Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Hope Santa treated everyone to lots of surprises under the tree. :) We're off to do some family present opening and then head to my extended family's big get-together in Maryland. Picture lots people, lots of amazing food and drink, and even more cute little kids running around everywhere. It's a good time. Can't wait to watch Grace interact with everyone!

xo,
H

Friday Randoms

Let's go bullet style...

• I crafted a couple gifts "from Grace" this year. Anyone who knows me well is probably dying right now, because crafty is not an adjective that you would use to describe me. I think they turned out pretty well though and I'll share details later next week after gifts have been given. What is motherhood doing to me?!

• D and I have a new obsession. Diet Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash. These are the bomb.dot.com.

• Grace can identify the following body parts:
• Nose
• Ears
• Eyes
• Mouth
• Head
• Toes
• Belly button

• One of her gifts from Santa is a Mrs. Potato Head that says it is for years 2+. Santa thought she would like it since she knows all of the removable parts...plus, doesn't every kid need to own one of those at some point?

• I am obsessed with rugs. I bought this one for the office and now I'm on a rampage to find two accent chairs with a cute table in between for the room as well. D banned me from purchasing any more rugs, but he didn't say anything about chairs yet...muahaha...

• My scale is permanently stuck at 142. It was closer to 138 before D and my vacay earlier this Summer, but since then, it refuses to budge. I was 142 when I got pregnant with Grace and would prefer to be in better shape before conceiving baby numero dos. I'd also like another summer season to wear a two piece...so that's where I stand on that.

• Latest kitchen disaster? PW's Sour Cream Noodle Bake. It turned out am-az-ing and was the perfect dinner on a cold, gloomy, winter day. The fail? All three of us ended up with killer stomach cramps and gas. Even poor G. Let's just say we won't be repeating this one anytime soon. (Although it was so good that I tried the leftovers just to see if we were wrong about it being the culprit...anddd it still was.)

• We need to get our daughter baptised. D knows this has been bugging the heck out of me, so when he sheepishly told me that his cousin's not even 2 month old is getting baptised while we are in VA next week, I may or may not have put my foot down. It's happening. This Spring, at a Church near you. (For now we are going to joke that we've converted to either Kabbalah or are Wican's at the family gathering next week... ;)

• Grace's new favorite foods are baby carrots, broccoli, and really any raw veggie that she can dip in ranch. Also steamed broccoli and cheese. Seems like the pasta kick is coming to a close...thank goodness!

• Mommy and Daddy need a date night, like whoa. (Hah, is it wrong to still like that expression?!) We are either going to head out for a fancy-schmancy dinner on NYE or suck it up and drive the 3+ hours back to Northern Va to party with our pals while my in-laws graciously watch our child. It's still up for debate...if we go out by ourselves will we be depressed about how old and boring we've gotten? If we go all out in DC, will be hate ourselves the next morning as we make the drive back south? And most importantly...do I get a new outfit out of either option?! :)

• I found this old picture on the computer I'm currently using. I die...and need to make this into a canvas or something immediately.

I'll end my random on that cute little face (and those giant eyes!). Have a fantastic Friday and a wonderful Christmas Eve tomorrow! I'll be checking in from time to time over the next week. Check ya later!

xo,

H

On the road again...

Tomorrow we'll be getting back on the road and heading to Virginia for the next week. D, Grace, the two pups, and myself, will all pile in the Santa Fe and make the 12 hour trek together. Pray for us. ;)

As per the norm, we still have a ton to get done between now and when we head out the door, but for the most part the house is unpacked and clean, Christmas shopping is done, and things are getting prepped to be re-packed for our trip.

We'll be in Northern Virginia to visit my fam first and then make our way down to the Virginia Beach area to see D's parents for the second part of our vacay. We have a couple tentative plans with friends, but for the most part, this trip is going to be all about family. I haven't seen some of my relatives since last Christmas, so I am pretty excited. Grace is much more mobile and interactive now...I'm looking forward to see how she reacts to everyone. My Nanny and Granddaddy (my mom's parents) host a big Christmas day celebration every year and it is sort of family reunion-esqe. There's always tons of food, kids running around, and just plain fun. I'll try to document the scene!

I gotta finish work and packing, so I'm keeping things sort today. Hope everyone is having a fab week!

xo,
H

Daddy Daycare

Raise your hand if you've eaten half a box of Cheez-Its today!

::Raises hand and hangs head it shame::

So after throwing D under the bus yesterday, I thought I'd give him props for how awesome he is doing at watching Grace lately.

We went ahead and planned our move early to get settled before the Christmas holiday. Many posts or units seem to have a block leave schedule, that involves most people being gone between mid-December and after the New Year. It was a good enough excuse to leave early, so D took a lot of leave and is "off" until mid-January. His course doesn't start until January 30th. This left us with options when it came to childcare and since there is a waitlist for full day on-post daycare, we decided that we'd use hourly care on a case-by-case basis (you have to schedule daily and can get your child in if there is room). Hourly care was great the first week we were here unloading boxes. D would drop of Grace around 8 am, go to the gym, come home and do house things and then pick her back up by lunch time.

After week one I had her scheduled for a few more mornings, but D decided he didn't need to drop her off for that long anymore, so now, each morning, we all get up and do breakfast, I start work and they get dressed and leave for the gym together. They have hourly care at the gym on a walk-in basis, so D works out and Grace plays. They get home around 10 am and play while I work and then make lunch around 11. Grace is on an great nap schedule now, where she goes down shortly after lunch time and usually takes a 2 hour siesta. It. is. awesome. This is when D gets to run errands, do more house stuff and I "watch" while she sleeps. Aka, work and listen out for her in case she wakes up early. After she wakes they have snack time, and I usually join, haha. Then there is more playing, whether it be reading books or taking a wagon ride with the pups outside. I wrap up my day around 4:30 and then it's family time!

