I took these photos on our Florida trip back in November. It takes me back to the peaceful balcony at my Grandmother’s condo in St. Pete Beach. The quiet. The warmth. The calm. It was really the first moment since beginning motherhood that I actually felt relaxed. It felt nice.
These photos also remind me of spending quality time with my family for a number of reasons. 1) It was our first airplane trip as a family of three. 2) It was the first time my parents and grandmother were able to spend extended time with their grandson/great-grandson. 3) It was the rare occasion that we were able to spend time with the three of them alone. Normally, when we travel back to Maryland, it’s for a big event and there are tons of people, which I do love, but it was nice to spend some quality time on our own.
Thinking of family makes me extremely excited for our upcoming trip to Maryland for Christmas. There are so many firsts Nico will get to experience. His first Feast of the Seven Fishes night. The first time hearing my mom yell, “Santa came!” when we walk down the stairs. The first time being subjected to my dad videotaping Christmas morning (yes, he still does it every year, but by now I appreciate it.) The first time meeting some family members, and so much more.
My, these photos have gotten me off on a tangent here. As a final thought, I know the holidays can be crazy, but I am hoping for a day or two while we are down in Maryland to feel that peaceful calm again that I felt in these photos above.
‘Tis the Season! I did a little me-shopping for the holidays, and picked up this jeweled sweatshirt from StyleMint as well as these adorable burgundy bow smoking slippers from Seychelles. This outfit was a perfect blend of being polished and dressy enough for the Thanksgiving weekend festivities, but also allowed me to stay comfortable at the same time. This particular day, my family all came to my parents house to meet our little Nico for the first time. It went well and our little guy certainly has a lot of people who love him!
I also took advantage of the Starbucks drive-thru while in Maryland. My neighborhood doesn’t have one, and I haven’t been venturing out of it too often while on maternity leave. I absolutely swoon over their holiday lattes, and this year was no different. I tried the Caramel Brulee Latte for the first time, and loved it so much, I got one the following day for the drive back to NY as well. Yum!
Things have been a little crazy in the Notes household this past weekend. We’ve been trying to get Nico on a better sleeping pattern (i.e. trying to get him to go to sleep without it taking 2+ hours). It hasn’t been fun, but after a few short days, I think it’s actually starting to work. The whole family might be on a track toward good sleep (fingers crossed). This is just the first of many tough parenting decisions we have had to make. No one can really explain how hard motherhood can be sometimes. We are just figuring everything out along the way. Oh! We have also come super close to finding a nanny for our little guy! We have interviewed a lot, and we think we just may have found the one. Hoping it all works out for the best!
Nothing says holiday season like a little glitter and gold! While in Maryland last week, we were able to get out and about to a few holiday parties both with and without our little one. This particular night I was dressed up for our annual friends potluck dinner that is now going six years strong! We had a great trip, and I’m excited for all the festivities coming up this month!
Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself
Jacket: StyleMint / Top: Urban Outfitters (old) / Pants: Motherhood / Shoes: Dolce Vita – similar / Bag: Rebecca Minkoff – similar in rose gold / Butterfly Ring: nOir / Watch: Betsey Johnson (old) – also love this one / Necklace: Family Heirloom / Hoop Earrings: Gifted / Lip: Smashbox Maven
reading Attempting to read the 6th Harry Potter Book. It tough to get a lot of reading done without my hour long subway commutes, but trying to enjoy a chapter here and there when I can.
writing Questions to ask potential nannies. We are starting our interviews this Wednesday. Excited to find someone great for our little guy, but sad this means I will be spending a lot more time away from him when I go back to work.
listeningFrank Sinatra. Nico just loves him!
thinking I am happy the weather looks nice for this week! Makes taking those walks around the neighborhood so much more enjoyable!
smellingBlueberry coffee. It sounds kinda gross, but trust me, it’s awesome!
watching Teen Mom. Makes me so glad I have a stable, loving husband, a good job, a nice home, and lots of family support. I could not imagine being a mom at their age.
wishingThat time didn’t go so fast. My little guy is growing up too quickly already.
