I asked Layla... (3 1/2 version)

This is on video but here are her answers....

How old are you today? 3 and a half. 

What's your favorite color? Pink & purple.

What's your favorite food? Strawberries & pork roll. 

What's your favorite thing to do at school? To do projects. 

What's your favorite song? Little Mermaid

What's your favorite movie? Big Hero 6

What's your favoreite show on TV? Sophia Grace & Rosie. 

What's your favorite number? 3

What's your favorite letter? B

Who's your best girlfriend? Lydia (except she calls her Olivia by accident, ha!)

Who's your best boyfriend? Dada

What's your favorite holiday? Christmas (hahahaha)

What's your favorite place to go? The mall.

What's your favorite thing to buy at the store? Play doh

What's your favorite store? The fishy store (pet store)

She's so edible. 

Benny is 22 months!!!

Weight: I think roughly 32 pounds?

Height: I think 36 inches - tall and thinner everyday!

Eating: Always eating and always willing to try new things!!

Clothes: 18 month (small), 18-24 month, 24 month and 2T! 

Diaper: Size 5

Shoe Size: 7-7.5

Benny Boy -- 

WHAT?!??! How is this happening? Are we sure that you'll be TWO YEARS OLD in just a short 2 months?? I am baffled by this. I look at you - so handsome and tall and strong. So bright eyed and curious and loving. So silly and sensitive and SMART. Always absorbing everything around you. Always concerned about Dada & Layla. ALWAYS making sure you can see me - and always wiling to climb in to my arms for a sweet hug & kiss. 

What you've been doing... 

Playing, reading, learning, giggling, pooping, eating. 

You are in a great stride - you are really starting to LOVE school and I'm hearing fabulous things about you. It's wonderful to know you won't cry at drop off or pick up anymore. I love watching you with your new little friends. I love the art projects you are creating and the mark you're leaving in your class. You love to play with all balls, the kitchen ("here mama, chicken!" is what you always say), coloring, play-doh, the slide, books, castles, cars. You love to play with Layla's baby dolls. You love to sing, dance, clap, play. You love to run in crazy zig-zags, jump off of anything, climb, and fall. You are so strong and love to tackle/hug Layla at all times. 

What you've been eating....

Anything and everything. Your favorite food is yogurt with M&Ms but you always love to eat eggs, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, pork roll, meatballs, noodles, bananas, strawberries, cheese..the list goes on. Sometimes I have to cut you off because you'll continue to eat!! You still drink almond milk (1-2 cups a day). You love your sweets & salty foods. Mostly, you just love the art of eating. It's a welcomed change from your sister's picky ways ;)

What you've been saying...

Your language is growing by the day. A sentence here or there but mostly words. You love telling me what you're doing or eating or playing with. You are learning you colors and letters. You can do all the animal sounds. We are going to start working on shapes. You can name many princesses (ha!) and lots of other characters (Mickey, Minnie, etc). You get so frustrated when I don't understand what you're saying but luckily I'm fluent in "benny". Recently Pop-Pop told you to say "Nanu-Nanu" like Robin Williams and now you say it ALL THE TIME. It's really cute. 

Sleeping...

You've been a blessing. We went through a rough early morning wake-up patch but I think we're past it. You go to bed around 6:45/7:00 and wake up at 6:30. You're a master napper and it's lovely. You adore your crib, Brian, Teddy and blankets. 

What you've been reading & watching....

You love to read books!! We read the same few every night (Goodnight Elmo, Who Took My Hat, Trucks & the Benjamin England book Aunt Heather got you). It's so fun to read with you. As for watching? You've recently discovered YouTube.Com and more importantly - random Egg Videos. As in, people open up Easter Eggs filled with candy and you watch. You yell EGGIES whenever you see an iPad or iPhone. Oh lord. You get about 5-10 minutes a day. You like Sesame Street and Elmo movies I get you from the library. But mostly, you just want to dance!!

