Weekend Recap :: Corsicana and Arlington Road Trip

I've been horrible at posting my weekend recaps lately (really just blogging in general).  Sometimes they just seem too boring to take the time and knock out, but I do love having our precious weekends documented so I'm going to try and do a better job at this.   We had a busy weekend for sure visiting all of my in-laws so now seems like the perfect time to get back on this routine!

Friday

Jason and I both took Friday off from work (even though I was already out all week without childcare).  We were set to hit the road early, but a crisis at work for Jason caused us to leave later than we had hoped.

We finally hit the road with Jack and Tucker in tow...and lots of snacks and distractions like a new toy for Jack and the iPad.  It's about 3.5 hours in the car to our first stop but between the three days we were going to have a lot of car time.  One can never be too prepared.  All of the packing and preparation, made me really stop and think about what it will be like when there are TWO kiddos to pack for.  #needabiggercar

Jack did great!  We just had to stop once for lunch (which in hindsight I would not have taken our dog Tucker) since our only lunch option was to drive-thru and eat in the car.  I would have prefered to let Jack get out and run around (in air conditioning) for a bit, but live and learn.  #nexttimelistentoyourwifeJason

Friday afternoon and evening we hung out in Corsicana (Jason's hometown) at his mom's house.  All of the family including Jack's cousin Landon came over for dinner and Jack loved all the play time!

We were all geezers and in bed before 10pm!

Saturday

Saturday morning we were up and at 'em early to visit Jason's grandmother at her nursing home.  We had a great visit with her and Jack had a blast.  Her home has a huge fish pond and birds so he was in little boy heaven.

After a mandatory stop at Jason's favorite Corsicana fast food place Taco Shop, we headed north for Arlington to Jason's dad's house to visit with the other side of the family.  Since his parents are divorced, visiting the in-laws means two separate stops, cities and families...I can't complain since that is how my side of the family is too.  #fourchristmases

His dad grilled hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill and Jack was able to play with his other cousin Cohen.  We had a great visit with family and then spent the night in Arlington. 

I'm so, so thankful that Jack is able to sleep anywhere.  Sleeping in two different places in two nights can be hard for anyone.  My trick to making this as easy for him as possible is to try to stick to his bath & bedtime routine and also bring his little comforts from home that are easy to pack like his Twilight Turtle, Sound Machine, favorite stuffed animal, blankie and bedtime books.  It's worth all the packing when he sleeps his normal hours of 8pm-7am. 

Sunday 

We were up early again on Sunday to make the {slow} trek back to Houston.  We had to make one stop in Corsicana to pickup Tucker at Jason's mom's house and say goodbye to everyone...and some cherry ice box cookies for me from Collin Street Bakery before heading to Houston.  Jason got Taco Shop one more time on our way out...diets for everyone this week!


Jack did great again on our way home.  We ended up stopping several times for my pregnant bladder and to let Jack get some fresh air including this cute donut wall I've been dying to stop at!  

Me and Colin at 26 Weeks!

We made it back to Houston around five in just enough time to unpack and pickup the house for the week before worrying about dinner.  Once Jack was asleep Jason and I were pooped but still managed to catch Bachelor in Paradise...he's such a good husband for humoring me with these silly shows!  He stuck through the entire Bachelorette season with me!

I hope you had a great weekend too and a have a great week.  

Is anyone else secretly happy that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now over so you don't feel so tempted to buy items your wallet doesn't' really need you to?  Just me...Bueller? 

Next weekend we are HOME and making Jack's big switch to a new room!

See You Next Week!

We are off to Estes Park, Colorado for a long weekend away.  We were there last September and are so excited to go back!  I'm hoping for less bear sightings (at least the up close ones) this time. 

Our plan is to relax, do lots of walking, eating, being outside and tons of family time. My personal goal is to get some reading in, pickup a few things for Coffee Bean at a little boutique I fell in love with last trip and at least one adult-only meal with my handsome hubby. I also hope to have lots of chipmunk spottings for Jack who will appreciate it more this trip. 

