Big Changes for Fried Pink Tomato!

For the past few weeks I have been debating a few things. First thing...my blog. I love my little Blogger blog but I am worried that it doesn't have the design elements and customization capabilities that Wordpress blogs have. I started following several new blogs and I am OBSESSED with their design. Every single one of them is a Wordpress blog. So I started doing research. I am the queen of research. Everything I read points to Wordpress.

So I made the switch! Fried Pink Tomato is officially a Wordpress blog....

Now you can find me at:

http://www.friedpinktomato.com

Forewarning- the blog is still a work in progress. I am deciding which widgets I should include in my sidebar, which fonts, colors, and elements I like the best. So please excuse the mess over the next few days. Hopefully I will finish up the final touches SOON. In the meantime, please tell me what you think. Is anyone else considering the switch?

Charleston- my favorite city in America

Everyone knows my favorite place in the continental US is Charleston, SC. Erik proposed to me in Charleston. We had our wedding in Charleston. My baby moon was in Charleston. And 80% of our beach trips are to Charleston. I love everything about the city. Every time we go to Charleston we find ourselves trying to figure out a way to move there. Right now Erik is thinking about applying to MUSC. Maybe we will end up there one day!

Southern Tide is hosting an INCREDIBLE giveaway! As they approach 100,000 fans (pretty incredible right?) they are giving away three weekend trips. And guess which city is the first on their list? Yep, you guessed it! CHARLESTON!

One lucky winner will receive a weekend giveaway to the Charleston Place Hotel. We stayed there the weekend we got engaged. It is to die for! They will also receive a $500 Visa gift card towards travel expenses, a rental car for the weekend, dinner for two, and a $1,000 Southern Tide gift card to stock up on gear!

I'm pretty sure I NEED THIS and it is the BEST GIVEAWAY EVER! 

Make sure you check it out here! 

I just entered and my fingers are still crossed.

Anyone else love Charleston as much as I do?!?!

David Nail- Someone Like You

Since I’ve basically been listening to this song on repeat, I had to share it with y’all. If you’re not familiar with David Nail, he’s one of the hottest new country music stars of today, and I simply love his music.

Normally, when I hear other musicians cover Adele, I start to cringe. Nobody can quite sing like her, but somehow David Nail just pulls it off beautifully.

Oh, and I don’t just like his music. To me, he seems like a really genuine person, a country boy who loves baseball (Just like I do!) and married his long-time sweetheart. It’s hard not to pull for the good guys.

Here’s Nail performing a cover of Adele’s “Someone Like You.” Enjoy!

Giveaway on the Aestate

I just entered this giveaway on the Aestate blog. It is for a $50 gift card to Poppy Tree Frames. Fingers crossed! I really want to win some of these for our future nursery. Nope, i'm not preggers but I  already have my next nursery planned out. Haha.

Office Makeover Part I

I finally have my own SPACE! My wonderful husband and father helped my vision come to life. I am back working full-time, so I really needed my own office. I primarily work from home and working on my laptop from the couch wasn't cutting it. I had a craft room upstairs but it was a disorganized mess. I love to be super organized so I decided to start drawing out ideas for a nice organized room that I could work out of.

Most of my home has a very neutral palette. I decided to go bold and bright for this space. It's hard to stay happy and cheery when you stare at a computer screen all day. I decided to make this room a "happy" place. After spending too much time looking at craft rooms and offices on Pinterest, I made a list of my favorite design ideas. My favorite idea was converting a closet into a desk space. My dad took down the shelves and built his own. Then he cut out a desktop and secured it into the closet. It is absolutely PERFECT!! I really love the wallpaper. This part of the room is for sewing and crafts. It still has plenty of storage space for all of my crafting crap. I love the hot pink color that we used to paint the wood.

I will share the finished craft room in three parts. This is the first part of the room. Converting the closet to a work space really makes the room seem much bigger. I LOVE IT!

Weekly Recap

It's really easy to recap an entire week using Instagram photos. Photos from last week:

The Farmers Table

This past weekend our family stumbled upon a new restaurant in Spartanburg, SC. I guess it isn't that new (it opened about 4 months ago) but it is new to us. I had no idea this incredible restaurant was located a few miles from my house. It is called The Farmers Table and we absolutely LOVED it. It is located at 401 E Kennedy Street Spartanburg, SC 29302. If you live in the Upstate you have to check it out.

