Girls Traveling

oh hey, friday! | 5 things i miss about being child-free

Friday, January 30, 2015

oh hey, friday! you're back. and i'm tired. i totally wish that friday meant what it used to mean.

know what i mean?

(think staying up late. sleeping in. curing a hangover with some delicious biscuits and gravy. those were the days. those were also the days i was 25 pounds heavier. yikes.)

anyway...i do believe you all know the drill:

1. grab this here snazzy button and link back to September F A R M.

2. link up your post at the bottom of this post.

3. have a fantastic friday.

M Y F I V E - 4 THINGS I MISS ABOUT NOT HAVING KIDDIES

1 | as mentioned above...weekends. i remember weekends. i remember when it was okay to start your saturday at 10 am or later because you're too busy drinking coffee, browsing the internet, and watching a saturday morning movie all at the same time. those were the days.

2 | i remember when i could wear tight shirts because my tas weren't different sizes and i could actually suck my belly in. but seriously...nursing has done a number on the girls and no amount of sit-ups is going to fix this gut in the foreseeable future. both fixable, though. both fixable.

3 | my work attire. not only do i miss working, but i miss wearing nice clothes each day. granted, i could totally put on jeans and a cute top...but that would also mean my cute tops would have permanent food stains and spit up. and those jeans? those jeans are not conducive to wrestling around on the floor and giving horsey rides all day, err day. alas, i spent a gift card i got for christmas at lululemon today...on yet another pair of yoga pants and a comfy sweater. my farmer is thrilled. no he's not.

4 | ooo...i totally miss eating cereal for dinner. or wheat thins and cream cheese. or a piece of toast. or...or...going to a restaurant and not having it be a huge production. basically i miss not having to cook. i mean...i like cooking more now than i ever did before, but it's still not my favorite thing, especially when i think i've really nailed a meal and kaye still doesn't like it.

5 | but having my girls...it's truly the best. kaye makes me laugh every single day. she's absolutely to die for...even if she does take us all on her emotional roller coaster daily. and bitty? that girl owns my heart. she's the sweetest. she's the easiest. she's our itty bitty muffin magic.

okay...get your link-up on!

sponsor post | q + a with rebekah @ blue giraffes + concrete jungles

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

sometimes...more often than i'd like to admit...i get jealous. i'm a jealous gal. you should have seen the crazy, jealous eyes that were out when i was dating my farmer. i swear every gal was after him. (i mean...probably not...but that's what i thought.)

today i'm just a tad jealous of rebekah.

*she's younger than me.
*she isn't tied down by offspring.
*it really seems like rebekah is living life to the fullest!

don't get me wrong, i love where i am in life...but sometimes i fantasize about what it would be like to dip back into my mid-twenties. sometimes.

i guess i'll just live vicariously. thanks rebekah. rub it in.

R E B E K A H | B L U E G I R A F F E S + C O N C R E T E J U N G L E S

KARLI | what is it about blogging that keeps you coming back?

REBEKAH | Honestly I don't know- I was actually thinking about this on the subway the other day because I'm quickly approaching my one year anniversary of blogging. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started and it has become a hobby that I really enjoy doing. I think I keep coming back each day because it is nice to get my thoughts out there- whether it be a book review, a rant on nonsense or just letting people know what I did with my day. I like the idea that I'm being held accountable and someone might be depending on reading a new post to get them through their day just like I use other blogs (like yours) to get me through mine.

KARLI | do you watch the real housewives of (city)? if so, which cast would you most like to be a part of and who would be your bestie?

REBEKAH | I'm probably one of the lone bloggers out there that doesn't watch any of the housewives or reality tv (bachelor and bachelorette) in general. I'm much more of a Walking Dead, American Horror Story kind of gal.. but ultimately I would love to be a part of the Glee cast, or Nashville. Love the singing dramas!

yep, I put my face on the poster- because I'm awesome

KARLI | where do you see yourself in five years?

REBEKAH | I have no idea where I see myself in five years. I see myself in so many directions - right now I know that I am planning on thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2016. For this I'm going to have to take 5-7 months off of my life and I can only try and anticipate if it will change where I want to be when I'm done. I assume I will go back to NYC and find a new job or (cross my fingers) return to whatever job I'm at before I started. It could also revamp my entire existence and lead me in a whole new direction. So no five year plans here- just a plan to get through my hike, and then I will go from there!

