High Five for {Halloween} Friday!

In honor of my most favorite holiday, I thought I'd mix up my "Friday Five" post to write about my five most favorite things about Halloween.

Low and behold! Why Halloween is so amazeballs:

1) The smells: Apple cider slowly boiling on the stove, spice candles burning, the crisp air of cooler nights, leaves falling (unless you're in Texas... Where we're still green), the smell of cutting open a pumpkin for carving... All of the smells associated with Halloween are fantastic!

Image via Pinterest

2) Two words: Candy corn.

3) Decorating! Whether you like to keep it classy or get gory, decorating for this fun holiday is a blast.

4) Horror films: I love them all! Only a small few are truly scarey to me, the bulk are entertaining, and the rest are just hilarious. Whenever I'm a bit overdosed on the "bad" horror films, we pull up a classic on Netflix. Seriously, check those out (especially if you're prone to get scared - these are just great classic films!)

5) Dressing up: Now, I'm not a big fan of dressing myself up... But man do I love dressing up my dogs and baby! I had grand plans for Henry's first costume, but dang ol' Tejas is still 90 degrees and all baby costumes are furry animals. Heat + fur = no bueno for Henry, so I had to make other plans. But look at these dogs!

Baxter is a fireman; Otis is a pirate

Happy Halloween! I hope all you young, kid-less readers are going out to a wild party tonight. The hubs and I will be taking our small flock of two and four legged babies around the neighborhood for some treats, then (hopefully) checking out some kiddos that come knocking on our door for some candy.

 

 

 

Athleta's Fall Textures Are Killin' It!

You may have read that I turned 30 last week.

You may also already know that I'm biiiiigggg into working out; specifically, yoga and barre. Because I spend so much time in yoga/athletic wear, I'm all about high-end fitness apparel. The difference in quality between, say, a Target brand and Athleta (or Lululemon or Lucy) is unmatched, and once you get a taste for the high quality stuff, you literally cannot tolerate the cheap stuff!

My MIL sent me some cash bills inside a lovely card for my birthday, and I immediately knew what I'd go get: some fall yoga wear! I have summer stuff and deep winter items (thanks to living in MN) but nothing for the light Texas winters.

Dallas just got an Athleta store not too far away from me, so I packed up my little man and rolled over to check it out.

And I was pleasantly surprised to see that Athleta's fall lines were KILLIN' it! There were textures galore. I find that this brand really nails the "transitional" pieces - as in, what you wear to and from the studio, and also mix and match items for everyday wear. I tend to get super sweaty in yoga/barre classes, so I only wear a sports bra/pants (usually crops) but I'm clearly not going to walk around town like that, and Athleta had tons of great options to cover up!

Look at these amazing textures from Athleta's fall line! Top: slouchy sweater // bottom left: crop pants // bottom right: leggings

I ended up picking out one long sleeve shirt, one pair of crops and one full-length pant. I was slightly irked that they don't carry their tall sizes in the store (earth to Athleta! Carry your tall sizes!) but the leggings were so stretchy that  they worked.

The thick waistband of these crops means no "muffin top" spillage during yoga!

I plan on wearing the shirt and the full length pants on and off the mat/barre because they're SO cute and SO comfy! The textures of all these items are what really sold me. They all have interesting patterns and weaves of the fabric, yet manage to stay light enough that I'll be able to wear them throughout our mild winters. #winning

Getting the pattern to show in these Athleta legging was impossible!

What are your thoughts on workout apparel? Do you go pricey or stay on the affordable end? Have you checked out an Athleta store? They're starting to open up across the country! Of course, they're online at athleta.com too.

Mommy Monday: When Baby Has A Cold + Weekending

Likely because we were on a plane last week and breathing recycled air for a few hours, Henry has his first cold.

Slight fever, runny nose, crabby and generally not feeling well (as determined by extreme fussiness).

I'm all about healing as holistically and naturally as possible, but there are some things that demand a little over the counter medicine to help with symptoms - especially when it's my baby whom I don't want to feel icky!

While we can't make the cold disappear faster, we've tackled this cold with a few essentials to better manage his symptoms. Infant Tylenol, to help reduce Henry's slight fever. The Nose Frida, which is a nifty sucking tool that draws out all Henry's excess snot (motherhood is so, so glamorous.) And Hyland's Baby tiny cold tablets to help with congestion and sneezing. These people also make the all natural, drug free teething tablets we use.

Baby cold symptom remedies

All of this combined is helping Henry get through his first cold! Obviously, they don't make the cold go away faster, but they do help a baby manage the symptoms until the cold clears on its own. And also obviously, I'm not a doctor (more like a holistic granola munching hippie) so consult your child's pedi before busting out any of these remedies, ok? Good!

In completely unrelated news, I ventured over to Fort Worth on Saturday afternoon to meet with Making Mrs. M and Miranda Writes! We hit up a wine bar, and ended up staying for about six hours (!!!) It was so fun to meet other bloggers in person and hang out for a bit. Thanks for the fun time in the midst of a sick kiddo, ladies!

Blogger gathering! Making Mrs. M, Miranda Writes, and (the very tall) An Uncomplicated Life Blog!

Have you ever had a sick little one? Have any other good tips for me and Lil' H until this passes? You know, besides escaping to meet other bloggers and drink wine?!

Want to see what other awesome bloggers were up to this weekend? Then check out Biana's "Weekending" link up over at B Loved Boston! Just click this sparkly button... AFTER you give me your sick baby advice :)