Archives for May 2014

Weekend reading: link roundup

May 30, 2014

This weekend we’ll be focusing our efforts on potty training Levi. That means he’ll be bare-bottomed or in big boy underwear all day except for naps and bedtime, so the plan is to stay home and close to the bathroom as much as possible. Here’s what I’ll be reading in between all those trips to the toilet…

I call bullshit, too. We may all have 24 hours in our day, but we definitely don’t have as much time as Beyonce, via Lisli.

After hearing Garance Dore speak at Alt NYC last June, I became somewhat of a fangirl. She’s definitely deserving of the spotlight, via The New York Times.

You can’t talk about The West Wing without talking about Aaron Sorkin. Here, he, the cast, and executives look back at the show’s seven seasons, via The Hollywood Reporter.

Such beautiful illustrations of some of the most fabulous Met Gala gowns from this year, via Southern Living.

How to get Alexa Chung’s signature smokey eye, via Teen Vogue.

This new app will notify your emergency contact if you don’t make it to your destination safely. All women, especially city-dwelling ladies, should check it out, via Harpers Bazaar.

MoMA Design Store has launched a 24-piece collection of innovative Kickstarter products, via Design Milk.

I’m addicted to Instagram and Twitter. See ya there this weekend?

(image via Pinterest; original source unknown)

Bert Cooper sings and dances!

May 30, 2014

Did you watch the mid-season finale of Mad Men?

For a show that’s been reliably depressing, Sunday night’s episode was surprisingly heartwarming. Without giving away too much, there were some feel-good successes, some comedic interactions, and one entertaining — and totally unexpected — song-and-dance routine.

I can’t claim to understand the deeper meaning behind Bert Cooper’s toe-tapping musical performance, but I loved it nevertheless. I’ve been waiting seven seasons for the old man to break out in song. Why? Because Robert Morse is a Tony-award winning actor. The Broadway vet won for his leading role in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 1962.

Morse reprised his performance in the 1967 movie version, which I’ve seen because I’m a fan of both musical theater and films from the 1960s. When I first realized that the gap-toothed J. Pierrepont Finch grows up to become the gap-toothed Bertrand Cooper, my mind kind of exploded.

Take a look:

And a bonus fun fact: Daniel Radcliffe most recently played the role of J. Pierrepont Finch in the latest Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying.

What did you think of the midseason finale of Mad Men? And what are you going to be watching this summer now that it’s over (for now)?

PS – When JB read this post, he yelled in surprised when he noticed a high school classmate standing to the left of Daniel Radcliffe in the cover image of the YouTube video above. How random!

(image source)

Choosing art for a baby’s nursery

May 28, 2014

Asa has slept in a hand-me-down bassinet next to our bed since the day we brought him home from the hospital. On our vacation last week, however, he spent his nights in a pack-n-play on the opposite side of our bedroom. I don’t know if it was the Lowcountry air or the distance from our bed, but Asa slept well in Hilton Head, giving us slightly longer stretches between nighttime feedings than he had been at home.

When we returned to Omaha on Saturday, we decided it was time to move Asa into his crib…in his own room. After three months, he had finally outgrown his bassinet, and we were eager to reclaim our bedroom as an adults-only space.

If you remember, Asa’s crib is in a room that serves three purposes: nursery, home office, and guest room. I had an idea before he was born of how I wanted the shared space to look, but it’s taken three months for me to make it move-in ready — including several hours on Sunday cleaning off the guest bed and organizing the dresser drawers.

Did you notice I said “move-in ready” and not “finished”?

While the furniture is finally in place (with the exception of a new desk chair and lamp), the pale pink walls are noticeably bare. Perhaps it’s my irrational fear of hammering unnecessary nails or my indecisiveness when it comes to picking prints, but I have the unfortunate habit of waiting and waiting and waiting to hang up artwork. As a result, several rooms in our house still feel unfinished — five years after we’ve moved in.

But I’m determined to cross off “finish Asa’s nursery” from my ever-growing to-do list, which means getting art up on those pink walls. One place I’ve been looking for art online is Minted. We’ve worked with Minted in the past on birth announcements and holiday cards, and we created custom art with them to hang in our basement, but I haven’t ordered from their curated collection of limited edition prints from independent artists…yet.

