26 weeks & Picking a Name.

3 months to go. I can't believe I'm already starting my third trimester here in a week. I keep saying this but, this pregnancy is flying by. I'm trying to enjoy the last of what is known as the "Happy Trimester". Ya know, the one where you aren't too big and are feeling the best you probably will your entire pregnancy. I'm finding that this baby boy likes to do a number on my back. What I was experiencing with Scarlett in the last month, I already feel now. I've been trying to work out as much as possible. I'm still doing the Tracy Anderson Project, which I love! I'm also going through quite the phase of nesting. Ty wants to kill me, (sorry babe) but I want to repaint our entire kitchen, entryway and dining room. I'm over the red in the kitchen. I'm thinking of a light grey or even….white. (Don't tell my husband I said that). He thinks I like white too much and that just might be true. This weekend we rearranged the whole upstairs.

Baby boy's nursery is coming along. It's been painted and arranged. I'm working on finishing that here soon so that I can get a nursery reveal up on the blog. I convinced Scarlett to take the room next to her baby brother so we are making the in-law suite (which was Scarlett's room) into a guest suite/office/art area for Scarlett. She's been so into painting lately that I want to come up with a little area where she can let her imagination soar while I work or pay bills. I'll probably post those changes soon, too.

When I found out I was pregnant, I had a rolling list of baby girl names. When we found out it was a boy, we were thrilled! But then I looked at my baby boy name list and realized it consisted of one name that I didn't really even care for that much. I looked at Ty and said, "Start thinking of names. You are naming this one." We didn't even think about it for awhile. I almost forgot I had to name this one....haha. But I was surprised that Ty has finally picked the most perfect name for this little one all on his own and surprisingly, I love it! We are keeping the name on the down low until we see his little face....although I may give you some hints here or there ;)

All and all, things have been going well. Baby is right on track and besides my ribs and back hurting non-stop, I'm feeling like life is great. I try to remember all the blessings instead of the temporary pains that are ailing me. I'm planning showers and parties, summer activities and vacations. Busy is how I like to be….such a great time in life right now. Now if I could only keep Scarlett healthy for the next month. (She had the stomach bug last week and a bad chest cold this week) Spring, please hurry!

Valentine's Day 2015.

Well...Valentine's Day this year was busy and relaxing all in one.

If that makes sense. Ty had to work so Scarlett and I slept in and woke up to light peaking in through the windows. The day before, I picked up a sick Scarlett from preschool. The stomach bug is going around and I was sure that we'd be home sick for the next couple of days. Thankfully, Scarlett was feeling better on Saturday and I asked her what she wanted for breakfast. "Heart Pancakes." was her answer. I think it's become a tradition. Last year we made the same. I whipped up some organic heart-shaped pancakes while the snow piled up a little bit higher outside. At this point, I have no idea how much snow we have. Scarlett kept busy with all her Valentines that the kids from Preschool exchanged. I didn't get Scarlett any gifts for Valentine's Day this year. With each holiday, I feel like gifts just become expected and less appreciated. So this year, I told Scarlett,

"Today is Valentine's Day. I love you, so what would you like to do together today?" I said this in hopes that she would understand that spending time with her was more important than giving her gifts. Her reply....

"I want you to cuddle me, Mama." 

Melt. Of course I did. We watched a movie and played for a bit. She spent a good hour in a bath and then, half-way through the day this little love asked if we could go get ice cream. She had gotten a free ice cream cone ticket from a Valentine at Preschool and wanted to use it. I agreed that we would go as soon as Daddy got out of work. And that is what we did. We braved the snow and went out for some ice cream. After, we stopped to look in the toy store and Daddy bought Scarlett a wooden horse that she had been eyeing for quite awhile. She rode that horse to the SUV, held it tight all the way home and even slept with it. She kept thanking Ty for her horse on a stick. Love her. I guess she did get a gift after all but she sure appreciated it knowing it wasn't guaranteed. 

