tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59228156636217296072024-03-14T04:03:08.329-04:00Oy! A blog about adventure, travel & life's laughable moments. Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.comBlogger336125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-80847447761545059352015-06-30T10:14:00.003-04:002015-06-30T10:14:33.875-04:00The New Oy! Website Is Live!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The New Oy! Website Is Live!</b><br />
I am extremely excited and proud to share the <a href="http://www.oykristen.com/" target="_blank">new Oy! site</a> with you! This is a project that has been in the works for months, and I am thrilled that this day has finally arrived. It was time for a thorough refresh to the site, and as I dreamed about what I wanted in this space, I learned that I couldn't do everything I wanted here anymore. It simply wasn't possible to share everything in the robust way I hoped. I am pleased to move my little corner of the web over to a squarespace platform, where content will be readily searchable, archived, and easier on the eyes. Many thanks to the ladies at <a href="http://www.maiedae.com/" target="_blank">Maiedae</a>, who designed the new blog (and the original version of this space!) The Maiedae talent has made my website dreams come true, over and over again. If you want a site build, you should <a href="http://www.maiedae.com/contact/" target="_blank">reach out to them</a>. :) And tell them I sent you!<br />
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So you're probably wondering, what will happen to <i>this</i> space? It will forever live in the recesses of the internet. However, <i>every single post</i> has been moved over to the new site, even <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2011/04/two-big-thumbs-up-and-brazilian-butt.html" target="_blank">the old, uncouth posts from my early days</a> that should never really see the light of day again. Everything has moved, with the exception of YOU. If you want to continue along with me on this Oy! journey, make sure to subscribe to the blog via <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/people/oykristen-2216033" target="_blank">bloglovin here</a> and you can also follow along on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oykristen/494193674013313?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://instagram.com/oykristen/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Otherwise, head on over to the <a href="http://www.oykristen.com/" target="_blank">NEW OY! WEBSITE</a> now!<br />
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Thank you so much for reading this blog and engaging with me in this forum. It's a bit sad to leave this site, which has fostered my growth as a person, wife, and transition into mother over the past 4 years. But I am excited about sharing fresh content in the new space, and my hope is that it will provide a community for even more interaction and conversation amongst us.<br />
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Again, many <i>many</i> thanks for reading. Your continued support means more to me than you will probably every know.<br />
Love love love.<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-33132737045452348452015-06-25T07:38:00.001-04:002015-06-25T07:38:44.774-04:00Roaming in Rome. Part 3.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Roaming in Rome. Part 3.</b><br />
There are so many things we did, saw and ate in Rome that don't fit into any kind of category. I shared about how marvelous it was to <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2015/06/8-tips-for-traveling-abroad-with-your.html" target="_blank">bring my 10-month-old son to this eternal city</a>, <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2015/06/roaming-in-rome-part-1.html" target="_blank">how fascinating everything truly was</a>, especially the second time around, and <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2015/06/roaming-in-rome-part-2_18.html" target="_blank">how ancient this place felt</a>. However, to leave the narrative of this trip at that would be irresponsible of me, because there were so many moments I experienced between my eye and the camera lens that were striking, enriching, elaborate and exceedingly funny. These moments were like the delicious ingredients that so sweetly flavored the whole trip for me. The outlier experiences. Things like, watching my husband dance unabashedly with my son while we waited for our pizza to arrive at the table. Like watching the pigeons primp their filthy feathers atop the statues' heads in the Piazza Navona. The curious water fountains you can drink from throughout the city and the trying on of leather goods and the munching on bruchetta while wandering through the flower district. Watching horse races in the Borghese Park and the fiats line up in a rainbow of cute and the windows open up midday. All of these charming moments were treasures, painting the trip in a truly rosy shade of optimism for me. This is the stuff of life. The little moments that make the big impact. Delicious. Precious. Unsung heroes of traveling tales.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sgjw1CTVNjA/VYtddfR1oTI/AAAAAAAAJho/QFDXwq6O494/s1600/St.%2BPetes%2BHaywire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sgjw1CTVNjA/VYtddfR1oTI/AAAAAAAAJho/QFDXwq6O494/s1600/St.%2BPetes%2BHaywire.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">St. Peter's Basilica, in all it's pomp and glory.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-flvwMD8qCKY/VYtd9omff2I/AAAAAAAAJiQ/wEduSYLU1s4/s1600/ergo%2Bmen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-flvwMD8qCKY/VYtd9omff2I/AAAAAAAAJiQ/wEduSYLU1s4/s1600/ergo%2Bmen.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My Ergo men. Everett still in his pjs, because, well... he was on vacation too.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-suYxRy3PTKk/VYI1tzIldkI/AAAAAAAAJbg/SeswKi40ZEk/s1600/fiats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-suYxRy3PTKk/VYI1tzIldkI/AAAAAAAAJbg/SeswKi40ZEk/s1600/fiats.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Have you ever seen a car evoke such fun?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9slecRhGaLA/VYte4CXyT7I/AAAAAAAAJjg/ftryRg1Fwvc/s1600/walkers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9slecRhGaLA/VYte4CXyT7I/AAAAAAAAJjg/ftryRg1Fwvc/s1600/walkers.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love Italians.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mLsoSEgMTmk/VYI1yKNdXvI/AAAAAAAAJbo/c6NXaXtyYTc/s1600/horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mLsoSEgMTmk/VYI1yKNdXvI/AAAAAAAAJbo/c6NXaXtyYTc/s1600/horses.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think this horse show was a rather big deal. Too bad I didn't understand any of the commentary.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vovUrhZix6A/VYI13LWo2bI/AAAAAAAAJbw/lv-idaslFYQ/s1600/water%2Bfountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vovUrhZix6A/VYI13LWo2bI/AAAAAAAAJbw/lv-idaslFYQ/s1600/water%2Bfountain.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can find these water fountains all over the city. People drink straight from them or fill up their water bottles. Even though Rick Steves said the water was okay to drink, I wasn't brave enough.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ie1sOfACGU/VYI2SyF3tdI/AAAAAAAAJb4/wUsZiKiHfyI/s1600/wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ie1sOfACGU/VYI2SyF3tdI/AAAAAAAAJb4/wUsZiKiHfyI/s1600/wine.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">For this? I was brave enough.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ak7KfPZObHU/VYtb0B5R9GI/AAAAAAAAJhc/_gjVsHxR8L4/s1600/us%2Bus%2Bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ak7KfPZObHU/VYtb0B5R9GI/AAAAAAAAJhc/_gjVsHxR8L4/s1600/us%2Bus%2Bus.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">He's delicious.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5tlXDtZDVf4/VYtd1KW3TmI/AAAAAAAAJiI/VQSJdnaPfh4/s1600/patios.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5tlXDtZDVf4/VYtd1KW3TmI/AAAAAAAAJiI/VQSJdnaPfh4/s1600/patios.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g38hHPDSJhM/VYteJNSSTLI/AAAAAAAAJiY/zaqzgfCN_Tc/s1600/church%2Bagain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g38hHPDSJhM/VYteJNSSTLI/AAAAAAAAJiY/zaqzgfCN_Tc/s1600/church%2Bagain.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rome is ubiquitous with churches like this. They are on every corner of every street, no exaggeration. And when you peek inside, each and every one of them are breathtaking. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hwt-4vD7R_o/VYteOnzC-vI/AAAAAAAAJig/hWSbSRC44No/s1600/us%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bchurch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hwt-4vD7R_o/VYteOnzC-vI/AAAAAAAAJig/hWSbSRC44No/s1600/us%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bchurch.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you follow us on instagram, you might remember when <a href="https://instagram.com/p/3yWHvonuak/?taken-by=oykristen" target="_blank">I posted about Everett finding his (loud!) voice</a> in this silent church. Oops.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0xeOT25xEU/VYteTvUswUI/AAAAAAAAJio/_BrWI2Vymqo/s1600/inner%2Bchurch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0xeOT25xEU/VYteTvUswUI/AAAAAAAAJio/_BrWI2Vymqo/s1600/inner%2Bchurch.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-odPlHjQWcdk/VYteXml9ZqI/AAAAAAAAJiw/h45IJFD90wY/s1600/that%2Bbaby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-odPlHjQWcdk/VYteXml9ZqI/AAAAAAAAJiw/h45IJFD90wY/s1600/that%2Bbaby.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">He's made everything about my life better. Except for the ever-present eye circles. But I'll take em.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GU4Rephxr-s/VYtebp2medI/AAAAAAAAJi4/vnRwUYgyuIw/s1600/flowers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GU4Rephxr-s/VYtebp2medI/AAAAAAAAJi4/vnRwUYgyuIw/s1600/flowers1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ScZ-BtFmWW4/VYtee6S9IOI/AAAAAAAAJjA/L2HJTUWv1_E/s1600/flowers3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ScZ-BtFmWW4/VYtee6S9IOI/AAAAAAAAJjA/L2HJTUWv1_E/s1600/flowers3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Flowers wrapped in paper, tied up with strings. Isn't that from the "Favorite Things" song?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jxnwusf4yxE/VYteiD1LIvI/AAAAAAAAJjI/irxVOgPGcQ8/s1600/lemon%2Btree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jxnwusf4yxE/VYteiD1LIvI/AAAAAAAAJjI/irxVOgPGcQ8/s1600/lemon%2Btree.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some kind of decadent, lemony-orange-hybrid.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UogDMSwCWI0/VYtem71QaKI/AAAAAAAAJjQ/2VIA6Nb6_mU/s1600/st%2Bpetes%2Bfount.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UogDMSwCWI0/VYtem71QaKI/AAAAAAAAJjQ/2VIA6Nb6_mU/s1600/st%2Bpetes%2Bfount.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The view the Pope wakes up to. PERSPECTIVE.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LjNAzTD0V1U/VYterg_LT6I/AAAAAAAAJjY/D65u9wCMSNQ/s1600/piazza%2Bnavona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LjNAzTD0V1U/VYterg_LT6I/AAAAAAAAJjY/D65u9wCMSNQ/s1600/piazza%2Bnavona.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stevie pointed out that all the statues showcase old guys as ripped. Then he paused for a moment, then said, "If I could make a statue of myself, I would want it to look ripped, too."</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X_vsc16RQIk/VYtdqD3gfuI/AAAAAAAAJiE/iZ5weNpW-g4/s1600/my%2Bbabyyyy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X_vsc16RQIk/VYtdqD3gfuI/AAAAAAAAJiE/iZ5weNpW-g4/s1600/my%2Bbabyyyy1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's a wrap!</span></td></tr>
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Thanks for letting me share. And thanks for following along on our first international family trip; it was certainly a special one! I hope there will be many many more to come.<br />
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But you know what? I learned on this trip that adventure doesn't have to be a plane flight away. Niether does inspiration or creativity. Yes, spending time with my family in Rome certainly made me feel adventurous and inspired, and I have come back to the States full of all kinds of ideas and plans (with little time to implement everything in my heart). But! Some of the most adventurous parts about this trip were experiencing the everyday moments as a new mom, experiencing all these new things through the eyes of my darling son. It doesn't take seeing the Vatican or drinking the foreign wine to feel extra special or adventurous. But watching Everett discover pizza? Taste gelato? And laugh at the birds preening themselves in the fountains? Well gosh. My heart just comes undone. These things were truly thrilling. Yes, the wine was good, don't get me wrong. IT WAS VERY GOOD. But nothing came close to how much fun it was to push Everett on the park swing, watch him sway to the dinnertime accordion music, and marvel at discovering his voice can echo in a cathedral. <br />
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There are adventures around every corner. Even at home. Even where everything is "regular". We just have to shift our focus to look for those moments, pause and revel in them a bit, and celebrate! I'm learning how to do this. I'm not great at it. But being a parent makes you sloooow down, so these moments are a bit easier for me to grasp these days.<br />
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You don't
have to travel to Rome to pause for a moment. You don't have to travel to Rome for adventure. All it takes is a bit of patience, stepping outside the normal routines of the day, and giving yourself the moment to
drink in the deliciousness of life. May there be a bit of <i>dolce vita</i> for us all!<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-63113694080591869352015-06-23T08:21:00.001-04:002015-06-23T08:22:48.773-04:008 Year Anniversary!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
This morning you are far away on a work trip, and I am sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee, watching our big little baby terrorize his toys. <br />
<br />
I can't stop smiling.<br />
<br />
I didn't think I could possibly love you more. But a year ago, this child came along, and everything got harder, better, richer, sweeter. Seeing you as a dad, experiencing you take care of our family, feeling the safety in your presence - it's a part of you I didn't know until now. I love you more now than every other year before.<br />
<br />
I'm lucky, we're lucky, we are <i>so</i> lucky. I don't take it for granted.<br />
<br />
Thank you for walking with me, respecting me, listening to me, empowering me, pushing me. Thank you for this epic year of Everett. Thank you for taking me on adventures and thank you for letting me take you on some. We've had quite the journey, you and I. And there is so much more to come!<br />
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Happy 8 years, my love. 8!!!<br />
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<i>Photo by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/eye.song.1" target="_blank">Rachel Koontz</a>.</i><br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-84765477546719914862015-06-22T11:11:00.003-04:002015-06-22T11:11:46.371-04:00Happy Father's Day. Which means SPORTS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Fathers. </b><br />
I hope you all had a happy Father's Day weekend. We celebrated Stevie big time for his first Father's Day, not by doing anything super extravagant, but just doing all the things that make him happy. Which means we did A LOT, and even though I am tired today, it was such a fun weekend! <br />
<br />
My husband is a go-go-go kind of person. I've probably become more that way since we've been together, and while he can thoroughly exhaust me with his energizer-bunny routine, it can also be super duper fun! This weekend we biked, swam, played, watched the rain storms roll in, enjoyed lunch out at <a href="http://serenbe.com/" target="_blank">our favorite Farm</a>, played golf (him, not me!), and even did a bit of car shopping. All good, delicious MAN FUN. It was an absolute joy to celebrate my husband and the gorgeous father-role that he has transitioned into this past year. I believe with absolute certainty that having a present, involved father paints the best kind of future for his family, and I am so glad that Stevie & I are on the same page when it comes to that kind of family involvement. He takes his role as a dad so seriously, and makes it a priority to be around for Everett's bath time, bed time, reading time, feeding time, etc. as much as he possibly can. He never makes me feel like the parenthood experience is just "my thing", and I am so grateful for that. I believe that if me and Stevie are doing well and taking care of our marriage, that same love, appreciation and respect for one another will flow down onto Everett. I may be biased, but he is the best daddy I know! <br />
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<b>Fathers All Around. </b><br />
We also celebrated my dad this weekend, which was the sweetest. I am so lucky and blessed to be surrounded by such strong, sensitive and loving men in my life. Everett has so many wonderful people to look up to for leadership, counsel, and sports guidance. Ha, which Stevie thinks is VERY IMPORTANT.<br />
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<b>All the Athletics. </b><br />
I got a lot of comments <a href="https://instagram.com/oykristen/" target="_blank">on instagram</a> about where you can find this bike seat for a baby. We got ours here <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018CX1AA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0018CX1AA&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=6OU3RDF4YKMS7M2J">here</a> and Everett's helmet <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N1B671G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00N1B671G&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=BJDL6G6S7CX6KTDF">here</a>. These items have worked out beautifully for our little family! We love love love biking together.<br />
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We have spent a lot of Mother's Day lunches at the Serenbe <a href="http://serenbefarmhouse.com/" target="_blank">Farmhouse</a>,
but this was our first time as a family celebrating Father's Day there.
The fried chicken and southern-infused cocktails are second to none.
