brunch time with my gals

mhenry, here we come!

i love going to this restaurant. it’s one of my top three favorite brunch places in chicago. what made this trip even more exciting?! meeting my gals, dana and olivia!! yeahhhhhh. i love these babes and i, seriously, have the best time with them every.time.

my trip in was interesting. i took my usual route but forgot about lollapalooza…whaaaaaa? so, i had to detour down michigan ave. yuck. i avoid the avenue like the plague but on this day, it was inevitable. i needed to get on lsd, so i drove down to oak and finally got on! my cruise through the avenue was not bad, thank goodness, due to it being so early in the morning!

i decided to not go straight on hollywood {the line of cars made me avoid it} but turn left onto sheridan but the blocks are so long on this road that i ended up driving past my destination! as i turned down thorndale, a car pulled out in front of me and it was driving soooooooooooooo slow. no joke. s o  s l o o o o o o w. as we inched towards a light that was doing it’s countdown {9, 8, 7, 6…}, this car was probably moving at 20 mph or less and we got the red. arghhhhhhhh. i pulled up beside the car {old folks} and reminded myself, this could be someone’s grandma…be nice, be nice. well, the light turned green and i smoked this car. as i drove down the street, i looked in my review mirror and this car was just passing the intersection as i was two blocks away. gahhhh! i drove a few more blocks, parallel parked my car, grabbed my stuff, and starting walking towards the restaurant. as i did that, the old lady finally passed me. hahaha!

we all arrived within minutes of each other. we were seated right away and started our gab sessions. we talked and talked and talked. it was so great catching up with these ladies! they gave us our check and we continued to talk. a server came by to grab our check and we still hadn’t given our cards. we gabbed some more. then he came by again to grab the check. still empty…no cards. we shared some more stories. then he came by one more time and i said, “gosh, we need to pay the check!”. so, we finally put our cards into the sleeve and immediately another person grabbed our check and came back with the receipts. we were so oblivious.

we finally dragged our arses off our chairs and walked outside. omg. there were, at least, 25  people waiting for a table. hahaha! that is probably why they came to our table for the check so many times!!! there was such a big wait! eep. regardless, we had such a great time there and never felt pressured by the staff to leave or at least, we were not concerned, worried, or picked up on any bad vibes.

it was so good to see my gals! after brunch, dana needed to get to a jnf meeting and olivia invited me over to check out her new abode. it was great to hang out with miss olivia a bit longer and check out her new dig!

it was a gorgeous day and i had such a great time out without the kiddos! girl time is crucial as a mom! typically, i slightly don’t want to {gosh, i love my baby girls!} but i know it’s good for the soul to get out there and do something for me!

cheers to sunday brunch! it’s my favorite!

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[my favorite girls]

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[staples]

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[blissberry pancakes – my go to every time]

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[checking out her new house!]

xoxo

brunch avec mes seours

brunch – my favorite time of day.

my sister, kim, suggested that we try a new place for brunch. i was game. i am always up for new places and new scenery. after many exchanges of text messages, we finally decided on a time and confirmed that the new brunch restaurant, aforementioned, was the eatery du jour. to make commuting easier, my sister, thuy, stopped by our house and we drove together!

for it being only a few towns away, it seemed like it took forever to get there! we decided to circle around and pull up next to the restaurant to drop off my sister and ellie {who fell asleep}. well as i neared our destination, a parking spot was opened r i g h t next to the place! ahhhhh, luck would have it! i parked {ellie woke up!} and we all walked a few steps and arrived at owl and lark.

it was so super cute inside! it had a clean, cozy, eclectic feel to it. the decor was a bit farmhouse modern and fun! it’s the type of place where you order your food and then wait for it to be called. we nabbed the big center wood table and settled in. we were still waiting for kim to arrive and when she did, we all gasped! she matched the girls!!! it was the gingham girls club!! soooooo stinkin’ cute!!

we ordered our food, i fed the girls, and we waited for our meals. as it arrived, they were the prettiest brunch dishes i ever did see! so artfully done, almost too pretty to eat! well, if looks could kill, this sure slayed by taste buds!! my avobagel was beyond delicious!!! i was in love! it was savory, tasty, flavorful…it hit all the senses in all the right places!  i loved the chewiness of the bagel, the smoothness of the avocado, the bite the beet had, and the bitterness of the arugula. my words do not give this avobagel justice! yum, yum, extra yum!