hoping To go for another run this week. This past weekend I went out for my first run since getting pregnant and having a baby. I stayed active by walking, but hadn’t run in probably over a year! I suddenly got to the urge to get back out there, so I went for a 2 mile run, and it felt great! (despite now being sore haha). Hoping I can keep it up and at least get a run or two mixed in with my walking every week.
wearing My typical mom gear of activewear. Although, I actually did get to wear real clothes yesterday for a mini trip to Manhattan for a mani/pedi with a friend.
loving The crockpot that my Grandma bought for us. We tried it out this weekend, and made two awesome dishes: White Bean Chicken Chili and Carnitas Tacos. I love being able to prep a meal quickly in the morning, let it sit all day, and come home to an amazing meal with leftovers! Yum!
laughing At the @HonestToddler Twitter feed I just discovered yesterday. Cracking me up!
wanting My Christmas cards to arrive! Maybe it’s the fact that I now have a little guy this Christmas season, but I am extra giddy and excited this year.
needing Christmas lists from my peoples. I am ready to start shopping already! Send ’em over…you know who you are.
feeling Happy that we were able to go to Florida and spend time with my parents and Grandma. It was really great for them to spend that quality time with Nico, and it was nice for Zack and I to get some alone time as well.
craving Some snuggle time with my nephew, Nathan. It’s been too long since I’ve seen him…is it Thanksgiving yet?
clicking Through weeks worth of blogs that I am behind on.
*
What have you been up to lately?
Hope you all had a great weekend! Enjoy your week ahead!
Love,
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.
These snaps were taken on our first family mini-vacation to Florida last week. I was a little nervous for the trip, but we were treated like V.I.P. at the airport, and Nico flew like a pro on his first plane ride. The weather was beautiful, sunny, and in the 80’s the entire time. We stayed at my Grandmother’s condo in St. Pete Beach, which I hadn’t been to in 10 years. It was amazing to sit outside on the balcony overlooking the water in the Florida sunshine and just relax. Nico was a happy camper while we were there, and he got to spend lots of good quality time with his Grandparents and Great-Grandmother. The hubby and I even got to go on a little beach date alone while my parents babysat. It definitely felt like summertime down there, and I’m missing that weather! Here in NY, it’s time to bundle bundle.
The Notes clan took our first family trip down to Maryland two weekends ago to celebrate the nuptials of our dear friends, Teri and Charlie. It was a beautiful weekend to celebrate a beautiful couple. The bride looked absolutely stunning, and she carried the most unique and amazing bouquet I have ever seen! Made completely of brooches, many of them were passed down from her family members to add to this masterpiece. The best part is that she can save this bouquet forever in it’s original form. I could see it making a beautiful decorative piece for their future dining or living room. Her lace dress was exquisite, and her cathedral veil was perfect considering their wedding was held at the Baltimore Cathedral. Teri and I have been friends since high school, and I was lucky enough to be chosen as a bridesmaid to stand up with her on her special day. My only regret with these photos is that I was unable to capture anything from the ceremony, since I was in the wedding. Typically, if I’m in the bridal party, my husband will play second shooter to capture photos of the ceremony, but he was on baby duty and was unable to play photographer. I am looking forward to seeing their professional photos, because that cathedral was just phenomenal. During the reception, our little one stayed with my mother-in-law at the hotel, and we are very thankful to have had our first adult night out since having a baby. It was also great to catch up with so many of my best friends all at once. Congrats to Teri and Charlie! Wishing you both lots of love and happiness for many many years to come.
readingWhat to Expect The First Year by Sandee Hathaway, Arlene Eisenberg, and Heidi Murkoff. Rather than read the entire book all the way through right away, I have decided to read each month as we are all going through it as a family. So far I have finished the first month, and I’m starting on month 2.
writing Well, Nico’s birth announcement cards just came in the mail today, so I am super excited to address and send them out!
listeningThe Coffee House station on XM Radio has been a top contender for most played the past few weeks. It’s soothing and Nico falls asleep in the car to it.
thinking I can’t believe we survived our first weekend trip to Maryland as a family! Although it was extremely stressful at some points, everything ended up working out well and the bottom line is we did it.
smellingPumpkin Spice coffee…mmm…
watching Million Dollar Listing LA. My husband used to be a real estate agent, so this is one of the few shows he will actually watch with me.
