Favorite Fall Accessories

Tights ||  Necklace || Baggu

Headband  || Tights || Barrette

Scarf || Gloves || Bracelets

I like to show my new favorite accessories a lot. There are so many good ones out there, and they generally don't break the bank like new wardrobes, so I'm a big fan. I'm particularly loving the yellow barrette these days. Zuzii makes such cute things.

In other news, last night I stopped taking NyQuill because I was feeling much better, but I couldn't sleep! I had convinced myself that in three days I must have become addicted (I hardly EVER take medicine because of paranoia!) and now I'll never sleep well again, when Brian said jokingly to me "hey Kate, did you give us caffeinated coffee?" 

Every night when the kids fall asleep, we make some decaf. It's our substitution for dessert. We always always make decaf, until last night. When he asked, I knew in that instant that, yes, I had subconsciously made caffeinated coffee. Dun dun duuuunnn.

A lot of tossing and turning, and many minutes later, we fell into a deep sleep. I didn't look at a clock after midnight because it would have totally stressed me out. ;)

Thankfully, Maggie decided to let us sleep until 7:30, and we woke feeling refreshed-ish and, obviously, I'll be teased for awhile. 

Ohhh Tuesday. 

Make Your Mark

I fell asleep on the couch at my parent's house at 7:30 tonight. Everyone should invite me for over for dinner, right? Ha. 

I'm sleepy! Maggie has been waking at 6:30 this week (new 2-year molar maybe?) and we are sooo spoiled with the 7am wakeup that this crazy still-dark wakeup call is taking it out of us. I know a lot of friends whose children wake at 5 and they're probably wanting to have some choice words with me right about now, so I'll move on.

We used the car today and drove to the beautiful north bay for a Mark and Graham Trunk show at Pottery Barn. Have you heard of it? It's a new brand with a modern monogram on their products. So much prettiness. I don't own much that is monogrammed, but there is something extra special about a piece that has been specifically monogrammed just for you, you know? It's particularly perfect for buying wedding gifts or Christmas gifts.  Everything feels like fine quality and it was good to see in person. They'll be doing more trunk shows this fall, so be sure to look for one in your city. :) 

After we shopped, we crossed the pretty bridge with all its views (we HAVE to walk the Golden Gate Bridge soon. It's one of those things locals always forget to do with their kids and I am determined to go this fall!), and went to see my family. We brought a nice batch of apples (obviously) to cut all together at my parents' and made a crumble for dessert. It was unreal. I'll totally be rounding up these recipes I've been getting up for apples, and get some recipes to you. One thing I'm learning? Apple recipes hardly need any ingredients to be good.  

There you have it. A day in the life. It was a good Thursday. Thursdays are so close to Friday that sometimes they feel almost as good. 

Surviving a Weekend Without my Husband

My husband is home. Four days gone, and now I get him back.

May I first just tell you- single mothers: I have no clue how you do it. Mothers whose husbands travel constantly: I don't know how you do it either. Mothers whose husbands just work kind of a lot and randomly travel: I'm with you.

SF had a little rain this weekend... it was very exciting to take out the umbrellas and rain boots. ;)

We actually had a very good weekend. We celebrated birthdays and spent time with family and friends... but there's just that thing where you can't "call in the reserves" to discipline or to be an extra set of hands when you really need them.  

I created some tips for my future self on Brian's next trip... take 'em or leave 'em:

1. Grab some sour candy {or whatever your vice may be} so you have something to look forward to when the kiddos go to bed. Cookie butter is another good option. 
2. Feel free to repeat your outfit three days in a row. The only person who might notice are your kids and next-door neighbor, so no big deal. 
3. Take a fun field trip with the little ones. A walk to get pizza, a bus ride to a new park, a playdate at a different house... these are things we do less frequently, so it's fun to spice it up while their daddy is gone. I try to adjust my mentality to make the extra time alone with my kids an opportunity rather than a burden.
4. Make a really great breakfast casserole or bread or bread pudding one evening. The next morning, when you're sleepy and wiped out, you can pop that deliciousness in the oven without working for it in the morning, and it'll feel just a step above the ordinary. It helps everyone wake on the right side of the bed/crib.
5. Be sure your caffeine is fully stocked.
6. If you're invited somewhere, GO. Get out of the house and be as social as you can, so you feel like you're not alone! Bonus for this one: your kids will wear out enough to fall asleep extra quickly and you can get much-needed quiet time early in the evening. 
7. In the evenings, do things you don't usually have time to do: take a long bubble bath, read a book, or watch "You've Got Mail" a few times. {"I hoped it would be you..." awww) 
8. Try to get together with a friend who can come over when the kids are in bed. I had a girl friend come and chat about nothing and everything for three hours straight one evening and it was perfect. Kind of like a throwback to college days. I wore sweats like any good hostess.
9. If your guy is on a fun weekend to refresh, be sure to LET HIM refresh. Needing to chat every hour is counter-productive for everyone. It's best to let him have his space, and then enjoy his company so much more when he gets back home! 
10. Take one day at a time. Don't think about how looong it'll be without a break; rather, just say "today will be a good day" when you awaken. Mentality is half the battle.

