My new favorite product for toddlers...

I spent time with a fabulous mom friend over the weekend.  She has her hands full with a one year old and a two year old, but she is amazingly organized.  W and her daughter played at an indoor play place at the mall and then we decided to hit the food court for lunch.  W is picky, but he loves pizza.  So Sbarro it was.  My friend and I grabbed the pizza and found a table.  She then introduced me to disposable placemats.  Maybe I’m behind the times because I had no idea this awesome product existed.  If I put a plate in front of W, it will wind up on the floor within seconds.  Usually he’ll eat food right off his tray or off of a table.  But who knows how often those mall tables are cleaned – yuck.  Enter the amazing disposable placemat.  It sticks to the table and then you just roll it up with all the crumbs and leftover food when done.  Game changer.  She also had disposable bibs, food pouches, and Plum Organics fruit snacks that W loved.  I was feeling pretty inadequate that I had none of these things in my diaper bag.  I also forgot the high chair cover.  Fail.  I ordered the placemats as soon as I got home.  If you eat out with toddlers often, I highly recommend these.  Genius.

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites!!  Hooray!

 I have been trying to eat better, but we're approaching the holidays and I can’t say no to sweets.  So instead of cutting them out, I’m enjoying them in moderation.  Hence, the two very unhealthy favorites…

 

·         White Fudge Covered Oreos.  Gosh, I love these things!!

·         Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Peppermint Crunch.  I’m not a mint chocolate chip fan or mint anything fan for that matter.  But this ice cream is amazing!!  Try it!

·         Baby W’s cold is getting better!  Woohoo!

·         Remember when I mentioned I was having lunch with friends and they were going to reveal the gender of their twins??  Well, I KNOW.  Drum roll, please… They are having two girls!!  Two identical girls.  Let the dress shopping begin!

·         Favorite outfits and accessories of the week:

 

Once again, these pictures are horrible.  You can't even see the cute details on the top or my bracelets in the first pic.  Trust me, they're there.  I don’t have time for good/real camera pictures.  I should probably just stop taking them!

That’s all for now!  Happy weekend!

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites… dun, dun, dunnnnn….

• Red cups at Starbucks!!  Helloooo holidays!!  It makes my heart smile.  Pass me a peppermint mocha, please!
• I’m getting my hair cut and highlighted this weekend and my oh my, do I need it!  I may even change my hair style a bit… hmmm.
• We are competing in a trivia contest this weekend.  There are no words for how horrible I am at trivia.  They just never ask questions about the things I’m knowledgeable about… you know… celebrity baby names, Facebook stalking, Teen Mom 3, fast food restaurants, baby Gap...  Just kidding – I really am terrible, though.  But for some reason, I LOVE trivia games… I guess I just love feeling dumb? J
• I’m taking Monday off.  A is also off.  By the way, a HUGE thank you to our veterans.  I would last about 0.2 seconds in the military so I give all of those who serve major props.  Thank you for your hard work and dedication so we can all pursue our dreams.  So since A and I both have the day off, we are working on the house.  It desperately needs some deep cleaning and little upgrades here and there.  My husband is on the verge of becoming a hoarder so I’m hoping to convince him to part with a few items. ;)  And as previously mentioned, we might bust out the Christmas décor!
• I started Christmas shopping about 2 weeks ago.  I think it’s the earliest I’ve ever started.  But I also have more to buy this year than ever before.
• I’m still trying to put a little more effort into my style – choosing outfits and accessories.  I’m also having fun wearing things I haven’t worn is years.  Last year at this time, I was super pregnant so I’m enjoying rediscovering my clothes.

