A Few of My Favorite Things

It is one of my favorite days of the year, Oprah's Favorite Things day!  I look forward to this every year and always hoped I would someday be one of the lucky audience members...and although I missed my final chance, it was fun to dream :)  So in honor of this fabulous day, I am doing my own list of a few favorites.  However, unlike Oprah, not all of mine are tangible or able to be purchased in a store...which I think makes them even more valuable.  Some are classics that I've had forever, some are new-found items, and others are well, you'll see.

• My high heel collection, which would be complete with this new addition
• Everything Christmas...cookies, lights, carols, smells, hot chocolate, gift-giving, shopping, the spirit...
• My alone, brainless TV time at night
• Cheryl & Co. Gourmet Cookies
• Coming home to dinner in the crockpot
• Photographs
• Paula Dean's Sausage Balls
• Candles
• My new little blue dress from H&M
• Watching my babies while they sleep...by far, my favorite of the favorites.

What makes your list?

Our Life...Primetime

So if you happened to catch Grey's last night, you got a sneak peek into our life.  The last scene with Meredith and McDreamy was a mirror image of myself and TOH.  As the clock struck 11pm and I crawled into bed, TOH simultaneously crawled out to start his day.  Granted, this is a bit earlier than the usual 2am wake-up time, as he was going to be one of the first to see the new Harry Potter movie at the opening midnight show (obviously a big fan!) before going to work at 3am.  And on a side note, he said it was totally worth it-the movie is awesome. 

~Putting Gaga to bed, yes, for some unknown reason, they call him 'GAGA!'~

Here's to a weekend of everyone getting back to good health!

Me. Me. Me.

'Me' seemed to be the theme of our weekend. Not me personally, but the idea of 'me' for all.  

Example A...Monkey's new favorite phrase...points to herself and says, "me, me, me!" 
Want to squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, her.

...trying to save some of the last few survivors...

Example B...a good friend had her first date night with her husband after recently welcoming their second child...I am having dinner with the girls this week, and TOH and I are looking forward to some Q.T. and date night over Thanksgiving weekend.  My friend and I talked about the wide array of emotions you feel when you leave your little ones to enjoy these times, but at the same time, how important it is to have 'spouse and friend' time.  It's good for you.  I know that when I have that time, I come back a refreshed and happier wife and mom.  That's good for everyone. 

Example C...finally got to see Sex and the City 2 over the weekend and although I didn't find it as impressive as the first, I do have to say that it sure did hit home when it came to the Charlotte story-line (not the nanny part, that's for sure-no nanny in this house!).  And I'm sure many moms can relate (especially those who have been blessed with two girls), as almost every word that came out of Charlotte's mouth reminded me of things that I have said and have wanted to say.  Before I had Bug, another good friend gave me some of the best advice I have ever received.  You need to find some time (which could be 5 minutes or an hour) each day for you.  Not just away from the kids, but away from the husbands, boyfriends, friends, pets, everyone.  Whether you take a walk, a nap, or lock yourself in your bathroom and just sit, you need to be with just y-o-u. And like Charlotte, I love my girls more than I could ever explain, but it sure would be nice to have Carrie's apartment to escape to somedays!  Here's to finding 'me' time today!

So Clutch

Well, with the holidays upon us, I can't seem to get away from 

finding lots of fantastic gift ideas everywhere I look. 

I came across a new blog this week and found a great addition for the 'fun-girls' list for Santa...

if I wasn't already wearing my Christmas gift around my neck, I would definitely be carrying one of these around this holiday season!

not only are they gorgeous on the outside...

 but awesome on the inside as well...

These great little creations are designed by Beegee Bags



Love, love, love them!

Oh How Things Change

Turn back the clock 10 years.  I'm 22.  Starting my senior year of college.  We would go out on 'school' nights sometimes until 2 a.m. and make it to our 8 a.m. class.  We would do it again the next night.  Then there were the weekends...free-for-alls until who knows when in the morning.  Back then I could handle my fair share of drinks...21 shots on my 21st birthday...(I'm still alive mom!)  We would dance, sing, eat, and bounce back like nothing the next day. 

Today.  Mom of two.  Usually in bed by 11.  I go out maybe once a month.  And on those special occasions, it's now usually dinner followed by low-key, able-to-carry-on-conversation types of establishments.  That is, until the girls come to town.  Two good friends came to visit this weekend and the term 'low-key' is not a part of their vocabulary and that is why I love them.  When I gave them our list of options of where we could go..."We want to dance" was their response.  Done.  We started at a fabulous martini bar, enjoyed an amazing dinner in the middle of Fountain Square, had a few random stops along our way that provided some great laughs, and ended the night just like we intended...on the VIP list and dancing.  Only instead of ending the night like we used to 10 years ago (either because the bar was closing or we had consumed over our limit), we had to go home because...number one, our feet hurt to the point that we couldn't stand up any longer and were leaning on the bar like 80-year old women who needed wheelchaired out of the place, and number two, our ears were ringing so much so that we couldn't hear eachother talk nor the doorman ask us if we wanted stamped when we left so that we could come back in.  Really Embarassing, I know.  Did we have a blast-sure did.  Did we feel old-you bet.  Will we do it again-without a doubt.

It's unbelievable what 10 years can do to you.  And although it did make me feel a little down that I am unfortunately getting older and can't hang with the young crew as well anymore, at the same time it made me feel extremely grateful that I still have great company to go out and have so much fun with while having an awesome family to come to, kiss goodnight, and help nurse these sore feet back to normal today!

From Beginning to End

This is how our day began ...

That would be her bookshelf, which I thought she was picking books out to read....ha.

And then a few hours later,

I came out to the kitchen and found her sitting on top of the kitchen table.

(and although my first thought really was 'PICTURE!'...

I took the role of 'good mom, need to give a consequence for this one!)

T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

But thankfully, the day turned around and ended with this...

After soaking up one of the last few days before the snow falls,

we came inside, dove into the treat baskets,

and warmed up with some good old hot chocolate!

Happy Weekend!



Tricks and Treats

We got tricked and we got treats this year.  We'll start with the tricks.  Thanks to the neighborhood high school kids who decided to raid our candy basket (that we so stupidly, I mean 'trustfully', left out on our front porch while we trick-or-treated with friends a few streets over)...we got tricked this year and were left to be the mean, empty house that didn't have any candy for the cute little ghouls and goblins.  Lesson learned the hard way.
(We found this out thanks to our next-door neighbor who does not let a leaf fall without noticing...she watched as they were the 1st visitors to our house and in Bug's favorite words...'swiped us.')  Not gonna lie and say I didn't think about some sort of revenge, but as for now, I'm playing the mature adult...key words being  for now :)  It's a good thing I'm not a teacher at their school....haha.

And now for the treats!


 Loving the pumpkin patch!





Such concentration...



And despite some tricks, there were definitely many more treats...including the best one when Bug got to dress up for dance class this week and all the parents got to go into the room and watch the girls perform a song/dance they had been practicing for us-an awesome treat for sure!