5 Things Friday

Friday the 13th.  I'm just super excited it is FRIDAY!!!  I have high hopes for my productivity at work today.  I'm going to knock several things out of the park today, I just know it.  :)  Here's a mix of random for you on this fine Friday.


1.  Because tomorrow is Valentine's Day, I'm sure every daycare/preschool/classroom is celebration Valentine's Day today.  Henry's baby room is no exception.  I have to admit that I had a hard time buying into classroom parties last year when Henry was a legit baby (not a toddler).  I mean, he could barely crawl so I'm pretty sure the concept of Valentine's Day was lost on him.  But now that he is talking, I get more and more excited to celebrate holidays with him.

But I still don't think he needs candy.

So I scoured the internet (ok really just Pinterest) and found THESE cute printables.  I decided I would rather the babies in his room get doughnut holes than a lollipop.

So here are Henry's Valentines:

2.  There other day on Facebook, I saw this article from Buzzfeed.  And because I am a HUGE Potterhead, I watched the video.

But it brought up something about the last movie that REALLY bothered me.  And it is visible in the video above.

Through out the all of the books (and the movies)  characters mention over and OVER how Henry looks just like his father except for his eyes.  He has his mother's eyes.  In case you aren't a weirdo and can't remember, his eyes look like this:

BLUE.

Very blue.

The little girl in that video... what color are her eyes?

BROWN!!

Why?!  I mean, this seems like something that CGI or colored contacts could have easily fixed.  I mean, did they not notice this?  It seems like such a necessary casting detail to pay attention to.

{image from HERE}

This really has been bothering me.  :)


3.  Toddler tantrums are pretty much a daily occurrence in our household.  In a way, it kind of makes me feel like we are doing something right.  Like we aren't raising a spoiled child who gets everything that he wants.  But they still suck.

Last night, he had a MASSIVE tantrum when we were leaving Grandma's house.  It lasted probably 10 minutes, including when I was putting him in the car.  And the only way I could get him to calm down was to turn all sound off in the car and be totally silent.

It didn't take but 15 seconds of that and he was calmed down.

Maybe it was a fluke.  Or maybe it was magic.  But I am definitely going to try that again the next time he has a tantrum in the car (which I'm 99.9% positive WILL happen again).


4.  Because things have been so busy at work (and they aren't showing signs of calming down any time soon thankfully), I have been making a conscious effort to take care of myself a little.  And that means I am taking more baths.

When we were house hunting, I had basically 2 things on my "must have" list.  One was the master bedroom had to have room for a king size bed (Phil is a big guy and I like my space when I'm sleeping).  And the other was I needed a decent bath tub.

5.  When I was making Henry's Valentines, I needed a stapler to attach the printable to the baggie.  It suddenly dawned on me that we don't have a regular stapler.  The only stapler we have is this one:

I found it kind of amusing.


Have a good weekend!!


Linking up with September Farm and The Farmer's Wife

5 Things Friday

With a sick kid on Monday, night meeting on Tuesday, and still a sick baby on Wednesday, I could have sworn yesterday was Friday.

It was not.

But today is!  And Halloween at that!  Here's this week's dose of randomness.  And because it is the 5th Friday of the month, my boss is bringing in doughnuts (I'm trying to get myself pumped up for today).


1.  Even though I didn't really decorate much... And I was never really into dressing up, I am excited for Halloween.  I am excited to see the Halloween display our neighbors have put together and find out how many kids we will get at our new house.  But most of all, I am excited to take my little man Trick-or-Treating.  We might get a better response to it this year than last year.

{My cute little lion}

Last year, when I took him to the door, people almost seemed offended when I held out the bag for candy.  No, my 5 month old would not be eating the candy.  But his mother, who hiked him up to your door might.  Not to mention that I was still exclusively breastfeeding, so he was getting it by proxy.


2.  Along the lines of trick-or-treating, I asked Henry if he could say "Trick or Treat" this morning and he shook his head no.  That answers that.


3.  I had to stop by Walgreens the other day to pick up some Pedialyte, Parmesean and Italian Herb Chex Mix, and to yell at the Pharmacist (ok I didn't yell.  I asked a question) and while I was there, I picked up a pair of fleece lined textured leggings.  And this proved 2 things: 1) I will buy almost anything fleece lined and 2) $5.99 is the perfect price.