 

P.S.  I know the quality of these photos is horrendous, but I think they get the point across.  The jacket and the sweater shown have not been worn in years, but I really like them.  They almost feel like new clothes since it’s been so long.  Almost. J

 And some not so favorites…

 

• The time change.  I hate driving home in the pitch dark.  Yuck.  I was worried about how Baby W would adjust, but he’s actually done pretty well.
• These Bitstrip things that keep popping up in my FB newsfeed.  OMG I hate them.  And EVERYONE is doing them.  I really don’t need to see cartoon versions of all my friends.  No thank you.  Apparently there’s a way to block them – I need to do that.
• Recruiters that call me at work.  First of all, I have a job; I’m not looking.  I mean obviously – you called me AT MY WORKPLACE.  Second of all, how the heck are you getting my phone number??  Leave me alone!  And third, if I were looking, would I really want to talk to you at work, where all my colleagues could hear our conversation??  Umm… no.  Duh.

 Happy weekend!!!

Friday Favorites

I’ve been slacking on Friday Favorites.  I don’t have any great new finds to share.  I’ve always loved clothes and dressing up, but lately I’ve been feeling extremely frumpy and just blah overall.  During my pregnancy, I gained about 45-50 pounds.  It was more than I wanted to gain and more than I expected to gain, but I ate really well and tried to be healthy.  I didn’t really indulge and didn’t have any cravings.  I was very worried about Gestational Diabetes (for no good reason other than I have a sweet tooth) and as a result, I was super careful about what I ate.  I think much of my weight gain was due to major swelling at the end of my pregnancy.  Even the nurses at the hospital remarked on how extremely swollen my ankles were.  After W arrived, I lost at least 35 lbs in about 2 weeks.  A few months later, I weighed less than my pre-pregnancy weight.  It was awesome!!  Thank you, nursing!  But since I’ve stopped nursing, I’ve gained back about 5 lbs and I’m currently right at my pre-pregnancy weight.  All this to say that I’m finding it hard to be comfortable in my own skin… all the up and down weight.  I’m just not feeling cute.  So I decided that this Friday, I was going to put in a little more effort.  I was going to choose a cute outfit and try a new hair style.  Well, the new hair style was an epic fail.  I should’ve known that “beachy waves” were a bad idea.  I mean the only beach near me is Lake Michigan and my beach hair looked more like “went to bed with wet hair and woke up with one big mess” hair.  I can see how the beachy hair could work for some, but I have waaay too much hair for that.  I’m giving myself credit for trying!  A for effort.  My outfit isn’t anything special, but I at least look put together.  I picked out a fun, bright necklace to contrast this dreary day.  I love the color of my cardigan – the pea green just screams fall to me.  I don’t normally wear boots because I think they make me look short and chubby, but these seemed to add even more of a fall feel.  And Fridays are the only day I can wear jeans to work, so I wasn’t going to let that opportunity pass me by.  So my favorite thing this Friday… putting a little more effort into my style. :)

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites:

 

·         Baby W hasn’t been sleeping well lately.  He’s been a champion sleeper since about 6 weeks old.  At roughly 3 months, he would sleep about 9 hours straight through the night.  Until a month ago, he’d sleep 10 hours straight.  But lately, he’s been waking up anywhere from 1-3 times.  I think teething is to blame.  It’s been rough and there have been many days I’ve felt like a zombie.  But last night, he slept 9 hours straight… yes!!!  I feel so refreshed!!

·         When I interviewed for my current job, I wasn’t really looking for a new job… it just sort of happened.  I agreed to the interview with the thought, “it can’t hurt; I’ll just see what this company has to offer”.  I had reviewed the job description prior to interviewing and one of the items was training.  That set off a big red flag.  I’ve always been shy; I absolutely HATE speaking in front of a group.  Just the idea of standing in front of colleagues gave me major anxiety.  During the interview, I expressed concern regarding the training aspect of the job.  It just wasn’t something I was interested in.  Like at all.  I wanted nothing to do with it.  I was told not to worry, that there wouldn’t be much training, it was a very small part of the job.  Fast forward 1.5 years and I’ve conducted at least 4 group training sessions (including one in Germany).  I’m really proud of myself for conquering that fear and for following my heart when I accepted the job.  It was a risky venture, but I’ve never been happier at work.  I just hope the job satisfaction continues.