Later in the evening, I got ready for our date night. Ty had made reservations for us and wanted to surprise me with where we were going. You all know I love a surprise. I have a hard time justifying buying maternity clothes this pregnancy. It just seems silly since I will only be wearing them for the next 3 months or so. I've bought a lot of flowy things that I figure I can wear after baby and a few maternity pieces, but no date night dresses. I didn't really have much that fit besides a little black dress that looked as though it promised to stretch. Scarlett made me laugh when she asked, "Mama, are you going to squeeze into that dress?" Indeed I did. It worked. 

Ty brought me to Boca Bistro, which is one of my all time favorite restaurants in Saratoga Springs. I love the tapas and inviting authentic Spanish setting. It's one of those quaint but fancy places that forces you to sit a bit closer and in turn, makes you feel a little closer to who you are dining with. It was a nice dinner and we had a good time. I got a scrumptious Kale Salad and some Squash Quinoa Cakes (which is my favorite). Ty ordered Calamari and a Beef Tenderloin fillet. We finished our meals off with coffee and I just about rolled out of that place. 

We didn't exchange gifts this year. Instead, I just wanted to spend some time together. I mean, I already have everything that I need. I'm really trying to simplify our lives by only buying things that are good quality and will last awhile. Not unnecessary items. I can honestly say that this Valentine's Day is one of my favorites so far. I hope you all had a good day as well, no matter what you did. I think that this holiday has such a preconception that it needs to be full of roses and candies and lavish gifts. I guess that is a great marketing tool for all those stores, but I'm pretty sure that watching a movie with the one you love and grabbing some take out over candle-light says just as much, if not more. The little things, right?

Happy Weekend All!! Hope you enjoy the photos. 

Date Ideas.

     As I have said so many times before, I am the queen of keeping things lively. I can't do ruts and I loathe the mundane. I live for those right out of a movie kind of loves. Let's face it, we all know that long-term relationships just don't stay thrilling forever. You see them everyday, life is busy and kids can require a lot of our energy. But! I must say, I've become quite the master at thinking up fun date ideas and ways to bring back that extra little spark. I've found that the spontaneous ideas are good, if not better than the planned nights. But we do what we can. If you have kids, you know that spontaneous isn't the easiest. Although, sometimes getting a sitter spur of the moment and acting on a whim is more than worth it. Here's some of my favorite date ideas...

  1. Comedy Show, Horse Derby, or any other event that you can get dressed up fancy for. Sometimes seeing each other decked out in not the normal everyday is nice for a change. We make even work events into date nights. Read about ours here. 

2. Road Trip. This was probably one of my most favorite days of 2014. It wasn't exactly planned to be a date but it turned out to be an important day for us both and one that I look back on with fond memories. We had traveled to New Hampshire for my husband's bike meet-up. We spent most of our time apart that weekend. Him with his bikers and me meeting up with some old friends. We hadn't spent much time together over the past few weeks. On the way home, we took a scenic route through Vermont and the peaceful drive and quietness gave us back a little bit of what we had been lacking. We talked and laughed. We stopped to view some great scenery and ate a bit of lunch. One of the least expensive things you can do is get in the car and go for a drive. Go somewhere that you don't normally go. Just enjoy being together and you might find that you start to feel like the first date....a little bit of that romance sparks back up. You can read about this date here.

3. The drive ins have always been one of my favorite date nights. I am sure that has something to do with the fact that it was one of our first dates. One of the first times that I discovered I was totally in love with Ty. Sometimes it's just fun to re-enact some of your first dates. Read about ours Here.

