Fall Fails.

This fall, there wasn't enough time to rake leaves or visit an apple orchard.

With Dan's schedule and workload, we just had to pick up pumpkins from Groppis.

Ingrid's inconsistent nap schedule meant that we couldn't make the hike to the apple orchard and settled on a local fall festival.

At the time, I was disappointed. Disappointed that we missed out of my favorite events of the best season. Now, as I reflect on these Fall Fails - I can't muster up the energy be disappointed - and that is a really liberating feeling.

Because normally, I'm a hot mess when it comes to self-imposed obligations. Instead, we had impromptu family-photo sessions in the front yard, carved pumpkins and made caramel apples.

Sure, it was great photo-taking-caramel-apple-making weather but, more importantly, it was what everyone wanted to do. Everyone had fun and it wasn't forced.

These photos are evidence that energy levels were running low last month:

Who's creepier?
A dad holding a knife while wearing a beanie hat?
Or, a shirtless toddler who will not touch pumpkin guts and therefore does not need to be shirtless. 

Dad: Eyes closed.
Ingrid: Eyes open while holding a marker and eating raisins (hopefully). 

Dad: Eyes open. Ingrid: Eyes closed.
I give up. 

Maybe this sounds weird, but earlier this fall, the realities of parenthood really started to sink in. Dan went back to school and our schedules became structured. Chores and meals had to be planned. And a little stress-snowball gained momentum as it rolled downhill and left me feeling squashed.

At the time, these so-called Fall Fails felt like a reflection of my current parenting state. How well was I doing if I couldn't manage to hop in the car for 30 minutes and get pumpkins?

Reality? Ingrid and I were alone for most weekends while Dan worked. After grocery shopping, laundry, cooking and cleaning - I felt like a champion for going to Movement Class on time.

I can't change nap times, work schedules, energy levels. We'll always need groceries, walks with Harper and clean laundry. Put the two together and that means sometimes we can't do what we had planned.

As I look ahead to the holidays with great anticipation and excitement - I reminded that I won't be do everything on my wish list. I won't be able to knit as much as I would like (to finish the pair of mittens I started in 2010) or visit every "_______ with Santa" event. Hopefully we'll go to church, see Christmas lights and have brunch with Santa - anything more would be icing on the already delicious cake. 

September, You Just Arrived.

Do you have to leave so soon?

With Dan starting school, his internship - and his business picking up steam - we've had a hectic month at home adjusting to a new schedule. Isn't organization a wonderful thing? If only someone else could arrange everything and I could just reap the rewards of an organized schedule, closet and life. 

With schedules being more structured than we're used to - I've tried to make an effort to be more easygoing. To sleep in on the weekends, have two beers on a school night, stay in bed and watch cartoons with Ingrid and forgo lunch in favor of baking cookies. 

Let's not lie. This isn't really a huge departure from my "normal." 

Anyways, here are some September highlights from my iPhone (sidebar: any recommendations for a decent non-point-and-shoot camera?): 

Celebrating my best friend's 30th birthday with cocktails (and later over manicures.)

Watching Ingrid's face light up as she watched the kites takeoff from Milwaukee's Lakefront Kite Festival. 

Ingrid's love for babies continues to grow. She tests our swaddling skills and insists on giving them a bottle and "pupcakes" (aka, plastic cupcakes.) 

Savoring lemon cucumbers. A cucumber with the zing (and shape of) a lemon. Seriously amazingly good. 

You can bet that I stuffed those figs with (Kirkland) goat cheese and called it dinner too. 

Never one to say no to anything free - I gladly took this hand-me-down car from a coworker. Ingrid has mastered backing up and is trying her best to move forward. She has mastered the art of turning the wheel - and the horn. 

One of my favorite ways to start the day: a long walk to the park with Harper and Ingrid. 

Hoping there is some sort of nutritional benefit to pumpkin-flavored things - because I've consumed a few pumpkin-flavored things. 

Children's literature just gets better and better. Ingrid has a thing for The Foot Book and "Moo Baa, Lalala" - and loves to recite her favorite phrases. 

Regardless of political affiliation, taking Ingrid to see the President, was memorable, inspiring and uplifting. 

Ring ring! The phone's for you and it's probably Henry from daycare. Or grandma. 

It doesn't get anymore Wisconsin than spending a day at the fair: eating cheese curds, getting an Apple Pie Baked in a Paper Bag from The Elegant Farmer and - gazing at cows: 

A sweet end to a sweet month. 

