5 Things Friday

Well... I lost another blog follower.

I know I should be above it, but I'm not going to lie... I kind of sucks watching something I worked so hard on just keep losing traction.  It's not that I write this to have followers, but it is kind of fun to watch those numbers go up.  And it kind of sucks to watch them go down.

Part of it is my fault.  I haven't exactly written a lot lately.  And none of it is earth-shattering stuff.  I currently don't have a health crisis (thank goodness!) or pregnancy (not yet!) to post about.  And as much as I am sure people want to read about engineering or the 3 hours I get to spend with Henry every day, I think some of my material has been a bit of a snooze.

But I digress... Let's get back to an actual post.

Since Labor Day is this weekend, that means 3 day weekend and SALES!!

We basically one 1 income and a new house, so money is tight which means bargain shopping is all the more important.  So I rely on sales to get the best deal I possibly can.  Here's a list of the things I have my eyes on this weekend via online or in-store sales.


1.  Fall and Winter will require Henry to wear actual shoes again instead of the sandals he has been stinking up for the last few months.  Thankfully, Henry doesn't need more shoes (I bought ahead during some winter sales earlier this spring).  What Henry does need are some socks.  And while it seems silly, I have some definite opinions when it comes to socks for Henry.

Since Henry will hopefully be the first of more children for us, I like to purchase things that will last.  Quality is important to me.  I don't want sock that pill easily.  I also don't want Henry to be able to get them off super easily.  As fun as it is to put socks on over and over and OVER again, once is enough for me.

Trial and error has taught me that there is one brand that REALLY has awesome socks.

Osh Kosh.

I'm sure there are some others out there that are equally amazing, but I LOVE these socks.  That last, they stay on, they aren't too thin and I can purchase a 6-pack of identical socks which means they are super easy to match out of the laundry basket (that's the real selling point).

{Socks found HERE}

This weekend, Osh Kosh has them on sale for $10 instead of $20.  2 packs of white socks and pack of the colored socks will give us every day and dress socks for the year or maybe longer.

Osh Kosh also hase 25% off a purchase of $50 or more.  They also have jeans starting at $10 a pair and polos for $7.  If I can find some cute stuff in some larger sizes, I might also be using that coupon as well.


2.  Osh Kosh's sister company, Carter's, is also having a sale.  Similar discount over $50 plus almost everything is 50% off.

As much as I would love to dress Henry is super chic outfits every day, it just doesn't make sense at daycare.  The main priority at daycare is to have fun, not to stay clean, and that means Henry usually comes home pretty dirty.  Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I would much rather he come home happy, exhausted, and having had a fun day than super clean.  If we are going somewhere after daycare, I just bring a change of clothes.  No bid deal.  But that means I need some comfy and semi-cute clothes for daycare (that also accomodate the cloth diaper butt).

I think the outfits below would be excellent daycare outfits.  Comfy and cute.  Mission accomplished.

{Mini Lumberjack outfit HERE}

{Hunk outfit HERE}

3.  It's not all about Henry over here.  Phil and I have a date night on the horizon and I bought the cutest little dress a few months ago on clearance (like for $13):

{AE Mesh Body Con Dress HERE}

Only problem... I need some shoes to go with.  We will be at a concert where I know I will be on my feet for 3 hours, so they can't be a super high heel.  And I am thinking a bootie would be super cute.  Number one on my are at none other than Target (found HERE) but I like THESE too.

Even better, Target has buy one get one 1/2 off AND if you use the Cartwheel app, you can also get 25% off shoes.

4.  Today and today only, Bath and Body Works has all of their hand soap on sale for just $3 each.  Based on my research, that is the cheapest they will come until they go on clearance.  And it might be a stupid thing to spend money on, but I am a total suck on seasonal scented things.  It makes me inappropriately happy to have fall scented hand soap, so I guess it is worth the $3.

