Weekending

This weekend was pretty easy going minus some toddler tantrums, but I will take the good with the bad.

Friday after work, we grabbed some lunch and then took Walter to his vet appointment. I always get nervous when we take him in because I am always worried they will find something or say that we don't brush his teeth enough. We do brush his teeth often, but I know we can be better. Anyways, his appointment went well. He got his vaccinations and a heart worm test which came back negative! He did have to have a little bandage from the blood draw. Doesn't he look so cute?

After his vet visit, we took him to the pet store to get him some wet food and some treats. Then we dropped him off at home, changed over a load of laundry and then picked the girls up from daycare.

I had to run to the store to get something for dinner, which we chose Roasted Veggie Pitas with Avocado Dip. This is one of our favorite vegetarian dishes. After dinner, we hung out and let the girls watch an episode of Mickey Mouse Club House.

Saturday morning we got up and after getting ready, we headed to an old favorite bagel shop. We used to go to this bagel shop all the time when the girls were in the NICU as it is only a mile away. After bagels, we headed to Target to get stuff for our upcoming trip and things for the grandparents houses. We may have also stopped at the Vans and Converse stores and bought some shoes. Oops.

Then we took the girls to Chick-fil-a since it was in the same shopping center. We ate and then let the girls burn off some energy in the playground. On the way home, Avery told us she was tired. We got home and they went down for naps quickly and earlier than normal. While they slept, I headed back out to the grocery store to get groceries for the week.

The next few hours were spent trying to calm down Sutton as she got woken up by her sister early from her nap. They spent the evening fighting, sitting on each other, hitting each other and just acting unruly. Ha. I blame it on the rainy weather and them being cooped up.

I made dinner and after the girls went to bed, we watched Game Over Man. It is the movie with the guys from Workaholics. So weird, but funny and definitely not for kids.

Sunday morning I got up and grabbed some coffees and coffee cake to go and we hung out watching the Masters and enjoying our breakfast. While the girls played, we did a bunch of cleaning. We cleaned all the bathrooms, the floors, vacuumed and cleaned the windows. Am I the only one who does a major cleaning before going on vacation? My sister will be at my house all week with Walter, but I still wanted the house to be clean.

At 11, I headed out to go shopping for wedding shoes and accessories shopping with my mom and sister. We were out for about 4 hours and it was so much fun. I love watching my sister go through wedding planning and be a part of it. Plus I got some pretty awesome stuff while I was out courtesy of my mom. Thanks mom!!!

I stopped at Whole Foods to grab some Sperlonga bread (doesn't Whole Foods have the best bread?) and then headed home. The girls were still napping! They napped about 2 hours which is normal for Sutton, but Avery has only been taking 30 minute naps. It was beautiful out, so once the girls got up, we got them ready to go outside.

We came into their room and they were sharing a bed.

We hung up some racks in the garage and then took the girls out on their scooters and then out in their Jeeps.

If you follow me on IG, then you saw this last photo. Sutton stopped driving her Jeep to fix her hair. She didn't have a hair tie, so she just held her hair up and started driving around. I think Sutton will be a very distracted driver. Not only does she do her hair while driving, but she is rarely ever looking forward. Ha.

After Jeeps, we went home and the girls continued to play outside for a bit and then came inside to watch me make dinner. I made Baked Ziti. I got it off of Pinterest this week and it was really good. The only thing I would change, is to let the sauce simmer for a bit before putting it all together. I paired it with the sperlonga bread I picked up earlier that day.

After dinner, it was bath time and getting ready for the week. Then we hung out and finished the Masters. After the girls went to bed, we caught up on the Americans and Silicon Valley and then it was bedtime. 

Avery was up many different times last night, so I am exhausted. 

Hope you have a good week!!!

Friday Favorites

*This post contains affiliate links.

And just like that, we have our first Friday of April. I feel like this month is going to be more relaxing (hint: Mexico).

Onto Friday Favorites and Happenings.

ONE. Wednesday was my mom's birthday. To celebrate, she got a phone call from the girls, a wedding dress fitting with my sister and myself and then an amazing dinner at my favorite steakhouse in town with Rory, my dad and myself! It was pretty awesome to celebrate my mom and have an adult dinner with my parents. I don't remember the last time that happened. The girls were hanging out with my in-laws and happy as can be.

