Date Day

We had ourselves a pleasant little Tuesday. Family workout followed by family lunch at Blue Adobe. Then, Gavin hung out with Nonna and Papa for a few hours while Dylan and I gallivanted around Fashion Square like a couple of 16-year-olds. Actually, first we saw a movie at Camelview. Success! I finally saw a movie...something I'd been dying to do for a long time. It was called Obvious Child, and I loved it. I'm a lover of low-budget films, and we saw five previews, all of which I've added to my "to-see" list. I'm guessing I'll make it to zero or one of those movies on the silver screen, but I'll keep their titles in my back pocket for another time.

Then we crossed the street and headed into the mall. Whoa. I can't believe how much money is in that west wing of the mall. Nothing was the same as it was when I was actually a 16-year-old that gallivanted around that mall. We headed due east and picked up a few things for Gavin, and then I slipped into Anthropologie and purposely left my money with Dylan, who sat outside and watched the soccer scores on his phone. The tactic failed. I set my items down, went out of the store and retrieved my money, and came back in and bought the things. Hmph, oh well. We topped off our adventure with our favorite treats in the whole wide world, a chocolate chip cookie from Paradise Bakery (me) and a cone of coffee ice cream from Haagen Dazs (him).

What kind of crazy people bring a cranky baby to a restaurant?

Relaxing after a long day at each of our occupations

Generally, I watch TV in this position, too.

Lastly, it was back to my parents' house for a quick dinner of ribs before packing up our cranky baby and going home. The remainder of the week is work...and then one of our few holidays off. Happy 4th of July! What do you have planned? We are excited to see friends and have a little staycation. I am lucky to get two weekends each week, but I am really looking forward to a three-day weekend and hanging with my favorite people for three straight days!

Items to Love, Items to Try

I feel like since I became a mom, I got really old. I look old. My stress level is higher than in the past, and my hours of sleep each night are much lower, so my new haggard look can be attributed to these two factors solely, I'm sure. But my style is getting a bit more mature. I'm paring down the cheap, trendy crap in my closet and slowly building up a more solid wardrobe of quality basics. This is not news. I've said it before. My latest favorite brand is Ugg. I'm totally over the boots, but I just ordered these great slip-ons to replace the TOMs that I wear every day. TOMs go with everything but look great with nothing. Though I'll still frequently utilize my TOMs collection, I felt it was time to fancy it up a bit. When your work dress-code calls for close-toed footwear which is also comfortable, well then casual slip-ons are just what the doctor ordered.

While we're talking about Ugg, I fell in love with this fedora, but after ordering it twice from Zappos, it arrived smushed in a box. You'd think they would have gotten the hint after I returned the first hat and ordered the exact same thing a second time. I might go for it again, but this time direct from Ugg.

I just put in an order at Athleta for this SPF cover-up, except mine is white. We are taking sun protection very seriously this summer, and always, in our family. You probably won't see the skin of my belly or much else all summer long, lucky you. While I was at it, I ordered some Bermuda shorts for bike riding and a workout tank. This is my first Athleta order, and I'm excited to see how it goes. Workout clothes are slowly dominating my wardrobe. I promise to keep it classy while out in public.

I used a backpack as a carry-on for our Mexico trip and decided that it was a fantastic experience. The particular pack, while perfectly fine, was very large and also had a black and gold patch that read "Class of 2000." So I could probably use a more compact update. I first saw this backpack on ScoutMob. I like the idea of a handmade product. Anyone seen any other cool backpacks out there?

Havaianas. Have you ever known a more comfortable rubber flip-flop? I have gray for this summer, but I have a feeling they'll be worn through before July.

Essential oils. I feel like I heard about essential oils one day, and then by a week later, they had totally taken over life as we know it. We even had a fellow pharmacist bring in a diffuser to freshen the air at work last week. Anyway, I battled with stress for two straight nights last week and got no sleep. It was miserable and I knew something must be done about it pronto! So I ordered Young Living's Stress Away roll-on on Ebay, and I don't know if it's fully responsible, but I've been sleeping much better these days. So now I'm intrigued and I want to build a big collection and cure everyone's allergies, eczema, etc. etc.

African Black Soap. You can buy a big chunk on Amazon for a low, low price, and it really does make your skin feel good! People swear it works miracles for acne, and while I've managed to keep the acne monster away, I'm sure the soap is only helping.