KARLI | please tell us more about costa rica and the family you work for!! so amazing!

REBEKAH | Costa Rica is just one of several trips I have taken with the family I work for. I find it hard to describe my job sometimes but in a weird way I am the "stay-at-home Mom"- except I get paid for it. I do all the shopping, cooking, scheduling, restocking, managing of handymen, everything. The family has two adorable little boys, who are 3 and 5. I call them the munchkins or Big and Little J on the blog. I've traveled with them to Spain, France, England, Panama, Barbados, and Costa Rica. For the most part I love my job- although,as with every job, there are a lot of struggles and my days are very long. It has definitely prepared me for having my own children one day and managing my own home. And I get to cook every night- which I love.

KARLI | you’re big on reading? any must-reads you would like to share?

REBEKAH | I'm addicted to reading, if that could be a thing. My all time favorite books are A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, the Harry Potter series and recent favorites have included The Darkest Minds trilogy (I'm calling it the new Hunger Games), Outlander and Discovery of Witches. I love sharing my reviews on the blog of recent reads. I'm going to try my absolute best this year to keep track of everything I read- so far I'm already on book # 8!

KARLI | can you share three of your favorite posts?

REBEKAH | Harry Potter is My Homeboy , 5 Travel Tips for NYC, and Confessions: My Thighs Touch . I'm a huge huge huge fan of Harry Potter (much more so the books- not the movies) and Harry Potter is My Homeboy is my tribute to him, how I found the series, what it means to me and hoping that if you are not already hooked- you will be soon. My travel tips for NYC are helpful for any new or old visitor to this great city- plus it includes some apps that will aid you on your way! And my confession (because who doesn't love a good confession!) but one that is honest, and talks about the dreaded size issues.

_______________________________________________________

oh rebekah. you doll, you. i'll even forgive you for not watching any real housewives...but only because i think it's ridiculously rad that you're going to hike the appalachian trail!!! (and i love that you're a harry potter fan. i can't wait to read those books to my gals.)

and because rebekah is rad...she's offering 25% off her ad spaces with the code FARMFRIENDS! check out her ad spots - HERE

not looking for an advertising opportunity and just want to soak up all of rebekah's awesomeness? find her all over social media...

another weekend getaway + a video you should watch

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

winter is wonderful. i know we don't all feel this way, but i feel this way because farmer and i have really been taking advantage of all the non-farming that has to happen.

this past weekend we headed up to the cabin for a night so we could hit up a hot springs and then go snow tubing the following day with some friends.

all the getaway time with kaye and a bitty takes a lot of energy, but its so so worth it.

worth it in more ways than one.

swimming was pretty uneventful. sawyer isn't a huge fan of the water, but it didn't stop her from cracking a few smiles for the camera. i'm telling you...she's the smiliest muffin in all the land.

the following day we met up with our friends to hit the slopes...tube style. now, i'd like to say this was uneventful too, but it wasn't.

while our farmer and sawyer hung out at the bottom of the hill, kaye and i grabbed our tube and headed up the hill. what followed you'll have to watch...

please, no judgement. i was genuinely concerned regarding any injuries to this stranger...but...it's kind of funny, right? right.

the good news is that girl got right back on the ~~horse~~ tube and took some more runs. she was just fine, even though the scorpion move she pulled looks pretty painful.

besides the collision, we had a great little getaway and i'm already trying to figure out how to get our farmer off the farm again. is anyone hosting a super bowl party we just have to attend? we'll be there.

SAWYER | THREE MONTHS

Monday, January 26, 2015

prepare to get your jealous pants on because i have some bragging to do.

in case you're new around these parts...meet sawyer. the most perfect, gorgeous, sweet-tempered, happy, lovely three-month old farm gal there ever was.

these are the facts. the truth. i can't lie.

i've said it before...i didn't know babies could be this amazingly wonderful. and when i say amazingly wonderful, i mean easy-breezy. she has got to be the easiest baby in all the land of babies.

and did i mention she's beautiful and has the sweetest smile that she shares with us all. the. time? yes...smiles for days.

i've read before that parents have this weird sensation that they want to nibble on their babies...and i'm here to say that's accurate.

i want to nibble all of her perfection right up. i could just burry my face in her neck and smell her all day long.

did things just get weird? no judgement.

