Week in iPhone Pics #17

This week marks the second time I've done this including Saturday and Sunday, and I think I'm liking it.  I dunno, maybe it's me, but I just feel better about my life knowing I do more than just go to work, go home, fall asleep, go to work, go home...   Even so, I had drill this weekend, so I really didn't deviate from my boring old schedule much anyways.  Well let's get down to it...oh, and check out Amy's page if you wanna see where I got the idea for this.

DAMN!  I forgot to take pictures on Sunday...  Not even one!!

Monday was the day of play!!  At lunch, we got some grub from Nature's Table, then hit up the play place.  There were lots of kiddos around to make friends with, but Nash was more interested in climbing the slide and laying down in it.

After work and dinner and all that "have to" business, Nashie and Dad made blanket tents and the little man did his best "woe is me" impression on one of our pillows.

Tuesday morning during my run, I noticed all of the pretty Christmas lights that were up.  Sadly, the only thing we have up so far is this piddly little waving snowman thing.  We've got to get our sh*t together or it'll be New Years before we know it.

At lunch, I learned that our mall just got a Moe's!!  We already have one in town, but it's a bit too far for lunch, so this is awesome.  Even so, I prefer Chipotle...

That night we met our friends Tiffany and Elliott and their baby girl Kyla out at the Melting Pot for some yum-o fondue (courtesy of some freebie gift certificates).  Although Bubs was a bit out of sorts that night, we managed to make it through without too many issues.

I didn't even leave the office for lunch on Wednesday.  Working web lunch and budget analysis really killed my motivation.

Thursday means play place!!  Bubs put his new found communication skills to good use making friends at the mall (translation:  he walked around screaming at all the other kids...they were understandably shaken).  He stopped screaming just long enough to hop a ride in his airplane (don't those eyes just scream, back off co-pilot, I've got the controls?)...

After dinner, we all snuggled on the couch to watch some Yo Gabba and play with the kitty toys (no eyes were poked out during this play session...thank god).

Friday was no bueno.  After finding out on Tuesday that my sweet, sweet kitty Scooter had kidney failure, we ended up putting him to sleep on Friday.  It was definitely a tough day, so I decided to take pics of all the things that cheered me up that day.  1.  Yum-o smoothie from TS.  2.  Beautiful flowers from my super sweet co-workers (thanks, guys).  3.  Ben N Jerry's (thanks again to co-workers for suggesting).  4.  Snuggling with my Bubman after his bath.

Saturday I had to be up BRIGHT and early for my Army Physical Fitness Test (AKA APFT...AKA God help me).  It was a morning of not much until I headed to Chipotle ::insert cheers here:: for lunch.  I also headed over to H&M to stock up on new items for FFWU and the Bubs.

When I got home, I found a very asleep little man who had refused to nap at Grandmom and Grandpop's that day (excited much, buddy?).  After we woke him up for dinner, he was seriously crankers.  But he settled down next to dad on the couch and seriously examined his wash cloth at bathtime.  These things calm babies, didn't you know?

Well that's another week down.  Hope you enjoyed it more than I did!!

Thanksgiving Weekend

God, how great it felt to have four whole days off with my family.  I feel like I got so much done, and got to spend lots of time with Bubs, and I was able to go back to work refreshed (for a while at least).

As it was Nash's first Thanksgiving, I was really excited that Joe's parents were in from out of town to do the traditional dinner with us.  They invited us over to their house where we noshed on turkey, stuffing, and crab cakes (for Joe the veggie man).  Nash really enjoyed all of it and even got to eat a whole pumpkin chocolate chip cookie! 

After dinner, we let Bubs try out his birthday present!  The in-laws were worried that it was too fast for him, but he seemed to do so well!  He mastered the button in no time, and never really hauled too much ass.  But alas, we tucked it away until his official birthday.  I wonder if he misses it...