Face products. My skin has always been sort of a disaster, but lately I've been obsessed about it. I feel like I've over-researched skin care products, and there are just so many out there, that I don't know what I want anymore. Next time I go to Fashion Square, I'm going to pick up a face mask at Lush. I only work a minute away, but it's harder to get there than one would think. Does anyone have recommendations for eye cream or face moisturizer? I'm also looking to update my make-up, so I'm also accepting suggestions in this department. I have the original Naked eyeshadow from Urban Decay...should I get the more recent version? And please, while we're at it, what is your favorite shampoo & conditioner? Body lotion?  Hand cream? I've been a loyal patron of Mac and The Body Shop, but I'm looking to re-vamp it all, I guess. I'm clueless when it comes to beauty products. Help!

Morningstar Veggie Burgers. I'm not a vegetarian, but I usually try to choose the vegetarian option when it's available. A while back, we stocked up on veggie burgers at Costco and thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. Then Costco, in it's usual fashion, did not have them in stock for about six months. And of course, we're too set in our ways to buy the normal stuff from the normal store. But alas, they are adorning my freezer again, and I am in wannabe-vegetarian's heaven.

Is it apparent that I'm becoming a bit of a hippie? Yeah I've jumped on the all-natural organic train, for the most part. As Dylan always says, why would you bother working hard in life if you're just going to put crap in your body? The focus has definitely been on healthy living. Not a bad way to be, I'm sure!

Thanks to Gavin J for putting in a marathon afternoon nap so I could have a moment of self-indulgence, and thanks to you for humoring my material girl ways. (Disclaimer: I know life is not about material things, but sometimes they make you feel better, even if it is only fleeting. They really do.)

It's Miller Time, Round 2

We are in the midst of enjoying a spur-of-the-moment visit from all of Dylan's siblings. It's really pretty remarkable how much Dylan's family has been out to see Gavin since he's been born. And how nice for Gavin to be part of a family that values...family. On both sides!

It makes me think of Arrested Development

Michael: George Michael, what have I always told you is the most important thing?
GM: Breakfast.
Michael: No, family. FAMILY.
GM: Oh, I thought you meant of the meals.

I think breakfast is really important, too, but family is really what it's all about. Have you read that article by Mark Manson? It's so worth the read. Basically, when he turned 30, he wrote about all the advice he would give his 20-year-old self...which then gave him the idea to solicit the advice of his older readers to see what they would tell their 30-year-old selves. He received some really good advice, and a lot of it had to do with family. I know I talk about a lot of things that people should read, but this one is really worth the 15 minutes or so of your time. And, honestly, my life is pretty lame these days, and I don't have a whole lot of free time to do many awesome things besides read a couple of cool things here and there, so there you have it. (Though, when Dylan picked up his sibs at the airport, they also swung by and grabbed Gavin at Dawn's, allowing me the freedom for a quick shopping spree at The Quarter on my way home. Score!)

Anyway, click here: 10 Life Lessons to Excel in Your 30s

So far on the Millers' visit, we grilled kebabs and ate outside, and we did our 14-mile bike ride on the greenbelt yesterday with a stop at Jimmy Johns. Riding in the trailer is Gavin's favorite thing. He was a perfect baby. I don't say that often. I also snuck out to a barre class on Tuesday morning where I did about 1,000 plie squats, so that in combination with the bike ride means my butt is so sore I can hardly sit. We also watched the HIMYM series finale. And for the first time ever I can legitimately say I TOTALLY CALLED IT. I won't blow it for you, but it made me really sad.

Lazy Sunday, just G and me.

H8s 2 nap

Happy in his stroller, so in his stroller he stayed (for a while)

Happy in the car, being entertained by his aunties

So serene in his little chariot

Mmmm, Dad's sandwich

And now a small person is making a shrill scream that can no longer be ignored. Off I go to cater to my little human.

Yesterday

Yesterday I turned 32. It's such a boring age to turn, and I really didn't think much about my birthday this year. I had bigger things to think about, I guess. But my family treated me with extra TLC, and it ended up being one of the best birthdays ever!

Dylan took on baby duty for a large portion of the day, even though he had a bazillion hours of work to do on the computer. Kristin picked me up in the morning and we went to get pedicures (and fit in a lot of uninterrupted girl talk...what a treat) . I go so long without getting a real pedicure (the ones I give myself at home do not count at all), that it's almost embarrassing when I actually go. But I've got some fun dark blue toenails now, compliments of K. Thanks so much! We brought Chipotle back for the guys and had a quick outdoor picnic when we got home.

