babies Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

Sun Kissed

IMG_9968_Layers_v1

IMG_9906_Layers_v1

IMG_9898_Layers_v1

IMG_9896_Layers_v1

IMG_9939_Layers_v1

IMG_9956_Layers_v1

IMG_9970_Layers_v1

Dress: ASOS / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Earrings: Stella & Dot / Bracelet: Vintage / Sunglasses: Brickyard Buffalo / Lip: MAC Snob

Ahh this dress! During an online shopping spree for our June wedding season, I saw this dress at ASOS, and I just HAD to have it! I just love the bright neon florals for summertime, and it was perfect for the outdoor/indoor wedding we attended in Ithaca, NY. I hedged my bets with this one hoping it would fit as only the smaller size was available. I normally would have gone for the slightly larger one, but it seems my hard work in the “gym” aka my living room has paid off and I was able to slip into this delightful fit and flare silhouette! So happy that it worked out, and we had an amazing evening watching the sun go down and dancing the night away with great friends.

It’s been a busy summer here with lots of traveling and more coming up in the next few weeks! Nashville is SOOOOO soon!!! Eeeep! If you don’t remember, here is a post of me from last year’s Summit breakin’ it down with CIZE at 8 months pregnant! LOL! I am getting so excited to return to the place where I met all my coaching teammates in person for the first time and looking forward to learning from the best about how to keep moving my business forward and changing lives along the way.

In other news…not that you all particularly care, but the fellow moms out there might! We are in the midst of potty training with my toddler, and so far it’s going MUCH better than I had anticipated! I speed read the Oh Crap! book which helped to reassure me that we were more or less on the right track! I can’t believe we are crossing this big milestone and he seems to be aging SO rapidly right now! Threenager attitude and all! LOL! The baby learned to full out crawl and now a week later he is pulling himself to standing. SLOW DOWN KID! Ahhh they grow up too fast don’t they? But I do admit, it will be pretty darn cute (and terrifying) when they are running around together/in opposite directions. Haha.

Hope you are all having a great week so far!! I am having a blast with the Jam out in July Challenge!! I don’t know why I haven’t been blasting music in my house during my workouts already! SUCH a great idea and such great motivation!

Make it a happy one!

XO,

Gina

Best of Both Worlds

What kind of life do you desire for yourself?

I find that as I get older and time goes on, my priorities have changed. In my twenties, I may have been fine with working late hours, meeting up with friends for an after work drink, crashing late, and doing it all over again the next day.

But now as a mom of two kids, I want to be here to tuck my kids into bed at night, read them stories, and snuggle them to sleep.

Previously, I was okay with a long subway commute. I used it as an excuse to get lots of reading done and was proud at how many books I could finish underground. Now, I do not want to spend a total of 3 hours per day commuting, because that means 15 hours a week extra that I would be spending away from my kiddos on top of a long work day.

My family has become my priority these days. I love being a mom…the good, the bad, and the ugly. The lack of sleep and toddler tantrums have nothing on those newborn snuggles and those slobbery toddler kisses.

That being said…I never saw myself as a stay at home mom. My mom worked hard outside of the home each and every day, and I figured I would follow in those footsteps. I studied hard in school and had dreams of a future and career that involved television and movies and sports and more. I wanted to be successful in my own right, and never have to rely on someone else to pay my bills. Not that those who are stay at home moms are not successful. It’s the hands down HARDEST job I have ever had to date! And I give props to every single stay at home mom out there, because having and raising kids on a daily basis IS definitely success in my book.

But the difference between then and now is that I didn’t realize then that I could be FINANCIALLY successful AND be a stay at home mom at the same time. I could own a business, work from home, AND spend my days raising my children the way I see fit. The best of both worlds in my mind.

Now, I’m not saying that it’s easy. I work HARD…both as a mom and as an entrepreneur. And some days I still feel like I am not quite measuring up in either category…because let’s face it…as mom you never feel like you are doing everything right…I am only human, and I can only do so much and yes, it’s HARD to work from home when you have a toddler…and now with a newborn, it’s even more crazy. But I am making it work, because it’s what’s best for ME and what’s best for my family. I am getting to fulfill something that I always wanted to do by having my own business and creating my own success…and I am not missing out on those opportunities to see my children grow.

