Rainy Monday

Today was rainy and dreary. I could hear the rain early this morning before I woke up and it sprinkled throughout the day. I decided the weather called for potato soup so I made some from scratch while Zoe was eating her lunch.

My husband took the day off from work so he watched Zoe while I went to pick up a few things from Kroger. I am so glad I went on my own because it was super crowded. There was even a long line at Starbucks. The barista made my drink and when she called out the name I thought I heard her say light mocha frappuccino but I gave her the benefit of the doubt. I tasted it and it was disgusting. It had a really runny consistency, it was chalky and tasted like it was loaded with artificial sweeteners. Normally if my drink is wrong I drink it anyways but there was no way I could have finished this drink. So I asked her to make me a regular one. She told me I could have both the light and a new one since she messed it up but I told her I didn't want the light. That's how bad it was! I did a bit of research and the light version will only save you 90 calories. Totally not worth it in my opinion. TLDR: the light drinks are gross!

Nick and I played with Zoe when I got back. She must have been really hyped up because she never went down for her second nap. I took that opportunity to sit on the couch with her and watch cartoons. After I made dinner I decided to make chocolate chip cookies. The last time I made them they didn't turn out well and I vowed to only make my vegan version from then on. But I wanted to try the regular version on the chocolate chip bag. I made the dough balls really, really small and that did the trick. The dough was cooked all the way through and they didn't burn around the edges. I also lined the baking sheet with foil and used a new sheet for each batch. I ended up freezing half of the dough because I would have had about 100 cookies if I hadn't. 

This is a signature Jessica move that I learned from my dad. Same leg and everything! I usually have my foot higher though- around my left knee. I don't think Zoe has seen me do it so it must be in our blood. :)

I forgot to add these to my last post. I left the Boppy out after Walker's visit and caught Zoe lounging on it on Sunday. I'm glad to see it's being used!

Ready to go- with her Lamby and purse.

Cuddling instead of taking her second nap.

Going through all her toys on the shelf.

OOTD: Monday

I will have to make this blog post shorter than usual. After being out of town for a week I have spent today cleaning, doing laundry, running errands, and taking care of a sick husband and a sick baby. They both seem to be feeling better now. My husband had some sort of freak allergy attack last night and my baby had a fever and a runny nose. I will be adding pictures from our trip as soon as my husband decides to upload them to the computer! We had a great time in Iowa though. A huge thank you to Grandma Strawn for hosting us at her house!

Baby's first chocolate milk! I only felt alright giving it to her because it was organic. Not happening again though and it only happened because we didn't have any in the fridge and got home a half day later than expected.

With the Sports Illustrated Spurs issue and a Western Conference Champions shirt from my mom!

Top: Old Navy

Shorts: New York & Co.

Converse: Not similar but awesome

Hat: Old | Similar

This top is much more neon in person. And I may have to get the hat I suggested above because Zoe ran over mine with the bicycle trailer and Pixie was chewing on it. Also, I love this hot weather. It means I can let my hair air dry!

OOTD: Monday

Today I woke to hearing Zoe play in her crib. I was thankful that she slept great and woke up in a good mood. I called the pediatrician and they were able to fit me in at her nap time. My husband fed her breakfast and watched her while I got ready. The pediatrician said they appeared to be hives and recommended to keep using the hydrocortisone cream and to also give her some baby Benadryl. I stopped by CVS on the way home and, of course, she fell asleep in the car. Thankfully she fell back asleep after a while. After she woke up I fed her lunch and gave her a dose of Benadryl. We needed groceries for dinner so we went to Kroger after lunch. (Side note- I am really excited to try the Nature's Gate Glow Lotion I picked up!) I put Zoe down for her second nap while I got dinner started. I used this chicken recipe (Nick loved it) and had rice and green beans as sides. When I picked Zoe up from her nap all of her hives were gone! They haven't shown up again but I plan on keeping a close eye on her.

I have a new video of Zoe up on my YouTube channel for those of you that subscribe!

Poor little baby was so tired she fell asleep with her toy in her hand.

Picking out coffee at the grocery store.

Top: Old | Similar

Shorts: Nordstrom

Wedges: Old | Similar

Earrings: Nordstrom

Nail polish: Zoya PixieDust in Godiva

OOTD: Monday

Today Zoe and slept in a bit. We were tired from our fun weekend with my mom! 

I got ready for the day, ate a late breakfast (my husband's leftover migas), and finally watched the finale of Project Runway while Zoe took an almost three hour nap. That girl can sleep. After her nap I sat her down for lunch and some milk. We desperately needed to get some groceries so we were off to Kroger. I stopped by Starbucks first, natch. By the time we got back Zoe played for a bit and I put her down for her second nap while I made dinner. I didn't expect her to sleep again but I knew she would play in her crib. 

