city living

Posted on October 21, 2014 by tandem in love

yaaay! we finally got a chance to visit olivia and aaron in their new abode in the city!

oh boy oh boy. we were running sooooo behind. i don’t know why i even agree on a time to meet up anymore! olive napped later than what we expected and that set us all behind. let alone we had to do some errands before we headed in to the city. so an hour and a half past our scheduled, agreed upon time…we finally made it into the city! phew.

they live in river north, in an area where i have had plenty of friends filter through. it’s a cute little nook in the city. you have to walk a bit to get to some good spots but overall, it’s pretty accessible to everything. hey, anywhere in the city is a favorite spot of mine. oh, chicago…how i adore you.

we headed on up to their place and walked in to some good, savory smells. aaron was literally cooking up multiple dishes. he was cooking a soup, salmon, brisket for his chili. but more on that yummy goodness later.

their place was too cute. a cozy, quaint place tucked away on the tenth floor. we snacked on salty chips and delish guac, while we caught up on life. the boys drank some sorta beer and we sipped our refreshing crispin’ beer {love that beer! i discovered it at beer hoptacular one year}. olive was loving life, she was happy as a clam pulling everything out of her diaper bag on the floor.

the boys decided to head out to the liquor store to pick up…yes! some more liquor. so, us gals got some quality girl time together! i love hanging out with olivia…it’s always a good time chatting it up with this sweetie!

[pouting like a pro // she sure loves her sunglasses]

[olive and her ‘cheeeese’ face! zara baby clothes: pants & sweatshirt]

once the boys were back, aaron served up his delicious soup/stew {while we watched the bears game!}. it was sooooo good. it was served with a sourdough asiago bread {purchased at cute little bakery shop in evanston}. the dish was hearty, tasty, and totally filling. i was stuffed. i was already so full from the chips and guac but i couldn’t stop eating the stew. so, yes, gluttony ensued.

[cooking some soup]

[the hearty soup turned stew?]

[daddy daughter time]

[olivia is so sweet with olive]

after eating, olivia and i decided to go for a walk. we wanted to pick something up for little olive {she’s teething and her sore little gums make her grumpy} and it was so freakin’ nice out, we had to take advantage of the weather! we walked down to their local mini mart, no goods for the gal available, so we walked up north and east to the walgreen’s and got what we needed. of course, it there is a starbucks, i’m there! so we swung by and i got myself an iced coffee {decaf of course}.

we strolled our way back {totes enjoying the weather} and back to the apartment. olivia’s brother henry {who came later in the afternoon} and their friend tom was there chillin’ {both there to nosh and hang out}. once inside, i needed to nurse olive and then it was time for us to go.

it was a lovely, lovely afternoon hanging out with the great couple. it was fantastic to just chill, hang, and relax. we love these two! what a perfect day.

xoxo

apple pickin’

Posted on October 18, 2014 by tandem in love

golly what a day!

we were all so excited to go apple pickin’! kim mentioned the idea for reagan’s birthday…and we were all in! it was a perfect, perfect day to be out and about. the weather was just right, the sun was shining and the temperature was casually cool. we couldn’t have asked for a better day!

hc, grace, me, and olive packed ourselves up and got into the car for a loooong ride up to the royal oak farm. hmmmmm, and hour and a half later {um, it felt like two hours, at least!} we finally arrived at our destination. the farm looked amazing, i was super excited! we pulled in, parked, and scurried our way over to meet up with the rest of the gang.

[the huge bonfire we passed along the way]

[beautiful path down a rickety road]

[my favorite line: established for God’s glory]

[minnetonka booties // carter’s jeggings & buffalo check shirt // old navy vest]

thuy, lan, pete, and avery were already there at the farm. oh, we were starving! food was a top priority. kim, reagan, bennett, and terry arrived a few minutes later and we all met at the restaurant. we pulled some tables together and i held ground while the group bought their food. hc brought back a feast! chicken pot pie, mac n cheese, fruit, pie, bread, oh my! i nibbled from his plate and i gleefully fed olive mac n cheese and chicken pot pie. she is such an eater!

[mac n cheese, rhubarb pie, roll, fruit, chicken pot pie]

after noshing, we quickly peeked at the gift shop. it was soooo crowded! we perused around a bit but decided we wanted to get a start on apple picking. though, we knew we would come back to the shop to buy some goodies! you can’t leave an apple orchard without some sweet treats!