Nash and I spent all of Friday shopping (pretty much) because Joe was sleeping off work from the night before AND had to work that night too.  So we were on our own to conquer the stores and bring home the goods.  Needless to say by the end of the day we were beat.

Saturday, we spent all day dealing with our new couch issue.  Joe's parents bought a brand new couch, so they gave us their "old" one (I say old, but they barely used it since they were only down a few weeks at a time throughout the last few years).  But between moving our current couch to the front room, trying to get the new couch to fit in the family room, and rearranging pretty much every piece of furniture in those rooms, we were pretty much over it.

So Nash and I headed out to the park to take advantage of our free time and the beautiful weather.   At first, he really just hung back and didn't seem to want to play.  But after I moved him a bit closer to the action, he jumped right in!  He loved the slide and this tunnel thing, and even made a new friend.  Being outside and just having time to ourselves was really good for both of us, since we spend most of our together time in the house trying to get things done.

Sunday was a super efficient day...  We got all our laundry done and put away, all the rooms put back together, and the porch cleaned.  We're ready for Stanley Steemer to come on Monday and for Bubs' birthday party on the 11th!

Friday's Fashion Wrap Up Vol. 11

Since we missed last week due to Thanksgiving food comas, black friday chaos, and general relaxation, I figured we could just cover down on it this week.  So you get 1.5 for the price of one (since last week was a short week anyways)!  

Monday I had Army duty, so no photos were taken.  Although maybe one day I can do an Army-themed fashion post...  On second thought, no way.

Tuesday

Dress:  Arden B
Sweater and Earrings: Charlotte Russe circa 2005

Wednesday

Jeans, Wedges, and Earrings:  Charlotte Russe
Tank:  Express
Sweater:  Arden B
Ring:  Aldo Accessories

 Monday

Pants, Sweater, and Cuff:  Express
Wedges, Necklace, and Earrings:  Charlotte Russe

Tuesday



Pants and Belt:  Express
Tee:  Target
Shoes: Jessica Simpson

Wednesday

Sweater Dress and Leggings:  Arden
Scarf:  New York & Co
Boots:  Aldo
Ring:  Charlotte Russe

 Thursday

Pants, Ruffle Undershirt, and Sweater:  Express
Shoes:  Shoedazzle

Friday

Jeans and Earrings:  Charlotte Russe
Tank:  Express
Blazer:  Gap circa a billion years ago
Shoes:  Shoedazzle

That's a week and a half of pure fashion for ya...  I am slowly realizing over time that the bulk of outfits come from Express and Charlotte Russe, so I'm thinking I need to mix it up a bit.  Will probably hit up H&M this weekend while I'm away at drill, so look for that in the next post!

Thanks for reading, and as always, let me know what you think!

Week in iPhone Pics #16

This post is a few days late, but you know what...it was Thanksgiving, I had 4 days off in a row, and I just wanted to kick back with the fam and just get sh*t done, you know?  No blogging...shoot, we barely turned the tv on!  Our house looks great, we got some shopping done, and I was recharged for work Monday morning.  So, as usual, we're linking up with Amy and sharing our week!  Here we go!

Monday I drove up to Daytona Beach bright and early to welcome my old unit back from D.C.  I got to play media for the day, got to see old friends, AND I got paid for it!  After the welcome home ceremony was over, my friends and I hit up this beach front restaurant.  We reminisced, enjoyed the sea breeze, and ate french fries.

Tuesday was a hectic day at work thanks to a minor debacle with our Thanksgiving Feast turkey (one word:  frozen).  So the only photographable moment of the day was the beautiful sunset on my ride HOME from work.

Wednesday was my last day of work before the holiday, and thanks to the way radio works, there wasn't much to actually work on (everything is due the day before so traffic can schedule and merge logs).  So I took the opportunity to clean up my desk, ordered our holiday cards (thank you Shutterfly Groupon deal), and made sure everything would be ready to go for Monday when I came back to work. 