5.  My brother told me this week that Apple has recently found out that a batch of their iPhone 5 phones have faulty batteries.  To fix the problem, they are willing to replace the batteries of the affected phones.  So I went to THIS website and entered in my serial number and, lo and behold, I QUALIFY.  I am so excited because, no joke, by 9 in the morning my phone shows 25% battery left.  That doesn't really count as shopping, but it does require us to go to the Apple store this weekend.


So there you go... a little shopping this weekend.  Phil is cringing reading this I am sure.  Partially because of the $$$ and partially because he knows he will have to go shopping with me.  Poor guy.  At least he and Henry can commiserate together.

Beached

After we got back from San Francisco, we immediately turned around and headed to my family's annual camping trip (read about past years HERE and HERE, and I can't believe I didn't blog about camping last year).

Did we go camping?

No.

For several reasons.

1)  I didn't want to deal with packing for San Francisco AND packing for camping at the same time.  That sounds like A LOT of work.

2)  Phil needed to work at least one of the days of the camping trip.  That meant either he would have to drive back or join us the second day.

3)  I wasn't sure how we would put Henry to sleep in a tent.  When he is a little older and we can rationalize with him a little, I think it will be easier.  But I just didn't want to deal with it.  It didn't sound super relaxing to me.

4)  I didn't know how I was going to keep Henry warm sleeping in a tent.  Camping at the Oregon coast can be COLD.  I mean, this is how he was dressed last year:

{Doesn't he look comfy?}

And here's another couple from last year, just because I apparently didn't blog about it:

Oh my gosh I shouldn't have looked through those pictures... feeling very nostalgic now.

Anyway, back to my story.

So we decided that Henry and I would drive back and forth each day.  That way we could sleep in our own beds, Phil could join us  on Saturday no problem, and I had less packing (like NONE) and so much less laundry.

It was about a 2 hour drive each way.  But my brother has a rule that you need to stay somewhere at least twice as long as you spend traveling.  And averaged over the 2 days, we did that.

All of this typing to say that WE WENT TO THE BEACH!!

I'm a failure!!!

So remember when I wrote about Jiggle-free July?  And I said I was going to start it over again in August?

Well... I started off really well.  I even had a couple of people on Facebook who were doing it with me.  One of my friends coined it "Asses and Ab in August".  Excellent name.

But then we got some discouraging news.  Phil's advisor, who had told him to schedule his defense for September, told him he didn't have enough time in the next month to get Phil to his defense and he needed to move it back.  We were both pretty upset.

They stress of that coupled with preparing for our trip to SF kicked my gastritis into gear again.  That had me in a great deal of pain for a couple of days.  Funny story:  I called the doctor's office because I was in so much pain and they proceeded to ask me question after question to find out if I was having a heart attack.  I'm 29.  Over the phone, the doctor said it was probably gastritis (which I have had in the past) but he wanted me to go to Urgent Care to get checked out.  When I got to Urgent Care, they called me back to the exam room before I had even checked in (that never happens!) and then when the female doctor in her mid-50s came in, she proceeded to look at herself in the mirror and fix her hair for the first minute she was in there while I was explaining my symptoms.

Anyway...

And then when we were in San Francisco, I was so tired from all the walking and Henry carrying I was too exhausted to do any exercising.

Excuses, excuses...  I stopped doing the workout.

I'm don't my best to get back on track now that I am home and getting back into working out.

And I am determined to try again in September!!!

Phil is convinced that whenever I try to do a schedule-based workout, I always get sick.  And so far he is right.  I did a squat challenge in January and got strep throat.  Jiggle-free July saw food poisoning twice (or was it 3 times?).  Asses and Abs in August brought gastritis.  What do you think September will bring?  Smiles?

Cheesy?  Possibly.  But I am optimistic.

So if you feel like joining me in firming up in September, I say GO FOR IT!!  Heaven knows I could use the motivation of having people do it with.  I had several women (all moms with babies younger than Henry) say they were doing it with me last month, but that wasn't enough to keep me on track.  If you expect me to finish it... well... let's hope history doesn't repeat itself.

Gotta git fit before the Halloween candy bowl comes out!

5 Things Friday: Fall is coming!!

I actually have a trend for this 5 Things Friday...

