Friday Favorites!

Friday is here and it feels so good! Linking up (with Andrea, Erika, & Narci) again for Friday Favorites today. Let's jump right to it:

A New Dress

So, a couple of weeks ago, I found an old F21 gift card that still had some money on it. Judge if you want, but Forever 21 does have some cute stuff for great prices (like this new shift dress I got for under $15!) Also, after being in the store for a while, I've never been more certain that I am very much #foreverolderthan21. These young whippersnappers and their crazy trends :)

Clapping 

I have been trying for a couple of days to get Grayer to clap. This morning, he finally did it. And boy has got it down. It's so sweet :)

Taylor Farms Kale Salad

Last weekend while we were picking up diapers and a rotisserie chicken (random, yes.) from Sam's Club, one of the samples were of this kale salad. It is filled with lots of yummy stuff - kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, & a poppyseed dressing - so I picked up a bag. It's really good just the way it is, but I may add some chopped chicken to mine next time to make it even more filling. 

Choosing a Paint Color

With the house closing not far off, I figured it was about time I decided on a paint color. I had a lot of different colors in our old house, which I really loved, but I think I want everything to be more streamlined in the new house. With the possible exception of the bathrooms & laundry room, I want all the rooms to be the same color. I wanted a "greige" - something that could either look gray or taupe depending on the furniture in the room. I think I have narrowed it down to Valspar's Woodlawn Colonial Gray.

Potato Wedges

I made these last night to go along with our grilled pork chops, and they were really good. I've made potato wedges before, but I didn't have a recipe memorized. This came up in a quick search, and they turned out great. Wells & Eric both really liked them, and let's be honest, I don't think I've ever met a potato I didn't like :) #unfortunately

Today's Weather!!!

This is not going to sound like much to some people, but it's huge for us right now! Today, the high is only 87 degrees with a humidity level of less than 50%! When we walked outside this morning, I considered going back up to change into something long-sleeved. That would be a dumb idea once we hit the afternoon temps, but, people, we are FINALLY (I hope) on our way to cooler weather! You know, now that it's practically October.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Confessional Thursday

Today, I confess...

-This (well, as soon as it's cold enough to warrant a sweater here).

- Earlier this week we made a quick visit to a McDonald's indoor playplace for Wells to run off some steam. We were the only ones in the entire place and had bought a big drink to share among all of us. As we were about to leave, I looked over and Wells was drinking out of a cup that WASN'T OURS. Parenting fail. #facepalm

- I have been on the struggle bus big-time in the mornings lately. Grayer is not the world's greatest sleeper and is still getting up a number of times at night. I have never been a morning person, but 8 months without a single night of uninterrupted sleep is seriously starting to add up. It takes everything for me to get up in the mornings right now!

- I dread brushing Wells' teeth at night. So does Eric. We always try to pass it off to each other.

- Wells has been in school (2 year old pre-k) for only like a month, and I am already worried that our house is going to look like an episode of Hoarders soon with all of the crafts and papers he brings home every day. I love love love seeing all of the stuff he does and I cannot get enough of those cute little crafts. But, the coloring pages are not necessary to keep, right? ...RIGHT? Someone make me feel better :) I mean, honestly, Wells' coloring pages right now only consist of about two crayon marks anyway...his art style is "minimalist," obviously. Ideally, in the playroom at the new house, I will have some kind of place like this one to display the special artwork that will be brought home throughout the years.

- I have to consciously remind myself to wash behind my kids' ears. I don't know why (okay, yes, I do. Bath time is chaos, especially with both boys in the tub at the same time now), but I always forget that one area!

What are your confessions?

Linking up for with Danielle for Confessional Thursday and Annie & Natalie for Thoughts for Thursday :)

What's Up Wednesday

Joining Mel, Shay, and Sheaffer today for What's Up Wednesday.

What we're eating this week:
Monday night I put a twist on Andrea's Cheeseburger Pie recipe - instead of ground beef, I used shredded chicken and added broccoli. It was really good! I do not usually have a laid out menu for the week and instead decide the day of or maybe the day before, but some random things that I plan to be on the menu this week: pork chops on the grill, vegetable fried rice with homemade shrimp sauce, and oatmeal raisin cookies.