Joe had to work that night (Chippendale debacle!!), so Nash and I just hung out at home.  We watched a Christmas movie while sitting in the toy box and wolfed down some mini tuna sammies and grapes.

Thanksgiving started out bright and early with the Suntree Turkey Trot 5k at 8:30 in the morning.  It was the first 5k Bubs and I did together, so I was really proud when we completed the race at a 10:25 pace.  I have to admit though, my shoulder was a bit sore the next day from trying to guide the stroller with one arm (I don't have the swiveling front wheel).  But we had a good time and even shared a post-race apple.

That afternoon, we headed over to the in-laws' to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Bubs got to have his first Thanksgiving meal complete with turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.  After dinner, Bubs played with Grandmom, sat with Daddy, and even got to test out his birthday present (he mastered the button in just a few minutes)!

We decided to brave the Black Friday crowds this year, so we hit up Toys R Us and Best Buy around 9 am (not too early, but it was still insane).  After a quick nap and a milk recharge, we headed up Viera to check out Old Navy and the Super Target.  All that shopping required yet another recharge, so we wolfed down some cheese and a PB&J smoothie (Nash chugged it like a champ!)...

Saturday Joe spent the day dealing with our new sofa issue (pick up, drop off, rearranging), so Bubs and I got to spend some time together.  We hit up the park where Bubs played with all the non-toys and sat quietly sipping juice.  Took a miracle to get him over to the playground to actually play, but once we did, he was happy as all get out! 

Daddy worked that night too (4 mights in a row!!), so we ate spaghetti and green beans in the living room before cruising the room diaper-only style.  After putting Nash to bed, I sat down to watch old Kardashian episodes, fold all our clean laundry (I love laundry), and enjoy a glass of wine.  Not a bad Saturday, even if Joe couldn't be there with us.

So that's our week...it was pretty crazy and hectic, but it was full of fun too.  We seriously crammed a ton of things into 7 days and I showed up at work on Monday feeling accomplished and refreshed.  Every week should be a 3-day work week!

Thanks

It's time to reflect...

One year ago today I was seriously pregnant...wishing that for just one day I could see the bones in my feet again, or sleep on my back, or be able to eat sitting up.  It was cold out, and I was wrapped up in leggings, comfy tunics, and the only pair of boots I had that fit (don't kid yourselves, I had to buy a 9.5 to have something - anything that fit).  I was past the point of wistfully dreaming about my little boy's face or wondering what he would smell like...I was just eager to get him the hell out!

35 Weeks and Wearing Thin

One year later, I'm a mommy...and a wife of more than 18 months.  And I'm back at work...in radio...with a lot of the same great people.  My in-laws are in town, my mom is staying with us, and the weather is beautiful.  There's a lot to be thankful for.  Here's my (not all-inclusive) list:

1.  My amazing, supportive, sexy husband (who's also the most endearing, protective father).
2.  My sweet, smart, strong baby man...who constantly challenges me to do more with less.
3.  The rest of my family - for being healthy, available, and uplifting. 
4.  My job - this time last year I had just passed 12 months of unemployment and was beginning to wonder if I would ever find a job.
5.  My body - for making it through pregnancy with minimal permanent damage.  And for being healthy and reminding me every day that I need to take care of myself if I am to take care of others.
6.  My friends - for making me laugh, being there when I need to vent, and for sticking with me as our lives begin to follow possibly different paths. 
7.  My brain and education - for always being something I can fall back on as the looks start heading south!
8.  Jessica Simpson - for making the cutest, most comfortable - yet affordable shoes.  <--- had to

While that's not everything I'm thankful for, it's a nice starting list.  Note to self:  must read daily and avoid the pitfalls of negativity. 

The last photo of Bubs before we met face to face...taking on November 29th, 2010.

Wordless{ish} Wednesday

This week's WW post is dedicated to families.  Mine, in particular.  You see, we gathered together on Sunday to take our very first holiday card ::cue dramatic music::.  Nothing rubs the smile off a kid faster than taking them to a fun new place (like a park right next to a playground full of screaming kids), making them sit on your lap, and shoving a camera in their face.
::sigh::

Why do we even try...