[royal oak gift shop]

[candied apples]

we headed on over to the apple orchard cashier. it was something like $20 per bag and they offered the option to hitch a ride on their hay wagon…duh, of course we wanted to go for a hay ride {hello, it’s also part of our autumn to do!}. we happily spent our time waiting snapping a ton of photos {what we do best!}, of course i have to document everything!

the wagon finally made it’s way back and we were off!

[getting on the wagon hay ride!]

the tractor dropped us off at the north orchard where there were mostly shensu {fuji sweet} and royal empire apples {sweet tart}. we had such a blast searching for apples. the kids had a great time! the orchards were beautiful and it was fantastic being outside in the fresh air!

the kids ran up and down each aisle. they got so excited when they found a decent apple! reagan and bennett were throwing loads of apples into their bag! we picked green ones, red ones, and watercolored ones.

[ready to pick some apples!]

olive helped out with the apple picking too! then grace and hc got creative on how to reach the high ones up on the trees! slowly but surely, we were getting our bag full of yummy apples.

[running through the orchard]

[and i helped!]

[apple picking]

after hitting up most of the north orchard, we started walking back. olive needed a diapy change and a feeding. of course, we snapped a lot of fun photos along the way. these kids are too cute together. best cousin combo evah!

[cousins]

[hanging out]

hc and grace ran to the other orchard to finish filling up our apple bag. while they did that, we perused another shop by their pumpkin patch {where they sold pumpkins, gourds, honey, and more decorative fall stuff}. i was really loving this orchard! there were so many fun things to do and it was a really nice atmosphere.

next on our list was the petting zoo. as we made our way towards the petting zoo, the farm also had a huge play area for the kids! they had a carousel, tee pee, a train ride, and lots and lots of play houses, cars, slides, etc. the kids were climbing all over everything, running in and out of the play house, and just having a good ol’ time playing with one another.

the kids finally made it to the petting zoo {after playing and playing and playing on the playground}. it was too funny to see reagan and bennett wanting to feed the animals but absolutely scared at the same time! they were worried that they would bite them, so i had to feed the animals first to show them that it was harmless. they were convinced and they were feeding pros within minutes!

[the sun is setting on this perfect day]

after the petting zoo and all the other things we did that afternoon, it was getting late. the farm was only open for another hour or so, so we decided to hit the gift shop for some last minute purchases. of course i had to pick up some apple cider donuts {copious amounts}!! yum. yum. yum. i grabbed a dozen for us, a dozen for the dick and jane, and two packages of mini donuts for kim and my dad! donuts for everyone! i picked up pancake mix, a cute little strawberry knit hat for olive, and a few toys for the birthday boy!

it was such a wonderful, gorgeous day. we had the best time with our friends and family! it was beautiful out and the farm was ah-maze. we loved apple picking {i smell a homemade apple pie in our near future!} and totally taking in all the glory of a fantastic fall day. every activity we did was so lovely and fun. plus, we came home with the best goodies!

happy birthday to the most wonderful, quirky, funny, sweet nephew ever! we love you so much reagan!!!

xoxo

september snapshots

Posted on October 15, 2014 by tandem in love

time is flying by! this year is flying by. right?! oh my gosh. september was a great month. we did a lot of dinners, hanging out with the fam, brunches with friends, and lots o’ olive time. but seriously, it’s totally flying by, like we are on the fast forward button. i really don’t want it to be cold just yet. it’s too soon! i feel like last winter just left us and fall will be a blink of an eye!

this past month, hc and i celebrated our third year anniversary, olive had many great milestones, and the weather was perfect {as perfect as september weather can be!}. we had a lot of sunny, warm days that allowed us to get out and do fun stuff like going to a farmer’s market! you could tell the seasons were about to change, although we had some great warm days, we also had our cool, cold days that were creeping up on us {a few chilly, biting cold mornings}.

september is such a great month to wrap up last minute summer activities and get in some fun outdoor stuff before the weather takes a deep turn for the cold. we officially welcomed the fall season and excitedly look forward to some fun autumn activities on our list.

