Gone Fishing.

The family and I will be traveling this week to "Gigi's House" aka the Little Man's Great-Grandmother's house to celebrate the Little Man's second birthday. I anticipate a week of fun, sun, and lots and lots of crabs (considering that we are traveling to Maryland.) It should be a great week for all of us and I am looking forward to it more than you can imagine.

Sadly, I am entering the land that time forgot, and even though we are only a few hours from Washington DC, the Internet is still spotty at best. I will try to blog/ twitter as much as possible and I promise a full update of our adventures next Tuesday. 

I wish you all a wonderful week and I wish my sweet little (now big) boy a wonderful second birthday. I am so lucky to be your Mommy and I love you more than anything in the world!

My New Interior Designer.

Apparently the Little Man has been reading my blog because he must have seen the comment last week where someone remarked on how "un-lived in" my home looked. Where are all the kid's toys she asked? Well, usually, I am able to keep them in one corner. We play with one set of toys, we put them away, and then we play with another set and so on. Yeah, not any more. The Little Man now needs to play with every toy that he owns at the exact same time. It's not so much that he wants to play with them, but rather he wants to see them scattered around every single corner of our fairly small living room. 

Here is how the room looked before the LM made his way up the stairs. 

And here is the same room about 5 minutes later.

After this things got much, much worse. 

Hey, as long as he is having fun (and playing independently) this mummy is not going to complain. Cleaning up is very much in the job description. I just think it is amazing what a mess a little guy can make in such a short period of time. 

They say that a hurricane is coming to New England on Monday, but for us Hurricane Little Man has already hit this living room head on, leaving behind quite the trail of destruction. Note to self: NO MORE TOYS. 

I Will Never Be Blair Waldorf.

I love Gossip Girl. Who doesn't right? While I consider myself much more of a "Serena," I find myself inexplicably drawn to Blair's Upper East Side kind of style. Completely posh? Absolutely. Completely impracticable? Absolutely.

 My favorite thing that she wears? All of those gorgeous bow/ feather headbands, of course. I am just over the top in love with them. In love with them on her. Me? Not so much. Could you just imagine me walking around town in my gym clothes or my flats wearing what, a bird on my head? Yeah, I don't think so. 

However, this fact doesn't stop me from trying on every single Jennifer Ouellette headband when I pass by Barneys and asking the little man if mommy looks stupid. His furrowed brows always let me know that while I may be the yummy mummy, I am not and never will be a Blair Waldorf. I guess I'll just have to wait until next season to live out my headband lust through a girl that can somehow pull off an ostrich on her head. Until then, here are a few of my favorites. 

Maybe in my next life I'll be able to pull one of these beauties off. Hmmmm somehow I doubt it. 

I Only Have Myself To Blame.

I have totally and completely jinxed myself. Remember last week when I said, "It's only  matter of time before this kid is climbing the walls?" Well, that time has come. Really, I'm the one who said it out loud, I only have myself to blame. 

Here we were this morning, making breakfast. The little man was "helping" me buy taking all of the ingredients out of the fridge (and more than a few we didn't need.) 

Thank you I said, what a good boy. And then this happened.......

The fourth shot in this series is actually missing because that would have been the one where he was standing completely on the lower bar and I was faced with the tough decision to get the shot or save my little man. Social Services would probably agree that I made the right choice. Once he was safely on the ground you can see that he was pretty proud of himself. 

Um, he's not even two yet and he is already climbing the walls? I see quite a few broken bones in this kid's future...

Jonathan Adler Coming to a Store Near........Me!

Last week I declared that I was finally ready to buy a rug and some new furnishings for our home. A rug that I had wanted for about a year. A rug that the Husband had not only previously seen, but had also fully agreed to it's purchase. A rug that won't be gracing my living room anytime soon. Why? Well, let me tell you. All of a sudden my husband changed his mind. Changed his mind as in, "I absolutely hate that rug and refuse to get it. You can get the darker one for the bedroom but there is no way in hell that rug is going in my living room." After a few hours of lively debate (ahem, borderline cage fighting) we finally agreed on this rug. 

