Random Thoughts On A Thursday
- The Swaddle Smirk
I snapped the above picture of Chase when he was about 10 minutes into what I was hoping would be a 60-minute nap. Check out that mischievous swaddle smirk! What a little stinker. I am trying to be better about creating a routine around naptime but apparently I’m the only one who is catching onto this routine at the moment. Now that we’ve transitioned Chase into the crib for nighttime sleep, I’m trying to put him down in the crib for a couple of his daytime naps as well. This means I’m running up and down the stairs like a crazy woman, trying to lull him back to sleep whenever he starts to fuss and prolong his naps so they’re longer than a ridiculous 20 minutes. Some days this works, some days it doesn’t. Babies are unpredictable, that’s for sure!
I previously mentioned how much I am enjoying The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up in Monday’s blog post, but I really am loving this book! I’ve gone through all off our books and am almost all the way through my clothes, shoes and accessories now (the book is VERY thorough when it comes to going through clothing, so it can take a while). I’ve never discarded or donated so many things in my life! I’m now sorting my unwanted things into piles to donate, send off to ThredUp and send to my sister since we’ve been swapping clothes with each other for years.
- Gigi Hadid Lied To Me
Rarely do commercials sucker me into trying a new product, but I fell hook, line and sinker for the Maybelline commercial for their new Falsies mascara. I found myself majorly lusting over Gigi Hadid’s long, full eyelashes and even though common sense told me there was no way her eyelashes in that commercial were actually real and simply covered in a light coat of this mascara, I went against my better judgment and picked up a tube of Falsies at Target. It is probably the worst mascara I have ever tried. It’s SO clumpy and didn’t even kind of remain in place through a sweaty workout. Not a fan! Gigi, you little trickster.
- Granola Is Addicting
Is there any food more addicting than granola? I highly doubt it. Can’t stop, won’t stop. (The above photo is of a batch of almond butter granola I made with oats, slivered almonds and Rice Chex. It is way too tasty. And addicting.)
- Publix BOG0 = 50% Off
About a week or so ago, during a shopping trip to Publix, I picked up one of their weekly BOGO items and threw it into my cart. I forgot to grab the second “free” item, but when I went to check out, I noticed that the one BOGO item I had in my cart rang up at 50 percent off. Apparently at Publix (at least at my Publix!), you don’t have to get two items when they’re BOGO and can just pick up one and get it for 50 percent off! Awesome, right!? I love this for things like Klondike bars since I love a good Klondike bar, but don’t really want TWO packs of them chilling in our freezer.
- Missing Friendsgiving
Between a new baby and an influx of visitors over the past few weekends, Ryan and I decided against hosting Friendsgiving this year. We’ve always loved hosting Friendsgiving and really look forward to dining on family favorites with some of our best friends but it’s just not in the cards for us right now. I am actually really bummed about it, but I’m hoping we can hop back on the Friendsgiving train next year.
Just in case you are hosting Friendsgiving this weekend or want to get a jumpstart on planning your Thanksgiving menu, this post includes a roundup of some of my go-to Thanksgiving dishes: My Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Bless You, NoseFrida
Even though I gagged when I did it, I added the NoseFrida to our baby registry when a ton of you recommended it to me. Yes, it’s kind of horrifying at first, but I cannot say enough great things about this nasal aspirator. Chase had his first runny nose the other week and this thing saved us. He sounded like a little piglet, grunting and wheezing as he tried to breathe, but once the NoseFrida came into play, it cleared him right out. I am a believer.
- Wednesday Morning Small Group
Every Wednesday morning, I have been participating in a small group with a handful of other moms in our area. The group is incredibly supportive and I cannot say enough how nice it has been to get into in depth conversations with other women who have been through (or are going through) exactly what I am going through with a new baby. Five of us in the group have babies under six months old and I truly value everyone’s advice and insight, especially those women in our group who have multiple kids who have been through the baby phase a handful of times. It’s a judgment-free environment where we can openly share our challenges and know we’ll be met with kindness and support.
- Thanksgiving Is Almost Here
(Throwback photos to our Turkey Trot outfits circa Thanksgiving 2011!)