It may have also proved that I am a classy lady.  Whatever.  They are SO COMFY! I should have capitalized on their 2 for $10 offer.


4.  Even though Henry didn't feel super great, we took him to his daycare pumpkin patch this week.  They had pumpkins, ghost the kids would punch, pumpkin guts to squish, a pool full of jello, and hay to throw.  But Henry was mostly drawn to the pool filled with shaving cream.

He was doing fine, rubbing his hands in it.  And then a little girl fell and got some shaving cream in his hair.  He went to wipe the shaving cream off his hair with his shaving cream filled hands.  One thing led to another and...

It got a little out of hand.


5.  We are nearing the end of graduate school which means Phil is working his tail off pretty much around the clock.  Yesterday morning, I woke up at 6 and he wasn't in bed.  So I came downstairs and found him laying on the floor in the office.  Apparently he had laid down to take a short nap and slept all night.

Poor guy.

I have instituted a bedtime for him.  He still needs some sleep.



Happy weekend!!!

5 Things Friday: Pretty much all about Henry

As of yesterday (or last night at 11:22), Henry is 17 months old.  Like in a month he will be a year and a half.  I'm already freaking out a little bit about him changing daycare rooms (because I must create things to be anxious about).  Basically at this rate, he will be headed off to college.

In honor of my little Hank, this week's 5 Things Friday is solely devoted to him.

1.  He somehow figured out that he was willing to expand his palate and eat actual meat on one condition... It must have barbecue sauce on it.  And BBQ sauce doesn't just work on meat.  Veggies as well.  I had a moment when I realized that I needed to pick my battles.  Am I willing to let him eat a little BBQ sauce on each bite of meat (and thankfully he only requires a tiny bit of sauce) if it means he will eat things other than black beans and expensive veggie pouches?  My answer is yes.

And at least it's BBQ sauce and not ranch.


2.  He will also eat chicken nuggets.  Without BBQ sauce.  Thank you Costco.  And chocolate pudding.  So in case there was any doubt, he's an American.


3.  Henry is super into books right now, so each time we get in the car he gets a book to read.  This week, he started "reading" out loud to himself.  He will flip through the pages and say, "Ga ga ga" and then flip the page and keep going.  It is pretty darn cute.  Like super cute.


4.  Henry is very into applauding himself these days.  If he puts his cup in the cup holder on the high chair, he claps.  If he puts two legos together, clapping.  Gives you a high five, applause.  At night after we read 2 bedtime books (because I have to set a limit), I sing "Sweet Dreams" by Jewel.

The last few days when I start to sing, he starts clapping.  And then he usually applauds for me when I have finished singing as well.

Captive audience.


5.  We visited my dad's office yesterday morning and he has a pretty extensive elephant collection.  As Henry saw each elephant, he tried to make an elephant noise which kind of just results in him spitting.  It's cute and we clap which further promotes him clapping for himself.  At least he won't have poor self-esteem.


Other Henry facts:

-  He says "Papa" every time we go to the office.

-  He is REALLY into Legos.

-  We are working on translating "Grandma" into "Nana" because he can clearly says it.  What's even cuter, the other day we were with my mom and when I asked him to say Nana, he looked right at her, smiled and said, "Nana."  Wrapping her around his little finger.

5 Things Friday

1.  This week was long.  And for some reason, everyone in my house is really tired.  I don't know if it is the weather or what.  I guess it could be that we haven't gotten the temperature right in the house at night, so all three of us are waking up multiple times a night.  Either way, Phil fell asleep yesterday afternoon, Henry fell asleep on the way home last night, and I was in bed at 8.


2.  Joanna and I started trading baby-sitting every month so we each get an opportunity to go on a date with our husbands.  Last month, it was our turn for the date.  This month, it is Joanna's turn.  I am so excited because this means we get to hang out with Braxton!!  As an honorary "Auntie", I want some fun things to do with Braxton.  And maybe Henry will join in as well.  We will only have a couple of hours because we are going to go to church and then to our church's harvest festival.  But you know what looks like fun?  This:

{From HERE}

Or this:

{From HERE}

We might have to wait on the second one though.  I doubt I can keep Henry from putting his paint covered hands in his mouth.