If you have any Estes Park recommendations, please send them my way!

Wish us luck for another round of flying with a toddler!  I have snacks galore and a million Mickey and Diego episodes loaded on the iPad.  Follow along on our trip on Instagram @ChelseaPurifoy. 

Have a great weekend - see you next week!

Weekend Recap :: Getaway to Frederiscksburg, TX

Jason and I decided this past Christmas that instead of gifts for each other we would do a long weekend getaway to Fredericksburg - our first trip away without Jack.  We really wanted to do Vegas again, but decided that Fredericksburg was a good way to ease into things.  I felt better knowing I could hop in the car and head home at any moment just in case.

We left the Thursday morning before Valentine's Day for the Hill Country.  Fredericksburg is between San Antonio and Austin and is the cutest little town in Texas known for their wineries, Main Street shopping, Bed & Breakfasts and lavender.  We've been there together several times and I've visited a few other times once on a girls trip and another time for work.

We rolled into town on Thursday around 2:30 and immediately checked into our really cute cabin {Town Creek Log Cabin}.  Jason researched a ton of houses managed by All Seasons Bed and Breakfast and this was his favorite because of it's privacy and rustic feel.  It was really nice, spacious, had a gorgeous porch and view and was just a short walk from Main Street.  And they had a huge apple pastry waiting for us when we arrived!  They sure do know the way to my heart. 

We went into town to get a quick snack (by snack I mean a huge tray of chips and dips) and walk through some shops before dinner.  I love Circle E Candles that are made in Fredericksburg and we also found a few things for Jack at a cute toyshop.

We headed back to the house to get ready for dinner and have a glass of wine on the porch.  For dinner we headed to our favorite restaurant, Cabernet Grill.  It really is the best.  We both had steak and salad.  We also splurged on the most amazing three cheese grits I've ever had!  We also got dessert to go - yum!

I'm so mad that we did not get a picture together that night since we were all dressed up.  We were in our own little world that night, being childless, and just focused on each other.  There are worse things that can happen :)

We slept in as late as we could (8:30) on Friday, and lazed around the house enjoying our coffee and breakfast before getting ready and heading to Hondo's for an early lunch.   I wanted a hearty lunch since we planned on hitting the wineries so we both splurged on burgers and fries - the best I've had in years.

 

Then it was off to the wineries!  We hit Four Point Cellars first - a new one we hadn't been to before.  Loved the space and we got lucky in that it was not very busy.  I found a rose I loved and another white wine I liked.  We just did a tasting and then headed to the next stop...

Grape Creek - Jason's favorite.  This one was a lot busier, but we still got excellent attention and enjoyed the tasting.  Jason found several wines he loved and onto the next stop...

Torre di Pietra - we actually didn't do any tastings at this one, although we have in the past.  I'm just in love with a lemon artichoke spread that I buy every time we are in Fredericksburg.  Since it is right next door to Grape Creek, we ran in and sure enough they had it!  Needless to say, I stocked up.

Our last winery of the day was Becker Vineyards.  I love this one because aside from wine, they have amazing lavender products and a great patio.  Their bar was crazy so we did not do a tasting at this one.  We just purchased some lavender stuff and had a glass of wine and cheese on the patio.

After a little break we headed to Luckenbach to enjoy some more outdoor time.  It was packed that day because Dale Watson was playing that evening.  It was fun people watching though!  And rooster watching too.

Since we had already had a full day we headed back to the house to rest before dinner.  We had dinner reservations at 7pm at a place we've been dying to try (August E's), but totally woke up from our naps later than we planned.  We could have made it happen, but neither one of us felt like getting all dressed up again as we did the night before.  We cancelled the reservation, went one block up for some pizza and great people watching and then ended the night at the cabin watching Dateline and an early bedtime.  That is just so us and I love it!

The next morning I slept in until 9 - heaven!  We slowly got ready and checked out before heading to breakfast at Sunset Grill.  This one we learned about through good reviews on Yelp and once we arrived it was clearly the place to be.  Although the service was a little slow since they were so busy it was worth it because the food and coffee were both amazing.