Confession time.  I love the rug. I really, really, really, really love the rug. And if you ever tell him this I swear I will deny it,  but, I actually like the rug he chose better. Gasp, I know, these things should never be said out loud.

I like it because it is way more youthful, and quirky and it allows for me to get some amazing marigold, and mustard colored accessories, like these pillows. (Those pillows btw are still very much up for debate.) Which brings me to the point of this post.

 Today my sister and I were walking down Newbury on our way to the Frog Pond when I said, "I really wish there was a Thomas Paul or Jonathan Adler store around so I could try to pick up some cool modern accessories for the house." No sooner did I get out the last word when I looked to my left and saw this. 

Shut up! Jonathan Adler is coming to Newbury? Jonathan Adler is coming to a store near..... me? Psyched would be the one word I would use. It's not so much the furnishings that I am excited about but more so the fact that I will be able to walk in, pictures of my home and pillows in hand, and get some serious decorating advice. Advice from people who have very similar taste to what we have. Advice from people that have to answer my decorating questions, for free no less! Yeah, I'm pretty psyched. 

As an aside it's also really nice to have a store come to the street that is not just another Crate and Barrel, or Potterybarn. In this economy shops are closing every day leaving some blocks almost completely empty. The only ones who can afford the rent are the chain stores and that has really taken away from the "feel" of Newbury. Well, Jonathan Adler, I can assure you that I will do my best to keep you in business! 

Before I left I had to take a picture of my favorite part of their manifesto. See #2.

Hmmm does this mean the Husband is gay? Or that he is now the wife? Well it's like they say, a broken clock is right twice a day.... we'll let him have this one time of making the right choice. From now on the rules firmly apply though!

Welcome to Boston Mr. Adler, we are happy to have you!

Heat Wave + Homemade Popsicles = Summer Awesomeness.

It is hot out! 

Hot, hot, hot. No, I am not complaining. Not one bit. It is completely the opposite. I wish we could have 90 degree weather all year round. No joke, I love it. Hmmmm perhaps I am living in the wrong part of the country? Alas, that is another post all together. 

While I may love the heat the little man, on the other hand, does not. Sure he likes to run around in the sun. But all that running makes for one hot, and sweaty little boy, aka one cranky little boy. I've been trying all week to think of things to cool him down, pool, juice, ice cream...the usual. Then the other day I remembered the Popsicle molds that I had bought at the beginning of the Summer. The ones that I put away in the back of the cupboard, because until now it had been too cold to even think of eating frozen treats. Well, not really, but the truth is I simply forgot about them.

During my cleaning frenzy last week I finally found them, and last night I whipped up some homemade Watermelon Lemonade Popsicles. It only took about 5 minutes to blend everything and I then let them freeze overnight. Today I tested them on my toughest critic. As you can see he had no complaints. 

I really wish I would have thought of these sooner. You can make yogurt pops, pudding pops, even adults only pops which would make for a great happy hour at the park if you ask me. Not that I would ever do that. I lie, I would totally do that! 

Here is the non-alcoholic kids version. Throw in a few shots and you would have the grown up recipe. 

Watermelon Lemonade Popsicles. (makes 12 large popsicles)

Combine 4 cups packed and seeded watermelon that is finely chopped, 1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate (thawed), 2 small limes (juiced), 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt in a blender. Puree until smooth. Pour into molds and freeze. 

The molds are from Crate and Barrel, where sadly they are discontinued, but any plastic molds will do. 

Stay cool out there my East Coast friends!

I Guess We've Moved On.

A while back I wrote about how the little man was suddenly sorting his toys into little piles. Piles that seemed to pop up all over our home. Piles that I would continually step on and trip over. Piles, piles, piles everywhere. Well, I've guess we've moved on. Gone are the piles of blocks, cars, books, bath toys, and trains. What do we now have in their place? 