3.  Last week there were 7 birth announcements on my Facebook page.  SEVEN!!  At least.  It might have been more.  When I pointed this out in a status update, someone commented saying "What was happening 9 months ago?  Must have been some good New Year's parties."  I thought that was kind of funny.


4.  Henry had his school pictures Tuesday which OF COURSE means he fell down and scraped his face on Monday.  So we had scraped forehead, wound above the eyebrow, and a scratch on the nose.  If nothing else, it will accurately represent how he looked as a toddler.  A clumsy toddler.

{Oddly enough, you can't see any of his owies in this picture.  

I doubt that will be the case for his school pictures.}

But my fingers are crossed that we can make it through the day without going to the ER or the doctor's office.  It would be the first Friday in 4 weeks.  Fingers crossed real hard.


5.  Here's a random fact about myself:  I kind of hate when things end.  Specifically TV shows and movies.  I LOVE Gilmore Girls.  Own every season.  I have NEVER seen the finale.  I listen to Hocus Pocus religiously in October (mostly while I am getting ready in the morning).  I don't usually listen to the last 15 minutes.  And that's true of most movies.  I have read the entire Harry Potter series at least a half dozen times, except for the final book.  That one I have read twice.  Just one more thing that makes me weird.  :)


Happy Friday!  Here's hoping Henry lets us sleep in tomorrow until 9 like he did last weekend (it was AMAZING).

5 Things Friday

HellOOOOOOOO Friday!


First, I wanted to say WELCOME to any readers from September F A R M!  Hopefully I will keep you sufficiently entertained with this little blog.  I'm not going to lie... I kind of love blogs.  It's like reality T.V. for the internet.  I'm hooked.  Reading.  Writing.  I'm a fan.

Here's this week's 5 pieces of randomness...

1.  Phil and I were driving home the other day and we past a lemonade stand.  We didn't stop, but it did catch our eye.  In addition to lemonade, they were offering KIX cereal and Bud Light.  Did I mention these were like 8 year olds?  I'm pretty sure there are laws against that.

At least per state liquor laws, they were selling food along with their alcohol.


2.  While making dinner tonight, Henry found the oven mitts.  And then he put them on himself.  And then walked around with them on for like 5 minutes.  It was pretty cute.

3.  Tonight during dinner, Henry was in an AWFUL mood.  Something must be bothering him... teeth... stitches... I don't know.  But this isn't his normal self.  Anyway, the only thing he would eat was grapes.  So grapes, he was having.

Until he was done with them.  And then he threw them on the floor.  Taylor and Cotton have gotten very smart since Henry started feeding himself.  During mealtimes, they are right under his highchair (it doesn't help that we had to cut back their food because they were both getting a little extra padding) and grapes are BAD for dogs.

It's something about the skin causing kidney failure.

As can be expected, the second the grapes hit the floor, the dogs were all over it.  I leapt (leaped?) to my feet, yelling a slow motion "NOOOOOOO!!!" and pushed Taylor out of the way before she could get to the forbidden fruit.

Basically I saved her life.

I'm expected her to throw me a parade through the backyard tomorrow.


4.  My new glasses came!  My prescription has changed enough to make me squint almost all of the time and it was really annoying.

{One day I might figure out how to take a decent selfie.  Don't count on it}

As you can see, they are as different as night and later that night.  I really know how to step out of my normal routine.  I actually wanted to get something with a little more substantial frame to it, but I chickened out.  Not to mention these are from Warby Parker and were only $95 including the frames AND lenses.  PLUS they are plastic which means they might be a little more Henry proof.


5.  I was trying to wait until Christmas, but after getting yelled at Wednesday morning I decided I needed to do something nice for myself.  And that meant getting one of these:

{Similar to this one.  But cheaper}

I floated the idea past Phil and he was ALL for it.  He's pretty much for anything that will help me relax.   It was only $25 at Target, so I am pretty sure it was worth it.  He also let me by a bathtub pillow.

My bath was divine.  I read while deep conditioning my hair and doing a mud mask.  And I felt so much better when I got out.  Totally worth it.

Happy weekend!

5 Things Friday

We survived another week!!  That deserve celebration, right there.  A part of me is mostly excited that I actually followed through with my planned meals this week.  It's the little things, right?

Super random list here for you.


1.  Probably most notable this week is that my new iPhone came in the mail.  I decided I wanted to go for the big guy... the 6 plus.  I have been thinking about getting an iPad mini and figured that the 6 plus would allow me to skip that and have my phone and tablet in one.  A phablet.