What I'm reminiscing about:
When I used to sleep through the night :) Grayer still wakes a couple of times each night, and this mama is tired!

What I'm loving:

I'm writing this Tuesday night after I just finished the second episode of This Is Us. Gosh, I really really really love this show! And the endings in both episodes so far??? I mean! #ohheysixtyyearoldmandymoore

What we've been up to:
We have been getting the last few documents in to close on the new house. Closing was supposed to be next Monday, but we found out today that it is going to have to be pushed back. Not sure by how long yet.

What I'm dreading:
Election Day
#butseriously

Was anybody else feeling this way Monday night? Like I mentioned in Monday's post, I have a huge passion for politics and stay very informed. I'm not going to get into it all here, but I am not feeling great about our country's future. At least God is always on the throne, no matter who the President is!

What I'm working on:
Planning Wells' new big boy room!

What I'm excited about:
We are going to be having family photos taken soon!

What I'm watching/reading:
These Fall shows have me all kinds of excited: This Is Us, Modern Family, Designated Survivor. As far as reading, right now Eric and I are reading through the book of Genesis together.

What I'm listening to:
Audible. I signed up for a free trial and have really been enjoying listening to books while in the car or during the boys' naps. I have one credit left, and I think I am going to use it on Jen Hatmaker's For the Love. If you read it, did you love it?

What I'm wearing:
It is the end of September and it is still unbearably hot! My heart says "scarf," but my body temperature says, "do I even have to wear clothes?"

What I'm doing this weekend:
As we do each year, Saturday we will supporting the sweetest little girl and her family at the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society's Buddy Walk. Here we are at our first Buddy Walk three years ago - ohmygoodness, look how little Wells is!

What I'm looking forward to next month:
Closing on our house! And Halloween! And Eric's birthday! October should be a fun, busy month.

Favorite Fall Recipe:
I am a big fan of pumpkin pancakes and like to make them in the fall. But seeing this recipe of Shay's, has me wanting to amp it up! Can't wait to try these, and I know they will be a big hit with Eric and the boys (because bacon. duh).

Some Pinspiration: Train Toddler Room

Lord willing, we will be closing on our new house next Monday. #canyousaypraisehandsemoji We are looking to move in the first week of November after all painting and flooring has been done.

Me and Pinterest have been BFFS as I think about revamping some of our current rooms and decorations upon moving. I have a lot of new stuff I want to do in pretty much every room, and I know it will be a slow process instead of an overnight entire home remodel (which is what's happening in my head. ha!). One room that I really do want to go ahead and makeover right away is Wells' room. His current nursery has a safari-theme with pretty neutral colors.

I loved decorating his room so much. Lately, though he is all about trains (is there a two-year-old boy who isn't?). And I thought that starting with a blank slate would be the best time to give him a new "big boy" room. I will most likely keep his bedding since it's very neutral and easy to accessorize. I am not looking to spend a lot of money on this, and I feel pretty confident that by keeping his staple pieces like his crib (which we will convert to a toddler bed upon moving), dresser, shelves, and overall color scheme, I can dress it up train-style at very little cost (music to my hubby's ears!).

Here is some of the inspiration for the train room:

LOVE this train storage idea because it not only serves a purpose but looks great, too!

This sign is just too dang adorable and so perfect...and may need to become our new goodnight phrase, stat!

You can't have a train room without a railroad crossing sign. When I saw this one that doubles as a clothing/hat rack, I fell in love. My dad is somewhat of a woodworker (and totall feeds into Wells' train obsession on the daily), so what better person to undertake this DIY project?! :)

How adorable is this print?!

And lastly, this rolling, under-the-bed train table is awesome!