Above the crib I’d like to hang a small gallery wall, mixing illustrated prints and photography in colors that make the pink walls seem a little less girly. Right now I have my eye on this, this (in midnight), and this (in blue sea), although I wonder if they’re all a little too similar in color and style to hang next to each other. I also like this (in seafoam), this bear drawing, and this bear, too.

Then there’s this print, which you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in a nursery but that I kind of love.

Regardless of when I finally hang art on the walls (though I’m aiming for sooner rather than later), I plan to post a nursery tour on the blog. Who cares if it’s not totally finished or perfectly decorated, right?

(Product sources: fitted sheet and Hello pillow c/o The Land of Nod, bird and mustache pillows by Blabla)

Taking a family vacation to Hilton Head Island

May 27, 2014

If you follow along on Instagram, you probably realized that the blog was quiet last week because I was on vacation. It felt strange to ignore this space for such a long time, but I decided that some time away from the blog would do me good. Also, I didn’t want to be sitting at the computer when I could be lounging in the pool!

This was our second annual family vacation to Hilton Head Island. Taking a yearly trip with my parents and my sister and her family is a relatively new tradition that started four years ago. We’ve been to New Orleans and South Beach, but we had so much fun renting a house last year in Hilton Head that we decided to do it again 365 days later.

Once again we stayed in Sea Pines, renting a gorgeous four-bedroom home that was a short 5-minute walk to the beach (once we realized we could cut through our neighbor’s yard). Levi and my 15-month-old nephew, Max, both loved digging in the sand at the beach and then splashing in our house’s perfectly-sized and perfectly-heated pool. We thought they might be old enough to share a room, but Max ended up in a small den off the kitchen, as he kept having a hard time staying asleep during his naps.

The benefit to returning to the same vacation spot year after year, I’m learning, is that it’s easier to relax when you don’t have to play tourist. You look forward to revisiting favorite restaurants and participating in familiar activities. For example, we knew we wanted to have dinner one night at Pomodori and get dessert as often as possible (no shame!) at Hilton Head Ice Cream. Each day we’d burn off the previous night’s ice cream calories by riding up and down Sea Pines on bikes rented from from Bicycle Billy’s.

That’s not to say that didn’t make any new discoveries on this trip! Carrie from Dream Green DIY was in Hilton Head the week before and suggested we visit Lawton Stables. Levi loved the small animal farm (hint: bring your own bowl or cup if you plan on feeding the animals) and enjoyed most of his second-ever pony ride.

Another new-to-us activity was having a picnic lunch after playing at the Harbor Town playground. We packed up a cooler with sandwiches and chips that my mom drove over with Asa so we could ride our bicycles, and we bought some cold Cheerwine from a convenience store to wash it all down.

On one bicycle ride, we stopped at Sea Pines Center to find a bathroom for Levi, who, mistakenly, left the house wearing big boy underwear. (We’re not 100% committed to potty training yet.) JB took him to the toilet, and while we were waiting, my mom and I wandered into Lowcountry Produce Market and Cafe. We were instantly charmed by the store’s decor and then by its wide array of handmade, gourmet, and artisan goods.

Before we hopped back on our bikes, we ordered iced coffees to go. They were so delicious that we returned to Lowcountry two more times during the week just for iced coffee. Sadly, the barista wasn’t there on our third visit, so the coffees on that occasion weren’t as tasty.

We had breakfast at Lowcountry Produce Market and Cafe on our last morning. I have to give Southern Coney credit for having better pancakes, but Lowcountry’s breakfast menu was excellent. Their sausage was some of the best ever, according to JB, and their freshly-made glazed yeast doughnuts were unbelievable — slightly crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. If we don’t make it for lunch or dinner, you can bet we’ll be back next year for an iced coffee and doughnut treat!

