Mommy Monday: Weekending

I mentioned in my last post that the weather was cooling down here and that meant we'd be able to get out with Lil' H. Welp, the weather did get cooler and we did make it out! We spent the afternoon on Saturday taking advantage of our membership to the Dallas Arboretum.

And thus, dear readers, begins our weekend recap in pics:

Just getting into the Arboretum. Little bit bright for our boy.

Checking out some fishies. Yes, those are martians on Henry's socks.

I laugh when I see this sculpture now, because all I can think of is it being a little bit... "Orange Is The New Black" if you catch my drift ;)

Henry didn't want to participate in our family selfie

All the babies loved the fishies!

They were prepping their annual fall pumpkin display. You better believe we'll be back for that!

Henry wasn't sure about the frog fountains. I think he was scared daddy would get him wet.

My tall husband ducking to not get wet at the frog fountains

After we were done at the Arboretum, we headed over to Good Friend for some craft brews, fried pickles and burgers.

Baby at a bar

Dancing baby at a bar... Because FRIED PICKLES

I can't tell you how nice it was to spend some time outside with Henry! What did you all do over the weekend?

I'm linking up with the lovely B Loved Boston for her Monday Weekending party, and also with Leslyn's Lovely Life for Mama Monday! Make sure to check them out.

High Five for {you guessed it} Friday!

Hey readers and friends, it's the weekend. Not only that, it's a cool weekend (cool defined as mid-80's here in Tejas) and that means we'll be able to do some fun things outside this weekend. Whoop! Patio dinners, maybe a trip to the Dallas Arboretum or the zoo... The possibilities are endless when you're not confined to a 2,000 square foot space.

Not only am I jumping for joy over the cool-down, this week was a pretty darn good one to boot. Here are the highlights:

1) I took a step back from excessive blogging to get out and enjoy some real-world activities. I love the blogging community, and it's been a sanity-saver for this SAHM, but it was starting to become a bit too consuming and I needed to get out and see some real life people and do real life things, ya know? So I got together with some lovelies and we spent the afternoon creating a fall garland.

Fall garland: we dipped leaves in wax, then gave them a solid coat of glitter. In fact, Henry is still covered in it!. So. Much. Glitter.

2) In yet another episode of Target Style fail, they don't carry size 32 bras! I was hoping to pick up a few cheap "transitional" braziers (still really, really hoping the girls go back to their original size!) but dang Target doesn't carry one single 32 inch bra. So I went to Victoria's Secret because I know they have my size... And I was for sure the oldest person in that store. I felt like a creeper. With a baby. Then I just thought it was hilarious because Henry randomly started laughing at all the lip gloss they have at the register. Like, all out hysterical baby laughing. It was amazing.

3) Ever heard of eShakti? Yeah, I hadn't either until they reached out to me to review a custom made dress they so kindly offered to make me. I got to pick it out and customize it, and just got it in the mail. Special post next week coming on how to style the dress as we transition to fall along with some deets and special offers from the company!

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw this sneak peek of my chambray, 1940's inspired dress

4) My husband did my ironing. No further explanation needed here.

5) I also finished my fall wreath in my mini-vacay from my blog. I'm going to add a few more leaves to it to make it a bit fuller, but here's the gist of how she turned out:

Fall wreath: 90% completed

  
In extra special news, check out my ad that just went live over at The Lauren Elizabeth! Click her  button (first one posted) to take you directly there:

 

What Capsule Wardrobe?

The other day, a friend texted me and asked me if I'd do a capsule wardrobe, as she had seen this thing all over the blogsphere and wanted to know if I was going to get in on that action.

I'll admit: I had to google it. And when I read through the concept, I had a good, long, hard laugh.

The cliff notes version of a capsule wardrobe is to get 33 items (shirts, pants, shoes, etc) and mix and match them to create outfits. You supposedly do this for every season, and it helps to prevent you from over-shopping.

See why I laughed? I got 99 problems but over-shopping aint one.

Anyway, I got to thinking: Do I even have 33 items (non-maternity, non-workout wear) in my closet?! Not for every season, I mean AT ALL? The answer was a big fat N-O. Isn't that crazy? And a lot of the stuff I did have was from my undergrad (ten years ago) to grad school (five years ago) days.

"Babe, can I have a budget to get some new clothes?!" I asked my husband desperately. "Sure, get whatever you want. As long as you look cute :)" Was my hubs text reply. Can we all just give this man a round of applause right now?