wishingA lifetime of happiness to my friends Teri and Charlie! They are the reason we went down to Maryland. We celebrated their wedding, and it was phenomenal. What an amazing couple. I am so happy for them!
hoping To survive my first 48 hours as a single parent while Zack goes to Chicago to present at a conference. Hopefully it will be nice outside and Nico and I can take some walks together.
wearing Got dolled up this past weekend for my friend Teri’s wedding, and man did it feel good! Hair, makeup, mani, pedi, a sexy bridesmaid dress…the works. It felt good to be pampered again after rocking sweats for so many weeks!
loving The fact that I have amazing friends and family. While on our first trip as a family, there were some bumps with the weather, traffic, fire alarms in the hotel, etc. I am so lucky to have had my friends and family to help us out on our first trip. From helping me carry diaper bags, driving my car, watching my little boy, holding him during dinner so we could eat, and more. I know I am super lucky to have such wonderful, trustworthy people in my life.
laughing Every time Nico farts, I think it’s the most hilarious thing. What am I, 5?
wanting My bags to unpack themselves.
needing Snuggles from my little boy. I just can’t get enough!
feeling Sleepy sleepy. While we had a great weekend, it was a bit crazy trying to figure out our new normal. Did I mention the fire alarm going off in the hotel? TWICE.
clicking Through photos to try and figure out which ones I want to frame and hang up in the apartment.
*
What have you been up to lately?
Hope everyone had a nice long weekend! Hope you all have a great week ahead!
Love,
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.
Would you believe that today marks one whole year that I decided to make the change to my little ole blog, popcorn and pandas? I know, I can’t believe it either. It’s been a crazy year full of adventures and travel, fashion and fun, pregnancy and now a new baby. It’s been wonderful and therapeutic to have this creative outlet to share with you all, and I am completely grateful that you all have chosen to follow along for this past year.
Below I have reflected a bit on some of your favorite posts this past year:
My first two outfit posts with the amazing photographer Marisa
It’s been such a great year, and I am hopeful that this year will bring even greater joy. Thank you so much for following my adventures. Would love to hear any feedback that you have of things you want to see from me in the coming year. What you like/don’t like. What you want to see more or less of (outfit posts, lately posts, shopping posts, personal stories, photography, baby stuff, etc…) I have less free time on my hands, but hopefully I can make things happen!
Happy Monday everyone! Just wanted to share some more photos from our Maine adventures. The first is from a hike we did in Acadia, followed by photos from Sand Beach, the top of Cadillac Mountain, and 4th of July fireworks in downtown Bar Harbor. It was such an amazing trip, and I cannot wait to go back there again sometime.
This past weekend we had an awesome trip to Maryland celebrating my bff, Teri’s bridal shower, taking maternity photos with Misa*Me Photography (hope to have those to share soon!), and celebrating the pending arrival of our Little Monkey! It was amazing, and I am completely exhausted! We are now back in NY, and it’s go-time for getting this nursery put together. I am so grateful to my family and friends for making the event so wonderful, especially to my Mom, Sister, and Aunt for putting so much time, work, and effort into making everything so great. Little Monkey is a lucky little guy! And he is either going to LOVE or HATE monkeys when he gets here. Haha.
Red’s Eats – Best Lobster Roll in MaineAnd here you have it…amazingAt the top of Mt. Battie in CamdenMaine blueberriesThe cute little town of CamdenWe ate ice cream everywhere…Blueberry pancakes with fresh fruit and blueberry syrup thanks to the homeowners of the lake house we stayed atThe view from our bedroom…breathtakingPretty much ate blueberry everything…also the popovers here were fantastic!Me and my Munchkin at Jordan PondJust chillin’ at Branch LakeA little Fourth of July manicure – Essie Forever Yummy and Set in StoneGorgeous sunrise on the lakeHappy Independence Day in Bar Harbor!Homemade blueberry pie from Gale…found her through a local inside tip!30 weeks pregnant smoochin’ my honey – this photo by Rai Pollard
Wow!! What a trip! Well, here is your first sneak peak into our Maine adventures! While I took many photos with my “real” camera on the trip, sometimes it is just easier to run around with your iPhone instead of lugging around the big heavy camera all the time. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen some of these photos, but you may want to read on if you plan on visiting Maine. If you haven’t planned on it, you should still read on, and you may want to afterward!
