High Five for {Halloween} Friday!

In honor of my most favorite holiday, I thought I'd mix up my "Friday Five" post to write about my five most favorite things about Halloween.

Low and behold! Why Halloween is so amazeballs:

1) The smells: Apple cider slowly boiling on the stove, spice candles burning, the crisp air of cooler nights, leaves falling (unless you're in Texas... Where we're still green), the smell of cutting open a pumpkin for carving... All of the smells associated with Halloween are fantastic!

Image via Pinterest

2) Two words: Candy corn.

3) Decorating! Whether you like to keep it classy or get gory, decorating for this fun holiday is a blast.

4) Horror films: I love them all! Only a small few are truly scarey to me, the bulk are entertaining, and the rest are just hilarious. Whenever I'm a bit overdosed on the "bad" horror films, we pull up a classic on Netflix. Seriously, check those out (especially if you're prone to get scared - these are just great classic films!)

5) Dressing up: Now, I'm not a big fan of dressing myself up... But man do I love dressing up my dogs and baby! I had grand plans for Henry's first costume, but dang ol' Tejas is still 90 degrees and all baby costumes are furry animals. Heat + fur = no bueno for Henry, so I had to make other plans. But look at these dogs!

Baxter is a fireman; Otis is a pirate

Happy Halloween! I hope all you young, kid-less readers are going out to a wild party tonight. The hubs and I will be taking our small flock of two and four legged babies around the neighborhood for some treats, then (hopefully) checking out some kiddos that come knocking on our door for some candy.

 

 

 

Athleta's Fall Textures Are Killin' It!

You may have read that I turned 30 last week.

You may also already know that I'm biiiiigggg into working out; specifically, yoga and barre. Because I spend so much time in yoga/athletic wear, I'm all about high-end fitness apparel. The difference in quality between, say, a Target brand and Athleta (or Lululemon or Lucy) is unmatched, and once you get a taste for the high quality stuff, you literally cannot tolerate the cheap stuff!

My MIL sent me some cash bills inside a lovely card for my birthday, and I immediately knew what I'd go get: some fall yoga wear! I have summer stuff and deep winter items (thanks to living in MN) but nothing for the light Texas winters.

Dallas just got an Athleta store not too far away from me, so I packed up my little man and rolled over to check it out.

And I was pleasantly surprised to see that Athleta's fall lines were KILLIN' it! There were textures galore. I find that this brand really nails the "transitional" pieces - as in, what you wear to and from the studio, and also mix and match items for everyday wear. I tend to get super sweaty in yoga/barre classes, so I only wear a sports bra/pants (usually crops) but I'm clearly not going to walk around town like that, and Athleta had tons of great options to cover up!

Look at these amazing textures from Athleta's fall line! Top: slouchy sweater // bottom left: crop pants // bottom right: leggings

I ended up picking out one long sleeve shirt, one pair of crops and one full-length pant. I was slightly irked that they don't carry their tall sizes in the store (earth to Athleta! Carry your tall sizes!) but the leggings were so stretchy that  they worked.

The thick waistband of these crops means no "muffin top" spillage during yoga!

I plan on wearing the shirt and the full length pants on and off the mat/barre because they're SO cute and SO comfy! The textures of all these items are what really sold me. They all have interesting patterns and weaves of the fabric, yet manage to stay light enough that I'll be able to wear them throughout our mild winters. #winning

Getting the pattern to show in these Athleta legging was impossible!

What are your thoughts on workout apparel? Do you go pricey or stay on the affordable end? Have you checked out an Athleta store? They're starting to open up across the country! Of course, they're online at athleta.com too.

Mommy Monday: When Baby Has A Cold + Weekending

Likely because we were on a plane last week and breathing recycled air for a few hours, Henry has his first cold.

Slight fever, runny nose, crabby and generally not feeling well (as determined by extreme fussiness).

I'm all about healing as holistically and naturally as possible, but there are some things that demand a little over the counter medicine to help with symptoms - especially when it's my baby whom I don't want to feel icky!

While we can't make the cold disappear faster, we've tackled this cold with a few essentials to better manage his symptoms. Infant Tylenol, to help reduce Henry's slight fever. The Nose Frida, which is a nifty sucking tool that draws out all Henry's excess snot (motherhood is so, so glamorous.) And Hyland's Baby tiny cold tablets to help with congestion and sneezing. These people also make the all natural, drug free teething tablets we use.