I pre-ordered my phone on September 12th and the estimated shipping date from Apple was sometime between November 9 and November 27.  So imagine my surprise when it shipped last Saturday.

The phone came Tuesday.

It is huge.

I was a little nervous at first.  The first day at work, everyone just held it and talked about how ridiculous the size was.  Or they talked about how they had read about how ridiculous the size was.

I've now had it two whole days and...  I LOVE IT!

In case you are debating 6 vs. 6+... Phil has put it in his pocket and decided that he will get the 6.  The plus is kind of big and bulking in men's front jean pockets.


2.  Have you heard that Gilmore Girls will be on Netflix starting in October?  Well, it is true!!  It is kind of dumb how excited I was about this considering I own the entire series.  But this way, I won't have to switch disks which is just such a hassle, you know?  #firstworldproblems


3.  I am aware that with ISIS and ebola outbreaks that that last comment about disk switching is insane.  Just wanted to clarify that I am aware.  And it was a joke.


4.  Henry has had a rough couple of days this week.  His last molar is just right under the surface and I know it is bothering him.  His finger has been in his mouth and his poor chin has had a rash all over it.  But the biggest thing I have noticed is that he doesn't really want to be touched.  He won't let me give him kisses or hugs.  I would be lying if I said it wasn't hurting my feelings a little bit.

But then tonight I found this picture from Sunday:

And I remembered the 30 second kiss he gave me at church Saturday night.

And I'm trying to tell myself that he just doesn't feel well.  I don't really want to kiss anyone when my mouth hurts either.


5.  Up until recently, Henry had very little interest in being read to.  He had to be in just the right mood and even then, it only lasted a couple of pages.  But this week, we decided to start adding a bedtime story to the nighttime routine.  And he seems to really like it!

We have been reading 1 or 2 books every night, after jammies right before he lays down.  And since I don't enjoy reading the same 10 books over and OVER and OVER again, Henry and I will be heading to the library this weekend to check out some more books.

I'm excited for multiple reasons.  First, I love libraries.  Second, this will be Henry's first trip to the library.  Phil and I love books and I am hoping Henry will share our feelings.


Have a great weekend!

5 Things Friday: Migraine Edition

So my grand plans to type up my 5 Things Friday last night was thwarted by a migraine.  Nothing like a visual aura and really bad headache to knock you out for the night.  Poor Phil had to deal with me saying things like, "Please don't bang the dishes" and "Don't move the bed, please."

It was a fun night, for sure.  And you know what helps you be productive?  It certainly isn't a migraine.

It's a little better today, but definitely not gone.  I have a feeling the gym is out for lunchtime today.  Pretty much anything other than laying down is out for lunch today.

So in honor of the current state of my head, today's 5 Things Friday are my tips for dealing with a migraine.

It was this or nothing.  I probably should have stuck with nothing.

{Image stolen from the Wall Street Journal}

1.  Take something

Excedrin Migraine works really well, but sometimes I just can't take it.  First of all, we don't have any at our house.  Second, the caffeine has proved to be too much for me.  The last thing I want when I'm dealing with a headache is to be jittery.  Plus my headache came on at 8:30 at night and I like sleep.  Excedrin Back and Body contains the same acetaminophen and aspirin dose as it's migraine counterpart without the caffeine.  Score.

Or if you are like me and foolishly took straight Tylenol thinking it might help and therefore can't take something else containing Tylenol (because I like my liver), I like to throw a dose of Advil in there as well.  It was my saving grace last night.  Took away just enough pain so that I could sleep.


2.  Cold wash clothe

Phil seems to fight me on this one when he gets a headache, but really a cold wash clothe on your temples/eyes/sinuses/forehead is nothing short of magic for headache relief.  Doing this early in the headache process seems to keep it from getting worse (sometimes).  When Phil starts to get his headaches, I usually don't even ask if he wants the wash clothe.  I just get it for him.

When I reached for the wash clothe last night, Phil knew I meant business.  I think until then he thought I just had the aura without the headache (which happens for me sometimes).  Nope.  Not this time.  Lucky me.


3.  Loose hair, no socks

It's amazing what a difference cool feet and no tight hair makes.  Loosen the pony and air out the toes.  Trust me.


