Harper's Second Birthday Party

Harper turns 2 in September. I can't believe my sweet baby boy is going to be two! We started to experience the "terrible twos" a few months early. He throws the occasional tantrum in the middle of a store, he shrieks at the top of his lungs for no apparent reason, and he does not like to share with other kids. Hopefully this is just a stage but I hear it only gets worse at three. Who really knows!? Luckily his adorable dimples melt me and I have a hard time staying mad at the kid. This phase brings a new level of stress to my life. He used to go with me EVERYWHERE. Business meetings, restaurants, shopping, you name it! He was such an easy baby (besides the fact that he never slept through the nights). Now I can't take him anywhere without stressing. For the most part he is still an exceptionally well-behaved child but I realize how good I had it for his first year.

Harper's first popsicle!

Erik and I travel ALL of the time. It is kind of ridiculous really. This week we had work in Atlanta and Charleston. Next week we are going to Cashiers, NC and Columbia, SC. It doesn't stop. Harper isn't a fan of the long car rides and it is getting a lot tougher traveling with him. I think momma and baby are going to have to stay home and let Erik go on more of the work trips by himself. It is going to be tough but we want to get Harper on more of a normal routine.

Speaking of "normal routines," Harper started daycare today. I wanted to wait until he was two but a spot opened up at the church daycare we were looking at and we couldn't say no. We really wanted to take him to the Montessori school but it was a little out of our budget. The church daycare was another option that we loved but sometimes it takes people up to a year to get in! Erik and I went on a tour of the facility and I felt really good about this place. The director, the pastor, and the teachers were fantastic. They are very lenient on the dropping off and picking up policy which is perfect for our crazy schedule. He is enrolled full-time but I think I am going to start off taking him for a few hours a day. This allows me to do all of my PR/Marketing work, casting, photography, grocery shopping, and cleaning. For the past month I have been doing it all with a baby at the house and to say it was stressful is the understatement of the year.  No mother should ever try to work from home with a two-year old. Bad idea! So even though today was very bittersweet, I think it is going to be a good situation for everyone.

Harper did great! I snuck out of the classroom before he could see me leave. They say the worst thing to do is take a long time to say your goodbyes to your child when you drop them off. Apparently it builds up their stress and anxiety of you leaving. So I dipped out as fast as I could. He played with the other kids and even slept on a nap mat. I am still astonished that they got him to sleep on the floor. I bought him this ridiculously cute plush dinosaur sleeping bag and we practiced napping in it over the weekend. He would roll around and cuddle for a minute then get right back up to play. The fact that they got him to nap is amazing.  Fingers crossed the rest of the week goes well.

Now for the fun stuff... planning another birthday party! I love planning parties! And I love doing arts and crafts. I can't stop thinking about the endless possibilities for Harper's second birthday party. We have booked the venue! We are going to The Sunshine Ranch in Spartanburg. Harper LOVES animals and he was in Heaven when we took him to the ranch. I am so excited to have his party there! I want to do bright and bold decorations. I think a cute bunting banner would be fantastic. And of course animal cupcakes are a must! The possibilities are endless.

I am most excited about his invitations! They are ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! Jessie from The Perched Owl designed them for me. I told her exactly what I wanted (red barn, a big sunshine, animals with party hats on, bunting banner, and a wooden sign) and she absolutely NAILED my vision. I couldn't be happier! I am going to do an entire blog post about her incredible designs because they are super cute and very affordable! She can pretty much do anything your little heart desires. And if you like my invitation she can customize it just for you! It is only $12! 

Do you all have any cute ideas for a farm themed birthday party? Anyone planning a party for their little one now? I would love to hear your themes! What do you think about the invitation!? Isn't it perfect! 

One Line A Day...

I used to be a scrap-booker. I even own a Cricut machine. I LOVE creating pages filled with fun memories. And I love using my creativity to decorate the pages. The big problem is that it takes a whole lot of time. Time that I don't have. I haven't started a scrapbook for my little man even though I have enough photos to document his entire life! One day I will get around to it.

In the meantime, I found one of my favorite books EVER. It is called "One Line A Day." This perfect little book is kind of like journaling your life, Twitter style. You jot down the most memorable part of your day. In my case, I write down a little line for Harper letting him know what he did/learned/loved that day. There is no way I can write a full page every night but I think I can manage to jot down one quick line before I fall asleep every night.

In this book, there is a page for each day of the year. Each day has spots for five entries. So at a quick glance, I can tell Harper exactly what he did over the past five years. Maybe one day I when Harper is off in college (insert alligator tears here) I can send him funny texts reminding him what he did that exact day when he was 3 years old. Yes, I will be "that mom."

So far I am about a week into it and I haven't missed a day. Hopefully I can keep it up. I think it will be a really cool gift to give my baby one day. Do any other moms keep a journal for their children? Does anyone have this particular one? How do you like it? 

Winner, Winner!

The winner of the Print Runner Giveaway is Christina Hyatt! Congrats Christina!

Bling, Bling!