We have completed almost all of our Summer To-Do List items (at least all of them that we will actually get accomplished) and that means that mentally, I am gearing up for FALL!!

I know Fall doesn't actually start until the end of September.  And a lot of people are really dreaded the end of Summer.  But Fall is my absolute FAVORITE time of year.  And I am so excited to be spending our first fall season in our new house.

So here's this week's list, with a Fall twist.


1)  Starbucks may have announced that the Pumpkin Spice Latte will be coming out August 25th, but I am going to do my best to resist until at least after Labor Day.  I have some standards over here.  Last year, I was off dairy because I was nursing and Henry was not happy when I ate dairy.  That meant soy drinks.  I tried to trick myself into thinking that it still tasted good, but it really didn't.  There was a weird after taste.  Plus, Phil HATES all things soy (he knows too much about what soy does to the body).  But this year, I can indulge in as much cow's milk PSL as my wallet (and husband) will allow.

2)  We recently got a Hobby Lobby in Oregon (pretty sure it is the first one) and it will take all of my self-control to not go on a full-on shopping spree to decorate my new house.

{image from HERE}

3)  It's not just candles, I now have a fireplace which means I need (NEED) to decorate with seasonal appropriate things.  Did you read that, Phil?  NEED.

{image from HERE}

Granted, we have our television above the fireplace, so most of those ideas won't really work.  But I think I can figure something out.

4)  Phil and I keep thinking of fun things we want to do with Henry again this year.  So far, the list includes, apple picking and the pumpkin patch.  Because we are SUPER original.  But we are also thinking of doing a 5k or 10k at a Harvest Festival, which means running through farms on a early, foggy morning.  Nothing says Fall like that.  I think I will refer to this handy-dandy pinterest list:

{image from HERE}

{Pictures from last year at the pumpkin patch}

5)  I'm also having daydreams of hot apple cider, pumpkin scented candles, crisp fall mornings, thick sweaters and scarves, and making this recipe:

{Recipe found HERE}

Couple that with the fall scented lotions, body washes, and hand soaps Phil gave me the go-ahead to purchase last night (he knows Fall scented everything is my love language)...

My house and I are going to smell GREAT!!!



So that's my list!!  I can't get these things off my mind!!  I will fight the urge to dive into fall before at least September starts.  Wish me luck!

San Fran: Highs and Lows

We were in San Francisco for 5 days while Phil was at a conference.  He was there to present a poster of his work (and hopefully do a little networking for a future big boy job).  While he was busy during the day (and evening), Henry and I headed out to explore the city.

It turns out that San Francisco isn't the most baby-friendly city.  Obviously it isn't super walkable.  But mass transit isn't super fun with a stroller either.  Almost every BART station elevator we took either smelled like urine or cigarette smoke.

We had a couple other lows on the trip.  Like when the crazy lady walking behind us decided she wanted to start running.  And ran straight into the back of me.  That happened on a day that I had been carrying Henry in the Ergo carrier all day, so my back was already exhausted.

There was the time another crazy lady started FREAKING OUT, dropping the F-word and throwing her sweatshirt around 5 feet in front of Henry.  Not going to lie, I felt my inner momma bear emerging.  It wouldn't have been good.  I mean, getting in a fist fight with a crazy person isn't on my vacation to-do list.

Or we could talk about how we were sitting down, eating dinner when Phil said, "Do you smell that?"

"Yeah," I said.

"That's marijuana."

"Oh..."

I never really knew what it smelled like.  After this trip... I do.

The trip also had some pretty good highs as well.  Like getting to spend 5 whole days with Henry.  He and I haven't spent that much time together, just us since he was a newborn.  He's a little more fun now.  We went and saw the sea lions, walked around the piers, went to Ghiradelli Square for some ice cream, rode the cable cars, found some playgrounds, went to the aquarium, swam.

Just to name a few.

All in all, I think we all had a good time.

Pretty sure.

I'm BAAAACK!!!

Where have I been?  You didn't know you missed me, but have no fear... I have returned.