we all slowly enjoyed our entrees, relaxing in the comfy environment, playing with the girls, and truly having a fun time! after we ate, we decided to walk down the block to a water fountain. it was so beautiful out. a perfect sunny day. the temp was just right and i thoroughly enjoyed sitting outside, with the slight wind cooling my skin and watching olive be so joyful by the fountain.

we actually hung out there for quite a bit. olive loves making new friends. it’s one thing about her that i am so excited about. i love how easy it is for her to get along with others. how she’s so bold with getting out there and saying hello. i don’t ever remember being like that as a child and my husband was definitely not that way either. so, it warms my heart to see her so social!

well, it was time. i needed to get the girls home for a nap and try to get other house chores accomplished. play for the day but at some point, i have to be the adult again and get sh*t done. argh.

it was a beautiful, beautiful morning/afternoon. i loved eating at owl and lark, i loved hanging out with my seesters, and i loved living in the moment. happy day lovelies!

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[auntie thuy and ellie]

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[i love yarn weaves]

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[aren’t these babes so cute?!]

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[perusing the menu]

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[banana bread and somebody can’t wait!]

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[the cutest toes]

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[enjoying her bread]

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[delicious avo toast!]

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[me and a beautiful girl]

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[check out those sneaky little hands]

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[isn’t she the cuuuuuuutest?!]

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[my sister kim, having fun with ellie]

via tandeminlove.com[my sister kim walked up to the restaurant and we all freaked out that she matched the girls!! how cuuuuute!]

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[loving the fountain]

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[enjoying the beautiful day]

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xoxo

happy birthday b + b!

my girlfriend, kim, tends to have her babes in mid/late july or august. so, naturally, after having her third baby in july, she decided to have a joint birthday party for her first two kids, brady + brooklyn in july.

well, here’s the story. kim and i were exchanging text messages about the party. she initially said it was starting at 3:30pm and then a week before the party, we exchanged a few more text messages and she wanted to confirm that we were going because she wanted to finalize the count for food, dinner at 4:30pm. i was, for sure! we were going to be there and we were super excited to attend the party.

the day of the party, i told my husband that the party was going to start at 4:30, so we had some time during the day to do whatever. i did say to him that i thought it was odd that the party was so late, especially for a kids party! well, we did random things and around 3 o’clock, i headed out to the store to pick up some birthday gifts for the babes and a little gift for mason. we were lollygagging and so late already…on our defense, ellie was sleeping and we didn’t want to wake her up.

anyhoo, kim texts me and says, “are you still coming?”. um, what? it was only 4:45 and we were about to leave and that wasn’t going to make us terribly late to a party that just started. i text her back and said, “yes! didn’t the party start at 4:30?”. she text me back saying the party started at 3!!!! ohmergawd!!!! what?!!! i freaked out! we were sooooooooo late!

we then ran around grabbing stuff left and right. gahhhhh. i couldn’t believe i messed up the party time! we hit the road and slowly drove there…hc recently learned a hard lesson with speeding so it was painful to drive the speed limit. yes, keeping it real. i am a lead foot and absolutely terrible at driving the speed limit.

we arrived and told everyone we only came to eat and leave. hahaha! just kidding! it actually turned out perfect…it was intimate and it was super fun just hanging out with kim and her family! that was the best. i loved having uninterrupted time with everyone and it was very relaxing. we ate, sang happy birthday, and then the kiddos opened up their gifts. olive was too cute…she was having a blast with everyone and it’s been such a joy to see her blossom socially. she loves making new friends and plays so well with anyone she meets. it just melts my heart to see her grow.

after a few hours, it was time to leave and i was a bit sad. i always have such a great time at kim’s house, whether it’s a party or it’s just a play date – it’s always wonderful to hang out with her!

well, i can’t wait to celebrate all three kiddo’s birthdays next year {since they were all born just weeks apart!}!! happy birthday brooklyn & brady {& mason}! y’all are so loved!

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[the dino luau party theme!]

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[a unicorn and her buddy brady]

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[leis]

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[with the hostess with the mostess]

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[sweet baby mason being fed by grandma!]

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[the cutest, most festive cakes!]

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[detaaaaaails]

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[my stern unicorn babe]

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[the sweetest babes]

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[blow out the candle and make a wish!]

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[i’m so in love with her]

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[my loves]

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[yummy, festive lemonade]

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[kim and mason]

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[this pic killlllllls me. it’s so dang cute!!!]

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[brady is so cute with olive]

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[this babe. this pic. this pose.]