My baby boy, I'm SO lucky to call you mine. Often around strangers, you grab my arm and yell "MY MAMA" - always claiming me as your own. I love it so very much. I love your sweet smile, you sly face when you make a mess, the way you get excited around your cousins, grandparents, friends, teachers, cats. I love everything about you. I can't wait to celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and New Years Eve with you. 

I adore you - two more months until we celebrate you turning TWO!!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Mama

Ok so I wrote this post when you turned 22 months but didn't take pictures until today (Nov 20th) thanks to a good ol' fashioned DOUBLE EAR INFECTION! Next up, TUBES! My little man - poor thing. 

Bikini Bod - Month 4!

SO...
Here we are. Another month come & gone.
We are in the midst of November - voting, Thanksgiving, cool temps & lots of cozy nights (with a side dish of early mornings from my kids - BOO)

I'm 5 days late but I didn't want to miss this.

We are now 7 1/2 weeks from Jamaica.

The official stats thus far?

I'm down 10.4 pounds! I'm very proud of myself. This has been a long battle but I'm officially at PRE-BENNY WEIGHT!!!!!

I still have 10 more pounds until pre-Layla weight but I'll get there!!

I am hoping to lose another 5-7 pounds before Jamaica but at this point, it's slow & steady.

I'm running 3-4 days a week and adding in assorted weight machines.

I really want to add yoga weekly but I have to find a class that works, time-wise.

On to the (embarrassing) pictures...

What I'm Loving Lately....

Per usual disclaimer: I was not given money or products for my reviews below. I simply love these companies & want to spread the word!

Lately, I've been really happy with a few companies I thought I would mention. We are given billions of choices when it comes to products and I am always in search of good prices + good customer service + stellar products. 

Low & behold, I've been really happy. Plus, I love supporting small businesses. Most of these are in fact large companies so I'll have to write another post on specific small businesses I enjoy -- these are just a few I jotted down in my phone in between the gym and school drop off!

Ashley Furniture HomeStore:

After 8 years of owning our once lovely king-sized mattress, we discovered we needed a new one. Our warranty was null & void because of a stain on our mattress (BOOOOO) so it was time to invest in one. I took to Facebook, made a list of recommended brands & went shopping. Benny & I narrowed it down to 4 mattresses and then Josh went back to choose one he loved. We settled on a Sealy Memory Foam mattress. Upon delivery, I quickly realized Josh hated it. I was hoping it would get better but in fact it got worse. I called the store expecting to pay a re-stocking fee and a delivery fee and assorted other fees but instead was met by kindness & understanding. They let us switch mattresses, NO more fees, free delivery. Seriously?? Best news ever!! We went with a Stearns & Foster Pillow Top and so far, we both really love it. Hoping it stays that way but I was so impressed by the customer service I received. Cheers to you Ashley Furniture!!!!!

Stitch Fix: 

I'm a mom of two babies - 3 & 1. I'm trying to lose baby weight, sell a house, enjoy my life & make my husband happy. So the thought of browsing at a mall for hours on end in search of a cute outfit is nearly impossible. Enter Stitch Fix (Stitch Fix) <-- click here! I am seriously obsessed. Quick & easy description? It's shopping at an awesome boutique without leaving your house. You sign up, fill out a lengthy form (describing your style, your body, etc) - and BAM. Your done. You pick a date for your first delivery (you can either do one time or monthly) - a personal shopper takes everything you said and sends you 5 items. It's ranging from everything (bags, jewelry, pants, dresses, skirts, shirts etc etc etc) - you choose the price point and what you want. The cost is $20. Then, you get this awesome package -- you try everything on in the comfort of your home. You decide what you want. If nothing, no harm no fail (other then the $20). If you decide on any items, the $20 is deducted from the total. If you decide on all five items? You get 25% off everything. It's amazing. This month, I ALMOST picked all 5 but talked myself out of it and settled on two. For me? All 5 items would have been roughly $250 which is not bad considering the quality of products and the items received. It's free shipping both ways, it's easy and fun. Just try it - you are not obligated by any means and I swear you'll love it. 