Daddy Daycare has it's schedule down. Mommy Work at Home does not. It's tough having D and Grace around and not getting distracted. I am getting better at doing a quick clean sweep around the house while they are out in the morning. I prep dinners, make beds, throw in a load of laundry, and just do a general straightening up...cause it's even tougher to work at home in disarray. The part of my schedule that has been the most difficult to nail down is time to work out...cause come 4:30, D is ready for a break and I am dying to play with them rather than drag my butt to the gym. He has been great about encouraging me to go still, but I have a longer commute to post now, so by the time I get back home it's 6pm and time for the dinner rush. I've toyed with waking up to do the Shred or another video, but I need my runs. They keep me sane. Plus, with two potential half marathons early next year, I need to start training- like yesterday.

I know things will get easier once I Daddy Daycare closes down and D is back to work. I won't feel the mom guilt all day, every day. I'm also considering changing my schedule to 7-3:30, so I have more time before dinner to fit in runs.

Any suggestions? How do you all fit everything in and still have a life?

xo,
H

P.S. Grace LOVES being at home with us. She's more chatty, just happier in general, and it's nice to get more quality time in with her and D. I have a feeling come January 30th, dropping her off at daycare will be just as hard as the first time when she was only 7 weeks old. (Wahhhh.)

Selective Memory

D and I had this debate recently...about how the whole kid thing is easier for mom's because he says we have "selective memory". Labor and child birth seem not as intense even just months (ok, maybe a little longer...ha) after it takes place. He believes the same can be said for day-to-day parenting experiences.

I tend to not make things a big deal...days with tantrums, or nights spent covered in puke...that's life. You deal, you move on. Yes, it can get rough, and yes, I would love to sleep in past 6:30 am at some point in the next year, but you know what? If it doesn't happen, I think I'll be just fine.

He seems to think that this past year has been especially rough and gets way more frustrated during public meltdowns or fussiness. 5 minutes later Grace has moved on and so have I, but he takes longer to get over it. Honestly, if I told him tomorrow that I don't want to have any more kids, I think he would schedule a vasectomy for the next available appointment.

Don't get me wrong, he loves Grace to the moon and back and is so proud to be her daddy...but when it comes to his assessment of parenting during her first year, we are on opposite ends of the spectrum. He will openly admit that it is a damn hard job. I tend to sugar coat it.

Is it selective memory though? I don't think so. I think mom's are just more realistic about how children will act and more patient in dealing with it. D can't imagine thinking about Baby 2 right now...I say, let's suck up the late nights, early mornings, public meltdowns, and ringing ears close together and get it over with instead of waiting several years and starting back from square one.

I don't know where this post is going anymore. I know most of you reading don't have kids yet...but those that do- am I alone in this? Do your baby daddy's (ha) have less tolerance for the grunt work that comes along with parenting? Is D just being a sissy? ;)

xo,
H

Getting up to speed...

Happy Monday, everyone! :) I'm getting a slow start to the work day and enjoying my second cup of coffee here in my new home office space, while D and Grace are at the gym together. Daddy Daycare is on Week 2, and things are going semi-smoothly. (Semi is good enough around here! Ha...)

A quick recap...

Wednesday, December 7th, our house was packed from top to bottom in about 5 hours by 6 military packers. They did an amazing job and I will never move myself again if I can help it.

Thursday the movers came and had all of our worldly belongings on a truck by about 1pm. We cleaned, D and the dogs got on the road by 3pm, and I finished up, had a walkthrough, and handed the keys back over to the leasing office by 4. Grace and I stayed in a hotel on post that night...after causing a giant scene at the PX while attempting to grab a quick dinner.

Spiking your milk bottle on the floor? Check.

Screaming because you broke the bottle and can now not drink said milk? Check

Clutching your mom like a koala while she attempts to clean up a giant puddle while simultaneously ordering a fast food meal and being judged? Check and check.

I don't think Ft. Polk was sad to see us go.

Friday morning Grace went to daycare while I got in some work from the hotel. My mom's flight was delayed causing her to miss her connection and not get into the area until about 5 pm. Our plans changed, but it was for the best...we got in several hours of the drive with a sleeping baby, which was ideal.

After stopping halfway for the night, we got back on the road Saturday, and made it to the new house by a little after lunch time. D had already signed the lease and helped the movers get our things into the house. Awesome timing on our part...haha.

On Sunday we drove my mom to the Atlanta airport and said goodbye...but not for long! We head to VA this Friday to spend a week between both of our families.

The past week has been spent unpacking, learning how to work at the house with D and Grace around (read: difficult), and getting familiar with the area. We actually had a couple of guys from D's old unit in town for Sniper School who were graduating last week and got to hang out with them and one of their wives on Thursday night. It was so nice to see familiar faces and relax with friends. We went to dinner and came back here to hang out so Grace could get to sleep and we could still socialize. I already feel more excited to have people over in this house, even as we continue to get settled. It is just so much nicer than the old place with so much more to do...and SPACE to do it in!

Speaking of the space, I am having such a hard time controlling myself when it comes to decorating. On one hand, we aren't going to be here for very long and I don't want to purchase anything that might not work in another home. On the other hand, I am so overwhelmed by all of the shopping opportunities here that I am having a hard time reigning it in. We've gotten some necessities, but also I few fun things...like an upholstered office chair and new rug. I think I'm going to go room by room after the holidays and slowly start pulling things together. It will be easier once D gets back to work and can't monitor the steady flow of packages arriving at our door (haha). ;)

Lots to do in the next few days! Hope everyone is enjoying the season and getting all merry for this weekend!

xo,
H

Anyone still out there?