[rocking out on her piano]

[motorcycle riding with bennett]

[olive in the hat grandpa gave her]

[olive mean mugging another kid at target]

[her pensive, doubtful looks]

[flea market shopping]

[hmmmm, not impressed]

[breakfast with daddy]

[hanging out in the laundry basket]

[flea market finds]

[having a blast with her sister grace // giggle fest]

[loving her double decker bus & doll]

[pouty olive]

[spelling challenge]

well, that was our september in a nutshell. it was filled with lots of fun and love. we had a swell time living it up and loving each other. i am so thankful for my beautiful girl & handsome hubby, my wonderful family, and lovely friends. life is good.

xoxo

olive’s 10 month loves

Posted on October 14, 2014 by tandem in love

month ten.

skip hop animal pull toy // kiki doll // foam alphabet letters & numbers // maileg rose bear // dvd boxes // fischer price smart phone

olive has really taken to this pull toy. when she received this gift over a month ago, she was more interested in pulling off the animal parts and throwing them on the ground. that was the extent of her entertainment. but nowwww, she actually loves to pull this fun toy around. she will crawl and drag the pull toy across the floor, dropping the animal’s heads along the way. of course, i’m chasing all the flying parts and putting them back onto the toy as she, simultaneously & gleefully, pulls the animal heads off again. off with their heads!

she has grown very fond of miss kiki. most mornings, she likes to hug and give her kisses. sometimes she will hold onto her hand and drag her along for fun. i love this doll because it reminds me of…me! ha! when we registered for this doll, hc was not fond of them. he didn’t think they were the cutest of dolls. psh. i was totes in love with kiki ’cause she had bangs and rosy cheeks like me. i secretly think that is why olive is so fond of her! heehee.

these alphabet letters were a gift from carol..i can’t remember if they were sent before or after she was born. anyhoo. they pretty much sat on her bookcase for months and months. just recently, olive has been loving them. they have been stored in a ziplock bag and she loves to open up the bag and take out one. letter. at. a. time. she will toss them anywhere. on the shelf, on the floor, on the rug, on her rocker, in-between the bookcases. it’s her favorite go to when she is in her room. it can actually entertain her for awhile, which makes this momma happy!

just like kiki, olive has taken to this cuddly bear. it was a gift from our dear friend becky. i love, love the maileg collection. they have the cutest dolls! olive loves to hold onto this bear and give it kisses too! she holds the bear close and snuggles her presh lil’ face to it. i usually take this rose bear with us when we go out. it is so beyond cute to see her cling onto it, especially when she falls asleep in her carseat holding tight onto the bear. so sweet.

so, it’s not really this movie she is into. it’s the movie cases she has a thing for. oh baby olive. we have a t.v. console that has two drawers. the bottom drawer has all our dvd cases stacked inside. she has discovered them, oh yes she has! she will crawl over to the drawer, pull it open, and proceed to throw every single dvd case onto the floor. one. by. one. pink, ponk, bang, clank, goes all the dvd cases onto our wooden floor. sometimes she will pause {in-between throwing}, turn around and give us a sly smile before she continues to throw all the movie cases onto the floor. what a little punk diva.

last but not least, she is loving this fun smart phone, given to her by gramma and papa h. she especially loves the camera button. she will snap, snap, snap photos like she is a professional photographer. it’s too cute to see her play around with it. she loves pressing all the buttons and smiles when the phone talks to her {like siri!}. it’s almost as good as my iphone. almost. but this phone is extra special because it came from gramma and papa…gifts with love. that’s our favorite kind!

there ya go my lovies! olive’s ten month loves. a month filled with crazy good milestones; olive’s mind and body becoming stronger, smarter, and cuter. we loved discovering her favorite things this past month and can’t wait to share what she’s been loving this month!

xoxo

little pumpkin patch

Posted on October 8, 2014 by tandem in love

our morning started off very sweet. olive and i had our wonderful snuggle session and after that, i got a lot done around the house while olive played in the living room. cleaning and organizing, two of my favorite things to do {yeaahh, that’s right…boo ya}.

i put her down for her morning nap {as usual, she went down later than expected} and after she woke, we scurried on our way to meet dana for brunch. we were cruising but as soon as we hit the city, traffic was a mess. they closed down part of congress, so we had to detour down michigan ave. {yuck!!}. who the heck would ever drive down michigan avenue if you had a choice?! what a hot mess. we slooooowly drove down the avenue until we hit lsd. phew. finally! once we were on lsd, we cruised to our destination.