TWO. Walter has his annual vet visit today. We got a notice in the mail for his annual shots and with the pet flu being rampant, I didn't want to bring him in. Also, the vet said to wait until the flu wasn't so crazy. So he is going in today. I always fear these appointments because you just never know. Walter is a pretty healthy dude, but I know we need to brush his teeth more often. But that dude is spoiled, so I hope he checks out just fine. 

When we take him to the vet, he also gets a heartworm test and another year of meds, or treats as Walter thinks they are. We do this because we take him to California and other areas for camping and heartworm is an issue in those places. So we get him tested and keep him on a monthly med for it. April is heartworm testing month, so please get your pet tested.

THREE. I have been trying to be more mindful of drinking water. When I was pregnant with the girls, I drank so much water. Even when I was pumping and breastfeeding, but after I stopped, I wasn't that great about it. I have noticed that I get dehydrated more often now and knew I needed to up my water game. So I went to REI last weekend and bought myself a Hydro Flask with the silicone cover for the bottom of my bottle. I had a 20% off member coupon plus my yearly membership dividend, so it came out to around $15.

Hydro Flask 32 oz

Hydro Flask Boot

I have been using my water bottle at work all week and have definitely noticed a difference. I fill it up at home with ice and water and then bring it to work. I try to drink the entire bottle before lunch and then refill it after lunch since I am part of our work water fund (basically $3 to $4 per month for unlimited filtered water). Total game changer. I guess I just needed a fancy water bottle (that keeps cold all day) to help kickstart me again.

FOUR. So I want to cut my girls hair. I always said I would allow it to grow and grow, but they were blessed with my hair. Very fine and crazy hair. Plus they sleep heavy and thrash around a bit which gives them the most epic beadhead.

Case in point

I use Honest Company Hair Detangler on them every morning. Even after a fresh bath the night before. I typically have cut their bangs every so often so they can see, but we have only taken them for one haircut. That was when they were almost 2 years old (I kept their hair for their baby books). I am really wanting to cut their hair in a bob style, so it is easier to style and will look not so "rag-a-muffin". That is what my parents called me when I was a kid and my hair was crazy.

So what do you think? Cut their hair into cut bobs when we get back from Mexico or let it grow? 

FIVE. I am currently wanting this shirt, but they are out of my size in the color I want. But I hear it is very flattering on everyone. I am hoping it comes back in stock in my size soon. Seriously, how cute is this?

Peplum Tee

Have a great weekend!

I am linking up with April, A Little Bit of Everything, Meet @ the Barre and Cup of Tea.

Things to do in Puerto Vallarta

So what do you do (fun wise) when you have been on vacation to the same place over and over? You research and figure out new things to do. As I have mentioned, we are going to Puerto Vallarta again. We have been going for the last 9 years (Rory has been going for a lot longer), almost every year, so we have done a lot there. We have been zip lining, to Yelapa (small town), atving, snorkeling, on a catamaran, to Sayulita (a favorite), spent many hours at the pool and ocean and have eaten our way through the Romantica area of PV.

I love our trips to Mexico, and love how we shared the last two years in Mexico with the girls. But this time, we are setting out by ourselves. This means we can do a lot more exploring and try things we haven't done before.

So this is what is on our agenda so far.

A Tequila Tour. I am not the biggest tequila fan, but every time we have been in Mexico, I drink of all the margs and have even had shots and sipping tequila and I really liked it. So this time, we are setting out to go on a tequila tour.

I looked at Trip Advisor for suggestions. I found two that are the most interesting. The first one (Vallarta Tequila Tastings) takes place in PV, which means it is not at a distillery. But this one has amazing reviews and everyone loves the tequila. The second one (Rancho Verano) is in the outskirts of PV at a distillery. This one also has amazing reviews, but gets knocked down a bit for the expensive food.

Food Tours. If you have been following my blog for any amount of time, you probably know that we love food....especially trying new foods. So after looking at things to do in PV, I came upon a food tour. Now we have eaten at some of the best restaurants in PV. We know the little hole in the wall places that are cheap, but amazing. We have had fine dining in PV. We have gone to so many restaurants. Each year we go, we go to our favorites and then try a bunch of new places.

When I saw Vallarta Food Tours, I read the reviews and people who had been coming for years, still learned so much about PV foods and restaurants. There are many tours you can take, one in downtown, a street taco experience, a Pitillal tour (smaller town that's part of PV), a bike and bites tour, etc. We are not sure which tour we are going to take, but we have decided between the street taco (we haven't eaten at many street taco places) and the Pitillal tour.

