Fall didn't get the memo up here in New York though. Looking at the forecast, temperatures will be in the 80s and hitting even 90 next week. What?!
It did cool down a bit in August, so I was able to try out some new "Fall" items, but I have since been living in shorts and tees again.
Most of all of my tops are from Apricot Lane Boutique. I find the small fits me perfectly!
I love this color combo-- a soft olive green and mauve. I thought the Rebel pendant was perfection.
Scarves are the perfect accessory for this whacky weather. It's chilly in the morning and then as it gets hot, most places have AC running so I find that having a scarf is pretty darn helpful! This dress was a Fabletics purchase.
Joe calls this my lumberjack shirt. I love it! It's super soft and kept me warm when it dipped a bit cooler. The browns and mustard yellow are always a favorite this time of year. I paired it with my Covet Sunday Bag.
I wore white after labor day and paired it with a taupe/blush colored top. I loved how feminine it was! I still adore these Nila Chandelier earrings.
I am adoring the velvet trend, but I say to tread lightly. Don't over do it! I love it on a kimono or a tee. Here I layered it with a white tank from Banana Republic.
I think all of these colors are so chic right now. Dark olives, grey, black, blue jean and a pop of animal print and you can't go wrong.
My friend Ann sent me this and I about died. I'm only 80%, how about you?
I hope that everyone had a nice day yesterday! Hubby was so sweet and made 'my breakfast' of spinach, eggs, tomatoes & feta. I even had a little mimosa to start the day!
We relaxed and took it easy; Joe decided it was time for the kids to have a Power Wheels. We hit up the sidewalks and headed out to the back parking lot. Maiden Voyage!
Here he tried to make it go faster, aka 5 miles an hour. Neither kid liked it!
They love 'balancing' on this log.
He's getting so big.
Behind the scenes, #momlife
I wanted to get a few photos of just the kids and I...
I just love her little grin.
Thanks for the photobomb dad!
"Girls Rule, Boys Drool."
I think I got a few good ones for my mother in law to print off for me haha!
Of course I may have ended with one more little glass of bubbly.
Cheers to all of you who work your tail off each and every day. You put everyone else before yourself, take pride in washing, folding, putting away little pajamas. You clean up countless crumbs and wash off never-ending sticky surfaces. You still find time to love your husband and be a good friend. You shower at 4pm and sometimes forget how nice jeans feel. Cheers to being awesome; no matter what season you're in, I am sure that #momlife is no easy task, but once you're living it, you'd never go back. I'm not going to lie; I got quite emotional looking back at newborn photos wondering where on earth these last 2 & 4 years have gone. Being a mother has certainly challenged me, changed me and for sure has made me a better human being. Such a special task that should never be taken too lightly.
We ended the day with Joe's ribs & grilled asparagus. I also had him grill me up some chicken breasts to eat for lunch all week!
For dessert I made this Tastefully Simple sugar cookie wafter thing---I dont know but it was SO GOOD. Joe wanted to put ice cream & fruit in it.
I was "SORT OF" healthy with some greek yogurt and fruit...omg. Addicting!
February break came at the perfect time this year; the sun came out, the weather warmed a bit and the kids had so much fun on play dates.
We got outside, we went out for lunch, visited friends and Brooke even had a sleepover with her cousin.
Of course with that came germs and so the last few days have been a little, um, trying? I keep reminding myself that they're not throwing up, so it could be worse!! I also remind myself that they're only little once and even though 24-48 hours with one sick kid, let alone 2, seems like an eternity, they will get better, the house will get cleaned and life will resume as normal, hopefully sooner than later!
For now it's been cuddling, wiping noses, drying tears, watching Trolls on repeat, and trying to get them to eat something other than popsicles, pudding and jello. Thank goodness for Blue Hawaiian Punch that hides the flavor of Advil so well.
I was able to sneak in a quick 20 minutes to shower and get dressed yesterday and then Bradley was up. The only way I was able to make the bed was when they watched Trolls, but even then he climbed back up the stairs and said, "Mommmm cuddle pweeease." It's pretty hard to resist that request.
I've been listening to him whine, "Mommy I so sad," which I think he means sick, but he's probably said that over 100 times, no joke.
