Day 263 | Gel Manicure Review

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As promised, here's my run down of my experience with my first gel manicure: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The good: it did last forever! In my life, forever for a manicure means 2+ weeks. A normal manicure lasts about two days so this is huge. And my nails ended up growing out more than chipping. Woohoo!

The bad: taking it off is a pain. I went to a salon to have it removed and can probably manage to do it on my own next time, but it's no joke to remove. Makes sense, right? It stays on so well for a reason. 

The ugly: my nails are not looking fantastic at the moment. I don't think the salon got everything off of them but even the few that are completely clear have seen better days. 

The final verdict? I'll definitely do it again. My nails don't look great on a daily basis anyway so that's not a huge a deterrent for me. I probably won't do one right after another (nor do I have the time/money for that anyway) so that should give my nails a chance to recover a bit. 

Day 262 | Three Friends

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After a long weekend of almost complete social isolation, I'm happy to report we got to catch up with three friends today!

1. Our neighbors from the Hill. We so miss them and the old 'hood. Brings back such a sense of home every time we're back. 

2. Our friends from our year-long stint in Iowa. We're so lucky that our paths have continued to cross and we're only ten minutes away from each other now!

3. The metro. One of Chase's best friends (you can have friends that aren't human, right?) and one we haven't spent much time with since we've moved. As we were riding, Chase said, "This is fun. I like trains. I like Thomas." That pretty much sums it up. 

Day 260 | School Lottery Saga: It Begins

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Chase listening carefully during the presentation.
Today we officially started the search for the perfect school for Chase. Seems a bit early? We agree...if we lived anywhere else. In the District, though, most of the public and charter schools offer 3 year old pre-kindergarten programs. Which means next year (!!!) for our little guy. Crazy, I know.

You have to get into one of the schools via a lottery so we'll rank the top 12 (at the max) schools we would want him to end up in and then we'll be randomly assigned come March. Seems easy enough, right? Well, as you might imagine, spots in the good schools are really hard to come by. We're trying to stay optimistic, though, because there are a handful of schools in our direct area that we're really excited about and might not be quite as sought after. 

Today, Chase and I went to an open house for a Montessori school down the street. We decided (Chase and I, that is) that we could find a better fit. On to the next open house!

Tune in for more open houses, application woes, and lottery results as the months tick by. And think happy thoughts for us, would you?

Day 259 | Oh How Times Have Changed

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Not too long ago (about three years, actually), the idea of spending the morning at a car dealer service center would have been one of my least favorite ways to spend a few hours. Fast forward: two babies and no free time later and I'm loving the quiet, kid-free morning. It's almost too good.

What kept me busy for three hours?

  • Knitting (Woohoo!)
  • Reading a magazine (What? They still print these?)
  • Getting my nail polish removed (Turns out you have to go somewhere to have that done for gel nails. My full gel manicure review will come soon.)
  • Splurging on a delicious soy latte and muffin

Thanks, Chris, for hanging out with the boys so I could enjoy this luxurious outing. Ha!

Day 257 | Meet My Friend, The Slow Cooker

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Have you discovered the beauty of the slow cooker? I've had a long-term relationship with this small appliance but just recently started fully appreciating how perfectly magical it is to throw everything in a pot and ignore it for a few hours and then, ta-da!, dinner is ready. The best!

Interested in some of my favorite recipes at the moment? Here goes:

Braised Beef and Peppers

Chicken Taco Soup

Quinoa Tex Mex Casserole

French Onion Soup

Teriyaki Chicken

Sausage and Kale Stew with Mashed Potatoes

Vegetable Parmesan Quinoa

Happy slow-cooking!

Day 253 | A Laundry Tip

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Can you believe I have a laundry tip to share? Me neither!

It's been a day of cleaning and laundry so what a perfect occasion to share the one and only laundry epiphany I've had. 

Do you use the bulk container of laundry detergent, the kind with the spout (see above on the left)? We do too, but it always drove me crazy that the cap got gooey immediately. I used to just set it on top of the washer and wipe it out constantly. Not any more!

I saved a small laundry detergent bottle and I put the bulk bottle cap on top of the small bottle so the excess soap drips into the small bottle. The cap stays clean and it's amazing how much detergent drops back into that container to be used on future loads. 

Has everyone already figured this out? Probably...but just let me bask in my awesome problem-solving.

Day 252 | Decisions, Decisions

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Chase made his decision. And, yes, that is Thomas driving.
Decision making is not a strong suit of mine (just ask my parents or husband). I'm happy to report Chase might have dodged the inability-to-decide gene if today is any indicator.  

