Friday Favorites - August 7, 2015

My favorites....I hope you find something new to try and LOVE!!

1. Purex Baby Laundry Detergent

It smells just like Dreft Baby...and it costs $3.97.

Yes, you read it right.....

$3.97.

Do I need to say anything else????

2. Belvita snacks

The Golden Oat Breakfast Biscuits are amazing.  They are so delicious and I can't wait to have some with a cup of hot tea for a mid-morning and afternoon pick up.  I'm always weary of trying new, healthy snacks because they can be pricey and may taste like cardboard....not this one...go for it!

3. Rosé wine

(just to clarify, I spent 30 minutes trying to figure out how to add the hyphen...typical blonde moment)

A friend introduced me to rosé wine this summer.  This article outlines some great choices - Espiral is also a good one.  They are light, refreshing, and not sweet.  A perfect alternative to whites for the summer....and a great one to take into fall!

4. Williams Sonoma Fleur de Sel Hand Soap and Lotion

I confess I want to lather my whole body in this scent everyday.  It's the perfect summer fragrance...maybe I can convince them to make a perfum????

5. Gallery Leather Planner

I am a planner snob...and I love this design.  The Academic version works perfect for me - weekly layout, notes page for every week, and comes in a plethora of colors.  But they do have other layouts and sizes.  Barnes and Noble has a great selection if you don't want to order it online, and they are only $20!!!

Happy Friday, folks!!! Here's to making it through my first week back at work!

I'm still playing catch up from not posting very much during our awesome summer!  So I'll try and capture a little of the fun below...

Family outing to University Mall to hear The Embers....

I hurt my shoulder and have not been able to ski or do PopUp, so I tried running some.  I hate running, but I needed some exercise.  We run to the mall, and normally take an hour break.  This day, I let Emma go in It's Sugar...she begs to go in every time and I finally let her.  She had a blast picking out 3 of every candy she wanted (One for her, one for mommy, and one for daddy)

Emma continues to lover her "baby."  Here she is giving Baby a shoulder ride:)

We had lunch with dad in Raleigh one day.  Emma was not shy at all and had a blast playing in the pharmacy.

Then we headed to see baby Evie...

And topped off a busy day with a trip to Crabtree.  Emma spotted the "rides" a mile away and insisted we blow all our quarters riding them.  She was quite the road rage driver in these pics...and I have no idea where she gets that from...

I've tried to stay true to my goal of less clutter, more organization this summer.  I finally cleaned out my guest room and made it look more like....a guest room.  I don't have a big house, and it's not decorated to the nines.  I wish it was, but it's not:)  It does feel good to have each space more dedicated to a purpose (and not the "catch-all" purpose!).  I wish I had a super nice guest suite for people...and maybe one day I will! (sorry, guests!)

We also did tie-dye....because no childhood summer is complete without it!  It was super easy, and super cheap.  I ended up making more than the ONE white dress I had bought for it for Emma.  After I saw how much dye liquid there was, and how I needed to use it within 45 minutes, I started grabbing every white piece of clothing we owned.  So, I ended up with a t-shirt and tank, and Emma has a long sleeved top and dress.  I think they turned out pretty cool...and I feel a matching tie-dye Insta photo coming soon....

This bookcase was in our hall (and once sat in my childhood room!).  It is a great catch-all when we walk in the house, but it needed paint and some decor.  It's not the exact right size for the space..but it's free and it will do!  I painted it the same color as the walls, so it matches wonderfully.  It really makes the space look a million times better.

One night, Emma and I went to Menchie's and there were some teenage boys there being loud.  Without prompt, she kept making annoyed faces and holding her hands over her ears.  I couldn't help but laugh since one day, she will be one of those loud and annoying teenagers, and she will LOVE boys, I'm sure:)

My friend, Sharon, came to stay with us with her college age son who was moving houses this past weekend.  I loved having the company - she is just so much fun to be with:)  We went out to eat one night on Franklin Street.

Brent is still trucking along on his "castle" (as Emma calls it).  I am hating that it's not finished (no pressure, honey!) but loving that I can finally store things in it!  I can't wait to have my laundry room back:)

We had a birthday party at the Little Gym in Burlington, so I took Emma since Brent had to work that day.  Emma was super shy when we first showed up but quickly opened up.  She loved the bouncy blow up thing (I'm sure it has a technical name...but I have no clue what it was).  This was my first time at such a place, and while the wearing no shoes and walking on sweaty mats and carpet completely creeped me out....it was fun.

I documented Emma's first day back at school this week.  Lucky for us, Brooklyn (our next door neighbor and dear family friends) was walking in at the same time.  These are such precious moments I hope to show them in a few years. I know it made Emma's morning to walk in holding hands, and it sure made mine.