We watched so much TV the last few days my mind is mush, but what else can you do when they're this little and don't feel well?
Motherhood is a funny thing; we yearn for time away, to not be clung to, hung on, snotty noses wiped on....and yet as soon as we are away, it takes all of us not to rush right back and have them in our arms.
I so badly miss when they were little at times, and yet I love the ages that they are at. However, I catch myself daydreaming of when they're a little bigger and all of the fun traveling, exciting activities and grown up kid stuff we'll endure.
We watched the movie Collateral Beauty Sunday night, after the kids went to bed and we were just exhausted. The fire was going and we sat there in silence, taking in the movie. Love. Time. Death. It was quite a bit heavier than I anticipated, and yet it was just what we needed to watch. We're never promised tomorrow and love certainly does make this world go around. And death? It's a sure thing, it's just that we don't know when.
So as hard or trying as some days can be, and boy there can be some doozies! Just take time and reflect on what brings you joy; what good is in your life and what are you excited about tomorrow?
I was writing in my Style Boss Happiness Planner that I earned with stella & dot and every day you're to write down what you're excited about. Well, the days where I had a date night planned or a fun play date with the kids, those were easy to see what I was excited about!
But what about on a Monday where one has a fever of 101 and the other is coughing and just not quite herself? What can I possibly be excited about?? And that is where my mental attitude needed to shift. I needed to start looking for something to be excited about every day, especially the normal mundane Mondays, because that's what life is mostly made up of. The fancy date nights and super fun play dates are not the every day. That's what makes them so exciting. I realize that I can be excited that I get to be the one taking care of these sick babes and I don't have to call in to anyone and explain my absence.
I get to make homemade 'magic healing soup' for us on a whim.
I get to see my husband in the middle of the day to feed him a quick lunch.
I get to give my babes my (mostly) undivided attention and have no other work I "have to do."
I get to love on them, bathe them, read them stories, cuddle them, and love them.
I get to be their mommy.
That alone should excite me every stinking day.
As we tried to get Brooke to eat her breakfast and Bradley sat crying in his chair and then crying on the couch, "I'm so sad," Joe and I wished each other good luck. He's got his end of the month today, which means his early night of 5pm will not be happening and he'll probably be lucky to get home before 11. He knows I'll be a single spouse for the day into the night, again. I woke up with a runny nose and sore throat myself, so I could use a little luck. Hopefully some rest, tea and fresh juices will kick it.
He then sent me a song after he dropped Brooke at preschool.
If you haven't watched Trolls, I'm not sure what you're waiting for. Don't wait to have kids, just go rent it yourself!! My favorite part is this one and I tear up every time I see it.
My favorite quote,
"Happiness isn’t something you put inside, it’s already there. Sometimes you just need someone to help you find it."
Yesterday I was so busy organizing and working on our taxes, thanks to a little help from my mother in law who played with the kids for the afternoon.
I am loving the extra sunshine around these parts. It may only be in the 30's but when the sun is shining, life is so much better! I feel like Spring is trying so hard to come out and play.
I forgot to share a few blurry pictures from our Valentine's night.
The boys loved their cupcakes!
Last week I took the kids to an indoor play cafe and we had fun! It was nice to let them run and have free reign of the whole area. It's amazing how much they've grown in the past few months.
There was a little kinetic sand table that they enjoyed.
Water play was a little wet, but they really loved it.
His hair was at the point where we really needed to cut it.
Little dude looked like an 80's hair band lead singer.
They split the most perfect grilled cheese sandwich and sat so well; I was super impressed!
Friday morning we headed to breakfast at a little diner, and since little man was all over the place, I said let's just do it. Let's go get his haircut!!
So we did.
I'll spare you all the screaming and crying videos/photos, but the after photos are priceless.
SO MUCH HAIR!!
Our little stud muffin.
Saturday brought warm weather and we took a little trip out for a trunk show; it was great that I could reconnect with my old babysitter, the kids played with a new little friend and I was able to work my biz!
Sunday was still pretty nice out, so they played on the back deck for a bit.
After naps I took them to a small playground, but it started to get chilly and windy pretty fast.
He of course found the puddles to jump and splash in.
It makes me wish Spring and Summer would hurry!