Thanksgiving is almost here and I CANNOT WAIT. This will be my first Thanksgiving outside of Florida since my family moved there in 2003 and I am so looking forward to a Thanksgiving in a cooler climate again. There’s something that just doesn’t feel right about sweating while eating turkey and I’m thrilled my parents will be joining us in Charlotte for Chase’s first Thanksgiving. (We are so bummed Ryan’s family will not be able to make the trip, but they’ll be visiting two weeks later!) I think my mom and I text each other every other day about how excited we are for Thanksgiving and I can practically taste her delicious stuffing already. I just LOVE the holidays so darn much!
I’ve blogged about my love for Kindred’s milk bread a number of times and apparently you can find the recipe online now! AWESOME. I am adding this bread to my “must make” list over the holidays. It’s SO GOOD.
I’m linking this post up with Amanda from Running With Spoons as part of her weekly Thinking Out Loud Thursdays roundup. If you’re a blogger and find yourself feeling a little scatterbrained and the desire to simply writing about a bunch of random things hits you on a Thursday, definitely check out Amanda’s link up!
Question of the Day
- What is one random thing that is on your mind today?
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My daughter has been rocking the 20 minute nap for weeks and I’m losing my mind! Occasionally she will nap in her car seat for two hours but otherwise it’s cat naps. If you have any tricks that work to prolong his naps I’d love to hear!
The swaddle smirk is the best. My son sued to do the same thing with naps, but he was aallwaayys a bad napper. A few months ago he FINALLY got on a schedule and now naps 1.5 – 3 hours every afternoon and it’s magical. So it DOES eventually change. Hang in there, momma!
My fingers are crossed!! Thanks for the encouragement!
The Publix 50% off is a perk at all stores outside of Florida…so jealous! Nice benefit when desserts are on sale or breads that I won’t need two packs of! 🙂
You likely didn’t know the Publix BOGO because FLORIDA doesn’t do it…you must buy both items to get a discount. Not sure why it’s only FL??
No wonder! I was shocked when it happened and pleasantly surprised. I was all Publix would give 50% off BOGO items!
My husband and I have been donating tons of stuff too. I got 6 huge Husky bags of cloths to donate to the Salvation Army and Goodwill. It’s like, ok, I’ve finally accepted that as I approach 40, bleh, I’m not going to be a size 2 again and that’s ok. But there’s no reason not to pass my nice work cloths on to someone who can actually use them. My sisters are size 00 and size 12 respectively so Ha, we don’t share clothes in our family =) Fun post.
Thanks for the honesty about the mascara. It so SO hard to find good ones, isn’t it? I used to be hooked on Lash stiletto but I noticed since I started using the Rosehip oil (at your recommendation!) I would notice if I didn’t put it on way before make up, the mascara (waterproof) would smudge under my eye. Weird. I bought some Almay waterproof 2 weeks ago and no more smudging! I wish it had a slightly heftier brush but it’s nothing I can’t live with.
As far as random thing on my mind, I have a DIY Christmas decor project I need to get done and of course need to clean the house for a service appointment tonight. Suppose I’d better get moving!
I didn’t know that about Publix! I’ll have to try it! I do know if something is buy one get one free, if you just buy one item it’s just half off. I don’t know if that’s the same thing or they just call it something different in GA.
From a comment above, it sounds like my Publix may be an exception rather than the rule… I wish it was like that everywhere!
Most grocery stores are actually like this (as far as I’ve noticed!) I live in Raleigh and I’ve almost always been able to get a BOGO item for half off at the grocery! I don’t have a convenient Publix, so maybe they’re different, but Harris teeter and Kroger do this! Just for future reference!
That swaddle smirk is too much!! 🙂 I’ll have to check out that book, I’m all about decluttering! Also, thanks for the heads up about the mascara thats a bummer!
On my mind….I’m totally holding back my Christmas joy until after thanksgiving is over but I am so excited for Christmas holiday stuff to begin and i LOVE all of the seasonal food and drinks for Christmas!!!! hoooray! 🙂
Keep the cute swaddle smirk photos coming! haha
Oh my God, I have to LITERALLY leave the room when Cory uses the Nose Frieda. I’m gagging just thinking about it, haha!
