The Christmas Spirit

As I've mentioned recently, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  For the last 10 or 12 years, part of our Thanksgiving tradition, was getting up early on Black Friday and going to Jones Tree Farm to cut down our Christmas Tree. It's something my parents did as kids with their families and they've continued to do with us. We typically went in December when our schedules allowed but we started the Black Friday tradition when I was in college because it was the only time I could join the fam.  So after a great day with family, we'd load up on the coffee, gloves and scarves and hit the road with christmas music to the tree farm. 

This year was the first year in a long time that we couldn't go on Friday or this weekend to get our tree. Right now, it's looking like we'll go next Saturday. I was totally bummed not to jump right from Thanksgiving into the Christmas spirit with that tradition. It didn't feel right to embrace Christmas without getting our tree first. However, I went out yesterday looking for a few new Christmas items for our house, hoping that might help get me in the spirit. Sure enough, I bought just a couple things that did the trick. I rearranged our mantle and added lots of red and green touches and voila! just like that, I am totally in the spirit. I will say, it's been nice to drive around the neighborhood and see the amount of people who have done the same thing. The Christmas lights are up in full effect, wreaths are hung and I have even seen some trees up inside homes! Since it's the most, wonderful time of the year, we might as well dive right in and enjoy the spirit as long as we can :)

Hope you had a great weekend!

Madelyn and Anthony's playdate!

As I was downloading all of our recent photos, I decided I had to share the ones from a recent get together with our dear friends. You'll notice there aren't any of the 4 of us adults, we were busy catching up, enjoying beverages and watching these two cuties (and future boyfriend and girlfriend!) play! Everytime we get together we have so much fun and now with our babies able to play, it's even more fun :)

Thankful...

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love Thanksgiving because it's the kickoff of the holiday season and it's always a fun day with family! It's also a time of reflection and gratitude, not to mention lots of amazing food :) That said, what's not to love!

Last year, we were in a little bit of a fog with a newborn in the house.  While I like to think that we handled the first few months as new parents pretty well, looking back, the holidays last year, are a blur. This year, I am really excited to celebrate what a great year its been and my many blessings.

I am thankful for:

* my family for being my favorite people in the world

* my friends for getting me and always being there

* the health of my friends and family

* reasons to get together with friends and family!

* vineyard vines and the life it gave me

* cozy fall Sundays by the fire

* good red wine

* date nights... even the quiet nights at home!

* 40 cents of gas savings from Stop and Shop points

* homemade mac n' cheese

* my morning coffee from Dunkin donuts (medium w/ cream and one sweet n' low)

* family walks

*  SVU on my DVR

* gluten free stuffing

Last and not least, a husband who is the most perfect person on this planet for me.  This guy, makes me laugh out loud, is my best friend, is the BEST Daddy, helps with all the chores around the house without ever saying boo, and loves me unconditionally! And of course, our little Miss M. The light of our lives, who is gentle, independent, shy, easy-going, and happy, she is the best thing that ever happened to us.

The list goes on and on, but I wont bore you :) Have a wonderful thanksgiving, however you celebrate it and gobble gobble! Cheers!

One Amazing Year!!

  

We've finally regrouped from Sandy and Athena and it's settled in - our baby girl is ONE! Ahh. What I expected for the day was to spend time that day reminiscing and sharing stories about her birth.  What I didn't expect was to be flooded by emotions. I shed lots of happy (and maybe a few sad) tears for what a wonderful blessing our little girl is and what a fast year it has been. It just flew!

We celebrated on her actual birthday with a yummy birthday dinner and cake, with my family.  We had a planned a pumpkin and fall themed party in her honor for 11/3 at her Grammie and Grampies, but Sandy changed our plans. Instead, we invited our families and a few close friends, over for a little b-day cheer at our house and it was great. Madelyn got to hang out with her friends, have more cake and she was so excited for some new toys :) 

So now that the celebrating is over, we're looking ahead to the start of her 2nd year and hoping there isn't too much that is "terrible" about it!  Being first time parents, we can definitely sense that the gears have changed and our goals for this year will be different than the first. I pray we can keep our momentum from a great 1st year to tackle all the challenges this year will present.