S A W Y E R | 3 M O N T H S

nicknames | muffin, bitty, bitty mc-bittles, bittles, sister

weight | when muffin was born she was in the 14th percentile for weight. itty-bitty, right? well, at her two month appointment it was found out she's jumped to nearly the 60th percentile for weight. when it comes to nursing, our gal doesn't mess around...or maybe it means i was eating too much ice cream?

sleep | more bragging...and i can't even help it. my gal has been quite the sleeper. she goes down at 7 pm each night. i wake her up between 10 and 10:30 pm for a quick nursing session, and then i wake her up again around 5 am for another round.

now, i have actually been toying with the idea of staying awake after she eats at 5 am to get a workout in, but i have yet to actually execute that plan. i'll keep you posted.

napping has been a bit trickier. i've been really lax about getting her on a napping schedule because we've been on the go so much lately. i have noticed that she definitely takes a nap around 9 am, 12:30 pm, and again around 4 pm...but those naps happen in super random places. sometimes she's on her little pod pillow (which apparently is a big no-no), sometimes in her crib, and sometimes in her car seat. oh well. once farming starts and we're home more, our schedule will be more...scheduled.

eats | sawyer is still exclusively on breast milk. she takes a bottle like a champ, which is different from her sister...who refused a bottle from three months on, so hopefully that won't change.

at four months we started feeding kaye pureed veggies and skipped right over the oatmeal. i'm not sure if we'll take the same route with sawyer since she's such an easy eater. we'll chat with our pediatrician next month.

loves | well...it's hard to say what a three month old really loves. but i like to think she really loves me, a lot. it also seems as though she enjoys riding in the ergo with her farmer. she cuddles right into his chest and it's lights out. more love? i'm nearly positive sawyer loves kaye and thinks she's funny. i wasn't sure when their relationship would bloom, but farmer and i can see it happening daily.

dislikes | it's confirmed...our sawyer-muffin dislikes water. simple as that. poor gal. i know she'll warm up to it, but i hate that it makes her a sad-bear. we'll keep working on it.

what it comes down to is we basically won the baby lottery. if farmer and i were guaranteed more sawyer-babies i'd have three more tomorrow. but for now, we have one turtle and one sawyer...it's a pretty great combination of sweet and spice.

oh hey, friday! | healthy resolution recipes

Friday, January 23, 2015

oh hey, friday! glad to see ya again.

i do believe you all know the drill:

1. grab this here snazzy button and link back to September F A R M.

2. link up your post at the bottom of this post.

3. have a fantastic friday.

M Y F I V E - remember at the beginning of january when i resolved to do better with my meal planning and meal making for my adorable family? well...minus my hiatus from food last week, i really have been doing an okay job. at least nobody is starving...so we've got that going for us.

i've been getting my pinterest on picking out delicious recipes i'll be whipping up in the coming weeks...and of course reporting back with my ooo's and ahhhh's, yay's and nay's.

1 | chicken + sweet potato packets

these look absolutely delicious and i'll be making them tonight...in the oven. but when summer rolls around you can count me in for popping these on the grill. i'll be leaving the bacon and bbq sauce off for a healthier option. i'll replace those goodies with some lemon and sea salt. whomp whomp...i miss the bacon already.

2 | quinoa enchilada casserole

i'm a sucker for quinoa. it makes me feel healthy. plus most anything that comes in a casserole version i can count on my turtle trying. she's a sucker for comfort foods...just like her mama.

3 | slow cooker beef tacos

confession - after i had sawyer my sweet cathie brought this meal to the farm for us to enjoy. the best part? she had it all bagged up in a gallon ziplock so that we could make it at our leisure. not to mention she also brought us an avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and tortillas. she thought of it all. what i'm saying is...this is a phenomenal meal to bring to someone who just had a baby. my only complaint was she totally skipped out on bringing us margaritas. kidding!

bottom line...make this meal.

4 | lasagna soup

i can't vouch for how healthy this soup is, but i can trust that it will be filing and comforting. i go weak in the knees for a good soup and i can't wait to try this goodie and hopefully throw it into a regular meal rotation. yum.

5 | chicken alfredo baked ziti

i'm going to try and pretend this one can be considered healthy. i mean, it has baked chicken, skinny alfredo sauce, and if i used whole grain noodles...well...i can probably count on losing a few pounds. (or not.) regardless, anything delicious in moderation, right?

i can't wait to toss these delicious recipes together and get votes from turtle and our farmer.

okay, link-up time.

guest post | nina @ flowers in my hair

Thursday, January 22, 2015

mornin'. that's how we say good morning out here on the farm. we also tilt our hats.

i'm slightly delirious, so you'll have to excuse me. i was up at midnight, 2:30 am, 4:00 am, and up for good at 6 am. all courtesy of my sweet, little bitty...also known as sawyer.

hey sawyer-gal...let's not make a habit, mmmk?

because i'm pretty exhausted, we're all very lucky the fabulous nina is here guest posting for me. nina...she always knows when to bail me out. and you know what's nice? it's nice when you have a guest poster that you enthusiastically want to share with everyone. nina...she's just that gal. nina's pretty. nina writes an awesome blog. nina tells great stories. and the more i say the name nina, the more i think i should change sawyer's name. sawyer could totally be a nina.

nina's no stranger to september farm! she visited here and then also wrote a saturday confessional for us where she's the self-proclaimed queen of awkward. which is interesting, because i'm nearly positive I'M the queen of awkward. foot in my mouth all day, err day.

farmer tells me i need to think before i speak quite often. it's a daily struggle. but more about that on a different day. let's enjoy nina.

N I N A - F L O W E R S in M Y H A I R

Hi! I'm Nina from Flowers in my Hair and I could totally write the typical guest post and sweetly just say hiiiiiiiii. But I am not going to do that because I want you to actually read this. Is my honesty refreshing or annoying? You can't tell? Me either. Let's talk about the crazy, okay?

Nonna is crazy. No, wait. You see, I love her because she is crazy. She loves like crazy, cries like crazy, laughs like crazy, cooks like crazy, feeds you like crazy, shops like crazy, worries like crazy. It's what made me realize that maybe crazy isn't so bad. Sure, when Nonna finds a sale, she will bring back an item she already purchased and ask for the sale price. Then the salesgirl or boy, totally underestimating the stubbornnes of an Italian woman, will say, "I'm sorry, m'am." Nonna then says, "Okay, I would like to return this item." And once that is complete, she says, "Okay, I want to buy it back." And when we laugh at her (we being her famiglia), she shrugs and explains that it's the stores that make things difficult and who's laughing now? Because she got a deal and we aren't as bold (or crazy) enough to do the same. She's taught me to be kind of audacious. I don't have a problem speaking up for myself most of the time. When I was little, I wondered why other little girls didn't speak up for themselves. It's because they didn't have Nonna. The thing is, she is also crazy.

We celebrated her birthday this weekend and she asked me if I wanted her leftovers to take back to the city with me. I politely declined. She asked a little while later. I declined. After the fourth or fifth time, I realized that even though I didn't really want her leftovers, it would make her happy if I took them. Do you know it has taken me over a quarter of a century to realize this wisdom? Before I even walked into the restaurant, I also put on lipstick (It doesn't have to be lipstick; she loves gloss too. But it does have to have color) and was sure I was wearing a coat because if I didn't the first thing she would say when I walked in would be: Where's your coat? Why aren't you wearing lipstick? So I thought I was being so smart, usurping the system. What did she say upon seeing me? Why aren't you wearing gloves?

The thing I tell people is that I am a lot like her. If you took me and multiplied by 100, you would have a perfect replica of Nonna. I've always struggled with my craziness. Like we talk like crazy. And we argue like crazy. And why can't I just be one of those docile girls who smiles and nods her head? I don't know if Nonna ever wanted to be something different. That's something I'll ask her the next time we Facetime (yeah, Nonna's got herself an iPhone, Facebook, and a mini iPad...She also loves leopard, just like me and her fashion sense is on point. On freaking point. There is nothing dowdy about her). Everything about her is youthful–in a totally appropriate way. If you know your Mean Girls, I'm going to throw this quote at you: Nonna's not a regular Nonna; she is a cool Nonna.

The thing is, the opposite of crazy may be normal and who wants to be that? Maybe once upon a time I did. But I've grown up (at least a little) to see the world a little differently and normal can only sustain a girl for so long. I guess I am sticking with crazy. In fact, I would bet on crazy any day. If you want to read more about crazy or follow crazy, check out the links below. I promise it's not boring.

farm travels | a ski getaway

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

thank you much and much for all the well-wishes. that stomach bug knocked me down. literally. i was on our couch for three full days. i lost six pounds and was feeling super skinny...but don't worry, that weight all came back. now, at a week later, i finally feel back on my game.

anyway...

a few weeks ago (pre-stomach flu) we popped out of town with some good friends, who are also child-ridden. vacationing with friends who have kids...it's the way to go. especially when the gals can watch the kids while guys have a ski day (and the moms drink champagne)...and the next day the gals get to have their ski day. friends helping friends.

so as i was saying, we headed to a little ski resort. and what's a ski resort without a little bit of skiing and a lot of hot tubbing?

have you ever seen a turtle look cuter in a bikini? i just die over that belly of hers...not to mention our turtle has some seriously defined legs. it must be all her jumping off of all things over three feet high. lord help us.

don't worry...all the hot tubbing was well-deserved. my farmer hauled around our two best gals for several hours in-between runs. kaye in the backpack, sawyer in the ergo. that's approximately 50+ extra poundage. he was regretting the extra layers of clothing he thought he'd need to stay warm.

but sawyer definitely appreciated her down onesie. in fact, i wouldn't be mad if they made an adult version...i'd get one for myself.

it was such a fun four days. we love getting off the farm and onto the slopes...especially when it's with good friends. and did i mention it's fun to have an excuse to sip pomegranate, champagne cocktails? delicious.

now i'm just desperately trying to figure out a way to convince my farmer we need to head back...sooner rather than later. like...next week.

$115 giveaway + how much money i didn't spend in january

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

oh lawdy. after a much needed hiatus of group giveaway fun in december...we're back with some mula burning holes in our pockets.

on another note...aside from purchased plane tickets for a wedding in february, i haven't done any random/boredom spending all of january!

no amazon 1-click shopping. none of the baby gap 40% off sales sucked me in. and i have to say, my farmer has appreciated not seeing packages stacked outside our front door. a big pat on the back for me.

but, if you are ready to spend some cash (like me), and you enjoy the following:

money
finding new blogs friends
looking at pretty faces
entering giveaways
clicking links
etc. etc. etc.

...you know the drill. visit my friends below. fall in love. get entered to win.

if you would like to get in on february's group giveaway action, click HERE to see your options!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

oh hey, friday! | i made a trip to the ER

Friday, January 16, 2015

to spare you all the ridiculous details...i came down with the stomach flu, which apparently is different from the flu you can get the shot for, which i didn't get the shot for anyway because we live on a farm.

i mean...if you live on a farm do you really need the flu shot?

anyway, i came down with the stomach flu and it rocked my world...in the worst way possible, which is why it's been crickets over here.

what i'm trying to say is, i'm skipping oh hey, friday! this week, but you can most definitely still link up below!

if you're a first-timer, it's super simple:

write up a little post about five anythings. five resolutions. five hollywood crushes. five bitches and moans. anything.
head back over here and enter your link at the bottom of this post.
and pretty pretty please don't forget to link back to our blogs and/or add the oh hey, friday! button (found just above) by copying the HTML into the HTML section so others can link up as well! that's it...now get busy.

post-preg | 11 weeks out

Monday, January 12, 2015

ELEVEN WEEKS OUT

RECOVERY | i do believe i'm starting to feel more like myself these days. i mean...don't get me wrong. i still have moments of sheer insanity and i blame that all on the breastfeeding hormones coursing through my body. but the more i consistently eat well (far less sugar) and take care of my body by getting in some sort of daily workout i find that i feel more like myself. but maybe that's just today and i'm having a good moment? let's ask my farmer.

SLEEP | my little muffin sleeps through the night...and by through the night i mean she wakes up sometime between 3 - 4 am for a little schnacky-poo. i also quit pumping once a night because i'm just too damn tired and sleep is just too damn wonderful. we also don't have any more storage in our freezer for any more milk. you know what this means? farmer and i need to go on some dates so we can get some use out of all my hard pumping work.

bottom line - i'm feeling much more well-rested.

NURSING | i'll go on record with saying round two of nursing is FAR easier than with your first child. this may be because of the personality of the child or it may be because i have previous knowledge or it may be because i'm more relaxed about the whole process or it may be because i can see my boob job at the finish line...october 2015. there's a solid chance it's a combination of all/many things.

another bottom line - it's so much easier this go-round.

i'm far less concerned with healthy boob watch 2015. i think i'm in the clear...knock on wood. (you can read about my troubles nursing kaye here and here.)

THE BOD | 10 weeks out people and seven weeks until we're in weather appropriate enough to wear a swimming suit. will that suit be a bikini? time will tell...so will my willpower.

i'm down two pounds since i last reported...but really, i could care about zilch what the scale says and more about the pooch that used to be my lower abdominal area. oh...and let's not forget about my rear. i'm hoping an excessive amount of lunges will help with those.

WORKOUTS | i've really been nailing my running. i manage to get in about three to four runs per week that are about 45 minutes each. but really what i need to be doing is weight training of some sort. which brings me to...

my sister and brother-in-law got me four sessions at a cross fit gym for christmas! i fully intend on using all of those sessions in the next seven weeks...and maybe even a few more. ideally i'd love to get in twice a week for the next seven weeks, but that's a lot of boise trips and i just don't know if that's in the cards. it would require a lot of farmer babysitting...and lawd knows he already has his hands full.

SAWYER HIGHLIGHTS | if by sawyer you mean the sweetest baby that ever lived...then yes...we can talk about sawyer highlights. i literally did not know babies could be so sweet. so smiley. so happy. so chill. so...perfect. i mean...she's the very most perfect baby.

highlights include - non-stop smiling, sleeping through the night, and last week when kaye tried to feed her a blueberry. that was less of a highlight and more of a scary moment. all you need to know is kaye was trying to be sweet and sawyer survived.

KAYE HIGHLIGHTS | kaye highlight? where do i begin. a few weeks ago i was that mom with a stupid ear to ear smile on my face because my two year old skied 40 feet. i mean...you would have thought she won a gold medal at the sochi olympics. if you missed the video on instagram...see below!

oh hey, friday! | an update

Friday, January 09, 2015

oh hey, friday! 2015 is here. get your link up on or be totally lame.

we would prefer you not be lame.

if you're a first-timer, it's super simple:

write up a little post about five anythings. five resolutions. five hollywood crushes. five bitches and moans. anything.
head back over here and enter your link at the bottom of this post.
and pretty pretty please don't forget to link back to our blogs and/or add the oh hey, friday! button (found just above) by copying the HTML into the HTML section so others can link up as well! that's it...now get busy.

M Y F I V E

1 | i totally managed to get my farmer off the farm for a little ski vay-cay. so far...so amazing. we're staying in a beautiful townhouse that our friends are so generously letting us occupy. we just arrived this afternoon, and so far, none of us have had any issue making ourselves at home.

2 | the townhouse is in the middle of a lovely resort, complete with it's own pub. since it's thursday night, we basically had the delicious pub to ourselves. first we ate dinner, then we challenged some some locals to a game of beer-pong and lost...terribly. meanwhile, turtle discovered automatic doors and had the night of her life.

3 | tomorrow we'll get the turtle on skis...again. we'll see if she's a one hit wonder or if she really has what it takes at two years old.

4 | in other news...my very best muffin got her two month shots on wednesday. i have never seen a more unhappy muffin. we're talking real tears from my sweet girl's eyes. it might have been the saddest thing i've ever seen. luckily, it seems the sadness only lasted the duration of wednesday and she's back to her old, cooing self.

5 | and in final news...i have no final news. unless you count totally sticking to my resolution of being mindful of the trash i put in my mouth. i've really cut back on the snacking. now that i've really been keeping track, i'm shocked at how much i actually was grabbing for food when i wasn't even hungry. i'll be posting some progress pictures next week.

spoiler: there hasn't been much progress. at least i can't see a difference.

okay...link up time!