I started to shop online, but thought it was time to head out and actually try things on for once. So I packed up my little man and rolled out to my own personal hell on earth - a shopping mall. I parked by Nordstom, so logically my excursion began there. Except... Their stuff was not my style, although I know it's super stylish. I saw some Calvin Klein dresses that were fantastic, but let's get serious, I'm not going anywhere that would require me to be that fancy. "Welp, I tried to veer from the norm and it was a big ol FAIL!" I thought as I headed right on over to my main squeeze, J Crew.

Cardigan and jeans: J Crew; shoes: Vera Wang; watch: Michael Kors; necklace: Mark & Graham

You know what's lovely about my Crew? They have a stylist in-store to work with you. I told her I wanted some new jeans for what will hopefully, eventually be fall here in the hottest state on earth Texas. Boyfriend jeans were everywhere, so she grabbed me no fewer than 20 pairs to try on. Now, I'm a tall, slender person. But I particularly have NO thighs. So these curvy cut pants just looked absolutely d-u-m-b on me. Until I tried these (couldn't find online, similar here). I spent a small fortune on them, but ohmygosh are they broken in and comfy!

Jeans: J Crew Point Sur denim; shirt: J Crew; shoes: BCBG; necklace: street vendor in New Orleans. Yup.

They're still a boyfriend shape, but a more slender cut so I don't look completely homeless. I picked up a few tissue t-shirts, since they're my fav and so wearable for a SAHM. I also found a cardigan for the three months a year it is sweater weather here. Then I decided to get some pants that were more my typical style, and was pleased as punch when these had a decent inseam length for the beanpoles I call legs.

Jeans: J Crew Point Sur denim; shirt: J Crew; heels: Guess; scarf: another drunk purchase off a street vendor in NOLA. I mean, you can walk around with cocktails in that city, how am I supposed to remember where I made purchases?!

I'm still trying to figure out how to best style the boyfriend jeans. Since they're baggier, I think they need a fitted top and girly accessories. I have styling the dark matchstick jeans down, since most of my clothes are longer cardigans that will go great with it. With these new additions to my wardrobe, I don't feel as dated or frumpy and you'll be happy to hear (you know, if you care at all, and it's totally cool if you don't) that I now indeed own 33 items in my closet. The best part for me though? The part that made this whole mall experience well worth it? I was buying my pre-pregnancy size. Hell. Yes.

Do you wear boyfriend jeans? If so, how do you style them? What about this capsule wardrobe concept - will you be participating in it for the upcoming fall/winter seasons? Tell me all about it!

Mommy Monday: Ahhhh, Teething

Right when you think you've exited the "bad newborn baby" stage and entered brighter pastures, something happens: your young'un starts to grow some teeth.

I was able to snap this selfie before Henry drooled all over himself on football Saturday. Bibs are our new friend.

We're in the early phase, where the tooth is starting to come up through the bone. But poor Lil' H is suffering from the tell-tale signs. Some are quite miserable for him; some are quite a bummer for mama.

The poor boy is chewing on his hands nonstop (he only wants his hands - wont take teethers, chew toys, anything), drooling like a champ, developed extreme diaper rash and has several, massive, runny diaper blowouts per day (which make the diaper rash worse). Poor baby!

Burt's Bees diaper ointment has been a lifesaver for Henry's poor bottom during this unfortunate time. It was also recommended to us to put a blanket down outside and let him hang out for a while to let everything "air out." Outside of that, offering teething toys and wearing an amber necklace is about all we have on our offensive line for teething.

 

What have you done to help your poor mini-me during the teething stage? How long can we expect this to last? Any tips, tricks or helpful information is much appreciated! We head to his four month appointment next week, where I'm sure I'll learn everything I've been doing is "all wrong" but in the interim, I'll do whatever works and take any and all advice from my fellow mama's or ladies who care for little ones!

High Five for Friday!

A nice short week and my hubs is coming home from a work trip to NYC? This Friday is dabombdotcom! Henry and I had a fun week together, just the two of us, but we're both pretty ready for daddy to be back so that he can help mommy with diaper duty.

So many diapers, y'all.

Enough of that, let's jump right on in to the best and brightest five moments of the week, shall we?

1) If you read this post about my love for all things fall and Halloween (ummm, k, mostly just Halloween) then you know that I'm working on some fall-inspired crafts. I picked up a few items for a wreath this week, and plan to get the rest this weekend/early next week. I had to fight my inner demons to stay away from the Halloween stuff and stick to fall... Pun intended.

Clearly, nothing pictured here looks anything like my "inspiration" post. Oh well, that's the fun of crafting!

2) Since Henry can now hold his own head up, I got a Bumbo floor seat. He's still a little shaky in it, but soon I'll be able to have him sit in the kitchen with me while I cook! Yes, I plan on teaching my son how to cook. To all his future girlfriends, you're welcome.