Adrenaline Tours. We have been zip lining, atving and snorkeling, but we haven't done a whole day package. We are going to do the Ocean Mania tour with Vallarta Adventures. This is a tour which includes a jetboat experience (we see this from our balcony all the time), zip lining by the ocean, marine life encounter, ocean waterslide, the blob (the bag you jump into that propels you up and into the water), pendulum experience and snorkeling.

And then I am trying to talk Rory into doing a Cooking Class. I love Mexican food, even more so in Mexico (because it is just soooooo good there) and I want to learn how to cook more traditional foods. There is a place that offers several cooking classes like tamales, mole, seafood, pork taco feast, and chiles rellenos. I would love to go to each class, but hoping I can talk him into one class.

Easter Weekend

How was your Easter weekend? Ours was pretty good. We were busy, but that seems to be the story of our lives lately.

Friday after work, Rory and I headed up to Mt. Rose to get a Spring skiing day in. It was 72 in Reno which meant it was in the mid 50s to low 60s on the mountain. The snow was slushy and a good time was had by all. We even stopped half way through for a glass of wine for me and a bloody mary for Rory.

 Looking out to the Chutes

My view while enjoying a glass of wine

We left around 4 pm even though I could have went longer. They were open until 7 pm for a ski and wine event, but we had to pick up the girls before the daycare closed. 

We picked up the girls, went home to take a quick shower and then went out to grab some take-out pizza for dinner. Rory took the girls out on their scooters while I was out and then we ate dinner, watched the rest of Frozen and then the girls went to bed. We went to bed pretty early that night since we were exhausted from the day.

Saturday morning we got up, got ready and headed to our favorite donut shop. This has been happening a lot on weekends and I could totally get used to it because these are the best donuts. We sipped on our lattes while the girls played in the kids play area.

After donuts, we headed to Costco for some essentials and then over to REI to get me a new water bottle for work. Then we headed down to the south part of town to take the girls to their favorite park. The girls played for about an hour to hour and a half before we headed home to eat leftover pizza for lunch. While we were eating, I made hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot. The girls went down for a nap and I headed out to Whole Foods for groceries for the week. 

Once I got home, the girls and I dyed eggs using the cool whip method which worked out pretty well. The girls weren't that interested in getting their hands dirty, so I did most of the work, while they watched. After I got my hands dyed from the food coloring, they had no interest in touching the cool whip. Avery also tried the cool whip and hated it. What kid hates whipped cream? Ha. 

As I finished up the eggs, the girls went outside to help Rory do some yard work. I started prepping dinner which was a lemon garlic butter seared salmon dish that was soooo good. I paired it with artichokes. 

After dinner, I gave the girls a bath and a trim on their bangs as they were getting in their eyes. We did the whole bedtime routine and then I walked Walter since it was so beautiful outside. I also went outside to make bunny foot prints for the girls.

I also put the girls Easter baskets together and hide eggs. I filled plastic eggs with candy, coins and some were empty.

We watched some Silicon Valley to round out the evening and went to bed.

Sunday morning I got up early and showered and started getting ready since the girls slept in until 7 am. This never happens and I hope it becomes the norm. Once the girls got up, we told them the Easter bunny came and there were some surprises out in the living room and dining room. They ran to the living room and grabbed two buckets (that they received last year) and we told them to go find the Easter eggs. At first they were not sure what to do but once they found one egg, they found all 24 eggs in no time. Then we told them there was another surprise somewhere and they started looking. They found their baskets in the teepee and started going through them. They loved everything.

The girls proceeded to eat all of their chocolate and play with all their goodies. Then we finished getting ready and went to brunch with my in-laws. We were able to sit outside since it was beautiful and warm out.

After breakfast, we went home where the girls opened some gifts from my in-laws and played with them until noon when we put them down for an early nap. While they napped, I went to the grocery store again for a few other items that Whole Foods didn't have. Then I came home and made the brown butter sage bread crumbs for my dish that I was bringing to Easter dinner. The girls only slept about an hour, so we got them ready and headed to my parents house for Easter dinner. 

We had lots of family over at my parents house, so we all chatted, did some egg hunting and made dinner. I finished my green beans which we had with bbq chicken, ham, salad, pasta salad, deviled eggs, baked beans and potatoes au gratin. Then we had homemade funfetti cake with lemon frosting. So good and so filling.

 The girls wore their Easter outfits that I mentioned here.