The best part is that I have the FREEDOM to work when and how I want. I am able to create my own schedule and hours. I am helping others to reach their goals not only in health and fitness, but by teaching others to build their OWN business as well.

This opportunity is not exclusive to me. Have you ever thought about being a fitness coach? What about being home with your kids more? Or having the freedom to work from wherever you want? Or to stop stressing about money on the regular?

If so, I would love to invite you to join me and Team SPARK on Monday September 28th as we host a sneak peek into our business and share what is that we do on a daily basis. We are looking for 5 hard working, creative, and intelligent individuals who are looking to create more freedom for themselves or for their families. If you have any interest at all in learning more, please comment below and fill out this application to save your spot in our 3 Day Coach Open House group!

https://pandpfitness.wufoo.com/forms/team-spark/

Hope you are having a great week!

XO,

Gina

Luca: A Birth Story

It’s been over two weeks since the arrival of our second little monkey, Luca Ronaldo Notes. He arrived on Sunday August 23^rd, 2015 at 1:39 am measuring in at 5 lbs. 4 oz and 19 inches. We are over the moon and so in love with our little guy.

He arrived during the 38^th week just like his older brother Nico, only this time my story is slightly different. Throughout my pregnancy, Luca was measuring small (also like his brother), and they kept a watchful eye, but because of my history of having a small healthy child, they weren’t terribly concerned and basically left me alone treating me as a “normal” patient. However at the 37^th week, my belly did not grow, and out came that watchful eye once more. I was scheduled for two appointments per week up until baby’s arrival and was told if the baby did not come by my due date (August 31) then we were going to have to talk about induction once again.

Welp, we definitely didn’t make it to the due date! Saturday morning (August 22^nd) I woke up and felt some liquid (down there), went to the bathroom and it wasn’t much, so went back to bed. About 5 minutes later, I started feeling some more and thought I would get up and check it out again. On the way to the bathroom, I told my husband that I thought my water could possibly be starting to break, but I wasn’t sure. As soon as I was about to sit down, there was a big “whoosh!” and yes, it was confirmed…my water was definitely broken! I wasn’t feeling any contractions yet, so I decided to take a shower and prepare to get ready for the hospital soon.

I called my mom and she made her way up to Brooklyn to watch Nico. I wasn’t sure if she would make it in time, so we had our neighbors on stand-by in case we had to leave. We called our midwives, and because I wasn’t feeling many contractions at this point, they said I could wait it out at home for a while, take a walk, etc.

I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the house (last minute nesting anyone? haha), and then went for a walk around the neighborhood to try to get the contractions going. I started to feel a few painful ones, but honestly they were not that unbearable, and they were happening too infrequently. My mom had plenty of time to get to New York (from Maryland) and we gave her the lay of the land (on another walk) to show her some of the best places her and Nico could hang out for the next few days. Again, there were some contractions, but they were infrequent and not much was happening.

Because time was passing and my water had broken, it was time to get to the hospital. We left the house at 6pm and headed to Beth Israel in the East Village. It was quite a calm drive to the hospital…not at all what I had anticipated. No traffic. Music playing. No screaming. Infrequent contractions. I suppose this could have been much worse!! We arrived and met my mother-in-law there who also had time to make the trip up from Maryland. She is also a midwife, which doesn’t hurt in the Labor and Delivery Unit!

I checked into triage to confirm my water had indeed broken (umm yes, I told them that I normally don’t have fluid coming out of me all day long). Regardless, they still had to “check.” It was confirmed. However, what was also confirmed was that I was only 1cm dilated. I was going to need some help. Help meaning I was basically going to be induced once again. Now I was really trying to avoid induction this time around, but at least it was happening when our little guy was supposedly ready to make his entrance. The fact that my water had broken made me feel a bit better about the induction process rather than starting from scratch like last time.