Lines, lines, and lines, and lines, and lines of cars. Lines that cannot be crossed and god forbid stepped over or stepped on. Lines that divide the little man from the rest of the world. First it started with the cars.

And soon we moved on to the trains.

Luckily the little guy ran out of objects or I'm afraid I would still be stuck on the other side of the living room, not having showered or eaten for days. 

The best part of having a toddler? The suspense of what phase will be coming next. I realize that I could read a book about stages and phases, but it's too much fun waiting to see what the little guy will think of. Maybe next week he will find a way to climb the wall with them....who knows? 

Remind me of this the next time I am blocked the corner of my living room for over an hour, would you?

Pulling The Trigger.

As I have mentioned before I am a bit of a coward when it comes to interior design. It's not that I don't know what I like, it's just that I don't want to make the wrong choice. Especially with the big ticket items. We have lived in our home for over a year now, and the truth is that it looks exactly like it did the day we moved in. I finally have gotten up the courage to pick out a lighting fixture which I think will look really good in our space, without taking over the room. 

The thing is I am still at a loss for what type of rug to put in a room. Well, not so much at a loss, but more so I just keep hesitating to get the rug I really want. I love our Thomas Paul pillows that are on the sofa, in fact they are probably my favorite thing that I have in our home. So that got me to thinking, why not get the matching rug? 

Of course it only comes in brown (which we already have way too much of) and light blue. Light blue with little kids. Little kids who are allowed to eat and drink in the living room? I can't think that this is the greatest idea, but it really this is just what we need to pull our room together. Oh, I am just such a wimp. I think it is time to pull the decorating trigger. I love the rug, love the color, and I think it will look amazing with our new modern white chandelier/ light fixture. 

I think I just made the decision for myself, I've been lusting for this for over a year. What exactly am I waiting for?  Besides isn't this why God invented OxyClean?

Shoeless.

A few pictures from our park trip this morning....notice a trend?

Apparently the little man has given up on wearing shoes. All shoes. As in he will only wear shoes when he is 1) not in the house, 2) not in the park, 3) not in the stroller. So basically 99% of the time the little guy is shoeless. If I try to cover up those little piggies he just looks and me and demands, "Shoes off mommy, shoes off." At first I would protest, but the husband assures me that he can't catch any sort of disease from the park (at least he thinks so) and therefore, I should let this one go. Besides winter will be here soon enough. I'm now regretting the hours I spent looking for the perfect pair of sandals at the beginning of the summer (lots of traction, sturdy, will last the whole summer.) I would have been better off just investing in a good foot scrub. 

Hmmm maybe this is just his version of Boho Chic? Or would that be Hobo chic? 

Cleaning Out My Closet.

This weekend I did two things I've been meaning to do for a very, very, very long time. The first was cleaning out my actual closet, and the second was cleaning out my virtual closet, a.k.a my inbox.

The first was definitely the easiest of the two. I usually try to keep my actual closet pretty clean. Usually. I try to reorganize each season and I am pretty good about giving stuff away. Those of you who know me know that I hate stuff. Especially stuff I know I won't wear. This season however, I must say I had severely neglected my closet duties. I blame the weather. First it's hot, then it's cold, then it's raining...this summer has been a roller coaster of weather. So much so that no sooner did I put my sweaters in storage was I pulling them back out. Well no more. I found a way for both seasons to live together/ but apart. I also went through and really thought about whether I was ever going to wear some of the things I was holding on to for so long. Some because of memories, some because of labels, and most because I thought maybe someday I would reach for them. Well, not anymore. If I hadn't worn it in a year it was gone. Gone, gone gone. First to my sister, and the rest (including almost all my old work clothes) were set aside for a local domestic violence shelter that specializes in finding clothes for women who are trying to get back to work after abusive relationships. I can't think of a better place for these clothes (most of which were in very good condition) to go. My career wardrobe consists of jeans and flats, and my closet can no longer pretend it doesn't.

