weekend shenanigans

I don’t even know how we are a week away from Christmas, yet here we are. I am still trying to get used to my new work hours/situation and haven’t really figured out a good time that I can blog on the regular just yet. I have been there a month already, which seems crazy to me! Everyone has been so nice and welcoming. I have been thanked about a million times for just doing my job. I have been told several times I am doing good work. It is such a nice refreshing change from where I came from.

We had our company Christmas party last week at a really nice restaurant in Vestavia. There was a cocktail hour, a sit down three course meal and an awards ceremony. This week we are having a dirty Santa party one afternoon during the workday. It has been nice getting to know everyone, and it all has solidified to me that I made the right decision.

The last few weeks we have been trying to squeeze in all the Christmas things. Last weekend we took Zoe to visit Santa. She wasn’t thrilled about sitting in his lap, so he gave up her chair for her. We took her out and got her a winter coat after. She loves it! Then we went for Mexican and hit up a Bargain Hunt and thrift stores. That evening we tried a new BBQ restaurant that might top our favorite!!! I cant wait to go back and try the rest of the menu. And we finally got our Christmas decorations up!

Speaking of trying new restaurants, Laura and I checked out Miami Fusion last week for lunch and it was amazing!!! It is literally across the street from my office, so I most definitely plan on going back again soon!

I have really been enjoying all the Christmas lights and decorations downtown near my building. They are so pretty to look at. I just love certain streets downtown anyways. They look good all seasons, but especially now!

On Saturday, my mom came over and showed me how to make apple pie from scratch. I have been wanting to do that with her forever, and am so glad we finally got the chance too!!! I got to see her to do Black Friday shopping, she came two weeks ago for Zoe’s birthday party….saw her Saturday…and will get to see her again this coming weekend for Christmas. It is so nice to see her so many times in a row! It had been several months before Black Friday!

Chris is super excited that we now have 1G internet. I think that is how you write it? I don’t know, its really freaking fast. We started in this house with 12M, and he has slowly been fighting every year to get them to do upgrades. And each year, they would give just a little more. Now look at us!

We have had a projector set up in the basement since we moved in, but last week Christ built a TV stand and has gotten back into collecting games again. It looks awesome down there! Zoe picked out her first video game Saturday night, Nintendo 64 Elmo’s Letter Adventure. We cant wait to play it with her!

I am still Christmas shopping, I have zero gifts wrapped, Zoe’s big present is due to arrive today. The reviews say it takes anywhere from 2 to 5 hours to build, the joys of being Santa, am I right?? I hope all the elves show up to help! We are hosting my family at our house this coming weekend, and then spending Christmas Eve with Chris’s family and Christmas day at home. Or at least the is the plan right now. I feel like this time is going to fast and I cant get a grasp on it!

I know there were other things I wanted to say/share…but now that I sit here to finally post something (I HOPE YOU ARE HAPPY LAURA!!!!), my mind has gone blank. I hope that you all are doing well. I am reading posts at lunch but not commenting…because have you tried commenting from a phone? It isn’t fun. But hoping to get back into the groove soon! I love this time of year, and hope to soak up all the Christmas things I can while they are still there to get!

This weekend just flew right on by. I think we need a recount! The good news, is that most days this week it is only supposed to get to the mid to upper 80’s here. So basically a cold snap. I couldn’t be more thrilled!

I started this weekend off with Chris for a lunch date on Friday. We went to Glory Bound, where I enjoyed a buffalo grilled chicken gyro and some potato wedges. It was delicious! I love our little weekday lunch dates! It allows us some alone time, without take time away from Zoe…since she is already at daycare anyways.

We also stopped off at Bargain Hunt where I scored two pairs of shoes for $5 each!!! I had wanted both of these when Target had them, but never committed. I am so glad I waited to score this deal!

Saturday morning we were up and ready early to go meet up with Laura and her crew at Back Forty. I have been there a few times, and had yet to order their burger. It had to happen this weekend! The burger was good, but their fries….their fries are the best!!! Zoe had fun playing with her future husband and eating her fair share of fries.

After we had lunch, we headed back home for a little bit where Zoe did not nap…but played for awhile. And then we went over to Chris’s parents house for about an hour. We stopped at Publix on the way home to grab some food for dinner and did a late bedtime routine with Zoe. Once she was down. I got to work on a few little projects around the house.

Sunday morning I cooked chicken biscuits for breakfast, and we hung out for a little bit around the house. Chris had an appointment at Apple for noon to get the new iPhone. He asked me if I wanted one as well, but I decided I didn’t. But then we got to the store and I got caught up in the hype and decided I did want one,  but they literally sold out between me saying yes I want it…and the girl trying to pull it out of inventory. You snooze, you lose. Chris is loving his though, and I just stare at it bitterly and wonder why I still have my garbage 7 plus. First world problems!