The induction was about as painful and uncomfortable as I remembered from two years ago, although this time things kicked into gear EXTREMELY quickly! My contractions were picking up speed and picking up intensity right away. I decided to get an epidural a little earlier this time around so I wouldn’t be in “crazy mode” like I was last time. I am extremely grateful for that decision, because as soon as I asked for one, things started to increase even MORE intensely. By the time I had signed off all the forms, the induction had done it’s job, and I was in serious active labor.

I was in a lot of pain, but the epidural process was smooth, and eventually it started kicking in and I could relax. I felt things had picked up rather quickly, and lo and behold I was right. By the time they got around to checking me, I was at 9.5 cm. WHAT!!! It was almost PUSH time!?!?

Before I knew it, they told me I could start pushing. I gave a couple good pushes, and HOLD UP! Lady next door is hemorrhaging. Holy crap! Everyone ran out of the room (which I understand she was in much more danger than myself, so I get it), but I was kinda left there like uhhhh what now? I kept feeling the urge to push, but held off for about 20 minutes or so until everyone was able to come back.

Luckily the lady next door was OK! Whew, and I could resume pushing once again. After it was all said and done, Luca Ronaldo Notes arrived 3.5 hours after I had been induced at the hospital. He was a happy, healthy, lovable little boy and we were in love!

I have to say, recovery has been much easier the 2^nd time around, and all of the newborn things have been easier knowing what to expect. The challenge is doing all of the newborn things while trying to entertain a toddler at the same time! I have had a lot of help these past couple weeks, but the true test will come next Tuesday when I am left to fend for myself with the two boys! Haha.

I’m sure all will be well. There are plenty of women out there who have done it and survived right? Soon enough we will figure out our routine and our new “normal.” Until then, I am just trying to get as much sleep as I can at night, loading up on coffee during the day, stealing toddler kisses and soaking up newborn snuggles.

Hope you are all having a great week! Make it a good one!

XO,

Gina

{35} Lately

Lately I’ve been…

reading Been reading a bunch of books at once these days. Tag teaming a business book and a fun book. Just finished Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. It’s a great read for anyone who works in the social media industry or just has a general interest in social media. I am also reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult as something lighter and non-business related for summertime. And lastly, planning on beginning to read Start With Why by Simon Sinek this week about how great leaders inspire people to take action.

writing Thank you cards for everyone who attended Nico’s 2nd Birthday Party and for those who have showered our 2nd baby boy with goodies as well. We are very lucky to have such great family and friends.

listening Inspirational Podcasts. Here is a good list for entrepreneurs. Do you have a good one to add to the list?

thinking I can’t believe it’s almost time to have this baby! And that I am going to be surrounded by BOYS!

smelling BBQ Chicken my hubby made for dinner. So delish!

watching The Real Housewives of Orange County and New York. Yes. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Hey, every girl needs a little trashy TV downtime.

wishing For a smooth labor and delivery. And for my water to break at home or at the hospital and not in some crazy public place.

hoping That being said…hoping that baby comes before they decide I need to be induced like my last pregnancy! Grow baby, grow!

wearing Leggings, maternity shorts, stretchy tanks and maternity tops, maxi dresses. Anything that isn’t extremely hot to wear and that I can still walk around in. There is a reason you haven’t seen a fashion post up lately haha…there’s not much to report these days! Comfort is key to maternity survival in this heat!

loving My new redecorated and cleaned out office space in my sunroom. Looking for more prints to hang and still need to install the knobs on the desk (which came today, yay!), and some curtains, but I am excited!

wanting To try some recipes in the new cookbook, FIXATE, by Autumn Calabrese! They look so good!

needing To keep walking! Exercise is getting a little tougher these days as I hit the 38 week mark of my pregnancy yesterday, but trying to keep things moving, and hopefully that will help this baby arrive soon.

feeling Like I have to pee constantly. TMI? Sorry, just keepin’ it real over here.

craving Chocolate. Chocolate. More Chocolate. If you know me, you know I generally crave fruitier desserts, but for some reason, I am all about that chocolate in the past couple weeks. Baby has a sweet tooth!

clicking Through Etsy for office wall art

HAPPY TUESDAY!

What have you been up to lately?