My second task, the cleaning out of my inbox was not quite as simple. Up until now 95% of the mail that I get is junk. Junk, junk, junk. Emails from every store I have ever bought from and all of their affiliates. I counted and one day last week I got 45 emails that were trying to sell me something I didn't need nor want nor ask for. 45! Well, no more. I spent both of the LM's weekend naps unsubscribing from every company that I didn't want an email from. It took about 4 hours but I was finally able to get my name off every virtual list out there. Guess how many unwanted emails I received Sunday and Monday? Yep, none. Now I know that when my blackberry buzzes at the park it is from someone I actually want to hear from. Novel concept I know.

It is amazing how much lighter I feel. Not in the physical sense but in the emotional sense. I love having things organized in my life and now both my closets reflect that. Now I'm off to tackle that storage and linen closets. I may not be nesting but that won't stop me from organizing every square inch of this place....

Here's The Thing.

Again I am not pregnant. Totally sucks? Yes. Totally disappointing? Also yes. Totally had my hopes up? Yes, yes yes. But here's the thing, this month for some reason I am pretty OK with this. Yes, I still want another baby. Yes, I would like one asap, but this month I am refusing to let this send me into a downward spiral. I am officially giving up control. Officially. I think the following things are what is keeping me in such positive spirits:

1. We are finally able to book some of the vacations that we have been holding off on because I would have been too pregnant to travel. These include an adults only trip to Colorado in December. A family trip to Switzerland in February, followed by a trip for the little man/ a conference for the Husband at the Happiest Place on Earth; Disneyland. How could I not be psyched about that? The little man + Mickey = insanity and a great time. 
2. The terrible twos are really, really (really, really, really) terrible. The fact that the LM will be closer to three when baby number 2 rolls around is a very, very, very, very good thing. Life would be really tough right now with two. Awesome, but tough. 
3. I really am enjoying my little man. Despite the terrible twos the LM and I are having an amazing summer. Having one kid who sort of listens and can get around/ follow a routine is amazing. I am having the time of my life and given the little guy's short time on this earth I can guarantee you that he is too. 
4. I have become obsessed with fertility forums and I keep reading other people's happy endings. I feel very lucky to have the LM and I can't explain what a relief it is to know that there are others out there who have been successful in their fertility struggles. Every story that ends in success really helps me to envision that success myself. I know it will happen, it's just a matter of when. 

The only thing that has me down? The fact that I have to do yet another round of the Clomid/ Progesterone. Ugh, I am just so over it. The mood swings, the pain, the acne, the weight gain. O.V.E.R. I.T.. Over it. Sadly, there is nothing I can do. The doc said that if I go off the chances of conceiving are much less likely. So more and more drugs. At least there is a light at the end of this Clomid tunnel. The plan is two more months on the pill, then two months of injectables (as required by the insurance Co.), and then IVF. Clearly we are hoping that it won't come to any of that but the doc. seems to think that with the IVF I am pretty much guaranteed a baby. Two babies actually. Again, I am hoping it won't come to that but I do like having a plan. Even if that plan includes more hormones, it's still a plan. 

It's going to be a beautiful week, the little man is going to turn two soon, and we have our health/ home/ family. I refuse to let a little thing like a negative pregnancy test get me down. This month at least. Thank you all for your finger crossings and baby dust. Next month, right?

P.S. I totally think it's rude that the pregnancy test has to so aggressively say "Not Pregnant." Can't it be like a magic 8 ball and say things like, "Try Again Later," or "Sorry Not This Time," or "Keep Trying Honey," or the best would be "It Will Happen, Just Not Now." Hmmmm perhaps I should create a new product? 

Julie & Julia, Of Course I'm Going To See It!

