Friday Favorites {22}

Come one, come all! It's time for Friday Favorites.

Sorry.

I don't mean to be so wound up.

It's just the combination of an amazing trip last weekend, the ground hog not seeing his shadow, and maybe a little wine, that are making me all jazzed up for this weekend. I. Am. Ready for it! I haven't posted any favorites in awhile, so I'm very excited to be back doing just that. Check out what I'm loving this week.

1. You know those guilty pleasure books that make you stay up way-too-late because you can't stop reading? That's totally what I'm sucked in to right now with Anything Goes on a Friday Night. It's a super easy read, and one you just can not put down. It's about Elena, who is in high school, and her seemingly-perfect life falls apart when her mom kicks her out of her house, her parents separate, she catches her boyfriend cheating on her, and just about everything else that could go wrong. It's filled with so much teen drama. I love it. Think Pretty Little Liars. Check it out if you're looking for a good read.

2. I love these ideas for valentines to make with your kids from What's Up Moms. So many sweet, cute, and simple ideas. Check em out.

3. So, earlier this week, something pretty amazing happened in a little ole Kidcycle group on Facebook. You know, one of the private groups where you can buy and sell used stuff, sort of like Craigslist? Long story short, the #LoveTrainMKE was inspired and people just started giving away things. Seriously. All kinds of things: $50 gift cards to Target, home cooked lasagnas delivered to your door, two train tickets from Milwaukee to Chicago, diamond earrings. Seriously! It was so inspiring and encouraging and uplifting. I was the lucky recipient of a stack of locally-made soaps and candle melts from Halo Soaps. And, the amazing mom, whom I never met, simply dropped them off for me after I was the lucky one picked as the recipient. These small acts: They seem so, so small, but they have the power to make someone feel amazing. You can learn how to get involved in Love MKE here. It's time to love our city by loving on its people.

4. I can't stop making this Chicken Enchilada Soup from my friend and neighbor, Alyson. It is so good and so easy! Top it with some tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream, and #imdead. I like to get a rotisserie chicken from Costco and use the chicken in a bunch of meals for the week, and this is a perfect recipe for that. Seriously. The fact that it's ridiculously easy to make and is just so delicious makes it a front runner for my favorite soup of all time. Make it now! You can thank me later.

5. If you have a little one that loves trains, be sure to get to the Domes this month. Their current special exhibit is a huge trains show. We went a few weeks ago and it was amazing. Callum and I both could've stayed there all day. Plus, this weekend, they will also have a bunch of train sets and layouts displayed in their lobby. I plan on checking it out Saturday morning so we can also hit up the indoor farmer's market.

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend! According to the groundhog, only a few more of them left in winter. Woohoo!

Here's what's going on in Milwaukee if you're looking for something to do. If nothing else, get out there and #LoveTrainMKE.

• Train exhibit on the Domes on Sat and Sun (Plus the Winter Farmer's Market on Saturday.)
• Kids Dream Winter Film Series at Marcus Theatres - This weekend features the Minions movie!
• Free day at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Saturday.

Have a good weekend!

Friday Favorites {21}

Happy, happy Friday! Did everyone survive the first week back after the holidays? Personally, I was so ready to get back to our routine. I very much enjoyed the time off, but was happy to get everyone back to our regularly-scheduled program.

Since it's back to the usual round here, I thought I'd jump in today and share a few things I'm currently loving. Enjoy!

1. I know I'm super late to the game on this one, but I finally bought a spiralizer. (I actually found it at Aldi for $1.99! I love that place.) Anyways, I've been making a ton of zoodles (noodles made from zucchini). They are so good! Callum loves them, too. They are super easy to make. You just add the spiralized zucchini to a skillet with olive oil over medium heat, cook and stir zucchini in the hot oil for 1 minute. Add a little bit of water and cook until zucchini is softened, about 5 minutes. Then, I'll season it with a little bit of salt and pepper. They are delicious just like this, but my favorite way is to eat them is in marinara sauce with sautéed mushrooms and some parmesan. Seriously amazing. So, if you don't have a spiralizer, get to Aldi now! It will be two dollars very well spent. (Also, I don't want you to think I'm pretentious and added that accent to 'sauté' all by myself Good ole autocorrect did that for me.)

2. THIS article. It's so true. As a mom, I definitely think you have to learn how to go with the flow and take everything in stride. It's impossible to make your kids conform to that perfect child all the parenting books talk about, and it can be extremely stressful to attempt to follow all the "parenting rules." (Warning: There's a fair amount of F-bombs. If swearing isn't your thing, you want to skip it.)

Raising my baby to be perfect is impossible. He was born perfect. My task is to try to keep him as close to that innate perfection as possible by giving a finger to what everyone says he should be. So I’ll read him a story, but if he’s not interested, I’ll toss that motherf*er and we’ll cuddle in my bed watching a movie and eating ice cream. I’ll iron and match his clothes, but when he doesn’t like what I’ve picked out, I’ll let him pick out his own outfit even if it consists of more color than a 64-count crayon box. I’ll work on him, but I’ll let him be. And most of all, I’ll continue to do this mommy shit as carelessly as possible, not giving a damn who thinks I’m too lenient, too indulgent or too hood.