Madelyn marked her 1st year with 7 teeth (5 on top, 2 on the bottom), a suddenly inconsistent nap schedule, a steady, yet picky appetite, about 8 or 9 words and last but not least, 3 steps! We are very lucky that Madelyn has handled the whole teething process, like a champ! Aside from a few little moans a couple of times at night while she tried to get comfy, we hardly knew they were popping out. She's still sort of fussy about trying new foods and she tires of some veggies quickly. One night she ate broccoli like I would enjoy a brownie sundae, and a few nights later, looked at me like "no way in hell, I'm eating that!" The few things we can always rely on to fill her up - grilled cheese, chicken nuggets and pastina with sauce and parm. I was happy to watch her thoroughly enjoy her cupcake/cake at her birthday :) that's my girl!!

Brian and I are loving that she is "communicating" with us more now and repeating all the things we say to her. One of my favorites is when she blows you a kiss, especially if it's not prompted!  When we say are you ready to go night-night? She'll say right back - nigh - nigh and cozy up her to monkey. Yesterday, I said to do you want something to eat? She immediately responded, "num, num" ha! Her other words - Mama, Dada, hi, ba-ba (bottle), yes, and da-yie (doggie).  We know Miss M could probably walk on her own, but she is so cautious, it'll be a little while before she's got it down. She'll stand on her own and then quickly squat, so she's back, safely on the ground.  After bribing her for about an hour last week, she finally took a few steps on her own! I think we scared her because we all cheered so loud! Miss long and lean is growing well, in height more than weight.  Since her last appointment, Madelyn grew 1 3/4 inches and 12 oz, to 30 1/4 inches and 21 lbs.

Here are some pictures from little Miss M's birthday celebrations. Hope you and your families are well! 

our week (so far) in pictures

With Sandy, Halloween and Madelyn's first birthday all happening at once, my mind is all over the place this week.  My parents are without power still, so they're heading up to our house tonight for a celebration for Miss M, which should be really fun! Her party on Saturday, may or may not happen because my parents aren't expecting power back until next week sometime (brrrrr).

The silver lining in the chaos is that we, especially me, have spent the last few days soaking up every little second with our munchkin. Lots of books, lots of cuddles, lots of kisses and tons of smiles, I have had SO much fun just hanging with my sweet girl.

Here are some pictures of M, dressed for Halloween with nowhere to go, and what Sandy did to our neighboorhood.  Hope you all are doing well!

Giving kisses to her new doll

Oh Sandy

I can't believe how bad the storm really was.  97% of Fairfield was out of power on Tuesday morning.  I have no idea who was looking out for us (but thank you!) because we were part of the 3% who woke up on Tuesday WITH power. We are so thankful that we've remained connected and informed (and warm) throughout the storm. I will say though, having endless access to the info about the storm has had it's downfall too.  I just heard on the radio that this will go down as the worst storm in the country's history.  It makes me sick to my stomach to listen to some of the news in the aftermath of the storm. The homes along the beach in Fairfield that drifted right off of their foundation. The boardwalks along the Jersey Shore, that are no more. Last but not least, the lives that were lost. 

The worst storm in our history, and this one, hit home. Thank God, nothing literally hit our house but our neighborhood, our friends and families near and far, and so on. This was one heLL of a storm.  Brian went back to work today, but my office is still without power. I must admit, I am absolutely LOVING all this extra time with my little munchkin, especially since her special day is tomorrow :) I decided earlier that we'd venture out, my first time since Monday morning, and go to the grocery store. I sort of assumed they'd be back up and running. Wow was I wrong.  The trip normally takes 5 - 10 minutes but this outing took at least 20 since I had to take 2 detours because of blocked roadways.  I couldn't believe my eyes, some of the biggest trees I've ever seen were just hanging on wires in people's front yards or across the road.  Yikes. When we finally got to the store, it was mostly dark. The registers were operating and you could buy dry goods but the outer perimeter of the store (dairy, meat, deli) were dark and emptied out. It's literally a disaster area. I drove a little further and did find a fully open grocery store. Which made me very happy because I desperately needed butter to bake Madelyn's birthday cake! But, in all seriousness, I wanted to get home quickly because I just didn't feel comfortable being out. Two days post-Sandy and things don't really seem like they're improving very much.