I am so excited to redo Wells' room and can't wait to see his face when he sees it all! Side note: Sweet Grayer's nursery will stay the same because he's only 8 months old and I feel like I just decorated it. Ha! Also, the room we are planning to use for Wells' room is a little bigger than Grayer's because when we have another baby (not a pregnancy announcement!), we plan to move Grayer into Wells' room. A shared room will be perfect for them because they are only 19 months apart. So, I think a train room will work really well for a shared room down the road :)

Linking up for Tuesday Talk today.

Let's Talk Entertainment

Yes, I already posted today (Weekending here). But I forgot about today's Let's Talk link-up with Andrea and Erika. After looking at everyone else's posts, I had a serious case of FOMO...and here I am, double posting on a Monday. #whatislife?

Today's topic is Entertainment!

Movies
So, Eric and I hardly ever go to the movies. It is a serious rarity. So for me to gab about new movies would be pointless and probably embarrassing for us all. But, old favorites? Most certainly. Here are a few of my all-time favorites.

Did you know Thor was actually Det. Goren from Law & Order? Because he totally is.

My mom was an 80s teen, so we grew up with an appreciation for the movies she loved. From a young age, we could quote (but probably shouldn't have) The Goonies, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Adventures in Babysitting, and so on. You get the picture. These continue to be some of my all-time favorite movies (and unfortunately, Eric does not exactly share my love for them - except the Goonies. #becausewhodoesnt).

No. No, they do not.

My older sister is almost 7 years older than me, so I also watched a few 90s movies as a kid that were not really aimed at kids my age :) These also continue to be favorites - we're talking Clueless, Night at the Roxbury, Now and Then, and The Wedding Singer. Gosh, they just don't make them like that anymore. Please tell me I am not the only one with deep love for these flicks.

I have plenty more favorites from more current years, too :) but these are the movies that will always remind me of family and give me all the good feels.

TV Shows
Eric and I like to watch a couple of current shows together when we have time. Modern Family, The Goldbergs, and Blackish. Apparently we like a comedy. He had to really convince me to watch the pilot of The Walking Dead. This is SO not my kind of thing, but by the end of the first episode, I was all "I have to watch more." We binge watched the first 5 seasons like nobody's business in the end of 2015, basically whenever Wells was asleep (Grayer was still in my belly - so we only had to work around one baby's schedule back then. Ha! #didntknowhoweasywehaditbackthen).

Bev Goldberg. She gets me. :)

Like every other woman on the planet it seems, I watched the premier of This Is Us last week and loved it. I will definitely be tuning in again. We also caught the premier of Designated Survivor and liked it, too.

Radio
I am fully aware that I am about to sound ancient and boring, but 80% of the time, I am listening to talk radio in the car (Eric is the same way). We like to be very informed, and we are very political people (whatever that means). The other 20% of the time, though, we listen to anything from pop to country to Christian music.

Books

I love Sophie Kinsella books. I just read my first Liane Moriarty book and thoroughly enjoyed it. She is on my list of must-read authors now, along with Emily Giffin. And I am planning to start reading the Killing... series by Bill O'Reilly.  

Weekending

Linking up with Biana for a little weekend recap :)

This weekend flew by! Monday is here, and I'm all:

Here's some of what we did the last few days...

Wells and I made this Fall wreath. I cut out some leaves out of scrap paper I had in my craft supplies. Then Wells stuck the leaves onto the paper plate ring, and voila! My new favorite fall decoration...and not just because Eric put my box of decorations in storage during the move (even though I specifically stated numerous times, "this box does not go into storage." #sigh).

We took a couple of walks and visited a playground. 

We played lots of trains. Side note: Not to toot my own horn, but mama's getting pretty good at this whole train track assembling thing! It took me a while, but I've got the swing of it now and can make some pretty mean routes :) #itsaboymomthing

Grayer practiced some crawling (unhappily). 

And we did a little cleaning, too. He loves helping vacuum. I wish I got as excited about it as he does.