Before heading out of town we ran into a few more shops that we didn't want to miss.  Since it was Valentine's Day we decided to get each other little gifts at the shops - a new pocket knife for Jason and some new Kendra for me!

Then we hit the road for home!  Anxious to get back to Jack, but sad to get back to work and the real world.  We had an amazing getaway trip and it was so needed to spend some alone time with my husband.  Plus we can home with lots of great loot...Merry Christmas to us!

And just for fun, if you are planning a trip to Fredericksburg, you can read more about my past trips there:

Couples Trip 2011
Girls Trip 2011

Thoughts on Thursday :: Flying With a Toddler

Last week we returned from a wonderful family vacation in Estes Park, Colorado.  As I've said before, what I was most nervous about was Jack's first flying experience.  I think what I was most worried about was him throwing a crying fit and not being able to console him...and being stuck with annoyed passengers and hateful stares. 

I can tell you that while it was not 100% smooth-sailing, it was not as bad as I had imagined. 


What type of seat to purchase for your little one?

I posted a question on Facebook to all of my experienced mommy friends about whether or not to purchase Jack his own seat on the place or to opt to keep him on my lap since he is under two.  The feedback was pretty mixed so we did a compromise of sorts.  We had Jack on my lap, but in business class for extra space.  Turns out this was a great decision during one of Jack's meltdowns when I told them to keep the wine coming.  Seriously though, the extra leg room was great for when Jack got restless.  I was able to put him on the floor at my feet with the iPad.  Saved our sanity! 

Final advice on this topic:  Trust your gut on what will work best for YOUR child.  It really depends on their personality.  Take into account the length of your flight also.  Our flight was just over 2 hours.  Anything longer and I might consider a separate seat. 


To check or not to check?

I came across many differing opinions on this one.  What to do with our stroller and carseat.  We needed both for our Colorado trip.  Some people suggested services where you can rent these items, but I hated to spend money on things we already had.  Plus, Jack was already going to be in a new place.  I figured having the items he was used to and comfortable with might be nice to have. 

We ended up checking the carseat (Chicco Nextfit) and gate-checking the stroller (City Mini GT).  I was 100% happy with both decisions and offer the following advice:

-  Give yourself a refresher on installing your carseat in different types of cars.  We had a car pick us up for the airport so between that, my parent's car and our rental we moved that thing more times than I care to count!

-  Make sure you are comfortable with your stroller too.  Can you quickly break it down and put it back together?  

-  Purchase a nice cover for your carseat.  While this is not mandatory to check a carseat, there are a handful of reasons to do this.  1.) Protect your precious and expensive carseat, 2.) Germs, 3.) Easier to carry!  Our case had rollers and straps to carry like a backpack, as modeled by Jason below. 

-  Purchase a cover (cheap is great) for your stroller to gate-check.  We used this cheap cover to throw the stroller in.  Again, this is not mandatory.  Most other people we saw gate-checking their stroller did not have a bag.  I was so happy I did though because on our first travel day it was raining cats and dogs.  While everyone else's stuff came out soaking wet, our stroller was protected.  Our bag also came back with some grease on it.  I figured better on the cheap bag than the stroller itself! Another tip: consider buying 2 of these for your trip.  One for the trip up and one for the trip back.  Lots of reviewers online said that since the bags are cheap they often get ripped or torn.  Ours just came back dirty, but I'm now prepared for the next trip!

Finally - if you are using a City Mini Stroller, don't buy the "stroller bag."  It won't fit.  The car seat bag was a perfect fit for the City Mini...what would we do without online reviews!  A classic umbrella stroller would fit the stroller bag. 


What to bring on the plane?

Way too much in our case, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.  We gate-checked the stroller (City Mini for walking in Colorado) so we had something to put Jack in while we strolled through the airport.  Lifesaver!  Jack isn't walking yet and is HEAVY.  {Yes, you read that right that my 16 month old isn't walking...that's a whole other blog post}.  Defensive much, Chelsea?

