$50 Infinity Scarf Giveaway + Blog Update

Hello! Ready for another giveaway? I thought so. :)

But first, don't forget that today is the last day for Google Friend Connect so this is my final reminder to update your Henry Happened subscription. You can follow via RSS or email. Or we can be friends on Facebook or Twitter.

Since clothes shopping is a little lame for pregnant gals, I get to splurge on scarves, jewelry and shoes. I definitely want to expand my scarf collection with a couple of beauties from Remixed by Jacki. Scarves are spring's perfect "I don't want to wear a coat but it's still kinda chilly" accessory.

Because Jacki knows we love our scarves, she is offering a $50 gift certificate to her online shop.

Thank you Remixed by Jacki!

In order to win you must:

Visit Remixed by Jacki and tell me your favorite design

Google Friend Connect is going away so follow Henry Happened via RSS or email

You can also get extra entries if you:

• Follow Remixed by Jacki on Facebook
• Follow Henry Happened via Facebook or Twitter
• Blog, post on your Facebook page or tweet about this giveaway. Tag your tweet with @henryhappened so I can track it

Example tweet: I just entered the $50 Infinity Scarf #giveaway at @henryhappened http://wp.me/p1BF9z-MR

Leave a separate comment for each entry. Giveaway ends Tuesday, March 6 at 11:59PM and the winner will be announced on Facebook. Good luck!

$50 Leading Ladies Jewelry Giveaway + Blog Update

Hello friends! I have two fun giveaways for you today!

But first, today is the last day for Google Friend Connect so this is my reminder to update your Henry Happened subscription. You can follow via RSS or email. Or we can be friends on Facebook or Twitter. :)

Now back to the fun stuff - the first giveaway is from the lovely Etsy shop Leading Ladies. The handmade jewelry creations made by a mother and her two daughters are so delicate. And I'm such a fan of their feminine colors.

And lucky readers, Leading Ladies is giving away a $50 credit to their shop!

Thank you Leading Ladies!

In order to win you must:

Visit Leading Ladies and tell me your favorite item.

Google Friend Connect is going away so follow Henry Happened via RSS or email.

You can also get extra entries if you:

• Follow Leading Ladies on Facebook
• Follow Leading Ladies’ Blog
• Follow Henry Happened via Facebook or Twitter
• Blog, post on your Facebook page or tweet about this giveaway. Tag your tweet with @henryhappened so I can track it

Example tweet: I just entered the $50 Leading Ladies Jewelry #giveaway at @henryhappened http://wp.me/p1BF9z-MG

Leave a separate comment for each entry. Giveaway ends Tuesday, March 6 at 11:59PM and the winner will be announced on Facebook. Good luck!

DIY Anthro Pipe Cleaner Headband

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? I barely survived a 2-year-old birthday party. Two kids peed their pants, which I consider a sign of major party success.

To get your week going, I wanted to share a quickie DIY. When Anthropologie described this headband as “craft-time inspired,” I couldn’t resist giving it a go with an actual pipe cleaner. Made in about 5 minutes with materials I had on hand it didn’t cost anywhere near the $38 Anthro price tag.

Caroline, ever the reluctant model, wouldn’t let me wipe off the paint on her face. Then, in an effort to get away, she ran into a chair and gave herself a goose egg on the forehead. That pretty well ended the picture taking!

And for what it's worth, I think this actually looks pretty good on adults too.

Instructions

Supplies: Thin headband, 2-3 pipe cleaners, scissors

Step 1: Make a big loop with the pipe cleaner, twist the ends, and cut off the extra length. Repeat with 1 more big loop and 2 smaller loops.

Step 2: Hold the big loops together with your fingers and wrap the middle with a short piece of pipe cleaner. I used some of the extra length that I had cut off.

Step 3: Now add your smaller loops. Again hold in place with your fingers and start to wrap with a longer piece of pipe cleaner. Only go around one time.

Step 4: Attach the bow to the headband by wrapping the rest of the pipe cleaner around the headband.

