Five for Five Friday!

Jaelan tagged me in a Five for Five post... So I thought, hey! This works for a Friday, since I'm all about the "five things" on Fridays. It's a fun "getting to know the blogger" game.

Here are the questions she sent:

1) What food is your all time favorite?
I only get one? Nooooooo! I'm a lover of food, and a self-proclaimed snobby foodie. But if I only get one, I'll go with cheese. Not that American Kraft singles crap; no no, a good, aged, smelly cheese. Yesssssss.

2) Your favorite dessert?
Don't hate me... But I really don't like sugar. I'm not just saying that! Sugar to me tastes like food that has been over salted to you. But since we're talking about sugar, I guess I'll go with wine (in the form of alcohol sugars!) No sweet wine - yuck! - dry wine. Red in the winter and white in the summer. Mmmmm!

3) What would you train for if you had a free day?
Does this mean "if I had time to train for something" or "if you could spend your day doing something physical"? Honestly, I'm not looking to "train" for anything right now! I've done full and half marathons and endless 10k's and five miler road races. I mentioned it here before, but right now, I'm not into running at all. If this meant the latter, then I'd play on my yoga mat all day, hopefully at an awesome workshop with other yogis!

4) What is your favorite piece of training equipment?
Currently, my yoga mat! I've never been into high tech stuff that spit out stats at you. When I do run, I like to crank tunes and space out, not listen to how well I am or am not preforming. So... an iPhone?

5) Something you are grateful for right NOW!
My handsome husband, ADORABLE son, and cute lil' doggies!


 I hope that was a fun read that amused you while you're Black Friday shopping, or turkey detoxing, or hanging with your family!

I'm linking up with Lauren, one of the few folks posting on this Black Friday!

Ways to Stay Active During the Holidays

The biggest feast of the year is tomorrow! You're either dancing a jig and drooling at the thought of all the goodies you're going to dig into, or cringing at the thought of what it will do to your waistline. Perhaps both.

Regardless of your stance on holiday binge eating feasting, we all know it's important to stay as active as possible. But with the travel, and staying with family, and a schedule that's tossed right out the window, sometimes that seems impossible. Not so! I remain active on all vacations and trips to visit family. Here are a few helpful hints I employ to keep my body moving and my mind sane.

One -- Pack like you're planning to move your body! If you don't bring your sneaks, you definitely won't be moving. Bring appropriate shoes and clothing to get a walk or a run in, whether it's outside, on your granny's treadmill or at the gym your family belongs to. You can't use this as an excuse to lounge on the couch eating three extra helpings of cookies if you indeed came prepared.

Two -- Actually get out there! If your family likes to get the party started early with morning mimosas, wake up a half hour early. Not only will getting your blood flowing and heart pumping feel good, your mind will benefit as well, giving you more stamina to converse with Aunt Jane about why you're still single. For the tenth time in two days. Taking that half hour for yourself is a great physical and mental break from the stress of the holidays!

Three -- Make it a bonding experience! Maybe you've never really talked to your cousin Vinny before, but you know he likes to run. Set up a time to go with him. My sister and I always go to yoga together when she comes to visit me. Perhaps you could explore a new studio by taking a drop-in class with your mom. If you're a social exerciser, this is a great way to spend time with your family! And far more healthy than slitting a second piece of pecan pie with that person.

Four -- Pack light weights! If it's too cold to get outside, there's no family treadmill, and nobody in your family enjoys being active, pack some light weights and do a HIIT or interval training workout in your room. These types of workouts burn mega calories, usually take 20-25 minutes and feel GREAT. You can find tons of them on Pinterest or YouTube. Pull our your iPhone, put on a workout and get your sweat on before mom has even gotten up to make coffee yet.

Five -- Drink water! More water than you think. All those dishes are LOADED with salt. If you're like me and enjoy an extra pour of wine to celebrate, all that alcohol is dehydrating you even more. Flush out the sodium and last night's libations by keeping a water bottle by your side. If you return to your normal schedule hydrated, you'll have more energy to hit up the gym/barre class/yoga upon your return, which will get your body back on track all the more quickly.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow, full of friends, family and great memories! Moving your body and staying active is a great way to stay physically in shape during these celebratory months and a great mental boost to get you through extended family time ;)

Mommy Monday: Christmas-y Weekending Vol. 2

Second and final holiday post that is far less about mommydom and more about glitter. Just a heads up.

Last week I told y'all that we had pulled all the decorations down and started getting the house ready for Christmas. But since we didn't get the tree up, it was more like we pulled everything out and left it in sporadic piles all over the house. We did a good job of making a massive mess, and a terrible job of decorating.

