You Sit On a Throne of Lies :: Easter Edition

If you follow me on Facebook, this is old news, but it is too crazy not to share.  Yesterday afternoon around 4:30 I took Jack to see the Easter Bunny at our local mall...nice suburban mall.  It was daylight and early and I was excited to beat the bunny crowds on the weekend.  

Jack loved meeting the Easter Bunny giving him lots of high fives until it was time to actually sit on his lap.  Then it was tear city.  That's okay, it was quick and painless, we paid and went on our way.  I loaded Jack up in his stroller, did a quick trip to Bath & Body Works which is just a few feet away from the Easter Bunny and as we were walking out we stopped one more time to wave goodbye to the bunny.  

That's when we start seeing people running to all of the exits.  At first I just saw one family running out and thought they were just being silly.  That was until the dad looked at me with a crying kid slung over his shoulder and said, MOVE IT - HE HAS A GUN!

I pushed that stroller so fast and ran in my heels faster than I've ever run before.  Luckily we weren't far from the exit we needed to get right to our car.  Even once we were in the parking lot, I wanted to get as far away from the mall as possible just in case they came running out the same exit.  I've never thrown the stroller in the car so fast or buckled Jack in his seat so swiftly.  I'm proud of myself for staying calm though - I don't think Jack even noticed anything weird was going on. But I am kinda ticked at the people in the car next to me just watching as I frantically got everything in.  They knew what was going on, but seemed to be enjoying the show. 

By the time we were driving away, cops were just starting to pull up to the mall.  According the news, it was a two man "smash and grab."  They both had on masks and one had a gun.  No shots were fired and no one was hurt.  I think they got away too.  

The jewelry store that was hit was just across the aisle from where the Easter Bunny was setup.  I could have easily walked in that direction with Jack and almost did when I remembered that I needed to stop at Macy's for some beauty products.  Thank God I was too lazy!  We would have been even closer if I would have made that choice.  

I know you shouldn't live in fear, but I've decided to stay away from the malls when I'm by myself with Jack.  The scariest part of the whole ordeal was that Jack was with me.  All I wanted to do was get him to safety.  There have been too many crazies out there who don't care that it's daylight and there are tons of people around.

At least we are left with some gorgeous pictures of Jack with the Easter Bunny (sarcasm)...

Very reminiscent of our Christmas Edition!

And I promise I wasn't trying to torture my son!  He loved seeing the Easter Bunny last year...here is proof!

Spring Has Sprung

Happy Monday!  Who else is enjoying this weather lately?  We spent the majority of the weekend outside and all loved it.  I'm excited to get our yard looking pretty again.

About two weeks ago we took Jack for some "Easter photos" with Amanda of Mommas Gonna Snap {same photographer who took the recent Houston Moms Blog Headshots}.  We love Amanda and she works great with Jack who happened to be super cranky that day for pictures.

I was about to throw in the towel, but Amanda just knew it would happen and patiently kept trying different things until voila!

Five on Friday :: A Rant and a List

TGIF!  Those four letters always make me think about the Friday night lineup on ABC when I was younger with Full House, Family Matters and Step by Step.  Our parents would let us have "picnic night" and eat pizza on a picnic blanket in the living room.  The best!

I had a post go live on Houston Moms Blog yesterday about what NOT to register for.  I thought it would be a fun take on this topic since there are so many "Must-Have" registry lists out there.  I put a disclaimer in the post that this list is totally subjective and is just what worked for us and my one child, but oh boy did it stir up controversy!  I had hoped that people would chime in on what worked and didn't for them simply to give other perspectives and hopefully help new mom's struggling with their own registry lists.  Yes they did. 

Who knew there was a mommy war out there that I was blind to: Wipes Warmer vs. No Wipes Warmer.  Whoa!  People are passionate about this topic.  Other hot disagreements included the Bumbo and including nursing products on your registry.

The nursing product debate got my blood boiling the most {and apparently} most readers, but I'm afraid my point was lost because when people hear someone take a stance on nursing they suddenly draw up their defenses. 