Rent the Runway: 

I know I've written about this before but I love this company. It's fun, simple and easy. Have an event coming up? Use them - basically, you can search for any & all dresses (cocktail, black-tie, etc) and they sent it to you in two sizes. You can also get a total second dress for $25 if you're nervous about the first. Honestly? If you're in between sizes, want something super fancy or don't feel like spending a ton of money to wear a dress one, then try them. Click here to check it out! Rent The Runway (<-- click here!)

Ebates: 

With the holidays literally sneaking up on us (HAPPY HALLOWEEN BY THE WAY!!), the best & quickest way to shop is online. Everyone is constantly offering a better deal, free shipping, extra products and more. Enter Ebates (<---click here). Prior to visiting ANY website, enter Ebates.Com first. From there, link to thousands of stores/websites. No cost involved. AND in return?? You get a percentage back from products purchased. Example? Today, Bloomingdales is offering 6% back, Expedia is offering 5.2% back and Magazines.Com is offering 40% cash back. AS IN -- you'll receive an ACTUAL CHECK of all cash you receive. There is literally NO reason not to do this - it costs nothing, no strings attached. Ebates & all the companies make money off each other and we reap the benefits!! Try it. You'll love it. 

Ok.. that's my PSA for the day. Time to clean to get ready for our open house & get prepared for HALLOWEEN!!! I'll post some pictures of Cinderella & Prince Charming ASAP! 

Lately....

A quick update while I have a few minutes.

What I've been...

Watching: Right now, I'm watching the movie "Her." I started it months ago but never finished. Loving it. Also, "House of Cards" which is pretty much blowing my mind.

Reading: I started Lena Dunham's new Book "Not That Kind of Girl." It's funny, enlightening, witty and just GOOD. I'm really loving it.

Eating: Not much. I'm trying hard to lose all this extra baby weight. I'm one pound away from Pre-Benny weight, another 11 pounds from Pre-Layla weight and another 15 pounds from my ideal weight. But on the real tip, I can't give up my Dunkin Donuts Bagels & Coffee. Despite my best effort, it's my downfall.

Stressing: This whole house business. We have officially been listed for two weeks. It's been going well and we have had some interest but no bites yet. We have our first official open house on Sunday and I'm cautiously optimistic. We also decided this past weekend to bid on a home we love but without selling our house first, we are too nervous to proceed forward. I know our perfect house is out there (even more then this one) but it's a bit nerve-racking to be dealing with all of it.

Excited For: SO MUCH!! Just a lot of amazing things happening right now. Just a few? Halloween on Friday (can't wait to see my little Cinderella & Prince Charming!), NYC with my mom & sister, Josh's mom's visit, Frozen on Ice, Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Florida, Jamaica, NYE, Disney World & Benny's 2nd birthday!!! (Woo, exhausted just thinking about it all!)

Proud of: The way Layla is learning in school. I'm also seeing so much of her personality come out. She's UBER-SENSITIVE. Like, very much so. She gets sad when her friends at school aren't nice, or don't play well. Or when Benny ignores her. She's so much more complex then I realized. And so smart. The way Benny is LOVING school - no more crying at drop off, no more crying in the corner during play-time. He's become an active participant. I love it. I'm so proud of him. The way Josh is kicking BUTT at work -- he's so passionate and smart and it shows. I love hearing the lovely things people say about him at work.

Buying: Hannukah gifts. Several pairs of boots for Layla (which she tells me she hates, so I continue to try new ones). Mattresses (we now have a new one, woo!). I need new clothes but I'm slowly buying them. As in one piece every other month - one day when I'm 75 I'll have a good wardrobe.


...ok this was boring & silly. A real entry soon. Hopefully ;)

Benny turns 21 months!

Weight: Hovering around 31 pounds. 

Height: I think around 36 inches??

Eating: All day, everyday. 

Clothes: 18-24 month, 2T & 3T! 

Diaper: Size 5

Shoe Size: 7.5

My Baby Boy....