Hi!

Long time no blog, huh? It's been a busy week of getting settled, dealing with internet issues, and adjusting to working full-time at home while Grace is still waitlisted for childcare. She's been attending Daddy Daycare this past week (D's course doesn't begin until next month) and it's thrown all of us for a loop. Not necessarily a bad one though...I'll elaborate soon!

Just wanted to stop by and say that I'm still here and the move went smoothly. Now that we have the internet thing sort of worked out I should be back to my regular schedule this week!

Hope everyone is doing well and staying sane during this crazyyy time of year! I seriously can't believe the crowds and traffic...I've been sheltered the past 2 Christmases!

xo,
H

Merry Christmas (Cards)

I love getting Christmas cards. D and I already have a daily race to see who can get the mail first. I usually let him win because he enjoys the anticipation of checking the mailbox so much. (Weirdo.) We both pretend we are depressed and joke about what losers we are if nothing comes that day or act like we've won a prize when a new Pottery Barn mag is in the box. Multiple mags or ::gasp:: a card? Cue the mail celebrations. Seriously.

Christmas season is like the lottery for our daily mail retrieval and I adore looking at all of the festive cards and letters. Confession? I'm actually worried that moving this week will screw up our mail delivery and we will have no cards. This is probably not as big of an issue as the fact that we have not started Christmas shopping- at all...but that is another post for another day. :)

Today I'm sharing my card with you all virtually, so even if it doesn't make its way to your mailbox, you can have some M Family holiday cheer!

Front

Back..edited for D's anonymity (I swear my husband has a face in real life...haha).

Love you all for giving me this outlet to spill all of the daily nonsense that goes on around these parts and wish you and your favorite people the happiest of holidays

xoxo (feeling extra lovey today),
H

Easiest pinterest recipe EVER

Just in time for this weekend's football games...this is seriously the most idiot proof recipe ever. Aside from maybe the whole turkey crockpot deal. ;)

Pizza Rolls

Ingredients:
Tube of refrigerated crescent rolls
Pepperoni
Cheese sticks
Marinara or Ranch dressing (optional)

Directions:
Unroll crescents. Top with pepperoni (I used ~4 per roll). Cut cheese stick in half. Place half a stick on top of the pepperoni and roll up. Fold over sides of the crescent roll like you are diapering a child. Put in oven according to directions on the crescent roll can. Watch them bake...the can directions always cause mine to burn. Take them out of the oven. Throw them on a plate with some marinara or ranch for dipping if that's your thing. Go to town.

Note: This makes 8 rolls...which may or may not be more than needed for 2.5 people. We threw some in the fridge and evidence suggests D enjoyed 3 for breakfast the next day...so, I'm going to assume they reheat well?

Every time I re-read my directions, I am completely amazed that I have yet to be offered a recipe book deal.

Enjoy!

xo,
H

Favorite Things

Happy Friday, everyone! If all is going according to plan, we should be completely out of the house, I should be picking up my mom from the airport in a couple of hours after finishing up some work in the office, we will head back to post to scoop up G from daycare and hit the road!

Since I'm out of blogging commission for the next few days, I thought I'd share another great blog with you. This post, via Sunny Side Up, talks about the cutest idea for a holiday party with your favorite girls. It is called a Favorite Things Party and stems from Oprah's show where she gives away a bunch of her favorites to the audience. I want to do one of these SO badly. Maybe next year after the next move, I will be settled and can host a fun little get together!

For now, wanna share virtually? I'm feeling rather uninspired (and stressed) right now, so help a sister out by supplying me with some favorites!

Leave a comment with yours! If I was better with this whole blog business, I'd create a link for us all to link up. Remember, it should be about $15 dollars and something you LOVE. Maybe all of us last minute gift buyers can get a little inspiration! ;)

xo,
H

Bargain Alert

The Lust

J.Crew Martina Suede Wedges $228

The Practical

Target Merona Milena Suede Wedges $29.99

The Practical version of the shoe made its way into my closet and have been really versatile. They look much cuter in person and I'm pretty sure I paid less than $29 in store. Definitely recommend!

xo,
H

New House Tour

Yesterday you got to see our little Louisiana house. She isn't the biggest, fanciest, or even prettiest thing, but did a good job as a first home for D and I to rent together and our sweet girl home to. With this move we contemplated living on post since it won't be for very long, but after exploring some of the off post options in the area, they were just too good to pass up.

We found a house with a big fenced in backyard (a must after this place), 4 bed rooms, and 2.5 baths. Cross your fingers that all goes well, but on Saturday afternoon, we should be pulling up to this:

Hello, lover.

You saw my old kitchen. I don't think I need to explain my excitement.

View from the kitchen into the living room.

Looking back the other way.

Dining room. Our table will go off of the kitchen and we aren't going to invest in a dining room set until we buy a house, so this will be home to my office! Since I work from home 95% of the time, I am just dying to make an enjoyable work environment.

A lot of the other rooms aren't very exciting because they are blank slates right now, but this is a view from the master, through the sitting area and into the master bath. 

That's all I have for now, but I will post more when we get there and get set up! With four bedrooms we will have the master, Grace's room, a guest room (without military decor- I promise you that), and a room that I am designating for D and his things...haha. I plan on having the new and improved guest room up and ready by the end of January, so mark your calendars and plan a visit, we'll be here through most of July! We literally had 3 visitors the entire 2 years that we were stationed at Fort Polk and I'd really like to beat that in the 7ish months we will be at Fort Benning. Let's go ladies...plan some road trips...or check out ticket prices into Atlanta. You know I'm a good time. :)

I'm off to figure out how to work at home while movers are packing and frantically finish a few things. I have a few posts scheduled for the next few days, so it won't seem like I'm gone for very long. Can't wait to update you on everything!

