Our First Fall Weekend

Over the first weekend of Fall I had planned on being husband-less while Chris was out of town. Saturday I went into power mode cleaning, doing laundry, dog walking and running errands. Then I spent the evening drinking wine and chatting with Kristina about alpaca slippers. Yes, this is totally normal. If you’re us.

Sunday morning I got up ready to make apple cinnamon French toast after feeding the kids and letting the dogs do their business. I was standing at the back door in my pjs with Chaos out on the long lead at 7:45AM when the door opened behind me and in walked Chris. Chaos stopped mid poop to rush inside and it took me a few seconds to realize what the hell was going on. Chris has been working nights in a town about 3 hours away. When they finished early Sunday morning they found out they would have Sunday night off. So Chris got a ride from the job site to his car to come home and surprise us. And surprise us he did. Of course I wasn’t too surprised to make the pancakes. And for the record, they were AMAZING.

In the afternoon we dressed Ares and Chaos up in their orange and black bandanas, put our own Bengals colors on and headed over to my parents’ house for game time. My dad has a TV mount on the back deck specifically for sports game watching and it usually attracts some neighbors. Wouldn’t you go over to the guys’ house with an outdoor TV on a lovely fall afternoon?

All that excitement can really wear our 2 year old pups out. They especially love that they are allowed on the outdoor furniture (and laps) at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I mean how cute are these faces?!

Happy National Coffee Day all you fellow coffee lovers! I could not pass up these latte dog treats for the occasion. Mama and pup matching treats? Oh yea!

Happy Fall Y'all

Its’ the first official day of Fall and I am soooo excited! It’s our favorite season over here and I love all things Fall. Last weekend Blooms & Berries opened for Fall on the Farm so Chris and I made a trip out there Sunday morning. If you aren’t from the area the place I’m talking about it a big farm that has a corn maze, animals and all kinds of activities for the little ones. Plus there is a barn farmer’s market with all kinds of homemade and homegrown goodies for purchase.

We got up early and took care of the furballs then headed up to a locally famous donut shop near the farm. If you live in Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky and have never been to Holtman’s Donuts you really need to make it a priority. There are 3 locations now but the original is where we went. I’m a PSL snob now so we had to stop at Starbucks first. I was literally in my own little heaven sipping my latte and eating my donut on a picnic table with my man on a beautiful sunny and cool Sunday morning.

When we arrived at the farm it was already busy with workers making treats and families picking out pumpkins. Of course Chris and I, animal lovers that we are, headed straight for the farm animals. Chris loves goats and even had one as a pet growing up so we visited them first. Next were the donkeys and we were cracking up at a little girl who decided to grab a handful of grass and stick it through the fence for them to eat out of her hand. There were sweet little lambs and crazy loud African geese, ducks, chicks and giant bunnies! We probably could have hung with the animals all day but we headed over to the corn maze to see if we were smart enough to get out. It took a little while, but eventually Chris, aka the navigator, lead us to cornstalk freedom.

It was such a nice morning I almost didn’t want to go inside to the farmer’s market, but I forgot all about the gorgeous weather when I laid eyes on the jams and butters. One of my most favorite things to eat this time of year is pumpkin butter. I’ve tried a million different kinds and y’all I think I have found the best of them all. The past few days I’ve actually caught myself thinking about eating it when I get home. We also bought syrup, jam, sweet potatoes, honey crisp apples and peppers. There is nothing like fresh fruit and veggies straight from the farm.

I think we are going to have to go back for more pumpkin butter and probably a jar of apple butter will make me take it home as well. Happy Fall y’all!

Meeting Baby Zoey

My dogs love babies. I’m not sure if it’s the energy they give off, the way they smell or the noises they make but when there’s a little one around the tails start wagging immediately. Ares and Chaos have both been around babies, but because we’ve either been out in public with them on leashes or at someone else’s home, it was easier to control their excitement. Although Ares has been known to invite himself right into a car seat to snuggle with baby a time or two. And just last week Chaos had his big head right in the face of a baby in a stroller on our walk (her dad said it was fine but I didn’t know he was going to go for it so fast). But yesterday afternoon Ares and Chaos had the new experience of playing with a baby in their home.

My dear friend Lisa has the cutest 5 month old little girl named Zoey. Zoey has a doggie brother and a kitty sister so she is used to having furry friends around. Ares and Chaos aren’t used to a baby arriving right through the back door in a stroller so they got a little crazy at first. In an effort to make the first meeting positive for both dogs and baby, we made the boys stay on their bed until they brought the excitement factor down a few notches. They complained here and there for a little bit but stayed put for the most part. I say for the most part because they each did make a couple attempts to meet the baby before we said it was okay, but nothing a little correction couldn’t stop.

When it was finally time for the first up close encounter, Zoey was all smiles and already reaching for the dogs. We confined everybody to a corner of the room and kept things controlled by only letting one dog at a time play with Zoey. She got to sit on Chaos’s back and tons and tons of wet sloppy kisses, which she loved and thanked him by petting his head. Ares rolled on his back and was wiggling around as she so sweetly shared her toy with him. And then she returned his kisses, open mouthed. The whole thing was incredibly cute and I’m glad we caught some adorable moments on camera to share.