I have been trying really hard to stick to my budget so I am coming up with creative ways to make cheap food taste better. Like canned green beans for instance. I LOVE fresh green beans but my grocery store never has organic ones. Lately I have been using frozen but today I tried out canned. A quick search on Google had lots of suggestions but I ended up trying this one. Zoe and I loved them but my husband didn't like them so much. I also baked some wild Norweigan salmon (no frankenfish here!) and boiled some potatoes. 

I had dinner ready by the time my husband got home and we ate before I went to get Zoe. My husband mowed the lawn (and whatever else the lawn needs) while I fed Zoe dinner and played with her. He got done just in time to play and send Zoe off to bed. And even though I was exhausted from the day I whipped up my favorite vegan chocolate chip cookies. :)

The Princess having breakfast.

Using both steering wheels! She was also dangling her feet out the side as we were checking out.

Zoe with the organic chocolate milk she picked out!

Top: Old Navy

Shorts: Nordstrom

Sandals: Target

Earrings: Nordstrom | Save | Splurge

OOTD: Monday + Starbucks Mini Haul

We had quite the eventful night last night. While I was making dinner it got incredibly hot inside the living room/ kitchen. I assumed it was because I had three burners and the oven on. Nick took a fan out of our bathroom and placed it in the kitchen as well as turning on the stove vent. But nothing seemed to help. Even as I was putting Zoe to bed I was hot. After that Nick went to check the thermostat because I never complain about it being too hot inside the house. He discovered the air conditioner wasn't working! The fan was on but it was not blowing cold air. He went up to the attic to change the filter hoping that would work. Nothing. Then he went outside to look at the unit. Nothing. Then he tried switching the circuit breaker off and on. Nothing. We gave up because it was getting late (and we have no experience with a/c). So we turned up all the ceiling fans and put an oscillating fan in Zoe's room. Nick stayed home from work today so we called two different companies to come out. Luckily, one company was able to come around 1:30 and fix it. I was at the grocery store with Zoe but Nick told me an animal chewed through a wire! It never got unbearably hot, I got cold while I was sleeping but I'm glad to have it fixed. Nothing bothers me more than broken stuff, especially around the house!

Zoe and I went to the grocery store today while Nick stayed home to wait for the air conditioner to be looked at. I snagged the last fun shopping cart (you know with the little car in the front) for Zoe. She happily sat in the driver's seat with a snack and some toys. Those things are a pain in the rear to maneuver. We stopped by Starbucks first (shocker!) and I noticed a bunch of carts with boxes. They were putting new merchandise on the shelves! I was drawn to the hot pink dome lid of this cup and I knew it would be perfect for summertime (anytime, really). I already have two tall and two grande sized frappuccino cups but I HAD to have this larger size. After getting home from the grocery store we decided to stay in. It was supposed to rain a lot again but we just had a tiny bit of a drizzle. So we all just had a cozy night in!

Here is my new 24 ounce cup. It came with a hot pink dome lid, a light green flat lid, and an extra long straw.

And I also got some cold to-go ice cubes!

Zoe playing with Pixie. Actually she was rubbing a toy all over Pix.

I love my husband for taking my OOTD photos but I don't love it when he snaps pics of me getting ready!

Top: Target

Shorts: Old | Similar

Belt: Old Navy | Similar

Sandals: Old Navy

Nail Polish : China Glaze In The Limelight

OOTD: Monday

Today we tried to get back onto our schedule which is easier said than done. Zoe and I went to the car wash in Fulshear after lunch. She loved walking around outside and sat on a little child sized bench. Then we went to get a snack at Zoe's Kitchen for our play date at La Centerra. We met with a few mom's and their babies in the courtyard of La Centerra. Zoe must have been exhausted because she fell asleep as soon as I put her in the car. It was hot outside so there was no chance of sitting in the car with the windows down. Unfortunately, for both of us, Zoe didn't go back to sleep in her crib. So she walked around and played while I made homemade enchiladas for dinner. Nick's telescope was delivered today so he spent a bit of time opening all of the boxes making sure everything was there. I put Zoe down to sleep a little early and now we are catching up on shows we missed last night!

Top: Target

Jeans: New York & Co. | Similar

Wedges: Naturalizer | Similar

I know what you're thinking- wedges from Naturalizer?! But they are soooo comfortable and very cute. I did recently buy these and couldn't find them on the website but found a similar pair (that I may need to buy myself).

Zoe on her little bench.

Zoe walking around La Centerra.

OOTD: Monday

This is my OOTD from yesterday. I did not post last night because I accidentally burnt my arm and it was impossible to type on my iPad with a cold compress. A keyboard sure would make typing easier, *hint hint*, Nick.

Top: University Co-Op

Pants: Old | Similar

Sandals: Old Navy

Scarf: Save | Splurge

It was one of those days where I just felt like going super casual but I added the scarf for a little flair. Zoe and I stopped by Starbucks inside Kroger where we talked to our favorite Barista. After grocery shopping we went home to do chores and get dinner ready. Then we took a quick trip to Best Buy and to my in-laws to say goodbye to Grandma.

Pardon the crazy hair. This photo was taken at the end of the day and I'm working on getting an appointment to get my hair done soon!