31 - things

Every year around my birthday, I like to share a few things with the few people that might still be checking in here. 

I know that this spot has started to collect quite a bit of dust - and I'm sorry about that. I always have great intentions of signing on, writing a post, and for whatever reason, I either come up blank or fall asleep ;) 

But, I'm here now, at the cutest littlest wine bar ever (Aroma in downtown Crystal Lake), I have one hour with a babysitter at home, and I'm about to get a refill of Rose - SO.....let's do this.

1 - My favorite line has been - I'm a horrible "stay at home mom" because I hate to stay home. We stay very busy throughout the day, and ideally I try to only be home for nap time to be honest.

2 - In order to make that work, I try to keep a tight schedule of home-ish chores so that I can stay on top of things, and keep us busy. I have a laundry schedule I stick too....

3 - Which means I do 1 load of laundry every day

4 - I also try and cook dinner most nights of the week, and the key to my success on that one is having everything prepped at nap time. That way, when 5:30pm rolls around, I just bake/fry/etc.

5 - The other reason I'm really successful at that? My husband is incredibly helpful and supportive. He cleans up the kitchen every night, lines up the coffee machine, loads the dishwasher, UNLOADS the dishwasher, gets laundry started in the morning, ........and about 50 other things he manages on a daily basis along with providing for our family. He operates on very little sleep, has a discipline like no one I've ever met, and also doesn't really know how to relax and/or sit down.

6 - I'm obsessed with my kids. I think they're truly the most beautiful, smartest, funniest, and loveliest little things to be around. They both - OF COURSE - have their moments - but for the most part, I spent the day in awe of how we created these two little doll babies.

7 - On that nice note, I really do feel like I'm living the life that I always dreamed off.

8 - I have been SO against red wine lately. Unless it's a really nice bottle, I really haven't had much of a desire to drink it. I've been having a lot of beer, rose, and vodka.

9 -  Speaking of nice red wine - pretty much the only time I'll drink red wine is Sunday's at my parents. We spend every Sunday at their house for dinner. It's such a special tradition and treat. They cook for us, we hang out, spend most of the afternoon and then enjoy and early dinner together.

10 - I really wish you could be listening to these idiots sitting next to me. I'm not even going to get into detail but I pretty much want to puke in my mouth they're so lame. This is random, I know, but trust me.

11 - I get energy from being around other people. I am VERY much an extrovert, VERY social, and would rather be around people than be alone.

12 -  I take half a unisom every night in order to even try and sleep through the night, and even with that, it's a crap-shoot. Since it works 80% of the time, my doctor thinks I should stay on this path since it's very mild and there is a lot of room to play if it gets worse.

13 - My favorite day of the week is the day that we have our babysitter come to our house to help me from 3:15-6:15pm. It almost blows my mind that those 3 hours are sometimes what gets me through the entire week - but to just have 3 selfish hours where I can go sit at a wine bar, or go to trader joe's alone, or organize the kids closets or whatever. 

14 - We moved from Los Angeles two years ago, after spending five years there. We knew that the Chicago suburbs would always be home.

15 - I miss parts of living in Los Angeles, but I really couldn't imagine living there right now. The lifestyle here is much more aligned to the life I want, but I'm so glad Joel and I lived such a chunk of our twenties there.

16 - I know a lot of people move West for the weather - but I truly missed seasons. I've discovered now, I missed summer, fall, and winter - but I actually friggen HATE Spring. It's cruel here in Chicago. It's cold, gray, flirts with you, and then leaves you again.

17 - My newest favorite instagram account - and least favorite because she is making me go broke - instagram is @things.i.bought.and.liked.

18 - I bought these really cool silk, top-knot-ish-y headbands she reccomended - incredibly random - but I wore it today and no joke, got like 10 random compliments on it. Along with socks, cleaning supplies, underwear, wine.......she's amazing.

19 - I mentioned above that I haven't been having a ton of motivation to blog, and with that, I haven't had a ton of motivation to read blogs. Have you felt the same? I have a few of my favorite girls that I check in with, but for the most part, they just don't fulfill me like the used to.

20 - I do really love to Liz Adams at @HelloAdamsFamily - but more than her blog - I follow her for her instastories which I think has stolen much of Bloggers mojo

21 - I'm so excited for this summer. We decided to join our local country club and I think it's going to change the entire feeling of our summer. Their pool doesn't open until 12, so I think we will end up visiting the pool after naps until before dinner....which literally THRILLS me! Plus, I'm going to try and play tennis there in the morning, and hope to play tennis and pickle ball with Joel on the weekends.

22 - I'm also hoping to have Leo do a camp on Fridays in the summer from 9-3.

23 - The only problem - he has to be potty trained and he isn't.

24 - One of my worst parenting experiences - thus far  - has been our first attempt at potty training. I was a horrible mom in regards to the process, I put WAY too much pressure on Leo and on the situation, him and I both cried for two weeks straight, and then eventually I threw in the towel.

25 - But, it's time to do it again. Leo will be 4 in the fall, and I hope that this time around, we can both come at it from a much more gentle and calm place, and we're just going to take it one day at a time and hope that it sticks. Because we were both so burned from the first process, I'm not following any perfect book/schedule/routine but more so going to try and follow Leo's lead.

26 - We are REALLY hoping to travel with Leo and Drew next year to Europe. The best trip Joel and I ever took was to France a few years ago, and we dreamed of taking our little babes with us. I think they'll both be a very fun ages to do it, so we're really going to try. We'd like to do two weeks in Italy and France but for now, it's truly just a dream.

27 - I have to leave this wine shop in 15 minutes, so the next few points are going to have to be quick

28 - My favorite dessert is key lime pie

29 - I hate getting my hair and nails done. Truly, I find them as chores that I dread.

30 - My favorite food is pizza.....I think.

31 - I am SO beyond thankful. For my health, for my families health, for my life, for my friends, for my house, and for my life. And thank you for checking in here.