·         I’ve always loved shopping, but I think I enjoy shopping for Baby W even more than I enjoy shopping for myself.  I get giddy when I realize he needs new pajamas, a new sippy cup, a new sleep sack.  I have a problem.  The only thing I don’t really enjoy buying is food. J

·         Per usual, I have to conclude with a picture of the cutest boy in town.  I snapped this one last weekend and it’s one of my all-time favorites.  Happy Friday!!

 

 

Friday Favorites

So usually I do a Friday Favorites post on Friday.

 

I don’t really have any favorites per se, but I did use a vacation day yesterday to catch up on life.  And I’m feeling way better today!  So I guess one of my favorite things is using a vacation day every now and then, if you can, to tackle all those things that get pushed aside for other more important things.

I started out yesterday with 21 things on my to do list.  Yes, 21.  Lately, I’ve been really struggling with trying to max out my Baby W time on weekends while still completing all the chores and errands.  How do parents get everything done??  It seems like something has to give.  So I would try to do at least one fun thing with Baby W (usually an outing of some sort) and accomplish the absolutely necessary errands.  The other errands/chores would get added to my ever growing to do list.  I was feeling overwhelmed by that every growing list.

Yesterday, I dropped W off with his grandma and returned home to begin working on crossing items off that long list.  I started with sorting clothes we had cleaned out of our closets.  Some were to be donated to charity while others were to go to a local consignment shop.  I sorted those.  At the end, I had 2 boxes for consignment and 4 for charity.  Then, I had to load it all in my car – not fun.  I made a couple phone calls I’ve been putting off and headed out.  First stop was the consignment store, then it was on to Babies R Us.  BRU let me make 3 separate transactions so I could use all the coupons I had… people are so much nicer when you shop during the week!  I really appreciated that.  Soon, it was off to the mall to pick up odds and ends – fall candles, some clothes (on clearance) for W, and makeup.  I also had to return a pair of shoes.  I was able to use a coupon for everything I purchased (thank you Carson’s Goodwill Sale, Yankee Candle, and Baby Gap!).  I even decided to cash in a gift certificate I received for Christmas and got a manicure!!  It was heavenly and I’m loving my navy blue polish.  Then, I returned home to clean, pay bills, vacuum, and order a few photos and before I knew it, my boys were home.

It would’ve been nice to watch some tv or read, but it feels amazing to have only 3 things left on my list. J  A successful day for sure.

 

 

Friday Favorites

It’s Friday!!  And it has been a really looong week!  Time to celebrate with a few of my favorite things.

 

I haven’t been this excited about a piece of jewelry in a long time.  I love love love Alex and Ani bracelets.  They have so many options to choose from, come in gold and silver, are made in the US, and BEST of all – they are very affordable.  I have baby W’s first initial and birthstone.  Did I mention how much I love them?  Oh AND I love their company spiel:

 “Alex and Ani, LLC offers eco-friendly, positive energy products that adorn the body, enlighten the mind, and empower the spirit, designed by Carolyn Rafaelian and made in America. Carolyn believes that every individual has a positive message to share with the world and by incorporating powerful symbolism and design into each (+) energy piece, Alex and Ani provides a vehicle for the wearer to express their individuality in an organic, spiritual way. She believes it is her life’s work to support communities and organizations while inspiring her customers to relish what is unique and authentic about themselves, revealing the beauty that resides within.”

If you’re a mom, then you should get to know TheBabyGuyNYC.  He has a website, FB page, Twitter, Instagram, and probably more social media outlets that I’m not even familiar with.  TheBabyGuy aka Jamie is a gay, childless, baby gear expert.  And he’s awesome.  He gives thorough product reviews and demonstrations.  Every so often, he has a fantastic giveaway.  I haven’t won yet, but someday… I wish I would have discovered him while I was pregnant.  After some serious research and much wavering, I chose baby W’s convertible car seat based on his recommendation.