After a heartbreaking morning involving a swollen eye (with a fear it was the pink variety) and a cancelled play date (hard to say who took the change of plans worse...me or Chase), a trip to the grocery store was as exciting as our morning turned out (don't worry, his eye started looking better almost immediately). I thought maybe a special treat would brighten everyone's spirits. 

Without hesitation, Chase selected a box of cookies with Cookie Monster on the front and proceeded to walk the aisles clenching the box and singing a pretty amazing cookie song. Decision made, right? Not so fast: then we hit the toy aisle. 

At first his attempts to convince me to buy a new (and blue!) car went to deaf ears. It was just Christmas, after all. I was going to put my foot down and even convinced him to walk away. But, after seeing the sadness in his little eyes as we turned the corner, I realized how silly I was being. I'd rather spend $3 on a box of cookies than $5 on a [pretty cool] car?

That's when it dawned on me: time to teach one of life's hardest lessons. Let the boy decide what he wants more: cookies or car? There wasn't an easy winner. You could almost see the gears in his little mind working so hard. I did my best to lay out the pros of each option (I think I even favored the side of cookies assuming he would be more interested in instant gratification).

In the end, you can see in the photo above what he chose. He made the decision (and fairly quickly), put the cookies away, and never looked back. That's my boy. Maybe he can teach me a thing or two.

Day 251 | Miga

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She looks like a perfect angel, doesn't she?

Since our return from holiday travels, it has been Miga's purr-ogative (get it?) to drive me completely bonkers. I thought we were doing her a favor by giving her the two weeks off from our chaos. Apparently she didn't see it that way and has decided to make her displeasure in our actions known. 

Just a snippet of her antics over the past week:
  • Meowing: loudly and constantly. In the morning, during naptime, at 2am. Whenever and seemingly for no reason. I hear you, friend, I just don't know what you want from me. 
  • Being needy: Miga has always desired attention but I can't sit down for a second these days or curl up in bed without this furry friend nestling in. On top of that, I can't pet you all the time. It's just not possible. And the static shocks I get every time I touch you aren't helping matters. 
  • "Playing" with the boys: Chase is quite content playing trains without your "help" knocking over the drawbridge every five seconds. And as much as you think you want snuggles from Robbe, trust me, that sweet smile and gentle pet turns into an all-out body slam in the wag of a tail. 
  • Nightime prowling: I've got enough problems sleeping, I don't need to add an attention-deprived cat to the mix. Jumping from dresser to bedside table to bed over and over in the middle of the night is not going to get us to play with you. Especially if one of those escapades ends with you knocking over a full glass of water. Not cool. 
This list could go on...

Usually this craziness lasts a day. Tomorrow will be a week this time around. We're so lucky (she says with more than a hint of sarcasm). 

Day 250 | Library Play Time

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It's a bit chilly out there today but that didn't stop us from bundling up and checking out a new library. The Petworth Neighborhood Library had a whole floor of books to explore and this super fun seating area that the boys (mostly Robbe) found irresistible. Hey, anything to keep the baby busy while I can browse books makes me extra happy.

Why yes, we will be back.

Day 248 | Lentils Get a Bad Rap

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When we were back in Wisconsin, just about everyone turned their nose up at the idea of me feeding Robbe lentils. Isn't it common knowledge that lentils are incredibly peppery and delicious? And that the smell of them cooking is nothing short of mouth-watering?

Give 'em a try. If I've sold two babies on the scrumptiousness of these little beans, there's a good chance you'll end up thanking me. 

Need a recipe? This

lentil soup

is a go-to for our family. Super easy and can be made ahead of time (a definite plus with our current lifestyle). 

