J. Crew and Family Pool Night and Light

Hope everyone had a good week!  I have a few things to post about today!  PS - tomorrow is September 1st, that's wild.

1.  J.Crew is 40% off everything with code BIGSALE now through Monday and the jacket I posted about the other day is $88 instead of $148!  I'm going to look for some new shoes (maybe these) and maybe a couple tops for the Fall.  

2.  Molly Anne is OBSESSED with her Unicorn Shoes!  Every little girl needs a little unicorn in her life!  She has the pink sparkle ones because, duh!



3.  This boy is the sweeeeeetest!

4.  We have super cool next door neighbors who were out of town a night this week and told us to use their pool.  Kevin came home from work a little early and we all went over for a swim before dinner!  It was SO much fun!  Grady loved the water!  We actually went back the next night too but that was just me taking both kids by myself and lasted only 30 minutes before it was dinner time!  But, I'm so glad we have these pictures from our family night!

5.  Also, to the sweet reader that asked me for the source of our breakfast light, it's by Gabby Lighting!  Here is the link!  It looks crooked in the below picture  but it's not, I promise!

On Going Back to Work

I go back to work on Tuesday.  I can barely talk about it.  But I need to talk about it so here it goes:

Going back to work after two children is much harder than after one.

Hardly any of my friends work which makes it a bit harder.  

I was off for almost 17 weeks and it was GLORIOUS.

I had both children for a good part of the summer and I loved (mostly) every minute of it.  I truly got a taste of being a stay at home mom.  

Never potty train a child when you have a 5 week old.  

I know I will be fine going back to work after I get back in the swing of things.  30 days is a typical adjustment period and that'll be about what it takes.

Yes, I will still be traveling.  No, I don't have a clue how this will work as far as taking and picking up children from two different places.  I've traveled for 13 years but this will certainly be the biggest challenge thus far.  

I'm excited to go back to work in some ways because I love what I do and who I work with.  

I don't think Kevin is thrilled about me going back but he's supportive of me wanting to work.

Some days I don't want to go back to work ever.  But I like full time daycare option for both children HAHA!  But honestly, what would I do with myself?  I had a taste of this the last two weeks with both children at daycare and I was thinking about potentially getting bored with another week like that.

The guys I work with are amazing and will take it easy on me as I make this transition back.  

I feel like I really got to be around for Grady's first 4 months and for big transitions for Molly Anne.  This was so important to me.  And I'm incredibly thankful we could make it happen.  

We have a big shebang this weekend to close out summer.  And to close out the last time I will ever be off for months at a time while I still have a job to go back to.  

I have a big gulp in my throat writing this.  I'm sad but excited for our new normal.  All the emotions.  If you see me on Tuesday, warning - I may be a disaster! 

Completed House Pictures

I don't think I've ever showed completed house pictures with our things moved in.  Here it was the morning we moved in.  A lot has changed since December 22nd!  

A few things:

1.  These pictures were taken while we were in Scotland and I didn't know they were happening until after we had scrambled two children, a dog and us out of the house.  So I would have had things a bit different had I known professional pictures were going to be taken by our contractor's photographer.  Ya know, like a full roll of toilet paper folded down perhaps.  Or maybe I would have shut the dishwashers completely.  Or not had the blankets the way they were on the sofas.

2.  ALL the dead landscaping.  Remember in Charlotte the 10 degree days in December?  Yep, that's when our landscaping was planted.  Don't ask.  It wasn't my decision.  But it's all being replaced in the next few weeks when it's prime planting season.  

3.  Two things we (meaning I) would like to get is a new breakfast table and a new coffee table for the porch.  I have this one and this one (or maybe two of the side tables) picked out but they are a really low priority in the grand scheme of things.  I think we've sat at our breakfast table 5 times total since we've moved in?  

4.  These don't include any bedrooms and only part of our bathroom.  They didn't take any pictures of those rooms which is fine because those rooms could use some things on the wall and curtains haha!

5.  A lot of sweat and tears has gone into building this house.  I know way too many details about it.  Every single thing we picked out.  Every single thing we had a say in.  Every single thing we chose.  I'm not going to be shy - we are proud of it.  And it's the gift that keeps on giving..we have 11 items left on the punchlist!  Piddly stuff but still important - Molly Anne's sink not draining, landscaping, installing brackets on the right side of the house, a couple paint items, things like that.  Don't even ask me why this is still going on 8 months after we moved in. Ahhh!

We absolutely love it and functionally it works so well for our family and is exactly what we wanted.  We've gotten to entertain a couple times recently and we love doing that.  We used to do it all of the time uptown at our condos.  We didn't entertain much at our old house but we plan to start having people over more.  Okay here are the pictures...

Meals Lately

Here are a few new things I made recently!

Sunday I grilled a flank steak and threw these mushrooms on the grill too. Paired with a Caesar salad from a bag and done.  A good low carb meal. 

Molly Anne's and she had a pouch on the side.  

Italian Chopped Salad with garlic expressions dressing. I forgot to take a picture of Molly Anne’s but she got the same thing just broken down and I added a fruit. We will be having this again!


Natalie’s Thai Chopped Salad and I added shrimp.  True story - it wasn't our favorite.  Kevin really didn't like the peanut butter dressing at all.  But it was a healthy meal at least!





Chinese Chicken Salad - I omitted the cabbage and used rotisserie chicken!





Do you all like when I share meals?  I figure we can always use some new ideas.  I'm really trying to be low carb these days and I feel so much better!  Chat soon!