april snapshots

Posted on May 31, 2014 by tandem in love

april in sweet review.

it was quite a crazy, busy month for us. with it being holy week, easter, hc’s birthday, tax month, moving, baby showers, oh my! that is just a brief summary of the many, many events that happened in april!

olive had many milestones, my terrific husband was such a strong support system through all these major events, and we had such huge positive, life changes happening to us. it was such a great, overwhelming, amazing time.

life has been fascinating. i am intrigued by my own changes, whether it is through body, mind, or environment. i love watching olive grow. i love being married to my husband. i am in awe over how calm and laid back he can be at the hardest moments. i am so happy that the weather has been getting warmer and i can really enjoy taking olive out and about.

my love for my family has grown exponentially! everyday i appreciate and cherish them more and more. it’s been a lot dealing with a new house, a little baby, and all the updates we are making to our new abode. there are a lot of times i freak out but i come to realize, every time, that it’s all going to work out in the end. as usual patience is not my virtue…unfortunately. that’s why i am lucky to have my other half calm me down!

[baby olive’s crazy hairdo before her bath // hc winning the award for daddy of the year]

[pam’s baby shower]

[many faces of olive]

[ombre cake at jaime’s baby shower]

[cousin cool // sleepy time]

[olive’s easter basket]

[olive // dunkin’ donuts easter peeps]

[dunkin’ donuts cubbie donuts to support the cub’s charity]

[laughing in the early morning // learning how to sit]

[a sunny day shopping // vanilla buttercream cupcake]

there ya go…an april rewind in photos. some of my favorite moments and it always includes desserts! pretty, lovely, sweet desserts!

xoxo

flashback friday

Posted on May 30, 2014 by tandem in love

today takes us back to 2010.

hc and i took a trip to nashville! we had such a great time visiting the city. now, nashville is a place, in my opinion, that is only a weekend getaway. it’s such a small town…i was surprised that it being the country music capital, how low key it was. there were never really any crowds, never people walking around constantly, like chicago. only on friday or saturday did it ever get somewhat crowded and it looked like people were being bussed in!

another downside? i’m soooo not a country music girl. so live music like that is so unappealing. i had no interest! if you want live music, cowboy boots, and lots of bbq…nashville is your place to be!

my favorite part about visiting? i loved checking out vanderbilt university! it was such a cute college town! we explored the campus and it also has the cutest shops running along 21st street in hillsboro village. great places to eat and, of course, spending your moolah in all the cute boutiques. we spent a long afternoon there just exploring. fun fact: we actually found our curtain backdrop here, at furniture shop, for our wedding photo booth!

we did enjoy walking up and down broadway, checking out all the shops and restaurants. it’s definitely dolly parton central! my favorite place in nashville?? mike’s ice cream! yum! we went there every night to get dessert! it’s a cute, quaint little ice cream shop where they hand make their delicious, creamy goodness. so delish, check it out if you ever visit!

[enjoying a warm night out in nashville and topping it off with some delicious mike’s ice cream]

i really enjoyed my time in nashville, it was a cute little town with a lot of nooks and crannies. many great memories created with my then soon to be husband!

happy friday y’all!

xoxo

happy six months!

Posted on May 28, 2014 by tandem in love

happy six months olive!

[photos taken on 5.27]

height: 26 1/4″

weight: 15 lbs 12 oz

wow…olive is six months old! ahh!

omg, time flies! i can’t believe she is six months old! she has become such a strong little lady! sitting up is her new thing. olive started to sit up at the end of her four month mark but was wobbly and needed to be watched at all times. as her fifth month progressed, the super strong little lady was good on her own. she loves sitting by herself and playing. she’ll sit there on her tummy time mat and play with her toys. i sure do take advantage of that. i run around the house doing as much as i can…until she realizes she is by herself, then she starts to cry! she is really great by my side. we can sit side by side {like when i’m blogging or pinning} and she’s quite content.

big milestone for little miss olive? eating solids for the first time! yes, it’s been a big step for her. i started her two weeks out from her six month birthdate and it’s been wonderful. she started with bananas…yum. she loved noshing on the sweet banana and milk concoction. the avocado took a few days to get use to, she didn’t take to it the first few days but the last two days she was quite keen on eating it. she loved eating sweet potatoes + papaya! hc fed her on the first day of introduction {sweet potatoes} and she gobbled it all down! no allergies for the wee one yet, just goodness, enjoyment, and messiness!

