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,

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!

Halloween 2015 | A (mostly) Photo Recap

Another fun Halloween is in the books!

We're coming off a weekend full of sugar-induced excitement!

We kicked Halloween morning off with some festive donuts and spent the rest of the day preparing for the evening's festivities!

Then it was off to the neighbor's for a little party before we headed off to trick or treat!  Max had an absolute blast collecting candy, and ended up walking much farther than we expected... insisting that he carry his candy bucket the whole time, even though it was clear it was so heavy that he was practically dragging it.  He kept announcing how much he "loved Halloween", and "loved getting candy"

Ella walked on her own for a bit, but was a little all over the place, so for sanity's sake, she and our neighbor's youngest ended up getting wheeled up to people's doors via stroller, but she seemed to take in stride, still attempting to say "trick or treat" and "bye bye".

All in all, a successful night!

On Sunday, we noshed on candy, and dined on this soup... you know, to balance all of the sugar out with at least some veggies.

 Now it's back to knitting/crocheting my heart out... and thinking about all things Christmas from here on out!

Have a great week!

Weekend Recap aka The Big Purge

Normally on Mondays (or sometimes Tuesdays, depending on how our week kicks off), I like to do a little recap, here on the blog, of our weekend.  It's usually mostly photos, you know, for memories sake.  This past weekend however, nothing photo-worthy occurred.  There were no trips to the pumpkin patch, there was no apple picking taking place... this past weekend, the only thing that happened around here was a little thing I like to call "The Big Purge".

Every once and while, I start to feel a little overwhelmed with all of the "stuff" that is accumulating around the house.  My OCD starts to kick in, and I begin to feel a little claustrophobic, like the walls are closing in on me.

I'm sure you know what I mean... Mail starts piling up because you haven't taken the time to sort it, toys are strewn about, and when it comes time to do the seasonal closet swap out, you realize just how long it's been since you've worn that shirt that's in there just taking up space.  Case in point, the size 2 flare jeans from American Eagle that, let's be honest, I won't be wearing anytime soon.

Between the 2 kids, and the exhaustion the one on the way has been causing, things have gotten away from me just a bit... but this weekend, I was motivated in every way to take charge, and regain command of our surroundings, which is where "The Big Purge" came in.

If you haven't already heard of "The-Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up", the book that is being posted all over social media, and has made it's way to the top of the NY Times Best Seller list, consider yourself enlightened.  I was intrigued after stumbling across the title several times, so I downloaded it to my kindle this weekend, and dove in head first.

This book gets rave reviews, and people swear by the author's method for tidying up, and keeping it that way.  So far, being the sucker that I am, she has me sold.  Shortly after I began reading, I was really motivated to start simplifying... to start surrounding myself with more quality, and less quantity.

Now like I said, I just started reading, so I can't confidently provide my own reviews on Kondo's method just yet, but she certainly has the wheels in my head turning.

We spent the entire weekend pitching (donating) all of the clothes, shoes, and accessories that we just aren't wearing, and the resulting pile of stuff was honestly embarrassing.  I feel like I have a tendency to hold on to items based on a "what if" mind set.  What if I lose a ton of weight after I have the baby?  What if someday I want to wear that dress again?  What if those pants come back in style?  Yet the truth of the matter is, it's all just taking up space, and crowding the view of the stuff I really want to see when I look in my closet.

Downloading this book, and getting rid of so much unnecessary stuff has led me to also become curious about this whole "capsule wardrobe" concept.  If you haven't heard of this trend, it basically operates on the idea that for each season a person should only own a certain number of essential items.  These items are things that you will love to wear again and again, they are comfortable, and they are versatile... and most importantly, they can be mixed and matched to achieve several different looks.

Naturally I turned to Pinterest for some inspiration, and given the circumstances was mostly drawn to "Maternity Capsule Wardrobe" pins, but I wanted to share a few here, so you get the idea.