Baby cold symptom remedies

All of this combined is helping Henry get through his first cold! Obviously, they don't make the cold go away faster, but they do help a baby manage the symptoms until the cold clears on its own. And also obviously, I'm not a doctor (more like a holistic granola munching hippie) so consult your child's pedi before busting out any of these remedies, ok? Good!

In completely unrelated news, I ventured over to Fort Worth on Saturday afternoon to meet with Making Mrs. M and Miranda Writes! We hit up a wine bar, and ended up staying for about six hours (!!!) It was so fun to meet other bloggers in person and hang out for a bit. Thanks for the fun time in the midst of a sick kiddo, ladies!

Blogger gathering! Making Mrs. M, Miranda Writes, and (the very tall) An Uncomplicated Life Blog!

Have you ever had a sick little one? Have any other good tips for me and Lil' H until this passes? You know, besides escaping to meet other bloggers and drink wine?!

Want to see what other awesome bloggers were up to this weekend? Then check out Biana's "Weekending" link up over at B Loved Boston! Just click this sparkly button... AFTER you give me your sick baby advice :)

High Five for Friday!

Whoa! We've been gone more or less all day for the past few days for appointments, meetings, mommy groups, and on and on. Basically, I've had no time to finish writing this post!

So in light of my "fail", here is a funny pic of Henry, who tried solids this week for the first time... And HATED it.

He kind of slurps at the spoon, like a dog laps up water from a bowl. Hilarious!

I hope you all enjoy your impending weekend! Make sure to check out these lovely blogs I link up with every Friday to complete your Friday blogging entertainment.

 
 

Birthday Weekend Recap

I turned 30 last Thursday.

I honestly forgot it was my birthday. My hubs came home late from work on Wednesday and had a cupcake with a candle (ok, it was actually an upside-down match, since he forgot the candle!) and a few presents for me since we'd be traveling on Thursday. The presents were sentimental and Henry-related with the exception of a half day at a spa. I can't wait for that!

On my actual birthday, we flew into Savannah, GA, where my parents live. My mama has been excited about this trip for months now, and has spent the time outfitting their SUV with a car seat, putting together a crib for Henry, and shopping for necessities like diapers, wipes, etc. for our visit.

This made our life so much easier!

My BFF Amber drove down the coast from Richmond, VA to join me for my birthday. Friday morning, Ambular (yes, like in the movie "Clueless") and I road tripp'd to Juliette to check out the town where the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed, and to eat at the Whistle Stop Cafe. We are both obsessed with this movie - I easily watch it 12 times a year. We went to grad school in Savannah and always *meant* to go check it out, but it took us six years to actually get around to it!

Drinkin' sweet tea from mason jars and indulging in fried green tomatoes, BBQ and fried chicken!

Fried green tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

After our mini road trip, we headed out to my parents beach house on Tybee Island. Henry, my hubs and the fam stayed in Savannah. It was late, so we just grabbed some al fresco dinner and went back for a night cap on the veranda. This is what "doing it up" when you're 30 looks like... Yup.

The next morning, we got up and went on a four mile beach walk (I know it was four miles thanks to my RunKeeper app!) We also professed our undying love for each other:

We have a "ride or die" kind of love for each other: "Paige & Amber Partners In Crime 4 Life"

After our morning exercise, my mom came out to the beach house with the baby, and Ambs and I went and met my stepdad and husband at a bar... They picked us up in style: On my fam's boat!

Inter-coastal waterway

Selfie at AJ's Dockside before getting on the boat

After a day out on the water, we got back to the beach house around 4pm. I decided it was late enough to take Henry to the ocean without a risk of him getting sunburned. So I put him in a seersucker diaper cover embroidered with crabs (designer, that I picked up at a consignment shop for one whole dollar!) put on his hat and headed across the street to the beach.

Henry loved every minute of the beach! Even putting his toes in the cold water. He's a beach baby, for sure.