she loves to play with her daddy…he always makes her giggle. in olive’s first few months, only being in her momma’s arms comforted her but now she loves, loves her daddy time. she loves to snuggle with him, she loves to be in his arms, and she can so easily fall asleep on his shoulder. it’s seriously the cutest moments ever.

you are such a great sleeper! i dreaded the ‘growth’ stages i read about…ya know, the ones where they say the babes will wake up multiple times a night to eat because they are going through a growth spurt? well, not this babes so far…she is a solid sleeper through the night! she goes down around 9-10pm and wakes up around 6-7am! i only wish i could sleep through the night like her {darn that middle of the night pumping!}!

something that is really sweet? she loves to get her cheeks brushed. so cute. when i sweep my finger from the top of your cheek to your chin, it totally calms you down! you have the most serene, calm look on your adorable face.

another fun thing to watch? when she is grabbing her tootsies. you love to stretch your legs all the up and shove your toes into you mouth. when i change your diaper, you grab both your feet and toes and hold onto them for dear life! i love it.

you are an amazing little girl. we love watching you grow. little miss olive, we love you so.

xoxo

olive’s eating solids!

Posted on May 27, 2014 by tandem in love

it was quite a momentous occasion here in the heintz household. olive’s first time eating solids!

when we went in for olive’s four month appointment, her sweet pediatrician, dr. perlman okay’d us to start feeding olive solids. so, i inquired other moms about the subject. most people started out their babies with cereal. i was wary of the idea because baby cereal was not very nutritious and they were all fortified with vitamins, which made me skeptical.

i am also into reading olive’s cues on when something feels right. i love, love breastfeeding her. it’s time so fabulously spent together and such a wonderful bond you build with your baby. i felt that she was always full after each feeding; she was growing and gaining weight, so i did not want to start her with solids until she was closer to her six month mark.

i looked into what foods you can first give your baby and how to make it. i loved the idea and option of creating your own baby food with whole, fresh, organic products. why not serve your child simple, whole foods that give her all the nutrients she needs than a bland product such as white cereal that is not naturally nutritious?

i noticed right around her five month mark, she started to get very curious when i was eating or drinking anything. she would watch and stare as i picked up food and put it into my mouth. she stared intently as i chewed my food. she would follow my hand as i pulled my drink towards my mouth and watch in awe as i sipped my beverage. that’s when i knew it was about that time to introduce some solid foods into her diet.

[daddy affixing the chair cover to our tripp trapp with a smiley olive]

[first foods – a whole avocado]

***

so, at 5 1/2 months, i fed olive her first solid food!

i looked at several books on baby food. i debated on whether i should just google simple recipes on the web versus buying a book. i decided to buy this book called top 100 baby purees. i love it, it has awesome recipes that are so easy to make. i then went to the grocery store and purchased a bunch of organic ingredients to make olive’s baby food.

[here we go…ready to nosh on some solids!]

making baby food is absolutely easy! the recipes are very simple, some require just one or a few ingredients, some mashing, or just throwing it in the food processor. i love using oxo freezer trays and their square containers. they are bpa free and perfect for freezing and storing all the food you pre-make.

olive’s first food were bananas. i just sliced off two inches of a banana, warmed up a small amount of breast milk and mixed it all together. the consistency is on the soupy side but still like a thick paste. i also used a silicone covered spoon from oxo to protect her sensitive gums. i love the spoons, they are ergonomically made and they also come in travel cases for when you are on the go!

[organic bananas + breast milk]

[nom, slurp, nom, slurp, nom…she likes it!]

[yummy!]

[she loved it so much, she was ready to feed herself!]

the verdict? feeding olive her first solid food was a hit! she absolutely loved her bananas and milk! the first time she ate, she consumed maybe a few teaspoons but her second time eating her banana milkshake…she ate the whole thing! that was probably at least two tablespoons or more. what an eater!

what an exciting time! i can’t wait to explore new foods with her and broaden her palate. oh, i love my baby olive!

xoxo

memorial day

Posted on May 26, 2014 by tandem in love

today we honor all the men and women who have given their lives, fighting for our freedom.

i thank those who have, who do, and who will serve our country.

