This summer has been a total doozy when it comes to publishing blog posts. I’ve been home with my 3 children all summer long with very little off time, so carving out time for long form posts was the first thing to go…but I’ve missed it! We still have a couple of weeks left of summer, so I thought I’d ease back into blogging by writing a “10 random things” post, which I haven’t done in quite a while either. Here we go!
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dress c/o sail to sable (more in stock here) | Zara flats | gold earrings | sunglasses c/o Mohala Eyewear (use code katiev for 15% off)
1 Tom and I recently had our first date night in ages! We met in Georgetown after work (I ubered and he metroed to the closest metro stop) and it was so nice to reconnect like that and have some one on one time. I popped into Tuckernuck (bought this black dress and these earrings) and J.McLaughlin and he stopped at Sid Mashburn before we met up and went to dinner at 1789- an incredible restaurant with a lot of history. We walked up “the Exorcist” stairs to get there, which is a very steep set of stairs that apparently are in the movie The Exorcist, although I’ve never seen it. At 1789 we started with the oysters and gazpacho soup, and I had the beef tenderloin and Tom had fish. Everything was amazing! We finished with a chocolatey dessert then popped into Brasserie Liberté for another round of drinks before heading home. We plan to start having weekly date nights because after nearly 8 years of marriage and 3 kids we definitely need to make our marriage a priority.
2 We head to Maine this weekend to visit Tom’s family! We haven’t been up there since last summer so we are all really excited. We normally drive but are going to fly this time since we aren’t staying a full week. We haven’t flown with all 3 kids since we moved a way from Hawaii at the beginning of the pandemic, so it’ll be interesting to see how that goes.
3 Jack and I are going to a mother son dance at our club next month! We’ve never done anything like that before and he said he’s going to dress like daddy does at work and wear a tie. 6.5 years old has been a moody age for him and we butt heads a lot. I feel like I’m constantly correcting him due to his lack of impulse control, but when we have one on one time he is always so precious. Really looking forward to dancing and dressing up all fancy with my sweet big boy!
4 I took the girls to J.Crew Factory while Jack was at camp and I let them choose 2 things each. They both chose these glitter chelsea boots (that Tate wore out of the store she loves them so much) and this reversible corduroy bucket hat (brown on one side, pink on the other). The main reason I went was to buy Jack some new dress pants, a belt and a tie for the dance, but of course my fashionistas had to get in on the action too.
5 I am currently obsessed with lazy susans and have set them up all over the house. I’ll write a full post on home organization eventually, but this large one with low sides that I’m using in our pantry is my current favorite. It is SO handy!
6 I’ve wanted a new small handbag that’s nice and ladylike for a while now. My default is a larger tote bag so I can carry all the stuff for the kids, but now that they’re getting older and we’re trying to make date nights a priority I wanted something beautiful and “grown up,” if that makes sense. I’m not into bags that scream “I’m a designer bag!” and I didn’t want to spend too too much, so when I found this bamboo handled bag on sale at J.McLaughlin I knew it was the one. It’s currently on sale for $159.90.
7 Today I got a babysitter and took myself to the swimming pool (I’m actually writing this blog post sitting on a lounge chair next to the pool). Tom was out of town for 4 days so I really needed a little break. I swam laps for the first time in about 3 years, and it felt so good- though I am not in swimming shape anymore. I was in such a great routine when we lived in Hawaii and I went to the YMCA a few times a week (can’t beat free childwatch, affordable preschool, and a year round outdoor pool), but since we left I really haven’t had the opportunity to swim. That time when I was swimming a mile once a week was when I felt my best, so I know I need to get back into it. I did 34 laps in 20 minutes, so next time I’ll aim to swim 25 minutes and work my way back up to a mile.
8 Our Serena and Lily Riviera counter stools are on sale ($80 off)! After my kids eating on them 3 meals a day for over a month, I can wholeheartedly say that I LOVE THESE CHAIRS! We have the blue and white ones, and they are not only beautiful, they are durable too (and with 3 little kids, that really is the most important thing). When they smear playdoh or chocolate or spaghetti sauce into them I just wipe with a wet cloth then use a hard bristled brush to get anything out of the crevices. The white part doesn’t stain, and I don’t have to worry. If you’re looking for beautiful and functional chairs, I highly recommend these Serena and Lily Riviera counter stools!
9 With school coming up, I ordered a bunch of new labels from Inchbug. I get the tag pal clothing labels for the kids’ jackets and clothing that go to school, the Orbit labels for water bottles (I even had generic “Vail Family” labels made, in addition to the ones with their own names on them), and also the dishwasher-safe labels for lunch boxes, tupperware, etc. I don’t have affiliate links for these labels, I’m just a longtime fan and love to share my favorite products!
10 My girls are now sharing a room and OMG is there a learning curve associated with this change. Tate is also no longer in a crib, we are in a new house, and it’s been summer so days have been less structured and bedtimes have been looser. Caroline (almost 5 years old) likes to sleep but Tate (2.5 years old and quite belligerent at times) often wants to party and won’t leave her alone. Or she’ll wake Caroline up in the middle of the night or once she’s awake in the morning. I’ve tried to explain to her that she can just read a book or play quietly, but it’s hard to get her to understand and respect that. They’re figuring it out though, and a few times a week they do actually wait until the “okay to wake” clock turns green at 7AM. I know they’ll settle into it and I’m sure the school year will help, but these past few weeks have certainly had some frustrating moments.