See you all soon?! (Visit, visit, visit...)

xo,
H

Old House Tour

We just had our walk through. Packers are scheduled to show up tomorrow and should have our house in boxes by the end of the day. I'll be making a double batch of cookies tonight...some to sit out as a thank you/bribe to the packers to please treat our things with care and some to accompany Grace to daycare for her teachers that we are going to miss so much.

Things are starting to get done:
-The cable/internet is set to turn-off on Thursday
-I've scheduled our power to be switched back to the leasing office as of Friday
-We have our route mapquested out (yes, I still use mapquest, even with GPS available...)
-Hotel arrangements are made for Thursday night on post

...but...

There are still things to do:
-Pack Grace and I with a week's worth of clothes, to be safe
-Find/book a hotel for our stopping point Friday night
-Do several loads of laundry while we still can
-Clean out and prepare our cars for the roadtrip

Want a peek into the madness? I've never done a "House Tour" before...mostly because there is not much to see! We live off-post, but our digs are very much like military housing. I wish I had taken pictures before D started taking things off the wall and moving some things in the dining/living area, but I'll keep it real and show you how it actually looks, right now. It's been pretty calm thus far, but here is a little look at our itty little piece of paradise as we prep for the move...

Welcome to our casa

Come on in...

 

View from doorway...coat closet to the left, kitchen to the right, dining and living room ahead

Kitchen. Ick. Note gate that leads into laundry room/pantry. It's for the dogs, not Grace.

It's "cozy"...hahaha

Pillows thrown about to keep dogs from jumping up on furniture. So hot right now.

Why do we have two leather chairs? Ask D. I don't want to talk about it. The one in the background is not welcome in my new living room. See that doorway? That leads to a hall were you can find three bedrooms and a full bath. There is another full bath in the Master.

Grace's room. Seeing all of her things down is actually starting to make me sad. Almost.

Hallway leading to the master. We are not stopping in the bathroom on this tour. Sorry if you really wanted to see it...

Remember I said "keepin' it real". I'm in the process of packing...

Bathroom in the corner- on my side of the bed since it was a must during pregnancy!

My most hated room in the house. This is the guest room/office/man cave. D really likes showing off his decor on the walls. There is Army paraphenalia everywhere. I'd like guests to be able to relax and not have dreams of going to war while they visit us, ya know?

Horrific desk area. My favorite aspect of the new house? The office, guest room, and man cave will all have their own place. Also, the man cave will have a door I can close as to not have to see the interior everyday.

A sampling of what is on the walls? D's plaque from his platoon. This ish is massive. Like 3' x 3'. It is actually super cool and I love to read all of the messages his guys wrote to him, but it deserves a space that is all man to be displayed. Did I mention he has another one of these coming from the Battalion. It is also very large and in charge. Yay.

So there is our quite humble abode. I swear it doesn't always look like a hot mess and used to be quite cute when everything in the living room was hung up and in it's place. Actually, seeing it in this state makes me very ready for change.

Up next (or at some point this week)? An intro to our new digs! Let's just say that we definitely are "movin' on up" and I've already started to make some home purchases. Can't wait to share. :)

xo,
H

Move week, move week!!!

Happy Move Week!!! Even though I'm the only one celebrating, I had to throw it out there. :) It's finally almost here and I feel like a kid the night before Christmas...except we have 3 more days until it's really go time. I need to calm down.

We spent the weekend getting in some last minute quality time here in Louisiana, starting with a Tacky Sweater Party at a friends house. Of course I didn't take any pictures. Boo! We had a blast and it was a great way to relax on our last Friday night at Fort Polk.

Saturday started bright and early because my number one girl can't seem to figure out that weekends are for sleeping in. We all seriously haven't slept past 5:30 am in longer than I care to remember. Can't fall asleep after a crazy night of holiday partying? Still awake at 5 am? Give me a call...I'll be the one clutching my coffee mug with a death grip and muttering curses at Goofy for being the most annoying character I know on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Kidding. Sort of. Luckily we're morning people over here.

After a stellar almost 3.5 hour nap for Grace (and a solid hour for Mom and Dad), we ventured out to the PX for some Swamp People...and ya'll, it was everything I hoped it would be. Except the line was ridiculously long, so we loitered to the side and stared for a few minutes. I think D was secretly disappointed that he didn't get a picture with them, but he has the patience of a 14 month old...haha...so obviously the line wasn't happening. We should have taken stalker pictures from our view point, but again, I'm terrible with taking out the camera...maybe this has something to do with the 25 lb monkey toddler that prefers to be permanently perched on my hip. Who knows? Here's a pic from the web for those of you who aren't familiar with Swamp People or Joe and Tommy. You should look into the show...highly entertaining. It follows several teams of alligator hunters in the bayous of Southern Louisiana. Some of the accents are so thick they have to have subtitles. Simply amazing stuff.

 After our stalking sesh, we hit a park on post where I did get some pictures. Check 'em out....

My new fave G pic. (Heart explodes.)

Ignore the nugget she is clutching...

Joy.

Staring down a big kid who came to play nearby

Needs to be cropped, but LOVE.

Curls!!!

Sunday we took turns working out, lazed around for much of the afternoon, did our last grocery run, and started to address Christmas cards! We got most of them mailed out today and I'll share them on here later this week. I'm not thrilled with them this year...the quality of paper was less than what I had expected and we

I started to get frustrated and just went with my top choice after getting "feedback" from D (major eye roll here). Whatever. They are getting done...early...and there is a pretty sweet girl featured on the front, if I do say so myself. ;)

Hope you all are having just as exciting of a start to your week as we are over here! I'll keep you updated on our move progress as things get underway and am hoping to get a little post up on this house, before it's all in boxes, and then introduce you all to the next one!