February always bring forth a bit of a funk for me; I wish I recognized it sooner, but unfortunately sometimes you just go and go and go, until you hit a wall. I think it's a combination of the lack of sunshine, cold weather and just being cooped up.
I realized we haven't had many date nights scheduled and we seem to work a lot; and although we both enjoy working and it's fun to us, it's time to prioritize and put some real relaxation and time into us. Plus having a two year old and a four year old doesn't always leave a lot of room for adult only conversations and such. It's a big old balance with everything, but you have got to find what matters most and work on that.
Next year I told Joe that we will book a vacation to some place warm for February break. I don't care where, but we need to get out of town! We are currently trying to find a place to stay in July, as we'd like to go to the ADK mountains again. We stayed at a hotel both times before and were interested in trying a house, but I think we may have missed the boat on that one. Most places are all booked up it seems! I'm sure it will all work out, but this family of four needs some family time and to get away; it's been 2 years come July since we did that.
We had a such a good little weekend!! I brought up this table my mom had bought the kids last year for Christmas, and the kids are loving it. Brooke even said, "It's like a new house." It's funny how one little change can really make such a difference.
Friday we had a mommy/daughter morning. I had to get my brows done and she loves coming with me.
Don't you just love her little shirt my friend Rachel made?
After my brow appointment we stopped at Barnes and Noble. She had her eye on a cookie brownie and some chocolate milk.
As we sipped our drinks, we talked about who "all these guys were" and then the whole concept of heaven came up. Not exactly easy to explain to a 4 year old, but it's one of those mommy moments where I will remember this conversation and little date forever.
I picked up a book for the kids and these two for myself. I've started them both and really like them! I was shocked to see a Think and Grow Rich for Women, as I have been dutifully listening to the original one lately and was kind of laughing at how it is kind of sexist. However since I am not a #feminist, I don't take offense. I understand that during the time in which this written, it's just the way things where. However, it was refreshing to see that someone took the time to take the amazing information presented in this classic, and put a feminine twist to it. Men and women are different and I look forward to reading this one for sure!
Present over Perfect has been on my list forever, but I finally had the real urge to buy it. I've gotten about 60 pages into it and can definitely relate to some of the things she mentions, but at the same time I think since I met Joe, I have done a much better job at living in the moment and not rushing through life. He taught me since our first date to enjoy every moment together and that even though life may not be perfect, we can always be looking for the good in all things...
More to come on these; I will give more of a review!
Saturday brought laser tag, which I will fully admit I wasn't exactly looking forward to. We were invited to a birthday party for one of the guys Joe works with, and I definitely looked forward to seeing everyone and hanging out. I envisioned myself getting shot and then sitting out right away. I have never been the girl who wanted to play; I remember sitting out during these games many times when I was younger. But this is my year of "yes" and well, back to Joe, he always pushes me to try new things.
I. Had. A. BALL!!!
I couldn't believe how fun it was to chase people and shoot with lasers!! I was so out of breath and really sweaty, I can't imagine how many calories I burned! LOL
If you have laser tag in your area, you must go do it.
We also signed up for a game of Cyber Sport which was riding around in a bumper car thing and then trying to shoot and score with a lacrosse type of equipment. Hilarious!
It was such a fun night out with friends and just being with adults!
Sunday morning brought yummy breakfasts...hubby gets his in bed.
After breakfast I slipped back under the covers for a few minutes. I tried to watch Food Network, but the next thing I knew, Bradley boo came back in and wanted to watch Scooby Do
We did watch this as a family and oh my gosh, it's so good!! The kids and Joe have watched it like 3 other times and Brooke claims it is her favorite movie. I just loved the themes...no one can make you happy; happiness is a choice and it lies within ourselves.
Kids played with some play-doh at their table while dinner cooked in the slow cooker.
The fire was going all day and I really didn't do much at all, which is why I have so much laundry and cleaning to catch up on for today...
But again, this book kind of highlights where we as mommas especially, need to slow down. I tried not to "fake rest" too much. That's right. You know where you say you're relaxing, but really you're still doing the dishes, folding the laundry, cleaning up after the kids....that is not resting. It's what we have to do in the stage we are at (needy kids at 2 & 4) but once in while we really. really. really. need to rest.
I'm looking for a good fiction book recommendation, anyone have any?
