Friday loves

new research shows that an infant's heart rate slows in just 3 seconds in his/her parent's embrace.

10 ways to spread the blog love.

most common beauty blunders.

this video - so cute, and so heartwarming. I hope this is how Ronin sees me.

these custom hand painted wooden dolls. I WANT. 

loving this colorful picnic blanket. we'll need one for our park trips this summer!

Veronica Roth released the title and cover for the third book in the Divergent trilogy. SO EXCITED.

a Hungarian theater group performs on Britain's Got Talent. - a MUST watch video. these folks are so incredibly talented. 

Happy Weekend! 

round up: Mother's Day gift ideas.

although I was told "Happy Mother's Day" a few times last year when I was pregnant with Ronin, I'm pretty excited to really celebrate this year. being the awesome husband that he is, Sean already bought me a gift (something from Etsy, apparently, so it should be good!) this year.  

I was inspired by Jessica at Little Baby Garvin to put together some gift ideas for those still looking for the perfect gift. unlike her themed gift guide, I went the route I normally travel - the practical gift. I'll be honest - I don't want flowers for Mother's Day. I want something that I can wear, drink, or use to relax. I'd be ecstatic to receive any of the items on this list for Mother's Day. oh, and as a bonus, they're all under $40!

1. for the technology lover: cell phone case ($39.00).

2. for the sentimental: unique greeting card ($4.25).

3. for everyone: NAKED basics palette ($27.00).

4. for the wine lover: wine of the month membership ($34.00/month for classic series).

5. for the beauty product fanatic: birchbox subscription ($10/month).

6. for the jewelry lover: personalized initial necklace ($36.00).

7. for the busy mom who needs a break (aka everyone): LUSH bath bomb ($6.35).

8. for the fashionable: mint hobo bag ($32.99).

round up: birthday wishlist!

there are only 9 days until my birthday! I usually start the count down a few months before now, but then life happened and I forgot I even had a birthday. kids, I tell ya.

I'm a pretty big fan of making wish lists, and the celebration of my birth is no exception. these are just a few things I'm lusting over lately. maybe I'll get lucky and see something on this list in my house in a little over a week.

1. stella & dot necklace. 

2. timi & leslie diaper bag. 

see also: I am two outings away from throwing my POS Skip Hop Versa out the window. 

3. target lampshade. 

4. maxi dress (also target).

5. fine one one cheek color by benefit. 

6. nate berkus wooden box. 

I'm big on hiding crap in boxes. it's better if they're cute. 

7. "you are loved" print. 

this is actually for Ronin's room. 

confession? I actually had a LOT more to add to this list, but then I realized that it was all shit for Ronin - cloth diapers, a diaper sprayer, an activity center, etc. 

welcome to my life as a mom.  

Friday loves

this story. 

a man saves a kitten from the engine of a Mercedes vehicle.

so heartwarming! the world needs more people like him.
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how to: remove permanent marker from wood floors.
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this dress from Motherhood. 
I might have to stop in and try it on. 
it would be perfect to wear to my shower!

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green cleaning alternatives.
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a picnic party. 
it would be fun to throw one of these just to have an excuse to see good friends!

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the nitty gritty on cloth diapering.
loads of CD info in that post!
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free download: a book for dad!

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how to: clean makeup brushes properly.
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Bradley & Morgan's sweet adoption tale.
bonus: more cute kitties!

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HAPPY FRIDAY! 

Friday loves (it's back!)

after a brief hiatus, the Friday loves feature is back here at TBNT! weeeee!

this top from Old Navy (thank you Sarah!). 

it's navy blue and it's covered in teeny little cats. meeeeeow. 

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my bloggy friend Vicki, is also with child.
we're only two weeks apart. I am beyond thrilled to have someone to share the joys & pains with!
yay for pregnant friends!  
(andplusalso, she's super cute & fashionable, so even if you don't care that we're knocked up simultaneously, you should check out her shit anyway)
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Pandemonium was released this week!
I read Delirium last year and LOVED it. Pandemonium is the second book in this trilogy.
I already have it waiting on my Kindle for me. I can't wait to dive in!