[image via bhldn]

God bless america.

xoxo

olive’s day with olivia

Posted on May 24, 2014 by tandem in love

we were so excited to have olivia watch over olive one day this past week!

it was so kind of olivia to spend her day with little miss olive. it was an early morning for all of us, olivia came bright and early so she could see our new house. hc did a quick walk through with her while i got ready for work. we chitchatted for a bit and i walked olivia through olive’s routine – her eating schedule, her naps, her behaviors, likes, dislikes, etc. then off i went!

i was excited they were spending the day together! when we were in florida, olive was so overwhelmed by her environment that olivia didn’t get to spend a lot time holding her and playing together. so this was their catch up time!

[olive and olivia about to start their day!]

[a selfie sent to me while i was at work!]

midday, olivia sent me a snapshot of themselves and a recap of their day so far. awwww, they are so cute together! everything was going well and they were having a great time playing.

when i arrived home from work, hc had just gotten there prior to me; so olive, olivia, and hc went for a walk to the liquor store. right?! the liquor store…olive’s first trip to buy alcohol! when they arrived home, olive was wearing her hand knit cap {from my friend kristin, who’s friend actually did the knitting!} and it was so adorable on her! what a cutie.

[returning from a walk outside]

[returning from work to find these two cuties]

olivia stayed for dinner and hung out for a bit longer. i am so glad this gal is back in chicago! we now can have our girly lunches and time back!

thanks so much olivia for taking care of olive. we love you!

xoxo

flashback friday

Posted on May 23, 2014 by tandem in love

today takes us back to 2009. on this evening, we met up with a few of hc’s friends in algonquin. they were going to midnight wake surf on the fox river. it was a bright, full moon; enough light to be able to wake surf the calm, quiet water.

it was a chilly night and i always think that hc is crazy for not blinking an eye and getting in that frigid, cold water! ugh. so not me! since it was midnight, it was so serene being out on the river {very quiet}. we went back and forth in the boat riding the river while each person took their turn surfing the wake. it was pretty cool. as close as you can get to surfing in the midwest!

[go cubs go]

midnight wake surfing was definitely a night to remember. it is something that doesn’t happen often for us, so it was quite a fun memory!

happy friday y’all!

xoxo

our best day ever on refinery29

Posted on May 22, 2014 by tandem in love

i am so excited to have our wedding featured on refinery29!

almost three years later and it’s pretty awesome to have our wedding still talked about. it was, seriously, the best day ever. without that wonderful, euphoric, romantic, amazing, whimsical, lively, dynamic, exciting day…there wouldn’t have been the next best day ever…giving birth to miss olive!

our wedding was like a dream come true. so cliche right?! but it was. everything was perfect. celebrating our union with our friends and family was a recipe for unparalleled goodness. hc and i had the best time reveling in the love and joy of our guests…how could it not be fabulous when everyone is celebrating, eating, and drinking? best combos ever.

from our rehearsal, to our rehearsal dinner, to the wedding day, the sunday brunch, and then onto an alfresco dinner at my parent’s with our family’s out of town guest, it was a whirlwind of delight. the next morning we sped off on our honeymoon floating on cloud nine, full of happiness.

[photo by kate headley // bouquet by justanns]

i am always so thankful to everyone who helped make our day so magical, from our amazing, prompt, creative vendors to our friends and family who helped make this moment so special. i am forever grateful because i will always claim this day to be the best day ever!

xoxo

first mother’s day ~ part two

Posted on May 20, 2014 by tandem in love

soooo on sunday funday mother’s day celebration…olive and i started the day lazily lounging in bed. i love this little peanut. hc got this momma another starbucks start! we relaxed together, that morning, before we headed to parker’s for a mother’s day brunch.

[morning selfie]

[watching videos together]

[morning pick me up]

we got ready and merrily went on our way to the restaurant. we pit stopped for some beautiful flowers for the famille at the grocery store. on our way there, the babes decided to take a little nap. how cute is she?!

[nap time before brunch]

[beautiful flowers for some beautiful ladies]

we arrived at our destination. it was a madhouse inside! whoa. dan was the first to get there and then boom…everyone was there, the whole family literally trickled in within seconds! we were seated right away and ready to eat! it was a brunch buffet, so we literally sat for a minute while the server took our drink orders and then we all scurried to the buffet tables, ready to fill up our little plates.

[kir royale…favorite drink]

[our coordinating outfits // olive is in little tots long sleeve onesie, gapkids pants, and hair clip by etsy]

[buttercream topped cupcakes, it was really good!]

