Sunday, July 31, 2011

Can you tell me how to get, How to get to Sesame Street

This weekend, our family took a small trip to Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.  To be honest, it was crowded, hot and expensive.  But the look on my daughter's face as she met her favorite characters and watched a Sesame Street show was worth every penny (and every ounce of patience and sweat)!  It was a great way to spend one of our last weekends together as a family of three before a newborn turns our world upside down for a few months.  I would highly recommend this day trip to any Sesame Street fan (young or old)!  Enjoy the pictures!

Goosey couldn't have been happier to meet "Da-Do"

Goosey went right up to the Count and did her best "Ah Ah Ah" impersonation

Goosey's first real amusement park ride.  She (and her stomach) handled it better than I would have!


Goosey's proudest moment: meeting Abby Cadabby!

For as many times as Goosey says "Elmo" during a 24-hour period, she just wanted to spend more time with Abby.


Climb, baby, Climb



So proud of herself for making it to the top!

Sesame Place 2011
Thankfully the credit card bill won't last a lifetime, but the memories will!

Hugs to our followers (especially the fans of Sesame Street),
LC


Friday, July 29, 2011

Straight Up


I am a big fan of extra dirty vodka martinis. Sometimes, I think they help put the world in perspective.

But every time I try to make one at home, it turns out to be an epic failure.

UNTIL...

Last night. I achieved martini-making success.

And you know what? It DID help put the world in perspective.

xoxo,

Kate


p.s. The lack of posts this week can be explained because I'm Internet-less right now. And as it turns out, I don't get paid to blog so coming up with thoughtful posts during business hours isn't happening. Next week isn't looking much better for connecting to the world wide web. But I'm working on it.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

T is for t-shirts

This past week, on vacation, I organized a t-shirt activity for my nephews and niece.  It was simple!  I got the idea from Family Fun Magazine.  Here's the 'professional' shirt, made by someone MUCH more crafty and creative than me!

Photo and directions found here


Here's my nephews and niece working their magic (with a little help from their moms!)

Claire's princess stencil

Ryan's shark stencil

Goosey's flower stencil

Claire and her mom opted for the brush method.  It worked out great!

Ryan, spraying his shirt with fabric paint

Claire's paint job

Brennan's paint job.  He had a REALLY cool flaming hockey puck!

My beautiful niece, Claire, modeling her Princess shirt.

Hugs to our followers,
LC

Monday, July 25, 2011

Weekend Snapshots





1. Took a Saturday afternoon trip to Annapolis, MD
2. Enjoyed a delicious crab feast
3. This little ray of sunshine didn't want to worry about getting tan lines.
(I kid. I kid)
4. LC squared having a 'moment'

Hope your weekend was as lovely as mine!

xoxo,
Kate

Friday, July 22, 2011

I've got my toes in the water....


My dear hubby and I took a mini-vacation this past weekend to Myrtle Beach. It was so incredibly needed and enjoyed.  Between work issues for both of us and life being altogether too busy this was an escape! We had lots of time to catch up with each other and just be at peace.  Now it's back to the real world.  But...some lessons learned from our trip.

1. Don't forget your camera. Seriously. We both forgot. And then had to take several trips to CVS to buy disposable. Eventually I'll have my own photos to share...it may be years from now though.
2. When did we become old and wake up at 6:30 am on our days off?  At least we got to watch the sunrise...and eat breakfast with the old folks.
3. Glow in the dark bocce ball is awesome.
4. The wind at the beach can be fierce. Make sure any tent or umbrella comes with good size stakes...not wimpy pins.  The sea breeze giveth and it taketh away...(picture us running down the beach frantically).
5. Claim the prime spot early. This reminded me of our trips to Aruba when Laura and Mindy would claim our spot first thing in the morning. Joe and I learned that our early wakeup calls could benefit us.
6. Fireworks should always be supervised by adults.  While we enjoyed the displays set off by many folks there were some idiots out there (and keep in mind SC sells some good fireworks).
7. Don't forget a bottle opening. Otherwise, it's difficult to drink that beer.

Ahh..the memories.  Can we go back now?
~Kc

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

It's a heat wave!

I just got back from a wonderful few days at the beach (blog post coming soon) to an all out heat wave. I'm pretty sure that nearly the entire country is experiencing this hot, grossy, and sticky mess.  As much as I love summer, I do not love humidity.  This is when I'm thankful for my air conditioning! 

These are a few items that make me feel cool during a heat wave...(and give me a little smile when I'm miserable)!