McDonald’s has a Pumpkin Spice Latte!  It’s no Starbucks PSL, but it’s still tasty.  And there happen to be exactly 4 McDonald’s drive thrus on my direct route home.  That trumps the one Starbucks drive thru that is nearly impossible to pull out of without a collision.  And yes, I am lazy.  And yes, I may have stopped at McDonalds 4 times this week for a coffee beverage of some sort…  it was a long week.  Don’t judge.

Baby W woke up super happy today.  He’s always been a happy baby, but he seemed extra happy this morning.  Maybe he knows it’s Friday.  After his bottle, we made our way upstairs.  I’ve been trying to get him to say mama, dada, Addie, for a long time.  He’s only 9 months old, so I’ve never really expected him to repeat after me.  This morning, I started with mama and said it a few times.  Then I said dada a few times and W repeated dada!!  It made my day!  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get him to say it again.  BUT I heard it!  Without a doubt, he said dada!

Have a great weekend!!

Friday Favorites on Thursday

Baby W will be 9 months old tomorrow so I wanted to dedicate that post to him.

As a result - Friday Favorites on Thursday!

Remington Keratin Therapy - My hair dryer finally died while I was in Germany… or I blew it up by using the wrong electrical socket converter… oops.  Regardless, I needed to find a new one quickly.  I should preface this by saying I have awful hair.  It’s in between some sort of wavy, straight, frizzy, curly mess.  As a result, I blow dry my hair straight and then flat iron.  I know – I’m probably making it even worse with all the heat, but I don’t know what else to do.  Anyway, I needed a blow dryer fast and did a little research.  I decided on a Remington.  It seemed to be a middle of the line dryer – not too expensive, but not cheap either.  Holy moly, what a difference a hair dryer can make!!  Why did I wait so long to buy a new one?  The Remington dries my hair way faster and my hair is way way smoother.  I’m in love!

Mini Boden – I’m a sucker for preppy, striped baby boy clothes (as you can tell from my previous post).  Although a bit on the pricey side, I love the quality and style of Mini Boden.  And they often provide coupon codes when you join their mailing list.  Check out their fall line.

Chobani Flips – I have these for lunch at least twice a week.  Love the mix ins and the fact that it’s Greek yogurt makes it seem healthier.  Yum!

New Girl – It’s back!  I hardly ever watch tv.  I couldn’t even tell you the last time I watched a complete episode of anything (who has time with work and baby raising?).  This is the only show I make an effort to keep up with.  The first episode is waiting for me on my DVR and I can’t wait to watch.  It’s witty, funny, and just plain entertaining.  And I have  a crush on Nick… shhh.

 

988 page views – Almost 1000!  This probably isn’t a big deal for my experienced blogger friends, but it made me smile.  I’m curious about who actually reads this blog.  Feel free to introduce yourself via comment.

Friday Favorites

 Happy Friday!!  This week's favorites...

1.       Pumpkin Spice Latte – It’s baaack.  And I love it a latte.  Ha!  I think lots of people love this drink and I wondered why Starbucks hasn’t made it a regular feature.  Then it occurred to me that all the excitement and anticipation of the Pumpkin Spice Latte would be lost if it was always on the menu.  Not to mention, pumpkin is synonymous with fall so ordering a pumpkin latte on a hot summer day just seems weird.  Anyway, it’s delicious and I’m happy it has returned along with many other pumpkin treats.  Side note:  Yesterday I stopped to pick up a PSL on the way home from work.  One of my favorite Starbucks employees told me my latte was on him; free of charge.  A very sweet gesture and it made my day.  Thank you, thank you!

 

2.       Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran – This song has probably been out for a while and in typical fashion, I’m most likely late in discovering it.  I am not really a Taylor Swift fan, but I do LOVE this song.  I crank up the volume every time I hear it.

3.       GAP’s Semiannual Kids and Baby sale – Go. Shop.  You won’t be disappointed.  Love me some Baby Gap.

4.       L’oreal’s Infallible Eyeshadow – I love makeup and I love these eye shadows.  Shimmery, long lasting, and affordable.  I’m a fan!  My favorite is Amber Rush.