we had decided on brunch at mhenry’s. oh, how i love this place. it’s yummy and good. it’s a quaint little restaurant tucked away in andersonville. they seriously have the best pancakes {ok, it’s tied with the bongo room}, amongst other delicious breakfast/lunch items.

i parked the car and we ran towards the restaurant {eekkk! we were so late!}.

finally, we were reunited with our darling dana! we settled in and excitedly started our gab session. dana was so happy to see olive! she’s not a baby person at all but she adores little miss olive. so much so, we joke around how olive is really her baby ’cause dana loves, loves asian babies {well, at least, in this case half asian!}.

[my cutie pie]

i was totally feeling like an egg and bacon breakfast. so, a tasty omelet was in order. it also came with potatoes and fruit. annndd to wash it all down, i had ordered a mix of orange and grapefruit juice {my favoreeete, yum}.

[orange/grapefruit juice, leeks/dandelion/ scallion omelet, and a side of bacon]

[oh, she’s soooo silly]

well, here came the real test. dana has been so jelly of kt + kar‘s connection with the babes. olive, from the get go, has loved being in their arms and totes lets them hold her. hmmm, dana, not so much. every time, i mean every time dana has tried to hold miss olive, she has had a melt down. click right here and here for some proof.

after brunch, dana was ready to go. she was ready for the challenge. she was ready to hold miss olive and not have her cry! i passed little o over and ta da!! magic. miss olive was calm as could be. dana was super delighted and happy to be holding olive without her crying! so, of course, i went picture cray. yay! her bad spell had passed and olive was a happy babes in her arms!

[dana sUPer ecstatic that she is holding o and o isn’t crying!!]

[closing the place down]

[yum fresh baked cookies…i got mexican wedding cookies for myself and chocolate chip for dana!]

after brunch, we had a bit of time, so we walked over to gethsemane to peruse some of their flowers, plants, and october goodies. i wanted to get a head start with some fall decorating, so dana and i picked out a few fun pumpkins for the house.

[going to gethsemane flower shop]

after walking around the beautiful garden center, i purchased a bunch of cute little pie pumpkins {plus some white, some striped, and some gourds} and we parted ways. dana needed to get herself to a jnf meeting and i needed to get home {and olive needed her afternoon nap!}. it was a wonderful and successful afternoon spent with our darling dana. olive is her new bestie and we can’t wait to see her again soon!

xoxo

meow

Posted on October 6, 2014 by tandem in love

so, to get into the spirit of things for halloween, i purchased olive some fun, festive pj’s! oh, i do love holidays and halloween is the start of the holiday season! it’s spooky, scary, and fun! there’s a chill in the air, it’s time for pumpkin fun, the leaves change into vibrant colors, and it’s a perfect time to watch one of my favorite movies! sleepy hollow by tim burton, my fav, fav, favvvve director! yes. a must see. yes, you must see it!

anyhoo, one day i was shopping with my olive and i stumbled into pbteen. i saw this adorable, sequin cat pillow and fell in love! how cuuuute! i had to have it for miss olive. i thought, it would be so cute in her room and perfect for halloween; a fun, festive update to her abode. so, the kitty cat came home with us.

well, as i was shopping around some more, i found the cutest halloween kitty pj’s from baby gap. how fitting! so, those kitty cats came home with us too! ta da! olive was getting a head start on her festive attire for this upcoming holiday!

now i did go picture crazy with her {c’mon…i’m a momma, it’s in our job description}. i couldn’t stop snapping pics because it was such an adorable combination. her fun sequin pillow and her adorbs cat pajamas! aaand her fluffy, crazy hair. aaand her cute, chubby cheeks. aaand her adorable, little pot belly. yesss, d: all of the above got me snap happy!

i’ve snuck in a few more cute outfits for miss o for halloweeenie. a girl has gotta have several outfit changes for any special occasion {as her momma did for her own wedding day…duh! like mother, like daughter} but we’ll show those off another time! right now, i’m relishing in all the cuteness right here.

[holding on to her favorite carrot rattle from land of nod]

[look at that hair!]