So much to look forward to...like the change in time zones that I pray tricks Grace into sleeping until 6:30 instead of 5:30...

xo,
H

Short and sweet

Tonight D and I are going out, sans child, to our first holiday party of the season. I am just a little excited. :)

My dessert to share has been made, our gift has been purchased for the Oh well, Noel game, and a tacky sweater is hanging in my closet thrown on my bed, ready to be worn it all of it's over-the-top, festive glory. It's gearing up to be a fun time.

 I'll try to get an outfit picture tonight. It should be pretty heinous. (But note I'm super psyched that my tacky sweater has little gold beads that coordinate with my Kate flats that were a STEAL!) Remember these?

Swoon

Then begins our last weekend prior to next week's move. We don't have very much planned aside from our last Louisiana grocery trip and the usual errand running, but here's a fun fact: Joe and Tommy from the hit series Swamp People are making an appearance at the PX (on post Walmart-type store) on Saturday. Would you think I've gone completely off the reservation if I say we might go check 'em out?! Obviously the camera will be capturing the moment if that occurs. Guess you'll just have to come back and see what happens on Monday!

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.

xo,
H

Back to the dreaded Shred

Well hey, Thursday! Remember back in college when Thursday's were dubbed "Thirsty Thursday" and the weekend began after your last class that afternoon? Those were the days. :)

Now my Thirsty Thursday's involve way less booze and way more of sweating my booty off in spin class each evening. I kinda wish I'd spent a few more Thursday's spinning in college...haha. Oh Freshman 15, how I despised you...and then lost you Sophomore year...and welcomed you back Junior year...and kicked your ass to the curb again Senior year. I guess it was a love/hate thing. Kind of like my relationship with Major...

Anyways, I guess you could say that I get on a workout kick and rock it out for periods of time and then occasionally go through lulls, where I'm not as focused or dedicated. I wouldn't say I'm in a lull right now, but I'm definitely not as hardcore as I was earlier this Summer when I finally dropped the rest of the baby weight. I feel like I've been coasting...and I think I'm starting to look like it too. You know that "soft" feeling...where, sure, you might still be fitting into your clothes, but you can feel that slight difference? I'm afraid I'm starting to border onto that territory and with the move coming up (our house will literally be in boxes on a truck one week from today), my schedule is getting crazy, my stress levels are on the rise, and working out has been moved down a couple of notches on my daily to-do lists. It's still happening, it's just not as intense, more rushed, and less enjoyable since I'm usually thinking about what I should be doing at home.

I'm thinking Jillian Michaels might have to make her way back into my rotation while we are in transition between houses. I need to explore the class options at our new (and totally amazing, compared to here) gym on post at Fort Benning. There is also a mile track on post and I'll have to look into local trails. Winter is the hardest time of year for me to stay motivated, so I'm trying to keep on track by keeping my workouts interesting and different. In the past I've never been able to make it 30 full days on the shred. Not because it was too hard, just because I got lazy or bored of the repetition. I don't know if I'm going to commit to the full 30 days in a row...but if I do, you all will be the first to know. :)

Anyone have other suggestions for video workouts or easy things to do outside of the gym? I'd love to add one to my Christmas List for some variety while we are traveling over the holidays!

Aside from the present plans, I'm really looking forward to settling in and starting to train for another half marathon this Spring. A few of my college bffs and I are discussing the OBX Flying Pirate Half in April. By "discussing", I really mean, have already committed to running it together, so I need to jump on board and start planning out my training schedule. It is looking like D's coursework is going to allow for lots of free weekends for a good part of the next year, so we I am already planning to take advantage. I've asked him to train with me...we'll see what comes of that. ;)

I'm off to finish up the work day and get prepped for the some sweating. Everyone ready for Friday!?!?

xo,
H

The Reveal

Now you see it:

Long, dark, frumpy, and a facial expression that is in the midst of telling the hubs to quit messing around and take the stupid picture. What a team player.

Now you don't:

A little lighter, a lot shorter, and a picture of the "self-portrait" variety, because D has this awesome photo-taking ability that lends itself to making me look like I'm 30 lbs heavier and been dragged through a sewer. I swear I'm not exaggerating. Not that mine are much better. ;)

I think it's okay. I am pumped to not spend forever drying it just to throw it up in a messy bun later in the day. I'm still figuring out how to style it and all that fun stuff, but so far, so good. Although, someone at the office may have told me they liked the old hair better.... (b*tch).

Here's where you tell me how much you like it! Totally kidding. I feel kind of creepy posting pictures of myself, but I've had some pressure from my adoring readers/besties. :) Does anyone else make a huge deal out of hair cuts and color? Are you one of those lucky people (like my mom) who have found an awesome style and can just maintain it without stressing every 6-8 weeks?


xo,
H

Crockpot Turkey

I mentioned in my Thankful post last week that the family crockpot made an appearance on Thanksgiving. You might even say it was the star of our holiday feast. :) Don't think I got off completely free though, there was some actual effort that went into planning and executing our meal (but not much...)!

The original plan was to invite over D's single soldiers who weren't going home for Thanksgiving, but since his NCOs already had that covered and he *ahem* may have procrastinated at extending the invitation, we got off easy and it ended up being just our little family for dinner. We met up with some of his guys for dessert later in the evening. I was a little relieved at the prospect of only having to cook for us, but was still excited to make a yummy meal, so I came up with the following menu and had a fun day of cooking. Click the menu item for a link to the recipe!