1. Pi shaped ice cube trays. I work for a statistics company. This is the geek in me coming out in full force.

Courtesy of ThinkGeek

2. A good fan. This photo makes me smile

3. Frozen treats. Who didn't love hearing the ice cream man? This is a grown up twist to an all time favorite.

From Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
4. Evening entertainment. When it's this hot outside, you have to wait until it's dark to do anything...and even then it may not be tolerable. While at the beach, we watched a family play bocce ball with a glow in the dark set. How cool is that?


To everyone that is experiencing this hot and sticky mess you have my sympathies.
~Kc

Monday, July 18, 2011

Happiness Is...

A few things making me extremely happy right now:

A new duvet and pretty blue quilt. I thought my linens were due for an upgrade.


These bowls from Anthro. They have been packed away for years and I'm so excited to finally start using them.

I vant to be a-lone star OPI nail polish


My parents were superstars during my move and I couldn't have done it without them. We even shared quite a few laughs on what would normally be a stressful day.

A pair of cropped black pants. Ankle length and lightweight these are perfect for summer wear. Making me even happier? That I can finally fit into my pair after a two year hiatus!


xoxo,

Kate

Sunday, July 17, 2011

I Dreamed About You For 29 Years...

Ah crap, I just had the last birthday of my 20s. I’m not too upset about getting older, 29 isn’t so awful, I’m just a little sad about some things I haven’t gotten to do, or done enough of, yet. But the best thing about having a birthday is getting a clean slate- a new opportunity to have the BEST YEAR EVER!!! I’m putting together a list of things I want to do before my 30th birthday next year, some little things and some major. Here’s what I’ve got so far…

·              Play a round of golf
·              Cook a 7 course meal
·              Take an art class
·              Visit a foreign country
·              Read 30 fiction AND 30 nonfiction books (60 books in 12 months- nerd alert!!!!)
·              Have a campfire, maybe actually go camping if I can work up the nerve (snake phobia, eeeek)
·              Learn to play a new song on the piano
·              Swim in a lake (again, snake phobia)
·              Volunteer somewhere
·              Throw a theme party
·              Go to a baseball game
·              Clean out my closet, for good. (I do this a lot but it’s never enough- too many clothes, I have issues)
·              Visit a vineyard
·              Ride down a waterslide
·              Allow myself to fall in love


Ok, ok- that last one is SO sappy and annoying, it makes me want to punch my fingers off for even typing that. BUT it’s a big challenge for me. I’ve been doing a lot (slutty?) of dating the past couple of years but it’s always been with an easy escape clause, one I gladly took. This year I’m committing myself to committing. I want my 29th year to be a big one (alright, technically I’m already IN my 30th year, but whatever- keep your smartness to yourself, fool). It makes me think about lyrics that one of my favorite bands, The National, have used in two different songs; You know I dreamed about you, For twenty-nine years before I saw you, You know I dreamed about you, I missed you for, For twenty-nine years”. Gah, I love it. I won't be running down any aisles in a white dress ANYtime soon, just reevaluating what I’m doing with my loooooooooove life.
Check it out in their song “Slow Show” below.

Here's to hoping I find who I've been missing these 29 years (and they don't judge me for being a romantic dork). Thanks for the birthday wishes Girlfriends- I’m really starting to like being the youngest of the group :)
~M


Saturday, July 16, 2011

My favorite color is......


Happy birthday to an amazing friend. I hope you have a great day Mindy! Try to stay out of trouble, ok?

Love,
Kc

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRLFRIEND!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EM!


Even though this picture is blurry, it is too cute not to post!  Aren't these girls so pretty?

All this food for FREE!  We were all just as excited as Em!
Here's to an awesome birthday and a fabulous year!  Wish I could be celebrating with you today!

Hugs to our followers (and an extra big one for Em!),
LC

Friday, July 15, 2011

Moving Day


{photo}

Very soon it will be moving day. And I didn’t think I would get sentimental but I find myself sad to be leaving my little bungalow.
As I’m packing, I spend my time thinking of the memories formed in this apartment and how so many of those moments helped shape me into the person that I am. I’ve grown up in this beloved home. When I think about the person I was when I moved in, I’m amazed at how much I’ve changed….in a good way, I think.
And so to my not-always-perfect-but-mostly-wonderful abode, thanks for housing my treasure and lodging my dreams. Even though I know it’s time to start creating new fresh experiences, I didn’t think it would be hard to say goodbye. But, as it turns out, I’m departing with a heavy heart.

xoxo,

Kate

Favorite Things

I've recently come across a few beauty products that I LOVE. 

Photo found here
1.  Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer in Sheer Hint of Color with SPF 30.  Its a non-greasy moisturizer, bronzer and SPF all in one.  Its my go-to product every morning.  In fact, when it was taken off the shelves for a few months last year to get a new design, I thought it was discontinued.  I searched every store in the region and then desperately bought 6 boxes of it on-line!



