In case you haven't noticed...I am taking a hiatus for about a month. I am revamping the site to make it more workable for me and more viewable for you.
Hope you don't miss me too much! See you in March.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Changes
Sorry that I have not been posting in an efficient manner. My mind is tangled up in what I want for this blog in the new year. I am wrapped up in a million and one ideas I have that would make this venture more satisfying to me. I am seriously considering a new name, a new look, and new features. Since we have gone vegetarian Monday through Friday and pescatarian on the weekends (only if we feel like sushi or someone is making us lunch...I know, so bad), I was thinking of a weekly vegetarian recipe or recap of our veggie meals. Other thoughts: a baby fashion segment, a Friday Finds segment (awesome things I find around the web), Want-y Wednesdays (things I totally want, but don't need), a different cool place in Omaha each week (kid or not kid related) and great vintage finds...I have also thought about a craft/or artistic venture a week.
What are your thoughts? What would you like to see?
In other news, we are trying to get out and about more, as a family, on the weekends. We lived for brunch in Chicago and went just about every weekend. There is a lack of brunch places in Omaha....and by lack, I mean like 4 places...insert very, very sad face. The brunch/breakfast spots here are very different from Chicago's...in that they aren't very modern and the menus aren't laden with organic/sustainable/gourmet items. I really miss that. I miss the creativity that went into cooking brunch/breakfast in Chicago...I miss the artistic/intellectual ambiance that I felt in the different establishments that we would visit. I always felt a-buzz and ready to take on the world after my morning brunches...and it wasn't just the coffee making me feel that way. I am slowly getting used to the different pace of life in Omaha. The non-showiness...the humble attitudes....the friendliness. Okay...enough of my sentimental longing...get to the point, Erin! So, we went to brunch...ha ha. It was a charming little place called Lisa's Radial Cafe. Being newly vegetarian, our options were limited, but I had gone in with a yearning for pancakes, so that is what I indulged in. Ada Louise was well-behaved and a little ham, like usual. She completely turned herself around in her high chair to entertain the other patrons in the room. We were in and out in about 30 minutes or less, which was perfect because that is about how long Ada Louise will last out at a restaurant before complete meltdown status. I am hoping that some new brunch/breakfast places will open up in Omaha in the next few years. Being kind of a foodie...but not one for dinners or staying out that late, I appreciate a really inventive brunch spot.
What are your thoughts? What would you like to see?
In other news, we are trying to get out and about more, as a family, on the weekends. We lived for brunch in Chicago and went just about every weekend. There is a lack of brunch places in Omaha....and by lack, I mean like 4 places...insert very, very sad face. The brunch/breakfast spots here are very different from Chicago's...in that they aren't very modern and the menus aren't laden with organic/sustainable/gourmet items. I really miss that. I miss the creativity that went into cooking brunch/breakfast in Chicago...I miss the artistic/intellectual ambiance that I felt in the different establishments that we would visit. I always felt a-buzz and ready to take on the world after my morning brunches...and it wasn't just the coffee making me feel that way. I am slowly getting used to the different pace of life in Omaha. The non-showiness...the humble attitudes....the friendliness. Okay...enough of my sentimental longing...get to the point, Erin! So, we went to brunch...ha ha. It was a charming little place called Lisa's Radial Cafe. Being newly vegetarian, our options were limited, but I had gone in with a yearning for pancakes, so that is what I indulged in. Ada Louise was well-behaved and a little ham, like usual. She completely turned herself around in her high chair to entertain the other patrons in the room. We were in and out in about 30 minutes or less, which was perfect because that is about how long Ada Louise will last out at a restaurant before complete meltdown status. I am hoping that some new brunch/breakfast places will open up in Omaha in the next few years. Being kind of a foodie...but not one for dinners or staying out that late, I appreciate a really inventive brunch spot.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Ada Louise Alice in Wonderland
This is an entirely belated post, but I just wanted to share some pics of Ada Louise's 1st birthday party. Though it was held a few weeks post-actual birthday, Ada didn't seem to mind. Since Ada's middle name is Alice and I love Alice in Wonderland, I thought an "Ada Louise Alice in Wonderland" theme was a good fit. I bought her the CUTEST little Alice dress from Etsy and made a big Alice bow myself. We made some Alice in Wonderland decor..big, colorful puffs, buntings and garland...and a cute little Christmas tree adorned with Alice in Wonderland playing cards... and just made the space really girly, colorful, and a bit vintage-y. Take a look...