Am I the only one who is super excited that Julie & Julia is coming out today? I have a feeling that I'm not. Cooking, Blogging, and Meryl Streep? Sounds like a winning combination to me. Sunday my sis and I are going to be heading out for some popcorn, twizzlers, and what I expect to be a great movie. Is it odd to blog about a movie that is about a girl who blogs? Nah, not if you are a blogger!

Speaking of bloggers. I saw this great poster over at one of my favorite blogs, Naturally Nina. I love it and just had to have it!  I think this will look great in the master bathroom as soon as I can convince the husband to put it up. I think it sums me up pretty well! 

Bloggers are taking the world by storm! 

I wish all of you a happy and sunny weekend. 

It Was Just a Matter of Time.

It was just a matter of time before the mother of boho-maternity chic came out with her own clothing line. Well that time is now. Nicole had designed a full collection for Pea and the Pod and as someone who is mildly obsessed with her wardrobe, I couldn't be more excited about this. With price points from $48- $148 dollars, now every momma to be can now be a boho mama. These clothes are so cute I would totally wear them even if I wasn't preggars (which is still a mystery for those of you who are following along. )

Yesterday a sneak peak was released, the full line hits stores Friday. 

As if I really needed another reason to want to have a baby! 

Fashionable.

I'm not going to lie, I actually had pretty high hopes for Rachel Zoe's new newsletter. I mean, I know she is a celebrity but unlike other celebrity newsletters (ahem Gwyneth and your Goop) I feel like she should/ would actually have good and useful fashion tips and advice. I guess I was wrong. Yes, I know it's only been two days but the emails that have been hitting my inbox seem more like an add for piperline (for which she is a paid consultant) than they do anything for anything else. I wanted really to see some tips. Tips that real people could use to incorporate into their real wardrobes. What I don't need is to be sold a pair of shoes or costume jewelery from a FORZ (friend of Rachel Zone), just like I don't need advice on what to read/ eat/ do from a FOGP (friend of Gwyneth Paltrow.) 

Enough with you celebs and your newsletters! From now on I'm going to get my fashion inspiration straight from the source, and only the source. What source you ask? Well the fashion blogs of course. Here are my favorite places that I go when I need a little fashion advice. 

• WhoWhatWear Daily- If you have yet to sign up for these daily updates/ emails than I suggest you drop everything and run to their site and do so (after you finish reading this post of course.) I can't even begin to list why I love this blog so much. If I were forced to do so, the first word that would come to mind is accessibility. This site does what so many other fail to do, which is make fashion accessible to everyone. Their daily tips are ones that anyone could incorporate into their wardrobes/ lifestyles and they do so by recommending items that fit any budget. You want those 2900.00 dollar leather pants? They'll tell where to get them. If you are like the rest of us and want them for closer to 29.00 dollars? Well, they also have you covered. They style is sometime a bit alternative/ over the top, but for solid fashion advice this is the place to go.
• The Satorialist- Hands down this is the coolest site on the web, in my opinion. This is my first click in the morning and my last click in the night. The pictures that Scott Schuman takes are absolutely to die for. The subjects, the clothes, and the locations leave me in  awe every day. Who knew that there were that many stylish people in the world? Clearly Schuman did. Every day I find some new inspiration on this site. I love that it never sells anything (except his new/ first book which is on the top of my Christmas list) but rather the people and the clothes have such vision that it is so easy to integrate that sense of style into one's own wardrobe. I also love how the young and old are pictured to show that true style has no age limit and does not discriminate between color, sex, or country.
• Jak & Jill- This blog is where it's at for all thing cutting edge and high fashion. With it's candids from the top fashion shows all of the world, to the paparazzi style photography, I truly feel so much cooler simply by reading this blog. The shoes are fierce, the clothes are even fiercer and to say that this is one of the edgiest fashion sites out there wouldn't do it justice. 
• Beyond Boston Chic- As a Bostonian you know I had to include this in my list. Like the Satatorialist this blog showcases real people on the street wearing real clothes. The catch, well they are all from around Boston (unless the fashionable writer is on one of her many travels.) Pictures are taken on the T, in Harvard Square, Downtown, you name it she's probably found someone who is super fashionable standing there. 
• Vogue Uk- The UK version of Vogue.com, really need I say more? This is my homepage. This is my go to for any and all things fashion. This is about a million times better that Vogue's American homepage. The articles, the interviews, the fashion, I just can't get enough. They really make you feel like an insider in the fashion world even if I can't afford 99.9 % of what they are selling. A girl's got to have a place to dream right?