So, as I'm sitting here enjoying a few quiet moments while Madelyn naps, in a warm house, watching TV and smelling her cake baking in the oven, my mind is racing thinking about all that people have lost. This really has been devastating and it will take a while to rebuild some of the areas hardest hit, not to mention fixing up our nearby neighborhoods.  We are so fortunate and while I count my blessings, I pray for everyones safety and warmth as the wait for power continues.  Hug your loved ones extra tight tonight, it'll help keep you warm :)

The grass is greener...?

 

I am fully in the desperately-trying-to-adjust mode since starting my new job 3 days ago. I told myself it was going to be a big adjustment and take a while to get used to everything... but some things are just easier said than done.

I spent almost 1/3 of my life working at VV, and the company gave me my life, literally. When I shared the news with friends and co-workers that I was leaving VV, many said that "it will be so good" for Brian and I. Each time, I wanted to say - it's never been a bad thing, we've loved working together! So, probably the hardest thing for me when I left last week was knowing it was closing a chapter in the story of us. To add to that, my team made me GF cupcakes in my favorite flavor (red velvet) -  yum, gave me a gorgeous arrangement of flowers and a nice bottle of wine  on my last day.  They called over all my hires (20+ people) and friends to share stories of starting at VV and what they remember about me, the mother hen, bringing them in. So, all that said, it might not be surprising that I bawled when it was time to leave last week. I was basically unable to catch my breathe and say "bye" when I walked out hand in hand with Brian last week. It was a day, to wrap up my 8 1/2 years, I'll never forget.

So.... onward and upward..... *sigh*

So, now I'm the FNG, as my old boss you to say (Effing New Guy) and boy, its tough!  I survived my first day, and felt pretty good. Then yesterday, was a great day. I came home feeling great and confident in how I handled the challenges that I'd been presented with/  Today, I drove home in tears. This, I guess, is me adjusting. It's been a bit of a roller coaster.  I just keep looking ahead and looking forward to feeling comfortable in my role, and on my team and being able to do my job, well. That, and I keep reminding myself, change is good.

Unfortunately, we're approaching a very big milestone in our family and I feel like my head is in such a fog, I can't give this milestone the attention it deserves :( A week from tomorrow, our sweet little girl turns ONE! Ahhh! We're having a little shin-dig with family and friends, and I can't wait to get together with everyone to honor our little pumpkin! We were originally toying with having her party this weekend. Thank GOD, we chose next weekend because I need a weekend to get organized and spend some time to unwind with my family. I'm hoping by the end of my 2nd week at the new gig, I'll be feeling more comfortable and a little less like the new kid on the block. Then I'll be able to really enjoy the milesone and the time with our favorite people!

Until then though, there will be more tears and (hopefully) more victories.  There probably wont be another blog post until the dust settles a bit more. Hope you are doing well and talk soon!

Great company

I am a new fan of company that launched in 2010, and learning about it has been life changing for me! Warby Parker, makes great eye-glasses at unbeatable prices. Have you heard of them? I feel like I'm a little late to the party, because when I mentioned them to people recently, they had heard of them.  I feel like I've worn glasses/contacts, my whole life, how did I not know about them before now?!

The jist of the company (for those of you that do not know) is it was started by 4 young guys, who met at grad school. The wanted to bring affordable eyeglasses to the market at a more reasonable price. One of the best business practices is that for every pair of glasses that are purchased, Warby Parker donates a pair to someone in need.  For people who are avid glasses wearers, this company is legit.

Two weeks ago I decided it was time to upgrade from the glasses I've been wearing for probably 6 or 7 years. We had a gift certificate to Lens Crafters so I went over to browse during lunch. I was thinking with our $100 gift cert, and their 30% off sale, I could get a new pair of glasses, all in for $200 and I was happy with that. What I learned when I was there that the frames average around $200 and the lenses are $350. Yes, you read that right, $350 for the lenses. So, even with the 30% off, I was looking at the glasses for $385 but $285 after our gift certificate. I didn't like any of the frames enough to bite, and I had to digest the price, so I left.