It didn’t take too long since he actually had an appointment. We quickly decided to get the heck out of The Summit area, and went over to Nordstrom Rack to find Zoe a pair of shoes. I got her some Natives and she LOVES them! Her bestie at daycare has a few pairs, and when Zoe saw them she screamed her friends name and was so excited. They are on sale at Zappos right now too. I highly recommend them! They are a glass green color and have this iridescent finish, that doesn’t quite do justice in this picture. So cute!

After that, we went to Bargain Hunt and HomeGoods. We were way past Zoe’s lunch time at that point, so we went to J Alexanders. They have my FAVORITE Thai salad there. Zoe really loved her chicken tenders and fries that she got too. No pictures were taken because we were all starving! After that, we hit up the Bargain Hunt in Hoover…and then did our grocery shopping at Target.

By the time we got home and got the groceries put away, it was time for Zoe to eat dinner and start the bedtime routine. Just like that, the weekend was coming to an end. Not before Chris and I devoured around episode of the new season of Ozark! We finished Blue Bloods last week, so glad we have something else to binge on!

Linking up with Biana. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

I never said I had my life together. Sometimes I can get my post up on a Monday morning, and sometimes I cannot. It was a little crazy yesterday. Add in the fact that my arms are sore as shit. I decided at 9pm on Saturday night that I was going to repaint our closet. Ran out of paint half way through and ended up finishing it last night at 11pm. Can I just count that as my weekly workout? I did the ceiling and everything!

Anyways, this weekend was pretty fun. Chris and I kicked it off with a date lunch on Friday. We went to Taco Morro Loco in Avondale. I promise you, you can’t find a better taco in Birmingham than this place right here! SOOOOOOOOO damn delicious! I got the ground beef, chorizo and Pastor (pork with pineapple salsa.) Freaking delicious. We also split some cheese stuffed jalapenos and chips and salsa. We then headed over to Bargain Hunt and it was back to work for me.

Saturday morning we had a little play time outside. We had scored some great deals on sidewalk chalk last weekend at Bargain Hunt and couldn’t wait to test them out.  It was around 8-9am and was already unbearably hot. We came in, did some stuff around the house and Zoe went down for a quick nap. We headed over to Chris’s parents house to catch a little of the game and stopped by Papa Sals on the way home to get some pasta for dinner. After Zoe went down and I ate….is when I started painting.

Sunday we were up and out early to make a Home Depot run and knock out our grocery shopping. Target had 20% off their fall drinks at Starbucks, so I indulged in a caramel frap. Something I rarely do. It was so delicious!!!! Zoe wanted to rock Vamparina shirts all weekend. The kid actually went to bed with her blue shirt Saturday night after she had a fit when we changed her into pj’s. You choose your battles, and that was one I didn’t have the energy for.

After a failed nap attempt, Aunt Tracy came to get Zoe for a little while. She took her and my nephews to the park and out to dinner. Zoe had soooooooo much fun!!!!! Look at her burger face. That is the exact face I make too!

While they were out, Chris and I did a Facebook Marketplace deal and got a roomba, and then decided to spontaneously grab a beer at the new brewery in Trussville before getting more paint at Sherman Williams. Slagheap opened a few weeks ago, and it is a really nice spot!!! I didn’t particularly care for the beer I ordered, the one I really wanted to try was tapped out. But they always have events and food trucks there, and the place is nice and clean. Family friendly too. I know we will be back.

We also went to Best Buy, and what do we do when we are without child? Find things to get her, of course!!! Poppy and Buttons came home with us, haven’t seen them before! She already has Vamparina, of course. They joined her entourage of Pets characters that must come everywhere with us now.

When we got back, we played outside for a little bit, had a fun bathtime….and after she went down for bed…Chris and I enjoyed steaks and Blue Bloods.

And just like that, the weekend was over and it was back to reality!

What is it about a three day weekend that will scramble your brain so much on what day it is??? It was wonderful and glorious to have that extra day off. I just wish I would have been more productive with my time! I meant to clear out our guest room and paint it this weekend. None of that happened. We did have some fun though!

I kicked off the weekend Friday with trying out a new to me restaurant, Abhi. I met two of my friends over there that I hadn’t seen in awhile and we had some delicious eats! I ordered a side salad, miso soup and the Sexy Lady Roll (spicy tuna with crab.) They both ordered some kind of spicy noodle bowl that came out in these super cute tin pots.  C was so sweet and brought R and I bundt cakes since we both had August birthdays. It was great catching up, and I always leave a lunch with them feeling like my soul was fed in some way.