Like almost every Saturday, we took a trip to Sams Club. We always get lunch when we go because you just can't beat a pizza slice as big as your face and a drink for $2.50. Wells was dazzled by the Christmas trees they had out, and now I really can't wait for all of the excitement this Christmas season. He is going to be such a fun age this year! Grayer will be fun, too, but in more of an I-just-want-to-eat-the-wrapping-paper-off-my-presents kinda way :)

We had our traditional Sunday dinner at my Granny's house after church, and my dad took Wells to see a train a few cities over. Wells is obsessed with trains, and he and Grandpa always go off in search for one around our hometown (we live in a port city, so they are everywhere). But there is an old train that he has been wanting to take him to see, so they went after lunch on Sunday. And Grandpa even took pictures! :)

I wrote a "snapshot" post for Wells (Grayer's monthly post will be up later this week when he turns 8 months!), and we finished the night with more playing when Daddy got home. It was a pretty lowkey weekend but an enjoyable one nonetheless. This will be our last somewhat normal week, as we close on the new house next Monday (if all goes as planned!) and then we start a month full of painting and renovations!     

Wells: A Snapshot at 2 Years and 3 Months

I wanted to document a little bit about our sweet big boy and what he's up to these days :) He is a barrel of laughs, and I want to make sure that I write it all down so I can look back one day and remember the little things.

Wells is seriously the funniest kid I know. He loves making us laugh and adds so much fun into every moment. He puts on a funny voice (all scratchy and low) at times just in an effort to be goofy. He also likes to let out high-pitched squeals randomly just for kicks. He thinks it is hilarious to smell his feet and say "shooooooo-eeeeeeeeeey!" #allboy

He is still OBSESSED with trains. He wants to play with his trains all day long. And if he is not playing trains, he is singing about them (Mother Goose Alphabet Train anyone? Google it. It will be stuck in your head permanently.), listening for them (we live in a port city - lots of trains), or watching videos about them. He will literally sit and watch the most boring videos of trains chugging down a track or even toy train reviews. If there's a train in it, he'll watch it.

He is such a good big brother. It seems like each day, he gets even better and sweeter at it, too. He loves Grayer and will sometimes do loving stuff for him - like share his blankie or a toy train with him if he is crying. He always says "Hey Grayer (Gray is what he calls him, actually)" in the sweetest voice when he comes up to him. Grayer thinks Wells is the funniest, most entertaining person on the planet. Watching them together, even at such young ages, is so much fun. Their bond is already strong, and it brings me to happy tears to think about what good friends they are going to be.

Wells started his 2-year-old preK program a couple of weeks ago. We are friends with his teacher, which helps my mama heart be more at ease :) He only goes two days a week (for a 3-hour day) while I am at work with Grayer, but he really seems to be enjoying it. He loves music class, snack, outside playtime, and of course playing with the big train toy in the classroom.  His teacher says he hides it in the closet when he's done playing so no one else can get it. #ofcoursehedoes

Wells finally got his second hair cut. His hair is still super curly. We got it trimmed before his first day of school, and Eric almost died. He loves Wells' long hair (he said, "I'm bald, so I have to live through Wells' hair." Ha!) and had a rough time parting with it. It has already grown back a lot and is still a hot, curly mess if we don't style it before leaving the house.

We back-tracked on the pacifier. In his 2-year update, we were pacifier free! But then he kept stealing Grayer's paci, and we gave in. He isn't overly attached to it right now and he doesn't have it at all when he's at school, so I am thinking we can break him of it pretty easy again.

He loves singing. He will sing songs in the car that come on the radio, and it is my favorite! I have always taught him nursery rhymes/songs, and he really enjoys singing them as well. He has become quite a hummer too - which is so funny and cute. His favorite songs right now are The Wheels on the Bus, Old MacDonald, and the Alphabet Train. Also, honorable mention go to "Ride" by Twentyone Pilots and "What You Came Here For" by Rihanna. He always sings these two if they come on the radio :)

He can sing his ABCs (and point out many of the letters) and can count to 10 and recognize all of the numbers and point to them. He knows his shapes, and he also knows his colors. He is such a smart little thing with a great memory!

