High Five for Friday!

Finally!

I've been totally slammed at work and soo looking forward to taking a breather this weekend. The weather is finally warming up again and dare I say it? I kinda want to do something outdoorsy. And by outdoors, I don't even mean drinks on the patio either! Like maybe exercise? Yeah, we'll see.

Despite a hectic week, my highlights include:

one. I found a new mascara that actually holds my stubborn straight as a stick Asian lashes in a curl! Thank you Urban Decay! Now if i I can only find something to help me grow some more lashes in general...

two. Received a card from a dear friend who moved to Cali. I love getting mail when it's not bills! Handwritten notes are the best!

three. Hubs is getting a bonus from work and taking me out to a fancy dinner and maybe some shopping. Recurring theme here and I love it Thank you boo. :)

four. Scored some goodies online shopping...3 sweaters for $30! I'm supposed to be saving money, but technically I am because that is dirt cheap for THREE sweaters, right?

five. I've been eating salad for a week and less rice for dinner and have dropped 2 lbs. Take that lovehandles!

Weekend Recap

We made a quick overnight trip to Houston to visit one of the BFFs. The last time we were there was 1.5 years ago and her little one was only a couple of months old and C was due to see his cousin Caroline! How sweet are they?

We are planning on taking a group roadtrip with some of our friends to Destin this summer and the 10+hr drive is literally making me break out into nervous pit sweats. C does ok on longer car rides, but anything over an hour is risky business. We thought this trip would be a good prelimnary test run. 4 hours is not too bad.

sometimes you have to bust out the big guns - dum dums

[ iPad, & Hot Wheels - check. ]  [coffee - check. ]  [ Alien that C INSISTED must stay on the headrest- check.]

Things we've learned from this mini road trip:

• internet connection is precious - we tethered our phones so C could access videos on his iPad but of course, that connection is spotty and often slow. We had a few meltdowns and I totally sympathized. It's equivalent to toddler dial-up connection during his Barbie: Life in a Dreamhouse video marathon (uhh, he is totally into Barbie videos lately, but that's another post one day). I'm thinking we need to spring for the data plan during the trip.

• bring lots and lots of snacks - and not just pork rinds and gummi worms. Kids eat when they get bored too (except they don't gain 10 lbs like we do), and plying them with sugar while strapped in a car seat probably isn't the best idea. Lots of fruit, cheese, crackers are mandatory to survive. And of course, a handful of dum dums never hurt nobody. Pick and chose your battles people!

• a little comfort goes a long way - i know sometimes it's not always possible, but if you are getting a rental for a road trip, get something w/ some leg room. It makes for more efficiency in packing things in and out of the car, easier for emergency diaper changes on the road, less crampage of limbs. I mean, you're on vacation! Make it comfortable!

• sunshades are a must - I love, love, love Aden & Anais muslin swaddle blankets. I got these before C was born (before Prince George was rocking it) and use these babies for everything. Swaddling, nursing cover, car seat cover, blanket, you name it. It's one of C's loveys now, so he has to have it with him at bed time. But you can see in that picture how easy it is to just put one up to block out the sun. 

• Be prepared to sing your heart out - because sometimes your kid just wants to hear Mommy and Daddy sing Old MacDonald 10x in a row

• New toys/distractions - When we took C on his first flight, one of the best tips I received was to wrap up lots of new toys for him to open every hour. Hit up the dollar store for this. Half the fun for the kids is just tearing up the paper. We didn't do it on this trip, but will definitely be doing this for Destin. However, on the way back, one of our friends gave him a new set of Hot Wheel cars so it definitely made the last hour of the trip a smooth ride. Thank you Uncle James! :)

• Load up on cleaning supplies - With all the snacking and toy unwrapping, you'll need to stock the car with plenty of wipes and a large trashbag to keep everything clean and organized. Keeping the clutter and grubby hands to a minimum will help you keep your sanity!

What are some tips you have for a successful aka tear-free road trip?

New Mom Gift

My BFF is due to have her little boy any day now (or else he eviction is set for the 20th!) and I am over the moon excited for her. It's been a long time coming, and I can't wait to meet Baby R! When I was preggo with C, I read all the books, and researched the hell out of baby products and gear, but there were things I had to figure out on my own once Caden made his debut.

I know BFF has everything she needs, but I wanted to give her a little basket of minor essentials for her "Labor Day". I love me a good basket of goodies!

Some of the things I included were:

1. make up removal wipes for a quick pick me up 
2. snack bars to keep her energy up
3. kleenex for out of control hormones
4. tucks medicated cooling pads for her hoo ha (an ESSENTIAL no one told me about)
5. oatmeal to get that milk flowing
6. milkscreen testing strips bc that one glass of wine to celebrate might lead to two and you never pump and dump!
7. lotion for dry hands
8. vaseline for dry everything else
9. diaper bag pouches to help organize her bag when the brain's out to lunch
10. eye mask for her new friends, under eye circles
11. and the basket to keep all her nursing essentials together when she's stuck in one place feeding that bebe every 2 hours

I found the printables here and here. 

High Five for Friday

TGIF PEOPLE!

This week has been dragging ass! It was our first full week back to work after the extended break from the daily grind, throw in this polar vortex of subzero temperatures, and a sick babe and we have had the longest week in the history of life.

Despite all of the above, there were still some silver linings during the week.

one. The hubs won his fantasy football league and gave me 1/3 of his winnings just because. Score! Extra shopping moneys from my sugar daddy.

two. I''m fortunate to work for an awesome company that takes all their employees on an annual trip. Last summer, we went to Aruba. All 185 of us, plus our spouses. It's been confirmed that we'll get to go again,most likely this quarter! This will be my 7th trip!

three. discovering a new coffee place that makes a really delicious Spanish latte. and cream cheese danishes. Thank goodness none of my resolutions revolved getting skinny.

four. C is finally all better from his cold and is sleeping like a normal human! Oh sweet sleep.

five. We are kicking off the weekend by taking a little roadtrip down to Houston to visit friends. Good food and great company awaits!

Hello, 2014!

2013 came and went in a flash. I'll admit, I have a pretty shitty memory, but seriously, where does the time go and what did I do all year? 2014 already??

My favorite quote about parenting is that "the days are long, but the years are short". Oh how that rings so true. Husband and I sometimes high five each other and chest bump at the fact that we've kept C alive and healthy for 2 years. Why is a house plant so damn hard?!

It's so easy to power through the same routine every day that we forget to enjoy the moments and each other. There are far too often times that Dat and I share just a few minutes at dinner before it is time to whisk C away to be bathed, and ready for bed. After that, it's clean up time and lights out for everyone. 

Which brings me to my #1 resolution. To be present. Wherever I am, I need to be all there. I need to step away from social media, emails, texts, the computer -- and just unplug when I get home. Sometimes it really frightens and saddens me that C will grow and and might not know the art of face to face conversation, or even the simple act of penning a letter or note to someone. Another reason I wrote him a letter on his 1st birthday to be read when he is 18.

Some other things I resolve to do, but in no particular order:

• save more money 
• work on my temper (as suggested by the Husband)
• cut out the soda
• be less dismissive of outdoor activities (also sugested by Husband)
• learn how to bake at least ONE thing from scratch
• read more
• laugh more

It's going to be a good year, I can feel it! We're excited, can't you tell!?