Our (Long) Holiday Weekend

{Bracelet c/o Bela Bracelets, use the code: kozyandco for 20% off}

I had every intention of posting about our Fourth of July yesterday, but coming off of such an amazing long weekend required a full day of recovery, and even today, I'm still struggling to find the motivation.

This week holds other big milestones though... Max's 4th birthday is tomorrow, so there's no time for moping around.  On a total side note, HOW is my "baby" going to be four??? (more about all of this to come, of course).

{bow, Free Babes}

Our fourth weekend was amazing in every way possible.  We kicked it off Friday with some good old fashioned strawberry picking, which went so much better this year than last year, when Max refused to pick berries because he was disappointed to find that we didn't take him to an actual farm.  This year, both he and Ella were great helpers and totally into it.

We picked a ton of berries, and then had to beeline it out of there when the rain started to fall.  We drove home in crazy thunder storm, that cleared up just in time to grill for dinner.

On Saturday, we lounged in our yard, and the neighbors... in our kiddie pool, and their much cooler in-ground pool.  They have 2 boys who are about the same age as Max and Ella, so it's always a good time when we hang with them.

After all of the kids got in a good nap we enjoyed a collaborative dinner together... we provided the smoked brisket and pasta salad, and they made the burgers and strawberry shortcake.

Sunday was full of more sunshine, swimming, food and fun.

On Monday, we headed into town for a parade and a barbecue fest... which turned out to be too difficult to navigate with a double stroller, so we hit up one spot, sampled the food and enjoyed a couple of cold beers, and then we headed home just in time for naps.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but we were so exhausted by Monday evening that we didn't even make it out for fireworks.  I know that sounds so lame, but the kids crashed hard, and Mike and I weren't far behind.  It was one of those great summer weekends, where we swam, sunned, and ate to the point of exhaustion.

Now it's time to dive head first into planning for Max's birthday... I always feel so guilty that because we are currently living out of state, my kids are going a couple of years without big birthday parties, but we have some really fun stuff planned, and I can't wait to share more.

Hope you are all having a good week... If you are on Instagram, I have teamed up with a bunch of my friends to give away a $50 gift card to Target and $50 to Starbucks, so be sure to enter!

xoxo,

Beach Life

When Mike requested a weekend at the beach for Father's Day this year, I was all too happy to oblige.

For those of you who might be new around here, I grew up on the coast of Maine, so being near the ocean makes me feel complete.

From where we live in NY, a road trip to many beach locations can be accomplished in just a few quick hours, so this past weekend we opted to check out some beaches in Western Rhode Island, and for an overnight stay in Mystic, Connecticut.

Early Saturday morning, we loaded up the minivan with all three babes, and enough stuff for a month long vacation, and headed East.  The ride went surprisingly well in terms of the kiddos, minus one flat tire debacle on the side of the highway. 

We managed to still make it to the beach in plenty of time to set up shop, slather on some sunblock, and settle in for a day full of sand, waves, and naps.

M&E were in absolute Heaven.  At one point I even glanced over to find Max making sand angels. They frolicked in the waves, and their giggles were infectious.  It warmed my heart and brought me back to my own childhood, where summers were spent by the water.

Theo was amazing and slept strapped to me in the Solly under an umbrella, only waking up to nurse a few times.

{wrap c/o Solly Baby}

In the late afternoon we headed back to our hotel to let the kids get in a quick nap and to freshen up a it.

We made our way back out early in the evening for a casual dinner at a BYOB lobster joint on the water.

The weather was perfect, Mystic was adorable, and all was right in the world.

On Sunday morning we strolled around the town and chose to have brunch at The Engine Room... an amazing restaurant/bar that serves incredible "beermosas" and one of the best Bloody Marys I've ever had!  The hush puppies with spicy jalapeno mayo were delightful as well.

Once our bellies were full, and everyone was strapped back into their car seats, it was time to head home to catch the end of the US Open (Daddy's wishes, of course).

It's always hard to come home from the beach when you're having such a great time, but I am hopeful that since this trip went so well, there will be more like it in our near future.

Wishing you all a great week ahead!

xoxo,

Weekend Recap

I'm pretty sure that it was just last week that I was rambling on about how I haven't been doing weekend recap posts, because our weekends usually just aren't that exciting... But this past weekend we actually did some things that were worth posting about! So, low and behold, another weekend recap my friends!

Our (Long) Weekend

It has been awhile since I posted a weekend recap, and for the most part, that's because our weekends aren't usually terribly exciting these days, so those posts can seem a bit redundant.  This past weekend though... it was a good one, so I felt it was necessary to share some photos!

Our Weekend | Camera Roll Unload

Every once and awhile, you have one of those weekends where the stars align and everything is pure perfection... That was this past weekend for us.

