Finally Friday

{ONE}

I'm pumped to be heading to see this stud perform tonight at the sprint center in KC!  

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And tagging along with my brother in law and sister in law is pretty fun too :). Any other Blake fans out there? Been listening to his music/old and new on Spotify this week so I'm ready!

{TWO}

Do you buy clothes on Amazon? Or is it just me? Mainly because online shopping + guaranteed two day shipping is the way to go in my book.  I was on the hunt for a nice dress I could wear to a charity event that we are going to Sunday night for my work- one that will easily fit my bump.  When I found this on Amazon I was like "yes!".  It's black (for some reason I avoid color...I'm weird) and it looked like nice material and lace.

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Well I got it yesterday. It's cotton and crochet. Ha. So while it fits and looks fine I'm questioning if it's nice enough, as the event is black tie optional. Jimmy says that when you're pregnant you can get away with anything. And part of me is like, yes and being cotton I can probably get a few good uses out of it this summer before my bump is no more.  So due to that and in general the event is Sunday and I have no time to hunt for anything else- I'm guessing I'll just keep and wear. No way I'll look at pregnant/sexy as this lady. Ha- is that even a thing?!?

{THREE}

On the hunt for a coffee table/ottoman.

Right now the fuf (which is amazing), is taking the place of the one we put in the basement- as it is old, black and broken.  

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We went shopping this weekend and found this and I loved it! 

Perfect to put your feet up on, kids to jump on, but I love the trays below that we can bring up to put drinks. And being customizable with the wood color and fabric I was sold.  And then the guy told me the sale price doesn't apply to custom orders and with my picks it would be over $1000 I about fainted.  Not that it's not nice- but let's be real here people- we have 2 kids now....soon to be 3. Our kids are crazy climbers, crazy snackers and have no regard for nice things.  At all.  No way we are shelling out $1000 for it.

Enter DIY.  I found a little creation on Pinterest that is just like what I found.  Jimmy told me he needs one free weekend and he'll make it. Sold!

{FOUR}

Three and a half year olds.  I swear.

Jimmy sent me a blog that he said he read every day for parenting tips - Janet Lansbury.  It is really good and I might be even more impressed that Jimmy takes his parenting worries to the Internet to read how to improve and deal with these kids!

It's just a constant battle with this man.  Doesn't want to wear clothes- ok he will. But wait, not THAT shirt. How dare we ever suggest that one? And pants- nope shorts are way better...even if it is 30 degrees. Mom won't let me wear shorts? Scream!!! 

Haha. Charlie does have his wonderful sweet moments, but right now it's these constant fights and tests that he plays on us that I'm having such a hard time dealing with.  Sounds like it's normal and testing us as this age is normal- but still!! #givemeallthewine #ohwaitimpregnant

{FIVE}

Nothing makes me more thankful than seeing the sun rise and set each day.

Some days I feel great and other days it's hard to pull myself out of bed because I'm feeling sluggish and tired and want that fifteen minutes more of sleep (which I know will do nothing).  But seeing the sun rise on the way to work makes my morning and the seeing it set often when I'm driving the kids home from school and Charlie makes sure to point it out saying "mom look at the beautiful sunset" just reminds me there is a bigger power each day and a God that loves us all so much.

Happy Friday friends!!!

Linking up with:

Sept Farm | Oh hey Friday!

Carolina Charm | Five on Friday

Momfessionals | Friday Favorites 

It is FRIDAY

Ok - seriously, how was it a four day work week this week (for me at least).  DRAGGED...

Here's some things!

{ONE}

If you missed this announcement yesterday - we are having another baby!  Yes sir.

Details here on #3.

But what was more amusing to me was that since I'm almost halfway people that know already have been like "when are you going to announce it?" and I was just waiting until my last doctor's appointment - but as it turns out - 2 years ago today was when we found out Maddie was a GIRL and posted this picture and post for our family and friends. I'm a weirdo about dates, so for some reason - I love this.

NOTE - - this was 2 years ago - we don't know what this one is mom! Haha - she thought I was telling her something yesterday!

{TWO}

Since we are not finding out the gender - I've been dreaming up this little one's nursery for awhile for something that we can use both for if it's a boy or girl.  I have an obsession with arrows...that's the conclusion I have come to.  I'm obsessed with these (to just list a few).

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But don't want to pay that hefty price tag...my aunt is amazing and is willing to whip up, I just have to find the fabric - where do you find specific fabric?  I've been to stores - but they have nothing like this.  I like spoonflower.com (awesome idea) but any other ideas?

However, I did buy this dresser yesterday off of a facebook furniture swap group for $150 --- and they delivered it that day (WHAT?!).  I was planning to just buy a white dresser from IKEA but then this was too good to pass up - so I'm planning on painting it a fun color after some encouragement from a friend!

{THREE}

Ok random - but I seriously saw this on facebook as well - and died laughing.

I have a co-worker that LOVES Chik-fil-A, so I told her this would've been perfect!!! Haha!  I mean who wouldn't want a bouquet of chicken and fries?

{FOUR}

Speaking of chicken - did someone say chicken?

