Tales of Me and the Husband

The latest and greatest.

Technology is changing oh, about every 2.9 seconds or so.  I can’t begin to keep up with the tides (William helps me in that regard!  Seriously, teenagers have their finger on the pulse of everything electronic.) but HP was ever so generous to send this new fangled device our way.  We were thrilled to give it a try and see what all the fuss was about.  I’m all about one thing serving many purposes–one dress with tights becomes appropriate for winter!  Lose the tights and add a necklace and it’s suddenly spring!  So, this HP x360 meets your needs whether it be a tablet or a laptop with its four different “modes”.  It can be a touchscreen tablet by folding in half (the opposite way you’d normally close a laptop), it can stand up in tent mode–easy for reading my Epicurious recipes while in the kitchen!  Oh, and movies in bed of course.  Or it can be a normal laptop.  And what I really can’t wait to do with it?  Head to a cafe, order myself a latte, and type-type-type away in peace and quiet–aside from the background chatter of my fellow patrons.  One day, Bridget.  One day.  Right after you stop celebrating the clipping of Parker’s toenails as a successful day.  Anyway, it’s a really cool device and easy to use too.  Right out of the box, I basically logged on and was zipping around the internet.  As an aside, HP is going on tour with Meghan Trainor (some fun videos there!).  Since All About That Bass is partly responsible for my going into labor, I love her.  Thanks HP!  



This post is sponsored by HP.  Thanks for reading!

06/52.

anders, 2 months: he’s always surrounded by some toys or another; he also started really making eyes at me this week and those eyes communicate I LOVE YOU MOM and, well, it’s a full-blown love affair over here.
parker: football player at the breakfast table.  the coffee was mine.

valentine’s day.

another valentine’s day post in your feed!  you’re welcome!

i’ve said this before, but february is the bleakest month here.  today we are on snow day number 5, and apparently three more storms are still on the horizon.  we’ll be looking at the white stuff through april or may, i’d guess.  february begins the time when i’m really itching for spring and valentine’s day is like the only redeeming thing about it so i’m capitalizing on it.  conversation hearts all around!  or (way) better yet, this lady’s caramels!

so, whether you’re going big or going home for valentine’s day (the latter for us), there’s something for everyone here.

one: this red dress ($30!!); one day i will actually buy a dress specifically for the occasion, but until then, i’ll link to them.
two: i have a thing for turquoise rings.  this vintage turquoise ring or this one fit the bill.
three: these flowers.  use HUNT25 for a 25% discount!  thanks bloom2bloom (they are beautiful, and they come just how you’d want flowers to come… wrapped in brown paper and tied with brown string.
four: a subscription to real simple magazine; i love browsing this magazine every month
five: the most perfect essie shade plus some eye makeup and a lip pencil in one of my favorite pinks

Have a happy weekend.

A snap from earlier this week of these two and their Haagen Dazs ice cream.

Another week has come and gone and we’re still alive!  Let’s have some links!

This XOXO banner would be fun for Valentine’s Day (which is really the only redeeming thing about the month of February–and just barely).

I love this whole beauty uniform series on Cup of Jo, and I really loved this one.

These pajamas are amazing (though way too expensive).  What’s the best place for the classic two piece pajama set?  Preferably white.

I’ve made these chicken enchiladas twice now and they’re definitely in the rotation now.

Jovial foods is giving away a trip to Italy.  Need I say more?  ENTER.

We’re casually wading into the messy waters of potty training.  What better time than when we’re housebound?  Parker gets one of these when he goes in the potty but pretty sure I’m gonna need to break this habit.  A moment ago he just popped his head out of the bathroom and said with a smile, “Three toots and two pees!”

I love every single house tour on this site always.

My friend Rachael has druzy earrings and they’re so pretty and sparkly.  This ring is equally lovely.

This swim top is awesome.

My sister told me her skin has been extra dewy lately while mine… has been really dry.  She’s using argan oil on it and getting good results.  Anyone else have the same experience?  (She’s also sending me a baby food jar of her homemade face wash.  Stay tuned.)  This one has awesome reviews.

I want a pair of these.

How long can you go without looking at your phone?  Me?  Not very long.  Here’s another article on how all the information overload is detrimental.

See you next week!

giveaway with kidizen! :: GIVEAWAY CLOSED

have you heard of kidizen yet?  if not, here’s a rundown: kidizen is a marketplace for parents to buy and sell preloved kids’ clothes and other kid stuff.  it’s an app for the iPhone, and really easy to navigate.  you can bookmark certain shops, search for specific brands (i tried several of my favorite brands, and found clothes from the majority of them including zara kids, tea collection, and mini boden!), and shipping is included in the price.  it links to your paypal where you checkout, and wait for shipment!  anyone can join and have a shop to sell your preloved children’s clothes, or you can simply shop to buy!  it’s pretty great, especially considering how quickly kids move through clothes sizes!
today’s giveaway is for $200 to use at kidizen!
enter below by leaving a comment with your favorite brand of kid’s clothing including your email address.  
closes wednesday!
this post is sponsored by kidizen.  thanks for reading!
  nicole studenzski is the winner!