Photo found here#
2.  Gillette Venus Razor Embrace.  It has changed my life.  Em's too (she got one in the friendship ball!) Try it, you'll love it! 




Photo found here
3. Curel Ultra Healing Intensive body lotion.  Kate accidentally brushed up against my arm the other day and said, "Wow, you have soft arms."  If you want your significant other, co-workers and/or strangers who may accidentally (or not so accidentally) brush up against your skin to be totally jealous, use this product!

Hugs to our followers,
LC

Thursday, July 14, 2011

I want s'more!

Summer means s'mores. There's nothing like a big bonfire and making some ooey gooey s'mores.  Although I think anytime of year is good for s'mores (yum).  Have you seen the new stackermallows by Jet-Puffed?  They are made to stack perfectly on your graham cracker and chocolate.  Nothing topples over!  I think this means I need to do some taste testing this week.

Enjoy!
~Kc

Splish Splash

Few things in life are as cute as bath time for a toddler.






Thanks for the laughs, Goosey-bear.


xoxo,


Aunt Kate

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

When you have a bad day...

I know we all have those moments.  When you feel like someone just punched you in the gut? The wind gets knocked out of you and you struggle to catch a breath....  That's my day right now.  Kate's earlier post couldn't have had better timing. I need to keep that in my mind right now.

But, there are times when you simply can't shake the blues.  When that happens I have this handy little YouTube video to fall back on to give me a giggle.  Laura sent this video to the Girlfriends in March of 2008 and I have kept it that entire time. 


Seriously, how can anyone stay grumpy after listening to little giggles?  I may have to watch this multiple times today.

~Kc

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Evening Walks and Deep Thoughts


{image}

I met some friends last week for an evening birthday celebration and on the way back, decided to take the long way home.  It was a beautiful summer night in DC to stroll on some of my favorite streets and I remembered so many wonderful memories along the way.

I took a detour to Shake Shack and walked away with a chocolate custard treat whipped with peanut butter sauce and chocolate truffle cookie dough pieces. It was as amazing as it sounds.

In fact, two strangers randomly stopped me to gawk at my sweet treat, remarking that I was holding heaven in the palm of my hands. Those comments made me think about one of the last things my grandfather ever said to me. With his infinite wisdom, he told me that I had life in the palm of my hands and it was up to me to decide what I did with it.

More and more I’m learning that things will not always go my way. There will be disappointments and tough days and unexpected obstacles. But, I’m also learning that it’s what you do in the face of those challenges that determines your true character. And I'd like to be the type of person who can smile even when everything goes completely, terribly wrong.

Let's add that to the list of things I'm going to accomplish before I'm 30.

xoxo,

Kate

Monday, July 11, 2011

Parallel Parking

I love parallel parking.  Well, I love it when I can take my time, when no one is waiting impatiently to pass me, and when I can get it on the first try.  Otherwise, I hate parallel parking and avoid it at all costs.  But, I like to show off when I get my car in a tight spot with my wheels parallel to and six inches from the curb.  See?


Hugs to our followers,
LC

Sunday, July 10, 2011

A day in Hundred Acre Wood



“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. i'll always be with you.”

 While most the world seems to be focusing on the upcoming Harry Potter movie, I am more interested in the new Winnie the Pooh movie. I love Winnie. I love Tigger (my husband can mimic him perfectly) and I adore little Roo. When I saw the trailors for the movie I was immediately taken back to my childhood. Now I just need to find someone to come with me...

~Kc

P.S. I am looking forward to the Harry Potter movie too!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Happiness

That's what I experienced this weekend.  Completely and total happiness.  Nothing makes me happier than a beautiful weekend at home with my family.  I keep looking at the pictures from this weekend and they just continue to make me smile.  I can hear the giggles and shrieks of laughter from my nieces and nephews.  I can still feel the hugs and wet kisses. 

I'm lucky that my entire family sets aside 4th of July weekend for a reunion. Since we're all spread out this is sometimes our only chance to see each other during the year. And we make the most of it!

My dad's beautiful pond

My brother and niece being brave at Hershey Park!

My niece made a gorgeous table outside for dinner

My parents backyard. Perfect.

My hubby doing his thing.
Watching the fireworks display. The men outdid themselves!

Not bad for a backyard display!

The carnage afterwards. That's only a portion of it!

 I feel refreshed and satistified after this weekend. It was the perfect amount of laughing, eating, swimming and sun. If only it could have lasted a bit longer.  I'm already looking forward to next year!

~Kc