Weekend Recap

It's Wednesday and I'm just now making my way over to this little corner of my world to share our weekend. I probably should have shared it earlier in the week but with all the excitement of it being fall and all, I just couldn't bring myself to sharing my weekend before sharing my favorite fall fashions. You can find that post here from yesterday if you haven't already checked it out. Let me know what some of your favorite fall fashions are this year if you haven't already!

Now on to our weekend...

Friday I left work shortly after 4:30, made my way home to grab the hubs (who was off for a change!), then headed to pick up Harper doodle from daycare. Upon picking her up, we skipped out on heading back to the house and decided to head on over to my parents' house. When we arrived my dad was in the back cutting the grass so we took Harper to him to catch a ride on the lawnmower... which just so happens to be one of her favorite outdoor activities. Though unlike usual, her ride was short lived. As soon as they made their way around the house, Harper caught sight of my mom in the kitchen and immediately wanted down... only because she saw Nana with some stick cheese. The kid is seriously addicted to it! After Harper had her snack and Dad finished mowing the yard, we made our way to Virginia to grab dinner at Clarence's. It's a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that specializes in seafood and homemade veggies. Weird combination I know but their food is delish and definitely worth the drive. 

Saturday morning Harper and I met up with my parents at our favorite breakfast spot while the hubs pulled another 12 hour day. Following breakfast we swung by Belks to look for a few fall outfits for Harper but left empty-handed. Our next stop was to head to a local greenhouse but on our way my best friend messaged me and said she was in town... about one mile from where I was at at the time. Needless to say, I ventured her direction and Harper and I popped into the nail salon where she was at to say hello. We hung around for about fifteen minutes then headed off again to meet my parents at the greenhouse. We grabbed some mums and a pumpkin for the front porch while Harper ran around the place. I think she was overwhelmed by all of the colorful flowers but she definitely was intrigued by the place. I couldn't not grab a picture of her in the midst of it all!

Shortly after lunch I took Harper to my in-laws so I could get some cleaning done. With the hubs working so many weekends in a row the house chores have been piling up. Thankfully my mother-in-law was so gracious to watch Harper for the day so I could knock a few things off my to-do list. By the time the hubs got home shortly after 6, I'd managed to clean most of the house, do a few loads of laundry, and even reorganize a few drawers in the kitchen. My in-laws brought Harper back to the house shortly after 6:30.  We had dinner at home then headed to a local ice cream joint for dessert. Before heading home we road over to my parents' house to pick up a movie. But by the time we got home, we were so tired and worn out that we hit the freshly-cleaned sheets early and called it a night. 

Sunday morning my siblings and I sent my parents on a trip to Charleston for their upcoming 45th wedding anniversary. As much as I was excited about sending them on a little get away it made me sad to be missing our usual Sunday routine of church and lunch with the family. Since my parents wouldn't be at church, Harper and I opted for a day at home and a sermon online. Around lunchtime we swung by the Wendy's drive thru, grabbed a few combos, and headed to have lunch with the hubs which was a nice little treat since it's about the only quality time we'll have together for another week or so with his crazy work schedule. 

When Kevin's lunchtime was over, Harper and I headed to Target to grab a few groceries. Unfortunately it was Harper's nap time and I ended up carrying her around the store while she napped on my shoulder. You can only imagine the struggle of carrying a 20-pound toddler while pushing a full buggy one-handed. I'm sure we made quite the sight (;

We ended our weekend with Taco Bell take out (which happened to be free thanks to the car in front who paid it forward by taking care of our dinner... such a nice gesture!) and the movie Blended with our siblings. The movie was hilarious and actually pretty clean for a change. If you haven't seen it I'd highly recommend it! 

Hope your weekend was just as splendid and that your week is going swell!

Fall Fashion Must-Haves

Fall is finally here and this girl feels like it's Christmas. Not really, but you catch my drift. In honor of this much anticipated season, I want to share my five, fall fashion must-haves. Over the last month or so I've been eyeing the new fall clothing, shoes, and accessories that have been coming in and out of the stores. There are so many items that I'm dying to add to my closet right now but as a mama on a teacher's budget, my needs are far outweighing my wants so I'm having to keep my list narrow. But you best believe these five things are making their way into my shopping cart over the next few weeks (if they haven't already...shhh, don't tell the hubs). 