Potty training is going pretty well. Except that we are never home long enough to be consistent. He will go pee-pee in the potty on command and sometimes he will just tell us out of the blue that he wants to go. But when we put him in his "big boy undies," we would constantly have to ask him if he needed to go. And then if we didn't ask him, he would have an accident. So, we have just been staying in diapers but still using the potty. I know that we really need to start cracking down here soon and being more consistent. So, hopefully by the next update, he will be potty trained :)

The boy is still a big time eater! He can put away some food! Pizza is still nearest to his heart. He is back to loving broccoli (he boycotted it for a little while) and has started to enjoy more fruits than just the standard apple and banana. This summer he became a fan of watermelon, pineapple, and strawberries. One of his new favorite snacks is raw carrots with ranch dressing. He is all about some ice cream. And he prefers it in a cone (or straight out of the carton thankyouverymuch). If eating straight out of the carton with Eric (yep. I definitely live in an all-boy home), he will go to the utensil drawer and get out a HUGE serving spoon. He will say "big spoon" and bring it right over to the carton and help himself. We have no idea why or how he started doing this, but we think it's pretty darn funny that he does not deem a normal size spoon appropriate for ice cream eating.

Wells is talking up a storm. He has gotten much more polite over the last couple of months, too, and will say "thanks" without prompting at times. He says it so sweetly, and it melts my heart. If he is feeling especially lovey, he will say "hold you" to be picked up. He repeats words and phrases all the time. He is like a little parrot. One of my favorite phrases of his is "Grayer's up." He says it so matter of factly when he hears Grayer cry when waking in the morning or from a nap. It cracks me up. He is at the stage right now where he says "Mommy" or "Daddy" about 3000 times a day to get our attention...like at the beginning of every single sentence :) He likes to say "watch this" now to get your attention!

He is quite the little helper right now. When Eric takes out the trash, Wells takes a small grocery bag of trash out with him. The other day, he tried to lift the huge diaper bag on our way out the door so he could "help Mommy." Love his sweet spirit.

He knows that his Daddy's name is Eric. Because every now and then he will just bust out with "Eriiiic" when talking to or calling him. Apparently he has heard me call his name way too much! Ha!

He is still a huge fan of being outside. He would stay out all day if we would let him. His newest fun hobby is catching frogs outside with Eric (disgusting.). He loves wrestling with Eric all throughout the house. He also started playing with his diner/kitchen a little bit more in the last couple of months and will ask us to "kook" with him.

Current Favorites:
Show - Thomas the Tank Engine has been his jam lately. He will watch that over all else. But he will still watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and other kids shows if they happen to be on.
Snack - Probably chips. He gets it honest from his carb-loving mother. He always requests fruit snacks, too.
Book - We've read The Little Red Caboose approximately 4 billion times in the last couple months. Railroad Hank is still a favorite too.
Toy/Activity - You guessed it...trains! His trains are his most prized possessions. And wrestling with Daddy is a favorite activity too :)

We love this kid so much and can't believe how fast he is growing up. He is such a joy to us, and we can't imagine life without this rambunctious, lovable toddler of ours!

Friday Favorites

Linking up (with Andrea, Erika, & Narci) again for Friday Favorites today.

It's Friday! Was this a long week? Or was that just me? Either way, the end is near! Let's discuss some favorites!

Fall TV
We are not huge TV people. I mean we watch it, but there are some days that our TV isn't turned on it all (um, unless you count Thomas the Tank Engine or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse). We do have a few must-watch shows, and those are usually viewed online the day after they air because primetime TV = the same time as toddler/baby bedtime craziness, amiright? Anyway, For whatever reason, all of our favorite shows air in the Fall - like Modern Family, Blackish, The Goldbergs,, and TWD (#ineedanswers). And oh man, NBC's new show This Is Us...yeah, new favorite for sure. THe ending blew my socks right off. What are your favorite Fall shows?

Dance Parties

The other night, we were playing some throwback jams (think "Push It" & "This Is How We Do It" ...yeah, the good stuff), and Wells was cracking us up with all his dancing and asking me to dance with him. Impromptu dance parties are definitely a favorite.