5.       I’m traveling to Germany next week for work!  I’ll be there for 5 days.  I’m excited, but nervous.  I’ve never traveled overseas so this is a huge opportunity for me.  But I’m extremely nervous about my presentation and missing my sweet boy.  Hoping all goes well!  Think happy thoughts for me!

 

6.    Family - A huge thank you to my husband, mom, and mother-in-law for taking care of Baby W while I'm away.  Know my little man is in good hands makes it possible for me to travel.  I owe them.

7.       Baby W – Come on; you knew I had to end with him.  He has my heart and leaving him to go to Germany is going to be excruciating for me.  Any tips on how to leave my baby for 5 days without crying ugly tears and missing him immensely every day I’m away?

 

 

Friday Favorites

August is winding down and I'm getting super excited for my favorite season... Fall!  So this Friday, I'm focusing on two things I love... Fall and baby fashion!!  Sidenote: when I was pregnant, lots of people told me not to buy too many clothes.  Well, I'm here to tell you, buy what you want.  I've had so much fun dressing baby W and he always looks so stylish. :)  I buy lots of clothes on sale between seasons and hold onto them until the following year.  I've found that Baby Gap, Old Navy, and Gymboree are pretty true to size, while Carters and Oshkosh tend to run small.

My favorite items tend to be preppy, simple, and classic.  And I'm obsessed with stripes!

Without further ado... Fall favorites for my little man.

 

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Friday Favorites

No theme to this Friday Favorites - just a few things I'm loving at the moment.

Mocha Frappe from McDonalds – I am in love with these.  Yes, I know they are horrible for me, but I allow myself one every week (ok, sometimes twice a week, but only if it’s been a particularly hectic week).  I think I’ve tried all of the frappe flavors, but mocha remains my absolute fave.  They are delicious and I can’t get enough.

 

A2 by Aerosoles – I think I have four pairs of these.  They are incredibly comfortable, cute, and affordable.  Love.  I often wear heels and these are the only ones I can wear all day without discomfort.  I love these for fall: http://www.aerosoles.com/eng/product/becxotic/becxotic and http://www.aerosoles.com/eng/product/streetscape/streetsca

Hollywood Game Night – so much fun.  I rarely watch tv.  I work all day and try to spend as much time as possible with Baby W when I get home.  BUT I make it a point to watch this every week (it comes on right after baby goes to bed).  I love the mini games and am trying to figure out how to play them at home.  The game where they morph two celebrity’s faces is my favorite.  Hilarious.

S’mores cheesecake – this needs no explanation.  OMG… ahhhmazing.  You can find this deliciousness at the Cheesecake Factory.  You’re welcome.  P.S.  It’s so rich, it took me 3 days to finish a single slice.  Yum.

 

 

Baby W – he’s just amazing, awesome, and perfect.  I can’t get enough. J

 

 

Friday Favorites

It’s Friday (holla)!!  I’ll get back to the serious stuff next week, but today I’m going to focus on something fun.  My favorite styles/fashion.  I’m not an expert by any means… not even close.  BUT I do love to shop and dress up.  With that said, here are my current fashion favorites:

1.        Skinny pants and flowy shirts.  I’m a curvy girl so skinny pants never really appealed to me – that is until I found a pair of skinny pants that were ACTUALLY flattering.  Wearing a long blousy top with fitted pants makes me feel less self-conscious about my curves.  I highly recommend these pants from the LOFT: http://www.loft.com/marisa-ankle-pants-in-bi-stretch/309007?colorExplode=false&skuId=14109386&catid=catl000014&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=7168

 

 

 

2.       Embellishments.on.everything.  I love me some sequins, beads, bows, and buttons.  Just don’t go overboard.  I usually pick one or two items with embellishment and pair them with plain/simple items.

 

 

3.       Bright colors.  As summer is drawing to a close, I’m wearing all my brights.  Don’t get me wrong, bright colors are still fine during the fall months, but I feel like hot pink and turquoise scream summer.