Mills!

I really don't have anything today but I just snagged this picture off my phone to show you all how pretty Mills looks.  He got groomed last Thursday and Nicole at Modern Pet Salon did such a good job!  I usually take him about every 8 weeks to get trimmed.  In between, I bathe him with the hose and people shampoo (extra volume!) on the back patio once every 3-4 weeks.  He gets all frisky and runs wild after he is clean!  Mills is the best buddy ever! 

Weekend Outside

We were outside ALL WEEKEND!  It was the best weather!

Friday:  Kevin picked up Molly Anne and while he did that, I cleaned her water table with some bleach and a rag and it was new again.  She played with that when she got home and poured water for Mills to drink....these two..

Dinner outside because why not?!

Kathryn came over that night and after Molly Anne went to bed, we went to dinner with our friends Katie and Rob to WP Kitchen!  The food was SO good.  I had the trout with brussel sprouts and cauliflower mash.  Kevin had the flat iron steak.  

We walked over to Dean and Deluca wine bar for a glass of wine after dinner.  Katie and I met there for the first time six years ago??!  Here is 6 years ago...

Here is Friday night...

Our husbands are crazy together!

Millsyyyyyyyyyyyyyy when we got home. 

Saturday morning I meet my friend Sarah and her girls over at Sky Zone for the 9am Toddler Hour!  This was Molly Anne's first time and she loved it!

Sarah made me jump in the ball pit.  Let's just say getting out was an interesting thing!  Molly Anne loved jumping in by herself then she'd get close to the edge and I'd retrieve her!

After jump we went to Dunkin for a little treat!

Then ended up meeting back up with Sarah at our new neighborhood playground for more fun!  These girls wanted to go to the pool!

Naptime then we were back outside roaming the neighborhood and hanging in my friend Regina's front yard for awhile!  Her daughter is so so sweet with Molly Anne and plays with her!

We ended up taking Molly Anne to eat hibachi that night but we couldn't get a reservation.  We decided to wing it and at 5:15 the tables were all full with an hour wait.  They had this little table open that wasn't at one of the cooking stations so we sat there instead.  It wasn't nearly as fun but Molly Anne loved the shrimp and steak!  She was into it!  After dinner we went over to our lot and checked it out - I love doing this if you couldn't tell.  Like every day.

Sunday morning we just played at home.  I worked on cleaning some of her clothes out that are too small and I washed some of her summer clothes that evidently she needs in February with this warm weather.  She and I went on a good walk around the neighborhood, checked on the geese that she saw last week at one of the ponds in our hood and enjoyed the gorgeous day.  

After nap we headed down to see our friends Brad and Shauna who just had a baby three weeks ago today!  Molly Anne loved meeting her new friend and playing in her room!  Both girls with be at Ms. Becky's together so they will grow up being sweet little friends!

I'll let Shauna share the pictures of Sarah but since you can't really see her face in this, I thought I'd post it.  It's so funny that these two boys have little girls!  

They grilled out amazing steaks and had baked potatoes and a Caprese salad to go with it.  Delish.  It was fun spending time with our good friends!

Monday, Monday...

Five on Friday - Leggings, Dice Games

ONE:

I ordered these Zella cropped leggings from Nordstrom this week and I can't wait to get them.  I needed a new pair of cropped because I wear the heck out of them - every afternoon when I get home, I immediately change into comfy clothes so I can play with Molly Anne.  I had been wanting some with the cutouts so I'm excited. 

TWO:
We have an amazing Facebook group here in Charlotte called M2M (stands for mom to mom) and we all buy and sell things we have from kids clothes to a necklace we don't wear anymore to a rug for your house.  You pick up from someone's porch and leave cash under the mat.  It's all moms like us that are just trying to get money for their kid's clothes etc. and not have to deal with a consignment shop.  It's so nice.  ANYWAY, April let me use her porch (because we live out of the bubble!) to sell some of Molly Anne's clothes that she never wore and it was so nice to get some extra money instead of those things sitting in a closet for years.  So thank you April! :)

THREE:
Had a couple of comments about the bunco and left right center games!  :)  Let me explain!  

LRC - Left right center uses the below dice to play and you can use chips or money.  We use dollar bills!  Everyone stands around one big table and has three dollar bills in front of them.  You roll as many dice as the number of dollar bills that you have.  If you get an L, you pass one dollar to the person on your left.  If you roll a R, you send one to the right.  If you roll a C, the dollar bill goes to the center of the table.  If you roll a dot, you keep your dollar bill.  Very easy.  The person with the last dollar bill wins all of the money in the center of the table.  The best part is that even if you're out of money, you still may be back in the game if someone passes you a dollar at the last minute!  It's very exciting at the end!  Then you get showered with lots of dollar bills!  We usually play 4 rounds at my neighborhood girl's night.