 Brittni and I went out with some other friends for her birthday.  I made us take a picture before we left, because it's about time we had some pictures of us and not just our kids!  I love the Winslow family and am so thankful for them - Happy Birthday, Brittni:)

Our Best Summer yet...

So, I am back at work now....and lamenting that summer has gone by so quickly.  I have laid awake at night, thinking of all the things I wanted to document in this post...how much we have changed as a family these past 2 months, how much fun we have had, and how less stressed we have been.  

And honestly, it makes me so sad to think it is all over now that I have just not wanted to even try and blog about it.  But I am coming to realize that it is not over, and that I can control the way the rest of our days go (to a degree), and that I only work part time (thankfully), so I really do have the best of both worlds......(as I sit here, without Emma, desperately trying to convince myself that is the truth)

I was beyond excited when it became official that I would be off for June and July.  Even though I only work 3 days a week, juggling it all can be very stressful.  Besides maternity leave, I had never had an extended period of time with Emma all to myself.  So naturally, the thought made me cringe a bit at first.  Fears and doubts on whether I could handle it filled my mind....  

Could I survive 24/7 with no breaks?  

Would I find enough fun things for us to do during the day?  

Would I have enough patience?  

Would Emma know how much I adore her and this time together, or will she only remember how frustrated I can get at times?

I know all those thoughts are natural, and so I try not to dwell on them or be too hard on myself.  Now that the 2 months are over, I can look back and see how much we have grown.  

For starters, Emma and I are much closer.  She's still a daddy's girl at heart and when Brent is home, she really clings to him.  But I can tell she loves to do stuff with me, and that was her routine for 2 months.  Every morning, I would get her up and hug her and we would go downstairs for some "chocolate milkie" and Curious George.  I would drink my coffee, catch up on my emails and blogs, and sit snuggled next to her.  It was our time, and I loved it.  

After a show or two, I would head up and get us clothes for the day and we would get dressed for whatever was planned.  Most of the time it was an errand, but I always made it fun.  Sometimes I bribed with a smoothie or her new favorite - Auntie Anne's cinnamon sugar pretzel bites - and we always, always took an entourage with us.  Usually it was Bitty Baby, her carseat, and her toys.  Binkie goes everywhere too...

I would try and make or buy us some sort of healthy lunch, and try and encourage Emma to have rest time on the couch.  I tried her room, but she didn't stay in there well...and I learned early on that she may fall asleep watching TV, so we stuck with that routine.  Sadly, she hasn't fallen asleep watching TV in the past month or so...but at least she's resting and settled.  Thanks to Netflix, we have an influx of kid show selections - currently loving Winne the Pooh, Poppy Cat, Curious George, Driftwood Bay, and Franny's Feet.  

I would start to make dinner around 5:15pm, and Emma would always help.  We also ventured outside to see if the neighbors were home yet, or to wait for daddy.  Some days, this time would be the most challenging...I would anxiously await Brent's return for some kind of help because by 6:45, you are just worn out.  And of course, I kept telling myself to savor it, even if it was frustrating, because there would come a day when I would miss it like crazy (like today).

I probably should have had more structure in our days (and I quickly realized that when Emma went to camp for a week and I had to drag her out of bed every day).  I didn't worry about bedtimes, or staying out late.  We didn't have to go anywhere the next day so it didn't matter.  And I rarely knew what day it was...

The "stress less" me was fabulous.  It felt good - on me, and for everyone.  I could tell that Emma behaved better when I was more patient, more kind.  I enjoyed my only job being to take care of our family.  I think Brent enjoyed having me home to take care of things, and I was much more willing to do spur of the moment plans.  We did more this summer than any other time in our lives.  It was nothing for us to casually pack up last minute and go somewhere.  I loved it:)

So now that I am not 100% at home, I have to find balance again.  I have to maintain that sense of freedom and force myself to slow down, take in every moment, and let other things go.  

For the first time in 3 years, I really see that Emma has changed in the blink of an eye.  She's 3.....THREE!  Next year, she will be 4 and it will be our last year together before school. I die inside thinking of that.  I ache knowing that she will spend more time at school with strangers and people who aren't me than at home.  The thought literally makes me want to quit my job right now, race home and spend every freaking minute with her.  I honestly thought that by this time, I would be happy to return to work.....and that feeling may come in a few days... weeks....sometime.

So if you see me sobbing in my office, or I skip lunch to leave early so I can get Emma, just say a little prayer for me and assure me it will be okay.

Farewell Summer of 2015, and here's to our best fall yet:)