Christmas ornament madness on our dining room table

Alas, this weekend we were on a mission for a tree! We went to a tree lot near our house (we were actually going to brunch at a restaurant there) and stopped in to see what the deal was the "real Christmas tree scene" in Dallas (everyone I know seems to have a fake tree. And I've never seen a pine tree, not even one, in the Dallas area. Too hot for those evergreens here!) Low and behold! These bad boys ranged from $150-$300. For a tree. That we'd have up for five weeks. And would die, leaving needles all over my floor.

I shouted a big WTF on social media, and got numerous replies to head to Home Depot. I also got a hilarious text from a girlfriend that there are *some* zip codes in Dallas where people will purchase their trees there as opposed to driving an additional half mile for a reasonably priced one just to tell their friends where they got the tree. Oh Dallas... Get over yourself. Being a pretentious rich person who pays $300 for a tree isn't cute. Also? Nobody cares about your tree.**

I digress!

So hubby went to get the tree at a "less exclusive shop" and Henry and I headed to pick up a stand at Target. Now, it's been MONTHS since I've been to Target on a weekend. I have the luxury of going at 11am on a weekday, everyday, any day. And let me tell you, I forgot what a mad house that place can be! Holyschmoly. Lesson learned: stick to my mid-day mid-week Target runs.

Ta-da! The tree is up. Lights on. Ornaments hung.

Mix n' match sentimental tree

And this white tree (West Elm) is up too!

White, silver and gold "feather" tree

I'm a big fan of "sentimental" ornaments - you know, things you pick up while traveling or buy to remember a life event? There is nothing better than a mismatched tree full of memories! In light of that, here are a few of my all-time favorites hanging on the tree this year:

We got this in Maui during our honeymoon

Kirk got me this for my 30th, my first birthday as a mom

We got this last year when I was about 16 weeks pregnant at Christmas

I got this almost five years ago, when I got Otis as a puppy. Striking resemblance!

We picked this up on our trip to NOLA two years ago. We both LOVE that city!

I think we're ready for the holidays now. The mess is gone and the house is decorated.


**Whole Foods even had free-range, organically grown, anti-biotic free and ethically slaughtered Christmas tree's for $60. I don't know what the special deal was with those pricey trees, but if you're looking to get ripped off  want to brag where your damn tree is from and you live in Dallas, head to the corner of Mockingbird and Abrams. You'll find them there.

High Five for Friday!

If you follow this blog regularly, especially on social media, you know that I was MIA for most the week. Our household got rocked with the sickness. All the sickness! All of it.

Both Henry and myself. It was a rough one.

In light of nasty stomach bugs, sinus infections and general colds, here's what I'm thankful for:

1) Hot baths. Nothing like a good mineral soak when you feel icky.

I've shared my love for Aura Cacia bath soaks before. They're amazing. If you haven't yet, try one!

2) Tissues with lotion added to them. Man, do noses get raw quickly!

3) Baby Vick's Vapor Rub. It's much more mild than the traditional stuff, and they added lavender and rosemary to the mix. Henry loves it rubbed on his nose, chest and feet.

This has been Henry's salvation this week.

4) Cold bathroom floors mixed with warm bathroom floor rugs. I don't think I need to explain that one further. Don't act like you've never been there!

5) Of course when I'm unable to leave a tiled room, if you catch my drift, my husband is away on a business trip. And since I'm a SAHM, Henry is still my responsibility. This week brought new meaning to "mom's don't get sick days." While hubs couldn't be here, he knew we were suffering. And sent flowers from his trip to St. Louis. Awwwww!

I hope nobody was as sick as we were this past week! Here's to a healthy, happy weekend :)

Firmoo Who?

I got an email from a company called Firmoo, asking me if I'd like to be sent a pair of prescription glasses to review on An Uncomplicated Life Blog.

My eyes are so bad, I'm legally blind. I bought (designer) glasses in 2013 and spent nearly a grand on them. So, errrr, YES! I would indeed love a pair of prescription glasses to just show up on my front door!

They sent me a code to enter at check out and gave me free reign to shop the site. There was a great selection! And after pulling up the website, I saw that the name was Firmoo with the two o's being the lenses of glasses. I see what you did there.

Firmoo wayfarer tortoise specs

The site allows you to upload a pic of yourself, then will overlay the glasses on your face so that you can digitally "try them on." There are also a range of faces you can apply them to, selecting the one that most closely resembles yours, or seeing how the frames look on a variety of face shapes. Finally, people send in shots of themselves in the frames, and you can see those too. Glasses are insanely affordable, with most costing just $36.


