I haven't had a chance to post about our Up!-inspired Valentine's Day but I still wanted to pop in and wish everyone a happy week outside sans mittens, scarves, and snow boots. We are off grabbing this little blast of sunshine and warm weather by its toes and hoping to drag it home with us for keeps!

The girls are gone for the afternoon and I am left home alone to enjoy the sounds of the birds chirping amongst the silence of our house. They have found the little pine cone sunflower seed feeders we made them and are singing their happiest songs.

Days like this are so good for the soul

Love day, love day!

A little love day treat from our family to yours! :)

gratitude tuesday: week five

A little late for Tuesday, but I couldn't help but hold out for this sweet little addition to our extended family.

Welcome to the world,
Gracen Ruth Conner

It was so great to finally meet you! I am sure you are going to be the best of friends with my girls. We can't wait for play dates, sleepovers, ball games, birthday parties, proms and a million other sweet memories with you :)

We love you so very much already ♥

I need your help! BIG TIME!

So, the bad news is that Nick has to work on Valentine's day and we won't get to celebrate it until he is off on the 18th. But the good news is that this set back gives me a little more time to get things together and for this darlin' outfit I ordered from Etsy to arrive! I really hope it fits because I can't imagine a more perfect Wilderness Explorer outfit.

I have decided on doing an Up! inspired Valentine's day, except I am making a few changes to the whole shebang because it is the day of love afterall and pink, red, blue and white are a lot more appropriate than the traditional wildernesss explorer colors on a day like this.

To do:
+ Make 3 Badge Sashes
+ Make lots of little badges to earn as they complete tasks
+ Make Wilderness Explorer pennant flags to wave around
+ Make Wilderness Explorer Handbook filled with challenges
+ Make "My Adeventure Book" for Nick
+ Make little house with tons of balloons tied to it

Challenges:
+ Homemade Trail Mix
+ Learn a Hiking Song
+ Swimming (bathtime!)
+ Recycling Project
+ Tub Fishing
+ Build a Tent for a living room campout (bedtime!)

Please send along more toddler-friendly ideas that can be completed inside. It's a bit too cold and snowy to fly kites, go on a hike, collect rocks, build a fire, or complete any of the more fun (sad face, mad arms) camping tasks.

And the winner is....

Thank you so much to everyone who left comments on my first little giveway! I was delighted to meet so many new followers and hear what you all are looking forward to this spring. I hope you all will stick with us through the rest of winter as we have many wonderful things to share in the upcoming weeks:

+ The birth of Gracen Ruth Conner (My best friend Amy is in labor, right now!)
+ A visit from my BFF, Taylor Mae
+ Another Practice Maternity Shoot for my friend Jennifer
+ An Up! inspired Valentine's Day and other love day spoils
+ Potty training celebrations
+ Long awaited packages for the little akorn family and Marshall family
+ Home Renovation Projects

Oooh, it has been a rough winter indeed, but I am happy to cap it off with new babies to spoil, snowy photoshoots and packages, a diaper free toddler (well, hopefully) and la la la loveeeeeeee! ;)

The winner of the giveaway is,

*drumroll*

Brooke (ruinedyou)

Mandy and Fallon, you are the winners of the two additional little zip pouches. Get me your addresses ladies (kpritchar (at) radford (dot) edu) and I will mail these packages out to you ASAP! :)

(another) winter wonderland...

I hope this short update finds you all warm and well. Our snowy little town has been without electricity for the last few days and several areas of our county are still in the dark. We have tried to make the most of it, but being powerless has literally left me powerless to completing certain tasks and I just feel like I will never see the end of my to do list. I have much to update about, but those entries will come later as right now I am knee-deep in snow, etsy orders, love day planning, baby poop and all the dirty laundry it brings.

Stress stinks, snow stinks, poop stinks... but I will leave you with this list of happy snow day things because these are the things that keep me afloat:

+ Getting cozy in front of the fireplace
+ Bird and Deer watching
+ Uno and Checkers
+ Long naps
+ Successful Potty Training
+ Toddler toe nail painting
+ Pipe cleaners and paper bouquets
+ Cameron's sweet baby clapping
+ Sister cuddles in a pit of snow white pillows

Please send happy thoughts my way and don't forget to enter the giveaway! :)