I can always use some bling in my life! I've been looking for a pair of cute pink earrings to so with my favorite pair of pink Lilly Pulitzer summer jeans. I just found an adorable pair! Aren't these cute!? They are from a really cute website, JoJo Loves You. Check out the site, it has a ton of cute accessories! JoJo Loves You is a jewelry design studio in Boston and they are getting ready for our HUGE Annual Memorial Day Bling Sale…it is awesome! The sale runs from Friday, May 25th through Monday, May 28th and is only available online through the web store, jojolovesyou.com.

All of these cute "bling" earrings are on sale for Memorial Day.

What is your favorite color? I think I am going with the hot pink to match my pants but I really like those emerald green ones too! Enjoy the bling.

Summer Salads

Last week we had a few friends over for a nice little barbecue. It was delicious! I made a few side salads and they were a hit. I thought I should share the recipes with y'all. They are very easy to make and everyone seemed to enjoy them! I love a good summer salad.

I got the recipe from Foodnetwork.com. I love that website. The pasta is called:

Neely's Lemon Pasta Salad

Here is the recipe:


Ingredients-


Salt
1 pound corkscrew pasta
1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup freshly chopped dill leaves
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
7 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Directions-


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse. Set aside.

In another large pot of boiling salted water, add the asparagus and blanch until bright green and slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or a spider and shock in icy cold water. Remove from the water and dry well.

Trim the ends of the asparagus and cut into bite-size pieces on the bias.

Whisk together the mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Combine the reserved asparagus and pasta in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, dill, peas, feta, and the mustard dressing. Toss with tongs to coat the salad well. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.


**Note**
If you don't like dill, you probably won't like this recipe. It is not too strong but you can definitely taste the dill leaves.

I will share the other recipe next week!

What Happened to Customer Service?

We live in a day and age that is consumed with technology and a "me" mentality. Businesses are concerned with making a quick buck rather than forming a relationship with their customer. I think the absolute worst customer service is found at airlines. I am pretty sure US Airways does not give a rip about their customers. They loose you luggage and they expect you to figure it out. They overbook your flight and they don't offer any sort of compensation. It sucks!

I was pleasantly surprised with the customer service I received today. So surprised that I actually wanted to brag on the company. Where was I? I was at the Apple Store in Haywood Mall. What could have been a very unpleasant and stressful situation was tolerable due to the really helpful employees. My computer has been acting crazy. I was in the middle of editing photos and it turned off abruptly. When I turned it back on my clock and internet was re-set. It was driving me nuts and I was ready to throw my computer against a wall. I took it into Apple and they determined it was a faulty battery. When I went to pick it up today I decided to boot it up and make sure it worked properly. It still had a few small glitches. The folks at Apple started running diagnostics tests right away. I arrived at the store around 5:30PM and by 9PM the computer still had problems. The store closed at 9PM but they let me stay in the store while they tried to repair the problem. By 10PM it was determined that I am going to have to re-install my operating system. Now I have to run Time Machine on my laptop to make sure I don't loose any of my data. I am heading back to the store in the morning to fix it. But I was impressed with the employees determination to fix my issues. I could tell they wanted to send me home with a fixed computer tonight. They chatted with me while I sat for countless hours and kept me somewhat entertained. Most of all, they provided exceptional customer service. I think a lot of companies could learn a thing or two from Apple.

So Apple, I salute you. I will never purchase a PC again.

PS- If you ever buy an Apple product, make sure you always purchase Apple Care. Time and time again I am thankful that I purchased it!

A Near Death Experience

Harper was hired by Buy Buy Baby to do another print ad. While we were on set, one of the men showed us this awesome iPhone app, Action Movie FX. 

We were amused, to say the least. Here are my boys in action:

And here is Harper's first ad. It was released this month. They were so nice and sent us a few copies in the mail. I actually went to Buy Buy Baby to purchase the water toy he was photographed with (he loved that thing!) and they were already sold out. I guess it was because of the cute models in the advertisement!

The Juggler

Nowadays I feel like a juggling act. Part mom, part business women, part blogger, part maid. Life is crazy, life is complicated, but life is good and I am blessed (I try to repeat that last part often... a daily reminder keeps me sane). 

I always feel like I have a ton of things to blog about. Then I sit down to write a blog and my mind goes BLANK! I hate when that happens.

I guess I will blog about my coupon obsession. Yes, I am a crazy coupon lady. I started cutting coupons when I was pregnant and on average I save about $100 per week! Now I can't go back. If I go to Publix without my coupons I feel naked. Pathetic, I know.

I went to Whole Foods last week. I wanted to grab a quick bite to eat at the hot bar. I was attempting to eat healthy but I ended up with a nice scoop of spicy mac n' cheese. It was so good. While I had dinner, I watched all of the women shopping. I was so envious of the women in there. They just walked down the aisles and threw stuff into their carts. $7 orange juice, no biggie! Obviously no coupons, no price comparison, they just bought whatever they desired. That would be nice! 

