Five on Friday: The Random Edition

This Friday I'm linking up with the Good Life Blog and the rest of her Five on Friday crew for a list of five things that are on my mind this week. I've got a whole lot of random going on.

::1:: Gilmore Girls
For years I've heard people talk about the Gilmore Girls, a show that originated right smack in the middle of my college years, the year 2000. I didn't watch much TV in college, not to sound like some sanctimonious academic, but just because I was busy with other things which occasionally included studying. Well, they're now on Netflix, so I've been working my way through them. I'm part way through season 2. I feel kinda meh about the whole thing but just cannot avert my eyes. What are you doing to me Gilmore Girls? Sidenote: I only watch when I'm ironing. We currently have a lot of nicely pressed clothes in our closets.

::2:: Kate Spade for Gap Kids
Kate Spade and Gap Kids have a cute collaboration that came out yesterday. I can't justify spending over $100 on a toddler coat, but gosh, that bow is adorable. Some items are already sold out, so shop quickly.

bow dress	bow coat

::3:: Big Little Lies

I flew through Big Little Lies a couple of weeks ago. The Moriarty books I've read so far seem quite a bit like a soap opera, completely with twisted relationships, somewhat outlandish happenings, from the viewpoint of someone in my stage of life: raising kids, some working, some SAH moms. BLL is a comedic thriller, if a book can be such. It held my attention well, and I was captivated to the point of not skipping to the end for a spoiler. (That rarely happens for me.) It reads like a movie, and in fact, Nicole and Reese have optioned the rights.

::4:: Pure Barre OcTUCKber Challenge

I finished the Pure Barre 20 in 30 challenge on Wednesday of this week! I think last year I was done by the 22nd. This year it took until the 29th. I'm still pleased that I got it done and am hoping to keep up the same record for November since the big eating holidays are upon us.


::5:: True Confession

I bought candy to pass out to trick or treaters on Monday during my weekly grocery store trip. I should've waited to buy candy on Thursday night, because that's where I was last night at 9 PM after we finished off Monday's stash. Good thing I've been doing the Pure Barre hustle.

Happy Halloween!

It's a Pumpkin Party!

Tuesday night we had a pumpkin party! My grandmother had given the kids a pumpkin and told them they could carve it into a jack-o'-lantern with their parents. So, thanks for that, Grannie!


All joking aside, it was a great family activity (I know, groundbreaking information here on an activity people have been doing forever), and it made the kids super happy. I loved that all I had to do was trace the face on and find a candle, while Mr. G took care of the actual carving. I was the kid in elementary school who didn't even like to get glue on her fingers, so pumpkin guts are not necessarily my bag, although I was willing for these kiddos.


To make it a little more festive, I stopped by Bluebonnet Bakery and grabbed some Halloween goodies. They've been drinking out of those cute jack-o'-lantern cups for the past couple of weeks. A Target impulse buy--you understand. Same with the $1 pumpkin napkins.


After they got restless during the pumpkin carving, I turned on It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Even if the kids don't remember it, Mr. G and I made a great memory with them. And now, we've got an awesome jack-o'-lantern for our porch Friday night!

Weekending

It's halfway through the week, so why not recap the weekend?


My Fighter Pilot and Little Red Riding Hood
Friday, the kids and I kicked off our weeklong Halloween celebration with Boo at the Zoo at the Fort Worth Zoo. It was a gorgeous morning to be outside, and I thought everything was so well run this year. We arrived right at 10, parked fairly close, and there was no line to pick up our Boo at the Zoo candy tickets. (Last year was a different scene.) We made our usual circuit and stopped by for a fun craft and some trick or treating. Annabelle caught on to trick or treating quickly and continues to say it to me throughout the day, expecting candy. I'm excited for Halloween night!

the craft pavilion	trick or treating

That evening, we left the kiddos in the capable hands of their grandparents and had a date night. We did some shopping: new jeans for him, new coat (browsing) for me.

Saturday we had no soccer, so I spent the morning at Pure Barre and running kid-free errands around town while they were still in grandparent hands. Then I took a great nap on the couch! We rounded out the day with Mexican food with my parents at suppertime.

We had church Sunday morning where I was busy with Pinterest ticket sales. That's coming up on November 8th! And Sunday afternoon, I made my way to Lululemon to claim my Lululemon Experience prize pack. Yes! I won the contest thanks to your voting, so thank you very much! I'm posting the details next week.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

State Fair of Texas 2014

A few weeks ago I posted about the State Fair over at Fort Worth Moms Blog, and in doing so, it prompted my husband and I to load up the kids for a mid-week trip.

I didn't grow up going to the fair each year, and who knows if we'll go every year with the kids, but it's fun for now. We went on Wednesday, which was the canned food drive day. With 3 canned goods, you got in for $3 a piece.

The highlight of the trip for Jack was the Children's Barnyard. Annabelle was pretty "meh" about the whole thing. I don't think we'll be signing her up for 4-H anytime soon.


The best part for me was the food. We had the fried gulf shrimp boil along with a Fletcher's corn dog. Our past two visits, we've eaten a funnel cake right before we left for the day. I'm documenting it here for longevity's sake to say that we need to eat that earlier in the day. With the temperatures soaring into the mid-90s, it was too hot at 2 PM to properly enjoy a funnel cake. Speaking of which: Dallas, it's too hot for scarves at the State Fair. You look darling, but your makeup is running. (Mine was also running--even without a scarf!)

So far I haven't brought out my scarves. I'm sweating just thinking about it. Are you an early scarf-wearer?

Weekending & and a Request!

I'm looking forward to this week to rest up from the weekend!