The things we do for our babies… 🙂
Darn you Gigi! Haha…I get suckered in sometimes too. Sorry about your missing Friendsgiving. My daughter was 3/4 months old around the holidays last year and we had to skip out on so much. It was hard not to be a little bummed. But let me tell you, what a difference a year makes. We now have a walking, talking toddler and we are sooooo looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hang in there….the good stuff is coming quick. I promise!
I love that BOGO trick! It works in Pennsylvania as well. Some items say that you have to buy 2 or 3 to get the discount, but generally you get the discount on one. It’s great!
I loved all your random thoughts, especially the cute pic of Chase and the mascara fail! I definitely fall for those ads, but I always check reviews on youtube first!
YES to the nose frida! When it’s 2 am and your kiddos can’t sleep from stuffy noses, who cares how gross it is, haha!
Hi Julie! That’s great you will get to feel a cooler Thanksgiving! I just arrived in Florida for two weeks to visit my family, and you can bet that Publix is on my list of places to visit frequently! 🙂
Hope you have a great time back in Florida!!
Where did you get the case for the nose frida??? Mine definitely did not come with one, I just keep it in a ziplock back but having a case would be awesome!!
Mine actually came with one!
Hi Julie, I’ve been a long time reader. You were the first HLB or any blogger I ever read but recently I have been frequenting less and less. I came here for healthy living tips and now it is baby 24/7 every post when it’s not recycled play lists. Sorry I don’t think I’ll be following anymore.
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Meredith. I’m sorry you feel this way. My blog has always followed my life more than anything else and right now being a new mom is obviously the biggest thing in my life and my primary focus. I definitely recognize that I’m talking about baby stuff a lot, but still try to regularly share workouts and recipes and apologize if they’re not frequent enough for you. I am just doing my best to keep up with blogging at all right now during such a transitional time. I am sorry to see you go but appreciate you reading for so long!
Thank you for sharing your random thoughts and all with a positive vibe! It made me smile and a great way to start the day. My random thoughts are finding meal ideas for when I’m with my family next week and ideas of things to do with my nieces (ages 8, 5 and a half, and 5). That granola might be a winner with them!
Florida Publix doesn’t do that but I wish they would. BOGOs are great but sometimes I don’t need two.
My oldest had a fussy time every day usually around going to sleep. The doctor told us it’s ok to let him fuss. So we did and he learned we were not there every time him whimpered and thence would go to sleep.
My random thought is kind of on the dorky side , but I’m studying for my pharmacology final and I thought , why are positive side effects so rare ? we need to memorize all of the (most important , severe and common) side effects , why are they all negative? I’m waiting for a heart failure drug that has positive side effects on say mood, or weight .. Miracle drugs really don’t exist ! 😀 bummer.
Good luck to you on your exam!
I too had a falsies mascara fail which led me to purchase Rollerball by Benefit—which has become my favorite mascara ever–really does make lashes look full!!
I dot know why, but I love trying new mascaras… I’ll look into this one!
How did you find your mom’s group? I tried through Meetup and have joined the local MOMS Club in my town but almost all of the activities/get togethers are for moms with older kids. I desperately wanted to find one of the groups you described but now I’m already back to work and not sure I have the time for it 🙁
My friend Brittany invited me through her church. I am also hoping to look into more groups through MeetUp.com since I’ve heard great things about it, but I didn’t think about it being geared toward moms with older kids. That’s a bummer!!
Love the swaddle smirk!
It’s a joke with a friend when I walk through Bed, bath and Beyond I see a European nose aspirator that the Mom sucks the snot out the other end with her mouth. It makes me gag to walk by it every time. It’s making me gag typing this. Bah!
That little smile is adorable. I never thought about putting chex into granola, yummy!
Haha! Mascara is a tricky thing! I’m a big fan of Urban Decay Big Fatty. 🙂
Julie, how did you find your morning moms group? I have been struggling to find a group of new moms in the area and don’t know where to start. Any suggestions?
Also, what does Chase sleep in when you put him to bed at night? My son is still 2.5 months old and sleeping in our room, but I imagine the transition to the crib is not far away. The whole room temperature issue and how much clothing he should be wearing to bed always gives me a little anxiety – I don’t want him to be too hot or too cold.
I second this question! How did you find your small group?
I found the group through my friend Brittany’s church!