[showing off her bootyliciousness]

love her. love her show. i’ll watch it anytime.

yup, we’re kicking off this october with sass and sweetness. sparkly pillows, cutesy pj’s, and my darling olive. it’s looking like a spooky start already! muwhahahaha!

xoxo

my little rock star

Posted on October 5, 2014 by tandem in love

once olive started crawling, a few months ago, she has been so curious! she is learning and playing with all sorts of stuff {um, some stuff she shouldn’t be playing with!}.

my parents have a piano and olive love, loves to crawl over to it. she stands on her tippee toes, stretches her whole body up so that the tips of her little itty bitty fingers can slightly touch the keys and play the piano!

so, with that…i have had my eye on a cute little piano from land of nod. olive showing interest in my parent’s piano, i had to have the wolfgang amadeus red piano! once it was purchased, i couldn’t wait for olive to see it! i knew she would be so into it, and right i was!

she loooves to play with it. she bangs on it, she hits the individual keys, she giggles, she smiles. it probably brings her as much joy playing with it as i have watching her play with it! let alone, it’s the cutest little piano evah! and it perfectly matches her room {not even on purpose, natch!}.

a few days after she was gifted with this cute piano, we were sitting in her room together {me in the process of dressing her}, when she crawled over to the piano and started playing. the best part of this moment?! her totally rocking out on it! she started out playing with it by sitting and the next thing you know, she is standing up, banging on the keys and then, all of a sudden, she kicks her leg up and just started playing with the keys like a little mad pianist! i was in love!!!! it was tooooo stinkin’ cute!!! seriously, i die! i was freakin’ excited i was able to snapped the cutest photos of her in the act. what a presh moment.

i am thinking, seriously, it was the best gift for her so far. music, singing, creativity…a perfect ‘toy’ to help develop the musical genius inside of her. oh, i love my little rock star!!

xoxo

kt + kar

Posted on October 4, 2014 by tandem in love

olive got to see her pink aunties. yay! olive and i had a late start {as usual!}. she woke up later and napped late, so therefore we were behind! as any mom knows, getting out of the house with one kid {let alone two, three, or more kids!} can get hairy. i remember the days when i could wake up, get ready, leave early, and just chill. now it’s always rush, rush, rush because i’m always late!

thank goodness traffic on the ike was light. we cruised down to the city and got to the restaurant in no time. we met the ladies inside and gleefully got hugs all around. karen and katie are baby crazy. well, probably kar just a little more than kt. as soon as we walked in, karen cooed and ahhh’d over olive. it’s too presh. i love how they dote on her and olive loves it back.

[breakfast of champions…olive’s cereal puffs]

[karen playing with olive and her teddy bear]

karen played and played with olive. baby girl soaked it all up. kar was olive’s new best friend. they giggled together, laughed together, and smiled together. olive loved watching karen, anxiously waiting for her next funny move that would entertain her.

2sparrows was industrial inside. it was cool looking and the menu options sounded delicious! i really, really wanted to get the maple bacon doughnut for hc but {boo} he was still traveling. and that meant it would not be fresh, so that was a no.

i was really feeling a classic breakfast. so eggs, toast, and bacon were in order. the bacon was perfectly crispy, the eggs over easy were cooked just right, and the toast was thick and hearty. i was loving every bite.

[eggs over easy, bacon, and greens]

all through brunch, karen was picture cray cray. she snapped and snapped pictures of olive like she was the freakin’ paparazzi! she seriously got the best pics of her though!

[auntie karen was camera crazy…]

[say cheeeese olive!]

[fox tee and jeggings from carter’s]

after brunch, we decided to do some errands with karen. we hit up party city for some birthday supplies {her friend’s birthday!} and possible halloween costume ideas. we played around with wigs, we put fun things on olive’s head, and picked out some cool birthday decor for karen’s friend.