On Saturday we ordered sandwiches. I had the Chicken Salad sandwich and Erik had the Philly Cheese Steak. Delightful. The restaurant uses local farm produce, meats, and ingredients. I love the fact they support other local businesses.

After church on Sunday, we went back to eat lunch. It was delicious! I had eggs benedict, Erik had eggs, bacon, toast, and a yogurt parfait, and Harper had blueberry pancakes. You know the food is tasty when a 22 month old finishes off two pancakes, some of my cheese grits, and a piece of toast. That boy can eat! We washed it down with some of their fresh squeezed juice. I loved everything!

Here are a few pictures from Sunday:

Instagram Collage

I uploaded all of my 700+ photos off of my iPhone and into iPhoto. I'm pretty sure Instagram photos are the best way to document life. Here are a few of my favorite photos of my little man in 2011:

Best Educational App for Kids

One of my favorite childhood memories is sitting at home with my mom watching "Reading Rainbow." (Cue- "Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high, Take a look, It's in a book,A Reading Rainbow)
It was the show that really sparked my interest in reading. I used to love the portion of the show where the kids would give a recap of a book they just read. I wish Reading Rainbow was still on air so Harper could enjoy it too.

Growing up, I was a book worm. I stayed up late with my little book light underneath my covers and read until I fell asleep. I loved to pretend I was the characters in my book. I think I acted as "Harriet the Spy" for a good year. I am pretty sure I drove all the neighbors nuts because I liked to hide in the bushes and write down their every move. I was even convinced that one of my neighbors was a drug dealer. I had quite the imagination.

I want Harper to have the same passion for reading. I'm worried that his generation will forget about the books and will rely on television and video games for their entertainment.

When I heard about the new Reading Rainbow iPad app for children, I was thrilled! Hosted by LeVar Burton, the App offers a trusted library of books customized to your child’s interests, plus exciting video field trips to meet fascinating people and places.

All app users may select a single book and view introductory videos for free! We went ahead and did the free trial. Harper LOVED it! We downloaded "Pirate Boy" first. Harper has a new pirate hat that he  adores. He rocked the pirate hat and his diaper and played with the app for quite awhile. He seemed very engaged.

The app allows children travel to themed islands, such as Animal Kingdom, My Friends, My Family and Genius Academy, discovering quality fiction and non-fiction books. Each book comes alive with audio storytelling by celebrity actors, including spoken word Grammy winner Burton himself, and features light animations and activities to enhance the story. You can also read the book to yourself. But Harper is still too young to read so we use the storytelling option. I think that part that I was most impressed with was the amount of really incredible books that are available to download. We have a few book apps now. The only issue is eventually Harper gets tired of playing with them. This app offers 150 interactive books to read. And it will have frequent updates to expand the library.

Another great feature is the 16 video field trips. Lamar has filmed segments similar to the ones that were on Reading Rainbow.  Harper loves watching them. It also features interactive activities in every book and a reward program to motivate reading, and a parent dashboard to share a child’s reading progress.

This app works a little differently than most. To subscribe and receive unlimited access to the library, you choose either a monthly recurring subscription for $9.99 or a six-month recurring subscription for $29.99. I decided to go with the six-month subscription. Considering the fact that we have access to over 150 books, I think it is a great deal. I spent $4.99 on a single book app, so this is a much greater value for the price. Your subscription is for your iTunes account and can be used on additional iPads you own.

If you are a mom out there with an iPad be sure to check out the new Reading Rainbow app. I think it is the best educational app on the market. 

Magic Mike

Is anyone else planning to see Magic Mike? If you are on the fence this video might change your mind. And don't worry Erik, you are still cuter than Channing Tatum! :) 

Best iPad Apps for Toddlers

Harper is only 21 months old but he thinks and acts like he is two.The kid mastered my iPhone and iPad months ago. We had a few incidents with the iPhone (cracked screen, scuffed sides, food stuck in the home button) but the cell is still alive. I don't let the iPad out of my sight when he plays on it. He swipes the lock screen, goes straight to his folder, and starts playing his games. He mastered some of the games the first day he played them. I stay pretty entertained when I watch him on that thing. It amazes me how fast little ones pick up on technology. I think he could teach my parents a thing or two.