Our week in Hilton Head was as relaxing as it could be with six adults and three kids under three under one roof, but our journey back to Omaha was exhausting, to say the least. I’m thankful we had two days left of a three-day weekend to recover from our 11-hour day of travel on Saturday. I’m still playing catch up on email and blog comments from earlier this month, so if you’re waiting to hear from me, it’s coming!

We’ll hopefully return to Hilton Head Island again next year, but I’d love to know where you love to go on vacation with your family!

PS – Check out Instagram for more photos from our trip!

(all photos are mine, taken at Lowcountry Produce Market and Cafe in Sea Pines Center)

What to pack when traveling with kids

May 16, 2014

We’ll be packing up our bags…and car seats…and strollers…and heading down to Hilton Head Island soon for a much-needed vacation. For the second year in a row, my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew will be meeting us there, and we’ll all be staying in a rental property near the beach.

But first we have to get there.

Obviously, we’ve never flown with Asa before, as he’s only 11 weeks old. So this will be our first time flying with both boys. Traveling with kids is never easy, but I imagine that traveling with a toddler who can’t sit still and an infant who requires your full attention is harder than, say, two school-age kids.

I’ve spent the past couple of days trying to brainstorm what we’ll need to carry on the plane with us for both kids. Make that planes, plural. We have to connect in Chicago each way.

Two kids plus four planes equals a Hemingway Mojito for me as soon as we land in South Carolina.

Luckily, we flew quite a bit with Levi starting when he was around Asa’s age, so I have a pretty good idea of what to bring on board for them. If nothing else, we’ll need an abundance of diapers and wipes, especially for Asa.

Here’s a tip: Always, always bring more diapers than you think you’ll need!

Stylish baby wipes were never on my must-have list — until now. I’m excited to try new Huggies Clutch ‘n’ Clean Wipes on this trip. Yes, the refillable packages come in three trendy designs, but, more importantly, they feature a strap that can attach to the outside of my carry-on bag.

Between Asa’s frequent diaper changes and Levi’s attempts at potty training (and general messiness), having easy access to our wipes will be so helpful when we’re mid-air. Or when we’re, inevitably, rushing through the airport.

Besides diapers and Huggies Clutch ‘n’ Clean Wipes, here’s what I’m planning to carry on the plane for the boys:

A change of clothes (or two) for Asa. I like to dress babies in footed pajamas when traveling so I don’t have to worry about socks falling off.
My nursing cover and several burp cloths for when it’s time to feed Asa. My favorite burp cloth for traveling is this one because it can double as a bib. I also prefer to wear a nursing tank with a cardigan when we fly so I don’t have to lift my shirt and risk exposing my entire midriff to my fellow passengers.
Extra pacifiers. It’s always smart to have a clean one handy.
Our Baby K’tan Baby Carrier to wear Asa around the airport since we’ll be checking our stroller, and it’s easier to stash the K’tan under our seat than our larger and bulkier Ergobaby.
A toy and some art cards to entertain Asa.
The iPad and toddler headphones for Levi. He gets to watch significantly more TV shows (“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Yo Gabba Gabba,” and “Sesame Street”) when we’re traveling because he’ll actually sit quietly and pay attention to them. Whatever works, right? He also likes to play games on the iPad, and Toca Boca has a great assortment of toddler-friendly games.
A black and white composition notebook that Levi can decorate with stickers and color with crayons. We like these because they won’t roll of the tray table.
A couple of issues of Highlights High Five. Levi loves flipping through the magazine, and I think the variety of activities in each one will occupy a good chunk of time.
Snacks, including applesauce pouches, baggies of cereal, and granola bars, plus a non-spill sippy cup that we can fill up at the water fountain before boarding the plane.

Finally, instead of my diaper bag, I use a duffle bag or weekender tote as my carry on. A diaper bag is great for day-to-day use (and I always pack one in my suitcase), but I prefer a larger bag for the plane to fit all of the kids’ travel necessities.

Got any summer vacation plans? What are your essentials for traveling with kids?

PS – The difference between a vacation and a trip, plus three vacation memories.

This post is in partnership with Huggies, but all opinions are my own. Catalina canvas weekender c/o Lo and Sons. Thanks for supporting the brands that support this blog!