Day 16: My First Giveaway!

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Today marks my first, and likely my only, giveaway ever! I'm tickled pink to share something I'm crazy about: a line of timeless children's products made here in America with young moms at the helm.

MB goes after jewelry already...

Have you heard about The Beaufort Bonnet Company? This summer an insanely stylish friend of mine bought the company, formerly known as Susu & John, and has made its products cuter than ever.

The heart of the collection is the Beaufort bonnet, named after the Lowcountry South Carolina town where the style originated generations ago. Mary Brooks got to try on some precious Beaufort bonnets recently, and I was smitten!

MB was cursed with given the same fair skin I have, so neither of us strays far from wide-brimmed hats or SPF one million. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the Beaufort bonnet is that it combines a timeless baby style with a truly practical purpose - and it's washable to boot.

This fishtail monogram is my absolute favorite! And a corduroy bonnet for fall? Love.

Boys aren't left out; they look just as stylish in a Beaufort bucket hat. I adore the monogram you can place on them: vertical or horizontal, one or three letters.

TBBC also offers clothes - jumpers, john johns, bloomer sets, pinafores, diaper covers - and giftables, from bow-tied swaddle blankets to this precious seersucker bow holder, which comes already stocked. Add a monogram and you are in "best gift ever" territory.



The Beaufort Bonnet Company's hats run in sizes from newborn to 3T, so even if your little ones aren't quite as tiny as Mary Brooks, you can still top them off adorably.

As soon as I saw this pic, I ran out and got a haircut.

The Beaufort Bonnet Company is giving one reader a custom bonnet or bucket hat of her choice! You choose the fabric, the monogram and the lucky baby who receives it. Corduroy, seersucker, gingham, college spirit bonnets - the possibilities are endless!

For the rest of us, The Beaufort Bonnet Company is offering $1 monograms on their hats with the code AnneSays$1Mono. Bonnets can be monogrammed on the back or the brim, and each piece is interchangeable, so you can mix and match.

To enter, just leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you! Entries will be accepted until 10:00 am on Friday, October 19th, and I'll announce a winner by noon.

In the meantime, take a peek at TBBC's new website and their Facebook page. Many of you have had sweet things to say on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram about Mary Brooks wearing their bonnets, so I'm thrilled to be hosting this giveaway.

A big thank you to my friends at The Beaufort Bonnet Company for sharing a little pint-sized style with the rest of us!

*This post is day 16 in my 31 Days of What Matters. 

Day 15: Sweet Cheeks

I can't get enough of these. Nothing makes a gray Monday better like taking a gander at my "underweight" little doll's cheeks. And eyelashes.

Gracious, I can't believe she's ours!

*This post is day 15 in my 31 Days of What Matters.

Day 14: Catching Up, Getting Sick and Getting Out

I haven't exactly been on top of my 31 Days of What Matters posting. Last Monday I published my last on time post, and every since I've been mentally blogging in between driving to and from Charleston, Greenville and Atlanta.

I just cheated a bit and caught up on the last six days of blogging, so feel free to scroll down and see what we've been up to - let's just pretend those little bits of writing went up day by day, okay?

Late last night Mac got a brief stomach bug, one that has left him without an appetite today - an unusual happening for sure.

We couldn't take Mac to church so soon after being sick, so we spent most of the day holed up inside and hoping the germs would stay at bay. They seemed to.

This evening we ventured out to Fall for Greenville and gave Mac and Mary Brooks their first taste of one of our favorite festivals. It's such a beautiful time of year in our city, and we love soaking it up as much as stomach bugs and work commitments and football games and travel allows.

Mac wasn't sure he liked Cravin' Melon, a hometown band that headlined the festival tonight, but Mary Brooks seemed to enjoy the people-watching even more than the music.

After a stroll along the Reedy River, we made it home in time for supper and an early bedtime for our tiny peeps. Ahh.