After lunch we wandered around a bit and even played a pick up game of
basketball. Though Stevie and my dad were both champion high school basketballers, I was most impressed with myself, my mom and my sis, because we managed
to play in heels. #winning<br />
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<b>Fathers and Daughters. </b><br />
Thanks to my dad, for displaying an overwhelming amount of love and
support towards his family all the years of my life. In some ways, I
feel like I lean on him more these days, in different ways than I did
when I was a kid. I am so grateful that he hasn't checked out, thinking
that his job as a dad is done just because his kids are all grown now. He is a continuous source of truth, safety, humor and a most sensitive well of love. Thanks for being both a superhero and a real human. A girl really needs both, and you live both so well.<br />
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<b>Many Men.</b><br />
Many many MANY thanks to my sweetheart, who unfailingly supports our family every day with his time, efforts, prayers, love, concentration, passion and devotion. You are the greatest man I know, and I am proud and humbled by the discipline by which you live and love. You are the greatest dad for our little rascal!<br />
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Sorry for the mush fest. Welllllll actually, not sorry. We need awesome dads in the world, so I will continue to praise mine and hopefully raise up more amazing little men! XOX<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-88311161677430228692015-06-18T07:28:00.001-04:002015-06-18T07:28:30.025-04:00Roaming in Rome. Part 2.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Roaming in Rome. Part 2.</b><br />
<i>"This place is so old. I mea SO OLD."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Stevie just nodded.<br />
<i><br /></i>
That was all I could think and say, over and over again, as I stared at the mammoth, gargantuan, understandably epic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum" target="_blank">Colosseum</a>. This is where people have come to live, come to die, come to be entertained and fed and amused and laughed at and laughed with and it's happened over and over again. For thousands of years. It's served as an amphitheater, a killing ring, a Christian shrine, a gladiatorial playground, a fortress, and today, just a dusty, piecemeal homage to a fallen empire.<br />
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Rome. You are so, barbarically old.<br />
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Of course, this is how I felt the entire time. Though I've been here before and felt all these feelings before, it's like the first time every time. This place is special and strange, like an elderly relative with long fingers and a mind-full of stories to share, if only you lean closer and ask. And the stories, they are almost impossible to relate to, because their premise is<i> just so old</i>. So I was struck, over and over again, by that hypnotizing feeling of, <i>"Whoa. This stuff is old."</i> Walking through the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Forum" target="_blank">Forum</a>. With gelato, no less. Prancing down the side streets, alleys marked by slick stone and discarded cigarettes and flowering weeds. I continued my obnoxious open-mouthed gaze as I meandered throughout the palatial churches, the crumbling piazzas, down the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Steps" target="_blank">Spanish Steps</a> and up the hills to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Basilica" target="_blank">St. Peter's Basilica</a>, and honestly, just over and over again. Lounging in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Navona" target="_blank">Piazza Navona</a>, sipping the house wine and finding myself sleepy for all the gasping I had done. Gasping at the old, the epic, the unruly ostentatious, magnificent city of Rome. I know I sound like a broken record, but it's the truth. This city is something of a broken record, replaying and repeating it's history over and over again for each newcomer, those vibrant souls eager to learn and explore and become saturated with the wiley tales of Ancient Rome's elite.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Colosseum. Gladiators welcome.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Roman Forum.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">See what I mean about the sheer JUMBO-ness of this here structure??</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">View from the top of the Spanish Steps. Yes, we carried our stroller down each and every one. Which means we earned an extra allotment of gelato! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-74AnFoGXHsQ/VYF4GxfA9gI/AAAAAAAAJY4/T7UEtblyYdM/s1600/The%2Barch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-74AnFoGXHsQ/VYF4GxfA9gI/AAAAAAAAJY4/T7UEtblyYdM/s1600/The%2Barch.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arch of Constantine. I think he was rather impressed with himself.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6FIX65tjQ8/VYF5CI6Xm1I/AAAAAAAAJZg/nuze1qGloec/s1600/old%2Bforum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6FIX65tjQ8/VYF5CI6Xm1I/AAAAAAAAJZg/nuze1qGloec/s1600/old%2Bforum.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Roman Forum. I'm still struck by the fact that we are allowed to walk all over this archaeological playground.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kB3ec6gNRHM/VYF5t7ZAQvI/AAAAAAAAJZ4/XwlvJ6OUHcs/s1600/via%2Bdel%2Borso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kB3ec6gNRHM/VYF5t7ZAQvI/AAAAAAAAJZ4/XwlvJ6OUHcs/s1600/via%2Bdel%2Borso.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think this is my favorite street in Rome. It's just so Italian. Insert loooooong sigh.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Via dell' Orso. Extravagantly blanketed in wild emerald and pearl Jasmine. Adorable friend is an added bonus.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2h9h-XE-1to/VYF6gqt9WOI/AAAAAAAAJag/IrXYdEa50vY/s1600/Peonies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2h9h-XE-1to/VYF6gqt9WOI/AAAAAAAAJag/IrXYdEa50vY/s1600/Peonies.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I found my wedding flowers for sale on the back of a truck! Peonies for the win, for always and forever.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_del_Popolo" target="_blank">Piazza del Popolo</a>, very close to where we stayed. We walked through this piazza every morning and every evening. And it was always, always lovely.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">EVERY DAY.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Baby-free shenanigans, our children fast asleep with grandparents watching them. This is what getting drunk on gelato looks like.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Night's End.</span></td></tr>
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<b>Roaming Romans.</b><br />
Rome; day or night... you truly slay me.<br />
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<i>Part 1 from our Rome trip <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2015/06/roaming-in-rome-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Previous backpacking experiences in Rome <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/06/rome-caesar-shuffle.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/07/rome-vatican-and-st-peters-basilica.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</i>Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-33050421704299718192015-06-15T08:21:00.001-04:002015-06-16T06:58:03.486-04:00Roaming in Rome. Part 1.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Roaming in Rome. Part 1.</b><br />
Rome. The place that took a bit more than a day to build. I've been here before, but without the extreme contrast between my darling <i>young</i> baby son and the Ancient Rome that is, well, Rome. This place is the epitome of old. It has the market cornered on "Been there, done that". Everything in this city is crumbling and peeling, yet these structures still stand tall, erect, towering over us little people with importance and, dare I say, omnipotence. Though this was once a public playground for pagan worship and then the centerpiece for the Catholic hammer, I am still fascinated by the mystery of how this city came to be what is it. The books tell me. The tours demonstrate. But the missing stories between the milestones are what continue to beg me. Stories that are long-forgotten, lost between the years of oppression and opulence, smuggled into the backs of books and shuffled into the darkest corners in the tombs of Catacomb. Or perhaps buried beneath the Vatican with the legion of lost Popes. The stories of Rome. The nitty-gritty. The real-life. The ones that I could potentially relate to - where are those?<br />
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<b>Perhaps.</b><br />
I will just have to tell the stories I do know. The ones that I've lived while I was here. The first time I came to Rome was magnificent; I was dumbfounded by the ludicrous <a href="http://www.rome.net/roman-forum" target="_blank">Forum</a> and the rightfully-named <i>colossal</i> <a href="http://www.rome.info/colosseum/" target="_blank">Colosseum</a>. I was seduced by the bread and wine and pasta, succumbed to debauchery by the smoky cappuccino and velvety gelato. I was undone by the leather bags, the silk ties, the supple scarves, all alluringly displayed in the teasing street-side windows. The stone sidewalks beckoned me down every windy way, the impossible maze mapped only by doorway after doorway of mysteriously, decadently draped florals. The lilting tone of the Italian accent punctuated each syllable, echoing down the colorful alleys. The women <i>tap-tap-tapping</i> down the street in impossibly high heels. The men chain-smoking in their finest suit, dark hair a bit undone. Brooding, hollering, smirking, escaping. That's what I love about these people. They are insanely chic by owning their just-a-bit-messy demeanor. The red lipstick and rumpled dress. The snakeskin leather shoes and sweat-stained shirt, yet still, there is an allure. The peacocks are out, strutting and laughing and leaving you feeling breathless. And impossibly, unfortunately American. We just don't have this kind of sex appeal. None of us do. It's through-and-through, <i>an Italian thing.</i><br />
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<b>Oh.</b><br />
I'll leave it to them to be alluring. I will enjoy retelling my latest escapades in Rome, which were <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/p/euro-trip.html" target="_blank">markedly different than the last</a>. Instead of staying out late, I was up incredibly early. Up with the birds, awakened by the clamor of my energetic baby boy. He was ready to play, eat, and see the world. So we showed him. Up, espresso, maybe a bit of biscotti, and then out the door in a swirl of readiness. We had the privilege of meeting up with our dear-hearted pals Troy and Carrie, along with their sweetheart baby daughter and their incredible parents. The 8 of us stayed in a beautiful Airbnb just off the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_del_Popolo" target="_blank">Piazza del Popolo</a>, in the vicinity of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Steps" target="_blank">Spanish Steps</a>. The first few days we were just getting our bearings, learning how to navigate our stroller and enormous mounds of gear through the narrow doorways and down the cobbled streets. It was a challenge, but one that we were more than prepared for. We were so excited to be alive, be abroad, traveling with our son and our friends and exploring a familiar, yet completely exotic place. What a dream. I was very aware, almost hyperly-so, that we were living the dream. At least, our dream. A lot of people scoffed at me before we left town, <i>"You're taking your baby WHERE? Why?! Why not just go alone??"</i> Well, we didn't want to go alone. We wanted to bring our son into every adventure, along for every ride, even if that meant slowing us down, interrupting our sleep, stretching us and challenging us.<br />
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<b>Borghese.</b><br />
We did Rome. We did so much that it won't possibly fit into one post, so I'll be posting all week long. One of my favorite places that we explored was the <a href="http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/villaborghese.htm" target="_blank">Borghese Gardens and Park</a>, where I tried to hop the stone fence to retrieve some low-hanging lemons. I failed at my attempt.<br />
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<b>Pantheon.</b><br />
We took Everett into the <a href="https://pantheon.io/" target="_blank">Pantheon</a> and threw him high into the air. He giggled incessantly and, thankfully, we didn't get the stare-down like when he made a ruckus in the churches. <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/06/rome-caesar-shuffle.html" target="_blank">The last time we explored the Pantheon</a>, we did the full, Rick Steves audio tour. This time, we just kind of stared in disbelief at the domed, mathematically pristine ceiling. And tried to explain the history to Everett. He just wanted to be thrown in the air. So then we mostly did that.<br />
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<b>Worth. It.</b><br />
My son is only a baby, ten months old (!) but I still think these moments have impact. Greatly so. It was a pleasure to usher him along the way and begin his own adventurous, traveling journey. I want him to grow up understanding how different the world is, how the United States isn't the whole picture. How we live in a world that is vast and complex and varied and sad and happy and beautiful and disgusting and colorful and ancient and, oh, so many things. I want him to swallow all that he can, ingesting the best and brightest that our Earth and it's history has to offer. How else are we to change the world if we don't know it?<br />
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I digress.<br />
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More Italy pictures to come, all week long :)<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-58769665285765522352015-06-11T06:53:00.001-04:002015-06-11T06:53:32.911-04:008 Tips for Traveling Abroad with Your Baby.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Traveling Abroad with Your Baby.</b><br />
So much planning. So much research. SO MUCH PREP. I worked hard to get the three of us to Europe (Madrid and Rome) in one piece, with the necessary gear, and no more! I did some things really well. I did some things terribly. Some things just worked themselves out easily and some things were completely unexpected. In other words, it was a typical trip with a baby. I learned along the way and I wanted to share a few things we did that proved to be super helpful!<br />
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<b>1. Purchased and packed our own Travel Crib.</b><br />
I purchased this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JB2PWJM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JB2PWJM&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=HVD2FSOLQ32J52Y6">BABYBJORN Travel Crib</a> for Everett to sleep in while we were abroad. Traveling with our Pack'n'play seemed kind of like a nightmare (too heavy/bulky, especially with all the other luggage and stroller), and this travel crib had the best reviews for the price. I like that it only weighs 13 lbs, can fit in a large suitcase, and was something that he was comfortable in no matter where he was sleeping. Since we opted for staying in Airbnb's instead of hotels (more on that below), there wasn't a guarantee that a decent crib would be provided in each location. I bought this a few weeks prior to our trip and started napping him during the day time in this crib, in his bedroom. I really think this helped him feel more comfortable in it once we were in the unfamiliar locations. And it's proved to be an awesome purchase! Ridiculously easy to set up and use, and I just used one of my regular crib sheets instead of purchasing the one they recommend for the crib. I know that we will use this for years to come! In fact, at the time of writing this, my son is napping in this crib in a condo in Florida. Soundly sleeping, I shall add. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">He loved this crib! It was almost weird how much he liked being in it...</span></td></tr>
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<b>2. Chose to stay in an Airbnb flat instead of a hotel.</b><br />
It was important to me that we stay in an <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> apartment, especially after traveling with Everett a good bit, and realizing that his naps are what makes the world go round on vacation! When the three of us are all sharing one hotel room, sleeping can be difficult. And since the baby goes down at night around 7pm, usually Stevie and I have to whisper the rest of the night and, you know, not watch TV. I wanted to have a bit more space and the ability to put the baby down for the evening, and then at least share a glass of wine and talk about our day together. We chose to stay in apartments during <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2015/06/our-do-over-trip-to-madrid-spain.html" target="_blank">our trek throughout Madrid</a> and Rome (and during <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/" target="_blank">our mega Eurotrip</a> a few years ago!) and it proved to be the best choice for our family. Bonus if you stay in a place with a balcony! We have previously used Airbnb in Spain, Italy, Germany and France, and almost all our experiences have been extremely positive. The site has an accountability system built into it, so we have an incentive to be good tenants while the landlords have incentives to be fair, honest, and quick to respond to any request. I would recommend it to anyone!<br />
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<b>3. Went with a Travel Highchair situation.</b><br />
I went back and forth on this one, especially after doing a good bit of research and learning that Madrid and Rome, in particular, aren't very child-friendly in restaurants. Meaning, they probably wouldn't ever have high chairs available. Since I knew we would be eating out for most meals (hello! You don't go to Italy to <i>cook</i>!), so I knew we would need something we could take with us from place to place. I purchased a few different travel solutions on Amazon, test drove them prior to the trip, and finally landed on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L2JJ6O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004L2JJ6O&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=GXWVB2ORVNZ4T2HS">BRICA Fold N' Go Travel Booster Seat</a>. It worked out beautifully! It hooks on to almost any kind of chair, and it was a sturdy option where there wasn't a high chair available. It also folds up so it's super easy and light to travel with. We threw it in the bottom of our stroller and used it when we needed to, though we ended up using it mostly in the Airbnb. When we ate out and about, we purposely chose outdoor restaurants whenever possible, that way we could just scoot the stroller up to the table and he could join us for the meal that way.<br />