For now I shall cut coupons. The hardest part about cutting coupons is the time it takes to cut and organize them. I have tried a few different methods of organization. I started out with envelopes. That was a disaster and a complete mess in my drawer. Then I bought a special coupon book on Amazon. It is $19.99 and in my opinion it is well worth it. I loved the book and the only real issue I had with it was the fact that you couldn't really see the coupons in the folders and it was pretty thick to put in my purse. Recently I started carrying a backpack instead of a purse (I will blog about that another day) so I wanted to try a new coupon organization method that was the size of a school binder. I think I found my perfect match!!! It was at Target.  It is the Mead OrganizHer (clever name) Coupon Binder. Confession- I purchased two because I wanted extra tabs and organizing sheets. I am going to combine all of the organization sheets and tabs in one binder and have it super organized. If you cut coupons or are thinking about starting, you NEED this! 

After I finish organizing my new binder I will post photos. I am in organize mode at our house right now. I want to start posting my new Project Organization undertaking on the blog. Hope you enjoy! 

FYI- Do you want to save some serious mula? My favorite website that helps me find all of the good deals is Southern Savers.  Every women out there should check out this page. I promise, it makes couponing so much easier! 

And I will leave you with some Photo Booth pictures:

This was taken this morning! 

This was taken when he was my little baby! Oh how time flies! 

Another GIVEAWAY!

I guess it is that time of the year! It is GIVEAWAY time!!! 

I was contacted by PrintRunner.com to host a giveaway for my readers.  I checked out their website and was really impressed with what they do. Whether it is banners, bookmarks, brochures, and pretty much anything paper, PrintRunner has you covered. For the past ten years, PrintRunner has been one of the foremost quality printers in Southern California. They are committed to providing their customer with the best value and high quality full color printing at an affordable price. And the best part, they are a company located in the USA! They are based in Chatsworth, California.


I am going to use PrintRunner for custom postcard printing.  I just stared my own photography business. I had an adorable logo designed and now I have to print up appointment cards for my customers. I can't wait to get them! If you are a business owner, Print online with Printrunner and get attractive yet affordable postcards and paper products. 

And now for the fun part, the giveaway! Just leave a comment below with your contact information.

The winner will receive 100 5x7 Postcards

Here are the specs of the postcards:

Colors : 4/0 Front Only Printing

Paper : 14 PT. UV Coating on Front,

Rounded Corners  : Yes

Proof : None

Ready to Ship In : 4 Business Days

 *Giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above.

Thank you to PrintRunner for providing us this giveaway, I will receive a set of postcards for hosting this.

The Winner Is....

Big thanks to everyone that participated in the Southern Tide Skipjack Polo giveaway! It was a huge success.

The winner is: Maggie Eickhoff

Congrats Maggie! Please e-mail me at JaimeNHuffman@me.com.

Happy Saturday! 

The Joys of Motherhood

Motherhood is rewarding, it is fun, it is incredible but let's be honest...it is tough! Little boys are noisy, they are wild, and they are messy. A silent home is a very rare occasion. Some days for my sanity's sake I go out to my car and sit in silence. I'm sure my neighbors think I am crazy but I need it. I need to hear myself think again. And I need to get away. I can't afford a luxurious spa vacation so I go out to my car. I listen to the radio, check e-mails on my iPhone, and then sit there in pure silence. It is fantastic! Sometimes Erik gets home from work and the first thing out of my mouth is, "Hey, will you watch Harper for a bit? I am going to go sit in the car for a few minutes." Oh the little things!

What do you other moms out there do for an escape? Anybody lock themselves in the closet? Haha! I think that could have crossed my mind at some point.


Tonight, Harper insisted on eating spaghetti and yogurt for dinner. What a strange combination! He likes to go to the fridge and pick out his own meals now. If he doesn't like what I give him he throws it down for Fender. He loves to feed himself. Watching him eat this particular meal was quite entertaining. I will leave you with some photos of the fun:

Southern Tide Skipjack Polo giveaway

It is official; my husband has a Southern Tide obsession. Our closet is a school of skipjacks. His obsession started a few years ago and now he refuses to wear any other type of polo. He loves the fit of the Skipjack polo and he loves how they still look fantastic after several washes. Not to mention; Southern Tide has a superior fit, classic design and he thinks they are the most comfortable polo on the market.

Here are a few photos of Erik sporting his favorite shirts:

I think a Skipjack polo is a perfect Father's Day gift and graduation gift! I am thrilled to announce that Southern Tide is sponsoring a giveaway on Fried Pink Tomato! One lucky winner will be the proud new owner of a Skipjack polo (classic or tailored fit).


Details for the giveaway:

• Head over to the Southern Tide website and check out the different color Skipjack polos and leave a comment letting us know your favorite color

That is all you have to do! Comment and tell us which color you want if you win! :)


Make sure you include your e-mail address!

If you want extra entries:

• For one extra entry like Southern Tide on Facebook. 
• For one extra entry follow Southern Tide on Twitter 
• For two extra entries blog about this giveaway (and make sure you link back to this post and the Southern Tide website).

All entries must be received by 11:59 PM on Friday, May 11, 2012

Note: I want to thank Southern Tide and all of you in advance for participating. I am so excited about this giveaway. I know the winner will love their Skipjack polo!