After eating it was getting close to 8 pm which is past the girls bedtime, so we headed home. The girls were exhausted and kept asking to go to bed. Once we got home, we put them down and got everything ready for the week ahead.

How was your Easter weekend?

TBB Asks - Spring

It's time for the monthly link up of TBB Asks. This month is all about Spring. Grab the graphic and go link up at TBB.

1. What 3 colors remind you most of Spring? Pink, purple and yellow.

2. What is the first thing you’d add to your wardrobe in Spring? A cute pair of sandal.

3. What is the first wardrobe item you ditch in Spring? Big bulky sweaters.

4. Who mows the grass where you live? My husband. I try to, but I don't mow it in the pattern that he likes.

5. What’s Spring Like where you live? It is a mix of sunny days and snowy days. I am all for the 60 degree plus weather because then we get the beautiful Spring blossoms.

6. What’s Your favorite thing about Spring? The Spring blossoms. I love how beautiful and colorful everything looks.

7. Are you a Spring Cleaner? I try to be. We have been Spring cleaning already. I used to set aside a full day to Spring clean, but now with toddlers, I just do it when I can.

8. Are you a Baseball Fan? Of course. Giants baby. Little unknown: Avery's middle name is Madison. I have always loved that name, but the year she was born, the Giants won the World Series with Madison Bumgartner. It was fate.

9. Tulips or Daffodils? Tulips.

10. Favorite Outdoor Spring Activity? Going on walks, gardening and Spring snowboarding.

11. Flowers in the Ground or in Pots? Both. We have flower beds, planter boxes and pots.

12. Favorite Bird? Ummm, I guess I never really thought of this, but I will go with hummingbird.

13. Car Wash or Wash Vehicles at Home? Car Wash. I used to wash my car at home, but now I don't have the supplies and the amount of water that I waste, oiy!

14. When Do You pull out Your sandals? Usually in April unless we have a nice 70 degree weather before that.

Friday Favorites and Happenings

*This post contains affiliate links.

It's Friday...and it's Easter weekend. That means today is Good Friday. I can't believe how fast this month has flown by. I feel like March just started, but we already celebrated my sisters bridal shower, my MIL's birthday, Rory's 40th birthday, Rory's birthday party and now we are heading into April and Easter.

I am hoping this weekend is a good one.

Onto Friday Favorites and Happenings.

ONE. I know I said on Wednesday that I wasn't buying much, but I am really wanting a new bathing suit for Mexico. I found the cutest Ted Baker bikini, but they don't have my size in the bottoms. I am thinking about getting the top and pairing it with plain black bottoms that I already have. But I am also contemplating a bathing suit by Isabella Rose. I so want them both, but that won't happen.

What I love about the Ted Baker top is the clasp in the back. It allows you to tighten the top whereas I don't think the Isabella one has that. But I can get the whole bathing suit from Isabella Rose since it comes in my size for the top and bottom. Plus it is floral and just so cute. What do you think?

Top  |  Bottom

Top  |  Bottom

TWO. Another thing I have been wanting is new sandals. I just went through my shoes and I do have a good amount of sandals, but I feel like I go through them quickly. I found the cutest black sandals and I feel like I can never have enough black sandals. Plus these are only $25.

Mindy Mae's Market Archer Ruffle Sandals

THREE. Since we are having dinner at my parents house for Easter, my mom is making the main dish along with some sides, but asked if we wanted to bring something. I am always going back on forth on things to bring, but I found the perfect side. I am thinking of making a different take on green bean casserole. It is way lighter, no creams or cream of mushroom soup mixes. It is blistered green beans with a brown butter sage bread crumb. Doesn't this look so good?

Green Beans with Brown Butter Sage Bread Crumbs

FOUR. Hanna Andersson is offering 30 to 40% off of everything through Monday. I LOVE Hanna Andersson stuff for my girls. I get their swimsuits, pjs and dresses there. I am going to hit the sale up this morning and buy these things plus more.

Short PJs

Bunny short pjs

 Tank Kini

Stripe Bottoms

Tops  |  Bottoms

Terry Cloth Romper

 Strawberry Shorts

Chambray Shorts

FIVE. I found the most perfect skirt for Spring. It would be perfect for my sister's bachelorette weekend, her rehearsal dinner and just so much fun. I love it and seriously need to figure out a way to justify this skirt. How cute is this?

Floral Skirt

I am linking up with April, A Little Bit of Everything, Meet @ the Barre and Cup of Tea.