Saturday morning, Zoe and I went out to Michael’s to pick up some fall craft supplies. We also stopped by Sephora so that I could take advantage of the VIB sale and get my moisturizer and make up remover. I ended up picking up a skin care kit to try instead of what I went in there for. I used it Sunday and had two different people tell me that I looked 25. Sooooo the new skin care is definitely a keeper!!!! We also went to Publix to get some game day snacks, Zoe approved because Publix keeps her happy in cookies.

When we got home, we attempted nap time with no success. We gave up, and headed to Chris’s parents house to catch the Auburn game with them. Then we came home for the Bama game. No naps means a passed out Zoe on the way home.

Sunday morning, Zoe and I did our weekly grocery shopping at Target and picked up some  Moe’s BBQ for us to eat on over the next two days. When we got home, we again tried for a nap with no success. We decided to hear out to Best Buy and Bargain Hunt instead. When we got home we had some color time and played with bubbles outside. Two days without a nap was starting to take a toll on all of us. Someone was being such a toddler!

Monday morning, we had scheduled a play date with one of our daycare friends. We decided since neither of our kiddos sleep in, we would meet up early at Chick Fil A for breakfast, and then head to the park before it got too hot. This was actually Zoe’s first time at the park, and she had a BLAST!!! Now that it is **hopefully**  going to start cooling down some, Chris and I should be able to take her more. She had so much fun running around with her friend. They live close by the day care, and hopefully that is the area that we will be moving to soon…so clearly more of these play dates are going to need to happen!

Zoe had worn herself out, so when we got  home we had lunch and she finally went down for a nap! While she was napping, my sister came over with my nephews and we all played Mario Kart and waited for Zoe to get up. After they left, we had some bubble time and settled in for the night.

I was running behind this morning and didn’t have time to get breakfast together for myself. I stopped by Starbucks and grabbed an egg white and turkey bacon sandwich and tried out a weight watcher friendly PSL. For 3 points you order an Americano with 4 pumps of sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup and 1 pump of pumpkin spice syrup. A regular non-fat grande PSL with run you 16 points. Yeah, no thanks. This was actually pretty tasty and I would definitely get it again.

I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend! Linking up with Biana. 

I have a feeling that today might be a three cup of coffee kind of day. I am not even sure why? I went to bed at a decent hour last night?! This was the last weekend before football takes over our Saturdays. Kind of crazy the season is here already! I am just hoping that this week goes by quickly, so we can get to that three day weekend!

Saturday morning, we met Laura and her crew over at Nordstrom Rack. Her and I took the kids shopping there while the boys looked around Best Buy. The plan was to eat at Shake Shack right at 11:00am. Well, there was a huge ass line waiting outside to get in, and no food is worth a wait for us. We ended up going to Tavern instead. I ordered the Baconjam Burger and it was seriously amazing!!! We all ordered mimosas and shared some crab dip too. Yum yum yum.

Zoe got the cutest pair of sparkly gold Puma’s at rack, some new hair bows and two pairs of leggings for the fall. She made out! I found nothing. Well, nothing that I needed. There was plenty I talked myself out of. And of course, we had to get a picture of Z & S while we were out!

After lunch, we headed back home. Zoe didn’t want to take a nap, so we watched Secret Life of Pets a million times and played with some bubbles outside. She also helped me do several loads of laundry, it’s not child labor when they want to help. And she spotted my old Care Bear chair in our guest room and asked if she could have it. And by asked, she pointed to it and said “mine.” But same thing in toddler language. It was pretty cool seeing her sit in it. That chair sat in our garage for years, and I always looked at it and wondered if we would have a kiddo of our own sitting in it some day. Pretty cool to see it happen!

It was an early-ish bedtime for her, since she didn’t have a nap and was starting to get cranky. Once she was down, I poured myself a glass of wine and watched To All the Boys I Loved Before. It was such a cute movie, very well done! I loved the book so much, so I knew I had to watch the movie.

Sunday morning, I tried out a WW recipe for Strawberry Lemon baked donuts with my new donut pan. While they looked so pretty, they weren’t all that great. Let’s just say you could certainly tell it was a WW recipe, and not in a good way. Maybe next time I will tweak it some how to make it better. After breakfast, Zoe and I headed to Target to knock out our grocery shopping for the week.

When we got home, she ate lunch and had some quiet time in her crib while Chris and I made a homemade pizza and watched an episode of Blue Bloods. She was supposed to go down for a nap, but it totally didn’t happen. Again. Don’t these kids realize that they are going to wish they had all these naps one day???

The rest of the day was spent watching more Secret Life of Pets…please send help!!!!…and taking walks and blowing bubbles outside.

Chris and I watched a few episodes of Blue Bloods after Zoe went to bed and called it a night. Just like that, the weekend was over and the Sunday Blues were strong! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Let’s do this, Monday! Linking up with Biana.