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<b>4. Brought our Stroller and Baby Carrier.</b><br />
We decided to bring both our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NF9GWD2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NF9GWD2&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=JLSQAU3UBBJYZSKS">UPPAbaby Vista Stroller</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RFFP9O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000RFFP9O&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=A2BEGJWFZ6AAVD5M">ERGObaby Carrier</a> for the trip, and boy, I am glad we did. Being able to wear the baby in the carrier (on the plane and out and about) was so SO helpful, especially when he was fussy and just wanted to be close to us. But if we had worn him the entire trip, that would have been a challenge. He weighs 20 lbs! So taking our stroller out with us was a GODSEND - he napped in it everyday while we were on the go and we could load it down with our gear for the day. Snacks, sunscreen, light jacket, water bottles, the works! So yes, we were like a traveling bus, but let's be real - that's just life with a baby. We travel heavier these days, but we still travel!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Obviously, we park the stroller next to the vespas.</span></td></tr>
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<b>5. Packed in Cubes.</b><br />
I won't claim to be a packing expert. I've gotten pretty good at packing for myself and Stevie, because I use these <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VALYFP4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00VALYFP4&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=ZLKYN644JPV4T6G6">eBags Packing Cubes</a>. They make a world of difference by limiting the amount that you need to bring but also making it possible to bring a lot in a compact way. I can seriously pack for a week-long vacation in a book bag by using these. And I previously<a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/p/euro-trip.html" target="_blank"> traveled all over Europe for a month</a> using just these cubes. They are a lifesaver. BUT. I am still an over-packer when it comes to baby gear. I don't want to find myself without something that could buy my son twenty minutes of happiness, so I tend to include everything and the kitchen sink just to ensure his comfort (and therefore, our comfort). However, this leads to lots and lots of stuff. I mean, just look at what I've listed above! And add in clothes, extra clothes, baby food, toys, books, TEETHING GEAR, and goodness, that's not even the half of it. I think I need to invest in another set of packing cubes just for this little guy...<br />
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<b>6. Added in a Timing Buffer.</b><br />
It was really helpful to budget extra travel time for everything under the sun. We gave ourselves an unscheduled day in each location just to adjust to the new time zone and nap off the jetlag. It might seems strange to do that on your first day in a new country, but it actually helped the rest of the trip to be completely enjoyable. Naps! We took them too! And it was absolutely wonderful.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">His and Hers last beverages of choice before we plane-hopped. // Everett's first passport stamp! // Ergo, all day everyday.</span></td></tr>
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<b>7. Knew the Airlines' Policies.</b><br />
This is one that still makes my blood boil. We called our airline (who shall remain nameless because I don't like to badmouth) multiple times in advance of our flights, to ensure that we reserved the baby bassinet for such a long trip. We were reassured each time that yes, of course, you have the baby bassinet. When we arrived at the airport gate, we were told that they had given the bassinet seats away to another family. The gate agent verified that we had put in the first request, but none of that mattered, despite what the customer service assistant had assured us on the phone. Whoever gets to the gate first and asks to be placed in the seats compatible with a bassinet will get them. So we did a lot of pre-planning for nothing. I think it's a crappy policy, but now I know better. RACE THROUGH THE AIRPORT. BUMP ALL THE OTHER MOTHERS OUT OF LINE. GET TO THE GATE FIRST AND <i>YOU GET YOURS</i>. Or, you know, whatever the classier version of that scenario might be. Do that.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trust me, it was a lot of work to get us to this "fun and fancy freeeeeeee"-moment. BUT. We really did have a lot of these kinds of moments!</span></td></tr>
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<b>8. Adjusted Our Expectations.</b><br />
After several domestic trips to family's homes and weekend getaway spots, we realized that this Eurotrip was going to look nothing like <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/p/euro-trip.html" target="_blank">our last one</a>. Gone were the days of getting up early and staying out late, drinking in every tour, museum, and site (along with the wine!) We purposely went at a very slow pace. But you know what? We still did everything we wanted to do. This trip was SO MUCH FUN. Exploring these cities with Everett along for the ride gave us more insight into the richness of life with a baby. Having the the "attitude is everything!"-approach really made the difference. We had such an awesome trip and I am already planning our next overseas extravaganza! I'm feeling a UK/Scotland/Ireland excursion. However, my husband shushes me whenever I mention it. Too soon? I guess it's too soon.<br />
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I think I covered everything! Hope these help! Leave me a message in the comments section if you have any questions or travel tips to add to this list!<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-81803543590049179282015-06-08T07:30:00.003-04:002015-06-08T07:30:47.294-04:00Happening Lately.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Happening Lately.</b><br />
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After a month of almost non-stop travel, we are finally back home! My little family has experienced a lot of adventures since the end of April, and we have had SO MUCH FUN, but we are seriously ready to get back to normal. Babies thrive on routines. Heck, I thrive on a routine. It's back to grocery lists and scheduled naps and, oh yeah, this thing happened while we were gone - SUMMER!!!<br />
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I am still in the process of compiling all the photos from our trips to St. Simons Island and Rome (I found a few more Madrid photos and added them to <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2015/06/our-do-over-trip-to-madrid-spain.html" target="_blank">the previous post</a>, in case you're interested in seeing a few more) and I will have those up for you over the next week or so. One trip that I have almost zero photos from is the one from this past week - I was in Florida with my husband's family, where we basically go back in time and pretend that technology doesn't exist. Which was fitting because, this year, none of our technology worked anyway! The service on the beach that we love seemed to be worse than ever, so it wasn't hard to forget about owning a phone or computer. We just relaxed by the ocean and watched our babies eat sand while we ate grapes and sandwiches. I actually read a book. Well, part of a book. Okay, I read<i> two chapters of a book</i> and it was spectacular. I forgot how desperately much I love to read. It's been a long year of very little reading, but now that my baby is getting older, I feel like some of those pastimes will make a comeback in my world. Fingers crossed. Anyway, all that to say that I actually have very few pictures of the family beach trip (except for the few snippets above), because I needed to take a break and check out from my usual over-photographing, and that is quite alright. I got the memories!</div>
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I hope you all have some wonderful summer plans on the horizon. Since we stacked all our summer travel at the beginning of the season, come July and August I will probably be itching for another trip! But that's okay. I will just live vicariously through all of your vacation photos :) In the mean time, I hope you have a marvelous Monday and soak in some of this warmth!</div>
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Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-44231369227968250432015-06-01T11:18:00.004-04:002015-06-08T07:28:45.557-04:00Our Do-Over Trip to Madrid, Spain!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Our Do-Over Trip to Madrid.</b><br />
We made it! The first time I visited Madrid, <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/07/madrid-and-salamanca-hot-happy.html" target="_blank">things went horribly wrong</a>. But Since Stevie had previously lived in Spain and LOVED Madrid, we decided to attempt a do-over. I am so glad we did! Madrid is an incredible city, ripe with sangria and paella and flamenco and oranges, thriving with edgy modernism in spite of it's anciently old history. I am so glad that we decided to take our son and explore this festive city together as a family of three. This was our first trip abroad with a baby, and whoa, we learned a few things along the way. But more on that later. First! Madrid!<br />
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We chose to stay in an airbnb in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paseo_de_Recoletos" target="_blank">Recoletos</a> neighborhood, which is mostly a residential (non-touristy) area of town. This spot is close to the city's enormous <a href="http://www.madridtourist.info/buen_retiro_park.html" target="_blank">Retiro Park</a> (much like New York's Central Park), and we knew that would be a nice feature for Everett. We spent a lot of time walking around the park, truly mesmerized by its well-groomed, fanciful beauty. It reminded me of the Queen of Hearts' lawn in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice%27s_Adventures_in_Wonderland" target="_blank">Alice in Wonderland</a>, where they are all playing croquet and the hedges are all perfectly manicured. So pristine was this park. Though I had a hard time not staring at all the couples, um, coupling in the grass. I am always rudely reminded of what a modest American I am when I blush at Europeans' very public (let's be real - <i>graphic</i>) displays of affection. But I got past it, and we had a lot of fun, lazily picnic-ing and wandering about, and also, SWINGING. Everett loved it, although the other little kiddos on the playground could definitely tell he wasn't Spanish like them. All that blonde hair, you know.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The park! And THOSE HEDGES.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lunch! We watched a family play soccer while we tore into some baby food pouches.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-rzNtNmxcQ/VWhR61JBQ3I/AAAAAAAAJKA/t6bnbuCQVDs/s1600/mommy%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-rzNtNmxcQ/VWhR61JBQ3I/AAAAAAAAJKA/t6bnbuCQVDs/s1600/mommy%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't know how I am going to teach my son not to play with his food. Because I play with his food.</span></td></tr>
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The park itself is huuuuuge. There is a darling little lake with people boating around, and there is a spot called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_Cristal" target="_blank">Crystal Palace</a> - hello! That was clearly a must-see. Because when you go to Europe, you see as many castles as possible. Even if they're like, fake ones. This one was kind of a fake one. But it was still really really pretty, bending the sunlight that was streaming through all the crystallized panes. Pretty pretty.<br />
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Speaking of palaces, we spent Stevie's birthday touring the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace_of_Madrid" target="_blank">Royal Palace of Madrid</a>! Oh what a delight. He liked the armory, while I preferred the King's residential wing of the castle. Although I must say, the Spanish are sorely under-jeweled. Their crown jewels were pathetic. AND. They don't even use them ceremonially. When someone is "crowned", they don't wear the crown at all. It just sits next to them while they take the photo. WHAT?! I mean. C'mon guys. Wear those baubles. Work that updo.<br />
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It made me realize that the queen of England is seriously, seriously endowed. I will never forget <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/08/our-final-euro-trip-destination-lovely.html" target="_blank">the rooms and rooms of crown jewels</a> that she is in possession of. For real. KATE MIDDLETON IS SO LUCKY. Inheritance and whatnot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Palace views of the city. And the country. And the mountains. I suddenly feel like such a peasant.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Birthday boy picking our his birthday baked good. I was like, GET ALL OF THEM.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> There are some strange statues in this city.</span></td></tr>
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We wandered around and grabbed a very Spanish birthday dinner in the <a href="http://www.travelinginspain.com/madrid/san_miguel_market.htm" target="_blank">Plaza de San Miguel</a>. Cheese plate! Wine! Crazy amounts of jamon and baguettes and olives! Everett was such a little champ, staying out much too late with us, sitting in the plaza and laughing and watching the sun go down and the stars come out. It was such a sweet time, the three of us, just being family, exploring the world together. It was exciting and very normal, all at once. Exciting, because everyone around us spoke emphatically in their native tongue, and normal, because we were just eating dinner, like we do everyday. It was such a strange and oddly humbling experience. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mercado de San Miguel! Where one buys hip wine and overpriced cherries.</span></td></tr>
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Oh, and in case you were worried that we weren't experiencing enough Spanish culture, we toasted to Stevie's birthday with hot chocolate churros. So yeah, the trip pretty much felt complete all in one moment. THE TASTE IN MY MOUTH WAS SINFUL AND HEAVENLY ALL AT ONCE. And if you want to be a drillionaire, you should open a hot chocolate churros food truck in the States. I will be the first in line. THE VERY FIRST.<br />
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Something that I've had on my bucket list for years is to see the infamous Velazquez <a href="http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/art/painters/las-meninas" target="_blank">Las Meninas</a> painting in <a href="https://www.museodelprado.es/en" target="_blank">The Prado Museum</a>. And we finally got to it! It's such a magnificent painting,some say one of the most important in the world. The meaning of the painting is disputed; there are dozens and dozens of theories about what the different subjects are doing and why - but I personally wanted to see this painting after learning about how it impacted Pablo Picasso. A few years ago, <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/07/barcelona.html" target="_blank">when we were in Barcelona</a>, I saw <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Meninas_(Picasso)" target="_blank">his series</a> of "Las Meninas"-inspired paintings, which he was compelled to create after being so taken with Velazquez's masterpiece. He created 58 paintings, in his own spectacular style, reinterpreting the original and skewing the sense of light, color, composition, angle and subject. It was <i>fascinating</i>, I remember thinking, "I have to see this crazy Las Meninas picture!" And now, I can say that I have. Picasso was no fool. The original painting was outstanding, so complex and intelligent and full of mystery. It was exhilarating to finally see the real picture, the one that inspired all the others. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt around the world, and a piece of the map came together for me on that day, in the Prado. I wish I could have lingered. But Everett discovered how his voice echoes in the museum and he reeeeeeally liked that... so we had to jet out of there as fast as lightning. I mean, he was <i>loud</i>.<br />
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Having a baby along for this particular adventure made me feel connected to people in a way that I never had. Even though I couldn't understand their words, I knew what their smiles, their gestures, and their warm words implied as they leaned down and spoke so sweetly to my son. Wherever we went, Everett somehow wormed his way into the hearts of everyone we met. I thought he was the apple of my own eye, but oh my! He left those little old Spanish women in a wake.<br />
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It made me realize that no matter what the vast differences might be between people, not only the language, but the culture, religion, politics, heck, the OCEAN that lies between the United States and Spain, the practice of adoring babies is truly universal. Young men, old women, children, couples, people of all heritages and walks of life - they approached us with warm eyes and excitable hearts. They wanted to speak to the baby, touch his hands (which made me cringe), and engage with his little presence and personality. They wanted to connect, and my little baby boy was the bridge. The olive branch. The conductor of electricity between us and them. It made me feel very human. Very human and very much a citizen of this vibrant world.<br />
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I feel insanely grateful that I had opportunity to experience this rich city just like this - as a wife and a mother, and a student of the world, exploring the Earth with my treasured ones.<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-37838561713556032802015-05-26T08:57:00.001-04:002015-05-26T08:57:17.881-04:00My Favorite Lip Picks.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KjS2tAAqSn8/VVIJdamxK6I/AAAAAAAAJDc/0eBMcuA5jmA/s1600/My%2BLipstick%2BPicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KjS2tAAqSn8/VVIJdamxK6I/AAAAAAAAJDc/0eBMcuA5jmA/s1600/My%2BLipstick%2BPicks.jpg" /></a><b>Lip Service. At Your Service.</b><br />
I have had so much fun incorporating a bit more color into my makeup bag over the past year. Since having a baby, I feel like I look tired all the time (probably because I <i>am</i> tired all the time...) so I've started adding a punch of color to the lips. I think it really helps lift the face a bit. And ladies, we will take all the help we can get right?<br />