Apparently Jimmy felt bad for not doing anything "exciting" or "romantic" for Valentine's Day - so he heard about a new restaurant that just opened in KC that apparently has delicious fried chicken.  Like he claims he heard it was better than Stroud's (which is famous KC fried chicken that I love).  So he is taking me there tomorrow night and I'm excited to try it!  Originally from a tiny town east of Memphis and now has expanded: Gus's Fried Chicken!

{FIVE}

House projects.  I'm on this weird thing where I'm really into house projects.  Maybe it's a burst of second trimester energy?  Or that my dad is feeling back to normal and I just feel like he wants projects?  Or BOTH?  Ha!

Either way.  My handyman dad has been in full swing this week at our house (while moonlighting as a substitute janitor at his old school in the afternoon/evenings).  What is on his agenda this time?  A mini bar area in the dining room - that he has brought this idea...

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...to fruition (still in the works, but seriously, we talked about this on Saturday morning and he's already bought the fridge, the cabinet (cut it), moved the electrical outlet up, ripped up the carpet - he's amazing - seriously.  

(dang I literally JUST hung these paintings up that I got in Paris last summer and now I'm going to have to move them and put some fun "drink" decor up I think!

Excited to have this done before the first weekend in March when I'm co-hosting a baby shower for my awesome sister in law Hillary, at our house!  Will be a fun (and more importantly, functional) drink station!!!  Thanks Dad!

Happy Friday and weekend - hope everyone has a fun (and relaxing) weekend!

Linking up with:

Sept Farm | Oh hey Friday!

Carolina Charm | Five on Friday

Momfessionals | Friday Favorites 

Valentine's weekend fun

Guess what?  I'm doing a recap of what we did last weekend on the NEXT weekend.  yes, I'm feeling accomplished friends!!

We kicked off last Friday morning (Friday the 13th) with our annual Valentine's Day party picture in the kitchen while I'm holding Charlie...and now Maddie.

However - Charlie was NOT having it at all.  As you can tell from the picture below.  However, my sweet little girl?  She and I were all smiles! 

#toddlerproblems

Here is a shot of our pictures from 2013 and 2014 - TIME FLIES.

Valentine's Day treats for school?  Ha ha.  Well, let's just say Maddie is already feeling the second child thing because there was NO way I was even going to think about making Valentine's Day cards/presents, etc. for her infant classmates.  What's funny is, when Charlie was this same age two years ago we had just started at the YMCA downtown and I had a class list of everyone's names and I went all out to make each kid a personalized treat. WHY.  Because I was seriously so excited to have my first kid's Valentine's Day and I'm pretty sure that no other parent did that and all the other parents probably secretly cursed me - as that annoying mom.  

So this year - I decided to let Charlie pick the treat.  And since Maddie had an ear infection and had to go to the doctor the night that we were planning on going to pick out his treats together - it was a dad/son trip instead.  And Scooby Doo fruit snacks is what his pick was.  And he couldn't stop talking about them for 3 days.  Oh Charlie Carter.

I searched Pinterest for an idea or a rhyme for Scooby Doo and there was nothing.  So I did this to package them up ---

and then they ate/decorated cookies at their party and danced and laughed and ate some more...

...life is good as a 2.5 year old...

That night?  Jimmy went off to church and I hung out with my two Friday night dates.

So we took way too many funny selfies.

And mom cracked open a beer.  Because yes, it was one of those weeks.

Oh no you didn't.... 

And then Charlie began his new obsession - trying on my shoes.  This kid.  Yep, never in pants I swear.

The next morning I made my best attempt at being festive. So I made pancakes and made them pink.

They were not perfect, but guess what?  These two loved them.  

Even Maddie in Christmas PJs.  We are so cool.

Then after a bid for our backyard (umm...yeah that hit hard), my parents came over to watch the kids and off Jimmy and I went for our day date of shopping and basketball.

Our first stop was IKEA and I had a blast - but after we got about half way through...Jimmy started acting like Charlie and it became a lot less fun.  Oh men.  But we didn't leave empty handed that's for sure.  We did make it to Kohl's to get some new clothes for our kids that don't seem to stop growing and we scored some ridiculous sales.  So awesome!

And then we headed to Barley's to watch the KU game.  After months of eating super healthy, let's just say we went all out and my stomach was KILLING later in the night.  

Then we got home and of course played with/put together our new goodies!!!  So fun!  Charlie loves the craft cart and the new shelving unit for the playroom is amazing!

While not the most exciting weekend (Sunday followed up with church, grocery store, a MUCH needed pedicure and girl time with 2 of my best friends, taking dinner to a friend's house to meet a new baby and dinner at my parents), I had a great time with the people I really love and that's all that matters and it was a perfect Valentine's day weekend! 

Hope you and your Valentine(s) had a great weekend too!