It’s a crazy, sweet life.

There are good days and bad days.  Some days we sit on the couch and take selfies, or I do, while Anders sleeps and Parker runs around in costume or zooming a Dusty Crophopper plane over our heads and while snow falls and falls and falls outside (fun fact: our four-ish foot fence is completely covered in some places).  Some days I run up the stairs before Steve leaves for work, coffee in hand, and take a fast shower.  When you have your coffee in the shower with you, it’s almost like a six-minute spa minus most of everything great about the spa.  A few months ago, a massage would have been an absolute luxury.  Now, drinking my coffee before it’s cold is about the pinnacle.  When Anders is not in my arms (when “the baby hand off” has taken place), I run around frantically, multitasking (which I’ve heard doesn’t really exist?)… mentally numbering which thing is most important: should I fold laundry?  Eat?  Go to the bathroom?  Put some makeup on?  Read a book to Parker?  Brush my teeth?  Of course it’s cut short by his cries for food because there is always more to do, always more that can wait too.  Once I have Anders in my arms, I promise him that there is more to life than this home and that it is actually quite fun, that soon we’ll go for walks and sit outside in the sun and watch the waves at the beach.  Poor kid was born soon before one of our biggest snow storms, and some seriously cold weather (three degrees this morning.  THREE.), so he’s seen the four walls of this house more than his share.  We all have.  We’ll be ready for spring when it decides to show its beautiful face.

Today I went out by myself for about half an hour.  It was strange, not having any small people to tend to.  I was bringing some slipcovers to a tailor nearby, very fancy.  Anyway, the snow, it’s just everywhere.  I mean it’s a veritable take-over.  Parking is atrocious, the streets have six inches of gray slush on them, every street has become one lane.  I strolled through a home store, right by the tailors, and smelled every candle (this one was my favorite and was amazing).  I ducked into a toy store and grabbed some stickers and new crayons for Parker.  Then, I grabbed some of this cider at a wellness store (check out those ingredients!) before heading home.  I came home to Steve, Anders, and Parker on the second floor.  Parker running around half naked, Anders in the tub kicking his legs uncontrollably in that adorable way babies do, Steve leaning over Anders in the tub, the bits of his wallet, credit cards and such, strewn about on the bathroom floor behind him, some waterlogged pieces of paper.  Parker asked if he could get in the tub too and so he did.  Then Anders came out and got bundled, diapered, dressed.  I sat on the bathroom floor to nurse him while Parker was in the tub.  After about five minutes, Parker looked up from his bubbly bath and said, “Hi Mom, me missed you.”

It’s a crazy, sweet life.  Some days more crazy than sweet.  But every day has both.

The news this week in numbers: Parenthood + Patriots

Number of times I cried while watching the Parenthood series finale: 5
Number of times Steve almost cried while watching the Superbowl: 2 (the miraculous Kearse catch; the Butler interception)
Number of times I wanted to hug my own father while watching the Parenthood series finale: 8-9
Number of times Steve wants to hug Tom Brady on any given day: 4 
Number of children the show Parenthood makes me want to have: 37
Number of children Steve hopes will end up being the next Tom Brady: all of them which is 6
Number of times I nursed Anders during Parenthood: all 60 minutes of it (ensuring I could finish it in peace)
Number of teryaki chicken wings Steve ate between kickoff and 1:30 am: 16 
Number of times Steve has been told he looks like Peter Krause: 67
Number of times he wishes he looked like Tom Brady: 67 
Number of times Steve wishes he were Tom Brady: 67 
Number of times Zeke smiled during the Parenthood finale: 10
Number of times Belichick smiled all season: 1