4.Weekend Getaways. Ty works a lot and it's hard to get away for more than a long weekend. That's okay. Besides an annual week long vaca, we take a couple long weekends a year. Ty planned a surprise long weekend anniversary trip for us. I admit, I plan most of our date nights and vacations. I'm kind of a control freak like that. The fact that he took the time to plan this trip and did it all on his own, meant a lot to me. I was blown away by his planning abilities. I didn't know he could plan such a fun, romantic trip. Even if your guy isn't the type to plan a surprise trip, remind him that you like surprises. Or ask! I randomly tell Ty out of the blue, "You know I like surprises, right?" Even though he knows this and I've told him a million times, guys need reminding sometimes. And you might be surprised by what a guy can do if you let him. If he just isn't the planning type, then take the reins and take matters into your own hands. You can read about our GLORIOUS weekend Anniversary trip to the Finger Lakes here. 

 
 5.Beach dates. These are self explanatory. Sun, drinks, relaxation. Plan beach dates. And not just with the kids. Don't feel guilty to go once a year to the beach with just the grown ups. Sometimes doing double dates or going with friends to places is really fun, too! We did a little pre-wedding getaway with are friends here. 

 6. Nature is another inexpensive way to do things together. And as it turns out, Mother Nature has a quite a few things to offer. Hiking, canoeing, or even a candlelight snow shoeing if you live in the snow regions. This one is especially fun because you can do this with our without kids. Read about our canoe trip here and our hiking trip here. 

 7. Dinner Dates. These dates are easy and Ty and I plan them at least once a month. We try and go to new places that we have never been. Eventually you will run out of places so try and go to your favorites and places that you went in the beginning of your relationship. One of my favorite spots is Boca Bistro. An authentic Spanish cuisine that has the cutest setting. I love the quaint and intimate details of the restaurant.

 


 8. Booze Cruise. If you have never been on one of these, do it! This booze cruise was a work event that Ty's work held but I will definitely go on another in the future. It was fun, romantic, different and peaceful by the end of the evening. All the elements of a good date night. Read about ours here. 

9. Couples Massage. Or Pedicure. Ty and I have been on a few dates where we have gotten couples massages. Once when I was pregnant with Scarlett and it turned out to be one of the best gifts I ever got him....and me ;) Drag those guys in with you for a pedicure. Think pedis are only for girls? Think again, I see numerous guys there with and without their spouses and quite frankly, the men need it more than the women with their callused, neglected feet.

I also wrote a little post Here on how to keep your relationship fiery.  Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day today! 

Pieces of The Weekend.

I'm pretty sure that everyone here in New York and New England for that matter, is feeling that "Cabin Fever". 

We've had 3 major snow storms in the last 3 weeks and news of more on the way. Since we can't avoid it, we might as well make the best of it. Which is exactly what we decided to do this past weekend. Sunday is our family day, that is, when Ty isn't working. We found out that he didn't have to work and I decided that it was a good day to just head out on the road and go....anywhere but home! Ty was a little apprehensive of driving out when a storm was on the way. I told him to embrace the moment because we needed to get out and do something. Anything. 

We ended up taking a short trip to the Outlets and even though it was just a shopping trip, we had fun. Perfect little day out of the house. Of course we had to stop multiple times to let Scarlett pee after we told her not to drink all of her drink and she decided it was a good idea to do it anyway. But we try and make the most of all the times we have together and so we looked at brochures and checked out the snowy scenery at the rest stops. 

We grabbed some lunch at the Food Court. We haven't eaten fast food in quite some time. I can't say that I miss it all that much. Can't say that it makes me feel that good after either. But Scarlett enjoyed her nuggets and fries just the same. We got bag loads of stuff for little to nothing. And that is my kind of shopping. Scarlett got some of the cutest springs clothes, I got shoes and a couple flowy shirts that I hope will fit me throughout this pregnancy and some cute spring dresses. Ty, Mr. I hate buying clothes, even bought some new things. And of course, baby boy got some clothes too. 

Scarlett fell asleep half way through the shopping trip and we took advantage of the shopping peace, hand in hand. ;) Those moments are golden. We made it home just before the snow started to get heavy.  Counted a few accidents and hoped that everyone was okay. We spent the rest of the evening watching movies and eating snacks. The best way you can end a weekend. 

Counting her ABC's while she washes her hands.