I'm a big believer in not advertising when we are away from the house for more than a day and since I really didn't have much else prepared ahead of time, the blog/social media went silent.  I didn't even post pictures to Instagram, which is practically unheard of around here.

So again... where were we?

Phil had a conference in SAN FRANCISCO and Henry and I couldn't help ourselves but to tag along.  5 days away from our favorite man?  Heck no!!  While Phil was busy at the conference, Henry and I hit the town for some adventures of our own.

`

{Walking around the park by the hotel and trying to get in the fountain}

{Upper deck of a hop on hop off tour bus}

{Being super cute}

{Eating ice cream at Ghiradelli Square}

{And then being really upset when I wouldn't let him eat it all}

{Do you think he's spoiled?  It was too cute to not purchase them}

We are home now and Henry is in heaven having all of his toys back and I am in heaven because I don't have to constantly chase him around a un-baby proof room saying, "Don't touch that!" 8,000 times.

I am also equipped with many a story to tell (lucky blog).

All in all, it was a great trip.  Henry and I haven't spent that much quality time together just the two of us since he was a newborn and it was easy to tell that he and I are a lot more bonded after the trip.  It's small things like he holds my hand while he walks (he never did that before) and he likes to cuddle before bed (never did that either).

Night Meeting

I had a meeting last night.  It was only supposed to take about 30 minutes.  Simple and quick.

It took 2 hours.

I got home at 7:30, which was just in time for Henry to go to bed.  I am thankful I got to at least help put him to bed.

And my separation was eased a little bit because Phil kept me well updated with pictures like this one:

I called on my way home, Henry rushed over to Phil holding the phone and said, "HI!" just clear as day.

I was desperate to get home and scoop him up!  You know that impatient, anxious feeling you get in the pit of your chest?  I'm lucky I didn't fly home.

When I finally got home, Henry was too busy doing exhausted laps around the kitchen to give me a hug.  But I did learn that he learned a new phrase tonight.  Seriously... one evening and I miss new words.  This working mom stuff is serious business.

While they were reading a book, Phil closed it and tried to get Henry to kind of wipe his hands together to basically say, "All done!"  Henry didn't get the hand motion down, but he now says, "All done!"

What am I going to miss during my next night meeting?  Will he have solved the world's energy crisis?!

Come on Tuesday

I would like to say that yesterday's post worked and I had a wonderful Monday, but that would be a lie.

Yesterday morning was basically shitty.  Excuse the language.  It's the truth.

Phil's advisor decided that his defense, which had been scheduled for September, should be pushed back.  And it has very little to do with Phil and the work he has left and more to do with his advisor and his schedule.

In the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal.  But yesterday, it felt like a BIG DEAL.  The light was at the end of the tunnel and now it's 2 months further away.

The more we talk and think about it and the initial disappointment wears off a little, the extra time is probably not a bad thing.  And I had a couple of things to help put some skip back into my step.  If you follow me on instagram, you have probably seen some of these.

{I got that hat at Gymboree on clearance, knowing it was probably too big since it is a boy's size Medium.  Well, we needed a hat the other day, so I thought I would see if it worked.  And while it is a little big, it worked great.  According to the Gymboree size chart, it should fit a 6 to 8 year old.  My baby's a GIANT}

{His tush got a wedgy with the swim diaper and I couldn't help but take a picture of it.  He's going to love me when he starts dating because I will show EVERYONE this picture.}

{Snacks are better on the floor.  With dog hair.  He's feet look huge here.}

{I finally got my hair done.  It was more than needed.}

All things combined and I am feeling better.  I plan on having another s'more as well.  Chocolate is always the answer.

Alright Tuesday... let's get things back on track.

A New Day

If I am being totally honest, I am going to say that I have had some tough days recently.  Not the hardest I've ever had, by any means.  I'm not going to get that dramatic.  But just challenging.

I could go into the reasons, but I will spare you the whining.  The truth is it is just life.  Crank baby.  Stressed husband.  Dogs that aren't listening.  Normal stuff.  But it has me in a funk.