Game day drink: Pineapple Margaritas

Well it’s 15 degrees right now and when you look out the window all you see is white but pour me some tequila and it’s like summer inside, right?  Wrong.  Even the most heavy-handed bartender won’t make me totally forget we’re just creeping into February (which is the month when winter is starting to wear me down.  Even Valentine’s Day cannot redeem the month of February for this hard-hearted woman.).  Even so.  We carry on… and with pineapple margaritas! Things are looking up already!
Tomorrow is the big Superbowl, an especially exciting time for us Boston-folk.  I could pretend like I’m really invested in the outcome but I’m mostly invested in the food and drink that I’ll consume while occasionally glancing at the TV (Steve, on the other hand, is so anxious, he wants to tape the game, know the outcome, and then watch.).  We’re going to a friend’s house and ordering pizza and calzones but that’s not before we first scarf down the appetizers I’m bringing: Frank’s buffalo chicken dip, and a five-layer Mexican dip.  With chips, so many chips.
So, to balance out all that savory, how about something sweet?  I’ve always been a fan of pineapple anything and I’ve always (in my adult life, anyway) been a real fan of margaritas.  Combine the two?  Twist my arm, why don’t you.  This juice was really tasty and was just juice, no other nonsense.  The flavors are probably what I’m most excited about–particularly the pineapple coconut banana one.  I’ve always favored the orange juice that has banana and pineapple mixed in with it too over the normal orange juice, so that tropical mix one was right up my alley.  For this recipe though?  I went with the pineapple lime.  You know, full circle with the whole lime garnish and everything.  When a margarita is not appropriate (when is that anyway?!), this juice plus a generous splash of seltzer would be quite nice.  
I’m going to make a strong suggestion that you make these for your Superbowl party paired with some really unhealthy dips.  Like a time machine to the Virgin Islands!  There I go lying again!  Coupon here!

Pineapple Margarita

4 cups juice of your choice
1 cup tequila (or two – depending on the temperature outside; I kid)
1/2 cup triple sec or another orange liqueur
some salt for the rim (if it’s your thing)
lime, for garnish

Combine the liquids and shake!  Add your salt rim, fill your glass with ice, and pour.  Garnish with lime.  Drink and enjoy!

And tell me you’ve seen this?  The bronchitis story is perfectly reasonable.  Go touchdown Tommy!

Don’t leave without this.  Okay, now go.

This post is sponsored by Del Monte.

the snow storm that was.

yes, it snowed in the boston area, you might’ve heard?  jokes aside, it was really fun, the whole “batten down the hatches” thing.  we went grocery shopping on sunday (skirting most of the crowds, though it was pretty crowded then too), filled the tub with water in case of power outages (to flush the toilet), and all got showers in just in case.  we had candles, we had flashlights, we had water.  we had warm clothes and last, but not least, we had chicken enchiladas.  those, my friends, were so good.  and please, if you make them, do not use any enchilada sauce but her homemade one (which is silly easy).  and don’t skimp on it either.  pour it all over those enchiladas.  and then with the extra?  pour it on your eggs, too.  eat it with a spoon?  rub it on your face?  it’s delicious.
anyway, the snow is still white and sparkly, the snowblowers and shovelers and sledders are still in good spirits, and with a travel ban in effect for majority of the storm, there were no car accidents.  all that to say, the snow is still fun and magical and us, its audience, are still marveling at it all.  in a few weeks when it’s basically black and spotted with dog pee, the magic’s all worn off.  it forced us to stick around, stay home, and there’s something so comfy about it all.  all the neighbors out together, waving hello and helping each other.  so sweet it’d make even norman rockwell gag.  it’s great.  we had eggs and hash browns and stayed in sweats.  steve and william had to snow blow, we went sledding, william built a huge tunnel in our backyard that parker loves to climb through, steve built a fire pit in the backyard and i made hot chocolate, and mexican dip (those two don’t really go together but when in juno!).  
the kids and steve had two consecutive days off, and we played a lot of hullabaloo (a really good game if you’ve got 3-7ish year olds in your home).  parker loved it.  “let’s play hubbubbloo!”  (note: i think it’s so much on amazon because it’s no longer in production but i bet it could be found on ebay.).  after parker went to bed, we watched gladiator (the first time i’ve really seen it from beginning to end) together.  you get it.  ate, relaxed, did snow maintenance.  repeat.  repeat.  repeat.  that’s the sum of it.  and, having nothing to do with the snow and everything to do with me being a nice person who passes along a good deal, i got this shirt for $4.50.  literally.  additional 50% off sale items with code SAVE.  you are welcome.  i considered keeping that to myself but decided not to be a b plus gap is sort of not a secret.  now, for a quick departure from snow and winter… to come: something to remind us summer will come again with some of THIS.  add some rum?  vodka?  one can pretend.  till the drink wears off, anyway.  and that’s that.  how is it in your neck of the woods?

04/52.

anders, 7 weeks: he’s starting to attempt laughs and babbling.  also, his eyes follow me around the room when he’s not in my arms which is really, really cute.
parker, 3 years: …still dressing up “all the pime!”  (as he would say.)

*anders’ sleep sack was sent to us by merino kids.  i’m sort of obsessed with keeping him warm and over the past few days i’ve just slipped him right into it when we wake up.  it does the trick and looks really cute too.  unzips easily for diaper changes (and even has a place to insert the car seat buckle if need be).  machine washable and with plenty of room to grow.  downside: you don’t get to see his chunky thighs, or delicious feet.  poor winter babies (or poor mom?).  thanks merino kids!

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