The birthday girl!
Decorations!
Cake and general festiveness...
The birthday girl!
Decorations!
Cake and general festiveness...
Friday, January 13, 2012
To Eat or Not to Eat
That is the question posing Ada Louise 3-4 times a day...and the answer is usually, not to eat. Ada hates eating. We went through a great streak of her eating normally, but now she refuses 98% of the things we give her...her diet mainly consists of Cheerios, eggs (scrambled or hard-boiled), and frozen peas and carrots.
She used to love to eat the Happy Baby Organics puree packets....she just squeezes all the contents out or throws them on the ground now....I am happy to finish them, especially when she has a mango packet that she is more than willing to hand over. She is more concerned about feeding our poor, starving, skinny dogs (insert photo of 1 almost 20 lb. Pug and 1 19 lb. Dachshund....skinny and starving they are not!), than feeding herself. It is really a stressful and will-breaking struggle. No matter what we do or what we feed her...she will not eat. I should say, she does nibble, and occasionally she will eat half of each thing she is given (woo hoo for the black bean, avocado, cheese quesadilla!), but for the most part her breakfast, lunches and dinners looked pretty much untouched. I was worried about the lack of vitamins in her diet, so I bought a liquid multivitamin to add to her water...that, also, did not go over too well. She took one taste, made a face, and politely declined.
Has anyone else had these issues with their little one? Since moving here in August, she has steadily teethed her way into December and sprouted 6 teeth....should I assume this is teething and that more teeth are on the way? Being a person who loves to cook elaborate and exotic meals...her resistance to normal, non-Cheerio food is so disconcerting!
Here are some pictures of our latest idea...moving her from the high chair to a booster seat...exciting to Ada at first, but SUPER messy for mommy and daddy....time to buy a stick-on placemat and a splash mat!
Here are some gratuitous fat dog pics...just for good measure.
She used to love to eat the Happy Baby Organics puree packets....she just squeezes all the contents out or throws them on the ground now....I am happy to finish them, especially when she has a mango packet that she is more than willing to hand over. She is more concerned about feeding our poor, starving, skinny dogs (insert photo of 1 almost 20 lb. Pug and 1 19 lb. Dachshund....skinny and starving they are not!), than feeding herself. It is really a stressful and will-breaking struggle. No matter what we do or what we feed her...she will not eat. I should say, she does nibble, and occasionally she will eat half of each thing she is given (woo hoo for the black bean, avocado, cheese quesadilla!), but for the most part her breakfast, lunches and dinners looked pretty much untouched. I was worried about the lack of vitamins in her diet, so I bought a liquid multivitamin to add to her water...that, also, did not go over too well. She took one taste, made a face, and politely declined.
Has anyone else had these issues with their little one? Since moving here in August, she has steadily teethed her way into December and sprouted 6 teeth....should I assume this is teething and that more teeth are on the way? Being a person who loves to cook elaborate and exotic meals...her resistance to normal, non-Cheerio food is so disconcerting!
Here are some pictures of our latest idea...moving her from the high chair to a booster seat...exciting to Ada at first, but SUPER messy for mommy and daddy....time to buy a stick-on placemat and a splash mat!
Here are some gratuitous fat dog pics...just for good measure.
New Wes!