And while I like to fool myself into thinking that I am Superwoman and I can just get over it and move it, it turns out that isn't exactly the case.

I'm tired.

My body physically hurts.

And I am struggling with snapping out of the funk I currently find myself overtaken with.

I just want to reset things.  Most of the time, I can get myself to snap out of it.  Not right now.  Not this time.  I would have a glass of wine, but I have a philosophy that you don't drink to make a bad day good.  Only drink to make a good day better.  So I am resorting to the next best thing.

Food.

And since I am out of crescent rolls, it is regular s'mores for me.  Plus early bedtime.

I'm going to take a few deep breaths, get some rest, and be thankful that tomorrow is a new day.  I can feel a better attitude already.

5 Things Friday

I'm not sure why, but I am having a HUGE blank on things for this list.  It isn't like the week has been boring, because it hasn't.  But I'm just not sure there are a lot of things to share, if that makes sense.  We'll give it a go anyway because it's my blog and I am nothing if not a stickler for tradition.




1.  I have felt some twinges of baby-fever lately.  I blame it on other bloggers and friends who have recently had babies or announced they are pregnant.  Either way, it has gotten me thinking.  And then I stumbled upon THIS POST from a couple of months ago.

Baby-fever has subsided a bit.


2.  Have you seen these floating around pinterest?

{I made this picture nice and big to make it look extra enticing}

I may have pinned the recipe a little bit ago.  Well we were having some company over last night and while I was at the store (without the recipe) I decided to get the supplies I though were needed to make them:

-  Crescent Rolls
-  Hershey's chocolate
-  Large marshmallows

After I got home, I looked at the recipe.  Not quite right.  But I thought I would just go for it anyway. I rolled a large marshmallow with one bar of chocolate and baked them at 375 degrees for 11 minutes.  The marshmallows WAY expanded and kind of solidified on the pan.  I went ahead and added an extra bar of chocolate in the giant hole the marshmallow left.

But it didn't even matter because they were DELICIOUS!!!!  Looked super weird but nobody cared as they stuffed them in their mouths.  I have no pictures of the ones I made because 1) they were ugly and 2) they were eaten too fast.

For future reference, I will use small marshmallows.


3.  Henry has developed some interesting sleeping positions:

I don't think he will be ready for a big boy bed anytime soon.

Also, he doesn't usually have that stern look on his face while he sleeps.  I had to turn his lamp on to get that pictures.  Blogger Mom, right here.


4.  I'm pretty much over having stomach problems.  2 bouts of food poisoning in the last month... that's lame.  With Phil's defense coming up and all the work that he needs to do for that, I don't want him to get sick anymore.  Being completely rational, I think we will just eat at home until October.  Only extremely over-cooked vegetables, chicken and rice until then.  Totally rational, right?  Right.  No more puking in the Janney house.  Please and Thank You.


5.  The other day at daycare, I pulled into the parking lot and parked with PLENTY of room in my stall for me to get Henry into his carseat.  Anyone who has dealt with a carseat knows that sometimes you end up having the door open AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE to get a squirmy babe fastened.  I walk outside to put Henry in the car and someone has parked their Mercedes over the line in MY STALL.  It took some special maneuvering (and about three times as long), but I was able to get Henry in without bumping the other car.  Meanwhile, that driver (a Grandma) comes out with two little girls.  Because I am busy by one of the doors, she has them crawl through and get in from the other side of the car.  I contemplated saying something to her about leaving more space, but thought better of it.

After I sucked everything in and slid into the driver's side, the Grandma was still waiting for the girls to climb to their carseats.  I buckled my seatbelt, turned on my car and put it into reverse.  But before I could start backing out and before the girls had fastened their seat belts, the Grandma backed out so that she wouldn't have to wait for me to back out.

And it really irked me.

I meant, of all places, the daycare parking lot should be one place that people don't screw you over parking.  We ALL have carseats.  We ALL have had to put babies in the car.  We ALL have dealt people doing that to us.

No where is safe.