And so it's happening

It's official. We're packing our bags and heading to the suburbs. If you follow me on Instagram then you know that six weeks ago we bought a house.

The letter that got the house

 

And then we sold our house.

 

Things have been a little quiet over here as I try and make sense of what the heck just happened these last several weeks. Within a two week period we had bought a house, and then turned around and sold our home...in three days. THREE days! We are forever grateful that the Buffalo market is HOT, but I wasn't prepared for just how fast this process would be. I mean, I have a hard enough time deciding what I'm going to have for dinner (seafood, pasta, or chicken...the choices are sometimes agonizing). Making an on-the-spot offer on the largest purchase of your life totally blows my mind.  

We've since regained a sense of normalcy now that contracts have been signed, inspections are done, and people have stopped walking through our home. It's one huge sense of relief. I know I shouldn't complain because, let's face it, we sold our house in three days. But trying to maintain a museum-like environment while living with a toddler, dog and husband was driving me bananas. People, the buying & selling process unknowingly turned me into Vicki Gunvalson.








Well. I'm so glad that's over with (until it's time to start packing & orchestrate this move, and then it's welcome back Vicki).

I had great intentions of taking pictures of the new house at the inspection. But we thought it would be a brilliant idea to bring our over-active toddler with us (until Grandma & Grandpa could come pick her up for naptime) and the thought completely slipped my mind. So sorry, too bad...I'm keeping all of you in suspense until July. But just know that we are pretty excited to be moving into that charming, updated cape on a pretty fantastic street. 

In the meantime, I'll be back to entertain all some of you with my witty repertoire until we close. Topics will include (but are not limited to): my unhealthy obsession with the Bravo network (could you tell?), my ridiculous quest to find an affordable farmhouse table, and all about the night my toddler learned how to take her diaper off during bedtime.

You're welcome (in advance).   

Five on Friday (the radio silence edition)

Well hello there. There's been a bit of radio silence over here as I recoup from a fabulous week in Hilton Head, followed by a brutal cold (colds for me + the wee one = the week from HELL), an office move, and the general craziness that is our life. If I took a moment to tell you what it was like to fly with a screaming, writhing, tortured soul of a toddler...well, you'd understand why words like hell and craziness are great adjectives to describe our lives right now. #someonepasstheKimCrawford #illbedrinkingitsolo #thankyouverymuch

How I feel this week. Also, how I feel about flying with toddlers.

 

So to make up for things, I thought I'd switch things up this Friday & share the top five products I'm currently loving. Also known as, "I'm getting old, so I've recently revaluated my skin care routine and these are the five things I currently can't live without". Let's get started, shall we?

 

 

{one}

 

I can't even begin to describe this product because it is just so amazing. And that's all you should know. As well as that it smells amazing, and it's changed the overall tone of my skin (with regular use). Also, you'll look like a creepy serial killer when using them. The husband can't even handle it. He hates these things. Well, perhaps he should find out what it's like to use a 1/2 bottle of hydrating serum on his face, and then he should tell me what he really thinks. Your welcome in advance, husband.

 

 

{two}

 

I innocently picked up a small bottle of this stuff to take on a trip with me last month. At $12 for a tiny bottle, this certainly did not come out of the $.99 travel bin at Target. But one small, expensive sample later, and I'm officially a facial moisturizer convert. I'm currently pairing it with a serum, and together they leave my face super moisturized. Bonus that I don't look like an oil slick by 3:00 p.m. either.

 

{three}

 

I wear a lot of make-up and we have white towels. The end.

 

 

{four}

 

 

For the record, I'm a fan of this entire line. I'm not convinced that switching over to an entirely natural skin care routine is for me right now. But I've totally noticed a difference in my skin using this stuff. I'm prone to breakouts, and this is really doing it for me. In addition, I can't say enough good words about this stuff. My body turns into sandpaper every winter, and the fact that this transformed my skin during the polar vortex is nothing short of amazing.