4.  Caffeine

I didn't have any caffeine last night (because I wanted to sleep) but you'd better believe I will be having coffee this morning.  In migraines, blood vessels expand and caffeine helps to constrict the blood vessels thereby helping relieve migraines (hence why it is in Excedrin Migraine).  Or vice verse.  Whatever.  It counteracts whatever causes migraines.  That's all you need to know.

I just used hence and thereby in the same sentence.  Can you tell I don't feel well?


5.  Cool, dark, quiet room

Most migraines are made worse by loud sounds, bright lights, and heat.  Let your body cool off and relax as much as possible.  This can't always be helped.  Thankfully last night, my migraine started after Henry had gone to bed.  But if he had been awake, I wouldn't have been able to do the quiet room thing.


And here's a bonus since I know nobody is still reading this...

Avoid migraine triggers as much as possible at all times, but especially right after having one.  Typical triggers include alcohol (especially red wine), chocolate, MSG, dehydration, changes in sleep, hormones (i.e. some birth control), etc.  I am pretty sure mine was caused by the weather change and not eating/drinking enough.


So there you have it.  I'm off to drink more coffee and slowly make my way through the work day.  I hope everyone is feeling well today!

I swear it must be Friday yesterday

Sometimes I wish I could blog about work.

I really can't.

But this week would be a great source of blog material if I could.

Honestly, blogging about work would probably be fine because I'm sure NO ONE would read it.  I mean who really wants to read about an engineer anyway?

Let's just say, it's been a long week, even though it's been a shorter week.  And I've felt that way since yesterday morning.

Since there are still 2 whole work days left in the week, I have decided I need to do a couple of things to make myself feel better and to get through the week.  It's not time for 5 Things Friday, but frankly, it feels like Friday so here it goes.


1.  I need one of these:

PRONTO!

One of the things I love about our house is that it has a nice, big bath tub.  This thing is calling my name!


2.  I'm not going to lie... I couldn't wait until September for my first Pumpkin Spice Latte.  I went ahead and got one last Thursday.  And then my coworker brought one to work for me on Friday.  Then Phil and I split one on Saturday.  I tried to make one at home on Sunday, but forgot to add sugar (kind of an important ingredient).  And then I got another on Tuesday (which was the original plan).

But I kind of want another one.  Like NOW.


3.  Time with this guy:

4.  What cheers you up better than a little retail therapy?  Nothing, that's the answer.  We are going to get family pictures done next March (I like to plan ahead) and I am already thinking about what we will wear for them.  Henry and I have super blue eyes, so blue is obviously a good choice.  But Phil is a fan of earth tones.  So far, I am OBSESSED with this sweater for Henry:

{Sweater from Gap}

If only it weren't $37.  But I am kind of having fun window shopping for the moment and thinking of combinations of outfits for the photos.


5.  Last night, I went to bed early with a cup of hot chocolate, some fleece pants, and a book. It was wonderful.  I'm trying to read through all of the books I have before I buy too many new ones.  The one I am reading right now is kind of weird.  I threw away the book jacket, so I don't know where it is going.  Once I told Phil what was happening with the plot, he suggested I just stop reading.  But now I am just curious what happens.  Only 300 pages left.


When I first started this list, I was a little concerned all 5 things were going to be food related.  Comfort food is fine, but not when it is the ONLY thing.  Then I might have a bit of a problem.

I hope your week is treating you well!

What do you do to relax after a tough day?  I could use all the suggestions you have.

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.

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!

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.

5 Things Friday

Oh Friday...  You are my favorite.  Honestly, Friday evenings are my favorite part of the week.  I think it stems back to my childhood.  Every other Friday night, when my siblings were with their other parents, my parents would take me out to dinner and then we would maybe go to a movie or go home and I'd spend the next 2 hours enjoying TGIF without my brothers or sister bugging me.

For some reason, I also remember doing puzzles while watching TGIF.  I don't know.  Specifically, this one:

{Found HERE}

This evening, we will be at a dog show.  It's pretty much the last one we will do until later this year, so we are hoping Cotton gets some points.

In honor of my love for Fridays, here's this week's 5 random things.


1.  I finally started going back to spin class.  I went to my first class two weeks ago and was thrilled that I didn't die.  It was my first time at a spin class since Labor Day 2012.  I knew it would be painful and it did not disappoint.  So when my coworker/friend asked me to go to a class last weekend, I said, "SURE!"  It was her first class in a while too, so I figured we could be in pain together.