1. Plaid Blanket Scarf

Last year I fell in love with the plaid Zara blanket scarf that was making it's debut all over the internet world, pinterest, and blog community. I thought it was the perfect fall statement piece. Unfortunately, everyone else thought so too because they sold out in no time. When I found out they were going to be restocked this year I was stoked and was determined to grab one up. But yet again, I wasn't fast enough and they were all gone. So what did this little mama do? She went looking for an alternative and I scored big. I grabbed up this almost identical one off of Ebay for $12.99 (shipping included!). That's a bargain my friends! 

2. Herringbone Vest

I have been in love with the infamous quilted herringbone J. Crew vest since it first came out last fall. But I just never could quite pull the trigger on paying $140 for it. Afterall, that's a week of Harper's daycare or a trip to the grocery store. That's how I reason my purchases my friends... as to what bills I could pay instead of buying it. But thanks to it's growing popularity, many boutiques are offering knock-offs that are nearly identical and this girl is grabbing one up. I found this one at 261 Boutique for $58. Hurry and go pre-order yours now! 

3. Dome Handbag

Every year I buy two hand bags, exactly two. I always purchase one in the spring and one in the fall and let them each carry on into the next season. After seeing all of the new bags in the stores over the last month I knew immediately that I wanted a dome handbag. Originally I had fallen in love with this red London fog dome handbag that I ended up picking up at Marshalls for just $40.  But after seeing this cheetah print and patent leather dome handbag, I'm rethinking my choices. 

4. Lilly Pulitzer Monogram Pullover

In the fall, my wardrobe consists of hoodies with yoga pants or leggings. When I saw these adorable monogram half zip pullovers, I knew it was the perfect item to add to my weekend attire. You can find them all over Etsy. The one below is from The Pinky Girl and they sell for just $36!

5. Hunter Boots

I know you've seen these on my blog time and time again. Over the last year I've been wanting to add these babies to my closet but I just couldn't make myself fork out $150 for a pair when Target carries a similar pair for just $45. But after trying on a coworker's pair and getting a 30% coupon for Piperlime, these babies are going to be coming home with me come October. I decided that if I'm going to be wearing them most of the winter, I'd rather invest in a good pair that will last me a few years. At least, that's what I'm telling myself! 

Well, that's it ladies, my five fall must-haves! What's on your list?!

{Oh Hey, Friday}

Today I'm joining two fabulous ladies, Amy of the Farmer's Wife and Karli of September Farm, for their weekly Oh hey, Friday link up. I figured, why not? It's Friday! A day for a little randomness. So let's get a little random shall we?

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1. Fall Finds

I mentioned in my weekend recap this week that I grabbed some amazing decor deals over the weekend. Since I didn't quite get around to sharing those, here's a picture. Hopefully I'll get around to placing them around the house this weekend and you can get a sneak peek next week of the fall decor going up in the Holt house. I'm just a wee bit excited about this!

2. The Hubs

As I mentioned Wednesday, the hubs had to undergo yet another surgery this week. Poor thing, this was the third one in a year for something that should rarely occur a second time. He's still a little sore but overall his recovery is going splendid. Much better than the first and second time. Guess he's getting used to it, right?

3. Hair Cut

Last weekend I decided to do something drastic to my hair. By drastic I mean I had it all chopped off this week. I haven't had short hair since I was a freshman in college. In other words, seven years ago. I was a bit nervous but oh so ready for a change.  And this change was definitely a good one. My hair is so much lighter, takes a whole lot less time to style, and is the perfect fall cut. Win, win, win! 

4. Bedtime
Yesterday after dinner, the hubs, Harper, and I decided to lay down for a short nap. Well, the hubs and Harper got up but this girl didn't. Ladies, I slept from 6:45 to 5:45 this morning! Whaaat?! This girl was seriously tired even though I didn't even realize it. But I'm not going to lie... it was ahhhhmazing! 