[olive having a moment with uncle dan]

[olive having a smiley moment with her cousin]

[celebrating moms]

after brunch, we trekked our way home for a just a second to then head back out. we took my mom to a pretty little garden center so she could pick out flowers for the yard!

[flower shopping]

after that, we headed back home to my parent’s. we relaxed for a bit there before we headed back out to our home {ya know…that long car ride home we have}! of course, more work had to be done on our house, so wasting the day away is never an option!

[coffee break with my chunker munker]

overall, it was quite an amazing mother’s day. i am thankful for my beautiful mom, my wonderful husband, and my amazing daughter.

my first mother’s day could not have been better. i am so blessed to be a mom. i am so blessed to have such a loving mother. i am amazed that it was my first mother’s day and i am in awe that this little baby is ours…making it quite a special day for me. i still cannot believe that i am mom, it’s a milestone in my life that is a dream come true.

i know that i just rambled a bit. i wish i was more eloquent about it. i have so many thoughts and wonderful feelings around this…it’s hard to capture it all in words without spewing a lot of random phrases!

God bless all the mother’s out there!

xoxo

first mother’s day ~ part one

Posted on May 19, 2014 by tandem in love

mother’s day celebrations started on saturday. i woke up to a very relaxing morning. hc and grace went out and purchased starbucks coffee for us {bonus points!}. they also arrived home with a beautiful bouquet of lilies for me {extra credit}! what a great start to my mother’s day weekend.

i was very excited for my first mother’s day! after all these years of celebrating my mom and other moms, it was my turn to revel in this day! how special and exciting. being a mom is amazing and i am in so in love with it…having had olive has changed my life completely in every positive way! so celebrating that fact was delightful in itself. it’s taken on a whole new meaning and i was feeling quite loved and blessed.

[lovely lilies]

[my gorgeous mother’s day bouquet picked out by grace and olive]

[selfies while we wait for breakfast]

continuing on with my mother’s day celebration, hc started to whip up a delicious breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and eggs. yummy! he’s such a perfect partner…always so caring and loving.

[hc starting on a yummy breakfast for this momma]

[seasoned eggs, maple sausage, and buttery rich pancakes]

after breakfast, we had a very relaxing day of doing much of nothing…ok, well i did much of nothing while hc manicured our lawn {ummmmm, that took 3 1/2 hours! whaaaaa? damn yard}.

so, relaxing i did with little miss olive by my side. we sat around, we played, she slept, and i chilled. it was quite a beautiful day…sunny and warm. my dad also made a pit stop by the house to say hi to the babes. my parents miss little olive so much all the time. thank goodness we are right around the corner! they are able to stop by anytime and pinch her cheeks!

that afternoon, miss grace so lovingly gave me a sweet mother’s day card. she’s such a doll…it was a very thoughtful card and it had the best words written inside from her. how splendid.

later on in the evening, hc made a tasty dinner of burgers and sautéed brussel sprouts. he was happily grilling our organic burgers and assembling a wonderful dinner while i downed cold, crisp, thirst quenching coronitas…ahhhh.

[my summer drink]

[onion and gorgonzola burger on a brioche bun with sautéed brussel sprouts]

after finishing up dinner and with it being a beautiful night out, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood! our first walk together since we have moved in. it was so awesome. the night was perfect, the sky was clear, the temperature was just right. we explored our delightful neighborhood…it is such a cute little area.

[a perfect evening for nighttime stroll]

after 40 minutes of walking, it was time to return back home so we could put little olive down for the night.

once we settled in, i had a nightcap of refreshing, cold, creamy coffee ice-cream! a well deserved treat for my hard day of work…being a mom is tough 😉

[a perfect nightcap…coffee ice-cream]

well, that was my first day of my mother’s day celebration. it couldn’t have been any better, i love that my husband is so kind, caring, considerate, and thoughtful. he really is the best. i am a lucky gal. i love him to bits.

he always makes every day feel like it’s mother’s day.

xoxo

tandem in love

{life is truly beautiful and it should be celebrated + shared.}

Monthly Archives: May 2014

april snapshots

flashback friday

happy six months!

olive’s eating solids!

memorial day

olive’s day with olivia

flashback friday

our best day ever on refinery29

first mother’s day ~ part two

first mother’s day ~ part one