 Really, a weekend with the guys is a healthy thing for Brian to have a couple times a year. It gives him a break from pressure at work, and responsibilities at home. It allows him to enjoy his meals uninterrupted and watch football games and get quality talks with good friends. The last thing he needs is to feel guilty about being away.

ps. I can also definitely use a nap right about now. Schedule those into a weekend with a husband out of town too. ;)

Celebrating

My husband turned 31 last weekend. He looks like he probably turned 23, and his heart is 19, but his age is 31.  

Birthdays are great. They really are. A REALLY good birthday can be simple. In our old age (!), we prefer being with people we love, focused only on quality time together. We met dear friends at the beach for a beautiful bonfire to celebrate, and it was just right. We discussed who assembles the best s'mores, throws the best spiral, and jumps the furthest off the sandy dunes {In my opinion, Brian won all three}. 

I love simplicity.

I'm lucky because I'm younger than Brian... but only by a month... I'm taking every opportunity to let him know he's an old man for the next 25 days or so. Also, how much I adore him, but that goes without saying. ;) 

So glad we get to grow old together.  

xxoo.  

Brunch

Before we had children, going out to brunch was an every-weekend-essential date with Brian. Even when we had Sophie, we continued the routine of taking a walk to get a fabulous brunch every weekend. I mean, the choices at brunch! ... if I wanted huevos rancheros, he could still have a salad.. if he wanted pancakes? I could eat a sandwich. It's the best of both worlds, mid-morning on the most relaxing day of the week.

Then we had Maggie. Brunch with one child is still relatively chill. Brunch with two? Not ideal. We'd be trying to feed them, attempting to salvage the last bit of orange juice before our children downed theirs and ours, and doing our best to keep the avocados on our plate from being snatched by toddler hands... We had to come to grips with the fact that our overpriced eggs and waffles would no longer be our weekend routine. 

Wait, there's good news!  

I still craved the big brunches or breakfasts that were a step above the every day. Just because you stop doing something the way you once did doesn't mean you have to totally stop doing it altogether. Enter: culinary efforts! Who knew I could do this?

Creating onion/tomato/avocado/cheese scrambles is SIMPLE. Waffles are SIMPLE. Huevos rancheros, the easiest! Mexican breakfast with "papas y chorizo" (I use soyrizo, actually) is just not as difficult to make as I once thought. Bread pudding- laughably easy. And it's all delicious!! I've discovered that making fancy brunches is the easiest meal of the day. 

The best part? I feel so thoroughly accomplished when I've fed a beautiful brunch to my grateful family. We are in our own home, relaxing, chatting, and orange juice refills are aplenty, and a full bowl of fresh strawberries doesn't cost us $8. 

Happy Friday, friends. I totally recommend a grand feast of a breakfast or brunch this weekend... I have a feeling this weekend is going to be a great one.  

(it HAS to be good... it's Brian's birthday weekend!) 

 ps. Links up next, later this weekend. xo

That Was Fun: America's Cup

By this point, you've probably noticed that we love the America's Cup. 

Yes. We can't get enough. Maybe boats aren't your thing and all your friends live in San Francisco and post pictures everywhere of America's Cup, over and over, and you're like "is this over?" Nope. It's not. And when it is, we'll be so bummed because it's so good to watch. 

Side note: I love having a blog at times like these. It's my little journal and letter to my daughters to show them the things they got to experience when they were too little to remember. If you're anything like me, you have far too many pictures taken to ever print... but I'm so pleased can show them this, and they can see that they really were around for things like this historical sailing summer in the city. 

Back to it: we went with my grandparents to get the view of these boats. I think I've mentioned that my grandpa used to sail and race to amazing places. He's been trying to teach us what we're watching when we watch the boats, but it's seriously a new language. As much as I'd love to glean a ton of knowledge and pick up the language of the sailors, it's most fun to simply hear stories. We love to listen to them speak with animation and thrill about the days on the boats, and explain the races to us because they know exactly what is happening. :)

The final races begin Saturday. Excited to see team ORACLE! :)