Let me be clear.  I am pro-nursing.  I breast fed my son for over a year.  I used every nursing product on the market and love them all.  No one should be embarrassed about breastfeeding.  It is natural and awesome and amazing.  My point in the whole "not including nursing items on your registry" was just to proceed with caution in adding these items {think nipple cream, bras, nipple shields} thinking of who will be viewing your list, gifting you items and watching you open said items at a shower.  It might be easier for you to just purchase these items yourself. 

Am I the only one who doesn't want my coworkers {mostly males} and father thinking about my boobs and nipples?  Apparently based on the feedback I got yesterday, I am.  I had work showers and a couples shower and was not comfortable with these items being viewed by said people.  But my opinion is to always do what makes YOU comfortable.  This was merely a suggestion.

The worst comment I received yesterday on Facebook said that "I was part of the problem" when it comes to normalizing breast feeding.  Ouch.

I wish people would have read my post on Breastfeeding in the Workplace or Nursing and Pumping on the Go {my very first post for HMB}.  

I know in the blogging world you need to have thick skin, but it's something I clearly need to work on.  I generally am able to stay strong in my opinions and what I put out there.  It's just frustrating when your point is totally misheard.  If you want some entertainment, feel free to read the comments on the HMB Facebook page. 

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And onto my Five on Friday!  I'm just listing five things I'm looking forward to this weekend since I already talked your ear off ::

1 - Date Night with my husband Saturday night...hello child free meal!
2 - Couch time this evening and some relaxation
3 - Pulling together Jack's invites for his 2nd birthday party...Oh Two-dles, it's Mickey themed!
4 - Making Jason a homemade birthday cake {his birthday is Sunday}.  I think I'm going to try this recipe since he LOVES anything banana. 
5 - Starting The Girl on the Train.  I've heard it's awesome.  Anyone read it yet?

I hope you have an awesome weekend!  Anything fun planned?

xoxo

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Linking up:

What NOT to Register For

I'm over at Houston Moms Blog today talking about what NOT to register for.  I realize that this is totally subjective so be sure and leave a comment if you don't agree.  This is just based on my experience with Jack and an unscientific poll of friends and other HMB Contributors!

Easter Basket Goodies for a Toddler

It's that time of year again to start pulling together a few goodies for your little one's Easter Basket from good 'ole Peter Cottontail.

You can read what I did for Jack last year here.

This year we are using the same basket from Pottery Barn Kids {which I plan to do for many years to come}.  This year I didn't want to spend a huge amount of money filling it and he is definitely not getting candy quite yet {his toddler tantrums do not need extra sugar}. 

I had great luck at the Dollar Spot at Target with some Easter themed goodies I know he will love including some duck shaped bubbles, egg chalk and a Peter Rabbit Coloring Book.  How can you beat $1!

I have also added a few other items below:

Hoppy Easter Jammies
Llama Llama Easter Egg Board Book
Jellycat Woodland Bunny
Crayola Egg Chalk


What are you including in your little one's basket this year?  Or do you just stick to an egg hunt?  I'd love to hear!

Stitch Fix Review #4

It's time for another Stitch Fix review!  You can read my other reviews here and here.  

I scheduled this fix for mid March since I had a credit to the shop from my referral link!  You may remember in my last Stitch Fix review I was disappointed in the service and said I might not do again...well, those credits were calling my name and so was my desire for a few new transitional pieces to carry me into spring.  I made some notes to my stylist and hoped for the best! 

For those of you who aren't familiar with Stitch Fix, it is a styling service that sends you 5 pieces of clothing and/or accessories pulled specifically for you.  Once you receive the items you can try on, take pictures and see how they will work into your wardrobe - all in the comfort of your own home.  You have three days to decide to keep the items or send them back.  If you keep all five items you will receive 20% off the entire purchase.  If you send all 5 items back you lose your $20 stylist fee that would have been applied to your purchase.  Everyone fills out a style and fit questionnaire, but you can be as picky or open as you want in your communications to your stylist.  

So what did I receive and keep?

{And yes, I tried on the tops with Lululemon leggings.  These were taken on a Friday night and I was way too tired to change into better pants.  Sorry, not sorry}

ONE :: Mystree Braden Sweater, $68.00 - SENT BACK 

Loved the sweater.  Didn't keep because it is about to be too hot to wear in Houston.