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I thought I would share a few of my rotating favorites. I am not really a serial product tester, so when I say that I use these... I mean that I actually use them! Not just once or twice. Also, these are probably best on olive skin-tone - all you peaches and cream gals, you are so lucky. You can actually wear true reds and pinks and look like movie stars. All of us with yellow faces... we have to get a bit more creative. With orange tinted everything.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6A9KTU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B6A9KTU&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=73WUR3Y56TEWL2W3">EOS Organic Lip Balm</a> in Pomegranate Raspberry</b><br />
This is my everyday go-to. It's completely clear and natural-looking. I can kiss all over my baby while wearing this balm, and nothing smears or rubs off. Plus, it just does a fantastic job moisturizing. My other favorite flavors are honeydew and passion fruit.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OC1LL4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002OC1LL4&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=L7GPKNPC74EIOVBZ">Korres Lip Butter</a> in Quince</b><br />
I love love love this color. It goes on like a balm but packs a joyful fruity punch of color. I only wish this consistency came in a wand/stick situation. I don't love dipping my finger in the little pot. Just a germophobe pet peeve. <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043TWLQK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0043TWLQK&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=32VQIZAIY656WC4K">Covergirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm</a> in Coral </b><br />
I'll go ahead and admit that I bought this one a few years ago, only because Taylor Swift was the cover girl for this line. But it turns out that this color quickly became my favorite! It's carefree and sheer and summery. Just like Taylor in 2012.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/33539198.jsp?cm_vc=SEARCH_RESULTS#/" target="_blank">Royal Apothic Lip Tintie</a> in Coral</b><br />
Another coral, another wonderful one. This was a gift from my gal pal Natalie, and it is like a treasure! It comes all wrapped up so cutesy and the color is another coral, but a bit softer and pinkier. It's just lovely. Anthropologie strikes again.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007FJ1BJ8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007FJ1BJ8&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=E6D5V6BVWR6OYWK5">100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze</a> in Vixen</b><br />
This is my newest favorite shade. Not only is the color a little outside my comfort zone (baby pink!) but it is surprisingly fun and makes me feel like one of the Pink Ladies from Grease. Annndddd this product is literally pure - there are no garbage chemicals in the ingredients. LOVE.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032RMX3U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0032RMX3U&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=KPCUVI5U42YN472Q">Clinique Almost Lipstick</a> in Black Honey</b><br />
Man, I tried this one for the first time in middle school and I thought it was THEEE coolest color. Ever. I tend to rub this one on when Starbucks rolls out it's Pumpkin Spice Latte in late August. It's just a color that screams for autumn and pumpkins and knitted sweaters and colorful hardwood trees. Yum. Now I want a Starbucks. <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JF6SX4U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JF6SX4U&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=6WXY6YBGES76WQKF">Sephora Cream Lip Stain</a> in Strawberry Kisses</b><br />
This is my go-to date night lip color. It's a stain, so it stays put, and the color is like WOW. It makes me feel modern and ladylike all at once. <a href="https://instagram.com/p/wW-o6zHuQf/?taken-by=oykristen" target="_blank">An instagram of me</a> in this color. <br />
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So there you have it! A peek into my medicine cabinet of lip paraphernalia. Groovy stuff, huh? These just make me happy and remind me of why it's so much fun being a girl. SO MUCH BETTER THAN BEING A BOY.<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-73629069758732766392015-05-18T18:24:00.004-04:002015-05-18T18:24:55.800-04:00TASTE: Milkmaid Cookies (for lactating mamas!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>TASTE: Milkmaid Cookies </b>(for lactating mamas!)<br />
This recipe is my secret weapon.<br />
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As a nursing mother, I have experienced the highs and lows of breastfeeding during my almost 10-month journey. If you are experiencing a drop in your milk supply, but you want to continue breastfeeding, cook up a batch of these cookies and get to eating! The combination of flaxseed, Brewers Yeast and oatmeal is some kind of magic sauce, and helps increase the lactation! I like to refer to these as my boobie cookies, but that probably seems kind of crude to some of you. Although, if you <i>do</i> refer to them as your boobie cookies around the house, it might scare your husband from polishing them all off. I told mine that these would make him grow boobs and start spraying milk in public. However, doesn't seem to fear this, because these cookies still disappear... I need a new scare tactic.<br />
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Many thanks to my sister for introducing this recipe to me. I've tweaked it a bit, subbing in a few different kinds of sugar instead of using white sugar. I also added in the variety of chocolate and white chocolate chips and raisins, because I like my cookies to have some extra flavor. Plus, the flavor of the Brewers Yeast (the main ingredient that helps increase milk supply) is pretty bitter, so adding in some punches of add-ins really helps. Also, I used some steel-cut oats because it makes the cookies super nutty and chunky, but if you don't love that texture, you can use all regular oats. <br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
- 3 cups Oats (1.5 regular and 1.5 steel cut)<br />
- 2 cups Flour <br />
- 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips<br />
- 1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips <br />
- 1/2 cup Raisins<br />
- 1 cup Butter<br />
- 4 tbsp. Water<br />
- 2 tbsp. Flaxseeds (or Flaxseed Meal, either will work)<br />
- 1 tsp. Vanilla<br />
- 1 tsp. Salt<br />
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon<br />
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda<br />
- 2 Eggs<br />
- 2-4 tbsp. Brewers Yeast <br />
- 1/2 cup Coconut Sugar<br />
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar<br />
- 1/4 cup Molasses<br />
- 1/4 cup Maple Syrup<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h6rM1ccojL0/VVYl-KeSeBI/AAAAAAAAJGI/AtRua3cdde0/s1600/Milkmaid%2BCollage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h6rM1ccojL0/VVYl-KeSeBI/AAAAAAAAJGI/AtRua3cdde0/s1600/Milkmaid%2BCollage2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had the cutest little kitchen helper.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q6RmznTo-GY/VVYmBmm5geI/AAAAAAAAJGQ/XM1FV1U9SRY/s1600/Helper%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q6RmznTo-GY/VVYmBmm5geI/AAAAAAAAJGQ/XM1FV1U9SRY/s1600/Helper%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mixing bowls really entertain babies in the kitchen. Another secret weapon!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xiY8m9BByfI/VVYmLho06iI/AAAAAAAAJGg/yJeX4DOF15c/s1600/Cookie%2BLog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xiY8m9BByfI/VVYmLho06iI/AAAAAAAAJGg/yJeX4DOF15c/s1600/Cookie%2BLog.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I like to freeze half the batch in this "cookie log", then have some for later!</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Method:</b><br />
<b>1.</b> Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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<b>2.</b> Mix the water with the flaxseed and let it soak for 5 minutes.<br />
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<b>3.</b> In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugars, molasses, maple syrup and vanilla in a large bowl.<br />
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<b>4.</b> Beat in the eggs, one at a time.<br />
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<b>5.</b> Add in the Flaxseed mixture, combining well.<br />
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<b>6.</b> In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, brewers yeast, cinnamon, and salt.<br />
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<b>7.</b> Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, taking time to beat the ingredients together well.<br />
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<b>8.</b> Last, add in the white and chocolate chips and raisins. Stir to combine.<br />
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<b>9.</b> Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool before you dive headfirst into an eating frenzy :)<br />
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<b>Let thy milk flow.</b><br />
I guarantee that you will experience some increase in your milk supply if you eat a few of these cookies each day. I froze half of this batch for later, because this recipe yields like a zillion.<br />
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Let me know if you give these a try and how they work out for you!<br />
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Get your milk on ladies.<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-77815972370544695632015-05-15T10:53:00.001-04:002015-05-15T10:53:12.916-04:00And We're Off!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Off on an adventure!<br />
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I'm packed. Stevie's packed. Everett's packed.<br />
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I <i>really</i> hope I'm not forgetting anything.<br />
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Today we leave for a 9-day family trip, exploring Madrid and Rome! The last time we were in Madrid, <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/07/madrid-and-salamanca-hot-happy.html" target="_blank">this is what happened</a>. So needless to say, I don't remember a lot of the trip. But what I do remember... isn't great. So we are excited for a do-over! And the last time we were in Rome we toured hardcore, <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/07/rome-vatican-and-st-peters-basilica.html" target="_blank">going underneath the Vatican</a> and <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/06/rome-caesar-shuffle.html" target="_blank">meandering through ancient Roman ruins</a>. That trip was pretty epic, because we experienced 30 days of travel with just two backpacks and <a href="https://www.ricksteves.com/" target="_blank">Rick Steves</a> guiding us to and fro.<br />
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This time around, with Everett and his mammoth stroller and all the baby paraphernalia ON EARTH, we hope to take a more relaxed approach. Not necessarily touring and hitting tons of museums. Just wandering around, eating in cafes and taking in the deliciousness of the dolce vita. It feels very strange to have such a loose approach to this trip, but we figure if we set the bar pretty low, the trip will feel like a success if we just <i>make it</i> there without a major breakdown. And eat some gelato.<br />
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I am leaving my computer at home (gulp). I can't remember the last time I didn't travel with my laptop (it's been years), so I am excited and a little freaked about that. But I really want to detach and just experience this vacation with my family the old-fashioned way. I know I will have my hands full with my son, but I also don't want him to feel like second fiddle while mommy is blogging incessantly. So it's a big decision for me but I feel really good about it. However, my phone will be working and I will be posting to instagram like a crazy person, because, well, I'm a crazy person. So you can follow along our trip <a href="https://instagram.com/oykristen/" target="_blank">there</a>, if you're into drooling over travel pics like I am. Also, I have a few posts ready to go, so there will be some content that I am excited to share even while I am away, so you can hang around the blog next week and there will be some fun recipes and recent travel posts to browse through :)<br />
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We are suuuuuper excited to celebrate two of our friends getting hitched in Rome, and anticipating what it will be like to travel abroad with our little baby... who is just shy of 10 months! Stevie's birthday is this weekend, too, so there is more than enough to clink our celebratory wine (or sangria!) glasses to!<br />
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For those of you who have been to Rome and Madrid before, do you have any suggestions on places or things to do/see/eat? Leave me a comment and let me know! And also - prayers for the 9+ hour flight with a baby pleeeeeease!<br />
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Love love love.<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-11546632819464995552015-05-13T09:12:00.002-04:002015-05-13T09:12:27.611-04:00Prom Dresses are Over.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Prom Dresses are Over. </b><br />
I had a little life realization last week. At a consignment store in town. I was dropping off some clothes, and decided to take a moment to browse. Everett was happily gnawing on a pacifier, all strapped onto me in the Ergo, like my bitty baby kangaroo, and I decided, "<i>why not just flip through the spring clothes?</i>" Because, well, when do I ever go to clothing stores these days? I'll answer that for you. NEVER.<br />
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So there I was, flipping through garments, touching all the gently used fabrics and imagining their previous life before they found their way here... then something caught my eye. Across the room. Something glinting in the sunlight that streamed through the dusty windowpane. Prom dresses. Kind of loud ones. I walked toward the section and just took a moment. Took it all in.<br />
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Oh, the ridiculously saturated colors, all primary shades of pinks, blues and purples. The sequins and glitter and taffeta and insane cut-outs (is it just me, or are prom dresses much skankier these days? It's probably just me. I've probably become a total prude. Alright alright. I was always a total prude.) But it hit me in that moment, staring at the gowns.<br />
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<i>I'm a mom now. I don't go to the prom anymore.</i><br />
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It doesn't occur to you the day you buy your last prom dress that it's the day you buy <i>your last prom dress</i>.<br />
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When I was in high school and college, there seemed to always be some formal event on the horizon, a reason to keep an eye on the prom dress section of the store. Homecoming, winter formal, prom, graduation, etc. And just a few years ago, I was the wife of a business school student, and again, there seemed to always be a reason to be dress shopping. Dinners, cocktail parties, formal celebrations - I often found myself trading dresses with friends, pulling out old prom and homecoming dresses, and shopping the outlets around prom season. It's been a lot of years of "prom dress shopping". And standing here, in the middle of this dusty consignment store, I was suddenly aware that those days were over. I wouldn't prom dress shop again unless it was going to be with my daughter. Gulp. <i>If I ever have a daughter.</i> Okay lets just be real. IF I EVER GIVE BIRTH AGAIN.<br />
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You see what I mean. It was kind of a moment.<br />
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Everett just kept gnawing on his pacifier. Chewing. He chewed on my face a bit too. He's seriously teething.<br />
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Some things in life are stark and weird and silly, all at once. It might seem insane to some of you that I found this particular moment impacting. But I did. Because my role in life has transitioned and I'm not just a teenage dreamer anymore. And I'm not just a single lady anymore. And I'm not even just a married chick who is fun and fancy free. I'm some combination of the old me, fused with being a wife and the newest element of being a mother, and it takes a minute to get the hang of it. It takes a minute to embrace the new while still clinging on to the best parts of the "old" me. But the very craziest part of this whole scenario is that I still feel like a teenager in my head and in my heart. I SWEAR I'M EIGHTEEN IN MY HEAD. Eighteen, excited about the future, sort of nervous about what is to come, armed with that heady rush of "anything is possible!" I am still that teenaged girl, shopping for my "dream prom dress"... aren't I?<br />
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The reality is no. I'm literally (and physically, geez) beyond that season. Not only am I past prom dress shopping, but I bought my wedding dress <i>8 years ago</i> and it hasn't come out to play since it's inaugural wear. I am not eighteen. I'm not. <b>But I am not over</b>.<br />
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I have entered the mom phase of my life. And this phase is here to stay. I will never un-become a mother. But that doesn't mean that I've lost my flavor, my lust for life, my relevancy and my right to party. Prom dresses might be over for me. But the eighteen year old that knew how to get down? I like to think she's still somewhere inside, two-stepping or foxtrotting or Irish dancing to the beat of her own drum. But perhaps in slightly more comfortable shoes.<br />
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Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-89686215219540382632015-05-11T10:42:00.001-04:002015-05-11T10:42:08.812-04:00Everett's First Haircut!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Everett's First Haircut!</b><br />
I didn't want to do it. I did NOT want to take my baby son into a strange place and allow scissors anywhere near his beautiful brain, his precious eyes, his bunny-soft cheeks. Did not. Want to go. DID NOT.<br />
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Ugh, but husbands.<br />
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But my husband kept insisting. "<i>His hair is in his eyes, Kristen." "He is going to be so sweaty this summer with all that hair." "It's going to be in his face when we go to the beach"</i> - well sure. These are valid statements. Rooted in thoughtfulness and fact. But my opinion was rooted in EMOTION. Nobody touch my baby everrrrrr! Scissors?! Drat you! For even considering coming <i>near</i> him with SCISSORS! The devil's choice office supply. <br />
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He had these tender little curls. Right behind his ears. They were longer than the rest of his hair. Sure, you could say they were something like the wisps that Gollum kept in the back... but oh. They were so sweet. They were weirdly longer than the rest of his hair. It was like two pony tails at either ear and then a long party on top. Around the sides of his head all the hair had fallen out from sleeping on his back, and that was actually beginning to grow back really nicely. So yeah, he had some seriously uneven hair going. <br />