It's Fall - a season of cooler temperatures, new beginnings and another month OLDER!! I'm so proud and love to watch the little boy you are becoming. You are so very loving and kind - adventurous and smart - sweet and silly and undeniably a MAMA'S BOY! There is simply nothing better then the look you give when you see me - you scream "MOMMMMMYYYYY" with a huge grin and rest your head on my shoulder. It's perfection. 

What you've been doing... 

Playing. Jumping. Dancing. Running. Singing. 

You are fast becoming a talking and running little guy (and the days when I can call you my little baby are slowly winding down...) - you love to play with all sorts of toys. You becoming quiet independent. I love that you can sit on the floor and focus on a toy for a long time. Yesterday, you sat attaching and re-attaching markers to each other. A tough task and you sat, serious & determined. It was adorable. You still ask for music to dance to (always "Happy", "Elmo" & "Woody") - you love balls and always want to have a catch. You love the slide and love to figure out new ways to go down (backwards, on your head, upside down, etc) - what a boy! 

What you've been eating....

FOOOOOD! You love to eat and luckily you're not too picky!!! I don't have to worry about carrying food for you if we're heading somewhere - you will try all new foods!! Some of your favorites include ALL snacks (pretzels, pirates booty, goldfish), yogurt, eggs, cheese, pork roll, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, noodles and more. It's fun but crazy how much you can eat - and it's CONSTANT! You'll finish dinner and go to the pantry 5 minutes later asking for more. You love water and you're starting to drink more almond milk "milkies" (yay!)

What you've been saying...

SO many words - I can't keep track!! More & more everyday - besides repeating everything we say, you're also retaining words more and more. We're working on simple questions (what's your name? how old are you? what's your sister's name?) - it's amazing and I love your little voice!! Sometimes you request things and I can't figure out what you want - but when I do, you clap and applaud!! I think it's a relief to know your point is being heard! Some of my favorite recent sayings include...C'mon, Let's go, I did it!, Thank you Welcome, I'm going to get your butt, let's run! and more <3 

Sleeping...

We are back on track in the best way possible!! You hit a patch where you cried at every nap and every bedtime -- it was a shock as you were SO good at sleeping for so long! But we're back to normal and you happily go down after getting kisses from Dada & Layla. You like to turn out the lights and then that's it! You go to sleep a little later now (between 6:45-7:00) and wake up around 6:30 every morning (sometimes a bit earlier, sometimes a bit later). You nap once a day in the afternoon for roughly 2 hours. 

What you've been reading & watching....

Lots of books in your room - Sesame Street (your favorite), Jack's Big music Show and Toy Story ("WOODY BUZZ!") -- you are also starting to want to watch whatever Layla is watching on the iPad (usually a random YouTube video of a person playing with Play-Doh). It's pretty sweet to watch you two lay there - you always have Brian in one hand and a thumb in your mouth!

School...

We have made it!! You no longer cry your entire day at school - YES!!! Your first few weeks were reaalllly tough but now it's getting better. You still cry a bit at drop-off and always at pick-up (overwhelmed?) but they tell me how you're really participating during the day! Playing, eating, napping and painting along with the other kiddies! So cute!!! 

Layla...

You're very best friend and favorite person. You literally can't get enough of her - this includes FULL HUGS (borderline tackles). You also fight with her constantly - you hit, pull her hair, take her toys and scream. But in the end? You hold hands and love each other. It's the silliest and cutest little love I've ever seen. 

I could write for the longest time about my love for you. You light up a room when you walk in it - like I always say, you are my gentle giant. My heart is so full of love because of you - your huge brown eyes are the prettiest thing and I love your soft skin and blond hair. 

I can't believe you'll be two in 3 months. Your party is all booked at The Little Pod (Sesame Street theme!) and it will be great. As an added bonus, we're heading to Disney World the week before your birthday -- it'll be so much fun to celebrate!!!!!!

This next month will be wonderful - full of fall fun (more pumpkins!), Halloween (hello Prince Charming) and millions of adventures together. 