 

{five}

Polar vortex be damned. This stuff kept me super hydrated all winter. Oil in the form of a spray? Don't mind if I do! My post-shower addiction to this stuff got pretty intense and I had to back off from my $15 every-other-week habit (admitting is the first step, right?). Now that winter is over (I think), I've switched back to my tried and true Jergens. Until we meet again, H2O, until we meet again...

By the way, no one paid me to say this stuff. But when I find something I like, I like to talk about it (It's called sharing the love & knowledge people).

And because I can't leave well enough alone...

 

Five on Friday

Do we like this five on Friday thing? Yes? No? Whatever? It seems to be the one place I can keep all of my ramblings brief and abbreviated (sort of).  

So let's get to it! Here's what five things I'm talking about today...

{one}

The husband's birthday was this past week, and I got him a Ninja Blender. Birthdays are just so romantic & fun when you're old, right? To be fair, he's been talking about this thing for about 2 years now. And if I'm being truthful, this gift is a win-win for everyone since I'd be using it too. But as it turns out, I'm just meh about it. I had such high hopes for this thing. But my green smoothie didn't blend so well and I felt like I was chewing on a lawn. The husband on the other hand is a fan...sort of (I suppose that's good to know since it was his gift). But then he later admitted that he didn't notice much difference between it and our 10-year old Oster blender. And then he broke a glass after making this smoothie. So never mind. He doesn't really like it now. 



We're off to a rough start with this thing. #birthdaygiftwin

 

{two}

This darling little kitchen set.

via

I've seen several DIY kids kitchen sets out there, but this one seems up my alley. Like, I could probably put this together myself. It's basic yet still adorable that even if it doesn't turn out looking exactly like this, our 17-month old will still think it's awesome anyway. I mean, it's not like she's judging me on my creative abilities. Then again, she's my child, so she probably is.


{three}


I've been wearing the hell out of this sweater since I bought it 2 weeks ago. To work, out to dinner, to birthday parties...there is a 100% chance you've seen me wearing this more than once in a week. It's like I've morphed into Jenny from the block (don't laugh, you know you think the JLo line at Kohl's is cute).





{four}


I didn't think I'd be able to say this in 2014, but the temperatures have risen to over 50 freaking degrees this week. So naturally, that called for floral pants.

 

{five}

via

And with that, I'm off to enjoy my weekend. TGIF y'all!

 

Five on Friday

Happy Friday friends, happy Friday.

{One}

My Peep consumption has totally gotten out of control. The fact that Wegmans started stocking Easter candy the day after Valentine's day became a huge issue for me...oh, since like, the day after Valentine's day. God help me, we have two more weeks left of this nonsense.

Peeps as an accompaniment to wine? Sure, why not.

 

{Two}

 

A new season of OC Housewives premieres in less than two weeks!

 



 

I'm looking forward to the change of scenery, since the Beverly Hills ladies (yawn, sigh, yawn) are boring me. We get it...everyone is against Lisa, Joyce is still awkwardly trying to fit in, Yolanda got her hair cut, and Andy is going to blow his brains out if he has to talk to these women for one more minute. I'm so over it, I can barely get through the THIRD episode of the reunion.  #firstworldproblems 

 

{Three}

 

All this talk of how I've lost my creative decorating juices, and now I'm itching. This fabric is on my radar & earmarked for a little pillow makeover.  The same pillow makeover that I'll get around to sharing photos of...oh, in 2024.

 

{Four}

The husband and I are going out of town this weekend. I've turned into a ninja since we've entered the toddler stage & I'm excited to give my go-go gadget arms and legs a rest for two days (and to sleep past 7:00 a.m....and to eat at the pace of a normal human...and to read a magazine without interruption...and to sleep. Did I mention sleep?)

 

 

{Five}

 

My friend Jen started a blog!

Jen and I go way back to our days as event planners, when we were footloose & fancy free, working insane-ass hours, and bringing home dimes for all our hard work. Ah, the good old days. Now we're responsible adults who have to care for little people, and we trade almost daily stories about how we should have child-proofed our homes ages ago. Well, at least none of our children has been caught playing with knives (that I'm aware of) so we must be doing something right. Go check her out!