XO,

Gina

Why I’m Tougher This Pregnancy

Pregnancy. What a wild ride it is…and each time is different. My first pregnancy was cut tragically short due to a miscarriage after 7.5 weeks and ended in devastation and sadness. My 2nd pregnancy, I was a nervous wreck for the entire 1st trimester and then some. Afraid to work out. Afraid of another loss. Eventually as time wore on, I started to become less nervous and embrace my pregnancy along with all the ups and down, scares, vomiting, nausea, itchiness, heartburn, early contractions, duck waddling, and more. With every sonogram (and I had a lot of them) I felt closer and closer to my Little Monkey. Eventually, on August 29, 2013, my little boy was brought into the world and everything made sense. All of that craziness was worth it, and my life was forever changed. I can’t believe that little boy is now almost 2 years old, and I have another on the way.

Most women would say that being pregnant the 2nd (or in my case 3rd) time around is more difficult. I would have to agree that it has been quite challenging. However, I think it has somehow made me TOUGHER. And here’s why:

1st Trimester Nausea & Exhaustion

I thought this was bad before, but this pregnancy was much worse! Previously, I would get sick, and then feel better, but I pretty much felt a constant wave of nausea all day every day for the entire first trimester. Even if I got sick, I did not feel any better. I tried ginger candies (I was repulsed), preggie pop drops, eating small frequent meals, and sea bands, but nothing really seemed to do the trick except letting time pass. I was also much more exhausted, but couldn’t exactly fall asleep whenever I wanted to. Knowing that I was able to get through this first rough of a 1st trimester with everything else going on in my life makes me feel like one tough cookie.

I Have a Toddler This Time Around

This is probably BY FAR the most challenging aspect of this pregnancy! Previously, if I needed a nap or I felt sick I could lay down and rest. As a stay-at-home working mom this time around, I cannot just take a break when I need to. My toddler is very active and wants to run around and play all day. He takes one nap a day, and at the beginning, I was napping right along with him! With the 2nd trimester, I gained a lot of energy back, and now I work during his nap time, but it was a a struggle in the beginning. There was a lot of time for planning during my last pregnancy, but I feel as if this pregnancy is just flying right by! Anyone that can get through a pregnancy while taking care of a toddler is tough in my book!

I am Running My Own Business

Speaking of work…since the company I was working for folded in September, I decided to take a step in a new direction as a fitness coach and freelance writer. I now stay at home with my son, work from home, and make my own schedule, but it’s also extremely tough to fit everything in in one day on top of being pregnant. Toddler playdates, doctor’s appointments, conference calls, emails, quiet time to write, taking care of the house, building a business…there is so much to fit in each day, and only so much time. I find myself working a lot of late nights trying to get it all done, and luckily my husband is good about letting me sleep in a lot so that I don’t run myself ragged.

I am Working on My Fitness

As I said before, I was previously scared to work out during my last pregnancy. I walked a lot, which was a great way to keep active, but I did not feel “in shape” at all. This pregnancy, I have been doing the PiYo program (combo of pilates and yoga) at least 4-5 times per week for at least 30 min per day, hiking on weekends, etc. My body feels so much more physically fit, strong, & toned, and my lungs have so much more endurance and capacity. I feel so much more energized on a daily basis after I have completed my workouts, and I generally just feel tougher!

I am Eating Healthier

I do feel that I generally ate pretty healthy during my last pregnancy, but since becoming a fitness coach, I have paid even more attention to what I am putting in my body on a daily basis…especially processed foods and sugars. Of course, this pregnant mama is never going to completely cut ice cream out of her diet…I mean we all have to live a little, right?!?! Sometimes those pregnancy cravings will get the best of me for sure. I am not perfect, and will never claim to be! But on the whole, I am conscious of what I am eating and I strive to make healthy, clean choices for myself and my growing babe.

I Have Been Through It Before

I have a newfound confidence this time around. I mentioned being afraid a lot during my last pregnancy…but this time I am more confident with my decisions, I realize that there are some things that are just out of my control, and I have to let go a little. I generally have an idea of what to expect this time for labor and delivery (although I do understand that things could be completely different), so I am not super anxious about what’s going to happen. I understand that things may happen unexpectedly, I now know what contractions feel like (and I know to drink tons of WATER to prevent dehydration and early contractions), and I know not to freak out if I go into my regular check up and they tell me I am not leaving without a baby. I feel prepped and I feel calm. I’m actually more anxious about how things are going to go POST-delivery when I have two children! Haha.