The Little Things

I love everything that we do as a family, even if it is something really small. The other night, we just wanted to get out of the house and decided to head to Petsmart so Wells could look at all the animals. He is in love with the huge wall of fish tanks (I think Santa may bring him a fish tank for Christmas). It didn't cost a penny, and it was just a small little outing, but aren't those the best sometimes? Just spending time together and seeing your kids happy is what memories are made of. Side note: Eric dressed Wells for this last-minute outing, and I didn't notice what he was wearing until it was too late! Haha! #fiftyshadesofblue


Crawling
Grayer is trying to crawl! He is going backwards right now, or he will just pivot on his belly and turn around. So, I think it is just going to be a matter of days before he is somewhat on the go! I am sad my baby is growing up so fast, but I also love seeing him reach these milestones. I think he will be even happier once he can crawl around and get into everything to what he wants. I don't know that I'm completely ready for two mobile children yet, though! :)

Soup
Fall means soup. And though the weather outside is not the most soup-eating-inspiring, it is not going to stop me. So, if it is still hot where you live, just crank up that A/C, put on some cozy socks, and eat some soup anyway! I made chili and cornbread this week and it hit the spot! Speaking of Fall foods, I pinned this Autumn Cobb Salad recipe a few weeks back and reaaaaaaalllllllly want to try it!

Blogging Regularly
I think this is a first for me, but I blogged every single day this week. I always say I want to blog more but never make it happen. I was intentional this week, and I am really glad I stuck with it. Now to keep it going!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Confessional Thursday / Try It Thursday

Linking up for with Danielle for Confessional Thursday and Allie for Try It Thursday :)

Today, I confess...

- I have been much more intentional about doing laundry regularly instead of letting it build up into completely unmanageable mountains. However, folding said laundry is an entirely different story.

- I went running for the first time in for.ev.er on Monday...and then that night, I ate 2 ice cream cones. #itscalledbalance

- I am one of those people that cannot follow the rules for how long you are supposed to throw out your contacts. So, I never reorder new contacts within the year time frame that your prescription is good for. I always pass the year (or two year. ahem) mark and have to go in for another exam and then order more. Why do I never learn??? Needless to say, I am on my last pair and protecting them with my life...and still have yet to make an eye appointment.

- More times that not, I completely forget to brush Wells' hair when we leave the house. He has curly hair that won't stay maintained for long after being styled anyway, but still, I have got to get it together! Me forgetting to brush it before we leave the house usually leads to me at our destination pouring the water from my water bottle into my hands and then wetting and finger-combing his mane until it is somewhat presentable. We keep it classy like that.

I actually did brush Wells' hair this day, but by that afternoon, it was a hot mess again. Love those curls though.

- I absolutely HATE frogs. Like, I both really dislike them and am deathly afraid of them. As I mentioned earlier this week, we are in an apartment for about 2 months after selling our house and before our new house is ready. Well, apparently frogs really love our apartment building. They gather around the stairs as soon as the sun goes down. I have had to remind myself more than once to keep a really good hold on Grayer's carrier (while also keeping a hand on Wells) while climbing the stairs and not to drop him or fall down the stairs if a frog gets brave and approaches me. It's a problem.

- My hair life is sad. Grayer is almost 8-months now, which means my postpartum hair loss has been over for a while, but the regrowth stage is in full swing. I have hairs growing all around my hairline that are long enough to be noticeable but short enough that they won't lay down. I have carried and delivered two babies, and the hair regrowth stage is by far my least favorite part/side effect of pregnancy - yes even the labor part. I didn't have an epidural with Grayer, and I would still rather do that than deal with these baby hairs. Not joking one bit.

- Lastly, I confess that I was embarrassingly late to the avocado toast trend. Which makes no sense because I have mad love for both avocados and bread. So for today's Try It Thursday link-up, I am sharing my favorite (and simplest ever) add-on to the delicious breakfast dish...ready for it? Everything Bagel Spice Blend. Yep, it takes your avo-toast to a whole new level. I also add scrambled eggs to mine, but it's the spice blend that makes my taste buds do a little dance.