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I didn't mind it.<br />
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He didn't mind it.<br />
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HUSBANDS!<br />
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He won the argument. We went to his barber shop, a laid-back, no-frills place here in our town. We entered, and the glossy black and white checked floor immediately grabbed Everett's attention. Mesmerized, we sat and waited. He had no idea what he was in for.<br />
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But then he started to get a feeling. You know, when we put him in Daddy's lap in the huge weird chair. With a forward-facing cape. He was like WHAT.<br />
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Oh, let's just get to the photo journey, shall we? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2eZHMVucKTY/VVClWwwhE7I/AAAAAAAAJA4/1tdrBMq6CTE/s1600/Leaving%2Bthe%2Bcar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2eZHMVucKTY/VVClWwwhE7I/AAAAAAAAJA4/1tdrBMq6CTE/s1600/Leaving%2Bthe%2Bcar.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">He's thinking it's just a regular Saturday, pal-ing around with the rents.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SWnrq2aER0U/VVCkwUI6GvI/AAAAAAAAJAw/eVXfjL8IeY4/s1600/Sweet%2BBaby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SWnrq2aER0U/VVCkwUI6GvI/AAAAAAAAJAw/eVXfjL8IeY4/s1600/Sweet%2BBaby.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Waiting. Though he doesn't know what for.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ifI9L7DRxuU/VVCllEoq3WI/AAAAAAAAJBI/5Qoy_QCqkDA/s1600/Whisps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ifI9L7DRxuU/VVCllEoq3WI/AAAAAAAAJBI/5Qoy_QCqkDA/s1600/Whisps.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Those wisps. I melllllllt.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SmmdPvpbcqw/VVCmtiGsR0I/AAAAAAAAJBk/P6hd8JcAEcw/s1600/BLISSFUL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SmmdPvpbcqw/VVCmtiGsR0I/AAAAAAAAJBk/P6hd8JcAEcw/s1600/BLISSFUL.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The final moment of length.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ab-FzAYaHCI/VVCmx5gaBdI/AAAAAAAAJBs/IXeUvvHwsRY/s1600/Getting%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bchair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ab-FzAYaHCI/VVCmx5gaBdI/AAAAAAAAJBs/IXeUvvHwsRY/s1600/Getting%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bchair.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">THE CHAIR.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v09KY1dlHoc/VVCm3GRnLnI/AAAAAAAAJB0/px6MImbA4f0/s1600/WHAT%2Bhave%2Byou%2Bgotten%2Bme%2Binto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v09KY1dlHoc/VVCm3GRnLnI/AAAAAAAAJB0/px6MImbA4f0/s1600/WHAT%2Bhave%2Byou%2Bgotten%2Bme%2Binto.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">He's all, "WHAT HAVE YOU GOTTEN ME INTO."</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JJQuPM4gRX8/VVCm91sW_AI/AAAAAAAAJB8/rgMUoFPzEhk/s1600/Freaked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JJQuPM4gRX8/VVCm91sW_AI/AAAAAAAAJB8/rgMUoFPzEhk/s1600/Freaked.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">WHAT THE HECK, GUYS??</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BOnB81937aY/VVCnDSDNgAI/AAAAAAAAJCE/26kDWos42g4/s1600/SWEET%2BBABY1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BOnB81937aY/VVCnDSDNgAI/AAAAAAAAJCE/26kDWos42g4/s1600/SWEET%2BBABY1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. This pic literally makes me cringe.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tr3IQ5JmuLc/VVCnJQZB9WI/AAAAAAAAJCM/ANKM-BhzCEE/s1600/Jerry%2Band%2BEv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tr3IQ5JmuLc/VVCnJQZB9WI/AAAAAAAAJCM/ANKM-BhzCEE/s1600/Jerry%2Band%2BEv.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">You've been chopped!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--RlNRSENmzM/VVCnObppFvI/AAAAAAAAJCU/UTvm_YaoS2A/s1600/just%2Bdone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--RlNRSENmzM/VVCnObppFvI/AAAAAAAAJCU/UTvm_YaoS2A/s1600/just%2Bdone.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">He wasn't so sure.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mjQC8oOI4FM/VVCnoewIfNI/AAAAAAAAJCc/qYqbolr1luY/s1600/EV%2BAND%2BJERRY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mjQC8oOI4FM/VVCnoewIfNI/AAAAAAAAJCc/qYqbolr1luY/s1600/EV%2BAND%2BJERRY.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh Jerry. He did such a great job. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-78tpfvBHLVk/VVCnxmDB3AI/AAAAAAAAJCk/cKArNZg7_l0/s1600/Certificate%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-78tpfvBHLVk/VVCnxmDB3AI/AAAAAAAAJCk/cKArNZg7_l0/s1600/Certificate%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everett got a certificate! And we got to keep a few clippings of his hair :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-urLLf4Vxg-c/VVCn2_SYceI/AAAAAAAAJCs/9bHy5cEHcvg/s1600/POSER%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-urLLf4Vxg-c/VVCn2_SYceI/AAAAAAAAJCs/9bHy5cEHcvg/s1600/POSER%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And then. He decided he liked his new look.</span></td></tr>
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Oh my sweet baby. I cried like 4 times in the barber shop. Along with him. But he did really great, other than the incessant screaming, and Jerry did the best of us all. He didn't let a hollering child (or his withering, weeping mother) throw of his groove. He just snip-snip-snipped and suddenly, my child was blonde. And a little boy. And STEVIE'S little boy. He officially looks exactly like his father.<br />
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We survived the first haircut. And I have to agree, it was a good choice. Now we are all spiffy and ready for the summer heat!<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-6056183387381847962015-05-10T08:29:00.003-04:002015-05-11T08:54:28.080-04:00Love you, Mom.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Love you, Mom. </b><br />
She woke up early to fix your breakfast before school. Fed you. Bathed you. Changed your dirty dirty diapers. Made a big whooping deal about your birthday. She was never upset when you woke her up because your tummy hurt. She laughed when you played dress up in her closet. She was always at your school play, your chorus concert, your big game. She came early to bring snacks. She helped with your homework, ordered pizza for you and your friends on Friday night, and let you go to that really awesome concert downtown. Because she trusted you. Although it didn't stop her from calling your cell phone A LOT. She took you shopping for prom dresses. She let you cry on her shoulder about that dumb boy who didn't deserve you anyway. She slipped a twenty in your hand when you were going back to college after being home for the weekend. She helped you move time and time again, coming behind you to clean the bathroom while the boxes were being transported to the truck. She let you travel the country, the world, and didn't let her worries about you being so far away affect her ability to <i>let you go</i>. But she sure did pray. She smiled through her tears on your wedding day. She held your hands while you were pregnant, answered every question when you asked "How bad is this gonna hurt??", and was by your side when you finally, exhausted, welcomed your wiggly, darling baby into the world. She was always, she is always, and will always <i>always</i> be there. For as long as she has breath in her body, she will give all her joy to your existence.<br />
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Okay, that was my mom.<br />
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But I bet yours was something like that, too. At least, I hope so.<br />
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This year is my first Mother's Day. I can't believe I'm allowed to be a mom. I can only hope to measure up in the tenderest way, because I have incredibly large mom shoes to fill. Well, not true. She has dainty little feet. But her footprint over the journey of my life has been immeasurable, innumerable with oodles and oodles of loving tracks. Inexplicable. She has given me her life's blood and her hearty Hungarian laugh. Her full cheeks and strong thighs. I am the mother that I am, because she was the mother that she was. I will probably screw up a lot, but she taught me that having grace for myself is one of the best gifts I can give to my family.<br />
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There is no perfect mother, but I would like to argue that she is. Close. <br />
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I hope you give mom your whole heart of love today. <br />
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<i>A little more about my mom <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/10/when-mom-comes-to-town.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </i>Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-72162433859453036472015-05-09T10:40:00.002-04:002015-05-10T08:25:43.429-04:00Happening Lately.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Happening Lately.</b><br />
We knew the month of May would be a little crazy. But it usually is for everyone - travel, graduations, birthdays, it always seems like the busiest month of the year. This May is no exception.<br />
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We have just gotten back in town after a week-long "work trip" at the beach. Actually, Stevie really did work the entire time, but I got to explore a new locale with Everett and we had such a sweet time together. Everything was slower-paced, both because I had a baby in tow and because the pace of life at <a href="http://www.explorestsimonsisland.com/" target="_blank">St. Simons Island</a> is slooooow. And it was just the absolute best. It gave me permission to relax a bit and get used to having a baby completely on my own in a tiny crowded hotel space - and we made it! More than made it, we totally loved it. More about this lovely trip next week though. I have great pictures and some of my favorite discoveries to share :)<br />
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<b>Shopping + Swings Date.</b><br />
A baby of 9 months is a baby of FUN. I can't believe how full-circle things have become with my little son. In the beginning, the days were long and tiresome. Oh wait. That hasn't changed. But our sleep patterns have improved and I am adoring this season that we are in together. He is a bundle of fun, curious about the world and discovering new things all the time. He has a great compass for humor and he legitimately has me cracking up laughing 10 times a day. I can't imagine what toddler-hood is like, because he is already crawling everywhere and getting into trash cans, eating my shoes, dissembling my purse, the works. But his newest and most favorite discovery is the park swing - HE LOVES SWINGING. It's a delight! We have started going to the swings everyday, even if its only for 15 minutes. The other fun thing we did this week was shop - he accompanied me in my dress-shopping endeavor to find something for a wedding next week - what a patient gentleman he was. I think we picked a good one. All in all, he is just becoming my little buddy who is along the ride for anything. It's been such a blast.<br />
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<b>Everett Got a Passport.</b><br />
So obviously I dressed him up in a bow tie for his photo. I can't wait to see it - we pick up with completed passport this week. Someone's getting ready for his first international flight! Are we nutso or what?!<br />
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<b>Snazzy Atlanta Wedding Heyyyooo.</b><br />
It's wedding season! We've had the privilege of attending quite a few over the past month, and we are headed to another next week! But this last wedding was a particularly special one, because it was in honor of Stevie's cousin, whom we love, and the celebration was like a family reunion. It didn't hurt that we partied on an Atlanta rooftop whilst enjoying the splendid view, delicious food, and dancing the night away. A baby-free night is a good one, especially when there's a bit of bubbly involved.<br />
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<b>Travel!</b><br />
Coming Up: Stevie's Birthday in MADRID, an international Flight WITH A BABY, and a Wedding in Rome! Ah!<br />
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I'm seriously not sure if I am ready for all of this, but I guess it doesn't matter... because these things are coming up! We leave next Friday for our 9-day trip abroad... if you think about it, pray we have an easy time traveling with our baby! I am compiling gear, packing and repacking, making lists, etc. and hoping that it will all come together seamlessly. I won't be blogging along the way, like I did on <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/p/euro-trip.html" target="_blank">our last Eurotrip</a>, because I know I will have my hands a lot fuller this time, figuratively and literally! I really want to soak in the experience and focus on my family. So I have some posts pre-written and ready to go during the time that we will be gone. If you'd like to follow along the Euro experience, I will probably be over-posting on <a href="https://instagram.com/oykristen/" target="_blank">my Instagram</a>, and obviously I will do lots of follow-up posts about our travel once we return. I am a bit of a travel glutton... so there will be lots of sharing!<br />
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<b>Happy Mothering.</b><br />
It's Mother's Day this weekend! My first ever! I have no idea what's in store, but I imagine that I will actually get to sleep in... maybe? That would really be something. If you haven't gotten your mama something yet, I put together <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2015/04/happy-mothers-day-gift-guide.html" target="_blank">a little guide</a> a few weeks back. Hopefully it's helpful? Otherwise, enjoy your weekend, all you incredibly hardworking moms!<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-70833906122204922312015-05-07T09:08:00.001-04:002015-05-07T09:08:22.638-04:006 Tips for Road Tripping With a Baby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span id="goog_1187739207"></span><span id="goog_1187739208"></span>Tips for Road Tripping With a Baby.</b><br />
We took a family road trip this week down to St. Simons Island, Georgia. Stevie has a work conference, so Everett and I decided to tag along and enjoy a mini vacation somewhere that we've never been before. We are never ones to turn down a new adventure, especially when there is a beach involved. I'll post more about the trip next week, but I did want to go ahead and share a few things that have worked for road tripping with this little guy. He's only 9 months old, but he is developing into a lovely road trip companion. I'm sure there will come a day where he just won't tolerate sitting in his car seat for so long, but right now, we are able to convince him to ride along with us as we hit some drive-able destinations. I'm not saying he is perfect during the entire trip, but we have found some helpful hacks for coercing him to be a pleasant ride-along car buddy. In light of summertime and everyone's upcoming travels, I thought I would share what has worked for us.<br />
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<b>1. Leave at the Crack of Dawn.</b><br />
I learned this one the hard way. I left at 10am for a 7-hour road trip, and my little babe was awake for most of it. Which meant he was bored, which meant he was LOUD, which meant everyone in the car was exercising their patience. For the next road trip, I decided to leave at 5am, in hopes that he would sleep for a good portion of the trip. And that is indeed what happened. Hallelujah. Here's how the 7-hour trip broke down: I woke up at 4:30am and got myself dressed and ready. The car was already packed the night before. I gently woke him up, changed his diaper, kept him in his pjs and placed him in his car seat. I did all of this in the dark. I was on the road at 5am, and he slept for the first three hours of the drive. At 8am we stopped at a Starbucks, fed Everett in the parking lot, then grabbed a coffee and breakfast sandwich to go. He fell back asleep until about 10:30am or so, and I started handing him toys in the back. One by one. Which brings me to my next point...<br />
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<b>2. Pack Toys. A Lot of Toys.</b><br />
Pack more than you could ever imagine you would need. An obnoxious amount. Once the novelty of riding along in the car gets old, those toys are your lifeline. I purchased <a href="http://www.target.com/p/baby-b-wee-b-ready-toy-set/-/A-16294316#prodSlot=medium_1_11&term=baby+b" target="_blank">this set of toys</a> specifically for roadtripping and it has proven to be a worthy investment. The other thing is, everything can be a toy! A plastic water bottle, toilet paper rolls, Styrofoam cup, plastic sunglasses, you name it! I've started passing the strangest things back there to him, and it amuses him for a bit. My kiddo is a curious soul. Why wouldn't he want to stare soulfully into my hat? Sure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gotta stop to feed and change. But these stops are actually kinda fun! LOOK AT MY BABYYYY.</span></td></tr>
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<b>3. Pack Travel Food.</b><br />
I make Everett's baby food for whenever we eat at home (which is most of the time), but when we travel it's a different story. I admire those ladies who lug around their canisters of homemade blended baby purees - but I just cannot do it. I've tried and it's just too much mess to pack up and take home, to then clean up again later. No thanks. Not for me. I stock up on easy travel food when we hit the road, and Everett LOVES it. I think he feels like it's a special treat :) Our favorites are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AO9H65Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AO9H65Y&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=HO7DKZTMCLWQ4YR5">these by Earth's Best</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030VBRCG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0030VBRCG&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=4HCH4TM56UWDXXKN">these by Happy Baby</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005MHRB7G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005MHRB7G&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=7JPTONVEUIF3HFL5">these by Plum Organics</a>. He is also really loving <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C7HM3GI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00C7HM3GI&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=5RYHEUFB65A6R4OS">his appetizers by Happy Baby</a> :) (I've been reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594203334/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1594203334&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=QPSDP37GVELQTDUJ">that French parenting book</a> that recommends feeding children in courses, so Everett gets fancy these days with his appetizers).<br />