Day 247 | Playing Catch Up

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I'm not usually one to brag (at least I hope you feel that way!), but Chris and I pretty much rocked the last two days so I can't help but share our accomplishments:
  1. Unpacked. No small feat when we're talking about two backpacks and three suitcases (all close to 50 pounds).
  2. Laundry done. Six loads. And it's all folded and put away.
  3. Christmas gone. The holiday decorations are no more. Chase was the most disappointed to see them go, but it was time. And by gone, I mean packed very carefully and brought up to the attic for storage (not just sitting in our bedroom for weeks on end, which usually happens when an attic trip is required).
  4. Hair cut. Chase was looking a bit shaggy. Not anymore. See photo above.
  5. Tree removed. We removed and stored the ornaments and lights, took the tree outside, and cleaned up after the dried-out tree. Christmas tree decorating = best. Christmas tree un-decorating = worst.
  6. Grocery trip. There was nothing nothing in the house for food upon our return. Someone (me) should have planned better. Massive stock-up trip to the store? Check.
  7. Photo shoot. Robbe is 10 months old. Double digits...woohoo! The obligatory monthly photo has been captured. See photo above.
  8. Friendly visit. I got to meet my friend's baby today. It was a quick trip to the NICU, but I got to meet that sweet little peanut. Thanks for sharing a slice of your life with me, Dawn.
  9. Clean, clean, clean. It's amazing how dirty a house can get with only a cat living her for two weeks (and would it kill her to vacuum up after herself?). I'm happy to report the house is finally in livable condition again.
  10. Carseat upgrade. Robbe was fitted for his new carseat tonight. He's moving up in the world. Rain inhibited the install, but that's the easy part. See photo above.
  11. Petting, lots of petting. Miga is severely attention-deprived. She is letting us know this by following us around the house, constantly needing pets, meowing in the loudest way possible, demanding to be let outside and back in (it's raining, after all) about 20 times a day, and even accepting affection from the babies. That's when you know she's been neglected.
  12. Serious playtime. Don't think for a minute that all this was possible because our babies are content to play independently and entertain themselves. Quite the contrary thanks to the constant attention over the last two weeks and the attention-withdrawal symptoms that have ensued. Chris did assemble an incredibly impressive train track with Chase's new pieces, though, so it counts as an accomplishment. See photo above.

Day 246 | Toddler Travel Tips

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We made it. Eight hours and 45 minutes from door to door yesterday and we are back in our own house and fighting through the attention withdrawals that always come with the territory when we return from Wisconsin. 

After surviving another two flights yesterday, here are some travel tips that have made my life easier:
  1. Pack light...and heavy. Bring as little as possible on the plane with you (there's enough to juggle without extra bags) but don't skimp on the toys/books/food to help distract the wee ones. 
  2. Board last. Or at least toward the end. Unless you have a baby you're trying to get to sleep prior to take off, pass on the opportunity to board early and enjoy the extra time to roam free before being cooped up. 
  3. Keep 'em confined. Using carriers through security is the way to go. From tiny babies to toddlers, it's the best way to stay hands free to get everything on the belt without having to worry about escapees. 
  4. Plan for delays. It's terrifying to think about but it's better to be prepared then end up at the airport for several hours without enough diapers or baby food.
  5. Entertain, don't soothe. My babies are not great plane sleepers (except when they were teeny). They'll power through naps or bedtime, much to my chagrin. After many flights trying to get crying babies to fall asleep, I've realized that it's easier to try to entertain them through thre exhaustion than attempt to get them to sleep. Exhausting for me? Insanely, but much less stressful.
  6. Bring a stroller. Plan on bringing your most travel-friendly stroller (compact but with decent storage) with you to the gate (they'll check it there for free). It's handy to have a place to strap your little one into (think trips to the bathroom) and it's a necessary pack mule for everything you need to carry (diaper bag, coats, carrier, etc.).
  7. Make peace with germs. Before I had babies, the idea of letting a child roam around the airport on their hands and knees was repulsive to me. I got over that real quick when I realized those little ones need to use up some energy before boarding the plane. Roam free, crawlers!
  8. New is exciting. Save toys to reveal on the plane. Buy new or hide old ones leading up to the trip so that these distractions are new and interesting. Some toddler-approved options for your consideration: Magformers, soft cover books, magnetic play board, stickers/sticker notebook.
  9. Bring a garbage bag. Sounds random but it's amazing how much trash you accumulate on a flight. And if you're not prepared, you end up with junk everywhere. If you forget one, grab one of the TSA bags outside security (most airports have them).
  10. Breathe. It's impossible to internalize at the moment but flights are short and people are generally very sweet about cranky babies. It'll all be over soon no matter how long the crying lasts so breathe through it, friend.
Safe travels!

Day 245 | Think Happy Thoughts

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We are at the airport on our way back to the District...and reality. We've had a lovely visit with equal parts quality family time, laughter, full bellies, and holiday festivities. One thing we were short on? Sleep. I guess we needed something to improve upon in the New Year. Thanks again to all our family for putting up with our chaos and spoiling us in more ways than I could mention. 

If you've got some free time this afternoon, think happy thoughts for a smooth trip. Everyone's in good spirits as we wait to board (as you can see in the photos). Hopefully that continues.