TWO :: Kensie Rebekah Contrast Detail Blazer, $88.00 - SENT BACK

Loved the blazer and the color.  Wanted to keep, but it had a stain on it.  For $88 I didn't want to try and get the stain out myself!

 

THREE :: Fun2Fun Sheridan Striped V-Neck Tab Sleeve Blouse, $48.00 - SENT BACK

Liked the top.  The fit was okay and it just seemed a little cheap for fifty bucks.

THREE :: Pixley Ohara Faux Wrap Tie-Waist Dress, $68.00 - SENT BACK

FOUR ::  Pixley Kathy Striped Fit & Flare Dress, $68.00 - SENT BACK

Loved the style and color of both of these dresses, but they simply didn't fit.  #fatgirlproblems

FINAL THOUGHTS :: Even though it seems that I didn't like my pieces since I sent it all back, I was actually pleased with what was sent to me.  I could tell that the stylist actually listened to my requests and viewed my Stitch Fix Style Pinboard.  I asked for stripes, a blazer, neutrals and items that could be worn to the office and on the weekend. She did all of these things for me!  I wasn't too upset to send it all back since I didn't actually lose my $20 styling fee since I had credit. 

I would have purchased the blazer if it didn't have the stain.  I also would have purchased the sweater if it weren't for the fact that it's about to get very hot in Houston. 

I would definitely do Stitch Fix again in the future.  Did you hear that they now offer Maternity and Petite styling too? I would have loved this service when I was pregnant!!!

If you want to give Stitch Fix a try, you can use my referral link here to sign-up. 

Note that I will receive a $25 credit if you sign-up.  Hopefully then someone will do the same for you...it's like subscription box karma!

Weekend Recap

Another great weekend come and gone. 

On Friday night we ordered in and watched Mockingjay after putting Jack to bed.   It was good, but maybe a little boring.  It could be that I was just super tired or a little over the Hunger Games. 

On Saturday we woke up with no plans and toyed with the idea of taking Jack to the Houston Rodeo, but the thought of the crowds did me in so we opted for the Children's Museum of Houston!  We arrived around lunchtime and ate in the cafe - not great, but convenient.  Then it was off to see the exhibits.  Jack had such a good time.  He face lit up at just about every new thing he saw.  Even though we were there for several hours there is still much more for us to see another time. 

Jack's favorite thing to do at the museum was the Vet Clinic at Kidtropollis.  He would have stayed in there all day playing with the stuffed animals if he could.  The grocery store and sitting in cars were also big hits.

On our way home Jack passed out in the back seat so Jason ran into Amy's Ice Cream {my absolute fave} and grabbed us a sweet treat to go.  We earned it...and I was good and got the smallest serving they had {but had to add some sprinkles}!

Back at home, I ran to the grocery store while Jason and Jack napped.  I SO did not want to go, but knew I wanted to get it knocked out rather than save for Sunday. 

This was my view on Sunday morning while sipping coffee.  Not too shabby.  After we had breakfast of cinnamon toast and eggs Jason hit the books so Jack and I went for a long walk to the park.  It was slightly overcast Sunday morning which just meant we had the entire park to ourselves.  We had a blast.  

Sunday afternoon we drove across town for an Easter Mini-Session with Mommas Gonna Snap, the same photographer who did my recent headshot for Houston Moms Blog.  Jack was NOT having it.  He woke up a few minutes before we arrived after a long car nap so was still sleepy during the shoot.  The only way we could get him to be happy was to bring out the chick and bunny props.  This boy loves him some animals!

After the quick photo session we stopped at Sprouts.  Jason loves this place and I had never been since there isn't one near our house.  We picked up a new things that I can't normally find at my grocery store like Ezekiel Bread. 

And that's our day!  I did a few things around the house with Jack Sunday evening while Jason grilled us some dinner then it was off to bed to watch Walking Dead and call it a day!

I hope you had a great weekend too and are off to a good start this Monday. 

Don't forget to enter the Two Magnolia Lane Giveaway which ends at 11:59 p.m. TODAY!!!