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[i mean, their outfits!!!]

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[sweet boy]

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[she’s ready to open her gifts!]

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[she’s so excited!]

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[the cutest baby bum]

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[the cutest dino gummy favors]

xoxo

go cubs go!

hc sprung on me the idea of a cubs day date! hell yeahhhhhhh! i was so excited to 1. go on a date and 2. go to a cubs game {thanks aunt wendy!}! it was such a beautiful day – sunny skies and perfectly warm temps.

we dropped the kiddos off at my parents and headed into the city for brunch at southport grocery {my top three brunch spot}. we sat outside, i ordered my usual, and we absolutely enjoyed a conversation uninterrupted! the sun was beating down on my skin and it felt fantastic. after brunch, we walked down towards the field.

the front side of the ball park was finished and hc and i strolled around, taking in the new sights. we headed into ‘the park’ and grabbed some tasty beverages. we just hung out on the green, people watched, downed our drinks, and then headed into the cubs store to peruse the racks.

we finally traipsed inside the ball park {i pumped}, grabbed more drinks, and found our seats. right away, hc started gabbing with the people around us. it’s so funny to me that i am usually the gregarious one and hc is typically the quiet one but the tables were turned in this situation. i just prefer to mind my own business and hc wants to be everyone’s best friend. hahaha! well, it works!

as usual, i seat danced to every cheesy song they played…i think it’s my second most favorite part of being at a cubs game…seat dancing. it’s like the best thing everrrrrrrr, besides the cubs winning! we drank beer, ate hot dogs {with grilled onions, of course}, and cheered on the cubbies!

they kicked the white sox derrières and i was ecstatic! go cubs gooooooo! go cubs goooooo! hey, chicago, what do ya say? the cubs are gonna win today! peeps started waving the W and i jumped on my feet to boogie down to the cubs song!!! yeahhhhhh! i was so happy! woo hoooo!

hc and i trekked out the park and cruised straight to the car. i secretly wanted to stay in the city and continue our day date into a evening date and have dinner but we needed to get home to the kids…we were gone since mid morning and with the crazy traffic ahead of us, the kids were pushing the limits of their stay with my dad {he’s just so frail these days}.

it was a perfect date. we definitely don’t have too many of these of late and shame on us…we should! although, being away from the kids gives me heart palpitations. i can’t help  it! i am obsessed with their cute little faces. i throughly enjoyed our time out, i love my hubby so, and was so satisfied that the cubs WON and that they won against the white sox! ha!

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[he’s like, “what are you doing? um, doing what i do best. hahaha]

via tandeminlove.com[my old ‘hood. when i was single…i would always go to julius meinl for coffee or sometimes just hang out]

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[a favorite place…southport grocery]

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[yasssssss!]

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[we had to check out the cubs store!]

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[i’m so ready for the cubs to WIN!]

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[enjoying our time together sans kiddos!]

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[enjoying the park]

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[i love this field]

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[the place to get grilled onions on your dogs! mmmmmm]

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[i’m in love]

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[7th inning stretch! take me out to the ball game…]

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xoxo

ellie’s first birthday family photos

i was so excited for ellie’s first birthday professional pics! i always have anxiety leading up to their photo sessions because kids are unpredictable and me, being type a, always wants everything perfect! olive has had the reputation of being fussy and she’s always been so difficult with every photo session we’ve ever had with her.

ellie was awesome during her newborn sesh but sooooooooo dang fussy with her six months photos. plus, she’s been increasing clingy of late, so i knew her one year sesh was going to be hard to capture.

on top of that, our date with tricia had been cancelled twice and rescheduled three times! once due to personal conflict, another time due to inclement weather, and then we finally settle on a third date! well, the day had come and we were ready!

tricia had suggested that we take family photos instead to the usual birthday photos of just ellie and i was game. we were going to do individual pics of her but i absolutely loved the idea of family pics because that is what we are about! make is special for ellie but document us all on this very special milestone!

the evening was warm and muggy. like suuuuuuuper muggy!!! wet. moist. sticky. yes…all those descriptive words. at first, olive {had fallen asleep in the car equating to a grumpy wake up and girl}, she was rather somber and glum at first. typical! i gave her a little pep talk and asked if she wanted a flower and that perked her up instantly! next thing i knew…she was happier than a clam!! she smiled, giggle, and made the cutest faces for tricia! i was blown away! she was sooooooo stinkin’ cute! she is usually like this when we take pics but it was so heart melting to see her like this with tricia!

ellie cooperated quite well until we placed her in a bed of flowers {i warned tricia that she didn’t like being out of my arms and definitely didn’t like the grass!!!}. that was a compete mess but nonetheless, it was a very successful photo shoot! we truly had a wonderful time!!!

i am always so pleased with tricia’s work. she takes the most amazing pics of our family and i have loved having her as our family photographer for years now.

happy birthday miss ellie. you have blessed our lives in so many wonderful ways. we love you so much and the first year with you in our lives has blessed and fulfilled us in so many amazing ways!