3) I was en route to a yoga class on Labor Day, then realized that my nail salon was actually open. With daddy watching Henry, you bet I side-lined the workout and bee-lined to the salon to get my nails fixed! (You know what it's like when your feet are so rough, they catch on the sheets? Yeah. That was me...)

This may be the first time that my yoga pants are brighter than my manicure!

4) I've started back up with circuit training and weight lifting classes. Holymoly, how quickly do muscles disappear?! You know the kind of sore where it's hard to get down to the toilet seat?! Yeah. It hurts so good. #ouchies

5) Good news: I've lost more baby bulge! YAY. Bad news: this dress, that I JUST bought and only wore to take this pic (I didn't end up flying in it) is now too big. Soooo bummed! I'm thinking of selling it - $25 shipped (retailed for $150, I bought it for $50). Any takers? J Crew size 4. Holler in the comments or send me an email if you're interested!

I hope everyone had rockin' weeks and will have an even better weekend! Make sure to kill more of your workday checking out these lovely ladies' blogs I link up with every Friday:

Fall Preparations: Favorite Craft Ideas

I'm a Halloween fanatic. I've stated that before. Normally, I skip right over more traditional "fall" stuff and jump right into decorating for Halloween. I mean, skulls are just way more interesting than leaves for a conversation piece, amiritetho?!

This year, I've decided to focus a bit more on the "fall" and less on the guts and gore-awesomeness that is Halloween. At least, until the end of September. Then I make no promises.

Anyway, I was trolling Pinterest over the past week for some fun fall craft ideas. I've always been crafty, and since I now stay at home, I plan on busting out some DIY magic to get our home ready for the season change (I'm just going to ignore that it's currently 104 outside...)

Here are some of my favorite fall-themed craft ideas I want to implement this year:
 

I like how the leaves make this fall wreath slightly less formal

This would work with gourds or pumpkins, and I love how the nuts adds texture

I love the idea of working with berries... But I also know that mold is a legit concern!

I like the mix of glass and wood, and the variety of colors used here.

Of course, these are just starting points! My crafts rarely look like the original idea/inspiration. We have a cute front porch that I want to do something with, too, so I'm keeping an eye out for outdoor decoration ideas. Do you have any fall craftiness planned?

*All images are from Pinterest, and sources/websites can be found on my page

Mommy Tuesday: Finding Our Groove

I've been pretty upfront with the struggles of motherhood on this here blog of mine.

From my posts on breastfeeding to lack of sleep to feeling frumpy nonstop to weight loss struggles, becoming a new mom has been challenging at best. If you're one of those lucky ladies who found their groove with new-mommydom right away, good for you. Maybe I'm a bit slower on the learning curve, but it took me three months a good, long minute to really start to enjoy myself.

Looking back on when Henry was a brand-new-born is bittersweet. He was so tiny and those moments were precious; but I would not return to the newborn phase if you paid me lots and lots of money. I was exhausted and my nipples hurt and my abs weren't in the same place and I didn't know what Henry wanted when he cried and I wanted to take our dogs to a shelter because caring for them was nearly too much and I was Just. So. Tired.

Now, motherhood is a completely different story! It's enjoyable. I know what Henry wants before he even starts to fuss for it because we have a nice little routine going. He coo's and "talks" and responds as opposed to just lying there with all kinds of needs. Mornings are the absolute best, because this little guy is always in a good mood, and we play and talk together as I sip my coffee.

Morning giggles in our jammies

The dogs have adjusted to having a baby in the house too, and are back to their normal, well behaved selves. Henry has just started to notice the dogs, and I can't wait to see them play together!

A lot of "mommy blogs" fall into two categories: the "It's All Sunshine and Rainbows" camp where they only share all the lovely, wonderful parts of motherhood. Their children are always well dressed and their lipstick is always on. Yeah, right! Or the "Scary Mommy" camp, where they jokingly complain about all the terrible parts... But they complain nonstop. From vomit to diper-blow outs, they make being a mom sound like a nightmare! Also not true. My goal for Mommy Monday posts was to be as real as possible, and share the struggles along with the bright spots.

Henry has gotten good at afternoon naps while mommy blogs

Well, the newborn phase certainly had many, many struggles for me, but I'm so happy that Lil' H and I have found our groove, and the vast majority of days are indeed full of sunshine, rainbows and butterflies these days.

I'm going to enjoy it while I can because those "terrible two's" are going to come up quick!

"Oh, me? No way, I could never be a terrible two year old!"