sunnies - warby parker, top - j.crew, pants - target, bag - j.crew, shoes - target
Yep, I am still living in these maternity pants. They're as close as one can get to maternity leggings and so any time we go out they're my number one choice. I also love this top I picked up at the J. Crew outlet in Orlando. The length is perfect and it's still roomy enough to fit my bump. These two items are always in the laundry at the end of the week because of how often I wear them.  On another note moving is proving to be a lot more difficult than I initially expected. I really hate when the stress of it all gets to me because I'm not ok with it clouding the gratitude and excitement that we feel over getting this opportunity to try something new. But it does. If I have to look at another posting on realtor.com I'm sure I'll vomit. All the houses have started to blur together and still none of them are screaming "hoooooomeee" yet. We're heading back to Atlanta later this week to take another stab at finding something. Time is running out and that's not to mention that I haven't even begun to pack! Sometimes I can't fall asleep for hours because my mind is racing with all of the things we have yet to do.  But in the end it's all good stress. I'm so excited about all the new adventures that await us this year - from discovering a new city to bringing a new life into our family. It's all going to come with its own challenges but I think that's what makes life interesting!
I just keep telling myself to buckle up and take it one day at a time!

As I lay in bed writing this tonight I am consciously averting my eyes from the mess all around me. An empty milk truck next to my nightstand, a day old diaper on my nightstand, bags and socks and dirty clothes. The kitchen sink is full of dishes and half eaten food, the living room is a land mine covered in tiny toys that I will probably step on in the middle of the night while getting my nightly glass of water. In the refrigerator sit two lonely steaks that were never cooked and there are take-out boxes on the dinner table. Bedtime was a fight because we were selfish and lazy and kept Birdie out too late (she missed her beloved nightly bath, shame on us).
That's the wreckage, so to speak. But the thing is what this doesn't show is that time this afternoon when she cuddled up in bed next to me while I looked at houses and fed me blueberries while I fed her cheddar bunnies. It doesn't show the time we colored together on the bathroom floor while I was attempting to do my hair. Or the way she "read" her books to me. Or the way she stole the show at dinner, making friends with every single table around us by collecting tortilla chips like a squirrel at a park. And it doesn't show the pure glee this child experienced over ice cream after dinner and getting to chase the birds, all the while globs of ice cream dripping down her arm. But why is it that this is not what I fixate on at the end of the day??
I've been wanting to read All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior and my interest was especially piqued when I read in a review that she discusses the way men end up enjoying parenting more partly due to the less stringent expectations they place on themselves. That makes so much sense to me. In a culture that's so wrapped up in goals, accomplishments, lists, accolades and advice it's easy to turn parenting into the most draconically graded assignment you've ever had. And of course we always find ourselves coming up short. The to do lists on my notepad always look tidy and doable but the never ending ones in my head are utterly ridiculous. Every morning I wake up with a laundry list of things I desire to accomplish that day and when I predictably fail at more than half of them I instinctively crumple up that day and throw it away.
And how sad is that? When did it become about tidiness, timeliness, rightness, perfection and so on and so forth? So I baked cookies instead of making an actual dinner as I had planned? Is that really that terrible especially considering how much fun Birdie had helping me? So the peonies I planned on displaying in our sparkling home once back from vacation instead sit on a table smeared with yogurt and covered in mail and unpacked groceries? Does that make them any less pretty? Does the fact that I didn't check off every box, make every person happy and solve all the problems make this day any less wonderful?
I know in my heart the answer is no but why does my head convince me of the opposite all too often? I think the best and biggest lesson being a parent is teaching me is to let go. To grade myself with a little more grace. To know the difference between perfect and good. And to know that smiles and hugs are worth so much more than clean floors and done dishes when it's all said and done.
This post is brought to you by sitting in front of my computer late at night with so many thoughts floating about. Perhaps tomorrow I won't make such big plans for myself and who knows maybe I'll actually end up enjoying it even more???

After spending one week in New Smyrna Beach we headed to Orlando for another week. While there we had a chance to explore the Winter Park area and I am so glad we did! It was full of charming little restaurants and cafes like Coop which we frequented twice while there! It was that good! I thought I'd put together a list of places that we tried and loved in case you are in the area and are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the theme parks around Kissimmee. 

• Coop - a very relaxed but beautiful space that has killer chicken and waffles and genuine southern fried chicken with all the fixins!!
• Rifle Paper Company - their only shop is down a quiet little street and it's the most darling space chock full of their beautiful stationary. 
• Le Macaron - bakeries selling macarons are popping up everywhere these days but that doesn't mean they're all good. This place is the real deal with really fun flavors like basil white chocolate.
• Jimmy Hulas - this place isn't on Park Avenue but it's still considered Winter Park. This place is totally worth a gander - phenomenal tacos and two words: zucchini fries!!!
• Brandywine Books - this used bookstore is tiny but it has some gems if you're willing to take the time to poke around there for a while. They have a lovely collection of vintage children's books too. 
• Hillstone Restaurant - we're big fans of any of the Hillstone restaurants in this family for their consistency and just really, really good food. This particular one has a gorgeous location right on the water with plenty of outdoor seating complete with fans but you can take in the views from indoors too. Try the spinach artichoke dip - you will be hooked!
• Tugboat & the Bird - perfect little children's store with unique toys and they stock Blabla dolls!

So after you gotten your fill of magic at Disney make sure to check out these places! It totally changed our impression of Orlando.

P.S. Huge thanks to Tina for all the great recommendations! Make sure to check out her lovely blog and instagram!