[hanging out at party city]

after perusing for quite some time, we finally settled on some fun choices and checked out. kar and kt were going to continue on with their afternoon shopping but me and the babes decided to call it quits. it was close to her afternoon nap and i knew she would knock out in the car and get a good one in, so off we went!

it was a fun afternoon with these two lovies. olive absolutely adores her two pink aunties! they are so sweet and loving towards her. until next time my ladies!

xoxo

rain, rain, go away

Posted on October 2, 2014 by tandem in love

it started out as a dreary, cold, rainy morning. bummer. hc and i wanted to go to downtown hinsdale, stroll around, and shop. we drove there and got coffee at the starbucks {first things first!}. we decided to grab some grub and to wait out the icky weather. we stopped into a little mom and pop restaurant called page’s. it was cramped, old, and not the cleanest but hc really wanted to eat there. he can’t pass up a greasy joint evah!

[olive and i struggling to get a goodie photo in…um, fail?]

so, we plopped down and ordered some greasy food. we actually ordered a lot…but in the end, it just disappeared! how did that happen?? hee. i got eggs over easy, hash browns, bacon, and pancakes. yum. olive got lots and lots of cereal puffs. we ate, olive giggled and screamed, and we filled our empty bellies up.

after breakfast, we walked back outside and it was raining. boo. we were super bummed because the weather was just not cooperating. it was cold, dreary, and rainy. a bad combo for wanting to walk outside. so, we decided to head on over to oakbrook. there, they have awnings and it’s more protected and easier to shop around. of course, on our way there, the day took a turn and the weather had become super sunny and warm! natch.

we spent the rest of the afternoon there and had a great shopping day! hc got some new things and we browsed around for olive. baby girl needed a new fall wardrobe {new, cozy fall clothes on the horizon}! we had a lovely time walking around and checking out some new, fun stuff.

lately, i’ve noticed how big olive has gotten {watch out…total mom stuff coming}. i mean, she’s less a baby and more a little girl. oh, it makes me a wee bit sad. very bittersweet. i’ve enjoyed so much of her baby stage but now she is starting to show her independence. i like that she likes to entertain herself and can be on her own, but at the same time it makes me miss her totally dependent baby moments. i love her so much right now. we have such a bond and i’m amazed at how lovey she is. i love her hugs, kisses, and laughter. she is so freakin’ quirky and cute.

for example, the photos below…she was being so cute and funny. she kept swinging her legs back and forth and making funny faces. kids, they are so innocent and sweet. they totally live in the moment with such joy.

our day ended up being fun {well of course it did}, rainy day or not, we will always have a swell time together! cheers to olive’s cuteness!

xoxo

happy october!

Posted on October 1, 2014 by tandem in love

it’s october. oh, how i love you october. it’s one of my favorite months. it kick starts all the holidays {i loooove holiday season!}. i love that it’s a ‘spooky’ month. i love that halloween is this month. i love to see all the leaves change into their vibrant colors for their last hurrah. you can wear, buy, collect all sorts of boots and throw on a cozy sweater and scarf to keep toasty warm!

i love that first chill in the air. ya know, that morning you feel that coldness and you know old man winter is starting to creep up on you {stay away mr. winter!}. you smell the aroma of burning leaves, you watch the sunset burn across the sky. you see people scatter pumpkins across their doorsteps and decorate their doors with autumn leaves. i’m about to fill our house up with the smell of pumpkin candles and spice. so nice 😉

i’m excited that fall is here. i look forward to trick o treating. i can’t wait to buy olive’s halloween costume…hmmmm, what shall she be? {most likely something to match her cousin’s minecraft costumes} suggestions welcomed! i’m ready to decorate the house with fall accents. i’ve been scheming up some great, festive ideas for decor! we’ll be spending more time indoors, so it’s time to get it all cozy inside, don’t you agree?!

autumn to do list:

1. apple picking

2. pumpkin carving

3. trick o treating

4. decorate the abode

5. jumping into a pile of leaves

6. buy a new pair of boots

7. drink hot cider and eat an apple cider donut {again}

8. go on a hay ride

9. eat a caramel apple

10. eat anything pumpkin(y) {cookie, latte, pie}

hmmmm, with this list, i might have to add in exercise to negate all those extra calories! or maybe not. hehehe.

what’s on your autumn to do list? i hope it’s full of fall type activities, goodies, and fun! happy october everyone!

xoxo

tandem in love

{life is truly beautiful and it should be celebrated + shared.}

Tag Archives: olive

city living

apple pickin’

september snapshots

olive’s 10 month loves

little pumpkin patch

meow

my little rock star

kt + kar

rain, rain, go away

happy october!