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[my sweet birthday girl]

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[sweet, giggly girl]

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[the smiliest she’s ever been for professional pics…i’m in love]

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[meeeeeelting…oh how i adore this picture]

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[i can’t]

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[my girls. my sweet, lovely girls.]

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[my faaaaaavorite of these two]

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[yup…this is what we get for sticking her in a bed of flowers. she’s like, nope.]

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[my life]

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[pure love]

xoxo

ice cream man

a favorite childhood memory of mine was the ice cream truck man. i remember living in a neighborhood of town homes, growing up, and there were so many kids that lived within the neighborhood. the ice cream truck frequented our ‘hood and it was always something i looked forward to. the sound of the jingle playing so loud, echoing throughout the streets got me running! all the kids would gather around the truck and pick out their favorite flavors and those moments were some of the most perfect summer nights as a kid!

one day while i was pulling olive and ellie in the wagon, i heard the familiar music! i got so excited! i laugh at this because i was definitely so much more excited than olive, she actually had no clue what was going on. she was probably thinking, “mom, don’t talk to strangers. let alone, you’re buying something edible from a man you don’t know”. hahaha!

she was so scared of the man, that she wouldn’t get out of the wagon to pick out an ice cream cone! so, this mama pointed at pictures and she went in for the kill {the first familiar character she saw}…sponge bob. ok, sponge bob it is! she was still a bit groggy from her nap, so i will blame her lethargic behaviors on that! ha!

anyhoo, we sat outside on the front porch while olive cautiously licked her sponge bob ice cream as it feverishly melted in the heat. olive was super pleased with her choice of dessert and i was super happy that the stars were aligned with us being able to catch the ice cream man on our block on this lovely afternoon.

oh, summer…you give us great memories.

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[isn’t this ice cream truck just the cutest?!]

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[bye bye ice cream truck!]

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[she was so excited!]

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[yummmmm]

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[i love this girl!]

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xoxo

festival

summer time.

i love warm weather, being able to just hang outside and be comfortable is something we look forward to every year. cold chicago winters gives you a different appreciation for the summer season and along with warm temps, brings festival season around here!

i thoroughly enjoy jubilees, festivals, carnivals…you name it, i love going to any of the named events. summer isn’t complete unless you attend at least one!

with olive being three years old, she has this new awareness and enjoyment that has arose and i find so much satisfaction and joy in seeing her content and happy!

we hit up a fest close to home. it was a festival that i actually attended while growing up around here and it was pretty cool to be able to bring olive. of course, they have rides, games, really bad food for you, and plenty of libations!

parking can be a b*tch around there but we were lucky enough to find a close spot {riding into town in hc’s jeep!}. we walked into the fest and grabbed some drinks first {priority people!}. we decided stroll around and check out the offerings. we did a once over and decided to grab some grub. if you’re on a diet, you’re screwed. no festival foods for you! we ate really unhealthy food and continued to check out what this festival had to offer.

one big mistake was taking olive near the rides. she isn’t big enough, so there was no way she could go on any of them and fact: hc and i will not, i will repeat, will not go on any of these carnival type rides. we don’t like them. we don’t trust them. we don’t care for them. she was so upset. she didn’t have a tantrum or anything of that extreme but she did cry. i felt so bad for her but that was a solid no – no rides whatsoever!

anyhoo, we walked around a bit more, explored, play some games, and then called it quits. everything currently revolves around ellie’s nap times right now, and we needed to skadaddle to get her to bed for the night.

i’m all about olive’s first time experiences and i was super happy she was able to enjoy our time at the summer fest! it was a fun family evening together! happy summer y’all!

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[summer essentials]

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[summer festival in downers grove]

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[hello hc! she looks just like him!]

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[my sweet babe]

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[typical festival food]

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[enjoying junky food]

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[her first time playing a festival game]

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[she won!]

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xoxo