As I was browsing my blog list today, I stumbled upon some great news on Jen Loves Kev....a new Wes Anderson movie is coming out! Yes, the regulars are all there...Bill Murray, Frances McDormand....AND, wait for it...my celebrity boyfriend, Jason Schwartzman. It looks fantastic. It has to be more than genius. Here is the trailer for Moonrise Kingdom...get ready to pee in your pants...twice.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Mornings
It's funny...Ada Louise turned 1 year old on December 5th, but I swear she immediately entered her terrible twos. Upon waking, she is already cranky, whining and wanting to be held and carried everywhere. What. Is. Going. On?! Where is my sweet little lady? Hopefully, this is teething and it will disappear as quickly as it came. These pictures will help me remember that she is achingly cute and lovely...instead of the little crankster, sour-grapes-lady she has been the past couple of weeks.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
In Motion
Welcome to January! The weather has been so nice here, so we have been spending all of our time outside and on the go! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I will catch you up on everything we have been doing since Christmas over the next few days.
With the weather being splendid and sunny, we have been going to the park a lot...not to play on the swings and slides, but just to enjoy nature. I would say that Ada Louise enjoys that much more than the hubbub of the park. She just will not stop moving! I guess I should say, also, that we now have a walker on our hands...and she is so fascinated and proud of her humongous achievement! She just walks and runs everywhere...no goal or destination in sight...just plain old movin'!
Day 1....55 degrees with blissful sunshine
Day 2...60, equally sunny and spectacular
With the weather being splendid and sunny, we have been going to the park a lot...not to play on the swings and slides, but just to enjoy nature. I would say that Ada Louise enjoys that much more than the hubbub of the park. She just will not stop moving! I guess I should say, also, that we now have a walker on our hands...and she is so fascinated and proud of her humongous achievement! She just walks and runs everywhere...no goal or destination in sight...just plain old movin'!
Day 1....55 degrees with blissful sunshine
Day 2...60, equally sunny and spectacular
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
trips, parties, and new beginnings...
Tomorrow, we leave for Milwaukee. We are celebrating Ada Louise's 1st birthday at my parents' house with a few relatives and friends. I can't wait to see how it turns out....I haven't started any of the crafts, decorations or recipes...but I have a sneaking suspicion that it is going to turn out amazingly. I need to run a few quick errands before the party to find some goodies at the dollar store and some thrift stores to make the party complete. Here are some of my inspirations, thus far...
While in Wisconsin, we are also celebrating NYE in Madison with many dear Chicago friends. I really can't wait! I found this amaze-balls dress on clearance at Francesca's for $30! I can't wait to wear it with some thick black tights and platform black heels! My lady friends and I decided to all wear sequins...so this will be an extra sparkly NYE for us!
I am feeling nervous and excited for the new year. I am dedicating myself to a major personal overhaul...mentally and physically. My hubby and I have decided to try our hand at being vegetarians for the year. I have been a vegetarian before (for many years..) and felt that this was the right time to ease back into it...or, rather, leap blindly back into it. I have about 50 gazillion things I want to accomplish this year, a) because I feel that this is the year to do major things, b) I am turning 30 this year and I guess that is what people do when they hit that milestone. Here are a few things on my "to do" list:
1) Write a children's book...even if it is only in a journal and is horribly awful.
2) Practice yoga at least once a week...it just makes me a better person.
3) Start painting, again...it really is my favorite thing to do, other than yoga.
4) Start and end my day with positivity...that is hard for me...somehow I have turned into the world's biggest pessimist.
5) Be brave. Be brave. Be brave. I second guess everything I do. I don't do things for fear of what people will think or how things will look or that what I do might not be good enough. I want to stop all of that nonsense this year.
Here's to a happy new year. I will see you in 2012...the year of luck, love, and possibilities!
While in Wisconsin, we are also celebrating NYE in Madison with many dear Chicago friends. I really can't wait! I found this amaze-balls dress on clearance at Francesca's for $30! I can't wait to wear it with some thick black tights and platform black heels! My lady friends and I decided to all wear sequins...so this will be an extra sparkly NYE for us!