Then it was time for the second portion of the day. D and I headed out with the baby and met my mom at The Quarter. He and Gavin hung out for an hour or so while my mom took me birthday shopping. Then we made a switcheroo, and my dad met up with us, and my parents took Gavin while D and I went to Stingray Sushi. Yum!

Gavin's cloth-diaper induced moose knuckle. How embarrassing.

A non-conventional family picture

We made it home in time to put Gavin to bed at his self-established bedtime of 7:30. He woke up at 7:00 this morning, with only one intermission to eat at 3am, and we all feel fantastic. A good day for sure, and now I'm back on baby duty with my BIG 2 MONTH OLD! I can't wait to get his stats at the doctor today. The shots? Not so excited for those.

Lots of Information, Not Much Coherence

We finished our final of three birthing classes last night. A lot of the night consisted of showing the husband how to give the wife back/neck/head massages while she's in labor. I was okay with being on the receiving end of that. I have not done much research on this labor thing, but I do know a few things. First, the baby will come out of me one way or another, no matter how much or how little I know about labor. (But I am a sponge for information, so I know pretty well how it goes by hearing the stories of others and also from this class.) Second, it will be very painful, and it will probably last a long time. Third, I can't stand the idea of someone putting a needle in my back for an epidural, but if I'm in enough pain, I have a feeling that I might suddenly be okay with that happening. Also, I'm not scared of childbirth. I'm sure it will be very intense and some of the most severe pain I've ever known, but it's just nature. Bad things can happen, I know, but bad things can happen driving home every day from work, too. I'm more scared of how I'll feel dropping off my tiny baby at daycare when I have to go back to work after 12 weeks.

I'm rapidly losing my right ankle to the puff. Two long, hot days and all that sitting in that class last night did me in, I think. Also, I've developed carpal tunnel issues in my right wrist, which has made sleeping more tricky than it already was. My feet hurt at night in the same kind of way they hurt after standing for 12 hours for a shift at the Target pharmacy. Also, I am getting shooting pains down my groin and inner thigh, which they say is due to a stretching ligament. Other than that, things are great, and I'm ready to take on this final month of sharing a body with another person head-on!

I'm excited for a Mexican fiesta themed dinner party with a bunch of girls over at Jess's house tomorrow night. It will be my second trip into the Tempe/Chandler area this weekend.

My first trip into the Tempe/Chandler area this weekend was to visit the TOMS warehouse sale, the details on which were given to me by a co-worker with fabulous taste. (Thanks, AH!) I came home with two pairs of sunglasses, two pairs of shoes for me, and one pair for the little person who currently resides in the area between my boobs and hips. All for less than what one pair of shades costs normally. Booyah.

At the TOMS warehouse sale, I encountered some good samaritans. It was in an un-air conditioned warehouse, and I was wearing jeans. Not comfortable. Cold bottles of water were kept in trash cans, but I didn't know that because usually trash is kept in trash cans. But this nice lady handed me a cold bottle out of nowhere, and I'm pretty sure it saved my life. As I was walking out, the security guard asked where I parked because he did not want me walking around in the heat. How thoughtful. I am soaking this up now because I hear that when you're hauling around a baby, when you need the help the most, is when people just glare at you and offer you nothing because they're annoyed that your baby is crying. Being pregnant is cool sometimes. Except for the things I told you about in #2.

I have one more reason why I think pregnancy is sometimes not that cool, which is because I am so incredibly tired of my maternity clothes. I won't be buying any more because I find it wasteful at this point and because I'm buying so many other things right now. But in other ways, pregnancy is so, so cool. So I'm okay with it.

Today at work I was told I had a visitor up front, and I found Dylan up there with a yummy treat from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for me. In the words of some of the (not so) sweet (but more so brother-like) gentlemen at work, Dylan is WAY too good to me. Given the way that I've acted like an energy-less old stick in the mud lately, I'd have to say that I agree. Thanks for keeping things upbeat, D. You kick ass.

These rainy, stormy mornings have been great. Like any true Arizonan, I really appreciate the recent moisture...even the humidity. It's not nearly as bad as the humidity of the South in the summer, and it's so much better for your skin than the dry heat.

Actual mail was received with these stamps from an apparently very old lady. Maybe not so PC? We just couldn't bring ourselves to throw away the envelope.