I went with a tortoise wayfarer shape, since my current pair is an over sized tortoise-rectangle shape. I've learned that tortoise is the best with my coloring, by far. I was also afraid the black frames might look cheap since I couldn't see them in person before I ordered them, and let's just say I'm a tad picky about quality...

Firmoo specs!

After you pick your frames, you have to enter your glasses prescription. I had just been to the eye doctor for new contacts, and she had given me a print out of my glasses prescription (not the same as your contact prescription, if you're wondering. They're different numbers!) This was a bit confusing, since the format she gave me and the online format weren't quite the same. I winged it and thought, "meh, they're free!" Turns out, I did it right, but if you do this perhaps you'd want to email for help to ensure it's correct.

After that, you have to select your lenses. Of course, the thickness Firmoo would pay for in my free pair wasn't covered under my horrific prescription. I had to purchase thinner lenses. Now, this would normally elicit a massive eye roll from me, but y'all - my prescription is BAD and has no business being in anything but the thinnest of lenses!

Uncomfortable with the close up! I really don't want you to see how thick my prescription is...

Since I wasn't sure if I'd even like the frames, I went with the cheapest option. I also added an anti- glare coating, because I've already learned these lessons, and YES you absolutely need all the up-charged coatings when getting glasses. You'll just be mad if you don't get them! With the thinner lenses and the coating, I ended up paying $14.90 for these "free" glasses. Not bad in my opinion!

And I like the specs! I wouldn't say I love them, but I like them. They're growing on me.

Bottom line: Would I ever use Firmoo for my primary glasses? No. I'm too picky and want to ensure they look good. I also like to have one very nice pair that are covered by all kinds of warranties. But for secondary or for "fashion" specs? Yes, I'd order another pair when my prescription inevitably changes again!

Ok, got it together for the close up.

Have you ever ordered something like this online? Where do you shop for glasses?

*I was sent a complimentary pair of prescription glasses in exchange for my own opinions about Firmoo. No compensation was received for this post.

The Blog Baton!

Hey readers, do you Insta?

If you know how to open an app, this answer must be YES. If not, get yourself an account pronto and join in the fun!

I'm taking over The Blog Batton account on Instagram for the day. Come follow along and see what An Uncomplicated Life Blog is up to on the World Wide Web.

And since you enjoy Insta, check out the Instagram link-up that runs through Wednesday. There's still time to get in on the fun!

Mommy Monday: Christmas-y Weekending

I'll be real honest here: This post has more to do with decorating for Christmas than being a mom.

But I'll tell you, all the fun of getting ready for Christmas is 1,000 times more fun when you have a wee one! Henry LOVES Christmas lights. Kid started at them like he was in a trance.

About the Christmas tree: We I got rid of Kirk's fake tree last year. It was from the days with his ex-fiance. After Christmas was over, I pulled that thing straight to the curb with a "Free!" sign. Then watched a dog pee on it. And smiled a little.

Anyway, so we're going to get a real tree this year. They're insanely expensive in Dallas (no pine forests near by...) but we don't want to get a nice fake one until we're in a home we own - which will be early in 2015. This is just a really long way of saying our tree didn't go up, but we did lots of other fun things to prepare for Henry's first Christmas!

For example, our Christmas cards came in the mail. B Loved Boston had a post about these last week, which reminded me I needed to get on it. So I did. Thanks Biana!

We've got engagement photos, wedding photos and maternity photos all represented with a few Henry shots for the 2014 card! Ummm, because between 2013-2014 we accomplished all these things.

Then Saturday afternoon, I was on a mission to find Henry some Christmas jammies. I had checked out Target on Friday afternoon, and they were already sold out of EVERYTHING. I bought the last hat and set of mittens! I texted one of my good friends who is Texas born and raised with a  "What in the actual heck is going on here?" She smartly replied that "Texans get scared when they hear 70 degrees in the forecast, and run out and buy up all the warm clothes." Ahhhh, so next year I'll get Henry ready for fall in July or August so that I actually have some selection.

Finally found these cute jammies at Carters. They were the last pair in his size.

Christmas jammies!

Then on Saturday night, we got wild and crazy! We opened up a bottle of wine, cut up some cheese and crackers, and pulled out the non-Christmas tree decorations. We have the holiday place mats, the wreaths and the stockings out.

Yes, that's a Santa playing the bagpipes. My husband is Scottish. And weird.

That's how we spent our Saturday! I can't wait to get the tree up. I'm pushing for next weekend. Henry loved sitting in his bouncer and watching all this madness, especially when my husband attempted to untangle several strands of lights...

Are you a "progressive" and like to decorate early, or more of a "traditionalist" and wait until after Thanksgiving?

*Sorry for the mediocre photos! With the daylight gone at 5:30, it's all fake light. Boo.