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this series of videos on cloth diapering.
I've known from the get-go that I would be cloth diapering our baby. the problem was that there was SO much information out there and I didn't know where to start. these videos helped immensely in identifying the different types of diapers and how to use them.

and along the same note, my friend Laura writes a cloth diapering blog. I started drilling her about cloth diapering a newborn, so she wrote a post ALL about it. check it out here.
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this collection of neon DIY projects.
I especially love the vases & the friendship bracelets.
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YHL's sneak peek of their cork flooring.
I can't wait to see how it looks completed!
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this swimsuit from Motherhood.
loving the gingham & the halter top.

oh, and this one too. love the navy color!

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Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm.
I bought this at the store this week, and I lurve it.
I got the "Hibiscus" color and it's perfect. I love that it's not a lipstick, and it solves my chapped lips problem that has been consistent through this pregnancy so far.
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Happy Friday, folks! 

Day 24/30

Day 24/30 - whatever tickles your fancy

I have to say that I'm in a good mood today, despite the fact that it's raining here in DC today, and that it's Monday. we had a great weekend in the FoFandee household, so that's what I'm going to share with you all for today's prompt. 

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Friday evening, we decided to go out to dinner for a little date night. my friend Kaycie called me and said that her and her boyfriend, Adam, were free all weekend, so we invited them to dinner with us at The Steakhouse. 

The Steakhouse is one of my favorite restaurants in our area, and it's where Sean and I had our very first date. we chowed down on crab dip and indulged in a few beers and had great conversation, mostly consisting of the three amigos (Sean, Kaycie & Adam) showing off their brand spankin' new Droid X phones. NERDS.

after our meals (I got a house salad with ranch dressing, filet mignon, and a baked potato... nom), we said goodnight and made plans to hang out the next day. 

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unfortunately, my tattoo artist gchatted me on Friday afternoon and asked if we could reschedule my Saturday afternoon appointment, because his kids were sick. I was totally blown... I had been looking forward to getting my sleeve completed for WEEKS. but I totally understand where he's coming from, since I just dealt with having bronchitis a week ago. the new appointment is October 16th. 

since I no longer had plans that took up my entire Saturday, we decided it would be the best time to clean the house. I mean, really clean. not just picking up things here and there, but pulling the couches out and vacuuming the massive amounts of collected cat hair from under. spraying down the oven and scrubbing the bejeesus out of it. mopping the floors on the entire first level of the house. dusting every piece of wood furniture in the living room. clearing out the junk that piles up in the entryway and vacuuming the couch that Lily calls her bed. 

I must say, it feels SO good to have the house be spic and span. it took us HOURS to clean, and we didn't even touch the bedroom. now we just have to follow our cleaning schedule to make sure it doesn't get out of control messy again. and I picked up a nice fresh fall inspired bouquet for $12 at the grocery store... which includes white gerbera daisies, orange gerbera daisies, and black eyed susans. SO pretty.

halfway through the day, I drove down to Calvert County to see my adopted little sister, Savannah. her mom and my dad have been friends for about 20 years, and Savannah was a bridesmaid in my wedding. it was her school's homecoming this weekend, so I lent her a dress of mine and offered to do her hair and makeup for her. 

I've never done another person's makeup or hair before, so I was a little nervous. luckily, it turned out beautifully and she looked amazing. I did a smokey eye on her, using deep burgundy/red colored eyeshadow... it really made her brown eyes pop. her hair is naturally curly, so I just put a little product in it to calm down the frizz, and curled it all over, ringlet style. she looked absolutely beautiful. these pictures do not do justice. stupid cell phone.

by the time I got home, it was almost time for Kaycie & Adam to come over, so I rushed around to finish cleaning up a little bit, taking some empty boxes out to the garage and vacuuming the entryway. Sean was getting dinner ready when our friends showed up. he cooked the chicken recipe that I posted last week, accompanied by a bacon and garlic risotto. it was SO fucking good. I could have eaten the entire pan of risotto by myself. neither of us had ever had risotto, so it's been something we've been meaning to try, and I'm so glad we did. 

after dinner, we continued to drink a little wine (beer for the men folk), and played a few games of Apples to Apples. SO FUN. Sean and I had never played, but we got the hang out things fairly quickly. I won the first game, and Sean the second. I realized that it was more about knowing the judge's personality than picking the right card. it was a blast! 

at about 11, we decided to go to down to a nearby bar to surprise one of Kaycie's friends for her birthday. upon our arrival, we realized she had already left and went to another bar down the street, so we followed suit. by the time we got there, the girl had already left that bar too, so we just decided to stay and have some beers. some beers turned into a lot of beers. we played songs on the juke box, danced and sang at the top of our lungs. it was SO much fun. it's been a long time since Kaycie and I have been out and about like that, and we definitely made up for lost time. 