Curious as to what you other mamas are going through out there? How have you been feeling throughout your pregnancy? If you are pregnant for a 2nd time around, have you felt that it’s been easier or harder? Do you feel tougher as well or has it all been a lot to handle?

I definitely feel that my workouts combined with my nutrition have played a HUGE role in my “toughness” this pregnancy, both mentally and physically. It keeps me going and keeps me strong.

Happy Monday to all you Mamas, and everyone else out there reading! We had a nice weekend with family and friends. Today marks 28 weeks pregnant for this gal.

Let’s make it a great week!

XO,

Gina

{30} Lately…

*Just a note on this photo. My boys spent the day together at the grocery store on Sunday so I could get some work done. I received this text message while they were gone! Nothing better than knowing my baby is happy and smiling while he is away from me 🙂 Okay, now onto the rest of the post…

Lately I’ve been…

reading The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. Great for any entrepreneur or entrepreneur in the making.

writing Down my goals for 2015. 1) Get fit and stay healthy. 2) Start a successful business as a Beachbody Fitness Coach. What’s this, you ask? We basically motivate and help others achieve their fitness goals. Happy to share more information with whoever is interested. Please feel free to e-mail or message me! 3) Travel more. So far I have been keeping up with my workouts and doing my best to motivate the challengers I have in my groups thus far. I also have a trip to Tulum, Mexico on the books, so here we go 2015! Bring it on!

listening I’m still singing Christmas music in my head. Is that weird?

thinking As I sit here in my neighborhood cafe working, I have run into three moms I know, and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful community here.

smelling Not much right now. It seems my cold has returned and I’m currently stuffy and drinking loads of hot tea.

watching Maleficent. As an avid Disney fan, this was a must see for me! I was very much impressed with the animation and graphics, and I enjoyed the switch on the storyline from the traditional Sleeping Beauty! It reminded me of the show Wicked in that regard.

wishing Upon a star.

hoping For warmer weather. Oh wait, it’s only January…sigh.

wearing My new Panda sweater. Unfortunately this one is sold out, but this vintage sweater from the 80’s is pretty darn amazing. I’m also wearing a heavy scarf, because this coffee shop I’m in is FREEZING.

loving My new snow boots from my mother-in-law. Thank God for them, because I have already needed to wear them twice this year.

laughing At these doorbell notes from Moms. I can’t believe I haven’t resorted to one of these notes yet! This is real life!

wanting A massage. These workouts are no joke!

needing To go through photos from Nico’s first year and pull out his monthly chair photos to put in a frame. This has been on my to-do list since he turned 1 (he’s now 16.5 months old), and I still haven’t gotten to it. This week is the week!

feeling Sick at the moment. And a bit tired. But happy I still got my workout in this morning.

craving Caffeine.

clicking Through photos of Tulum, Mexico and dreaming of our paradise vacation that is only 43 days away.

What have you been up to lately?

XO,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

{29} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading Just started The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, and so far it has my attention.

writing I have been writing a ton lately. A few opportunities have arisen lately in the writing world, and it’s all very exciting! I’m not quite ready to share yet, but keep a look out in the next month!

listening Love this song, Stay, by tyDi featuring Dia Frampton (Frank Pole Remix)

thinking We had a lovely Friendsgiving dinner at our house the other night. We decided to do a sit down and all write things we are thankful for about each other. We also had a new addition to the crew this year as my friend brought her newborn baby. I am very thankful for my NYC Upper East side loves.

smelling (and eating) lots of pumpkin pie! Mmmm.

watching The hubby and I watched 12 Years A Slave over the weekend. It was an incredible film, and also extremely heartbreaking. I was pretty much in tears the entire time.

wishing Everyone safe travels and a Happy Thanksgiving!