3. So, every time a new season of the Bachelor or Bachelorette starts, I'm faced with a huge dilemma: Should I watch it or should I not watch it? I know if I start it, I'll get sucked in and will be invested for the whole season. However, if I don't watch it, I'll be able to spend two hours of my week doing things that are much better for my well-being. Well, there's officially no going back: I started the Bachelor on Monday and can honestly say I'm very happy with my decision. Are you watching? Can we talk about it?? Every single season, my first question is always, "where in the world do they find all these crazy people?!?" The chicken enthusiast? Lace? The woman with the flower on her head? They were all so crazy. I don't have a favorite yet, but I'll be sure to keep you posted in coming weeks. I'm sure you can't wait.

4. Have you guys heard of air plants? They are essentially plants that don't need to be potted in soil. I saw this DIY from Homey Oh My and thought it would be the perfect way to add plants to a house with toddlers. I've already ordered a few air plants from here.  I'll keep you posted on my results.

Photo from Homey Oh My.

And, that's all I wrote! (How have I not used that one before?)

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! I'm sure it will fly by since it'll be the first one since the holiday season. If you're looking for something to keep you busy, here are a few things happening in Milwaukee this weekend.

• Sesame Street Live at the Milwaukee Theatre on Saturday and Sunday (We'll be going Saturday morning, so keep an eye out for a review.)
• Free day at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Saturday
• Storytime at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Saturday at 10:30 AM

Friday Favorites {20}

Alright, everyone, hold on to your Christmas jammies! This week's Friday Favorites are all holiday favorites. I know, I know. You can hardly contain your excitement.

Since I know you can't wait, we'll go ahead and jump right in.

1. This video of holiday hacks from What's Up Moms is so great! I especially love the hack for watering your Christmas tree and hanging Christmas lights on your mantle. It also totally motivates me to go wrap a bunch of presents.

2. I ordered these Christmas pajamas for Callum in November from Crystal Faye Embroidery. I am totally obsessed with them, and they are even cuter on Callum! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures on Christmas morning. I ordered them a size too big, as well, so he should be able to wear them next year, too!

3. Every year, we decorate a gingerbread house on Christmas Eve. I love it so much, and I get so into it. I want it to be perfect! Well, this year, we have a toddler who is going to want to help with everything. I was talking to a friend about it and she suggested having Callum decorate waffle cones like a Christmas tree, and then we'll (hopefully) be able to work on the house uninterrupted. I turned to good ole' Pinterest for some examples and found a ton of them! I think Callum is going to love doing this.

Photo from Some What Simple.

4. This photo series of a baby dressed up as Elf on the Shelf is so amazing. I can't stop laughing. 

5. Finally, I just wanted to share this recipe for Candied Pecans. I've been making a ton of them these past few weeks and handing them out to friends and neighbors for Christmas gifts. I think it's way easier than making cookies, and so delicious. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup sugar, but I used 1/4 sugar and 1/4 brown sugar. I also added some vanilla. They turned out delicious! I bought some cute bags from Target (in the dollar spot, of course) that make for the perfect way to package the pecans. Simple, delicious, and so cute.

I'm off to squeeze in as much Christmas fun these next few days as we possibly can. I can't believe it's only seven days away! Have a good weekend!

Friday Favorites {19}

Happy Friday, errrrrrbody! Who's ready for the weekend? *Hand-raised!!!!*

Matt has been beyond busy at work, so I know we're all looking forward to just spending time together as a family. We're planning on visiting Santa, checking out some holiday lights, and having a Friendsgiving with some of our favorite people.

By the by, be sure to check the blog on Monday morning. I'll be holding a giveaway for all you Milwaukee Moms with little ones that you're not going to want to miss. Here's a hint: Elmo!

To celebrate the start of another weekend, here are some of my favorites from this week. Check it, check it out!

1. Last week, I saw a post on Instagram from Homey Oh My!, where she shared a simple idea for making garland to use for wrapping Christmas presents. She used bakers twine and a star hole punch to make this super cute and simple garland gift wrap. I loved the way it turned out, and it was so easy! I found the twine at Target in the dollar spot, and just used computer paper for the stars. Callum even helped punching out the stars. You can find the instructions here.

2. Last week, my friend and neighbor, Alyson, hosted a Downton Abbey tea party. Yes, a DOWNTON ABBEY TEA PARTY! Sorry to yell, but it was really that awesome. She had the cutest table set up, served us delicious scones, and we even left with some tea and a Downton Abbey mug. If you're in to Downton, check out her blog post about the party. She's giving away an adorable Downton Abbey prize pack.

3. I made this Copycat Colectivo Baked Oatmeal this week and it was a huge hit in our house! I mixed it all up the night before, and then just baked it in the morning. Super simple, and everyone ate it. Win, win. I will definitely be keeping this in mind the next time we have people staying at our house. It's one of those recipes that seems like it was a lot of work, but was actually very easy and quick.