The Menu
Turkey Breast
Brown Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Souffle
Green Bean Casserole
Parmesan Knot Biscuits
Chocolate Pie
Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Note that there is no fruit. I may have been getting a little overzealous with my menu and D was quick to nix cranberry sauce from the list. I still think you gotta have some at an official T-day meal, but I wasn't complaining about having one less thing to make. Also, the two potato dishes? I refused to give up mashed potatoes and D has a thing for the sweeter variety, so we had both.

It was a great day. Thanks to a certain early riser of ours we were up and at 'em before 7am. I had desserts made, potatoes peeled, and the turkey in the crockpot by 10am and made my way out for a mid-day run around noon. Wine was uncorked and the table was set by 4pm and we were seated and eating by 5! Everything turned out really well. The sweet potatoes were way better the second day and I will probably play with another recipe next time. The biscuits didn't necessarily go with the meal, but I was looking for an excuse to try out an easy Pinterest recipe- and they were the biggest surprise hit of the night. The turkey was awesome and moist, the mashed potatoes have already been made again this week and the green beans were a classic. We all know how the cookies were. If you haven't made them yet by this point, you are missing out. I had soldiers trying to get me to friend their mom's on facebook so I could pass on the recipe. If that isn't success, I don't know what is. :)

All in all we had a great Thanksgiving with our little family. I love spending time with the rest of our relatives whenever possible, but this was the best way to spend the holiday with our move so close on the horizon. I do look forward to potentially hosting a big T-day bash in the coming years. This was a good trial run....but I'm not sure they make crockpots big enough for a full sized turkey, so I have a ways to go! :)

xo,
H

Anniversary Advice

In honor of our 2 years of "wedded bliss", I thought I'd put together a little list of advice based on what we have found makes our marriage work. I know quite a few of my lady friends from back home are in long term relationships and on the verge of engagements or are newly cohabiting, so I'm thinking some of this may strike a chord with some of you. Obviously we are no experts over here, but things do run pretty smoothly in La Casa de M, so here are some of our secrets to success....

1. Separate Bathrooms. This is completely serious. I use the bathroom in our master bedroom (which is super small and would be exhausting to share) and D takes the hall bathroom as his own. We keep all of our shower things and toiletries separate...and unless we have guests, things run seamlessly. Now, I know this won't work forever, but I expect that when we do start to share, we will have a double sink and room for more than one person in the room at a time.

2. Find out who is good at what, and put it to use. 9 times out of 10 you will find D vacuuming. He enjoys it...really, he does...and who am I to get in his way? I cook. Yes, he will contribute too (he's the pancake and grill master!), but I actually have come to really love my adventures in the kitchen and he stays out of the way for the most part. He washes and cleans out our cars. Both of them. I take care of the organizing of Grace's room and closet. Random things like that have become his or mine and then there are also things we enjoy doing together. I love that D is into golf...I'm more of a putt-putt kind of girl myself. That doesn't mean we can't support the other person in things they enjoy...before Grace came along we would go golfing together and he would drive the ball to the green where I would putt it in! It was hilarious and we each had our strong points.

3. Have mutual hobbies. It makes the things you love so much more fun when you have someone you love to do them with. One of the first things we did together when we started dating was go on a run on one of my favorite outdoor trails. Working out and trying to be healthy is something that is great to have as common ground. It is motivating too! D can push me when I need it and I try to do the same. I especially love when it comes to family activities like playing outside and talking about things we can get Grace involved in once she is older. We make a pretty good team. I'd like to think we could take most other couples if some sort of physical competition were to arise. ;) How random is it that I think of things like that?

4. Have separate hobbies. Time apart is essential. There is nothing worse than a wife who is all up in her husbands business and has nothing else to talk about when interacting with other women. Have your own life! Enjoy time alone to read, or run, or be crafty, or read blogs online (haha)! Just because you are married doesn't mean that you should lose your identity as an individual.

5. Learn how to fight. When D and I first started dating we fought like cats and dogs. It was tumultuous to say the least...I felt like I never knew what little thing would become a big issue next and once it did I had trouble wrapping my head around why things escalated into full scale war between us so quickly. Obviously there was something we liked about each other, because we kept coming back for more. Eventually, we figured out that we sucked at communicating with each other when we were angry. I don't need to breakdown the specifics here, but with time we learned how to get our points across without blowing things out of proportion. We definitely still know how to push each other's buttons, but truthfully, we almost never argue anymore. Bicker? Sure. That's normal in any cohabiting situation I would guess. It's only been two years...we're still coming to terms with the fact that I have a messy closet and he still leaves the toilet seat up. ;)

6. Apologize. I don't remember the specifics of when or how this started, but after a period of the aforementioned bickering, D looked me square in the eye and said "Apologize", with a twinge of a smile. Almost like, "Give it up, this is stupid." We both end up laughing and moved on, but it has sort of become our thing now if we have a disagreement. The best is when you know you are wrong, but you get the other person to apologize first. Either way, we try to end any disagreement with a smile, not purposely, it just sort of happens that way.

7. Work together in the hard times. Being married, moving your life, having a child...things are not always rainbows and butterflies. Working together through the rough spots make coming out of them so much sweeter. It doesn't have to be a huge, dramatic reason. Grace getting horribly sick a few weeks ago was a simple reminder of how sticking together makes the sucky times suck a little less. Plus, doesn't misery love company? When Grace was a newborn and I was up at 3 am pumping away, I seriously loved having D there feeding Grace a bottle and swaddling her back up for bed while I got things in order for the next wake up call.