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<b>4. Pack More Clothes/Diapers/Wipes Than You Think You Will Need.</b><br />
Some weird things have happened on our road trips. Some weird, weird things. Blowouts, showering urine, gassyness that leads to... solidness. I'll leave it at that. But I always pack Everett THREE changes of clothes when we go anywhere. Three. Yes. <i>Three</i>. <br />
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<b>5. Budget Extra Travel Time.</b><br />
The days of blazing down the road, NO STOPS, is over. Man, me and Stevie used to tear up some mileage on road trips. I reminisced about <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2015/04/tbt-to-that-time-i-roadtripped-across.html" target="_blank">my favorite all-time road trip with him</a> the other day, when we used to drive from before the sun was up until late in the night. Those days. Are over. In the new era, with a baby and gear and breastfeeding breaks and diaper change breaks and YOU NAME IT breaks, we stop often. There's just no way around it. So budgeting extra travel time is a must, especially if you're super type-A and you like to "race" your Googlemaps estimate. Not like my husband does that or anything. Needless to say, we've had to make some expectation adjustments.<br />
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<b>6. Enjoy it!</b><br />
This is so important. I'm continuously learning about how much life has changed with Everett's arrival in my world, and everything is truly, infinitely better with him. It is. Everything is also <i>really</i> truly different. Vacations look different, my idea of rest looks different, and certainly the way I roadtrip is so so different. But he is also so much fun, and I find myself staring at him wondering what I was doing with my life before he came along. Like, why did I wait so long to have him?? Well, actually, I know the answer to that. But still! My baby is the best. So grateful that I can take him along for journeys and adventures!<br /><br />And bonus tip - Coldplay does wonders for putting a baby to sleep in the car. THAT CHRIS MARTIN. Okay, there it is, folks. All my road trip tricks in a nutshell. For all of you planning to road trip and travel this summer, I hope this helps! <br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-17099894955390066542015-05-05T12:47:00.000-04:002015-05-05T12:47:10.706-04:00Favorite Things Tea Party at the Ritz Carlton!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Favorite Things Tea Party at the Ritz Carlton!</b><br />
It's no secret that I am a sucker for a good tea party. It's the little girl in me. So when my darling anglophile friend Alyson invited me to a tea party in honor of <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/04/europe/royal-princess-named/" target="_blank">the new royal baby</a>, how could I resist?? And when I found out it was high tea at the <a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Buckhead/Rooms/Default.htm?utm_campaign=TBPSUSEGPB225&src=ps&pId=rztbppc" target="_blank">Ritz Carlton Buckhead</a>, well, you kind of pull out all the stops to make that kind of affair come to life. Babysitter? CHECK. Good friends? CHECK. Awesome dress from my stylist sister? CHECK CHECK CHECK. Oh, and perhaps a little frou-frou head gear, a la Blair Waldorf. Checkedy check. Gang's all here!<br />
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To amplify the fun of high tea, Alyson decided to make this a "favorite things" party, where you bring a gift for each person at the party that is one of your favorite things. $5 limit. You know, one of those fun items that you love picking up at Target, even though you don't really <i>need</i> it. And so everyone goes home with a new favorite thing! It's super fun and girly. LIKE HIGH TEA IN HONOR OF A BABY PRINCESS. I hope that little Princess Charlotte knows that she is being partied for around the world. She's a little angel from Heaven. Loving babies is a relatively new thing for me. Since having my own, you know. And a baby princess?! Well, that's just all the more reason to celebrate babiessssss. Princess babbbiieeesssss.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2nmLe1MA21g/VUjvcecPnxI/AAAAAAAAI7U/k-YM5CS4gx8/s1600/aly1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2nmLe1MA21g/VUjvcecPnxI/AAAAAAAAI7U/k-YM5CS4gx8/s1600/aly1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">She's the raddest of them all. Look at those pearls. That fascinator. The woman the legend.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BYtRNXdZuzY/VUjvo7szH-I/AAAAAAAAI7c/ciza_01pMMI/s1600/hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BYtRNXdZuzY/VUjvo7szH-I/AAAAAAAAI7c/ciza_01pMMI/s1600/hands.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T12MvKDIW4Q/VUjvzH8NLiI/AAAAAAAAI7k/d6nd0dv26So/s1600/janelle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T12MvKDIW4Q/VUjvzH8NLiI/AAAAAAAAI7k/d6nd0dv26So/s1600/janelle1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aw macaroons make pregnant friends happy.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A-5PTx6BJP4/VUjv4qNw_JI/AAAAAAAAI7s/JmWkCIhkNHQ/s1600/2nd%2Bcourse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A-5PTx6BJP4/VUjv4qNw_JI/AAAAAAAAI7s/JmWkCIhkNHQ/s1600/2nd%2Bcourse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll have them all, thanks.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_WNrE5OaYk/VUjv81VV80I/AAAAAAAAI70/Ekjp2EdcNF8/s1600/rose%2Barm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_WNrE5OaYk/VUjv81VV80I/AAAAAAAAI70/Ekjp2EdcNF8/s1600/rose%2Barm.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">How gorgeous is that arm.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGHSXpdz2mE/VUjv-ls64kI/AAAAAAAAI78/NR0jZciNaGA/s1600/cakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGHSXpdz2mE/VUjv-ls64kI/AAAAAAAAI78/NR0jZciNaGA/s1600/cakes.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vi2aLIPsqiE/VUjwB30tp1I/AAAAAAAAI8E/D7QUYPgppuY/s1600/drinking1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vi2aLIPsqiE/VUjwB30tp1I/AAAAAAAAI8E/D7QUYPgppuY/s1600/drinking1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bw9Jb-tykyw/VUjwIEuksJI/AAAAAAAAI8M/yQBoVW4BIDU/s1600/chandle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bw9Jb-tykyw/VUjwIEuksJI/AAAAAAAAI8M/yQBoVW4BIDU/s1600/chandle.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I want to put that on my head and be coronated.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6znj1fa5Uc/VUjwO-0I0fI/AAAAAAAAI8U/lmOdoRVS3_w/s1600/kate1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6znj1fa5Uc/VUjwO-0I0fI/AAAAAAAAI8U/lmOdoRVS3_w/s1600/kate1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">With Kate, the gang's all here!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UqTg8k9O5Ak/VUjwWXf_JZI/AAAAAAAAI8c/ZQu3wg9l_CU/s1600/janelle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UqTg8k9O5Ak/VUjwWXf_JZI/AAAAAAAAI8c/ZQu3wg9l_CU/s1600/janelle2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QJUf_J6noNo/VUjwaQg1S3I/AAAAAAAAI8k/Bbw-_082sbU/s1600/leathers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QJUf_J6noNo/VUjwaQg1S3I/AAAAAAAAI8k/Bbw-_082sbU/s1600/leathers.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rGfZtSGfKmQ/VUjwheVoXOI/AAAAAAAAI8s/h5_0J_GzP8w/s1600/girls%2Bvert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rGfZtSGfKmQ/VUjwheVoXOI/AAAAAAAAI8s/h5_0J_GzP8w/s1600/girls%2Bvert.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qEpbdKLwwto/VUjwiTtoFBI/AAAAAAAAI80/1uV0WRKuj7c/s1600/lipstik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qEpbdKLwwto/VUjwiTtoFBI/AAAAAAAAI80/1uV0WRKuj7c/s1600/lipstik.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's my lipstick. I'm officially a grown up.</span></td></tr>
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<b>Pinkies Out!</b><br />
Okay so tea time. It was decadent. It was fancy. It was fruity. Tasty. Ruffled and spritzed and I might have sipped with my pinkies out. I blame the head gear. And I applaud sweet Alyson, because this girl really knows how to celebrate the great joys of life. And how about Janelle? Is there a hotter pregnant chick around? Well, I know a lot of preggos lately, so I can't choose favorites, but oh Janelle! What a babe, inside and out. The Ritz put on a delicious tea, complete with champagne and strawberries riddled in a bit of Grand Marnier. Yeah, I might have left tea time a little toasted. Those Brits really know how to make imbibing a gallant afternoon affair. The old-fashioned dining room was finished with oak and burgundy leather and crystal chandeliers - all things that make a tea party feel positively princessy. Which was occasion-appropriate, if you know what I mean.<br />
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<i>The other great tea times of my life include <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/08/our-final-euro-trip-destination-lovely.html" target="_blank">that time at Fortnum & Mason</a> in London, <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2014/04/850-nyc-adventures-high-tea-at-plaza.html" target="_blank">that time I surprised my sister at The Plaza</a> in New York, <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/09/guide-alices-teacup-upper-west-side.html" target="_blank">that time I was surprised at Alice's Teacup</a> in New York, <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2014/09/dr-bombays-underwater-tea-party.html" target="_blank">the time I was ripe with pregnancy at Dr. Bombay's</a> in Atlanta and <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/2013/01/downton-abbey-season-3-premiere-tea.html" target="_blank">that time I celebrated Downton Abbey's new season</a> with my insane family. </i>Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-66004385638291410432015-05-01T08:54:00.003-04:002015-05-01T08:54:22.787-04:00Teething: The 7 Must Haves!<div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 825px;">
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/teething_must_haves/set?.embedder=6112073&.svc=blogger&id=156114493" target="_blank"><img alt="Teething: The 7 Must Haves" border="0" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/MYDPMZke1Ju0HqzOVSHaig/cid/156114493/id/WKqhKITm5BG2f1Vc6ODk1w/size/c825x738.jpg" height="738" title="Teething: The 7 Must Haves" width="825" /></a></div>
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<small><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/teething_must_haves/set?.embedder=6112073&.svc=blogger&id=156114493" target="_blank">Teething: The 7 Must Haves</a> by <a href="http://oykristen.polyvore.com/?.embedder=6112073&.svc=blogger" target="_blank">oykristen</a></span> </small><br />
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<b>The 7 Teething Products You Must Have for your Baby!</b></div>
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We have been in teething land up in here. For those of you who aren't familiar with teething, it's pretty much when your child turns into the hulk. They scream. They cry. They don't sleep. They're inconsolable. And they gnaw, chew and drool on everything in sight. It's fun times people. Fun times. Everett sprouted his two lower teeth with a day of each other, so he was in significant discomfort in the days and weeks leading up to that epic milestone. He's currently working on breaking his top teeth in, and we are once again, in the throws of hulk-land. Poor baby. Poor me. Seriously... poor me.</div>
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A few products that have helped us ride out the storm:</div>
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<b>1. Hylands Teething Tablets.</b></div>
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When he's teething, I make sure to give these <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005F0CQ9I/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005F0CQ9I&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=QWZ26BMEQT72DOMK">Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets</a> to him as recommended on the bottle. Especially at night! I want him to have all the possible resources to sleep well, and these tend to knock him out. They're all-natural, and I did a bit of research on the ingredients, so I don't feel weird about giving them to him. </div>
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<b>2. Hylands Teething Gel.</b></div>
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Along with the teething tablets, I rub this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00719E0MM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00719E0MM&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=MB5BVL6S4W57HOK5">Hyland's Teething Gel</a> on his gums when he's really in pain. I find this product a little bit more challenging to use, because it's hard to actually get the gel onto his gums (and he immediately licks it off, which... is that good??) but I try nonetheless because it seems to help him calm down. After the wiggling, squealing, and licking off of the gel. </div>
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<b>3. Amber Teething Necklace.</b></div>
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Yes, my baby son wears a necklace. This <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NYHK5TW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NYHK5TW&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=LHONXYWKNB7YKPPB">Amber Crown Teething Necklace</a> to be exact. And he looks spectacular in it. He might get mistaken for being a girl from time to time, but it doesn't matter to me because that just means he's cute. No seriously, this necklace has been a lifesaver. When he's really in pain, he acts out by being fussy and wriggly and uncontrollable. Within twenty minutes of wearing this necklace, he's back to his happy self, laughing and interacting and playing. Apparently, the stone amber has anti-inflammatory properties which, when worn against the skin, helps to soothe the pain of teething. Yes, sounds hippie-dippy, I know. But sometimes that crazy hippie stuff works!</div>
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<b>4. Honest Company Baby Teether.</b></div>
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This <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=Dgc4Wtq5KMY&offerid=281968.102&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.honest.com%2Fcollective%2Fbaby-teether%3Fsid%3D10025%26cid%3D%7Bifnotmobile%3Agoogle%7D%7Bifmobile%3Agoogle_mobile%7D%26mid%3Dsearch%26aid%3DPLA%3A%7Bproduct_partition_id%7D%3A%7Bproduct_id%7D%3Apla%26pid%3D%7Badtype%7D&LSNSUBSITE=adgid">Honest Baby Teether</a> is a great chew toy for your little rascal, since it's made of non-toxic silicone and has "handles" made by the shape of the butterfly wings. It's easy for the baby to hold and gnaw on, and I personally like that I can link his little <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004323NHS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004323NHS&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=PYPFSFPWG2HLCNHE">pacifier clip</a> around it and clip it to his clothes. That way we aren't constantly bending over to pick up his teether (which he inevitably drops like 50 times in a 20-minute gnaw session).</div>
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<b>5. Munchkin Feeder.</b></div>
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Another great option for the miserable baby is this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GK5XY2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000GK5XY2&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=CGKDPXT2VC7GETPO">Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder</a>. It's great because you can put a frozen piece of fruit or even ice into the mesh, click it in the feeder, and the baby can safely gum on it until is dissolves. My only qualm with this is that, depending on what you put in it, things can get messy like, lightning fast. But if you don't mind a sticky (though happy!) baby, then go for it.</div>
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<b>6. Chew Toys.</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IDSLOG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000IDSLOG&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=E4NSFXREC3V7GWB6">Sophie the Giraffe</a> is obviously the famous little French teething toy that practically every mom-to-be receives at a baby shower. We were no exception, and this has been a great teether for Everett to chew chew chew on. However, I recently found this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JSAZODG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JSAZODG&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=5TERN5ME7C4SKAGT">this</a> similar toy at Target, and it's been the biggest hit! I think because it's got some good ears to chew on. </div>
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<b>7. Baby Tylenol.</b></div>
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Okay, I loathe the idea of giving my child drugs. I really really <i>really</i> try to avoid it at all cost. But we had one day where my sweet boy was just out of control by the pain of his teeth-to-be, and I exhausted all the above options. I also did my best to distract him by feeding, playing, rocking, reading, going for a walk outside... nothing worked! I finally gave in and gave him a bit of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E1MTFCC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00E1MTFCC&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=AJT5PFKLA34GMD4O">Infant Tylenol</a> and within about 15 minutes, he had definitely calmed down. And within about 30 minutes he finally fell asleep. He had just cried himself silly and I think this calmed him down enough to where he could finally rest. Like I said, I don't love resorting to drugs, but this is the reason why we have them. I certainly don't want him to be in pain!</div>
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Other items I haven't tried (but I've heard good things about!):</div>
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</b> <b>Teething Necklace for Mom.</b></div>
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A friend of mine told me her son loved gnawing on this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KBBP20Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KBBP20Q&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=FBC7NYOUT7U5YIH7">Silicone Teething Necklace</a>. I've also heard good things about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LXIYMMK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00LXIYMMK&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=JSBJMHEVJAFH2GGG">this one</a>. It's a cute item that you can wear to match your outfit, but is safe for your child to have in his mouth. I'll admit, there are many times where I will let Everett chew on my chunky statement necklaces because they are relief for him, and when we're in public places (like church!) that activity keeps him contented and quiet. I do sort of get nervous about something breaking off in his mouth though, so this would probably be a good purchase for me to make! </div>
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<b>Sterling Silver Teether.</b></div>
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It sounds fancy, because it is. We don't have one of these, but I've heard the silver feels really good on a baby's gums, because of, ya know, IT'S SILVER. Cold metal and whatnot. Some kids are really living, you know what I mean?<br />