John Krasinski and I have a lot in common.

From The Chive

It was a very good, very productive week. I did some think-ahead cooking and now have a freezer stocked with a few meals for those days when there's hardly enough time to even think about eating. People tell me that that will happen, and the thought of being short on good food had me feeling very nervous because you know how I am with food. But problem solved...at least for a few meals!

With that, I'll leave you with an article on why soda is so awful for you. I love, love, love a Diet Coke, but I won't drink it anymore. I still crave it, but I just won't do it, and if you still drink soda, I am jealous of you. But I am just so scared of artificial sweeteners rotting my insides and all the other awful things. Here, take a look at this article, which is mostly about the kinds of soda with actual sugar and not the diet kind. Just make sure to enjoy your soda before you read it!

This Weekend in My World

Dylan finished the laminate flooring in my closet after several days of hard work. He did a great job for his first go at using a bunch of different electric saws and managed to preserve all limbs and phalanges. It looks really great. My closet is huge by most people's standards, so I decided to share the space with the dogs so that the ugly dog door was in a discreet spot in our house, which led out to an ugly dog run in a discreet spot in our backyard. But the dogs destroyed the carpet. It was really disgusting. So hopefully the faux-wood floor will remedy the situation, and I'm doing everything in my power to keep them from choosing a different swatch of carpet in the house for their toileting needs.

After his hard work, Dylan released himself to go camping with the guys while I cruised the mall with Jess L. for an after-work Friday afternoon shopping and Z Tejas happy hour adventure. I had to check out the Nordstrom anniversary sale, where I picked up some fancy Nikes to motivate myself to get back in the gym once I'm cleared to exercise post-baby. Our matching baby bellies attracted a lot of attention from strangers. Her baby is set to make his debut this October, and we can't wait to see our two little guys pal around. It had been a long time since Jess and I had caught up, and if our fatigue hadn't set in, I'm sure we would have closed down the restaurant with all our chatter.

The guys drove Max's RV to the Mogollan Rim on Friday night in the midst of a monsoon, which ripped off the awning while en route, and Kristin and I texted each other from across the street about how scared we were from the big storm and darn those guys for leaving us here alone. The next day Kristin hosted Elaine's shower, so I wandered over there in the morning to put out the famous Lu Dip and help her get everything together. We were all ready to go by 11 and wondered where all the guests were. After doing some research, we discovered that the party actually started at 11:30. So we hauled all the perishable food back in the fridge and had ourselves a good laugh. What a piece of work the two of us are together. But as always, Kristin put together a magnificent shower for Elaine, and it was so fun to celebrate with all the girls yet again. We are so excited for Baby Luke's arrival this October. He and our guy are bound to be buddies and will spend their childhood tearing around the desert and causing trouble with Hudson and Cruz.

What a weekend it's been, and it's not over yet! I'm trying to get my butt in gear for a productive Sunday. How about you?

A Material World

I'm the first person to point out the benefits of going minimalistic. Save your money for experiences and memories and not things, they say. Because the satisfaction of buying things is short-lived, and it creates waste which harms our planet and fills your house with clutter that you do not need. But I do live in a material world, and I see pretty things all around me that I want. And right now, these are just some of those things.

1. Home tee. All the t-shirts that fit how I normally like them to fit...do not fit right now. But if they did, and I needed a new one, I'd buy this state t-shirt.

2. Cushy, comfy slip-on sandals. They'd go with everything.

3. Past & Present. I've been wanting this book by Amy Azzarito of Design Sponge, but I just don't see a time slot in my schedule right now to sit down and read it. On my Amazon Wish List it shall remain for now.

4. Oil cloth bag. I love the look, and it seems durable.

5. The Eco-Nomical Baby Guide. The one item on this list that I actually own. Practical advice for watching your pocketbook and considering the environment while accumulating a ton of stuff.

6. Baby moccasins. No explanation necessary.

7. Uggs for the summer. Sounds comfortable. And hopefully easy to slip on, especially since bending over is becoming increasingly difficult.

8. Chunky Necklace. I have always been conservative when it comes to accessories, but I'd like to try a fun, colorful statement necklace.

9. Delicate bangle. For just a hint of flair.

Making a wish list sure does help to curb a shopping craving! But I've got some nursery decorating to do, and today we picked out our first stash of cloth diapers. So the shopping has not been curbed...just re-focused.