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All of this has inspired me to come up with my own capsule wardrobe inspiration board, while I think about whether or not the fashion lover in me can really pair down my closet this much, but it's certainly something worth considering

Have any of you tried this method?  I'd love to hear about it if you have.  I'll definitely share the details here if I decide to take the plunge... I just can't decide if I'm brave enough to do it or not, but I have to say that purging so much this past weekend felt really good, and it's kind of addicting!

Weekend Recap

This past weekend flew by in a total blur, but it sure was a good one.  

It seems crazy that there are so few summer weekends left at this point.  Mike and I were discussing yesterday, that we feel guilty about spending a summer Saturday or Sunday lazing around, because we know that all too soon, it will be cold here, and we will be longing for the warm summer days that we should have spent at the lake.

Still though, it feels so good sometimes, to spend a day at home, lounging, playing, cooking, and watching movies... especially after an exhausting Saturday spent partying all day at the neighbor's house.

So that's exactly what we did...

I did however manage to hit up Bath & Body Works to take advantage of their 2 for $24 candle sale.  Their fall scents are my absolute favorite (leaves in particular), so when they're on sale, I make it a point to stock up.  I believe the sale runs through today, so if you want some, move quick!

On Sunday, we totally indulged, and I made some homemade pistachio ice cream from the Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home cookbook.  Her recipes are some of my fave!

We also, tried Bread Cheese for the first time.  If you have no idea what this is (like me), this article explains it perfectly.  We grilled ours, and drizzled honey over the top along with chopped walnuts (which I failed to photograph).  Honestly, there are so few cheeses I dislike, but this stuff was incredible.

Otherwise, we played, pumped gas in our underwear, and mowed the lawn in a dress.

Another perfect weekend in the books.  Hope yours was perfect too.

                                                 

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was so, so good.

Despite the fact that initially I wasn't exactly feeling pumped about turning 33, getting to spend a long weekend with the people I love the most really put things into perspective for me... not every day is perfect around here... we have certainly dealt with our fair share of temper tantrums, and 3 am wake up calls lately, but entering my 33rd year, there is no place I would rather be.

On Saturday we hit up the fair, where Max literally could not get enough of the animals, and kept asking if he could ride them, as in... "I wanna ride the pig", "I wanna ride the donkey", "I wanna ride the cow"... you get the idea.

Ella was a little reluctant at first but eventually decided she liked the doggies... to Ella, at the moment, every animal we come across is a doggy.

On Monday, we decided to head to Saratoga Springs for my birthday, and check out the racetrack.  It's a pretty big deal around here during the summer months, and we were dying to see what the hype was all about.

It was certainly an experience, and though it might have been more enjoyable sans double stroller and 90 degree heat, it was still a really good time.

We had our first Shake Shack experience (which also lived up to the hype), bet on horses (Mike won, I did not), and the kids enjoyed ice cream, checking out the horses, and playing at the playground.  Mondays are family day at the track, so it worked out great.

Now we're heading into our first heatwave of the summer, with temps in the 90's all week long... trips to the lake/splash pad/pool, will be a necessity to survive I'm sure.

I hope the week is off to a great start for all of you!

                                              

Weekend Recap

Another weekend has come and gone, and true to form, it seems that summer is flying by!

It was super hot and steamy here the last few days... the kind of weather that turns my naturally frizzy hair into a hot mess the moment I step outside (#curlyhairproblems).

Besides the usual lounging and lazing around that comes along with the weekend, we took a mini road trip on Saturday to do some outlet shopping in Vermont.  It was the prettiest, most scenic ride through the mountains along backroads, and I couldn't get enough of all of the charming New England homes that we saw along the way.  We scored some great stuff at the outlets, and shopped as long as we possibly could with 2 toddlers and a double wide stroller, but all in all, it was totally worth the trip.

On Sunday we hit up the pool for some relief from the heat, and then headed home to grill up a feast, and to celebrate National Ice Cream Day... which coincidentally, I didn't even know was a thing, but if Martha Stewart tells you to eat ice cream via Instagram, you do it.  No questions asked.

Happy Monday friends, hope you all have a fabulous week!

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