 

And because your Friday wouldn't be complete without the sight of this little one...

 

 

TGIF y'all. Go party your asses off (with or without that party hat)!

 

 

Additional ramblings (otherwise known as "Remember when I used to DIY?")

Anyone remember when I started this blog and talked about DIY, décor and all the fun stuff we were doing around the house?

Yeah, me either.

The truth of the matter is that stuff just isn't happening anymore. With a toddler, it's practically impossible. Not to mention I've lost most of my motivation when it comes to making any changes or updates to this house. Folks, we've pretty much done it all. And at the recommendation of our realtor, it's wise of us to stop. We're currently still (very much) on the house hunt. But it's slow going, and slim pickings these days. And did I mention we're picky? I'm pretty sure our realtor sits in his office & shakes his head with each house we turn down. You know, when he's not out selling houses to clients who aren't lunatics.   

 

So since I don't do anything décor related anymore and some people seem to enjoy when I ramble (or maybe that's just me), let's do this again, shall we?


So my beloved Dayton Flyers didn't advance to the Final Four. I'm sad. Who doesn't love a Cinderella story? It was a good run Flyers, good run. Does anyone else have any weird superstitions? Because I do. I made a conscious effort not to wash Emme's UD t-shirt during the tourney. And yes, I can see all of you think-a-lots out there examining this one. I let my child wear a dirty shirt three times over the course of two weeks. What's impressive to note is that I'm remarkably good at keeping a clean child, so no one was really the wiser. But last week I decided it was a little gross to keep up this charade. The husband was like, "no, you can't wash it!" and I was all, "ahh, whatever...our child's not a hobo" (or something like that) and into the wash it went. And believe it or not, deep down, the crazy woman inside of me thinks that washing the shirt had something to do with Saturday's loss. I know, have another cocktail Katie (don't worry, I did).

My child. Wearing a clean t-shirt.

 

So the day prior (the same day as the 'Great T-shirt Wash of 2014') my lovely came down with a cold. She recovered in time for her bestie's 1st birthday party the next day (whew), but after a horribly long, painful day (for me), I decided she needed a little Triaminic to help her sleep. The two night's leading up to that evening weren't pretty. So some cough meds were really the only answer at that point. Anyway, the administration of the medicine didn't go so well, and most of the Triaminic ended up on the back of her head (don't ask). Let's just say this, the following night I decided the "come out of nowhere and pin your child down while she's watching Disney Jr." method wasn't the correct approach. The following morning, her head was a crusty, grape scented mess. And this is what she looked like after I attempted to comb her hair:

Which brings me to my next point. I've heard this stuff is great. I'm thinking about trying it.

It says, "For curls, tangles, frizzies and bed head". SOLD. If all goes according to plan & this stuff works, I'm thinking to convince the company that this should be their before pic:

And! Because at some point (in 2014) I'm planning to share pictures of Emme's playroom, I'll leave you with this sneak peek...

And no, my princess isn't sitting pretty and having tea parties all the live long day. But for the short moment that this room appeared put together...ahhh, it sure was nice. More to come!

Is this thing on: The Sequel (and other random musings)

Oh hey.

Is this thing on? I think the last time I said that I was sleepless in Seattle and navigating my way through new mommyhood. But now I have a toddler, I work, I manage a household (and all it's members), and I have no time for this blog. I love it & I love to write--really, I do. It's just that sometimes at the end of the day, I just want to zone out and watch an hour of whatever Housewives season we're currently in. And sleep. Yes, sleep.

I'm not totally sure how you pick up and start blogging again after being away for almost three months. So I think I'll just start talking as if I never took a break in the first place.

First up? We have a toddler, folks. One with really bad hair when she wakes up from a nap.