We have tried out a TON of kiddie apps. If we are riding in the car and Harper is screaming, I am more than happy to purchase a new app to keep him quiet. Some apps are better than others. I decided to make a list of my top 9 iPad apps for 2-year olds.

1) Peekaboo Barn
Inside a little bouncing barn, friendly farm animals are waiting to pop out and surprise your little one. This is the first app I purchased months ago on my iPhone. Harper still loves it and plays with it all of the time. It taught him how to say a few animal names and he loves making the animal noises when they pop out of the barn. One of my all-time favorite app purchases. This has provided me with hours of silence.

2) Farm 123
Harper loves farm animals so this was another big hit. After playing with this app he gets really excited when we count with him. The interactive features are fantastic and it is a great tool to teach kids how to count. They'll have hours of fun playing with cheeky farm animals: chasing them, putting them in the pen, and giving them a good wash!

3)  Moo, Baa, La La La! 
This is one of Harper's favorite books so I was excited to see it in the app store. The electronic version is SO COOL! This interactive book app has all the magic and appeal of a traditional pop-up book. Harper loves to hear individual words spoken aloud when they are tapped and hear the animals sounds. He likes to play with it again and again!

4) Dr. Seuss's ABC
The Huffman house loves Dr. Seuss. And I love this app! It is a great app for reading and alphabet practice! It is perfect for younger children still learning their alphabet. o promote reading in young children, individual words are highlighted as the story is read and words zoom up when pictures are touched.

5) PBS Kids Video

This app is my FAVORITE FREE app for kids! If I can't find a good show on TV for Harper I pull out the iPad and open this app. PBS KIDS Video features more than 1,000 videos from over a dozen top PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! television series, including Curious George, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, Dinosaur Train, SUPER WHY!, Sesame Street and Wild Kratts. Think Netflix for kids but it is FREE!

6) Curious George at the Zoo for iPad

Is your child curious about animals? Harper sure is! And he loves Curious George so this app purchase was a no-brainer. The graphics are fantastic! Children can explore the zoo using a beautiful, interactive, 3D pop-up menu and listen to lively audio narration by the Man with the Yellow Hat. For 99 cents, this is a steal!

7) Starfall ABC's 
This is hands down Harper's favorite app. It seems very simple but he loves it and he started sounded out letters within a few weeks of playing with it. It is really helping him learn to make new sounds. This app allows children to see, hear, and interact with letters and sounds in words, sentences, and games. I think this app really teaches children phonics and how to read and write! 

8) If You're Happy and You Know It
Honestly, I wasn't thrilled with this app when I first download it. The graphics are mediocre in comparison to the other kiddie apps. But Harper is obsessed. This is one of his favorite songs to sing with us. So he plays the app, claps his hands, and laughs!  Each page presents an activity to see, touch, interact and even dance to. 

9) Potty Time with Elmo
Harper has an obsession with Elmo. Nana and Papa gave him a rock n' roll Elmo for Christmas. Now he smiles anytime he sees his fluffy red friend. I'm not sure if this app will have the same effect on other kids but Harper absolutely loves it. I think it will come in handy when we start potty training. The Potty Time with Elmo app is a fun way to ease the transition from diapers to big-kid underpants.

Cutest iPhone Case EVER! GIVEAWAY

When I finally purchased an iPhone, I had to get a cute case for it. I found the aqua vintage camera iPhone case (below) and I fell in love with it. I've had it for several weeks and it works like a charm. People always stop and comment on how cute my case is. Since I do photography, my clients always LOVE it. I purchased it from an amazing Etsy store, Red Tile Studio. If you have an iPhone you have to check it out. They have a TON of adorable designs to choose from. I really want one of the chevron cases next. 

They also make incredible wooden art blocks. I think these would look incredible on a shelf or hanging on the wall. They have a ton of really cute animal ones that are super cute for a nursery!

Or if you just have a chevron obsession, check out this cute set of notebooks:

Best part!? Red Tile Studio is giving one of my lucky readers their choice of iPhone case! All you have to do is follow my blog and leave a comment with your favorite item from their Etsy store.

For extra entries like them on Facebook!

I will pick a random winner with random.org at the beginning of next week. GOOD LUCK!

Winners Announced!

I hope you all had a fantastic Father's Day weekend. Erik was out of town for most of the weekend. His old band Florez played at a wedding in Michigan. They had a blast but we sure did miss him. 

Speaking of missing my hubby... I want to take a second to vent. Years ago, Erik lived in NYC when he was modeling with FORD. I still worked and lived in Nashville, TN. We were married at the time. It was really tough not seeing him for weeks at a time. Apparently during that time I posted something on my Facebook page that stated how I missed him and that I couldn't wait to see him. I don't remember this exact post but I am sure it happened. If you love your husband and he lives in a different state, I really hope any wife would miss them. Apparently that statement offended someone because their husband was in the military and they didn't think I was being sensitive to the wives with husbands deployed. I am sorry but that completely baffles my mind. Anyone can miss someone, it doesn't matter who they are or where they are. If you love someone you are entitled to miss them regardless of their situation. Shoot, I miss Erik when he is working all day and if I want to post on my Facebook wall, "I miss Erik, I can't wait to see him tonight" then I can. And that statement shouldn't offend ANYONE. I think it is very admirable to be a military wife and honestly I would have a really hard time if my hubby was deployed. I am sure I would miss him and be scared to death. But I would still understand and appreciate the fact that other wives miss their husbands even if they are gone for a single day. With that being said, people really need to stop looking into and dissecting each other's posts on Facebook and they need to worry about their lives rather than everyone else. Personally, I think if you have an issue with someone's posts on Facebook then you should remove them from your friend list. It just makes you look caddy if you go around and complain about other people's Facebook statuses to folks. 

This week Erik is in Austin, TX and guess what.... I miss him! I haven't had a chance to visit Austin but I hear it is an incredible city. Next time I want to go with Erik.

AND now for the good stuff! The winner of the TieTry giveaway is:

Kim S. Beaty! 

AND the winner of the Southern Tide swim trunks giveaway is:

Sandi H.

Please e-mail me at JaimeNHuffman@gmail.com to claim your prize. CONGRATS!!!

And tomorrow I am giving away my absolute favorite iPhone case from Red Tile Studio! You are going to LOVE it! Pretty much the cutest Etsy store EVER! 

Big Scare

The worst call I received was when my sister called and told me my mom's cancer metastasized and she only had a few months to live. I was at dinner with Erik and had to get up and leave. I think Erik paid the bill real fast and ran after me. That was tough.

Yesterday I received my second worst call ever. I was in Greenville and kept getting calls. I was finishing up a photo shoot so I ignored them. My phone didn't stop ringing so I finally grabbed it. My dad was on the phone and informed me that Harper had a really bad fall and might need to go to the emergency room.  I almost threw up. My sister was babysitting Harper at our house. I called her. She was hysterical. Harper was screaming bloody murder in the background and all I could make out was "a lot of blood" "I am going to call 9-1-1" and "his tooth went through his lip." I could have passed out right then and there. I told her to try to stop the bleeding and call me back. I booked it home. Pretty sure I was driving 90mph, ran three stoplights, and drove down the median when I hit a bit of traffic. Not smart, I know but I was worried sick and all logic was out the window.

By the time I made it to Jenna and Harper there was still quite a bit of blood. He kept sticking out his little lips like a duck and he was screaming. I grabbed him and help him close and he just starred at me yelling, "Mama, mama, mama." My heart was shattered into little pieces. The bleeding eventually stopped. He didn't have to get stitches because the major cut was inside his little lip. But there is an indention on the outside of his mouth where the tooth punctured. We observed him all night to make sure he didn't have a concussion. I slept next to him and Jenna woke up every few hours to check his breathing. It was a rough night.

Today I kept him home from daycare. His lip resembles Mick Jagger. But he looks super cute. I think it is going to heal up just fine but I am going to take him back to the doctor next week and make sure there is no sign of infection.

When I think about a mother loosing their child it is really hard to comprehend. The grief and sadness I felt when my little man was hurt is unexplainable. It sucked! It was way worse than anything I have experienced in my life so far. My heart goes out to those parents. I really can't imagine how hard that would be. Parenthood sure is tough. And I know it is going to get harder. I pray my child slows down a bit and I don't receive any more of those phone calls ever again.

Father's Day Gift Guide 2012 - Southern Tide

Another great gift for Father's Day is an awesome pair of water shorts ! Father's Day falls in the middle of the summer so I think any sort of summer clothing is a great present. I bought Erik a pair of Southern Tide water shorts last year. He LOVES these water shorts. They are nice and vibrant without having a loud pattern on them. The small skipjack design is a great touch.

Erik's not a huge fan of the swim shorts with flowers or surf board designs. I'm glad I found something he likes. These water shorts even come with a little "aqua pocket" which is a water resistant wallet that protects all of your valuables when you are swimming. Erik kept his license and some cash in it at the beach and it stayed nice and dry. What a smart idea!

One lucky reader will win this for their dad or hubby! Trust me, they will REALLY REALLY love you for these!

To win this awesome gift for your dad, Follow my blog and enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Father's Day Gift Guide 2012- TieTry

It is getting close to Father's Day so I want to do a week of blogs highlighting the perfect Father's Day gift. I came across this company and I think it would make an awesome present for dad! The company is called TieTry. Think Netflix for ties and you get TieTry. It is founded by two longtime friends, tied (no pun intended) together through college and law school in Alabama! 

This company is PERFECT for the man in your life that has to wear a tie to work every day. Or even the dad that needs an occasional tie during the month. With TieTry, it is possible to wear thousands of dollars worth of designer ties per month for a low monthly fee. It is designed to keep a man's wardrobe fresh while saving them money.You can borrow ties from TieTry for as low as $11.99 per month, cancel anytime, and they take care of the shipping. 

If you browse their ties, you will see that they offer many big name brands. They are committed to promoting up-and-coming regional brands because they love their authenticity, and endeavor to support local economies. By subscribing to TieTry, you’ll be helping start-up brands and you’ll have access to a variety of unique ties you previously might not have been exposed to.

Here is a clip from The Today Show's review of Tietry: 

Best part?! One lucky dad will win a 3 tie subscription for 6 months. That's a $120 value! 

To win this awesome gift for your dad, enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Palmetto Wedding Photography

I am excited to announce my collaboration with the incredible photographer, Josh Norris! We officially started our own wedding photography business, Palmetto Wedding Photography! Please check it out and "like" our page. We can't wait to be a part of your special day!

Josh Norris is the photographer that took all of the beautiful photos of me, Harper, and Erik. He has such a talent! He can make everyone feel and look beautiful. I'm excited to work with him. I know he is going to help me learn and grow as a photographer. 

Here are some photos from the first shoot we did together. Kelsey and Allan are getting married in a few months. Last week, we shot their engagement shoot in Greenville, SC. They were so fun and easy going. We can't wait to capture their big day! 

We are running an introductory special for Palmetto Wedding Photography! The first 5 brides will receive an all-inclusive wedding package for $2,200. This includes bridal, engagement, and wedding coverage with two photographers, web gallery, and a high resolution disc with all of your images. We would like to give a big thank you to the first three brides we booked over the weekend! We feel so blessed to be a part of your big day! E-mail me at JaimeHuffmanPhotography@yahoo.com for inquiries, questions, or to book us for your wedding. Please spread the word! 

A Quick Trip

We made a quick trip to Charleston over the weekend. Every time I go there, I want to stay! It is such a beautiful city. I love everything about it (except the road construction work, I swear they are always working on a main road when I am in town). We made our way to Poe's for lunch. A Charleston trip isn't complete without a trip to Poe's for burgers and tuna tacos. We took Harper to the beach. That kid is a water baby. He has no fear. He wanted to run right into the waves. My sweet sister came along on the trip. She is such a huge help with the little man! Harper loves his Auntie Jenna!

Jenna & Harper

On Sunday we had a photo shoot on a gorgeous boat. I was the photographer and Erik was one of the models. It was an absolute blast! The weather was perfect and the boys managed to catch two massive red fish. Then we hit up Isle of Palms for dinner and ice cream. We went to the public beach before dinner but it was gross! There was liter all over the beach and the crowd was pretty rough. People were straight up smoking pot on the beach at 7:30PM with hundreds of babies and children around. It was really sad to see the beach like this. It used to be so nice. I'm not sure what happened to that area. Has any one else noticed this problem? 

Harper and Erik

I want to head down to Charleston again this coming weekend. My friend Brooke has a bridal shower in Charleston and my other friend Sarah has a baby shower in Columbia. I'm trying to coordinate a trip so I can make it to both of them. Fingers crossed I can figure it out!

Best Proposal Ever!

This is incredible! I think it is so sweet that so many of their friends and family were so invested in the proposal. You know you have an amazing community if they are all willing to work their butts off to make you smile. Yep, I cried BEFORE he proposed.

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!