I am feeling nervous and excited for the new year. I am dedicating myself to a major personal overhaul...mentally and physically. My hubby and I have decided to try our hand at being vegetarians for the year. I have been a vegetarian before (for many years..) and felt that this was the right time to ease back into it...or, rather, leap blindly back into it. I have about 50 gazillion things I want to accomplish this year, a) because I feel that this is the year to do major things, b) I am turning 30 this year and I guess that is what people do when they hit that milestone. Here are a few things on my "to do" list:
1) Write a children's book...even if it is only in a journal and is horribly awful.
2) Practice yoga at least once a week...it just makes me a better person.
3) Start painting, again...it really is my favorite thing to do, other than yoga.
4) Start and end my day with positivity...that is hard for me...somehow I have turned into the world's biggest pessimist.
5) Be brave. Be brave. Be brave. I second guess everything I do. I don't do things for fear of what people will think or how things will look or that what I do might not be good enough. I want to stop all of that nonsense this year.
Here's to a happy new year. I will see you in 2012...the year of luck, love, and possibilities!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Adieu, Christmas...
I hope everyone had a splendid holiday! Ours was jam packed with fun...late night Cranium that went on for hours, LOTS of tasty food, mimosas and martinis, dog sleepover pals for Olivia and Phil...a Newfoundland named Dante and a Basset Hound named Winston. My whole immediate family drove from Minnesota and Wisconsin to spend Christmas with us. It really was a good time! We saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie, which I definitely recommend, made large, elaborate meals, and generally, enjoyed each others company. Christmas morning was a bit of a present explosion...with 9 people and 4 dogs in the house, there were gazillions of presents to be passed.
Ada Louise thought the mad gift rush was fun at first, and then started to melt down into over-stimulation mode. She is just loving all the new treasures she received...well, all but the giant stuffed animal Pug I bought for her. I thought it was the perfect gift since she LOVES dogs...everyone else thought it was a bit scary. As you can see from my previous post, Olivia the Pug felt a kinship with this stuffed Pug and has decided to show her the ropes of the house.
Overall, 2011 Christmas was wildly successful! It was great to have my family come and visit our new digs and explore our new town with us. It was also fantastic for my brothers to spend some time with Ada Louise, since we don't get to see each other that often. I think Ada Louise really loved all the people around. She had a great Christmas....I can't wait to see how much she will change before next Christmas and how much more she will understand and partake in the holiday. Having children really changes Christmas, in a good way! I used to be so focused on what gifts I was getting for Christmas...now, I can't wait to see the look of excitement on Ada Louise's face when she experiences opening gifts, seeing Santa, and inspecting every last ornament on the tree. I didn't want to focus on myself, at all...I just wanted to soak up every little moment and every little reaction she had to all the newness.
Ada Louise thought the mad gift rush was fun at first, and then started to melt down into over-stimulation mode. She is just loving all the new treasures she received...well, all but the giant stuffed animal Pug I bought for her. I thought it was the perfect gift since she LOVES dogs...everyone else thought it was a bit scary. As you can see from my previous post, Olivia the Pug felt a kinship with this stuffed Pug and has decided to show her the ropes of the house.
Overall, 2011 Christmas was wildly successful! It was great to have my family come and visit our new digs and explore our new town with us. It was also fantastic for my brothers to spend some time with Ada Louise, since we don't get to see each other that often. I think Ada Louise really loved all the people around. She had a great Christmas....I can't wait to see how much she will change before next Christmas and how much more she will understand and partake in the holiday. Having children really changes Christmas, in a good way! I used to be so focused on what gifts I was getting for Christmas...now, I can't wait to see the look of excitement on Ada Louise's face when she experiences opening gifts, seeing Santa, and inspecting every last ornament on the tree. I didn't want to focus on myself, at all...I just wanted to soak up every little moment and every little reaction she had to all the newness.
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