Exhibit A:

On a good day she looks like this:

And on St. Patrick's day she looks like this:

She's just shy of turning 17 months and wow...that was fast! She keeps us on our toes, that's for sure. She's so awesome & I know every mom says it, but I don't know what we did before her arrival (my guess is that I was watching way more reality t.v. than you could shake a stick at). She's talking & mimicking A LOT these days. Which means I have to watch my god damn f*&!ing mouth now. Great. Which, by the way, is really hard to do when you have a dog who never stops barking. And half the time he's barking at air. (And now you just got a glimpse of what our household is like on a daily basis. Your welcome.). Which would explain why this sometimes happens:

 

Anyhoo. Moving along.

I've been meaning to do a post on toddler meals for so long now. When I started (and never finished) the original post on this topic it was months ago. And since then, we've been all over the board. It seems teething--as well as a very opinionated 17-month old--are the reasons why mealtimes can be a down right challenge at times. I will say this--Emme is a pretty good eater on most days. I'm sure this is likely to change over the years (or the next 10 minutes), but for now it's all about providing a protein, grain, fruit and veggie with every meal (as well as striving for variety...something I struggle with on the daily). That doesn't mean all of those things actually make it into her mouth during each meal. But at least I'm holding up my end of the bargain.

 

Right now I swear by the Weelicious cook books. They're the bomb. If I was in the business of writing cookbooks (of which I am not) I would have written these for sure. They're typically my go to cookbooks when I'm trying to meal plan for the week. Which I usually do on Sundays. And then I head straight to Wegmans where I go to battle with the entire city of Buffalo (who also thinks shopping on a Sunday is a greeeeaaaaat idea).

I often sometimes get anxiety trying to put meals together for a toddler & two adults. The family cook book is right on...I can usually find something that's interesting, healthy, and pleases the three of us. Usually. So to sum things up, I love these books. Also, I need Xanex to grocery shop or pack lunches.

In other news....

So after we had a child, the old scrapbook room/office/store all my junk room turned into Emme's playroom. And I know, I still have not shared pics of the space. But for right now you should know that it is finished, it's awesome, and it helps keep our living room from looking like a daycare facility (most days anyway). The husband has his room/office, but for whatever reason he wasn't super welcoming when it came time to find a place for my stuff. So I purchased (with the help of my in-laws--in the form of a birthday gift) this shelf/cabinet:

It's awesome. I found it on Amazon. It came a little nicked and battered, but nothing overly noticeable. It was super easy to put together too (i.e., it didn't require the use of the husband or a drill). Also, I finally have a place to corral all my stuff (that isn't on the dining room table)! And since all my belongings are on display, I have no choice but to keep things looking good and organized in there. Unfortunately--and it didn't take long--little hands have figured out a way to get inside this thing, so I don't know how long things will stay looking like this. The other good news is that this thing replaced the stupid wine fridge...that we still have yet to get rid of. Anyone want to buy a wine fridge? Anyone?? Please? I've been reduced to begging.

Sources:

Cabinet: Amazon

Wire baskets: Hobby Lobby

File folder storage & turquoise box: HomeGoods

Horsehead book end: thrifted

And if you're not too busy this evening, think about tuning in to watch my alma mater, the University of Dayton, take on Stanford in the NCAA tourney, won't you? I know someone who won't be watching. In fact, she could give a crap.

Whew...this was fun. It's good to be back!

It's the new year, y'all

Oh hey, 2014. Nice to see you. We had a great Christmas, new year's, and 2013...but now it's time to move on, clear the clutter, get back to basics. In so many words, it's time to simplify. I think that's my one little word for this year. Which makes this type A freak just a little bit excited for what's to come (clear away the clutter! get organized! live with less!). We'll see if the husband plays along...probably not...still worth a shot though....

So that's about it folks. I hope everyone's Christmas was just as awesome as ours. And now I'm off to work on 2014. And shovel snow. Because that's all we do now that we decided not to hire the plow guy this season (yep, this was the year we so were not going to need him....famous.last.words).

See you soon! xoxo