hoping That all my little soccer students enjoyed our session! We had our last class of the season yesterday. It was a lot of fun, and it was definitely a learning experience coaching such young children (ages 2-5) !

wearing Lots of plaid and aztec prints this fall.

loving At how quickly Nico is picking up new words. He is like a little parrot right now just copying everything we say. It’s super adorable, but I realize I also need to start watching my potty mouth!

laughing At Weird Things All BFFs do.

wanting To find some time to edit my personal photos. I am super back-logged! Maybe I will get a chance over the break, although that is probably wishful thinking.

needing To get packing. We are heading back to Maryland for the holiday, and excited to see family and friends.

feeling Motivated.

craving What else? Thankgiving food. Turkey, stuffing, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. All the essentials.

clicking Through family photos to try and pick one for the holiday card this year.

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you all enjoy the holiday week!

XO,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

{28} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading I Am Hutterite by Mary Ann Kirby. An inside peek into the life into a Hutterite community (similar to Amish), leaving the community, adapting to the English world, and trying to reclaim a heritage.

writing A practice schedule for today’s soccer class this afternoon. Since I have some free time on my hands these days and there was desire for a soccer class in the neighborhood, I have spent the last few weeks obtaining a permit from the Prospect Park office, and my class is now ready to go! We had our first one last week, and seemed to go well, so my assistant, Nico, and I are looking forward to the next 8 weeks of soccer fun.

listening To a lot of kid’s music. Luckily, we have amazing bands like The Dad Beats around here which makes listening to kid’s music (somewhat) bearable.

thinking About the next steps I want to take career-wise. Soccer class is great, my Poshmark closet is selling well, and I love spending time with my little Nico, but still craving something a little more creative in my life on the job front (that – full disclosure – can also bring in a little more cash for the family). I have a few ideas in mind, but still researching and will see what might come about.

smelling I can still smell those apple cider donuts in my mind that we ate at Stakey’s Farm on Sunday. Mmmmazing.

watching I FINALLY watched The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. I was a big fan of the series, but wasn’t able to get to the movie theatre when this one was released. It was everything I thought it would be.

wishing Congratulations to Nico’s former nanny who just presented the world with a brand new baby girl last night! So happy for her, and can’t wait to meet that baby!

hoping To find some time to carve the amazing pumpkins we got from the patch. I always say I want to carve, and then I rarely get around to it.

wearing My new custom made Guilty Jean bracelet given to me as a gift from a dear friend. The coordinates are from the place where we originally met. Love love love it!

loving The fact that our neighborhood is currently the set of the newest Steven Spielberg movie starring Tom Hanks. He’s pretty much my favorite actor. And I got to see him on set yesterday which was pretty damn amazing. The film is also starring a friend of mine who I met on an airplane, who at the time was a soap opera actor and asked me to rehearse lines with him on the plane. Although, I was incredibly embarrassed, I obliged because he was so nice. He’s now making movies with Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Way to make it big Billy Magnussen! Can’t wait to see you rock out this film.

laughing At how my son continuously manages to outsmart me.

wanting A date night for the hubby and I in the near future. It’s been too long!

needing To figure out what I am going to be wearing to the black-tie optional wedding we are invited to this weekend! And needing to figure out what Nico will be wearing as well. Looking forward to seeing my cousin walk down that aisle!

feeling So proud of my little guy who took his first steps this weekend! He took even more yesterday, and this mama is going to be in big trouble soon!

craving Candy corn. I’m still wondering why we only eat this one month out of the year.

clicking Away on career research. Thinking of making a switch up. We shall see!

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you are all having a fantastic week!