Have a great weekend!

What's Up Wednesday

*This post contains affiliate links.

How is it the end of March already? I feel like I am a broken record because it constantly feels like the end of the month. We had a very busy month and I am excited to usher in April, warmer weather and an amazing vacation.

WHAT WE ARE EATING THIS WEEK...

Sunday: Taco bar at Rory's cousins house for his cousin's birthday

Monday: Instant Pot Spaghetti by Skinny Taste with salad and bread

Tuesday: BLTA's with sweet potato fries

Wednesday: Take-out. I have my lash appointment and won't be home til late.

Thursday: Up in the air as we hope to see my SIL and nephew

Friday: Not sure

Saturday: Not sure. We have a funeral to attend and I am not sure how long that will take.

WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT...

Easter in year's past. I feel like each year that girls haven't been that interested in Easter and egg hunting, but this year they seem to be really into it. We are going to dye our eggs using the cool whip method. I hope it works out and saves us from a big mess. 

WHAT I'M LOVING...

Pretty much the same as last month. I have been trying to be good and not buy all the things. I am dying to buy some Spring and Summer clothes, but I just want to wait for the good sales. Old Navy and Gap had a great sale, but I am waiting for Loft and J Crew to have sales on their shorts, dresses and tees.

But I did receive my Midsummer sandals and they are everything I wanted and more. The leather is soooo soft. Like butter on your feet, ha. I can't wait to wear them. In the mean time, they just sit in my closet while it continues to snow here. Winter go away, you are not welcome anymore.

Brown Midsummer Sandals

I am also wearing my Lush tees pretty much all weekend. Right now, I pair them with a cardigan, sweater or blazer. These tees are so soft, fit beautifully and have the best side slit. I have them in all four colors now. Hushed violet is my current favorite.

Lush tees

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO...

Well I spent the last three months planning my husband's sort of surprise birthday party and it finally happened last weekend. I think he had a great time. It was the first birthday party he has celebrated since he was 12 years old. We usually just celebrate as a family or do a dinner out together, so this was a big deal for him.

We have been prepping for Easter for weeks now. We have the girls Easter baskets all set. They just need to be put together and hidden Saturday night.

WHAT I'M DREADING...

Being away from the girls for over a week. I have gone on work trips away from the girls for well over a week, but Rory was at home with them. I totally trust my family and my in-laws, but it is so hard being away from the girls for even one night.

WHAT I'M WORKING ON...

I am still purging clothes and toys in the girls room. I am also working on my own closet. I went through all of my shoes and threw out a bunch, donated a ton and reorganized the left overs. I haven't gone through my shoes in years. There was a lot of dust in the back of my closet. Now I need to go through all my purses and dresser. 

WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT...

Mexico. While I am sad about leaving the girls, I am excited for a week long vacation with just Rory. We haven't had more than a day away from our girls together since they were born. This is huge. We get to sleep in, go out whenever we want, not share our food, go on adventures and just soak up husband and wife time. I can't wait!!!

WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING...

I am still reading The Wife Between Us. I am not far in, and I am not sure why. Maybe I am saving it for vacation? Speaking of that, I need a few other suggestions for my trip as I am sure I can knock out at least 3 books on vacation. 

As for TV, I have been watching Santa Clarita Diet (season 2 just came out), Riverdale, Jane the Virgin, Grey's Anatomy, Silicon Valley, Life Sentence. 

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO...

The same old, way old.

WHAT I'M WEARING...

Still wearing winter clothes, but I have added in my favorite tees (above) and paired them with over sized sweaters. 

WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND...

We have a funeral on Saturday for our friend's younger brother. He was one of the people killed in the Hudson River a couple weeks ago. Then on Sunday is Easter, so we are heading down to my parents house in the early afternoon to spend Easter with my mom's side of the family.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH...

April brings my mom's birthday, our trip to Mexico and hopefully the real start of Spring with warmer temperatures, more days outside and Springy clothes.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW...

My sisters wedding planning and events are coming up quickly. We just had her bridal shower on St. Patrick's Day and then we have her bachelorette party coming up and the wedding is about two months away. So crazy. 

Other than that, we are working on the the girls spelling their names, learning their address and hopefully getting them into dance class soon. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE EASTER TRADITION?

Hunting eggs and finding our Easter baskets. Now I get to do that with my girls and I think this is their year. I think they will be really into it. Last year, they only hunted three eggs and that was at their daycare's party. They had no interest in it last year.