DIY Rose Almond Body Oil + More Uses for Wilting Roses

Happy Monday! After a week my Valentine's Day roses are starting to look pitiful. How are yours holding up? We don't splurge on flowers that often and I can't bear to trash them yet. To extend their life, so to speak, I tried an easy recipe for my dry winter skin.

Rose Almond Body Oil

You'll need 1 cup of rose petals (2-3 roses) and 1 cup of almond oil (rich in vitamins E and D, yay!). I got a bottle at Whole Foods for about $4.50. Put the petals in a jar, crush them up a bit with a wooden spoon, and pour in the oil. Let the mixture sit for 1 week and then strain before using. This feels so good right out of the shower and smells great.


Want a few more ideas for your pretty petals?

2. Have a rose petal bubble bath

Not much explanation needed here. Run yourself a nice, hot bath, adding some bubbles if you want. Sprinkle petals on top just before you get in.

3. Dry petals for potpourri

I'm not a huge fan of dried flowers as decoration (kind of creepy) but you can make potpourri after the petals are dried. Hang flowers upside down in cool, dry place. Once the petals are dry you can remove from the stem and add a scent, like rose oil.

4. Add them to your next meal

Rose petals are edible! Try this yummy recipe for rose petal candies. Or if you're not sure if the petals were sprayed with any chemicals just stick to garnishment or table decoration.

5. Pamper your face

Facial: Put about a cup of petals in the bottom of a large bowl. Add 2 cups hot water. Sit with your face above the bowl - head covered with a towel - for about 15 minutes.

Face mask: Combine 3-4 tablespoons of water with 8-10 petals in a small bowl. Let stand for 2-3 hours then crush the petals into the water. Add 3 tablespoons of honey, stir together and slather on your face. Leave on for 15 minutes then rinse with cool water.

Trendy Things | Cat Eye

First, let me say how much Hello Kitty is loved in the Gerber household. Caroline's new Hello Kitty lunchbox goes to school with her every day, and she insists on sleeping with the matching thermos. Then there's the Hello Kitty nail polish that Henry loves wearing. Okay, moving on.

But mom's take note: cat's are having a moment. Despite my deficiency in the make-up area I'm dying to attempt dramatic cat eye liner. Better yet, cat eye sunglasses to cover my lack of make-up altogether.


1. Uber mom Victoria Beckham in Victoria Beckham dress

2. Gorgeous cat eye

3. The Glamourai at NYFW

4. Sunglasses from Saks Fifth Avenue via

5. Clever cat lipstick via Design Sponge

Colorful Stripes

There are two good things about going to the OB every month: 1) hearing baby's heartbeat and 2) reading every magazine I can get my hands on in the waiting room. (This somewhat offsets the trauma of peeing in cup when you can't see over your belly and getting on the scale that hates me.)

After hearing that all is ok with the little guy (yes, it's a boy!), these colorful stripes in March's Ladies Home Journal made my day. Is there anything happier than cheery stripes? I must remember to wear my sequin stripe skirt to next month's visit.

1. J. Crew skirt | 2. H&M skirt | 3. Betsey Johnson pumps | 4. Cesca rope handle purse | 5. Kate Spade iPhone cover

Valentine's Mason Jar Vases

A peak at the roses I gave to Mark this weekend. (Yes, I gave him flowers!)

I'm a big fan of lots of small arrangements that I can enjoy all over the house rather than one ginormous bouquet.

All I did was tape the outside edges of the mason jar lid inserts and spray paint the middle with chalkboard paint. My edges aren't perfect but you can even things out with your fingernail.

Drill a small hole, thread through some twine or string and tie around the vase.

Did you give - or get - any flowers today? I Let me know what kind! (I'm hoping to get a few myself.) ;)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you're having a fun and romantic day!

I thought I'd share some pics from Caroline and Mark's daddy/daughter cookie decorating class this weekend (they even made the news!). And yes, that is a cast on C's arm - the little monkey took a tumble while jumping on the bed a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not sure which she was more proud of - the cookies or her new Cat in the Hat apron. Either way, those are some seriously yummy cookies.

Stay tuned - I'm sharing my new Valentine's vase this afternoon!