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Mamas, any other items that have you helped your little one survive the awfulness of teething? Do share!<br />
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Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-18175722790534785332015-04-30T09:27:00.004-04:002015-04-30T09:27:37.713-04:00TBT to That Time I Roadtripped Across The United States.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>TBT to That Time I Road-tripped Across The United States.</b><br />
Well, the first time.<br />
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I've mentioned it before, but I thought I'd share the story. And the ridiculous photos. So here it goes.<br />
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Nine years ago, during my senior year of high school, I was all set to go to college like a good little girl. I even had a roommate lined up. We were discussing our dorm's color scheme in between classes. But then something happened. Through friends at church I kept hearing about this wild<i> </i>and crazy cool<i> </i>ministry school in Redding, California where students were getting their lives changed and having their faith in Jesus ignited in a way I had never experienced. I was intrigued. Something inside me leapt at the thought of abandoning all good reason and just going for it. Moving to California. Having this experience for myself. <br />
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So. I decided that if there were ever a time to completely changed the course of my life and try something outside the box, being 18 and straight out of high school seemed like the best option. It took some major convincing to get my parents to okay such a bold move. My dad wasn't pleased. California was <i>far</i>. And he had worked very very hard to provide for all his kids to go to college, and here I was... asking to instead to go an unaccredited ministry school as far away as possible within the U.S. I mean, I kind of get why he wasn't thrilled. He's such a good father and he just wanted the absolute best for me. But I explained to him what I had heard about this place and all incredible things that were happening at this school and church, and after we both visited and spent some time out there, I felt absolutely sure. It was definitely a place that I wanted to immerse myself in and a program that I wanted to experience for myself. Dad consented. Mom bought me laundry detergent. It was decided.<br />
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The thing is, the more I talked to other people, my friends and family members who were also interested in the school, the more we all got excited and there was a bit of groupthink going on and suddenly - I found myself in the middle of a wonderful, vibrant gang of outside-the-box souls who were, indeed, on board for the adventure too. Before I could even finish laughing about the irony of it all, my sister and her husband, a couple of my friends, a couple of my cousins AND my boyfriend (yes, in case you're wondering, that's STEVIE) all decided that we were in on this gig together - we were going to trek across the country and go to ministry school. Together. We were going to take out loans, find jobs, invest in some camping gear and <i>just do</i> this California thing. It was an enormous risk. It was probably going to change our lives forever. It was very possibly going to ruin some of our best-laid plans for stability, security, savings and career trajectory. It was going to abandon all of our hopes for the American dream. Abandon all normal.<br />
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It was going to be SO. MUCH. FUN.<br />
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I can't tell you how many people thought I was joining a cult. The college advisers at my private high school couldn't really figure me out. <i>Why an unaccredited school? Why??</i> But I had my safety net of people and I had my goals and most of all, I had that incredible feeling of peace that trumped all the whispers and judgements of those who didn't understand.<br />
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That's a really long way of saying that in August of 2006, I hopped into my '97 Honda Accord with Stevie by my side, and we (along with our 4-car caravan!) began the road trip of a lifetime: from Georgia to California. Two weeks. All the states. And ALL the awesome stops in between.<br />
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Our caravan consisted of 7 people and we all took turns picking out destinations that we wanted to see along the way. We did some of the obvious sights, like the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm" target="_blank">Grand Canyon</a> and <a href="http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/route66/route66.html" target="_blank">Route 66</a>. And we did some super weird ones, like catching <a href="http://www.peabodymemphis.com/" target="_blank">the dancing ducks at the Peabody Hotel</a> and driving through the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm" target="_blank">Petrified Forest</a>. Logistics were crazy. If we stayed at a hotel, we would all hunker down in one room (to save on cash!), which included two dogs and all our bikes. Because we couldn't very well leave our bikes hitched to the back of our cars in the parking lot - there are looters lurking! But hotels weren't the norm, we also did a good bit of camping. <a href="http://koa.com/" target="_blank">KOAs</a> became a friendly stop, especially as we entered the West. And I'll admit that we bathed in more than one body of water. I told you- we did some super weird things. And kind of quickly slumped into hippie life. And when I say that, I mean it. I found mud in my hair weeks later from the Colorado River "bath".<br />
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I could talk for hours and hours about this trip, but I might as well just show you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6sEZLaGNEk/VUGYrH6v_XI/AAAAAAAAI10/sU3-WgFDXDE/s1600/Driveway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6sEZLaGNEk/VUGYrH6v_XI/AAAAAAAAI10/sU3-WgFDXDE/s1600/Driveway.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Loading up.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GxpwDV5yM3g/VUGZjmLzNjI/AAAAAAAAI18/-Faw5AWFAK0/s1600/Rolling%2BFields%2Band%2BClouds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GxpwDV5yM3g/VUGZjmLzNjI/AAAAAAAAI18/-Faw5AWFAK0/s1600/Rolling%2BFields%2Band%2BClouds.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6o5iuvzw7Q/VUGZxMmZRNI/AAAAAAAAI2E/nDqGIB3tmA4/s1600/The%2BPeabody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6o5iuvzw7Q/VUGZxMmZRNI/AAAAAAAAI2E/nDqGIB3tmA4/s1600/The%2BPeabody.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.peabodymemphis.com/" target="_blank">The Peabody Hotel</a>, Memphis. Famous for the ducks.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-849OmKBZC7c/VUGZ72RCyxI/AAAAAAAAI2M/W-2ZuREbgi4/s1600/Beale%2BStreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-849OmKBZC7c/VUGZ72RCyxI/AAAAAAAAI2M/W-2ZuREbgi4/s1600/Beale%2BStreet.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beale Street strolling, Memphis.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KRE6voIbZY4/VUGbupYlEAI/AAAAAAAAI2Y/OxhfIbEU6b4/s1600/Memphis%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KRE6voIbZY4/VUGbupYlEAI/AAAAAAAAI2Y/OxhfIbEU6b4/s1600/Memphis%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.bluescitycafe.com/" target="_blank">Blues City Cafe</a> (BARBEQUE!!!), Stevie giving me a wet willie in front of <a href="http://www.wetwillies.com/locations/memphis.html" target="_blank">Wet Willies</a> (he's a gross boy), and <a href="http://www.bbkings.com/" target="_blank">BB King's Blues Club</a>. We did Memphis pretty darn well.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e9DAQvAibUs/VUGcCiwwHOI/AAAAAAAAI2o/ecR0TUaGCBc/s1600/Elvis%2BAaron%2BPresley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e9DAQvAibUs/VUGcCiwwHOI/AAAAAAAAI2o/ecR0TUaGCBc/s1600/Elvis%2BAaron%2BPresley.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh yeah, we went to see the King, too.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmLLfFsbgRM/VUGdJssc65I/AAAAAAAAI2w/-RbjJ-LWps0/s1600/Church%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bdistance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmLLfFsbgRM/VUGdJssc65I/AAAAAAAAI2w/-RbjJ-LWps0/s1600/Church%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bdistance.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most of my "on the road" shots were something like this.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VmM_rfXRa5c/VUGcBRz3J5I/AAAAAAAAI2g/8AL7e86oGs0/s1600/First%2BPentecostal%2BChurch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VmM_rfXRa5c/VUGcBRz3J5I/AAAAAAAAI2g/8AL7e86oGs0/s1600/First%2BPentecostal%2BChurch.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EgSV8ZfibU4/VUGdRBHn-EI/AAAAAAAAI24/zrApToeRxZ0/s1600/I%2BDrive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EgSV8ZfibU4/VUGdRBHn-EI/AAAAAAAAI24/zrApToeRxZ0/s1600/I%2BDrive.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SbDFvqNhDRk/VUGeSEG15RI/AAAAAAAAI3I/9vCqkAiNsA0/s1600/Welcome%2Bto%2BArkansas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SbDFvqNhDRk/VUGeSEG15RI/AAAAAAAAI3I/9vCqkAiNsA0/s1600/Welcome%2Bto%2BArkansas.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OJbEVw0p2fk/VUGeFHbJiEI/AAAAAAAAI3A/D8DYPoL-eFw/s1600/On%2Bthe%2BRoad%2Bin%2BLittle%2BRock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OJbEVw0p2fk/VUGeFHbJiEI/AAAAAAAAI3A/D8DYPoL-eFw/s1600/On%2Bthe%2BRoad%2Bin%2BLittle%2BRock.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's my bro and sis-in-law's vehicle ahead. Along with their dog Abby. And their cooler. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRBQS4EJqwQ/VUGeuxVQPUI/AAAAAAAAI3Q/0sqoHONFQ80/s1600/KANSAS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NRBQS4EJqwQ/VUGeuxVQPUI/AAAAAAAAI3Q/0sqoHONFQ80/s1600/KANSAS.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kansas is full of hay. Just full of it.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pCZnzGTzmcM/VUGhIV2D25I/AAAAAAAAI3o/gkFGC1dsMY4/s1600/Mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pCZnzGTzmcM/VUGhIV2D25I/AAAAAAAAI3o/gkFGC1dsMY4/s1600/Mountain.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Entering Colorado. It was the first time I had ever seen the <a href="http://rockymountainnationalpark.com/" target="_blank">Rocky Mountains</a> and I FREAKED OUT.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x-ZrToXyDRA/VUGhRRLo6cI/AAAAAAAAI3w/mdbVcUGjIrc/s1600/Kite%2BLake%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x-ZrToXyDRA/VUGhRRLo6cI/AAAAAAAAI3w/mdbVcUGjIrc/s1600/Kite%2BLake%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We hiked a 14er up to <a href="http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/trailheads2.php?thparm=mr01" target="_blank">Kite Lake</a> (no we didn't hike the whole thing - we drove to the trail head), but it was one of the scariest things I've ever done. Because we didn't take the trail, and instead FOLLOWED THE DOGS up the face of the mountain. The rocky part. The dangerous part. The top two photos should give you an indication of the terrain we covered. All I can say is that I was praying and crying through parts of the hike. And then we got to the top and saw people taking the trail down the other side of the mountain and we were all like, WHAT THE.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Grc-lam13xo/VUGhbdzcZ4I/AAAAAAAAI34/2p5tai4HjHY/s1600/Us%2Bwith%2BKite%2BLake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Grc-lam13xo/VUGhbdzcZ4I/AAAAAAAAI34/2p5tai4HjHY/s1600/Us%2Bwith%2BKite%2BLake.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We made it! Along with my Kelty backpack, Stevie's graduation gift to me that year. I still use that bad boy.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hrF3LcXOKKM/VUGlIuZjHmI/AAAAAAAAI4E/M1_zGQDhAi4/s1600/Stevie%2BDriving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hrF3LcXOKKM/VUGlIuZjHmI/AAAAAAAAI4E/M1_zGQDhAi4/s1600/Stevie%2BDriving.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We had a lot of time to chat. Like, a lot. We played the game of , "tell me something I don't know about you!" and by the end of the trip, we pretty much knew everything. EVERYTHING. About each other.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx_tKIZRn10/VUGlOJ6Yy9I/AAAAAAAAI4M/wQvuihoRvvE/s1600/Rainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dx_tKIZRn10/VUGlOJ6Yy9I/AAAAAAAAI4M/wQvuihoRvvE/s1600/Rainbow.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rainbows are a good indicator on a road trip.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uz7Oc4lVZKg/VUGlVbT9fGI/AAAAAAAAI4U/InRKCC1w1UI/s1600/My%2BHonda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uz7Oc4lVZKg/VUGlVbT9fGI/AAAAAAAAI4U/InRKCC1w1UI/s1600/My%2BHonda.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's my girl. My first and best car, Audrey. May she rest in peace.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q3AHwK41qTc/VUGlkPURWgI/AAAAAAAAI4c/wsAakzt0Syk/s1600/Colorado%2BNails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q3AHwK41qTc/VUGlkPURWgI/AAAAAAAAI4c/wsAakzt0Syk/s1600/Colorado%2BNails.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I mean, yeah.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qRaOL4wiARE/VUGlsR-y2tI/AAAAAAAAI4k/FtzLExkuSJU/s1600/Pizza%2Bin%2BColorado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qRaOL4wiARE/VUGlsR-y2tI/AAAAAAAAI4k/FtzLExkuSJU/s1600/Pizza%2Bin%2BColorado.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I remember this because everyone ordered beer samplers and I COULDN'T. Oh the days of underaged-ness.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xfR6S2qwj6c/VUGmC6gGT8I/AAAAAAAAI4s/noocwI7g7Tc/s1600/Speed%2BLimit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xfR6S2qwj6c/VUGmC6gGT8I/AAAAAAAAI4s/noocwI7g7Tc/s1600/Speed%2BLimit.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I remember Stevie remarking that he had never seen the speed limit set to 75. I'm telling you, the West is WILD.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Skq1nvfpuLQ/VUGmPBxMc5I/AAAAAAAAI40/mCkYTGWtw34/s1600/Moab%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Skq1nvfpuLQ/VUGmPBxMc5I/AAAAAAAAI40/mCkYTGWtw34/s1600/Moab%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We camped and mountain biked in <a href="http://www.utah.com/moab/" target="_blank">Moab, Utah</a> visited <a href="http://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm" target="_blank">Arches National Park</a>, and I was kept awake by coyotes those nights. These are the things you don't forget people.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N9Ym6eGxzFI/VUGmel_wOhI/AAAAAAAAI48/_AVx5nidTuA/s1600/Arches%2BNational%2BPark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N9Ym6eGxzFI/VUGmel_wOhI/AAAAAAAAI48/_AVx5nidTuA/s1600/Arches%2BNational%2BPark.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Isn't it crazy how fake this looks? It was real. REAL I TELL YOU.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U-3RAkxWhsI/VUGmsEPIyII/AAAAAAAAI5M/yuH51IPzBcI/s1600/Grand%2BCanyon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U-3RAkxWhsI/VUGmsEPIyII/AAAAAAAAI5M/yuH51IPzBcI/s1600/Grand%2BCanyon.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And then we made the obligatory stop at the <a href="http://grandcanyon.com/" target="_blank">Grand Canyon</a>. You can take a moment here. I know.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rRiPtTY9OBE/VUGm0QurI5I/AAAAAAAAI5U/1yJAQLc3w-s/s1600/Route%2B66%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rRiPtTY9OBE/VUGm0QurI5I/AAAAAAAAI5U/1yJAQLc3w-s/s1600/Route%2B66%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We found ourselves on <a href="http://www.historic66.com/" target="_blank">Route 66</a>!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E3jIB_P0rb8/VUGodjxAydI/AAAAAAAAI5g/mNg5MSuqar8/s1600/Happy%2BClouds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E3jIB_P0rb8/VUGodjxAydI/AAAAAAAAI5g/mNg5MSuqar8/s1600/Happy%2BClouds.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">From there we hightailed it through the rest of the stops, including a brief visit to Las Vegas. For some reason I didn't have any photos from Vegas... I guess what happens there truly stays there. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYD1ODbhgHo/VUGog4_O9LI/AAAAAAAAI5o/DoC_mJnq8og/s1600/America%2Bthe%2BBeautiful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYD1ODbhgHo/VUGog4_O9LI/AAAAAAAAI5o/DoC_mJnq8og/s1600/America%2Bthe%2BBeautiful.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first thing we did when we arrived in Redding, California? Ate at <a href="http://www.in-n-out.com/" target="_blank">In and Out</a>. I was convinced I would live there forever. Right there. In the parking lot of that glorious fast food joint. HAVE YOU HAD THE MILKSHAKE?!!</span></td></tr>
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<b>Across the Country. </b><br />
I lived in Redding for two years, and had the privilege of forever altering my life for the better. Stevie and I still believe that our time in ministry school was the best investment we could have ever made in our relationship and marriage (8 years in June! Crazyyyy.) And my bond with these incredible people that I trekked out there with? To this day, it's pretty rock solid. Nothing <span style="font-size: small;">brings you together</span> like sharing bath water in <a href="http://www.utah.com/lakepowell/" target="_blank">Lake Powell</a> and brushing your teeth together in a crappy hotel bathroom at 4:30am. I have taken this drive several times since 2006. In fact, I have trekked back and forth across this country 4 times now. But nothing was quite like that first time, when I took the Kerouac cruise with this incredible group of friends and we devoured the sites and cities that make this nation great. And every time I think about this trip, I want to do it all over again.<br />
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Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-8723372120959718322015-04-29T08:22:00.000-04:002015-04-29T08:22:10.689-04:00Happy Mothers Day Gift Guide<div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 825px;">
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/happy_mothers_day_gift_guide/set?.embedder=6112073&.svc=blogger&id=156998634" target="_blank"><img alt="Happy Mothers Day Gift Guide" border="0" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/jJBg7iYM0Ue56IV0nIaaw/cid/156998634/id/yshfD0jt5BG3ztB_tfvecw/size/c825x790.jpg" height="790" title="Happy Mothers Day Gift Guide" width="825" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/happy_mothers_day_gift_guide/set?.embedder=6112073&.svc=blogger&id=156998634" target="_blank">Happy Mothers Day Gift Guide</a> by <a href="http://oykristen.polyvore.com/?.embedder=6112073&.svc=blogger" target="_blank">oykristen</a></span><br />
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<small><span style="font-size: small;"><b>She deserves a present. </b> </span></small><br />
