
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Preschool is the New Naptime

Wednesday, January 27, 2016
My Favorite Things: 3 Years Old
It has been a whole year since I have shared any of Liam's favorite things, so a little round up post was due. I can honestly say that Liam loves each and every one of these things! We spend much of our days out of the house, even in winter, so we don't have an overload of toys by any means. I only like to keep things around that I know will get played with frequently. Liam's imagination is really developing, so I love that many of these items help facilitate plenty of play. Plus they are all Finn friendly too, except for the gondola... He likes to yank if right off its track whenever he gets within reaching distance and there are some tiny choking hazards too.
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Some of the highlights: The trolley makes the most adorable ding. The Magnatab (#3) is perfect for long car trips or airplane rides. I'm currently eyeing the alphabet versions as well to help Liam with his letters (lower case
& upper case). The automobox (#6) completely comes apart and can be interchanged with different vehicles. And I just happen to love that the icecream set is aesthetically pleasing!
What are your three year olds loving lately?

Monday, January 25, 2016
Weekend Recap

Thursday, January 21, 2016
Valentine Touches

Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Stitch Fix #11
Karen Kane Evey Dress
Again, this is not casual in my opinion. And again, I hate the color and the pattern. But of course I had to give it the twirl test, and it has a nice little spin to it!
Briton Ivy Sylvester Split Neck Blouse
I like a good blouse, but this one was really short. Apparently Stitch Fix keeps forgetting about my long torso! The mint color was pretty, so had it been longer, this may have actually made it into my closet.
Mystery Swindle Crochet Detail Open Drape Cardigan
Not a fan of the back nor the odd draping. I didn't like how the chunkiness of the sweater didn't continue onto the arms either. Really a bizarre piece!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Weekend Recap

Monday, January 18, 2016
Winter Holiday: Montana Edition
Note: I had tons of issues publishing this post. Initially at least half the text was missing. It has since been updated, but the words are never written as eloquently as they first were.
Because we are in the business of taking super long vacations, we stayed in the Northwest for another week. New Years day we hit the road for Montana. It's a four hour drive, and Finn was angry angry angry for the last 30 minutes. Road tripping with young babies is no joke. Aside from some crying, the drive was gorgeous; every tree was covered in snow and the mountains just glistened. A week of slower paced Montana life was the perfect way to end our holiday.
Conor's parent's own a condo in downtown Bigfork, so we made that space home for the week. It's on the main street and just a block away from the family restaurant. Bigfork is the most picturesque little down during Christmas time. The entire town is decorated, each & every storefront. I loved being able to start my mornings with a walk to the local cafe. Sometimes with Liam, sometimes solo. A hot chai & fresh scone was my daily order, and I've been craving that ritual ever since we left!
Across the street from our condo, resides the town clock tower. Every daylight hour it chimes, so we heard a lot of chiming during our stay; yet, every single time Liam was in awe. Whenever it chimed when we walked by, Liam would ask the time and then we would count each ding. It was simple & sweet moments like these, that slowed us down and brought smiles all around. While I am a big city girl at heart, I enjoy a little break from the hustle & bustle.
Much of our time was spent with Grandma & Grandpa at the restaurant. Liam loved his time with them and helping out when & where he could. He is especially fond of Grandpa's truck with the snow plow on the front. While Liam has yet to develop that love for food that we have in this family, I took full advantage of all the fine dining we had each night while his parents worked. When your family is in the hospitality industry, you know your stay is going to be good!
The weather was particularly frigid, so we weren't outside in the Montana beauty as much as I would have liked. Instead we bowled (Liam's first time!), swam, & played hard with the cousins. It's always a little bit of chaos when all the kids are together, so we make sure the wine is flowing! And of course we made a little trip to Whitefish (my favorite Montana city) and stopped at Sweet Peaks (the family icecream shop). Liam insists that everyone share, because duh... that way you can taste ALL the flavors!
One of the best and most important parts of our visit was the time with Conor's grandpa. He's 93 years young, but unfortunately his health has declined in the last few months. Conor joined him for breakfast nearly every morning, and we brought the boys by his house frequently too. I know that Finn in particular brought a smile to his face. His grandpa could not get over Finn's hair (nobody can!)). These are the times that make living away from family extra difficult, so we were very thankful for our long stay. We didn't feel rushed to do it all or see everyone. Instead we enjoyed the slow days and the loved ones that surrounded us.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Winter Holiday: Spokane Edition
Let's just keep the Christmas fun rolling... We made it to my parents house in time for cocktail hour and a fabulous Christmas dinner! Prime rib with fresh horseradish has been the go to meal over the last few years. My mom's cooking is some of the best in the land, so the whole dinner was a real treat! Then it was quick to bed to celebrate Christmas all over again the next day with my parents as well as my brother and his family!
My mom has stockings for everyone. All the kids, the spouses, and the grandkids. My family loves tradition, so little has changed from the Christmas mornings of my own childhood. I love the nostalgia of it. Falling asleep back in my childhood bedroom, looking at the same houses across the street, decorated in the same manner they always are. The familiarity of it brings a little magic with it. I can remember anxiously waiting for Santa in that same bed! That morning, we brunched and then exchanged gifts throughout the day. Seeing my boys with their cousins was one of the highlights. Liam & Hadley are only 2 months apart and the best of friends! Minimal parenting is involved when these two are together. We can sit back and sip our wine at a leisurely pace while the toddlers giggle with one another non stop. There is something about being "home" (the original home) during the holidays. And this Christmas was perfect!
Instead of jetting off to the lake house like we typically do, we spent a few days in Spokane. I had the opportunity to catch up with old friends, which rarely happens! Many of them now have kids of their own, so the sheer amount of children made for a tad bit of pandemonium. It's a whole new kind of happy hour; a whole new kind of fun! Of course, we also had to take Liam on Spokane's gondola! I don't think he was nearly as impressed with this small one as is he with the one at Snowbird. However, just being on any gondola brought big smiles to his face. I love how into them he is right now! Any cities with gondolas....we are coming for you!
And then of course, we eventually made it out to the lake house for a few nights, because I cannot stay away! I won't bore you all with another post about how wonderful my visits here are. You all know that the lake house is my little slice of heaven, and that we are completely pampered during our stays. This visit was just as incredible as any in the past, but with an extra splash of something special due to the holiday season! Instead, I think these pictures capture so much... The love my boys have for their Nana & Pops (and vice versa). The beautiful setting. All the happiness.