Love you "to the moon"- 

Mama

Bikini Bod - Month THREE!

Ok.
SO here we are.
Another month come & gone - and I am finally on a great roll! Despite gaining a pound last Friday (booooo) I think I'll lose this week (I cheated & weighed myself yesterday morning and if it stays the same, I'm down about another 2 pounds for a total of 7-8 pounds! This is thanks to Weight Watchers and Couch to 5K! It's working, y'all. Slowly. But I'm getting there. I really don't notice much of a difference in my body per these pictures but luckily I still have 2 1/2 more months until Jamaica. It's full speed ahead!!!

I ran in my second 5K this past week - it benefited CHOP and it was equal parts awesome & severely depressing. Pediatric cancer is very real and very scary and I hope my little bit of running & donations helps make a difference. I finished much faster then in my last 5K but still not fast (at all) - I ran about 1/2 of the time and walked fast the rest. It's so different running outside versus the treadmill but I'm getting there.

Happy October, Happy Fall & Happy new years (Rosh Hashanah was last week!)

xoxo
Courtney

I wrote this a week ago but forgot to post until today - so happy wednesday! ha! ALSO - I lost 3.2 pounds last Friday for a total of 8 pounds!!! wahoo!

Benny turns 20 months old!

20 month stats:

Weight: Hovering around 31.5 pounds.

Height: He may be close to 36 inches!

Eating: It's all about food ;)

Clothes: 2T and 3T. I put you in 24 months today and the pants were a bit short. 

Diaper: Size 5

Shoe Size: 7

My sweet Benjamin --

Another month - of loving, growing, learning, jumping, singing, dancing, eating. You are an amazing, funny, sensitive and loving little guy and we are so very lucky to call you ours. 

Now that fall is (just about) officially here, I'm hoping the cooler temps will help ease your struggle with school. Today is day your 5th day of school and you're having a VERY hard time. You cry at drop off, you cry at pick-up, you cry throughout the day, you cry & cry & cry until you're back home surrounded by all your things and in the arms of your mama. I feel so very conflicted about sending you to school. I am hoping it would jump start your little brain into a whole new world of playing, learning and meeting new friends. I am hoping it will help you grow a bit more independent but so far all my hopes and dreams for your first year of pre-school are being splattered in baby tears. It breaks my heart so very much but I pray that you will quickly adjust and learn to love school as much as your big sister. You have two amazing teachers (Miss Lizzie & Miss Jen) and they really love you. I never want you to feel alone or sad -- if in the next few months you can't stay happy, I may need to re-think school. You are just my sweet, sensitive little love and I adore you so very much. 

My little silly boy - last night, Pop-Pop saw how funny you really are. You love to run from one side of the room to the next, jumping and playing. You LOVE to dance to music (your favorite tunes are "Happy", "You've Got a Friend In Me", "Elmo's Song" and "Let It Go") - you go into your own little world while dancing. You LOVE to have a catch with a ball (any ball) and you love to build castles. You love to play with play-doh and color. You love going to the library, music class, romp & roll and more. You love going to the zoo, sesame place and generally being outside. You LOVE to play with our neighbors and your cousins. 

With age 2 fast approaching, your tantrums are apparent (including throwing yourself on the floor) but mostly I can distract you. Sometimes, if you get an idea (like going to the basement or going outside) and you don't get your way, you'll scream & scream (point taken buddy!) - I know you're strong willed and determined but I have no doubt that will calm down. Your language is getting better which helps me explain to you certain things ;) 

You still love to watch Planet Earth along with Toy Story & Frozen. You like Sesame Street as well -- but overall, music is your favorite!! Sometimes when Layla is watching a movie, you cuddle up next to her to watch - I don't think you care about the movie one way or another, I think you just want to cuddle with your sister. 