8. Celebrate together in the good times. Seriously. Celebrate everything. It makes life so much more fun. We still do this now, but did more so prior to becoming parents. Enjoy the time you have with just each other and don't rush into the parent thing. It will happen eventually and be wonderful on so many more levels, but you never get that newly-married couple time back, so really take it in. Once you add to your family, let the celebrations continue! Little kids make everything cool again...like going overboard for parties and holidays. Just seeing how wide eyed Grace gets looking at lit up decor when we are out running errands makes me want to turn our house into a Winter Wonderland. Excessive much? ;)

That's all I have for now. I'm sure there is so much more (and better) advice that can be added. Anyone have anything to add to the list? I could use the advice too, seeing as I hope our marriage lasts at least another 2 years! Ha! Hope you enjoyed a little insight into our crazy lives together. :)

xo,
H

Overload

Well helloooo there! So, you know how I go through phases where I have nothing to blog about and leave this little page all lonely for days at a time?

Well, this is NOT one of those situations. :)

I'm in "blog idea overload" where I have so much to spill and don't even know where to start. A few things on my plate:

• Thanksgiving recap and menu/recipes
• OMG I chopped all my hair off...before and afters
• Weekend recap with random Black Friday purchases care of my husband and the easiest recipe ever
• Christmas/Holiday cards
• Anniversary Post (Our 2 year is TODAY!)
• New (Rental) house details/pics
• Holiday Plans
• Workout Post...updates, future plans

I think that is it for now, but as you can see, clearly more than I usually have going on. I have a feeling I'll have quite the full week of posts...and hopefully can continue the kick into next week. Maybe I'll really get my act together and do some planning ahead for during and after the move...not sure how long we will be without internet on our personal computers. 

Hope everyone's Monday is off to a great start!

xo,
H

Thankful

For the jobs that put food on our table and in our bellies,

For coworkers that turn into friends,

For friends that remain close, whether they live right around the corner or states away,

For a crockpot that can cook a turkey breast (Oh yes, I did...),

For a little girl whose toothy smile makes my heart swell every day,

For a husband who makes me laugh, roll my eyes, and feel so lucky to have met my match,

For two pups who keep us on our toes, active, and semi-clean...

For even you, Major. I'm feeling generous today. :)

For a little house we can call our first home,

For the fond memories that will come with us to our next duty station,

For new beginnings that are oh so close,

For wine that serves as a reward after a day spent cooking for 2.5 people (or really after any day...),

For a little family who makes my life so sweet...

For all those things I am especially thankful. 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with the people you love most! To those of you spending the day apart from your loved ones, we are so thankful for their service and wish them a speedy return home.

xo,
H

14 Months

Gracie girl,

On Monday you turned 14 months old. Just like every month, this past one brought such fun and exciting things for you. The biggest milestone of all involved you walking! You actually started taking steps right before you turned 13 months, but in the last few weeks you've gone from steps to a full fledged little walker. In fact, you've also picked up some speed and I fully expect that we will be chasing you around by Christmas.

 You have 11 teeth...I want to say 12, but your last pesky one year molar is just barely starting to break through. I'm sure we will see it in all of it's chomping glory by next week. Now that you have so many teeth, eating has become quite an adventure. We never really know what you are going to want or what you'll turn your nose up to. I think your mac 'n cheese kick is finally winding down...which is exciting because isn't variety the spice of life?! You've enjoyed apple slices, cucumber, mini peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and have a new found love for yogurt that is so much fun to watch. Really I think it is because yogurt is easy for you to feed yourself (when I let you...mostly on bath nights!) and you won't imagine sitting down to a meal without your "big girl" utensils. You have gotten pretty good at using them too...although most nights they eventually find their way onto the floor. Like most things, when you are done, you just cast them aside...look at me wide eyed and say, "Uh oh!", like it was all a big accident. It's pretty cute...the first 3 or 4 times. ;)

Another new found love...teeth brushing...and you do it all by yourself. I'll sit you up on the sink and we'll brush our teeth together. Sometimes you are having such a great time you throw a fit when we have to put our tooth brushes away. Other times mommy is feeling generous and lets you bring your tooth brush on our car ride to daycare...where eventually it gets the "uh-oh" treatment and is relocated onto the floor with a variety of other car toys. In fact, this reminds me that we took a clementine (or "ball" as you say) with us today and it is still in the car somewhere...

Anything circular in shape is a ball. You point out the soccer balls that our next door neighbor keeps on their porch every morning and you try to steal the dogs rubber balls that they play fetch with when we go outside. At the grocery store you favor the produce section because apples, lemons, limes, cantaloupes...are all balls. 9 times out of 10 we come home with a lemon "ball" that you hold during our shopping trip to keep you entertained a few extra minutes.

Along with ball you have really taken up trying to copy words this month. You will point out animals in your books and say "That?", asking us to tell you what it is called. We will tell you and you will sometimes try to repeat. You are a very cute little bookworm. You also have started learning body parts. You can point out noses and belly buttons. You like to pull up peoples shirts to look for belly buttons...this gets awkward in public. Haha. My most favorite thing of all is when we ask if you have a belly button. You have to really lean forward and get your hands on your adorable little baby belly to see it for yourself!

Sometimes I worry about how sweet and sensitive you are. You get your feelings hurt easily. There have been a couple of times where we have moved something out of your reach, or taken away a pen that you were attempting to walk with (cue minor heart attack for mommy) and your bottom lip will pout and start to quiver, while you take deep breaths, trying to hold in big crocodile tears. This is the saddest, most adorable thing ever. I hate to see you upset, but you look so darn cute when you are. It's okay- I quickly scoop you up for snuggles and the tears stop almost immediately. You give hugs and kisses to daddy and I all the time and if I ask you for a kiss you lean in willingly and then give me a cute little smile. We LOVE this. Don't ever change.