The weather was great and we got to get out and enjoy it as much as possible.

We ate great food, spent quality time together, enjoyed an amazing Easter mass, and indulged in some fun holiday traditions.

Holidays are just so much fun at M&E's ages... It's so magical to see their excitement over every little detail.

It's been awhile since I unloaded a bunch of photos on you guys, and since I took a few hundred this weekend, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites!

I hope you all had an amazing Easter weekend!

Weekending

It's been awhile since I have written a post about our weekend, but this one was such a good one, I felt that it was worthy of documenting.

It finally warmed up a bit around here, allowing us to get out for some adventure.

On Saturday, I spent much of the day cleaning house while Mike entertained M&E.  It always feels good when the house is picked up, and thoroughly cleaned (even if it doesn't last long), but at 33 weeks pregnant, my back surely paid the price for all of the work.

While I cleaned, Mike took Max on a nature hike, and then Ella got to go out for a run with him.  Sometimes it's so nice to spend one on one time with them.

{Bow | Necklace}

On Sunday, we packed up the minivan and headed out for a little day trip to Lake Placid. 

We had never been before, and it was absolutely beautiful there.  The mountains, the lakes, the snow, all of it.

We checked out the Olympic facilities, and Max was totally into it when we stumbled upon a kid's hockey tournament.  He wanted to stay and watch, and repeatedly told Mike and I how much he wanted to play.

Ironically, we just took him ice skating for the first time last weekend, and we are planning on signing him up for lessons because he loves it so much.  Perhaps we will have a little hockey player on our hands.

I'm really trying to soak up my time with M&E over these next several weeks... as crazy and exhausting as they can be, I know that once the new baby arrives, so much of my time will be dedicated to nursing and caring for their little brother, and I want to make sure they both get the attention they need and are aware of just how much they are loved.

They've both been so silly lately and have been saying some really funny things.  I forsee another post coming soon about all of the crazy things they do and say lately that make me laugh, even through the most stressful of days!

I hope you all had a great weekend, and that your week is off to a fabulous start!

Our Weekend

{mug from Homegoods}

I don't want to bore you with too many of the dull and uneventful details of our weekend.  It went pretty much the same as most...

Lots of lounging, snacking, coffee, and football.  We noshed on TONS of Thanksgiving leftovers, snuggled by the tree in our Christmas pj's, and sipped on peppermint mocha flavored coffee.  It was fabulous.

{Ornaments, all from Target}

We did, however, manage to get in some holiday decorating.  Our main tree; a 12 footer that we cut down, and then had to give a major trim in order to fit in our living room, is totally traditional. White lights and family ornaments are scattered all about its massive branches.  

Max was really into helping this year, and was fascinated as he watched me pull out all of our decor... It made me super happy to see his excitement over Christmas, and gave me great anxiety as I watched him hang ornaments, and had to patiently wait until he wasn't looking to rearrange them.

We decided to have a much smaller tree in our playroom this year, and went a little rogue with that one.  Colored lights, strung popcorn, and whimsical colorful ornaments cover it from top to bottom.

{Snowflake stocking holders, glitter deer, and bottle brush trees from Target | Gold candle holder from Michael's | Anthropologie-Inspired pom pom garland can be found under the DIY section of this blog}

{coat, boots, cowl}

A quick trip to the local farmer's market, and then to Trader Joe's capped off the long holiday weekend, and now we're (very) slowly easing our way into the week ahead.

{sheets}

Hoping yours is a good one!

Cape Cod Weekend Rewind

This past weekend can be best summed up in the following photos.  Peaceful, relaxing, serene, and full of laughs, great company, amazing food, and lots of wine (for everyone but me, of course!)

I literally never go away with out my husband and kids... really and truly, NEVER!  So a few months ago, when all of the women in my family began planning a weekend away together at my Aunt and Uncle's summer home in Cape Cod, I was both excited and hesitant.

Naturally, I was thrilled at the idea of spending time with all of the wonderful women in my family, and at the notion of a few days worth of "me time", but hesitant, because just the thought of leaving Max and Ella for a full 2 days and nights had me feeling immediately anxious.

Low and behold though, I put on my big girl pants, and hit the road for a few days with my family near the beach.

Cape Cod is insanely beautiful, and I had such a blast exploring, shopping, snacking, and just hanging around with my family.

It was a great trip, and a wonderful opportunity to spend time with my sister, cousins, and aunts.

It felt so amazing to be instantly bombarded by M&E yelling "MOMMY!!!" the moment I walked through the door.

I'm still not sure that I feel great about leaving them for solo trips often, but a few days away was just what this mama needed to feel a little refreshed and totally appreciated upon returning home!

I hope you're all having a great week!