Bedtime and naps became a little rough this past month -- nothing horrible but you seem to going through a bit of an adjustment. We have learned to follow your cues along with Layla and this seems to work. First, you need a little bit of a routine nowadays with sleep. We now read several books and cuddle a lot before sleep. Second, we have moved your bedtime back from 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM. This has made a huge difference! You are no longer waking up early and you are sleeping more soundly. Good job buddy!! Plus I love the extra time at night -- you are a complete goof ball. You love to play with my necklaces, giggle and dance before bed. It takes a bit of coaxing to get you to leave our room and head to your for bedtime, but mostly it's not a problem. You still LOVE to nap in your crib and snuggle so sweetly. At school, you're having some trouble napping but getting better!! One day last week, you basically slept the entire school day. I think you used sleep as a defense mechanism (haha) - smart cookie!

My big eater -- I'm trying to find good, healthy, easy recipes to make for you -- you love to eat and I'm going to expand your diet! Both you and your sister aren't fans of veggies but hopefully that changes too!!

September is many things - the Fall, pumpkin picking, Jewish holidays and more!! I hope to spend as much time outside as possible and enjoy it all before the cold winter approaches. I can't wait to see you all dressed up for Halloween (hello Prince Charming!) and of course all the other fun things we have coming up. I love you so much!!!! I think you will be having a Woody & Buzz (Toy Story) party because you're so cute and love them so much!!!!

I love you buddy!!!!!

Mama

I just got a text message from your teacher -- you're having a MUCH BETTER day at school! You ate all your lunch and painted with the other kids. Great job buddy!!!!!!!!

Big Girl Bed. Potty Trained.

Howdy y'all!

Here we are. One week since school has began. I'm currently sitting in my basement WITHOUT CHILDREN. As in, both of my little babies are at school and I'm sitting in my own house alone. This is a very strange & wonderful & sad & exciting time. Every Monday, Wednesday & Friday my babies are at school learning and thriving (or crying and crying and crying = Benny) while I am home organizing, running errands and doing things I never thought possible (eating lunch in silence!). It's been really nice to recharge my batteries but hopefully within the next few weeks I'll be getting back into the working world (at least part-time). I'm waiting to hear about some opportunities and it would be nice to make some money so that we can move within this next year.

SO I've been wanting to write about a few things going on lately in our world. I'm not an expert (um, far from) in this parenting world. Sometimes I can't form a sentence without breaking into the ugly cry because I feel like I'm failing as a mother. But sometimes? Sometimes I feel like a freaking QUEEN - like I'm actually raising two responsible, kind, respectful, and loving little humans that will make a positive impact on this world.

# 1 - Transitioning from crib to big girl bed:

I don't know about all of you -- but I was terrified of letting go of the crib. Layla really, really loved her little crib and I loved her in it. She was contained, happy and sleeping (95% of the time) like a perfect little pumpkin. Back in the spring, Layla went through a severe sleeping rough patch. She had a tough time falling asleep and staying asleep. This lasted about a week and it was awful. After asking several mommy/daddy friends, several people suggested maybe she was out growing her crib and going to bed too early. I decided to move her bedtime back 1 hour (from 6:30 to 7:30) and I ordered a (cheap) full sized mattress from amazon. I also ordered her some adorable Little Mermaid bedding and set up her big girl bed while keeping her crib. SO..for months, Layla used her big girl mattress on the floor for nothing more then jumping and playing. She continued to sleep happily in her crib. I would periodically ask her if she wanted to sleep in her bed and she always said no. Then one day, she asked if she could nap in her bed. Josh & I laughed thinking this would never work (she had been napping in our bed as a special treat for a while) -- but on this random Saturday, surrounded by all of her "guys", she slept. And slept hard - like the kind of nap that I wake her up because it's been 2+ hours. SUCCESS!! We later decide it's finally time to get the actual big girl bed - so off to Ikea we went! We chose a platform, low-to-the-ground bed that goes perfectly with her room. And then she asked to sleep in it at night. So we let her - and she did perfectly. Like a little professional, she slept soundly and happily. The next day, Josh took her crib apart and since then? She's been sleeping in her big girl bed. The first couple of weeks, she opted to sleep on her floor rather then her bed (I think it was more comforting? She did ask to sleep in our bed a few nights but we never caved - I always gave her the option of her bed or floor. Eventually, she always chose the bed and now she loves it. We've adjusted her bedtime routine to make sure she's happy and comfortable. One time, she's come out of her room in the middle of the night (I found her crying in the hallway, clearly confused and possible sleep-walking) but otherwise she's been perfect. I think my favorite part? We are continuing to use our Onaroo OK to Wake Children's Alarm Clock and Nightlight -- a friend recommend this to us when Layla was waking up early back in the Spring. It's a little adorable light and can be set like an alarm clock - we set ours for 6:30 AM. At this time, the light turns a bright green. Layla now knows that she can't get up until the light is green - so when she wakes up, she immediately looks to the light and if it's lit up, she yells "THE LIGHT IS GREEN! I'M AWAKE!" - and she waits in bed until one of us gets her. She doesn't get up out of the bed on her own - this makes it much safer, easier and better for us!!! Highly recommend!