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Sunday was spent nursing a terrible hangover (surprise surprise) and watching football all day. thank the lord, the Ravens and the Redskins both won their games (sorry Eagles fans!)... which means there was no angry yelling in our house yesterday... always a good thing when you've got a wine headache! Bear was extremely lazy yesterday and spent most of the day curled up next to his daddy on the couch. 

all in all, it was a fantastic weekend. not only was I productive in getting the house cleaned, but I managed to spend lots of time with one of my best friends and make incredible memories with people I love. 

Happy Monday!

Sephora order = product reviews!

yeah, yeah, yeah... I know this isn't a beauty or fashion blog, but believe it or not, I have a big passion for makeup and beauty products that work the way they were intended to.

DISCLAIMER: I want to preface this post by saying that I am in no way affiliated with these brands, nor was I compensated whatsoever for reviewing them. I was honestly just SO impressed with them, that I felt it necessary to publish my good finds! so I did a little online shopping at Sephora the other day, and instead of ordering my normal items, I found some things that I've never used and thought I'd give them a shot.

just a warning - these reviews will most likely end up being more long winded than I expected. ya'll know I have a lot of opinions, and they tend to be pretty lengthy when they're positive ones. :)



1. Hoola Bronzer by Benefit

this isn't a new product for me, but it's been a constant in my daily routine, and it's never failed me, so I thought I'd share for you guys.




I don't wear foundation or anything liquid on my face (that's what sheeeee said), but I like to have a little color, especially when I haven't been outdoors or to a tanning salon (horrible, I know). the thing I like about Hoola is that it doesn't feel like I have a bunch of crap on my face, and with my bronzer brush, I can control the amount that I use, so that it looks natural, and not like I've caked on a powder bronzer. I've always had good results from Benefit products, but Hoola is my absolutely must have.


2. Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner by Smashbox

now I'm totally old school when it comes to eyeliner, meaning that I strictly use the old Cover Girl pencil eyeliner, with the little smudging tool on the end... the kind you have to sharpen with an actual sharpener.




obviously, this purchase was a big step for me, and I'm so glad I took the plunge. the liner goes on so smooth and clean, and with this brush (that I also bought in the same transaction), it makes it SO much easier than I thought it would be to apply this liner. the best thing about it, is that it doesn't smudge or smear, even if you accidentally rub your eye, which I tend to do pretty often. I bought it in jet black, since that's typically what I wear. I've worn it for 3 days in a row, and I absolutely love it. no more dull pencils for this girl!


3. Just Release Me Makeup Remover by Philosophy


I've always had a problem finding a makeup remover that doesn't make me feel like my skin has been stripped of all it's natural oils. most makeup removing products make my skin burn, and don't really work well for the amount of eye makeup I wear on the weekends (I like I go dark with my eyeshadow and mascara).

I've heard great things about Philosophy brand skincare, and even though I have a skincare regiment that works great for me I thought I'd give the makeup remover a try. I love this shit. not only does it work WONDERFULLY, but it feels great on my skin as well. I love that all I have to do is dab a little of the product onto a cotton pad, rub it gently over my eyes, and ALL the makeup is gone... it doesn't leave eyeliner streaks or mascara dots under my eyes either. it feels good enough on my skin that I don't feel bad washing my face after removing my eye makeup, and it doesn't irritate my eyes at all. it's an overall great product for those of us who like hooker makeup on the weekends!

I also bought. BADgal Lash Mascara by Benefit (which is a staple in my makeup bag), Rocker Eye Shadow set by Bare Escentuals, Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler by Tarte, Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion by Clinique, and I got a free sample of Sephora Brand Smoothing Primer with my purchase. I'll make sure to do a write-up on these items once I give them a try... minus the mascara, because I already know it's fucking awesome and it loves my lashes.

not a typical TBNT post, but hopefully still helpful for some of my readers out there! I'm no beauty expert, but I know what works for me, and I loved being pleasantly surprised by good purchases! I also signed up for the whole Sephora Beauty Insider jazz, so I'm sure with the deals I get, I'll have more products to buy and try!