I realized just moments ago that Mary Brooks is officially eight months old today. She's still a snuggly, cooing angel baby, but she inches closer to the one-year mark every day, and I'm in total denial. If I could get away with saying, "I have a newborn at home," I absolutely would.

We measured Mac on his bedroom door today and it seems like, despite his pleas to stay "two and a half, not free, because I'm not grown-upped yet," he's also growing up before our eyes. How I wish we could slow this down!

And so we begin another week. Happy Sunday, y'all!

*This post is day 14 in my 31 Days of What Matters.

Day 13: Saying Goodbye

This morning we had to leave Atlanta bright and early to pick up Blue from the vet here in Greenville before they closed.


It was hard to say goodbye to our sweet friends, especially after such a short visit. Katherine's face at the front door as we left made me want to run back, scoop her up and take one extra girl home with us. (Surely they'd never notice...)

Our best friends have a chocolate lab who's just a few weeks younger than our Blue; we told Mac they were brothers and it's totally believable. Here they are a few years back, when they were the only babies in our lives:

*This post is day 13 in my 31 Days of What Matters.

Day 12: A Quick Squeeze

We're in Atlanta visiting our best friends and their darling one-year-old daughter; I'm also here to do a little work.

Bradley is playing Mr. Mom like none other. He's hands-down the best guy a girl could ask for, playing chauffeur, caterer, kid-wrangler and encourager. I'm so thankful for him, especially during this crazy week.

I didn't get to see Mac and MB too much yesterday, but I did get to give my best girl a big squeeze. I'm taking her with me this morning to get a little mama-and-me time; she's such an angel that she's better behaved than I am on chaotic days.

She smells like butter and coconut (courtesy of the fattening coconut oil mixed into her food these days) and lets you kiss her all day long. I can't find a reason not to carry her any and everywhere!

I mean, look at that face. Could you put her down?

*This post is day 12 in my 31 Days of What Matters.

Day 11: Packing Smart

It would take three pages to list what the four of us require for a few days away. A pack and play, two kiddie totes, a suitcase of clothes for the little peeps, clothes and toiletries for me and B, milk, baby food, snacks for me Mac and me, music for the road, books, movies, distracting activities....

The best thing we do is keep Mac and Mary Brooks' bags ready to go at all times. School, church, errands, weekends away - wherever. As soon as I arrive home, I replenish these and leave them in the sunroom by the door. Mac's has a change of clothes, an emergency pull-up, a few books and a stick-on placemat.

Mary Brooks' has a burp cloth, thin gauze blanket, lovey, pacifier, diapers, bib, change of clothes, wipes and a baby spoon. (Hers also has an emergency pull up and pair of underwear for Mac, just so we don't have to carry two bags if we're running somewhere quickly.)

I stash my wallet, cell phone and keys in there (there's already a lip gloss in the front pocket - that's a given) and we're ready to go.

Having these bags stocked up at a moment's notice makes the not-so-spontaneous art of getting out the door a little easier on us.

Do y'all have a hard time managing the ten truckloads of "stuff" required for the tiniest of humans? Any tips?

*This post is day 11 in my 31 Days of What Matters.

Day 10: Resting

Tomorrow morning we head out of town for three days, and I still haven't tackled the bags we packed for our foray to Charleston. Whew.

Instead, I'm trying to squeeze in some rest and make lists of everything I need to do now, what needs to come with us and what will be waiting here when we return. The joys of being a type A kinda gal, I tell ya.

I'm a far happier girl (and much more pleasant to be around) when I've had a few moments to myself, even if a full night's sleep (read: 8.5 hours, thank you very much) isn't on the agenda.

I feel a little guilty not leaving our house sparkling clean, but a moment to chill out before piling our noisy family back into a not-quite-big-enough car is just what the doctor ordered. 

Hope y'all get a moment to relax today, too!

A 15-minute power nap in our guest bed = heaven. Don't take my word for it!

*This post is day 10 in my 31 Days of What Matters.