Hello from cold and crisp Pennsylvania where it is 11 degrees and the wind chill is crazy enough to take your breath away. Brrrrrr. We have been staying indoors the last couple of days and might even take a break today all bundled up cause it is a must.
I have been able to go out but we have kept Julianne indoors and healthy. She has been very active lately and she almost feels curious enough to tumble. The world looks fun from upside down. 🙂 We had an amazing day yesterday alternating from our first floor townhome to her second floor bedroom and then to the third floor (which is more like a loft) where the electric keyboard is located.
I finally realized that a change of location is crucial for her and training Julianne to ONLY climb the stairs with mommy or daddy is getting trickier. We decided against having a gate and to TEACH her to obey and some days are good and others are a time to teach her a lesson of obedience.
She definitely understands when it is time for her nap and I ask her if she is ready to go up to see her monkey in her crib and she gets all excited. We proceed to climb stairs and she loves it! It is also great leg exercise too.
This week we learned a new game. It might be short lived but I will work on it in 2 ways. I saw the idea on, of course, Pinterest. It keeps Julianne’s attention engaged and it helps her work with coordination and patience. I took an empty 1-liter bottle, made a hole in the side and taped it with masking tape to protect form the cut out plastic. Then I purchased some felt balls from the dollar store and I showed her how to drop the balls from the spout. Once she finishes she can retrieve from the hole made in the side of the bottle.
It definitely keeps her entertained and distracted while I prepare her meals.
🙂
Yesterday was also special because I had a nice outing with my neighbor. I have mentioned before that she and I have similar tastes. She is a definite foodie and we have traded recipes and even brought food to each others homes. It is lots of fun!
Anyway, yesterday, she treated me to a girl’s afternoon out. It was planned out and so special. Ryan took care of Julianne and I went out and relaxed. We first headed to a British tea place in the Wayne area. It was so warm and quaint and the goodies were super delicious!
We had great tea sandwiches, an almond cherry scone and a lavender scone with clotted cream , lemon curd, and raspberry preserves. The top tray had decadent desserts with a grasshopper brownie, cheesecake brownies and mini madelines. I could hardly finish and I ended up taking the desserts home to Ryan. He enjoyed them alot!
I cannot wait to go again and take my mom. In addition to it being a cafe they also sell British foods and prepared meals like pasties, shepherd’s pie, and more.
After we left there we checked out some of the boutiques in the area, trying to not stay too much in the cold. It was freezing! We then headed out to an awesome mall called King of Prussia mall. We spent our time shopping and checking out sales and really just taking our time. It was nice not having to worry about speeding out with a fussy baby or worrying that I was taking up my husband’s time. None of these are real issues, but somehow being a mother has made me worry and think about others more and stress more about the things that are not actually a problem.
Anyone else relate? Either way, it was nice checking out different stores and trying new products.
At the end of the evening, we decided to eat at Nordstrom’s Cafe which was surprisingly delicious. We both had the vegetarian panini which was creamy and flavorful and we split a chicken tossed salad with a lime vinaigrette. All in all it was a pleasant treat and I thank my neighbor for thinking of me.
When we got home, at almost close to 10pm, she proceeded to color my hair. We had all the intentions of getting pedicures but we decided to shop instead and try pedicures another day. I believe I have never had a friend to go shopping with and who truly was a foodie. Love it!
How have you been given a break lately?