<small><span style="font-size: small;">I was doing a little happy hunting for my mom for Mothers Day and I thought I would share a few fun picks that inspired me. Friends, don't forget, Mother's Day is May 10! Waiting until last minute normally doesn't pan out too well (plus, all the good cards are taken!), so make sure to plan a bit early. You still have time to score an amazing, thoughtful and pampering gift for that woman who BIRTHED YOU. Mom, if you're reading this, you aren't getting any of these - the surprise shall remain intact.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">1. </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DTRTS8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001DTRTS8&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=CKKFZ2VWER56P3PD">Diptyque Gardenia Candle</a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">These delicious candles are totally a luxury and they smell ahhhhhmazing. They feel like a decadent gift because it's not really the kind of thing you would ever buy yourself. But to receive as a gift? Well that's just fancy pants. Include along with a vial of bath salts and you might just win the kid-of-the-year award for this one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">2. <a href="http://www.shopterrain.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/_/hydrangea-petal-cuff/productID/1685518b-d2ae-4520-8a33-e1b50e651fed/categoryID/6b9f6993-ee94-431e-914d-3300479c6cb4" target="_blank">Terrain Hydrangea Petal Cuff</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">My mom would rock this cuff <i>so hard</i>. It's so pretty and delicate, and yet the bronze material is sturdy and tough. Wow. A metaphor for moms everywhere - pretty, delicate, sturdy, tough. I'M WRITING THE POEM FOR YOUR MOTHER'S DAY CARD RIGHT HERE. Copy and paste. You're welcome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H5WIG84/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00H5WIG84&linkCode=as2&tag=o01f0-20&linkId=6ZIOBHOK3D7XGDOQ">Rifle Paper Co. Vintage Blossoms Notebook Set</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=o01f0-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00H5WIG84" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This is such a goodie. If someone gave me anything Rifle Paper Company, I would melt. These products are just so frilly and inspiring. And let's face it, moms everywhere could use a pretty journal. We have thoughts. <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">4. <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/accessories-wraps/35151349.jsp#/" target="_blank">Anthropologie Papua Fedora</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Because there is very little in life that can say what a peach fedora can say. (In case you're wondering, it says I LOVE YOUR SWAG, MOM in that hushed powdery shade). </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">5. <a href="http://www.shopterrain.com/garden-structures-/zinc-sphere-hanging-basket" target="_blank">Terrain Zinc Sphere Hanging Basket</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">You could put a plant in this one and really knock her socks off. Who doesn't want a bit of green earth hanging in the corner of the room? INSTANT ATMOSPHERE BOOSTER.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/accessories-wraps/36016996.jsp#/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">6. Anthropologie Color-Daze Scarf</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This scarf makes me want to eat a Popsicle. Here mom, have a popsicle scarf. </span><br />
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">7. <a href="http://www.sundancecatalog.com/product/large+beveled+glass+display+box.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=" target="_blank">Sundance Glass Jewelry Box</a></span></small><br />
<small><span style="font-size: small;">A dainty home for all the necklaces you've given her for the past ten Mother's Days. </span></small><br />
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">May 10! May 10! May 10! DON'T FORGET!!! K you've been fairly warned. May 10. Mom's day for the win.</span></small><br />
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Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-73317069417493831542015-04-28T14:00:00.001-04:002015-04-28T14:00:48.021-04:00Meditating.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Meditating. </b><br />
I've been a bit quiet here on the blog, and I thank you for understanding. My family has attended two funerals in the past week, and it just doesn't feel right to be all "blah blah blah" about fun and life happenings in this space when people that I know are hurting and grieving begone souls. I hope you will join me in knitting together a few prayers for the families who are grappling with their losses, figuring out what to do with all their unanswered questions and aching hearts. There aren't really words that can do justice to completely comfort anyone's loss, but prayers can be stealthy and powerful beyond my own flawed human ability. So that's what I'm taking this time to do - pray, meditate on scripture on their behalf, and try to dream up a good meal that can be delivered to their doorsteps.<br />
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Be back tomorrow.<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-42688975486953796822015-04-24T10:51:00.000-04:002015-04-24T10:52:46.429-04:00Happening Lately.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YwASD2q136E/VTpXa0YVvUI/AAAAAAAAIz0/DkT8T-2kZJU/s1600/Pollen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YwASD2q136E/VTpXa0YVvUI/AAAAAAAAIz0/DkT8T-2kZJU/s1600/Pollen.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pollen = Beauty = Head pain.</span></td></tr>
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<b>Happening Lately. </b><br />
Happy Friday, folks! I hope you have some spectacular weekend plans in the mix. <br />
We've been dealing with some sickness up in here. Not fun. Stevie's had some kind of upper respiratory funk since he got home from Turkey, Everett got his first fever and ear infection, I got a stye on my eye... and this morning I woke up with some symptoms of what my boys have going on. Is it pollen? Is it illness? I don't know, but I'm tired of taking care of sick people and I certainly don't feel like dealing with it myself. Do I sound moody? Sorry. I probably need a nap. But just imagine that I am hobbling around like blind Quasimodo, poor Everett is draped in my arms hacking up a lung, and Stevie's in the background somewhere blowing his nose like a trumpet. We are a touch pathetic. We are so ready to be back into the swing of things. Fingers crossed that this weekend is a time that we all heal up for good. I'm ready to wear contacts again, let alone maybe some mascara. Maybe.<br />
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Since we are really boring and have nothing but sickness to report, here are a few fun links. <br />
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I so very badly really, really really want to go to <a href="http://www.health.com/health/wp/0,,20867374,00.html" target="_blank">this retreat</a>.<br />
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How rad is <a href="http://www.feedprojects.com/shopping_product_detail.asp?pid=50272&catID=3782" target="_blank">this bag</a>? Plus, I love Honest Co. and FEED. Just dynamite. <br />
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My gal pal sent me <a href="http://carrotsncake.com/2015/04/running-with-your-little-one-3-stroller-workouts-we-love.html" target="_blank">this stroller workout</a> and it's revolutionary.<br />
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Crap. I happened to find THE MOST ADDICTIVE <a href="http://www.target.com/p/angie-s-boomchickabites-mixed-berry-ancient-grain-popcorn-clusters-4-oz/-/A-17078801#prodSlot=medium_1_11&term=Boomchickapop" target="_blank">snack food</a> and now I'm a bit obsessed.<br />
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Gonna make <a href="http://www.mintdesignblog.com/2013/06/kitchen-originals-easy-yogurt-cake/" target="_blank">this cake</a>. Be on the lookout. <br />
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Any awesome weekend plans? We are heading to a dear old friends' wedding tomorrow night, suuuuuper excited! I love marriage!<br />
TGIF :)<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-50813797354833193322015-04-23T10:01:00.001-04:002015-04-23T10:01:23.039-04:00TBT to That Time We Got Fancy in Newport, Rhode Island.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>TBT to That Time We Got Fancy in Newport, Rhode Island.</b><br />
I say it all sort of in jest, because we actually just took a school trip here a few years ago. Stevie was in business school and his class had an end-of-the-year formal in Newport. I didn't really know what to expect, being from the South and all, but oh. Newport. Oh.<br />
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It's a New England treasure, that's for sure.<br />
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It's not indicative of real life, that's for sure.<br />
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It's pretty ridiculous actually. And lovely. That's definitely for sure. <br />
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Go ahead and imagine a town full of Downton Abbey-esque things. Now go ahead and imagine something <i>fancier</i>. That's Newport.<br />
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We spent a day exploring Newport's old estates that used to house American tycoon families during their gilded-age summer holidays. The Vanderbilts, the Astors, the Wideners - you know, they were palin' around, sharing gimlets in their bejeweled gowns and and probably throwing dollar bills into the oceans for fun and whatnot. Because you know, they were fancy like that.<br />
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The two most famous mansions in Newport are <a href="http://www.newportmansions.org/explore/the-breakers" target="_blank">The Breakers</a> and <a href="http://www.newportmansions.org/explore/the-elms" target="_blank">The Elms</a>, so obviously we had to tour those. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to photograph inside the mansions, so I will forever have to just remember the ballroom after ballroom after sitting room after marble staircase after THOSE OCEAN VIEWS. It's almost unreal how these people lived. If you ever get the chance to boogie on up to Newport, DO IT. It's so worth the spectacular experience. And the gawking. You will probably walk around those estates with your mouth wide open, dumbfounded, like I did.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LqW_Odh9be8/VTjwLN4BqEI/AAAAAAAAIw4/YpZdBucfpX0/s1600/All%2BGreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LqW_Odh9be8/VTjwLN4BqEI/AAAAAAAAIw4/YpZdBucfpX0/s1600/All%2BGreen.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Good foliage was only the beginning.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uq8ZIDB-aYo/VTjwS_83oBI/AAAAAAAAIxA/unw5JotpfPQ/s1600/The%2BElms%2BHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uq8ZIDB-aYo/VTjwS_83oBI/AAAAAAAAIxA/unw5JotpfPQ/s1600/The%2BElms%2BHouse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I mean. What are we, Europe or something?? THIS IS AMERICA. MERRRRIIICCAAA.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uBCtNLlRt0Y/VTjwoDDhuqI/AAAAAAAAIxI/DzGdSb-SCi4/s1600/The%2BOcean%2Bfor%2Bthe%2BBackyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uBCtNLlRt0Y/VTjwoDDhuqI/AAAAAAAAIxI/DzGdSb-SCi4/s1600/The%2BOcean%2Bfor%2Bthe%2BBackyard.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Imagine if that were your backyard. Just imagine.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WXb83t5rEcg/VTjwsNfIl7I/AAAAAAAAIxQ/a1gBI7hG7JU/s1600/Up%2BClose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WXb83t5rEcg/VTjwsNfIl7I/AAAAAAAAIxQ/a1gBI7hG7JU/s1600/Up%2BClose.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6tybPHNCiGM/VTjwyUij3iI/AAAAAAAAIxY/pYMKHYNC3qM/s1600/The%2BBreakers%2BBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6tybPHNCiGM/VTjwyUij3iI/AAAAAAAAIxY/pYMKHYNC3qM/s1600/The%2BBreakers%2BBack.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hmm which window shall I toss a pebble at? I think the 43rd shall do.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uLoRtBcI0Gw/VTjw49D2jdI/AAAAAAAAIxg/g0wNgZQauog/s1600/Stone%2BWall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uLoRtBcI0Gw/VTjw49D2jdI/AAAAAAAAIxg/g0wNgZQauog/s1600/Stone%2BWall.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This photo reminds me that I need to Amazon Prime some baby gates STAT.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8pE_aDp3Brc/VTjw_atJDMI/AAAAAAAAIxo/Zfn4LL6mgWI/s1600/Laying%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bgrass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8pE_aDp3Brc/VTjw_atJDMI/AAAAAAAAIxo/Zfn4LL6mgWI/s1600/Laying%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bgrass.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We lounged in the sunshine. We actually hadn't seen the light of day in a loooooong time before that trip. #bostonwinterssuck</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqnpOlK0yng/VTjxEsh6I8I/AAAAAAAAIxw/1oeb_rsQczA/s1600/Friends%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqnpOlK0yng/VTjxEsh6I8I/AAAAAAAAIxw/1oeb_rsQczA/s1600/Friends%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Waaaaaaahhhhhh I miss my friends. Aren't they pretty.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m_wjG7lmoQc/VTjxKN1jE8I/AAAAAAAAIx4/oYWBYx4XJE4/s1600/Fancy%2BTree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m_wjG7lmoQc/VTjxKN1jE8I/AAAAAAAAIx4/oYWBYx4XJE4/s1600/Fancy%2BTree.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Epic tree right there.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-024J_1aa2rg/VTjxO5L0AaI/AAAAAAAAIyA/GGEc01Ayvlc/s1600/Family%2BTalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-024J_1aa2rg/VTjxO5L0AaI/AAAAAAAAIyA/GGEc01Ayvlc/s1600/Family%2BTalk.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dude huddle. They were probably discussing how to get out of touring some boring old houses.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_4ZJcb3Qo8U/VTjxV2qtGJI/AAAAAAAAIyI/cf8KqjkmNpM/s1600/Breakers%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_4ZJcb3Qo8U/VTjxV2qtGJI/AAAAAAAAIyI/cf8KqjkmNpM/s1600/Breakers%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85sAlMYE7sA/VTjxfzW0r6I/AAAAAAAAIyQ/VLJoevdw90U/s1600/Lawn%2BGnomes%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85sAlMYE7sA/VTjxfzW0r6I/AAAAAAAAIyQ/VLJoevdw90U/s1600/Lawn%2BGnomes%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rich people lawn gnomes.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PCI1sAU8vd4/VTj1wgeIYbI/AAAAAAAAIzA/6GcTOQnXFKg/s1600/The%2Bgrand%2Blawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PCI1sAU8vd4/VTj1wgeIYbI/AAAAAAAAIzA/6GcTOQnXFKg/s1600/The%2Bgrand%2Blawn.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Oh the Memories. </b></div>
We had a blast with our friends, most of whom used live a 5-minute walk from our little Cambridge apartment. These days, we are all spread across the country and the world. Now it's Facetime calls and email chains and planning trips just to have the pleasure of hanging out again. Life has changed in just a few short years.<br />
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But... (insert sweeping dramatic pause), <i>we'll always have Newport.</i> (<-- imagine that sentence spoken in a drawn-out accent. Something like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc7quH-i_0w" target="_blank">when Phoebe met the in-laws for the first time</a>.)<br />
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Oh wait, just a few more photos. Because this was the one time during the trip when we actually were fancy. Going to a ball and all. And I loved that dress and I'll never get to wear it again. So let me indulge. CUE GIRL MOMENT.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0YqIApHVX-0/VTj2EH1Pf-I/AAAAAAAAIzI/qwSHqdejPkY/s1600/The%2BBall%2BCollage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0YqIApHVX-0/VTj2EH1Pf-I/AAAAAAAAIzI/qwSHqdejPkY/s1600/The%2BBall%2BCollage1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stevie. Will forever remain an over-zealous youth grouper.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xpfCzVzjk8w/VTj2n09ew8I/AAAAAAAAIzQ/oYziI5cav3o/s1600/Pretty%2BPeople%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xpfCzVzjk8w/VTj2n09ew8I/AAAAAAAAIzQ/oYziI5cav3o/s1600/Pretty%2BPeople%2BCollage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can tell our camera was a bit older because of the fuzzy effect of the photos, but still. Ah the fancifulness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Did I make you want to go on some fancy mansion tours? Yeah me too. Now let's talk about the fact that I still live at my parents' house.</span></div>
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Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5922815663621729607.post-8769866841888707242015-04-22T07:56:00.001-04:002015-04-22T07:56:59.615-04:00TASTE: Broccoli Apple Slaw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Th1GPAQw1bI/VTZ1VDW_YzI/AAAAAAAAIvI/drs194AV0wA/s1600/Broccoli%2BApple%2BSlaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Th1GPAQw1bI/VTZ1VDW_YzI/AAAAAAAAIvI/drs194AV0wA/s1600/Broccoli%2BApple%2BSlaw.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Broccoli Apple Slaw.</b><br />
Happy Earth Day! Today I'm bringing you the latest installment in this month's roundup of <a href="http://oykristen.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html" target="_blank">unusual salads</a> and I'm just gonna go ahead and say it - this one is a home run. Because everyone that tastes this slaw wants more! And it's composed of completely raw veggies (and a few other goodies), which is especially healthy. Woohoo! Add in some sweet and savory elements, drizzle on some good dressing, and you've got yourself and healthy healthy lunch, my friends. <br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
- 1 package Broccoli Slaw (in the salad section of your grocery store - usually contains shredded broccoli, cabbage and carrots) <br />
- 1 Granny Smith Apple, diced<br />
- 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries<br />
- 1/2 cup Goat Cheese<br />
- 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped<br />
- Your choice of Balsamic Dressing (<a href="http://www.simpletruth.com/products/condiments-spreads/dressings/balsamic-vinaigrette/" target="_blank">this one</a> is my new favorite, you can find it at Kroger in the organic section)<br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
1. Combine the slaw, chopped apple, cranberries, goat cheese and pecans in a mixing bowl.<br />
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2. Drizzle on your balsamic dressing.<br />
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3. Voila! I told you this one was easy!<br />
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You might find yourself making this over and over again, because it's so simple to throw together, super hearty and filling, and just plain fun. Let me know what you think!<br />
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<br />Kristen Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05671195594675182415noreply@blogger.com0