XO,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

{27} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading Finished beachy read, Another Piece of My Heart, by Jane Green. Nothing groundbreaking, but a decent vacation read.

writing A deposition for a court date. I’m a witness! Don’t get too excited, it’s just traffic court…

listening To lots of upbeat music, because Friday I returned to the gym after a 20 month hiatus. And I actually went again on Monday, and went for a run this morning. Hoping to keep this momentum going, because I’m already feeling more energized (apart from my sore limbs).

thinking That we had a really great time last Sunday at the Industry City Dance Party in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Zack was eager to go, and I was a little worried that we would be “those people” bringing a baby into an entirely inappropriate situation, but I was happy to find all sorts of kids and babies rockin’ out on the dance floor with the best of them. It was definitely a party. And not a kid’s party. But the fact that kids were welcomed and deemed appropriate there was pretty cool. Nico (not surprisingly) loved it, and our little fam had a really great time getting our dance on.

smelling My fav scent, Light Blue.

watching All the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos. I was a little annoyed by them at first…people dousing themselves so they didn’t have to donate…didn’t make a lot of sense to me. But after reading this blog post, I have a new perspective.

wishing Nico an early Happy 1st Birthday! He is turning ONE on Friday. I just can’t believe it.

hoping That I can get my act together this week for a party planning extravaganza. And by extravaganza, I mean myself, a glass of wine, my living room, and some DIY crafting.

wearing In the photo above I’m wearing my new ModCloth dress that I got at their 70% off sale! It’s sold out, but check out some of their other sale dresses here. Did I mention I was able to go shopping this weekend…ALONE? It was kind of amazing.

loving My new haircut (also seen in photo above) from the amazing Tim Dueñas. Feels so much lighter and loving having some layers again.

laughing At this adorable friendship on Daily Laughs.

wanting The summer to stick around a little longer. I’m not ready for the beach days to end…

needing To start checking some more things off my bucket list. And as I’m looking at it…thinking about making some edits.

feeling Incredibly nervous as today is Nico’s first day with his new nanny and new playmate. We are going to miss our old one so much, and it’s going to be a tough transition week for all of us, but I’m hoping he will adjust quickly.

craving These sweet cinnamon oven roasted peaches. Thinking this is just the recipe I need for the peaches in our yard this year.

clicking Looking for a few sweet new baby gifts for little ones on the way.

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you are all having a fantastic week!

XO,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

{26} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading Finished a few good ones recently. First up was The Fault in Our Stars. I wanted to read the book before watching the movie. Of course, it’s predictable and a total tearjerker, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well a male author (John Green) was able to capture the mind of a sixteen year old girl. Next, I read Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn. This author never disappoints. Although the main character, Libby, is a little unlikable in my opinion, Gillian Flynn is always keeping you on your toes with her novels and makes you want more. Heading to the beach this weekend, so if you have any beach reads to recommend, please do!

writing A ginormous to-do list of everything I need to get done before our trip to the Outer Banks. And a packing list.

listening Summer…my summer anthem by Calvin Harris. Prepping a little playlist for our road trip.

thinking That this beautifully written blog post from my friend Sascha really hits home for the working mom.

smelling The delicious homemade eggplant parm the hubby cooked this week. Fresh eggplant, tomatoes, and basil from the garden. Melt in your mouth amazingness.

watching The Bachelorette finale really threw me for a loop! I realize I am delayed on watching my shows, so sorry for being late to the party. I won’t throw out any spoilers for those who may also be behind on their TV watching, but let’s just say I was really surprised!

wishing Time would slow down a bit. My little baby is almost a year old already! I can’t even take it.

hoping I can pull off this fabulous fishtail braid at the beach next week shown in this tutorial by Nikki.

wearing Lots of leopard print this week. Feeling feisty.

loving The end of summer sales! ModCloth, Free People, J. Crew, & Zara have some pretty good ones going on right now.

laughing At how Nico loves to be chased around the house. I will crawl after him, and he will start crawling away squealing with delight…then come back and start chasing me while laughing. That belly laugh is enough to get me laughing and smiling all day long.

wanting To be with my little boy today. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m missing him a lot while at work this week. Looking forward to spending a whole week with him at the beach and introducing him to the place I have vacationed since I was a small child. Also excited that the whole family will be able to see how much he has grown.

needing A little girl (one day) so I can buy these adorable ribbons from Brit!

feeling Totally inspired by hometown friend Candice as she becomes the first plus-sized model to appear in next year’s Pirelli calendar. Doesn’t she look fantastic!!??

craving Something sweet. What else is new?

clicking On 1st birthday party ideas for my little guy.

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you are all having a fantastic week!

XO,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.