As for your sleeping question — we JUST transitioned Chase into the crib in his nursery last week. He’s still waking up for 2-ish feedings a night, but I am definitely sleeping better without him chirping, grunting and making other baby noises in this bassinet right beside our bed! Also, as for the room temperature thing, our baby monitor actually TELLS us the temperature of the room which makes me feel so much better! It’s a Motorola monitor, but I would imagine there are other models that do the same thing!
I know it’s super stealthy, but most of the time you don’t have to buy 10 to get $10/10s etc, each item will be $1 unless there’s fine print saying otherwise… my 7 years working in the loyalty card/grocery industry taught me some really nifty tricks on how to save, ha!
I’m actually LOVING Fairlife milk – recommended by you! You’re so right that it’s incredibly smooth and not crazy, uber creamy. Perfect for my chocolate milk that I secretly love to make from time to time. 🙂
Isn’t it fabulous? I actually told Ryan that the whole milk almost tastes like melted ice cream!
How did you find your mom group? I am looking to join one : )
My friend Brittany invited me through her church! As Chase gets older, I would love to join more playgroups. I’ve heard great things about meetup.com as a way to find moms to meet up with.
Julie-
First, your little boy is amazingly adorable!
My random thought-question to you- are there any yoga shops on the east coast (NC/SC) that sell clothing/accessories? My cousin moved to Charleston a little over a year ago and won’t be home for Christmas. I’d like to send her something from a yoga store from the east coast or send a gift certificate for her to use. Do you have any website suggestions?
Hmmm I cannot think of a store that’s specific to the East Coast… Maybe you can reach out to Jen at PeanutButterRunner.com? She’s an AVID yogi and might have more insight!!
Chase is so stinking cute! That smirk just brightened my day!
My random thought: Thinking of a mother/daughter trip next year to Sedona, AZ. It’s snow outside now so yes, I’m dreaming of warmer weather.
That granola looks delicious!!!
Do you mind sharing a tad more details on how you made it, if you have a chance? Did you really coat the oats, slivered almonds and rice chex in almond butter before baking it in the oven?
I love your blog and Chase is adorable!
Thanks, Courtney!! I tossed the oats, slivered almonds and Chex in melted almond butter, coconut oil and honey and added cinnamon and sea salt before baking for 15-20 minutes (flipping halfway through). It was really easy and SO tasty!
Thank you so much for responding!! I’m definitely making this!!
That almond butter granola looks so good! You definitely need to share the recipe.
Those stinking makeup commercials! They’re NEVER accurate! The best drugstore mascara I’ve found is Maybelline Falsies – have you tried it?
i had a starbucks latte today and it was JUST waht i needed this morning! some little stinker woke up at 4:30 am for the SECOND DAY IN A ROW!!
I feel for you!!
I’ve heard about that tidying up book so many times, I think I need to read it! I love granola and buy it weekly but I have never made it myself. I know I should because it’s so easy and way cheaper!
This really isn’t random, but we are having our non-traditional Thanksgiving pot-luck breakfast/lunch today at work! I am so looking forward to a bunch of different and random foods for lunch today!
Hi! I’ve been a reader for a few years, mostly in the summer when I have a desk job. This summer I read Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin (I’m also a fan of The Happiness Project + her happiness podcast) and I LOVED it. It broke down the basics of any kind of positive changes you want to make in your life by explaining how habits work. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it!
It’s on my list!! I loved her other book and am so glad to hear you liked Better Than Before, too!
I loved, loved, loved this random assortment of thoughts! I hope you (might?) make it a regular thing. It’s very entertaining!
I’m telling you, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” is just like “baby fish mouth” – i.e. it’s TOTALLY sweeping the nation. (<—When Harry Met Sally reference) In the last 4 weeks, I have had this book sweep into my life from all directions. Example: I just met a new group of fantastic people through a community tour event I participated in, and they were all discussing this, and we all ended up taking on some aspect of it. And one of my best friends brought it up too, before she even knew I knew about it. And then I read it on your blog! And I'm a loyal daily reader, so I just thought it was interesting that this book is taking over! I'm very excited about it too, btw.
That pic of Chase is beyond adorable. You're killing me, smalls.
The swaddle smirk is too cute!! And that book sounds right up my alley – I’ll have to check it out!