About halfway through the class, I can feel that my face is matching my bright pink workout shirt.  Huffing and puffing, I glance over at my friend, thinking she will also reflect the physical agony I was experiencing.

Nope.

She barely looks like she has been exhorting herself, aside from a tiny bit of sweat at her temples.

Oh well... at least I survived again.  And my fingers are crossed that in the next couple of classes or so, my butt will adjust to the bike seat.  Ouch.



2.  I made tilapia for dinner last night because it was something I knew Henry would eat.  Boy loves his fish.  I felt confident he would easily eat an entire filet like he did last week.

Nope.

Wanted nothing to do with it.  He would, however, eat the pasta I made last week that he wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.

Keeping me on my toes, that's for sure.



3.  In case you were wondering what Cotton thinks about getting his hair blown dry, I think it is pretty clear:

He was thrilled.  As always.

He really needs to win some points this weekend because I am a little tired of blow drying my dog.



4.  It is really hard to be a baby.  It's also really hard to go bra shopping with your mom.  At least Henry thinks so.

He stayed asleep as I took him out of his carseat, brought him inside, and put him on the floor.  Then he slept for another 15 minutes while I got his dinner ready.  Poor baby.



5.  You know I like to talk about my underwear (see HERE and HERE).  The topic of underwear came up the other day with a friend and she mentioned that she wanted to get a set of panties all black that could be worn during a certain time of the month.  I thought that was brilliant!  Honestly, I wear black pants or jeans almost always anyway, so black panties would really be appropriate.  I stole the idea and bought a set of black underwear while Henry and I were bra shopping.  When I told the sales clerk the black pantie idea, she thought it was brilliant  I'm thinking it will be the next big thing.

Not that I didn't have black underwear already.  It just happens to say, "GIMME YOUR CANDY" across the butt.  No joke.

5 Things Friday

A short list of randoms for this wonderful Friday afternoon!  Let's get started, shall we?


1.  Well Phil may have had food poisoning or a stomach virus, but upon further review I don't think it's the same thing I had.  Because my stomach STILL hurts.  Days later.  Like a super dull ache.  I've had it before.  As it turns out, I inherited from my father his wonderful blue eyes, zest for math, and an awful stomach.  I started having problems with it in grad school and it sneaks up every once in a while.  Right when Phil and I got engaged, it flared up from taking Advil.  I think this time, it is stress.  Irregardless, I forgot my Tums today and am paying for it.  I mean, drinking water hurts.  Ugh...


2.  I'm slightly obsessed with the fact that the Real Housewives of the OC is on Hulu Plus.  I may or may not have ditched my Netflix to get Hulu Plus because of it.  Whatever, don't judge.  Or do.  The trashy reality TV made a perfect back drop to my weekend of culinary domesticity.  I am trying to not subject Phil to it very much because I love him.


3.  Cotton has another show next weekend and let's just say our expectations are low.  He went to class last week and acted like he had never been on a leash in his life.  It was downright embarrassing.  And then this week, we couldn't go to class because of our illnesses.  I think we will be doing a little show dog work over the weekend.


4.  I was going to do a dedicated post to this, but am frankly running out of things to list here (as is obvious from the previous 3 on the list) but the weather in the PNW has warmed up enough that we got Hank the Tank a pool!!

Needless to say, he loved it.  I don't know what it is, but pools totally wear the babe out!  We tried putting him in it Monday night while I made dinner, but it just made him even more exhausted come dinner time, so I will never do that again.  The pool is for weekend use only.


5.  I am a picture hoarder on my phone.  Honestly, I had over 1500 pictures on my phone until I finally cleared them off a few weeks ago.  I mean, what if I want to look at a picture of Henry at 3 weeks old randomly at some point?  Or 3 months?  Or 4 months?  Or from that random Tuesday?  But I finally cleared them off.  As I was going through them though, I found this one:

He was about 6 months old here.  We were in Virginia for Phil's Dad's funeral and Thanksgiving.  I grabbed Ed's camera to see if I could figure out how to use it because it was snowing outside.  And in the midst of the sadness, this little guy was being absolutely adorable.  That one had to stay on the phone.



I hope everyone has a great weekend!!  Stay safe and healthy!