Friday Favorites

I'm going to make an effort to blog more, I'm going to make an effort to blog more, I'm going...oh hell. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I always fall victim to ten thousand things on the to do list and everything gets done, ten things on the to do list and nothing gets done. Guess that's why I've culled my internet favorites/current happenings around here this week.

-ONE-
The incredibly talented brains behind every graphic element in my life the last year has been designed by my uber talented friend Shelby. Most recently she designed the boys' Valentines and I couldn't be happier. Good news, she's got a blog now! Make sure you add her to your readers. And reach out to her if you need some design services. She's seriously the best.

via

-TWO-
I think I need this in my life. Instead of wine, I would prefer it said champagne though, ohhkayyyy?

via

-THREE-
Mark and I started watching Sons of Anarchy a few weeks ago and are almost done with the series. It's been bloody at times, but surprisingly really good. Also, Jax Teller is a very attractive outlaw. Anyone else have a secret crush on someone totally not your type? I'm normally all about the clean cut overgrown prep school Southerner, but goodness me.

via

-FOUR-
I gave up sweets for Lent again this year, but luckily Valentine's Day fell just before Ash Wednesday. Mark, Fitz, Alex and I celebrated Palentine's Day with some of our favorite people and I made this HEAVENLY Chocolate Lasagna from iheart naptime. I retooled it a little bit, and my tweaks (mainly I made it a touch smaller for the smaller crowd), are up on Alabama Women Blogger's Foodie Friday series.

-FIVE-
We have a reader that still loves the circa 2005 email forwards. He sends them nearly daily. Sometimes they are hilarious, and sometimes they are just stupid. This one made me literally say "aaaawwwweeee". 

Four Months

You're nearly five months now boys, but a lot has happened in January and February, and we didn't go to the doctor until last week, so I feel like throwing this up late will be okay, because #mommaworks.

Four months seems to have just flown by! We battled some sleep regression and lately little Al Pal has decided he doesn't want to sleep at night, like at all, so that's been fun. Normally, you're great sleepers and go down around 8pm and wake up between 6:30 and 7am.

Momma celebrated her birthday and like the angels we know you to be (most of the time) you both slept through the night that night. Thanks kids!

It is still the dead of winter, and you've each contracted nearly every disease in the book: RSV, ear infections and the flu. That crap SUCKS!

You've both started on solid foods (well sorta) and it's been a slow process for us all. Y'all are as stubborn as mules, or much like your mother according to your father, but I will be damned if I don't get you eating the mushy foods before too long. Less dollas toward the formula bill!

Fitzy, you're still the ultimate Fuss Budget and I love you for it. You were the first to roll over, and while I'm not 100% sure you rolled over by your own power and not because you fell over…but that's not important. You're mobile! At your check up you weighed in at 13 lbs. 4 oz., my darling chunkier baby. Built like your dad, you're a long guy as well, at 25 and a half inches. You're firmly in the 3M clothes and about ready for the size 2 diaper.

Fitzy, you're not one to ever miss a meal.

Alex, you weighed in at almost 12 lbs. (11 lbs. 13.8 oz.), and you've almost got a set of squishy biscuit knees. We've worked hard for every ounce on you kid, and to see you finally gaining, well, it’s my greatest accomplishment as your mother. You take your bottle like a champ and you're definitely the better cereal eater. You go Glen Coco! You're still built like me, long and lean, measuring 24 inches. 3M clothes are still a tad big on you, but they baggy style suits your not laid back personality. You're the first to show the tell tale signs of teething, but you don't have any tooth ridges yet.

Door jumper is still a little too advanced for you Alex.

The Hardhat Diaries: Woods Re-entry

I told myself that nothing would change when I had kids. God how laughable that is. I barely have time to breathe and be what the internet says is a good mother and do my job and everything else. Let's not even talk about the state of my house on daily basis. I'm fairly confident we could build a fifth dog out of the fur in my living room.

Momma, you're so embarrassing.

BUT ANYWAY, since I do still have my job that means going back to the woods. How wonderful it felt. If 2011 me read this she would have an absolute fit: kids and the logging woods? So let's pretend I just took this trip, instead of the reality that this trip was nearly three weeks ago.

My woods re-entry was a gradual process: I first went on a day trip to middle Georgia to grab a quick story. Man, it felt good. The weather was perfect, the equipment was new and my interview went great. Two weeks later I left on my first official trip since August, heading to Arkansas and Louisiana, places Woods Barbie knows well.

Much to my relief, my now much longer hair still fits up under my hardhat in a nice braided bun, my real denim, high waited work pants still fit, and even though I had to do an emergency steel toes purchase, I can still clomp around in them.

On the story gathering front, there was nothing Earth shattering to report. The stories were all good, lots of young guys in the mix. Fun equipment to watch in action, if you're into that sort of thing. I also got to sort of trespass to get some photos of a biomass plant being built. I saw a coyote trying to find it, which is worth reporting. Obviously, my boss was super supportive as per usual on these endeavors.

I spent the bulk of my nights in Monticello, Ark. and Monroe, La. Monticello is a great town and any time I am in southeast Arkansas, I prefer to stay there. The food is just out of this world. I make a point to go to local favorite Ray's each time, but this last time I also went to Bubbie's, another favorite with the locals. Monticello-ians are serious about their onion rings! These things were impressive to say the least.

Ray's double with rings

Bubbie's double cheese add lettuce with rings

I had an absolute blast playing around Natchitoches, La. after my last two appointments before heading home. As Louisiana’s oldest city, it has all the charm of New Orleans without the grubby meth feel.

Cobblestone streets, two story balconies and river front views, made this charming Louisiana city a wonderful pit stop.

The ironwork was beautiful!

If it wasn't so far away, I would love to come spend a weekend at one of the B&Bs. I had lunch at Mama's Oyster House and can see why both of my loggers that day told me I just HAD to have lunch there. My fish po boy was delicious. Made me wish it wasn't the middle of the day and I could enjoy a large hurricane and some blues.

15 for 2015 Update: January

I swear just when I feel like I've got a handle on something, I realize I've forgotten fifteen other things. It has been a crazy time around here. There's been epic sicknesses, woods re-entries, a birthday coming up, some goals accomplished and two newborns who are very close to rolling over and making me so proud killing all my hopes and dreams of having tiny babies forever.

So in an effort to get caught up on my life, I mean, keep track of my 15 for 2015, I wanted to update my progress. Because nothing holds a person accountable quite like the internet! Ha!

 15 for 2015 

Hit the Pure Barre Montgomery 250 Tuck Club: ACCOMPLISHED! This one felt so good. My love for Pure Barre runs deep, and I've discussed it plenty of times. But this goal was such a big one for me. Celebrating after class with some of my PB besties was the icing on the cake. 

  Spend another long weekend in Curacao 

Show Fitz and Alex the beach 

 Read 15 books: 1: Mending Fences by Sherryl Woods 

Take an entire month and not buy a single piece of clothing (or accessory) for myself 

Finally re-decorate our living room 

Update my phone software Done. My phone still sucks, even with the new software.

Visit Kimber, Gentry and Saylor at the farm in Pennsylvania 

 Go home for Alabama Homecoming 

Write my Nanny once a month: January: I actually failed on this one, but I mailed my Momma a nice note so I'm going to count that.

 Try 15 new recipes 

 Completely clean out my closet 

Take about a zillion more pictures

 Clean out the storage unit and sell the furniture we are never going to use 

Show Mark Philadelphia and the Porecca family 

So with 31 days down, I've only done four things. Clearly, I'm all about the slow climb to greatness.