Bunco is another dice game with three regular dice.  You have two or three square tables of four people each.  You play on the same team as the person across from you.  One person at the table keeps score.  The first round you roll to try to get a 1.  If you roll a 1, you keep rolling until you don't roll one. You go clockwise at the table for everyone getting a chance.  The first team in the room to get 21 1's, yells bunco and the game stops.  At each table, you mark down a win or a loss for each team.  Then the winners walk to a new table and the losers linger and switch spots so they aren't teammates for the next round.  Then you roll for 2's and so on.  You have to do a full round of rolling for 1's, 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's and 6's.  Then you calculate who had the most wins and losses.  We all put in $10 to the pot at the beginning and the money gets distributed to the winners, losers, who had the most buncos and baby buncos.  Those are some more in depth rules that don't really matter unless you actually go play the game.  It is very fun because you rotate around the room so you get to sit with new people and have lots of conversations among the mindless dice rolling!

If you're looking for drama and excitement, choose to play LRC.  If you're looking for lower key and more conversation, choose to play Bunco.  Both are wonderful and perfect for girls nights!

FOUR:
Yesterday I got to attend the real estate creative thinkers awards luncheon at Carmel CC.  I usually get to go every year unless I'm out of town and this year was super cool as usual.  They honor a few projects in the Carolinas where a real estate developer has used "creative thinking" and made a big difference in the community.  This year was American Underground in Durham, Loray Mill in Gastonia and Riverwalk in Rock Hill.  The honorees spoke about their project.  It was neat!

FIVE:
We are starting to get our yard back in action for the Spring.  Kevin has already had to cut the grass twice which is crazy.  We are planning to reseed in the next few weeks.  In March or April we will spread mulch.  We require so much mulch it's a big expense but it always looks sooo good when it's done.  And...our tulips have already started to pop up which is CRAZY in February!

Happy Friday!

House Updates - Lighting

First official Thursday house update!  Thank you all for letting me go on and on about this house!  

Sooooo lighting.....

I had to make a spreadsheet with our options because I was so overwhelmed with 5 bathrooms, lights for the foyer, breakfast table, island, dining room and outdoor lights.  

Here is what we are leaning towards right now but it's subject to change of course.

Outdoor front lights - these are handmade, copper, gas lanterns and also have an on and off switch so we can turn the gas off during the day.  These are pretty fancy and definitely a splurge item.  They're by Legendary Lighting - Atlas Series 2. 

Other outdoor lights - these will go above the garage and at our back doors.  They are by Minka Group and are the Edenshire collection.  

Foyer light: 
Option 1 - Acclaim Lighting - Kennedy

Option 2 - Millenium 3254RBZ

Dining room options:
 - this must work with our foyer light because it'll be an open area.

Option 1 - Pottery Barn Voila Crystal Chandelier 

Option 2 - 
Something all crystal.  We have seen a few we (meaning I) like but it may be too dressy for our house.  Not sure. 


 
Breakfast table options:
 - our island options must work with the island lights.

Option 1 - Feiss Lighting - Malibu collection

Option 2 - Pottery Barn Linen Drum Pendant

Kitchen Island:
- we bought two of these Pottery Barn Wavy Pendant lights and they came in last week.  They're incredibly breakable (obvi) so I'm nervous to take them out of the box.  I'm pretty excited about these.  Our island is 5'x8' so I think two is the magic number.  

Let's save bathroom lighting for a different post.  I have 5 options for 4 bathrooms and I think we have powder room sconces picked out as well.  

Random Brain Dump

I haven't done one of these in awhile so I'll just start typing:

1.  I just signed Molly Anne up for the Spring session of Music Together.  She loves music class and it has been such a fun thing for us to do together on Thursday mornings since last Fall.  I drop her off to Ms. Becky afterwards and then work from home the rest of the day.  It is so nice to be able to do this with her.

2.  Speaking of Molly Anne activities, I signed her up on the waiting list for swim class at Little Otter.  I really don't want to start until May when music is over but we'll see how it works out.  I may end up skipping swim class this year all together because I already know we will be living at the pool this summer.  Next summer is when I will get her in one of those swim boot camps in the Spring and make sure she actually knows life safety, especially since we will have a pool in our backyard at that point.