This month I'm looking forward to welcoming fall, carving pumpkins and taking Ingrid to go Trick or Treating for the first time. 

What are you looking forward to this month? 

simple fall projects

As the weather gets cooler and we spend more time at home, it's time to refresh our space and add simple fall touches.

Our living room wall has been naked for about six months. It's an awkward space that needed some love. With a simple chevron painting and a few family photos, our living room wall has life once again. Ingrid loves to stand on the couch and point to Dan and of course, herself.

One of my favorite projects (read: easy, fast and cheap) is to sew Happy Day Garland. This (painfully dull) picture does not do it justice. The garland is a pop of color that just makes you smile. 

Typically, I don't like to say "As a mom" - because I always feel like the second part of that sentence sounds cliche or like an excuse.

But, as a mom - or as a human - my energy and ability to craft amazing projects peaked at the chevron painting. So, I arranged some mini pumpkins, a bowl of gourds and said good enough this is great. 

The place feels festive enough for me - and I might have the energy for a few more projects this season, but if I really get the crafting itch, I may need to give this Pumpkin Painting a try.

What about you? Any projects you would suggest? 

Last Day of Summer.

Tomorrow marks the first day of autumn. So, on the last day of summer, I leave you with my favorite photos from the summer of my favorite people: 

I know I'm biased, but isn't that pouty lipped face the best?  

Little Letters {link up}

Today I'm linking up with one of my favorite bloggers, Emily over at Life, etc. She's got a knack for creating serious sweet treats in the kitchen - and her hair tutorials are Pinterest-worthy.


Emily's Little Letters kind of remind me of Jimmy Fallon's Thank You Letters. Inspired by Emily and (not at all funny like) Jimmy, here's what I'm thanking (or dearing?) this week:


Dear fall, thank you, favorite season, for the crisp air, the football Sundays, scarves, long sleeves, boots, for apples and pumpkins and lovely pumpkin spice lattes. Generic list and all - I love fall!

Dear barking dogs next door, please stop waking up little Ingrid at 5:30 in the morning. She needs her little sleep.

Dear Weeds (the show), I know I'm about five years late to hop on the Weeds bandwagon but, I'm here now and so in love.

Dear library, thank you for letting members check out 100 books, books on CD or videos at a time. It's new board-book bonanza over here.

Dear running schedule, I'm trying, seriously!

Dear JCrew september catalog, I'll take one of each, thanks.   

Dear AT&T Uverse, I'll admit it - my bank account would be cool without cable - but these past two months have been tolerable without it. Thank you for Bravo, Food Network - and my favorite guilty pleasure - Fashion Police.

Dear life, tonight while I was cooking in the kitchen and Dan and Ingrid were dancing to Paul Simon, I thought you were pretty great.

Fall Favorites

Last summer at my friend's bachelorette party, we all received one-on-one palm readings. It was a unique and fun and make us all say (out-loud, in unison) "Ohh!" when the hosts announced that our guest would be a palm reader (vs. your typical bachelorette party guest).

The reader told me that I had one child (ding!) had a "normal" life line (fine, I guess) and that I was the first "Earth" see had read all night.

I beamed as if I received a gold star. I didn't know what that meant to her, but I loved the sound of the phrase, "I am an Earth." She explained that I had an appreciation for nature and gravitated to flavors and textures found in nature (ding! ding!).

Let's be real though, she could have said anything semi-positive and would have reacted in the same way. After a few cocktails and phallic-shaped Jell-o Jigglers, I was all smiles.

Like most of you, I love this season. Beyond the pumpkin lattes, I love the welcomed change of pace. To slow down, read more and spend more time at home.

This fall, I'm excited to take Ingrid to the apple orchard (again):

And a few other things:

• Visit the pumpkin patch.
• Make a big decision. Carve or paint a chevron pumpkin?
• Or, I guess we could live on the wild side and do both. 
• Visit the zoo. 
• Sunday afternoon drives to "watch the leaves." 
• What the heck, let's make a stop in Cedarburg for a decadent caramel apple while we're at it. 
• Packer gatherings with friends. 
• Film on the Hill.
• Bake with pumpkin and apples. 
• Rather than bake an apple pie, just cut to the chase and buy an Elegant Farmer apple pie.
• Tour the Pabst Brewery and Great Lakes Distillery.
• Piece together Ingrid's Halloween costume. 
• Ingrid's first trick-or-treat. 
• Take a trip to the petting zoo for a hay ride. 
• Celebrate our second anniversary.
• And of course, get a few pumpkin spice lattes! 