Baby on Tybee Island beach

 My folks, son and hubs headed back into Savannah and Amber and I were on our own for our last night. We walked to a place called Stingray's for supper, and sat outside while we enjoyed a bucket of beer, mahi mahi and crab cakes. We also ordered a local micro-brew, called Tybee Island Blonde. Because, photo-ops. Duh.

Blonde chick, blonde brew.

We had to get up early to head back into Savannah to meet up with the fam for our flight home. Amber took off for her long drive back to Richmond, and we took off for our two flights for Dallas. It was a lovely weekend, and the BEST way to turn 30.

I may be working on my wrinkle collection with three decades under my belt, but I have the absolute most wonderful friends; the greatest hubs for coordinating all this; the kindest and most giving parents for taking us all in and hosting us; and GET FRIGGIN SERIOUS: the cutest beach baby that ever was! Kid couldn't be more handsome if he tried.

Mommy Monday: Air Travel With Ze Bebe

I was absolutely terrified to fly with Henry last week.

What if he cries the whole flight? What if he poops and I have to change him in the nonexistent plane bathroom and it goes everywhere? What if we don't make our connection in Atlanta? I always have to run through ATL... I can't run with a baby! What if he spits up on the person next to me? What if all that happens, and my seatmate says something snarky to me and I punch him/her in the face??? Ohhhh, please little baby, just don't poop!

And guess what? The screaming and the poop did happen. Thankfully, we made all connections and no punches were thrown.

It's enough work to get out of the house with the baby, but fly on a plane? Ahhhhh, shap shawty! LOADS of work. It's all in what you pack in the diaper bag. Get ready to become a pack mule, because little humans have lots of needs! I think I carried about 20 extra pounds of stuff, plus a 17 pound baby. So, you know, that counted as a workout.

The Diaper Bag:

All of this easily fit into my Better Life Bags "Emily" diaper bag

The key to flying success lies in the diaper bag. Here's what we packed for a 2.5 hour flight to ATL followed by a 30 minute flight to Savannah:

- 5-6 diapers (can NEVER have enough)
- wipes
- one change of clothes
- 2 extra bibs (drooly Henry wears one at all times, so we had 3 total)
- 4 unmade bottles
- 2 pacifiers
- small container of formula
- three small toys
- gripe water
- Tylenol
- Bamboo blanket

We were able to distract Henry during take off and landing with the bottles, keep him fairly entertained with the toys mid-flight, and had "emergency supplies" in the form of gripe water and Tylenol in case nothing was working. Those went unused. Whew!

I nearly forgot the bibs! As you can see, there's still plenty of room in the bag for them.

We opted to carry Henry in a Baby Bjorn as opposed to navigating busy airports with a bulky stroller. That made things much easier, especially getting on and off the plane. Plus, we didn't have to wait at the gate to collect our curb-checked stroller after the flight.


Flight one is in the books, and flight two is scheduled for Christmas! After this, I'm asking everyone to just come to us in Dallas, because MAN is this a ton of work with a mini-me!

High Five for {Being In Georgia} Friday!

As you read this, I can likely be found on Tybee Island, GA, where my parents have a beach house. Or I may be in downtown Savannah, recuperating from a night out on the town at my parents row house. It's hard to say.

Forsyth Park, Savannah, GA

Either way, I'm back in southern Georgia and it feels soooooo good! In light of that, here are my Top Five favorite things about Savannah:

1) The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where I went to grad school, has done a wonderful job renovating all the old buildings in this historic city. There isn't a "campus" per se, but rather all the school's buildings are located throughout downtown.

2) There's ghost tours. Year round.

3) When I lived here, I had an apartment on the inter-coastal water way. My parents now have a boat, and I plan on being on that thing as much as possible. I LOVE living near water, and the shores of Savannah are some of the prettiest.

4) When driving on US 80 out towards the islands, you can pull off the road and purchase shrimp fresh off the shrimping boats. And it's pretty much the best shrimp you'll ever eat in your whole life.

5) How do you prepare said shrimp? In a big low country boil! Crab legs, crawdads, shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes are all boiled with Old Bay seasoning and a few lemons, then dumped on a table. It's my favorite way to eat seafood!

Have any of you been to Savannah? If not, what the heck are you waiting for?! I laugh as I type that because when I lived there the tourists drove me NUTS! But seriously, you should go.

Happy Weekending, y'all!