So you celebrities can take you newsletters and your fancy friends, I no longer need your dribble cluttering up my inbox. I am cleaning out my virtual closet and keeping the 5 things (websites) that I can't live without. You, sadly, are not one of them. 

Where do you all get your inspiration from? If I am missing something please make sure to share!

And I Thought I Needed a Girl.

When I first found out that I was pregnant with the little man, I'm not going to lie, I was a bit sad. At the time I thought that I really, really, really wanted a girl. That sadness lasted for about a day and after I  gave up on the idea that I would ever have a child who I can teach to do their hair, or makeup, or play dress up with I was pretty psyched to enter the world of little boys. Yes, I know the next one could be a girl, but I'm pretty much convinced that once you have one child of one sex, your chances of having another of that same sex are pretty high. Why do I feel this way? Well, just look at my 3 (yes, 3) younger sisters. They just kept trying for a boy, and ended up with a household of girls. 

Anyway I had pretty much given up on the idea of all things girly and I surprised myself by how much I actually love living in the world of my little boy. I never realized just how cool fire trucks, trains, matchbox cars and bulldozers could be. I had accepted that I would never show my little girl how to do girly things, things like applying lip gloss, putting on blush, watching her play in my makeup.  

It seems that I may have given up on this dream too soon. See my little man, well, he is all of a sudden obsessed with makeup (sorry dad.) I barely wear any so I'm not quite sure where the attraction comes from, but whenever he gets too quiet I know that I can usually find him in my bathroom rubbing anything and everything on his face. Here he was the other day refusing to leave the house before he applied his lipstick. 

I'm not sure if it is the smell of the strawberry or that sticky gloss, but the little guy, he just can't get enough. To set my father's mind at ease I promise this is where I draw the line. No tutu's, no pink until he's old/cool enough to wear it, and no heels of any kind (that may be for my shoe's benefit more than anyone else's.)

They say boys will be boys, and in this case my boy likes to be glossed and moisturized. Hey, I don't blame him. 

ps. Yes, Dad this is just a phase. No I don't let him wear it in public. 

Wade Wilt.

My absolute favorite birthday present was my 2nd cabbage patch kid Wade Wilt. I remember my father taking me to the toy store and telling me I could pick out basically anything. At the time I was obsessed with my 1st kid Spring Chrissy and I was sure I was going to get a stroller, bed, or some kind of accessory that she just couldn't live without. As I was walking down the toy aisle I saw him. My Wade Wilt. He was probably the ugliest of all the cabbage patch dolls with just one sprig of blonde hair sticking out of his fat face, but that didn't matter to me. He was the baby that I didn't know that I had been looking for, and the brother that Spring Chrissy never knew that she wanted. Funny now that I am again obsessed with baby number two, no?

I loved reading about all your favorite presents, it brought back memories from my own childhood. It also reminded me that I never got and Easy Bake Oven, and I am still bitter about this! 

Without further delay the winner of the Party Favor's Giant Cupcake brought to you by BuyWithMe....is.......drumroll please. The winner is is Julie Q of the JQ Lounge! Although this was drawn from Random.org I find this to be very fitting given that last week was her birthday!

I hope you enjoy your giant cupcake, and Happy Birthday!