3.  This year are two big moves - our house and my office.  That's right, we are moving offices after being in our own building for 18 years.  We move offices in about 6 weeks.  It's going to be a good change....and I'll be able to walk to Dean and Deluca (uh oh!), my dermatologist, internist and dentist!

4.  Yesterday I met with another tile company in town.  I am planning to meet with a third and then make some decisions.  This has by far been my favorite part of building so far.  I don't care about a bathroom faucet but the tile is fun to check out.

5.  Remember when I used to do "Wedding Wednesday" every single Wednesday that I was engaged?  Then I did weekly updates when I was pregnant with Molly Anne.  Then I did monthly updates after she was born.  I wonder if I should do weekly updates on the house building process?  It may simplify things and only talk about it on a certain day.  Thinking Wednesdays or Thursdays...hmm.

6.  Confession - I really don't like winter clothes.  I hardly ever buy any sweaters or any of that.  I do have lots of J. Crew gift cards that I've been saving for Spring clothes.  Can't wait!

7.  Anyone watching the Bachelor?  Do you all read Reality Steve and find out who he chooses?!  I do and I love watching the show, already knowing who wins!

That's all I've got.  Happy Wednesday!

Predictive Index

A few weeks ago, our company sent out a two question "test" that we all had to complete.  It's called the Predictive Index.  The two questions were similar but different:

1.  Please read the words in the list below and check those that you feel describe the way you are expected to act by others.  

2.  Read the words in the list below and check those that you believe describe you.  

And you had a whole slew of adjectives to choose from.  From those answers you gave, they put this report together that supposively describes you.  It's almost comical how they knew exactly how I am!  We got a good laugh out of comparing each other's results because we know how we all operate.  

Our company will use these to help hire in the future and all of the top guys got them to see how their teams work.  It's pretty cool!  If you ever get the opportunity, definitely take the test!

Mary Scott's Party, LRC Night and Molly Anne

Friday we hung around the house that afternoon and played outside.  It has just been so nice with this warm weather that we can't help but be outside!  Look at our two little buddies playing together.  Mills has to be close to her at all times! ;)

We did a simple grilled cheese, soup and peas dinner that night.  She feeds him way too often.  

Saturday morning we walked to Mary Scott's first birthday party!  It was a garden party!

They have the best toys at their house!

Look at the sweet birthday girl.  I really feel like she was just born!!!  

Sarah always goes above and beyond and then some more with her parties.  They are always perfect!

She served lots of different chicken salads and fruit!  Molly Anne told me the cake was delicious with her saying, "mmmmmmmm!" 

Aren't these flowers amazing?!!

She had the bounce house out and Molly Anne LOVED it.  

Saturday evening Ashlyn came over to watch Molly Anne sleep (ha!) so we could go to our neighborhood Left Right Center party.  We invite the guys in the month of February and it becomes a huge party.  We used to play bunco but it's turned into LRC now.  We all really get into it and it was LOUD on Saturday night.  Easily one of my favorite nights of the year!  

I made these little sausage wonton bites that were super easy and they were gone quickly!  I didn't have any pepper jack or much cheddar so I used cream cheese and a little cheddar instead.  

There were about 50 people there so we split into two longggg tables! 

Sunday morning we played and played!  It had warmed up to over 70 degrees so after her nap we headed outside.  

I really need to bleach the water table before this spring!  It is so gross.  

Molly Anne did so many new things this weekend.  On Friday night, I showed her how her boats in the tub connect and she watched me one time then did it herself.  Yesterday I sneezed across the house and she evidently heard me and said, "bless you."  She did this a couple of weeks ago too but this was the first time Kevin had heard her.  

We also worked on stairs yesterday afternoon some more.  She has been doing them pretty well but we worked on using the rail and she picked it up pretty quickly.  I know Ms. Becky has been working with her on this too.  Stairs scare the daylights out of me!  We don't have stairs on the inside of our house except behind a closed door so she hasn't really been forced to know how to do them yet but now she NEEDS to know!

She is repeating everything you say and saying words that I had no clue she knew.  Her new thing is turning the closet light switch on and off which she can reach from her crib.  So now every time we go get her she is saying, "light, light, light!"  

Another favorite is when we're in the back yard she'll say, "hammock!"  So we go swing in the hammock.  Girlfriend loves that thing!

I feel like she goes in these spurts of just learning so much.  She is really such a sponge these days!  I love it!