DIY Paper Clip Heart Earrings

At first I was a little skeptical about this paper clip idea. I sent an early version to a friend to make sure it didn't look like a complete craft fail. It's kind of nice to have someone help with the gut check (and she's not shy when she hates something, like my DIY collar idea).

Now I love them. And with Valentine's Day just a couple of days away it's not too late to make these super easy earrings. Even better, I didn't spend a dime on them.


My first versions simply wrapped the paper clip with different types of string. Yarn was the easiest to work with but it turned out a little fuzzy. I also tried a thin pink rope I got a while back at Home Depot. The hot pink color worked but not the nylon material. Embroidery thread ended up having the nicest, cleanest look. I used one strand from a bundle that cost 17 cents.


A bit of glue is very helpful. After trying craft glue and E-6000 I found Unique Stitch to be the easiest to apply and it disappeared nicely after drying.


After breaking a dozen paper clips trying to get them into a traditional heart shape, I found a super duper easy, asymmetrical shape that turned out way cooler. Just open up the paper clip and bring the points together.


Start by tying a knot and dabbing a little glue to hold it into place. Start wrapping over the bigger side first because it's easier when you can slip the string through the middle. Where the heart comes together can be tricky. I glued the first few wraps on the second side and then wrapped it again to make sure the metal was covered.

When you finish wrapping, tie another little knot, cut off the end and dab a bit of glue. Attach an earring hook (you can steal them from an old pair of earrings) and you're ready to go.


After I made my wrapped versions I found cool triangle shape earrings here. (I did not search for heart earrings because, really, I don't want to know if dozens of people have already had this idea!) Wrapping more thread through the middle made them even niftier.

The Bump

Since I am officially 24 weeks today I thought I'd share a photo of the bump.

(just in case you thought I was making this baby thing up to justify being a blogging slacker! Still trying to get back into the rhythm....)

Holy cow, being pregnant a third time is waaay different. I think I started wearing maternity clothes the minute I found out I was pregnant. This time around nothing fits right, my pants won't stay up, and I'm still convinced I'm having twins.

Did I mention that I gave away all of my old maternity clothes three days before I found out I was pregnant? Literally. No joke.

Coming Out of Hibernation

Wow, I can't believe my last post was on Oct. 17! I'm now 24 weeks pregnant so I guess my hiatus went a little beyond the first trimester. :)

After months of obsessing over this blog (and admittedly spending way too much time online) it was a relief to completely unplug - no blog posts, Facebook or Twitter. Collapsing on the couch became my first priority. Sleep, sleep and more sleep!

It was kind of nice savor life's little moments without thinking about how to turn them into a blog post. I even threw a Christmas party for Caroline's preschool class and didn't think once about taking photos.

Only now am I rediscovering the urge to write and create. I'm ready to crawl out of my cave and reconnect with friends and have a little fun.

But I'm pretty sure I won't be posting everyday. And I have no idea if anyone will even read this because my 1,600 Google Friend members disappeared (huh?). And there will be probably be lots of baby posts (apologies in advance).

So a BIG thank you to all of you who wrote to check up on me - it was so nice to get sweet messages & feel part of the bloggy community! And if anyone is reading this, thanks for sticking around. :)

The Happy List (sort of)

Happy Friday! This has been a busy week and I'm so glad it's over. We'll be doing some celebrating this weekend and having fun with family. What are you up to?

A few scenes from the week....


Henry turned 2 yesterday. The family celebration is this weekend but we couldn't let the big day pass without a little cupcake. I love how big sister is "helping out" with the candles.


Yesterday's other excitement was Caroline's cast coming off. She said it felt "interesting." I have to say she was pretty amazing with one hand - her left, at that.


We had some major unhappy news last week. During a routine colonoscopy, a tumor was found on my mom's pancreas. Yes, it's cancer. And not a good one.

This week we had some better news, if not necessary happy. The oncologist told us there are "lots of options." She described all of the various chemotherapies and drug trials on this unconventional white board.

What did make me happy: My entire family rallying together to support my wonderful, fabulous mother (you should see us all squeezed in the exam room) and show how much they love her.


And then I learned that mini muffins are excellent for stress eating. :)

What made you happy this week?