We’ve determined Zoey is a total animal lover and will reach for any of them close enough to her. She even stuck her little fingers in O’s face as he was lounging on the table. He didn’t seem to mind but Piper was nowhere to be found. She knows Lisa well so I think it’s safe to say she’s not the biggest baby fan. She came out as soon as they left. We already knew how much Ares and Chaos are baby lovers but it was so fun to see them interact with our friend’s baby. Hopefully the experience also taught them a little self-control with little ones and gave Zoey a positive association with them. Can’t wait until next play date!

Fall into the GAP

Remember how a couple weeks ago I said I rarely shop at GAP? Well now I’m a big fat liar. After buying a few basics that I ended up loving I did a little more shopping during their Labor Day sale. And now GAP has won me back over 100%. We sort of broke up for a while because none of their stuff was fitting me and I felt like it just wasn’t my style anymore. But I am happy to report we are getting back together and I can’t say enough good things about some of the styles they have out right now.

Even though I pretty much stopped shopping at GAP for long period of time, until recently I still had a few items I wore that were YEARS old. That just tells you the kind of quality product you’re buying. Sure, some of the sweaters and such might be a little high priced if you’re on a tighter budget (like me), but the great thing about GAP is that they almost always are having a sale. If you sign up for the e-mails  you will see how often you can get 30 or 40% off on your purchase, which sometimes includes sale items. Plus, if you have a GAP account (not a credit card, just a free account) there are certain times when you will receive GAP cash for your purchase. $25 off your $50 purchase = half price. Um, yes please!

Fleece pj leggings are a must for fall and winter if you spend the better part of your weekends (or weekdays!) in pajamas. I have and love the black diamond design but I just might have to drop my GAP cash on the blue fairisle print too. Okay, who doesn’t love a cozy chunky knit sweater? You can literally wear it ANYWHERE. Work, sleep, play, dinner, just to name a few. Fall is all about leggings and boots, right ladies? Well the GapFit gFastcotton leggings are awesome for everyday wear or to workout in. I have a short torso and long legs but I’m only 5’4 so a lot of times leggings and pants hit my midsection in an awkward spot that’s not very comfortable. These fit just above my hips and are form fitting without being super tight. The Pure Body line is awesome for basics and I definitely am not sorry I ordered a black model long sleeve tee. It’s incredibly soft but light weight which makes it perfect for layering under tops or sweaters, sleeping in or walking the dogs. And let’s not forget about GAP Factory, which is now online! Girlfriends, I promise you will love the legging tee. Stretchy and tunic length to wear over leggings or skinnies, a loose fit that’s oh so figure flattering and the perfect canvas to dress up or down with accessories.

The official first day of fall is mere days away now and I’m so excited for sweater weather! Whether you love GAP already, have never shopped there or maybe took a break from shopping there for a while like me, you just might like some of the sweet styles they’re selling now. Go check it out for yourself or start with some of my favorites here.

Happy Friday!

We Just Do

When I tell people how often Chris is out of town I tend to get the same response over and over again. Some ask how I do it, some say they could never do it and some just give us props. First let me say that Chris is out of town a maximum of 2 weeks at a time. I’m sure any of you military spouses are nearly scoffing because you’ve managed through months of separation and 2 weeks is no big. My hat is totally off to you. So while we certainly appreciate the kudos, we do at least see each other every other weekend, which makes it not so bad.

I am never really sure how to answer the question of how I do it. I just do. He leaves, I miss him, but I do still have my own life. I work a full time job Monday through Friday, keep our home clean, care for the furbabies and do my own thing (hang with friends/family, shop/bake/blog, ect). It’s not all cupcakes and glitter having to walks the dogs every day by myself and keep a strict cleaning schedule while our place is still on the market. It sometimes is a little lonely going to bed by myself every night and attending weekend parties/events without him. But it’s definitely not a terrible way to live. If you think you could never do it, you could. It’s probably not something you’d WANT to do, but when you have goals in mind, the sacrifices you make along the way to achieve them give them purpose.

Before you point out that we don’t have human children and how much more difficult it would be if we did, I’ll do it for you. I can only imagine how tough it would be to do everything I do now on my own with even one kid let alone more. But believe it or not,  I sometimes get overwhelmed caring for the furbabies by myself. Chris’s erratic schedule and the fact that he’s gone a lot affects them just like it affects us. Ares sometimes stands at the door crying for hours after he leaves. I swear he even pouts. And cats especially don’t like big changes in their environment. When Chris started leaving for weeks at a time, one or both of the kitties started peeing on things they shouldn’t. If you aren’t familiar with cat behavior, they do that when they’re upset so you know about it.

When you add up walking the dogs 3 and a half miles daily, picking up poop in the yard, cleaning the litter boxes and any other messes they make, bathing the dogs, brushing the cats and giving everyone enough love and attention, it’s quite a job to do alone. I’m not patting myself on the back or fishing for your compliments. Other people go through this too and many have it much, much harder. Hell, Chris is out there working long hours doing physical labor, away from all his friends and family. The point is, sometimes it sucks, but we just do it. We make it work. There is no magic to it. And if you ask anyone who does this and has human kids or has a spouse who leaves for much longer periods of time, they might have a better answer.

Of course wine and ice cream always help. 

Happy Thursday!