You are getting more hair. Still not enough to put up in pig tails, but your little curls are getting longer in the back. During bath time (which you currently hate) your hair is all the way down to the bottom of your neck! Don't let your daddy's mullet jokes make you feel bad...he likes your curls even more than mommy does. :) You are in 18-24 month clothes, but we are starting to stock up on 2Ts. It will only be a matter of time. You are in size 4 diapers and size 5 shoes. You go through shoes faster than anyone I've ever met...a combination of growth and just playing them into the ground. Good thing your mommy enjoys shopping so much...

We won't be back at the doctors until your 18 month check-up, but I would guess you are still about 25 pounds and 32 inches. You can slow down anytime you want...mommy is having a hard time believing how quickly you have grown from a little 7 pound 12 ounce bundle of baby into such a beautiful, energetic toddler. You bring daddy and I so much joy...from the moment you literally pop-up with a smile in the morning until the minute we cuddle you back to bed at night, you have made our lives so much more exciting, adventurous, and full of love than we could have ever expected.

Can't wait to find out what surprises you will bring this month.

Love you baby girl,
Mommy

Oh hey there!

Hi! We're here still, I swear. No, the stomach plague didn't take us all down, we just enjoyed some family fun all weekend since D was back from the field!

We played outside, attempted to take pictures with the puppies and Grace at Hodges Garden, visited Santa for a picture on his lap that didn't happen, lazed around and ate pancake breakfasts, met up with friends for a dinner out, and worked to finalize details on a lease off-post at Benning, rather than on-post like we had originally planned.

Things are moving at 100 miles an hour over here, people. Just how we like it.

I'll be back more regularly for the rest of the week. Starting tomorrow. Here's a cute little pic from this weekend to hold you over...

She doesn't look like a baby anymore. :(
xo,
H

Oh what a night...

Yesterday got off to a pretty "blah" start. I felt nauseous and immediately diagnosed myself as pregnant (like a crazy person)...which should be near impossible right now. I knew I was being ridiculous. Later in the day when I realized I felt worse than I'd ever felt having morning sickness with Grace, I knew something else was up. I made it through the day, 7-up and saltines in hand and even managed to make a quick 30 minute Tabata Time class at the gym. Obviously things weren't too bad.

To end a blah day on a better note, I decided to grab a Green Tea Frapp on my way to pick up Grace from daycare and made the executive decision that we could have drive-thru mac 'n cheese and mashed potatoes for dinner. I wasn't feeling up to making anything and it was our last night without D at home, so I could totally pick up take out (which we rarely ever do) and get away with it.

Poor Grace had other plans. As soon as we got home she was a fussy mess, which sometimes happens after a long day of playing at daycare, but this was terrible. She refused to eat dinner, she stood up and wailed through her bath time, and all she wanted to do for the rest of the night was lay in my lap and have a bottle. So that's what we did.


Can you guess where this is going?

15 minutes later the projectile vomiting started....and it didn't stop until around 5 am this morning. After puke session number 4 resulted in me literally cutting my sports bra off of my body as to not have to lift it over my head, I waved the white flag and called D. He was able to come home with some pedialyte and join PukeFest2011. Yay.

By the way. You think trashing a sports bra is bad? I counter that with, "at least I didn't get vomit in my mouth" like someone I know. Yeah. It was a no good, very bad, awful kind of night. Temper tantrums between throwing up were included when she realized we wouldn't give her another bottle...because DUH, she'd throw it back up 5 minutes later.

Finally at 5:15 or so, we all managed to pass out in our bed...at this point sheets had been stripped, we were a few pillows down, and I fully expected to wake up with a face full of vom about 30 minutes later, but it never came. We made it to 7:30 am and Grace and I slowly started our morning with Mickey and a tiny amount of pedialyte for her, strong coffee with extra sugar for me.

We're both taking a sick day today. Both meaning Grace and I. D was back to work this morning after hardly any sleep and a quick discussion about last night being the worst we've had since Grace was born. I think it's safe to say any conversations about Baby 2 are currently on hold (even though we actually did agree on a time frame recently...more on this later). Also, I concede that there is NO way I could handle 2 children on a night like last night with him deployed and no family nearby. Between having to actually birth my child and a night like that, I would rather go through labor again.

Parenting: Not for the faint of heart.

xo,
H

P.S. What's funny is that in about 24 hours, after I've had a solid night's sleep, this will be no longer be a big deal and we will have hopefully started to forget about it. Also, I could absolutely man up and deal with things like this solo if D was deployed...I just don't think I want to right now.

On clothes/Pinterest obsession

The weekend involved some Pinterest perusing during nap times and after bed time. I am sort of becoming obsessed. I'm sure it will get worse when I have a house of my own to decorate.

For now I've really enjoyed looking at different outfit inspiration. Spoiler alert - my spending freeze accidentally went out the window. Oops.  One of the reasons I like it so much is that you can see on outfit, link to it on Polyvore, and then see a rundown of where each clothing item is from and direct links to their websites. This has become dangerous. See the set below?

Cute right? Well I have similar leopard flats (birthday money put to use...), and a brown belt and jeans, but I don't really have anything like that cute button down and remembered I saw it on the J.Crew Factory site (Read: Sale). A few clicks later and I own it. Now I just need a cardi in that gorgeous cinnamon color. The other deciding factor on the top was that you can see other outfits put together using it on Polyvore as well. Once I saw how versatile it could be, I was sold.

I need some sort of intervention (Pintervention?!), I think. But for now, or until D decides we should have joint bank accounts (haha), I think this is actually a pretty smart way to shop! (Everyone probably thinks I am crazy now.)

Does anyone else use Polyvore or copy other people's outfit inspiration? Am I just a weirdo? Fess up!

xo,
H