Friday evening, my in-laws came into town to overnight and watch our little guy's soccer game. He had team pictures beforehand, which meant loading everyone up and getting there about 45 minutes before the game began. I don't know about your house, but when we have to be somewhere on Saturday, every single minute is precious. It always feels rushed, even when we know we got up in plenty of time. Such a weird phenomenon. The same thing happens on Sundays too.

After pics, the game, and lunch at Cracker Barrel, Mr. G's parents headed back home. We ran home and put the kids down for naps. I had my fingers crossed that they would sleep really well since we had family photos that evening. All I wanted was one good shot of the two of them at least looking pleasant. According to the sneak our photog sent, we got at least one great one. Early Merry Christmas to me!

Seeing as we had bribed them with any number of things for success, we finally landed on pizza and snow cones after we were finished. Family photos are in the books.


Sunday was also a busy day. We were up early to help set up a breakfast in the student ministry for our Associate Student Minister (and friend!) who has been called to another church as their Student Pastor. We are excited for him and his wife, but sad for us. That's life in a Baptist seminary town. We have a steady rotation of amazing people with great hearts for the Lord and vision for His work, and then they move on to where God calls them. We wouldn't have it any other way, but it's bittersweet. We especially love the Morrows.

But now it's Monday, and I need your help. Lululemon Fort Worth is hosting a contest to win a Lululemon Experience, and I'm in the running. Would you help me win? I need your vote!

There are two steps for your vote to count.

• Step 1: Like my picture here.
• Step 2: Like Lululemon Athletica Fort Worth's Facebook page which I'm linking to right here. They typically post occasional product pics or motivating phrases regarding an active lifestyle.

You must like my pic PLUS like their page for the vote to count. The contest runs through this coming Friday at 11:59 PM.

Please vote for me! You're the best!

The Return of the Five on Friday

I'm linking up today with The Good Life Blog for Five on Friday!

My husband has been out of town since Monday morning. Thankfully, I've had a little help and a little adult conversation throughout the week to get me to 10 PM last night when he finally arrived safely back home. I'm so tired of hearing my own voice correcting, re-tucking children back into bed, deciding how many bites must be eaten before the meal is over, and on and on. I need my guy, and these babies need their dad!

Lacking a transition, let's dive into my five.

::1:: The Husband's Secret
While we were on our road trip last week, I read Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret (synopsis here). I thought it got off to a long, boring start, and I skimmed several pages until it got good. Even the rule follower in me was like: "Yes, girl, amen. Skip those pages and get on with this." I thought it was entertaining, but not as good as What Alice Forgot. Today I'll download Big Little Lies for free from the Fort Worth Library Digital Library. Thanks, tax dollars!


::2:: Scandal Collection at The Limited
I tried on The Limited's Scandal/Olivia Pope collection a couple of weeks ago. This coat is beautiful, but I think it's a bit overpriced for the quality. The one I tried on already had a run in the collar. The salesgirl blew it off as someone's wedding ring probably snagged it. I didn't think that was a good sales tactic. You should check it out if you're a fan of the show. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been in The Limited, and this was a great way to get me back in there. Well played, The Limited.

::3:: Pure Barre OcTUCKber Challenge
Right now I'm participating in a 20 in 30 day challenge at Pure Barre. If you go 20 times in the month of October, you qualify for some sort of prize or class package discount. The tuck in "OcTUCKber" refers to a neutral spine position in PB vernacular. There are sticker charts at Pure Barre to track our attendance. When you're there, you put a gold star by your name. It's motivating for 3 year olds, as well as 30+ year olds.


::4:: In Search of the Great Pumpkin
I really want to take the kids to a pumpkin patch this year, but this weather! It was in the high 90s on Tuesday. Fort Worth Moms Blog has a great round up of pumpkin fun for your family if you live in this area.

::5:: Early Christmas Shopping
I've bought 3 Christmas gifts already, and it's only October 10th. This has never happened before in my life. It feels a little strange, like I should be picking out Christmas wrapping paper or something. I'm afraid I'll put them somewhere, then forget about them. The most likely scenario is that I'll remember them, but not where I put them.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Weekending

This past weekend, after soccer practice on Friday and a game Saturday morning, we headed west to my cousin's wedding in Christoval. It's a small, small town right outside of San Angelo, which is where we overnighted.

God provided them with a stunning Lone Star State evening. The weather was perfection for an outdoor wedding. The ceremony and reception were tucked under some tall trees by a small river, there were plenty of "Christmas lights" as Jack called them, the BBQ was great, and I even got a turn about the dance floor with both of my babies.


This was probably our 5th or 6th road trip since Annabelle was born. Both of our kids are fairly flexible, although sister has to be very, very tired to fall asleep in her carseat. She and I shared a bed, but really, it's incredible how much territory such a small person can take up in a queen bed. We had the pack 'n play. Next time she'll be sleeping in it.


We had a fairly uneventful ride home. On our way, we passed through a couple of those crazy looking west Texas wind farms. It feels like you're on a completely different planet.

The weekend came to a crashing end Sunday evening when my little guy took a tumble backwards into the coffee table and bumped his head. I called our neighbors (they are both nurses) for triage, and it was determined that he would need staples or stitches. After trying to decide between ER or urgent care, Jack and I jumped in the car and headed to a new pediatric urgent care clinic where we were seen immediately and given 5 staples, along with a light-up spinning prize thing, some apple juice, a sticker, and a sucker. (Those last 4 are the things he remembers most about the incident.) He was such a trooper, bless his poor heart. He woke this morning like nothing had happened. His resilience is amazing.

We spent the rest of the night trying to bring it back down a notch to normal around our home. Maybe by Friday we'll find whatever our normal is.