Cheers (with your seasonal pumpkiny beers) and let us toast to fall! 

Your turn. Share your fall favorites! 

Currently

A quick list of things that are going on right about...now: 

loving: reruns of The Hills on Netflix - without cable - this timeless guilty pleasure resurfaces. 

reading: a stack of magazines and maybe today's paper.

waiting for: an idea of where we'll move next. 

missing: this little baby burrito bundle: 

trying to: find a church. Not an easy task! Any suggestions?  

working on: training for the triathlon. I don't know what I'm more nervous for - the swim, the bike, or the logistics of how everything is supposed to come together. 

enjoying: summer nights and weekend with the family and friends. 

using: my iPhone...a little too much. 

wearing: the same boring eight things over and over. Coveting this J Crew necklace and wishing for more exciting looks like this: 

via

planning: my favorite season fall! Football, boots, apple picking and Ingrid's Halloween costume. 

singing: along to The Spice Girls. Awesome. 

needing: more gratitude and perhaps a manicure. 

learning: how to stay on a budget.  

listening: to Ingrid's little voice. It's amazing to hear her thoughts out loud. Granted, a majority of her talking is gibberish, but those clear words are a reason to celebrate. Today she said "Hi Tutle" to her turtle - and I had to stop cooking to exchange a heartfelt glance at Dan. 

and this lovely song from The Head and The Heart:

wishing: I didn't Google the symptoms of Ingrid's diaper rash. 

doing: laundry. Will it ever end? 

praying for: more relaxed, carefree weekends full of moments like these, where all are healthy, happy and stress-free:

dreaming of: a lovey farm house with an inviting, sunny white kitchen: 

via

One last note: the Closing Ceremonies to the Olympics are wonderful! Do you feel like you were more engaged in the Olympics this year more than others? They were amazing!

This blog idea is from one of my faves: Jones Design Company - check it out. 

Do You Know What Today Is, It's Our Anniversary...

If you recognize this song title, you may have worked at a fabulous retail location (such as Walgreens) during your formative high-school-to-collage years. You know those loved-but-hated songs that somehow played during every shift. Well, my hated-favorite was Tony Toni Tone's It's Our Anniversary. It's sticks in your head like caramel on an apple and it's terrible. Don't take my word for it:



Moving on to a less annoying note (ha!), Dan and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary this weekend.

It's no secret that I love birthday celebrations and I think I'm going to like this whole anniversary thing too.

First we rented bikes from the Urban Ecology Center (hidden gem!) and headed north on the Oak Leaf Trail. Enjoying the sunshine while talking and peddling like kids - perfect! Next, we headed to The Pfister for a couple's massage. Amazing. Or should I say, spAH-mazing. Now, Dan's only spa exposure to-date was our Kohler babymoon getaway back in January. As we enter the historic, breathtakingly beautiful Pfister spa, he turns to me and says "So, do they have like a pool or fireplace here?" Who knew he'd be such a spa snob. 

No, we didn't enjoy a pool or fireplace - but we did enjoy a relaxing, quite massage and I took my sweet time standing on the heated floors following the blissful experience (add this to my dream house checklist).

Then, we headed home, dressed Ingrid like a little bumble bee and handed out candy to our BayView trick-or-treaters with Grandma Carolyn. Ingrid was the sweetest little bee and as she snuggled up next to me as we watched the older kids cruise by - I thought about how she'll be joining them in a few years - but for now, she gets to snuggle with me and has no idea how processed sugar tastes (watch for pictures coming soon!).

Finally, we wrapped up the day with dinner at Roots. It was a little fancy without being fancy and the food was better than expected. I had the Mushroom Terrine, Dan had the steak and in keeping with celebratory traditions, we actually ate dessert and toasted with adult beverages. All and all - an anniversary success.

On our way home from dinner, Dan and I joked that our second year of marriage won't possibly be as dramatic or unpredictable as the first. I think we're both looking forward to a little stability and normal-ness this year. Then I remembered that we have an almost-seven-month old at home and we have no idea what the next year will be like, or sound like or feel like.

This weekend was about us, not Ingrid, and I'm so thankful we were able to pause, enjoy time with one another and indulge - here's to another year of fun! Broast!

Go Crew.

Another Sunday, another round of Wisconsin sports.

Here's to another day of {hopefully} homeruns, touchdowns and beastmode.

Photo from Comet Cafe - Enjoying "The Stendler" at Comet Cafe with Lauren A. and Ingrid.