Things I'm Loving Tuesday

Is it Friday yet.......?  No. I'm so super ready for a long weekend, though!  We have been busy bees, I've been trying to get back to the gym more than once a week, and EK has been playing up a storm. I've not had just a ton of free time, but there are a few things I'm absolutely LOVING right now that I thought I would share.

Have you seen the new fall scents from Yankee Candle? I popped in a store the other day and smelled the Red Velvet cake- it will make your stomach growl!  Also, I had to snap a picture of the Treehouse Memories, Ryan is in the process of tearing down a deck and building a little play tree house for EK. He is such a sweet daddy!

Here's my Treehouse Memory... I remember my daddy building a tree house for me when I was 8 or so. Our bull was like a gigantic dog, and it came and knocked the ladder out from under him and he was stranded in the tree house for a little while... the things we do for our kids!

EK scoping out her spot for her treehouse.

I'm absolutely in love with these adorable/ practical lunch boxes from PlanetBox.  They are stainless steel boxes with sectioned compartments for foods. I hate packing snacks in ziplock bags, and I hate losing my tupper ware even more. I can't wait for EK to take a lunch in hers.

I'm a big fan of getting stuff in the mail. Sometimes I have to rush home from work to get the mail before Ryan does, so he doesn't think I spend my entire paycheck ordering things. You can get such great deals online, though, so it's worth explaining myself over a few packages!  

Anyways, aside from ordering things for EK, I love to get magazines in my mailbox. Yes. PAPER magazines. I feel like people don't really read those so much anymore with Pinterest and the easy access to free ideas online.  

Ryan's Mammaw had a huge stack of old (2003ish) Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Livings that she was going to through away, but I rescued all of the holiday issues and I am just pouring over them. I love using classic ideas, and these are full of beautiful photos and great ideas for holidays foods and decorations. Let the Christmas countdown begin :P

Finally.. I'm so ready for cooler weather. We may not have it until Christmas, but I'm craving it like nobody's business.  I'm ordering these precious little shoes for EK as soon as I decide to pull the trigger. I'm a huge fan of Livie and Luca shoes for her, they are so soft and I never have to worry about her getting blisters or being uncomfortable.  Our Gap just closed down in our nearest mall, so I'm stuck shopping online unless I'm able to sneak away to Tyler or Shreveport on the weekend. This sweatshirt might be my newest comfy weekend staple if I suck it up at buy it :)

So what are the things you're dying over as fall approaches?

EK's First Day of School and Multiple Pictures of Our Princess

We survived EK's first day of school. She's attending a 3 hour program at a local church and I'm pretty sure she's having a blast. She is so happy with her teacher, and talked about her nonstop last night!  Isn't she the cutest thing in her first day outfit?

  The second day, her teacher informed us that EK has "leadership qualities".  I'm pretty sure that is a nice way of saying that she is bossy. I can't disagree with her on that.

  It really has made my life so much easier in the mornings. Before school, I dropped her off at two different places on alternating days. One was more out of my way than another, so we had to leave home early one day and could slide out a little later on others. This way, we get up at the same time, and leave at the same time... and I was only late for work one time :)

Ryan and I got to go to see Aaron Watson at a little place in New Boston Thursday night. EK saw our photos and decided she wanted to wear a hat like his, so her daddy had to go hatless for a little while.

I have a new love in kids' clothing with Matilda Jane- this is our first dress that came in the mail Saturday!

I hope back-to-school is going well for everyone, I'm just personally ready for it to be over so I can shop Walmart and Target in peace again!  

Meeting People From the Internet Does Not Always Result in an Axe Murder (AKA My Chicago Trip)

  Several years ago, I joined a website called The Bump. It's a place for all things pregnancy, baby names, community forums, nursery decor, whatever. For some reason, I don't remember joining a forum full of "January 2011 Moms". I guess I did, though. After a few months, we decided to make a Facebook group so that it would be easier to follow threads, and we've talked pretty much every day since. We've gushed over our January babies, given advice and support for all kinds of situations, and tons of us have had MORE babies since.  

JanMoms in Detroit, Fall 2012.

We all finally met up in Detroit last fall when EK's future mother-in-law got the crazy idea to host us at her house. (See that GTG here!)  It sounds insane, but for some reason I was totally cool with flying to Detroit to meet virtual strangers. I still can't believe Ryan let me go, but I think he just knew how totally uncool I would be if I wasn't able to. 

Chicago weekend, August 2013.

It had been a while since we had all seen each other, so some of our moms living near Chicago decided to host us in their town. We rented a big loft in the Meat Packing district of Chicago, and made a long weekend of it. I left home at 4am Friday, drove to Dallas, and hopped a plane to Chicago. I met 3 other girls at the airport and we rode the L to our loft. It was seriously so much fun, and I got to meet some new moms who weren't able to make it to our last GTG.  I wasn't even the only Southern mom this time, so there was someone else's accent to make fun of :).  I just wish I had been able to stay a little longer!

View from the Observatory.

The Bean.

So. Much. Fun. 

My fellow Arkansian.

We're on a boat.  This was the architecture tour, it was a fun time!

EK's Future MIL. We will have the most beautiful grandbabies EVER.

JanMoms at the Hancock Observatory.

After I got home, one of the moms said there were 40 shootings and 3 murders in Chicago over the weekend. None of them were internet mom murders, though! So, you can totally meet strangers from the internet and not die.  I'm already excited for our next trip!

Weekend Wind-Down

We've had SUCH a busy weekend. I seriously didn't start my usual weekend laundry until 11pm Sunday night!

Friday evening I got my hair done in Hooks, and EK spent time with Granny Skeet and her Gigi. My sister and I got to go out to eat. I'm really glad we got to go, she is starting her senior year in high school and her weekends in the fall are always taken up totally by band competitions and all that fun stuff.

 Ryan's cousins came down to visit from Oklahoma (yeah, I know. It's OK! Get it..?) Haha. We really don't get to see them that much, and EK has gotten so much bigger since the last time they saw her. We spent lots of time at Mammaw and Pappaw's house with them, swinging, catching up, and I even tried my hand at longboarding. I am not good and I was fairly certain I would die. We had lunch here at our house and the guys ran off to shoot guns while EK and I took a LONG nap.

.

EK has eaten up having two extra people to boss around!

We celebrated Pappaw's 74th birthday Saturday night at my favorite restaurant, Big Pines. It is right on the Caddo river and it's the best fish I've ever had. The slaw and hushpuppies are to die for, too!

I got to spend all of Sunday school with the SWEETEST baby ever. My friend Miranda and I grew up in school together, married cousins, and both moved to Atlanta from Hooks. Her little boy is almost one month old and is just the most precious thing!

Sunday after church and lunch, we took a painting class at Local Color in Atlanta. Sometimes they do themed classes where everyone paints the same thing, but today was kind of "open table" and we all did something different. I painted this cute little cow.. I just love him!

After all that, Ryan's cousin and I went to the movies and I finally got to see The Heat. It was soooo funny.

I'm about to die from exhaustion, but we had such a fun time!

Is this not the sweetest face?  I'm going to miss her so much next weekend!