Back to the topic - aside from gate-checking the stroller, we carried:

-  Purse {Louis Vuitton Neverfull}
-  Diaper Bag {Petunia Picklebottom Backpack}
-  Jason's Carryon Duffle {Jon Hart Daytripper}

The purse had all of my normal essentials {wallet, lipstick, hand sanitizer, phone} but I also threw in the iPad, gum, book, magazine and all of our flight info.  At the suggestion of something I read online, I also had a copy of Jack's birth certificate in case we got questioned about his age since he was sitting on my lap instead of a seat.  No one ever asked for it. 

The diaper bag had all of my normal essentials {read those here} plus LOTS of snacks, his favorite sippy cup and blanket, toys, and some medicine just in case: Tylenol, Benadryl and saline nose drops. It was nice to have the backpack while going through the airport.

Jason's carryon had more snacks, formula, change of clothes for Jack, and even more distraction {toys} for Jack.  I also threw in this blanket at the last minute which I'm glad I did...it came in handy when Jack wanted to sit on the floor of the plane!  I even ordered Jack a few new toys before the flight thinking new toys would hold his attention longer:  Flash cards, Sketch Board, and Take-Along Shape Sorter.  He loved them all although I think Jason liked the sketch board more than Jack!

What to wear? 

When I dress for flying I think comfort, varying temperatures and ease for security.  You never know if you are going to be hot or cold and you definitely want comfortable shoes for those long treks through the airport. 

I opted for Leggings, Animal Print Flats and a 3/4 length Tunic.  It was perfect.  Comfy and easy, but I also didn't look like a slob when we arrived. 

For Jack, I put him in some camo stretchy pants, short sleeve polo and a hoodie.  All by Carter's. 

Other tips:

-  If you are traveling with someone else (especially your significant other) make a plan ahead of time of who will handle what.  This always helps me and Jason avoid stressful situations.  He was in charge of bags and paying attention about where to go.  I was in charge of stroller and baby. 
-  Overprepare
-  Organize your purse and bags ahead of time and make sure important items are handy
-  It's worth bringing your little one's comforts from home
-  Snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks
-  Sense of humor!!!

Good luck if you have a trip coming up!  Thanks for stopping by.  Did I miss anything? 

DON'T FORGET!!!  Tomorrow is the last day to signup for the scarf swap!!!

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I'm linking up today with Annie and Natalie today for Thoughts on Thursday. 

 

 

Estes Park, Colorado 2014

We had the best time traveling to Estes Park earlier this month!  I had been once before years ago and Jason had never been.  We stayed at my mom and LE's (stepdad) new home and it was gorgeous beyond belief.  Between the beautiful home, perfect weather and animals galore, we did not want to leave!   Warning: Picture overload ahead

Travel Day

I was super nervous for flying with Jack, but it all went great!  I'll be posting my tips for for flying with a little one tomorrow. 

Once we arrived at the airport, we took a scenic drive to the house and settled in.  Jason immediately started fishing in the backyard and Jack and I threw rocks in the river.  He loved getting to spend so much time outside.  Between the heat and the mosquitos in Houston, I feel like he is cheated a lot at home of fresh air. 

Playing with his Mimi and Papi

And yes, I ended the day with pie and ice cream!  No calories on vacation.

Friday

After having a "big breakfast" {family joke} at home we headed toward the national park.  Jason wanted to drive to "the top" and hike up the tallest peak.  We got to see some incredible views.

 

We did lunch at Mountain Home Cafe (so yummy) and then went back to the house for naps...

Jack loved playing in their living room with plush fur rugs

 

And Jason loved being able to fish from the backyard!

 

 

That evening, Jason and I wanted to keep with our Friday night tradition of pizza so we left to pick a pie.  We found a place close to the house called Cheesy Lee's that had good reviews on Yelp.  We ordered the pizza and then walked around the lodge.  Turns out it was creepier than the Stanley.  It was an old hotel {Elkhorn Lodge} with horses and a museum-like feel. 

