Five on Friday

Hello friends and cheers to Friday!! Although our sunny weather is leaving us for some rain, California needs it so you won't find me complaining when I am snuggled with my little watching some movies and doing a little crafting!

...one...
I have two awesome giveaways coming up next week one with an Etsy seller I am recently crushing on, Frankie & Lulu. And the second with Fairhaven Health one giveaway is about birds the other about boobs! Hope you will check back next week!

...two...
The other day I treated myself to a little gem at Nordstrom, it was too cute to pass up and I love it! And in case you're wondering that F is totally for Finn! (found here) I want to get a P but I am waiting to change out the necklace when baby #2 comes along (hopefully) one day. That way I can get both initials on the same strand.

...three...
We have been doing Blue Apron for a couple of weeks now and so far it's pretty neat! I think half the battle for me and dinnertime is figuring out what to cook. With this it's easy - it's literally all delivered fresh to your door right down to the pat of butter! No one is paying me to say this and that is not an affiliated link I just really like it! For $60/week you get three meals delivered to your door. Not too shabby and perfect for a working mama! Especially for myself who is not that awesome in the kitchen. This is chicken pot pie I made last week that was delicious!

...four...
Anyone seen The Theory of Everything? I am really itching to see it now that Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar for it. I always love me a good old love story!

...five...
I have already started planning and plotting for P's 1st birthday. I figure it's never too early to start! I have one major DIY that I am going to attempt to do so a trip to Hobby Lobby is in order. I'll give you a hint.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Linking up with the lovely ladies of five on Friday!
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Mama recharge

I had a glorious day off yesterday for P's 6 month vaccinations. She handled them really well and I got to enjoy the whole day off with her, Finn and some girlfriends.
I'm talking Nordstrom, coffee, park and then making and trying Presley's first food!
Sweet Potato: Preheat oven to 425. Wash and dry potatoes and then pierce with fork in multiple places. Bake for 60 minutes. Once done and cooled for a bit remove skin by hand (should peel off easily) Place into blender and puree adding breastmilk or boiling water to reach desired consistency.
I then took the puree and placed it in a sandwich bag with a corner snipped and piped it into the ice cube trays. Super easy!
See you tomorrow for Five on Friday!


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Scenes from the Weekend

You know what the logical thing to do with a six month old is? Decide to head to Domain Chandon at 2pm during Premier Napa Valley week and indulge in some serious people watching. The day was more for us sure, my camera settings were way off (hello ISO) but we had a blast. Drank some really good champagne and tried a restaurant called Farmstead that I hope to return to really soon! David is in the midst of remodeling our bathroom so I did what any good wife would do - I left the house to be out of his way! ;)

I see many more of these weekends in our future!
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1980s Jenny Lind High Chair Makeover

Last year I was able to find an original highly coveted Jenny Lind high chair from the 80s. After seven months of searching I was so excited to find one a town over from where I live. Especially because the guy just had no clue as to why a woman was offering him $50 for it after I had already claimed it (for $25). Alas it had sat dusty in my garage waiting to be loved ever since that day I bought it super pregnant. Since Presley will be starting on solids when she hits the 6 months mark (tomorrow!). It was due time to get my husband started on this project. I tried to take photos of the process to share but feel free to ask any questions if I missed a step!
 Here is the original in all her dusty glory.
First David removed all the hardware. We thought about changing it to make it easier to pop the tray off. However I felt if there ever comes a day if we want to sell it I wanted it all original. So we kept everything the same.
Next step was to wipe the highchair down with water to remove dust and dirt. After the initial bath David than lightly sanded any slight imperfections. He used 320 grit sandpaper.
After the chair was sanded he washed it again with water and used TSP to give it an extra good cleaning. Once this was complete he allowed the highchair to dry overnight in a well ventilated area.
Once the chair had completely dried he disassembled it to make the painting process easier and more through.
He then used painters tape where the wood connected so he could wood glue it back together in addition to the screws. David uses an air compressor to paint most of our furniture. His technique is so awesome you would swear all our pieces are store bought. For the project it was important to me to use a no VOC paint since Presley would be eating directly off the tray. For this project we used Valspar Optimus Interior Paint. This is a low-odor, no VOC paint. We will be applying some sort of seal or wax to the paint to prevent staining but this stage hasn't been completed yet.

After David had finished painting it was now time to remove the painters tape and reassemble.
Notice in the above photo there is tape painted over. This is where the foot board goes. He marked the spots to adhere wood glue and screw it back on. Once he removed the tape he placed wood glue on the foot board to secure it.
 Looks pretty good without the tray too!
 Wood glue and original screws are used to make the chair extra secure.
And here she is in all her newfound glory!
I just love the way it turned out and I cannot wait for little miss P to have her first smash cake in it in six short months!
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Scenes from the long weekend

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Mine was extra long with Friday off so today seems all the more torturous. I got to brunch with my girls, see 50 Shades of Grey, head to Tomales Bay for oysters on Valentines and more. Lots of hours logged in the car and lots of snuggles with my girl. These are just a few snaps of what we were up too.
Getting spoiled on Friday night by our friends Kevin and Michelle. Surf and turf and good company always make for a fun evening!
Getting in some much needed girl time post 50 Shades of Grey viewing.
Breaking hearts on Valentine's Day morning.
Catching a gorgeous Valentine's Day sunset paired with four dozen oysters (which still was not enough!) We left pretty hungry and may or may not have wound up as a group of five at Sonics...
Hanging with one of our favorite little families! (Also the chef behind our surf and turf!)
Sharing roses with our favorite little Valentine.
Kerri and I prepped a cake thanks in part to this awesome new 5 layer cake pan set we found at Sur la Table in honor of Presley's upcoming 1/2 birthday!
A healthy salad and delicious latte at lunch with my sister. Salad was good but a little too healthy (read: bland) haha next time we will split a salad and a sandwich.
Picture time with my favorites.
And alas it's the workday again.

Hope you all had a great one!

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Vulnerability

I never knew that having a child would make me feel so exposed.

to the world
to germs
to the unvaccinated
to strangers
to disease
to opinions
to judgement

to anything and everything.

I cannot bubble wrap her. I cannot keep her little. I cannot keep her from making her own mistakes.

It's terrifying, the definition of feeling vulnerable. The person that I have grown and carried is now out to experience all her own firsts. Under my nose or not. It truly is as if your heart is walking around outside of your chest. Here I am only half a year in and already I think of these things.

For years before I had Presley I was (and still am) a wish granter for the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation. The reality that some parents are denied the privilege of seeing their own children age is preposterous. I never ever want to have to imagine this world without Presley in it. Now having Presley I find granting these wishes all the more difficult. While having a wish granted does not mean you are terminal - it does mean you have a life threatening disease. You know what is even more incredible? The grace in which these children handle their illnesses.

We can learn so much from them.

I know I cannot keep Presley little but I am so incredibly grateful that I get to watch her grow. A privilege denied to far too many.

In memory of Kylie Elizabeth Rowand.
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