Milk bread sounds so… interesting, lol. Definitely going to check it out!
CHASE AND HIS SMIRK. Goodness how do you have such a darn cute child?!
I see you’re reading (or have read) Room by Emma Donoghue. What did you think of it? It greatly disturbed me and I cannot even imagine what it would be like to read that as a new mother!
I read it before Chase was born and it was super disturbing THEN… I am sure reading it now would be even creepier!
I TOTALLY feel you on the 20 minute naps. My little guy (who is about to be 6 months old, EEK!) has been a cat-napper from the get go, and I’m lucky if I get a 40 min nap out of him most days. I am hopeful that one day he’ll master the art of napping, but until then, I am looking on the brightside and learning to do a lot of things in 20 minutes. I am now a super speedy laundry folder! Hopefully that skill will come in handy later in life! Hang in there! 🙂
I know you are busy with Chase, but have you thought of doing an Instagram auction with some of your clothes? I’ve seen other bloggers (Taza and Camp Patton) and they seem to make a pretty decent amount on each item. Just a thought. : )
Gigi lied to me too!! I was pretty optimistic about it but that’s the worst mascara ever!
Grrr! She got BOTH of us!
I am so glad you posted about the NoseFrida. I’m 5 months pregnant and my husband and I are starting to get our registry together. We BOTH gagged at the thought of this thing, but I’ve read so many good reviews! So I have to ask – do you really get any snot in your mouth when you do it? Is it just not gross because you’d do anything to help your baby through their sickness, or does it not actually come all the way through?
Anyway, thank you for posting this! I’ve been going through a lot of your baby posts and finding items you recommend, so please know you’ve been a huge help 🙂
The snot honestly gets nowhere near your mouth! Just the whole idea of sucking it out is nasty, but it really doesn’t get close to your mouth at all. 🙂
That smile!!!!!
And yes, granola is addicting!
Just a little tip for the Nose Frida, because I didn’t know this at first but it works so much better if you shoot some saline spray up there first – I’ve gotten so much more out when I’ve done that. Basically when they are congested but the nose isn’t actually running. Blah – it’s so gross but it makes such a huge difference! Especially when you’re nursing a baby!!
Also, have you thought about using essential oils for your family? I started using them right after my second daughter was born and they have come in so handy since little babies don’t have a lot of options for medication. My favorite is Breathe for respiratory support and Clove for oral discomfort. 🙂 I use doTerra oils and they have saved me more than once!
SO funny you mention essential oils! The childcare at my gym uses them and I LOVE the “On Guard” doTerra one! I’ve been meaning to look into them!
Glad I know not to buy that mascara!! hehe. And YES, granola is one of those snacks I just cannot get enough of… soo addicting!
A friend of mine got me that nose sucker thing and while it does completely gross me out, I’m sure it’s bound to come in handy when my twins arrive. Maybe motherhood will change my thoughts on what’s truly disgusting haha
His little smirk is too cute!! Newborn-youngins’ naps are the worst because they’re so unpredictable! I’ve learned to get really fast at doing any housework haha. I promise the naps get much longer/predictable, so hang in there!
I can’t believe Thanksgiving is a week away!!
OMG love the nosefrida! I got it for my baby shower having no idea what it was. It is now what I give anyone around me having a baby because it is AMAZING. My little is almost 2.5 and it is still fantastic!
Girl I hear you on the napping! Did you know that a sleep cycle for babies is actually 20 mins! Terrible! A cruel joke for moms! Our little guy is 4 months and only now I’m getting the hang of trying at least for one good nap in his crib a day..sometimes it works other times like today he gives me 45 mins max…I usually tried to put the timer on for 10 mins (or whatever my comfort is that day) and try to let him fuss it out before running to get him..sometimes they can sooth themselves back to sleep..(yaaah!) ..if he’s really crying though I go in….but for sure try to give him some time to fuss it out ’cause he’ll learn to self soothe and save you some stairs…unless you want that for exercise then go for it !
Oh man the nose freda IS a livesaver…our bambino has his first cold and that thing is so addictive..lol..any time he sneezes I’m like okay time to suck that stuff out!!! Thought I would be more bothered by it, but knowing my kid can breath I think always wins out lol