# 2 - Potty Trained: 

We are now about 2 months POTTY TRAINED!! I'm so proud and will say nothing more then this - DON'T RUSH IT. We literally introduced Layla to the potty last summer. After realizing she clearly wasn't ready, we stopped. It took until this summer to see that she was in fact physically ready to learn to use the potty. We are now accident free for at least 8 weeks! Our biggest hurdle is poop. She is still wearing a pull-up at nap time and bedtime. She seems to be waiting to poop until these times. Annoying but true -- she has pooped on the potty quite a few times but it's not consistent. I'm okay with this -- I know she'll poop when she's ready ;) Overall, I'm really proud. My biggest suggestion? USE NUTELLA! haha - seriously, that was Layla's little treat for each successful potty trip. A little spoonful of nutella goes a long way!!

... so that's it. Fall is fast approaching. My 31st birthday is next week. The Jewish holidays are fast approaching and generally speaking, all good things. Lots of love and light to you all.

Goal - BIKINI!

HI

. 

Here we are again - I am a few days late but I took these pictures on the first of September.

It was a good month!! I worked out a bunch - I ate decent (but not perfect by any stretch) and if I'm being perfectly honest, my weight stayed exactly the same. BOOOOOO! However -- I do feel a bit better. I ran my first 5K (the color me rad run - LOVED IT!!!!!) - and I joined weight watchers!!! Tomorrow is my first official weigh in but I'm loving it. Weight watchers helped me lose a lot of weight I gained my freshman year of college and it's always my go-to when I'm ready to get back on track. I'm excited and feeling good. I've stepped up my work-outs and even met with a personal trainer to really learn some new things. I'm slowly getting there and vow to wear a bikini in Jamaica (luckily I still have 16+ weeks to get in shape!)

As for our month of dinner plans?? We rocked it - about 75% of the time. I really, really, really loved the idea of not having to think about dinner. I shopped ahead, we saved money and overall I think we ate healthier. Towards the end of the month, we gave up because my mother-in-law was in town and we got lazy. BUT -- I think we'll get back on track! I'm hoping to plot out our dinners for the remainder of September and really get into a good groove. 

As for our world? Things are moving and shaking!!! Layla's first day of school was today - Benny starts tomorrow. I am in shock. I've loved every second spent with Benny these past 19+ months. I can't believe our time together (constantly) is coming to a close but I KNOW school is the answer for my sweet boy. I firmly believe being around other children, learning new things, meeting new people is so so good for them. He'll be going 3 days a week along with Layla. As of now, I have no job in line so it looks like I'll have 3 days a week to get my house in order, run errands and gain back some sanity (ha!) - I'm feeling guilty and I know I'll find a job soon but I'm excited to be a stay at home mom while taking care of things I've been putting on the back burner for years. I'm feeling guilty about all the time by myself but I'm also okay with it. ;)

Lots of love and light to everyone as the new season fast approaches -- FALL! 

(Josh has no pictures this month because I forgot to take them - he'll be back next month!)