When I got back to the office and was complaining to a coworker, she told me about Warby Parker. Most glasses, frames AND lenses go for $95 and they donate a pair to someone with every purchase. I mean.... it's almost a no brainer. I researched the site and decided to do the free at home trail. I was able to browse and pick up to 5 pairs that I liked and they would send them to me, for FREE. They shipped 2nd Day Air and arrived in a awesome, sleek black box. I had 5 days to try them on and pick a pair, and then send them back with the free shipping label they provided. Sure enough, I found a pair I loved. I've ordered them and gave them my Dr.'s number so they can call and get my prescription. I should have the new glasses in 1 - 2 weeks. I am SO excited to get the glasses and I love that someone who is need of glasses will be getting their very own pair soon too!
If you, or anyone you know needs glasses, definitely check them out! Warby Parker

End of an era

So, the cat is out of the bag, the secret is not a secret anymore. I gave my notice at my job and my last day is next week.  I am starting a brand new job in about 10 days. O. M. G. I honestly wasn't sure this would happen and parts of me still can't believe it! This job, has been SO much more than that to me and now that I'm getting ready to leave, I have been reflecting a lot on my time here.

About 9 years ago, my boyfriend of 4 years dumped me. Completely out the blue with no warning, he wanted out. I was crushed. It was a blessing in disguise because the relationship just wasn't right. So there I was, a blah job, newly single and living by myself. I had lost myself in my old relationship, so I didn't even know who I was anymore, or what I wanted. It wasn't necessarily a dark time in my life, but definitely a transitional time.

A few months later, I got a call out of the blue from a headhunter that I had worked for off and on through high school and college. This time, they had a job for me. For me though? I had a job... They insisted I go interview because they knew I would LOVE the company - vineyard vines. My dad wore there ties, so I was vaguely familiar with their story and eventually I agreed. An interview was good practice, it couldn't hurt. What I didn't expect was a great conversation with Shep and Ian and a job offer at the end of my hour long interview. I can honestly remember thinking, this came up out of the blue, for a reason. I don't know what the reason is, but I have to take this job. So, the next day, I quit my job and agreed to start at VV.

This job was just what I needed, at the perfect time in my life. This job has been SO much more to me than just a job. Within weeks, I had new friends, more of a social life, I was having more fun, enjoying life again because I was me again. That in itself was huge for me as a person.  Then add in that I worked hard and I learned so much about what I am capable of and what I enjoy doing. It almost goes without saying that this job literally gave me my life in that I met Brain and now we have started a family.

So, as I look at the end of my time at VV, it sort of feels like the end of an era! I will always hold my time here, very dear to my heart.  The people, the experiences and the skills, I am so grateful for this experience! While I am very excited about my new opportunity, it's just hard not to be a little sentimental as my last day here gets a little closer. 

As I was walking around the office the other day, an old favorite Tom Petty song popped into my head. I sort of chuckled to myself after I started humming it.... ah ha! This is true....

"time to move on, time to get going, what lies ahead I have no way of knowing... but under my feet babe, grass is growing. Time to move on, time to get going..."

Fun with friends!

As I've mentioned, the last month or so has been a little crazy. A little more on that later this week.  Since the weeks have been busy and a bit chaotic, we've unintentionally kept the weekends relatively low key. We've had the chance to get together with friends and catch up, and it's been so much fun!  It's great to get together with friends, and their little ones and watch them interact! Here are some pictures from our playdates, fun for both the little ones and the grown ups :) I really look forward to more times together like this in the future as our families grow!

Madelyn and Sam sharing bedtime stories

She always puts her hands on him... so cute!

Miss M and Addy hanging out!

Anthony and Jackson sharing toys

 

And catching up over drinks and snacks :)

 

 What a cutie!

 

Honoring the cute momma-to-be at her surprise shower!

We can't wait to meet Hannah!!!!

NCHS class of 1999!