We picked up our friends Erin and Rai from the airport in Boston on Tuesday morning and started our journey to Maine. Along the way to our lake house in Elsworth, we decided to take the longer scenic route through Camden, a town we had visited for a wedding a few years prior. I have to admit, another main reason for taking this route was for the amazing lobster rolls at Red’s Eats! We ate here last time we were in Maine, and it’s absolutely amazing. They pile on the lobster, add some drawn butter, throw it on toast, and it’s ready to chow down. Although, the lines here are typically and famously long, we have gotten lucky both times and have arrived with no line. The first was at closing time, and this time it was for opening. We arrived 30 minutes before opening and were the first group in line. Not 2 minutes after we arrived there was a ridiculous following behind us. Talk about perfect timing!
After Red’s Eats, we continued on to Camden, where we drove to the top of Mt. Battie, picked some Maine blueberries, walked along the water, and ate blueberry ice cream. It was the perfect little day time stop through on our trip.
We eventually made it to camp at the Branch Lake house, Shaw Cottage. We met the owner there who gave us the grand tour, and we found out that we were actually the first people to ever rent the house! He even left us blueberry pancake mix with blueberry syrup as a little welcoming gift. How sweet was that? We stocked the house with groceries for dinner and breakfast and played Cards Against Humanity while we cooked. So fun!
The next morning, we hung out at the lake, took the motor boat and kayaks out for some fun, went swimming, and had a ball. That night, we gussied up and drove down to Bar Harbor (which surprisingly seemed closer than it did on the map) for dinner at Havana. It was an adorable little spot with fantastic seafood and Latin cuisine. And of course we got ice cream after at Mt. Desert Is. Ice Cream. Yum! After returning to Branch Lake, we did another one of my favorite Maine activities, which is looking at the stars. I don’t know whether it’s lack of pollution or being closer to the top of the globe, but the stars just look amazing in Maine. I could literally see the Milky Way Galaxy outline; it was unreal.
Day 3, we started off the morning bright and early (and I mean early) around 4:13am to watch the sunrise. I cannot wait to actually share these photos with you soon. Zack and Erin went kayaking to check out the morning sights and the sunrise from the water, and Rai and I stayed behind to capture the view from our floating dock. I don’t know if I have seen a sunrise so beautiful! It was picture perfect. Once the sun was fully up, we were actually still exhausted so we went back to sleep for a few hours before really starting our day.
Once we were fully up, we headed down to Acadia to check out some easy hiking trails. Unfortunately, we ended up “hiking” by a golf course and the side of the road for an hour instead of on a “real” trail. That was kind of a bummer, and it was super hot out, so we decided to then hit up Sand Beach quickly before lunch. Sand Beach was really beautiful and had gorgeous rocky cliffs on either side of it. The water was so cold, I don’t know how people were actually swimming in there, but it was at least refreshing to dip my toes in. After Sand Beach, we headed to Jordan Pond, which was a really great restaurant within the State Park. We treated ourselves to their famous popovers, lobster stew and sandwiches while taking in the views of the water and mountains around us.
That night, we headed into town at Bar Harbor for their Fourth of July fireworks show! We have seen fireworks in Manhattan for the past couple years, which are always fantastic…but there is something about sitting on a big lawn overlooking the water with the band playing patriotic tunes that just makes you feel good ‘ole American on the Fourth of July! We were all really impressed with the pyrotechnics, and we headed back to Elsworth that night with big smiles on our faces.
Our last full day in Maine was spent lazily enjoying the peaceful lake. The early morning and the hustle and bustle of the previous day made us all exhausted, and we wanted nothing more than to relax and enjoy the serenity. We kayaked, sunbathed, took multiple swimming dips in the lake, read books and magazines, and had long chats on the floating dock. I think we each had a little nap that day as well. We ended the day with a delicious tapas dinner at Cleonice in Elsworth, although I have to warn you, there is no AC there, which was pretty brutal! Luckily, the food was good enough to make it worth withstanding the heat.
We definitely wish our trip to Maine could have lasted longer. We had a great time with great friends, and a trip back is definitely in our future! Stay tuned for the rest of my photos next week from the “real” cam.