And it's much harder when you have this vision of the perfect holiday picture in your head...something like this maybe:



image from Pinterest via

Perfect family, perfect outfits, perfect shot.  Now I know what you're thinking...why set yourself up for disappointment when it's obvious this is an amazing picture and you're not even going to a professional photographer.  Well, I have no other defense than to just say I had high hopes.  My friend Tiffany was going to take our pictures (in exchange for her own family photo sesh), but then had to cancel.  So Joe's mom stepped in.  After a quick little lession on my camera, we were ready to go.  Only this is what the majority of the pictures ended up looking like:

or this:

In my defense, some d-bag playing frisbee golf just tried to take over our shoot location...hey pal, we were here first.

Even so, we did manage to sneak out a few ::extra emphasis added:: good ones.  So, since my Shutterfly Groupon thing expired today, and there was no time for a second shoot, pics were chosen and holiday cards were ordered.  We may still attempt another shoot to try to get something else for the canvas collage in his nursery, so I'll keep you posted.

All I'm saying is, thank god for Photoshop.

Week in iPhone Pics #15

I am a few ::ahem:: days late on this, but it's been a busy week (do I say that every week?).  Even still, I thought I should share my week with you guys...in case any of you are clinging to the edge of your seat waiting to see what boring thrilling things I did this week.  And this week I threw Saturday and Sunday in there...

Linking up with Amy...who's way better at this than me!

On Sunday, we got to spend the whole day together!  (Editor's Note:  see, isn't it better when you don't start the week with a work day?  I agree...::  We spend the morning zooming around the playroom on Nash's little man bike.  He's obsessed with this thing (and anything else that moves), so thank god Uncle Chris and Aunt Sophy gave us this...  Later on in the day, we packed up our water bottle and headed over to Joe's parents' house (they are down for three whole months!!) where Nash showed us his high-speed running skills.  The rest of the night was spent with our friends Tiffany and Elliott (and their sweet baby girl Kyla).

On Monday, I switched up my whole office look by replacing my wallpaper with a shot from this weekend's farmer's market.  Man, he's cute...don't ya think?  After work, we headed out for a family stroller jog and then spent the night chasing after a certain cranky mccrankerson.

Tuesday seemed like a good day to bust out the fancy peacock feather tights...and to knock out a sweet flyer for our company's Thanksgiving Feast.  Not to shabby, if I do say so myself.  While Mama slaved away at work, Bubs got to hang out with his grandparents and eat a metric ton of fruit (that white tee was, uh, not white by the time I got there).

The only thing notable about Wednesday was that I busted out a scarf for the first time this season (who cares if it's Florida so it's only a summer scarf)!

Thursday was the day of Nash-filled mischief!  First he attacked the family room vertical blinds, then tried to take out a pot much larger than he.  Then it was on to the toy box/basket/wagon thing that he just loves to climb in.  Finally, the little man set his eyes on Mama (curled up in the corner) and ran over to jump on top of her.

Friday was the last day for Baby Signs...which I am both happy and sad about.  It was so great to spend time with other mamas and for Bubs to play with kiddos, and it was awesome to get out of work a bit early on Fridays to hang out with him.  But man did it suck having to drive haul ass to be there by 5:30.  And it really was an insane free for all...those kids were not paying any attention to us AT ALL.

Saturday Bubs once again attempted to tackle the toy box/basket/wagon thing...as you can see from the look on his face, he's not happy.  Flash to 2 minutes in the box, and he's screaming at me to unwedge him from between the Ben n Jerrys ice cream truck and the mr. incredible squeaky doll.  Give it up, kid...

Well, that's our week.  It wasn't too exciting, but it was good on our end!  This coming week is Thanksgiving, so we can't wait to eat good food, get out of work for a few days, and spend some much needed quality time with family.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!