents to be aware of the signs and symptoms. Hopefully you can help prevent it from spreading!

And before you panic about RSV, know that it's entirely possible for your babe to contract RSV like Rowan did but not become seriously ill. It could just look similar to a cold with a bad cough. Being aware of the more serious symptoms is a game changer though so watch for any wheezing, labored breathing, blue around the mouth or fingernails, and a fever that won't go down with medicine.

Have any of you experienced RSV with your sweet babe? Any other tips you would add to help other mamas?

To learn more about RSV disease visit the RSV Protection website and see more prevention measures to keep your babies safe this cold season!

#LittleLungs #RSVAwarenessMonth

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6 Thoughts from the Hurricane Weekend

First of all thank you to those of you who reached out to see how we were doing during Hurricane Matthew, offered places for us to stay, and prayed for our beautiful city of Charleston!

I am happy to report that we are all safe and our home did not sustain any damage during the storm, which I know makes us extremely fortunate because so many could not say the same. This is one of those rare times when we are glad we don't live by the beach! Being far away from any flood zones was one of the reasons we stayed.

Everyone in Charleston went into full panic mode Tuesday, with hour-long lines at the gas station and water already selling out five days before the storm. Schools closed Wednesday and some of our neighbors packed up and left immediately, it was sort of surreal. We're glad we stayed but you better believe we had bags packed just in case!

Here are some of the highlights from being trapped inside for 4 days with a wild toddler...

- I beat my husband in fantasy football and he now has to meal plan, grocery shop, and cook dinner this entire week. YES!! Probably the best bet I've ever won! I also made sure to note in the fine print that pizza is not an acceptable dinner 5 nights in a row.

- We've been watching the new HBO show Westworld, and I cannot decide if I'm into it or just watching because I have so many unanswered questions each episode! Anyone else watching it? I also recorded Divorce and can't wait to watch SJP in a totally different role than Carrie!

-  Rowan hasn't slept on my chest in 6+ months so when he wouldn't sleep in his makeshift bedroom in our walk-in closet (no windows and close to us if the power went out) my mama heart loved it. Now, he has never been one of those kids that could sleep in bed with us (probably a good thing!) because he sleeps like a freaking ninja. I got an hour of sleep that night but it was sweet to have him cuddled up on me even if he did end up horizontal and taking up half of the bed.

- Saturday morning the weather was at its worst point and we ended up losing power, but I was so thankful I had some kids paint and little Halloween projects from the Target dollar spot to keep Rowan busy!

Serious focus going on here.... Also I think he has the longest eyelashes I've ever seen on a kid!

- Having to stay inside all weekend forced me to finally finish our guest bedroom and Rowan's Halloween costume! If you follow on snapchat (HomeSweetRuby) you got to see part of his costume and I'll be sharing some sneak peeks of the guest room before the reveal this week!

-  We phased Rowan out of his paci two weeks ago and though I was a little sad because it was his last connection to being a baby, we are loving it! He talks so much more now and is so animated while we read books at bedtime, it's one less thing to remember in my diaper bag, and he really only had one rough night without it!

It was a crazy weekend so we're glad to get back into the swing of things! Lots of good stuff coming up on the blog this week. Hope you all managed to stay dry!

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The 5 Mom Friends You Need in your Tribe

Never was there a more rewarding job without any formal recognition of our work than motherhood.

We carry a child for 9 months. We give birth, put their nutritional needs above the future shape of our boobs, change diapers, and suck snot out of their nose using our mouth and a straw-like contraption. And as if talking about "output" didn't consume enough of our conversations the first two weeks of motherhood, we actually tracked that literal shit on an app.

When Dad comes home from work, he gets the most glorious reception of all time. I get a hangry kid because I forgot to bring snacks for the ride home from daycare.

I don't even bother trying to add broccoli to his dinner menu anymore. I'll pick my battles and that is not one of them.

We blink and suddenly we aren't a "new" mom anymore. We've got a toddler with strong opinions, like a sudden love affair with the shirt he hated this morning but insists on wearing into the bathtub tonight. One who will only wear pajamas with puppies and Target Dollar Spot socks with Dory's face on them.

The struggle is real.

That's why you need mom friends. Specifically, these five:

1. The Seasoned Mom. This type of mom was and still is the most critical to my sanity. They are a wealth of mom knowledge, even if their kid is a mere month older than yours. They will either eye roll along with you during the toddler tantrums or answer your one million questions the first few months of your tiny human's life.

2. The New Mom. If having a new mom ask me something I actually know the answer to isn't a pick me up, I don't know what is. This is a mutually beneficial friendship. You already have some tricks up your sleeve for getting through a sleep regression (although mostly its just coffee) and you're helping another mama out who was you not too long ago. 

3. The Laid Back Mom. Type-A moms need someone who doesn't stress over schedules or freak out when their kid eats dirt like we do. Sometimes you need someone to tell you its okay your toddler picked a cracker off of the floor, shared it with the dog, and then finished the last soggy bit you were hoping the dog would get to first.

4. The Organic Mom. Oh the organic, non-GMO, health research moms. You make me feel bad for feeding my child non-organic cookies but you also force me to try harder, even if you don't mean to, so thank you for that! You probably cringe when I tell you my child ate mac and cheese five nights in a row, but I also hope your future offspring will laugh in the face of your homemade organic broccoli bites ... so lets call it even. By the way, can I get that broccoli bite recipe? K, byeee!

5. The Fellow SAHM or Working Mom. While we think we know what its like for the other moms, the ones who get to go to Target at 10 AM or speak to adults about something other than Mickey Mouse all day, we don't. The reality is Target at 10 AM is a hot mess and pumping at work might be worse than the giant post-birth maxi pads, so we are all sacrificing. We need someone who shares our guilt of sending our kid to daycare or counts down the minutes until dad gets home so mama can pee in privacy.

Whether you're neighbors or live miles apart, you need a mom tribe in your life.

You need them to virtually fist bump you when you're feeling down, confirm you are in fact not the only one covered in spit up, or to remind you everything is a phase.

They will listen in non-judgement and complete solidarity when you tell them your child pooped in the last diaper you had on hand, in a classy downtown restaurant, and all you could think to do was use a pad as a diaper. (Yep, you read that right.)

You don't have to agree with their parenting decisions. You don't even need to heed their advice. You just need to be there for each other. I guarantee your tribe will make you better at this exhausting, beautiful thing called motherhood.

At the very least, they'll approve of that large pour to help you make it through witching hour.

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