Valentine's Day fun

This year for Valentine's Day - I'm not going to focus on what we did with Charlie because, let's be real.  The holiday was on a Friday and we went to work and school.  I thoroughly enjoyed leaving work a little bit early to attend his school Valentine's Day party.  Seriously - this age is the just the cutest and they are so funny.  However, the minute someone mentioned "Elmo" he was over the party and all he wanted to do was get in the car.  Ha ha.  So I didn't get any pictures - but that's ok.  It's the memories that count, right?  And no cute baskets of presents - we bought our family a gold membership pass to the KC Zoo instead because we thought that would be the perfect spring/summer activity for our family!!  I cannot wait to use it!

Well back to Valentine's Day, Charlie and I headed across town to pick up some delicious Thai food take out while he watched Sesame Street 1-2-3 two times (lucky him - I seriously know the whole video by now.  It's sick).  And then we literally sat at the island in the kitchen eating take out from styrofoam containers.  

So nope, sorry, no pictures of that.

We hung out, the three (well four) of us.  And Charlie said "hi baby" like 14 times and then hugged and kissed my belly.  And that was it.  My Valentine's Day was complete!  So cute.

After we put Charlie down, Jimmy had a special activity planned.  I was excited to see what he had up his sleeve.  And boy was it something! Ha!

Have you heard of Bob Ross?

Well, Jimmy is obsessed with him.  Like so much that he watches his videos on you tube of him painting pictures every night when he gets into bed before he goes to sleep.  I have never watched with him.  Well - I got a taste of one on Valentine's Day and while I sucked at painting it, it was pretty fun.

He had it all set up with 2 canvases, the video ready to go, all the brushes and painting tools and a color palette for each of us.  

 

I think I was a little disappointed because mine turned out nothing like Bob's.  But I mean, I guess it's not horrible.  Those stupid evergreen trees were my least favorite thing and he kept adding them!! Sheesh!

However frustrated I was, it was a great activity and a fun date night with our little man sound asleep upstairs.  So Valentine's Day or just a date night, I think my man came up with a pretty fun activity that might have been better than Pinot's Pallet because I got to wear sweatpants and swear when I messed up.  

Then we went to bed at 9:00.  So that made it even more glorious.

Thanks Jimmy for a fantastic Valentine's Day!!

Date night sans the baby

So Jimmy and I used to go on dates all the time. I have actually blogged about them and they have their own date night label (very sad the last one was last November right before we found out little Charlie was on the way...) because we wanted to do surprise date nights and they were super fun!!! When little Charlie came into our world, especially during the previous (and first) 3 months of his life, we all went on our dates together. That looked a little like this:

Brittany: I don't feel like cooking tonight. Want to run to Salty Iguana/Maloney's/Johnny's? (All bars/hopefully quick in and out places within a 2 mile vicinity of our house)

Jimmy: yes (this guy never passes up a chance to go out to eat...)

Then we feed Charlie, put him in his car seat, rush there, sit down, order immediately, pray he doesn't get fussy, one of us holds him after our food comes (as he started to get restless in his car seat the minute they brought the food out if course). One person scarfs their food down without speaking, Charlie is passed to the other person and then other plate of food is inhaled without a breath. "Check please". Strap Charlie back in, pay the bill and run to the car.

We are probably a waiter or waitress's dream because there's not a spare second to complain even if they bring out the wrong item. Seriously we have this down to a science.

Well two Fridays ago I got an email from Groupon informing me that the groupon from Plaza III Steakhouse that I bought before this sweet little booger was born was about to expire. I noted the expiration date (which is Nov 12) prior to purchasing thinking to myself and saying to Jimmy "we will have PLENTY of time to use this after Charlie gets here". Ha.  I severely underestimated how much work AND just how much in love we would be with this little man.  Because in the beginning, I just refused to leave him.  We went out for 2 hours for lunch on my birthday weekend, but hurried home.  With the groupon expiring and some anxious family members to watch Charlie, we bit the bullet and decided that last Sunday was the day.  A dinner date without Charlie.  Bittersweet, right?

Here are some pictures my mom snapped before we hurried out.  I would have liked to get more dressed up and did my hair - but you know, I would much rather spend time with Charlie so there you have it.

Wife and husband (wearing my necklace for the first time!)

Before leaving our babe - he liked TV...

And guess what?  We went down to the plaza at 4PM, shopped some at H&M (where we bought 2 sweaters for Charlie, duh), talked about how weird it is to be out without our little man, and then had to have real conversations with each other (what a concept, right?).  It's funny how fast your marriage can become so focused on the everyday to dos and making sure everyone gets to the right place at the right time with all the right stuff.  Easier said than done.  But it was nice to walk around, talk about Christmas presents, how nice it is outside, how we are each adjusting to parenthood, how much we miss Charlie at that moment and wonder what he's doing, and eat dinner at a normal pace.  However, I still found myself inhaling the food...but had to force myself to slow down.  Especially since we were the first ones at the restaurant right at 5PM...we could take our time.

It was nice.  Nice to be on a date and know our baby is being well taken care of.  We are thankful that we have our families in town also so we can get little nights away and come back refreshed, remember why we fell in love with each other and started this whole family and come home to our sweet little boy right in time for bathtime and bedtime.

In the mean time, we will stick to the majority date nights with the little man.  They seem to be more entertaining anyways and keep these special nights in our back pocket.