5. Fall Fashion
There are soooo many cute fall items now and I am so ready to start stocking my closet. I have a Fall want list that is growing faster and faster by the minute. Check back next Tuesday for my want list. Picture leopard print bags, puffer vests, cute boots, and an abundance of monogram items! (:

Happy Friday ladies!

A Date Night for Two

Last night the hubs and I had an impromptu date night and it was nothing short of amazing. Since the hubs is having surgery this morning  and will be out of commission for a little while, he arranged for his parents to look after Harper last night so that we could have an evening just the two of us. He's seriously amazing and sometimes I forget just how lucky I am to have snagged this man. At times he can blow me away with his thoughtfulness.

I arrived home later than usual yesterday afternoon because I went and had my hair chopped off (more on that Friday!) and it took longer than I had expected. But when I got home the hubs was dressed in his best and was waiting for  me. I did a little fixing up of my outfit so I'd be a bit more presentable and then we were out the door. For dinner we headed to Texas Roadhouse, one of our all time favorite places. Their steaks and homemade ranch dressing always hit the spot. We spent an extra long time at the restaurant just chatting away even long after our plates had been cleared. It reminded me so much of when we were dating. And let me just say, it was nice. It was nice to be free from distractions, free of cell phones, free of a toddler throwing food on the floor and reaching for more, and free from the cares of the world. So often we don't get to experience those freedoms but when we do, it's precious and we do our best to soak them up.

Following dinner we made a Target run, as we always do. Who can say no to Target? We picked up a few groceries and of course a few things for Harp. By the time we got back home it was well after 10 o'clock and Harp had long been in bed. We soaked up sights of our little girl sleeping in her bed, kissed her good night, then thanked the good Lord above for the little family he's given us! There's no other people I'd want to go through life with! 

Happy Wednesday ladies! If you get a chance, say a little prayer for the hubs today! 

Weekend Recap

Happy Tuesday ladies! I hope your Monday went well and your weeks are starting off great. Our week is definitely in full gear and it started out with a bang, Yesterday afternoon, I ended up with the beginning of a migraine and the hubs locked his keys in the car while at the gym. Needless to say our Monday night ended with a take out pizza and an early bedtime. But it seemed to do the trick as our Tuesday is starting out great. So on to the weekend...

We had a pretty exciting and fun-filled weekend. Friday my mother-in-law picked up Harper doodle from daycare so I could stay at work late and prepare for this week. I ended up working till 5:30 which was by no means my intention but in the end it felt great to be well prepared and caught up on everything. After picking up Harper I headed home to meet the hubs for when he arrived home from work. After we all changed into warmer clothes, we headed downtown to meet my parents for dinner at a local cafe and walk the streets for the local cruise-in. Something we enjoy doing the second Friday of every summer month.

Saturday morning Harper and I met my parents for breakfast at our usual spot while the hubs pulled another weekend shift (something he'll be doing for the next seven weekends!). It was a cold and rainy morning so we broke out some of Harper's new outfits and rainboots. Her outfit was just too cute not to document (;

Around lunchtime, Olivia, one of my lifelong friends, arrived from Wilmington to spend the day with Harper and me. While Harper napped we caught up on what had been happening in her life with a new job, new home, and an upcoming wedding. All such exciting things! By the time Harper was up we were starving so we loaded up the car and headed to Greensboro to grab some lunch at McAlister's deli.

After which we did some shopping for some fall decor. This time I happened to get lucky and grabbed a few cute chalkboard baskets at Michaels for less than $25, a Nate Berkus tray from Target for $8, and a cute elephant printed rocking chair for Harper for $50 at Homegoods. All good finds if I say so myself (; By the time we got back home it was after 7 and Olivia had to hit the road to get back to Wilmington by a reasonable hour. It made me sad to see her go but I know we'll be getting together again asap so it helped matters.

To end the night we grabbed Japanese with Brooke and Bryan (Kevin's brother and his girlfriend) and ended up in bed long before 10 o'clock!

Sunday we did our usual thing. Harper and I went to church with my family while the hubs worked. After which we headed to Mom and Dad's for Sunday lunch and spent the evening there until it was time to meet the hubs at home. The rest of our night was spent spoiled Harper, straightening up, and preparing for another week.

All in all, here's to hoping next weekend is just as fun (: