I’ve been feeling the pressure of the last-minute gift crunch the this week, just wanting to get our loved ones things they will LOVE and need or want, not things that will simply take up space in their lives. Sometimes I’m at a loss for ideas, sometimes I’ve got great ideas but they’d require doubling or tripling our gift budget, and sometimes (sometimes!) I come up with a good idea and it actually fits within our budget. I don’t have any gift guides to share this year, but as I work on checking off the last few folks, here are a few things on my own list! Maybe it will inspire a gift for someone you love :)

Clockwise from top left:

— My “fashion sneakers” are reaching the end of their life. I think these blush ones would be a welcome replacement!
— We’re always looking for new recipes, and I’ve heard great things about this cookbook.
— This vest would be a perfect layer for our mild North Carolina weather.
— Over the last few years I’ve definitely embraced the idea that a bold lip color can transform a basic outfit. This one looks beautiful (I first saw it here), and as a bonus, all the ingredients are organic.
— I’m thinking this style of PJs will be helpful for nighttime feedings in the months to come. My favorite pattern is actually Jetsetter, but the photo was more scandalous! :)
— John and I are all about adventures, and it would be so fun to have this beautiful canvas to record our travels. Plus, the colors could not be more perfect for me – they’re basically the same as the EFM logo!!
— I also love the colors of this happy little garland, and think it would be so fun to bring out for each family birthday in the years to come!
— I’d put this retro board somewhere on our first floor (maybe in the entryway?) to spell out favorite quotes and fun welcome messages.
— Hunter boots are, of course, a total classic, and one I hear is worth the investment. I think I’d go with navy.
— Bonus! After a year of searching, I actually bought these booties on Black Friday, but I had to include them here because I LOVE THEM SO MUCH! John teases me because I’ve worn them almost every day since they arrived, but they are a dream – comfortable all day from the first wear, a fantastic color, and they go with everything. With the low heel, I like to think of them as my stylish mama booties. I’m already picturing myself wearing them to chase a little one-year-old around the playground :)

What’s on the top of your list this year? I always get inspiration from what others are wishing for!

Way back in January, I traded some graphic design work for a photo session with our dear friends Sam and Graham Terhune. I’d do anything for them, of course, and would also do just about anything for some of their beautiful photos! For several months afterward, they pestered us to set up our session, but I always evaded them with vague excuses – because I had a very specific use for this session in mind, and that was newborn photos! :) Though I think some maternity photos can be lovely, I would choose a newborn session 1000 times over if I could only do one. About a year later we’re finally ready to cash in on our end of the bargain, so I thought I’d share some of the inspiration I’ve been collecting!

From top to bottom and left to right: unknown, both by Cassidy Brooke, @themamacircle, Cassidy Brooke, DeFiore Photography, Nicki Sebastien, Elate Photography via 100 Layer Cakelet, Petite Sweet Peas and Me, unknown, Amy Frances via 100 Layer Cakelet

I still don’t think all babies are that cute, but these photos sure make them look good :) The newborn photos I tend to like best are simple, understated, quiet, and intimate. That’s right in line with Graham’s style, and I know he will do an amazing job!! I’m also super grateful to be able to work with a dear friend on these, since I doubt we’ll feel like we have anything together after just a few days of adjustment.

Since I am relatively hopeless with hair and makeup under the best circumstances, I’m considering hiring a pro to give me a little extra boost for this session. I can’t think of a time I’ll probably need help more or be more grateful for a little pampering, and I can’t think of anyone better than Sam of Lula Hair + Makeup to lend a hand. I have been lucky enough to have her do my makeup a few times in the past, and in addition to being incredibly talented, she has the sweetest and most peaceful spirit — probably the only type I’d be able to tolerate in those vulnerable days! Contacting her is on my to do list for this week.

Finally, I think we’ll do the majority of the session in our guest bedroom – the duvet cover is white and the headboard is solid gray, so it will be a nice, simple background. Plus, that room gets some of the best sunlight in the house. We have lots of sweet blankets and swaddles to play with if we want to add a little more color!

As with most things about labor and the first few weeks (and months!), I’m trying to keep my expectations for our session low — not with Graham or our photos, of course, but with how I’ll feel and how baby girl will behave! If you’ve done your own session, feel free to share any tips with me, or even links to favorite sessions, in the comments!

P.S. Want to see the finished photos? Here they are!

When you follow a budget, it’s safe to say that you’re always on the hunt for ways to reduce your costs (and thus free up money for the budget categories that you’d like a little extra wiggle room in!). We recently chatted about shopping consignment sales, and today I’m sharing another way our family has recently maximized our budget!

Up until a few months ago, we had a cable and internet package from Time Warner Cable. We got the fewest possible channels (your standard NBC, ABC, etc.) for the lowest possible amount ($22). While this was fine, we were sad to miss out on a few favorites: namely AMC (The Walking Dead!), ESPN (Duke basketball!), and HGTV (Fixer Upper!). But, we weren’t willing to pay any more money to get them.

THEN. One of John’s colleagues told him about Sling TV, and the angels sang. Have you heard of it? After doing our own research, we canceled cable (though kept the internet!), signed up with Sling, and haven’t looked back.

Sling dubs itself “the best of live TV for $20 a month.” With an account, you can watch TV over the internet anytime, anywhere, on your television, tablet, phone, or computer. (You also sign up online and can cancel online at any time!) Our $20 a month package includes all of the favorites listed above, but if you want even more variety, they do have add-on packages for HBO, kids, and more sports. We also received a Roku streaming stick for pre-paying three months, which means we can now watch Netflix on our television, too!! (We always watched it on our laptop before!)

The channels that Sling does not provide? Local broadcast ones like ABC, NBC, and CBS. To bridge that gap, we installed an antenna (this one – boy, have they come a long way in recent years!).

Even though we’re really only saving $2 per month, I consider this a major budget win, as we’re getting more WHILE paying less money. Hooray!! We’ve been singing the Mohu and Sling praises to anyone who will listen for the last few months, but I did want to mention a few potential downsides if you’re considering making a similar move:

— Our antenna generally works perfectly. We did have an issue with spotty reception one night during a bad rainstorm, but it hasn’t happened since we moved the antenna further up our wall.
— Depending on where you live and how close you are to broadcast signals, the Mohu antenna might not be an option for you. (For example, my parents would have to get one with a much longer receiving distance, if they could make it work at all.) You can check your location compared to the signals here.

And that’s it! Have I convinced you?? Honestly, the worst part is calling to cancel your cable, because they WILL put the hard sell on you — but just keep saying “no thank you” :)

I am 33 weeks pregnant, which means this will presumably be the last month I’m writing goals before our girl joins the family.

Holy moly.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, especially coming off the busy busy month we just finished up. Feeling overwhelmed is a choice, though, and this month my biggest goal is to keep breaking the seemingly insurmountable to dos down into little steps, to keep taking those steps, and to otherwise enjoy the season of Christmas.

This weekend definitely helped. I’d been hoarding planned purchases like a fevered squirrel and finally acted on them all in a torrent of Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals. To make so many purchases in such a short amount of time was a bit of a shock to the system for this infrequent spender, but they were all carefully considered and make me excited. And let this be a reminder to you: if you’re not using EBates for your online shopping, you’re missing out!! I bought a pair of boots I’ve been eyeing for a year for 20% off, then got an additional $10 back by shopping through EBates! We also were able to purchase several things for our girl, including a monitor, bedding, and a cover.

But the reason it was a good weekend was not only because of the money saved, but because of the amazing weather, the hikes we took, the early evening spent decorating our porch for Christmas, the projects finished and started in the nursery — and, of course, our actual Thanksgiving dinner, which was spent with dear friends and their parents. I think December will look similar, which makes me very excited.

Revisiting my goals for November:
Take rings in to be cleaned
Take knives in to be sharpened
Frame and hang our NC BBQ print (explored options but couldn’t find the supplies I needed… yet)
Make a pelmet for little lady’s room (this was basically THE WORST project ever, but we finished!)
Choose and order twin bed bedding
Choose and order Minted Christmas cards
Design and print Christmas card newsletter
Vote!
Host the first Articles Club
Purchase half of our Christmas gifts for friends and family (I think I checked off a third or so)
Start filling out our girl’s baby book

December goals:
— Make and freeze four soups for after our girl arrives
— Deliver homemade toffee to my favorite post office peeps
— Send out our Christmas cards with a personal note on each
— Plan well for Christmas at our home with John’s family
— Give away as much as we spend on Christmas gifts in our church’s Christmas Eve offering (this year going to Imagine No Malaria and local missions)
— Start Life Handbooks for the cousins and our girl when John’s family is here
— Finish shower thank you notes
— Go out to dinner with John for our 2015 review + celebration!

I could add so many more things to this list, mostly related to our newest family member, but I’ll leave it there for now. If you’ve posted your goals somewhere, I’d love to see – or just drop them in the comments!