 

That night once Jack was asleep, Jason and I sat outside and enjoyed the cooler temps.  My mother kept wanting us to come in and I thought she was being so weird...

Saturday

...until the next morning when we had a visitor! 

Around 5am I woke up by a loud noise that sounded like someone was breaking into the house.  I was quiet for a few minutes to try and figure out what it is I was hearing.  Finally after it kept getting louder, I woke up Jason who evidently can sleep through anything.  He jumped out of bed to the backdoor, instantly knowing what it was

A bear! 

A huge bear was tearing up the house trying to get the trash that we locked in the shed.  I woke up my mom who told us to sound the airhorn.  We hesitated, not wanting to wake Jack until we saw the size of the bear's head.  He ran away as soon as we sounded it, but came back about 20 minutes later. 

 

Jack slept through the bear and both airhorns.  I could not believe it! 

Tired and cranky, Jason and I decided to stroll through the shops and have lunch in town.  While we loved seeing the town, the lunch was disastrous!  I say this just to show you a little real life.  Jack was getting cranky from being off schedule and not having a nap in his crib.  He never sleeps as good in a stroller.  It was meltdown city.  We ended up leaving the restaurant {Wapiti - can not recommend} without even eating. 

 

 

We went back to the house to rest and just be outside.  The boys put the house back together after our visitor and my mom had to clean the shed with ammonia!

Sunday

What a beautiful day this was!  We drove back out to the national park and hiked around Sprague Lake.  It was gorgeous!!!

After the hike, we did lunch at Notchtop Cafe.  It was so good and when we come back I want to do breakfast there!

 

On Sunday night after eating my mom's amazing homemade chili, we left Jack with Mom and LE and Jason and I headed to the Stanley Hotel for drinks and a ghost tour.  Even if you aren't into ghosts, the Stanley is a GORGEOUS hotel.  I loved hearing about The Shining, Stephen King and even learned the parts of Dumb and Dumber were filmed there....and after only one night, Jim Carrey checked out and hasn't been back since!

 

Bathroom selfie at the Stanley...was hoping a ghost would appear in my picture!

 

Monday

Since the weather was crummy and it was our last day we wanted to stay close to the house and just chill. 

While my mom watched Jack for us, Jason and I grabbed our first PSL's of the season and ran into a cute shop I wanted to visit - The Grey House.  A must visit if you ever go to Estes Park.  The couple who owns it is originally from Fort Worth and they carry stuff for everyone: men, women and baby! 

We took Jack for one more walk through the neighborhood to see some chipmunks...

 

And stopped to see some Elk at the golf course in town....

That afternoon while sitting at the kitchen bar facing the backdoor (pictured below) I saw a dog climb up the steps.  I thought it was the neighbors black lab, Rio, until it raised up on it's hind legs and jumped on that tree on the left...BEAR!!! 

It literally turned it's head to look at me, teeth, drool and all.  I called for Jason to see it who immediately sounded the horn again.  So mad I didn't get a chance for an up-close picture!

He ran to the neighbors house and we didn't see him again.  Freaked out, we did call the neighbors who assured us this was very normal this time of year when they are going on binge eating overload to prepare for hibernation.   Needless to say, we stayed indoors and enjoyed the house the rest of the day!  We even did takeout from The Sundeck that was so yummy!

I think the bear just wanted to tell us bye

Travel Day

Boo!  We did not want to leave, but all good things must come to an end.  Jack wasn't as great on the plane this time around, but Jason and I also learned a few things too to help us! 

Such a random sidenote, but I was thrilled to see that Denver has a full Mac store in their airport.  Perfect timing because I was in desperate need of a new eyebrow pencil. 

And then home sweet home!  Happy to be back to our normal critters...raccoons, bunnies and possuums, but looking forward to our next visit.  Than you a million times to my mom and LE for having us and being such gracious hosts!  Now when can we come back???