4. I was sent this sippy cup from Tervis, and it has immediately turned in to Callum's favorite. You guys. It is so durable. And, it is the perfect cup for when Callum insists on drinking without a cover on the top (which is most of the times these days since he's smack dap in the middle of that twonanger stage). Plus, there's bulldozer on it. #boyswillbeboys

5. Yesterday, I hosted a little cookie decorating party at my house for some friends and their little ones. It was such a great time! There were sprinkles everywhere, and Callum ate his weight in frosting, but I wouldn't have changed a thing. The kids had such a blast making a mess, and I so enjoyed talking and drinking coffee with some of my favorite moms. It was such a great morning!

If you're looking for some fun stuff to do this weekend in Milwaukee, check these out:

• Donuts and Cocoa with Santa at Elm Grove Art (We'll be there!)
• Holiday Lites at Miller Coors 
• Make Your Own Gingerbread House at the Center Street Library
• Breakfast and Lunch with Santa at the Milwaukee County Zoo

Have a great weekend everybody! Only two more weeks until Christmas!

Friday Favorites {18}

FRRRIIIIIYYYAAAAYYYYYY!!

Hey there, everyone. It's been a few weeks since I've shared some of my weekly favorites. I've had a bunch I've been saving for you. Can you handle the excitement? Get ready.

We have a super busy weekend ahead of us. In addition to a few things listed below, we're also taking our family photos for our Christmas cards, and expecting our first snow fall on Saturday! I'm actually really looking forward to the snow. Callum definitely doesn't remember what snow is like, and I think he's going to have a blast playing in it. I'm sure I'll be sick of the snow by December 26, but I'll try to enjoy it for as long as I can. (Follow along on our weekend adventures on Snapchat: meganjoyo.)

Alright, without further ado, here a few things I'm loving this week.

1. On Saturday night, I'm hosting a Momma's Night Out at Elm Grove Art along with Keila (Mommy in Milwaukee) and Amber (Milwaukee by Storm). It's going to be an awesome night of wine, Pinterest, and meeting other moms in Milwaukee. I'm so excited to connect with some amazing women, and have a glass of wine or two. There are still a few tickets left, and we'd love to have you join us!

2. These laundry hacks from Whats Up Moms are genius! I especially love the one about using a dry erase marker to write down on your washer the items that don't need to go in to the dryer. I always forget and end up drying things I meant to hang dry.

3. Earlier this week, I was sent a Sweet Dreams Cool Mist Humidifier to test out. It could not have come at a better time. Callum has been super stuffy lately, and we've been running his current humidifier none stop. But, I've got to say, this humidifier is such an upgrade from his current one. This one has a spot to put in Vicks Scents Pads (to really help with the colds), has an automatic shut off, and, probably my favorite, a projector that lights up three different themes (safari, sea, or stars) on your little one's wall. 

Callum is obsessed with the projector. We leave it on for him at night, and he can watch the different pictures before he falls asleep. Plus, it is getting harder and harder to get him to sit still for diaper changes. But, if he can watch safari animals above his head, he is totally occupied. If you are looking for a new humidifier (which I'm sure everyone is this time of year), be sure to pick up the Sweet Dreams Cool Mist Humidifier.

Quick note: I did receive this humidifier free for testing, but all opinions are my own. 

4. In my latest post on MKE Moms Blog, I shared some ideas on how to teach your kids about gratitude. Callum has got it so good. He's the first born, and the first grandchild on both sides. This kid wants for nothing (except for maybe an extra hour before bed). Anyways, how can I be sure he appreciates everything he's got? Check out my blog post for some ideas I discovered from other moms.

5. I hope this last favorite will give you a good laugh. I just had to share this video I saw a friend post on Facebook. This sweet dad recorded his entire Vegas vacation on his GoPro, but it was facing the wrong way. It's hilarious. He was so clueless. Definitely check it out.

If you're looking for something to do this weekend in Milwaukee, here are a few things going on in our wonderful city.

• The Milwaukee Holiday Parade on Saturday at 9:30 AM
• The commissioning of the USS Milwaukee at the Lakefront on Saturday
• Lil' Kickers Soccer Open House on Saturday and Sunday (for kids ages 18 months - 9 years old)
• Gingerbread Land opens at the Mitchell Park Domes on Saturday

Have a good weekend, everybody! 

Friday Favorites {17}

It's Halloween weekend!!! Woohoo! I'm not sure about you, but I'm ready to eat candy until my stomach hurts. Bring. It. On.

To celebrate, we're trick or treating tomorrow night with some friends, and I'm really looking forward to it. I think it'll be the first year Callum actually gets it, and I can't wait to see how excited he gets. We're reusing his costume from last year, but it's a good one. I'll be back on Monday with plenty of pictures.

Per usual, here are a few of my favorites from this week.

1. First off, today is Matt's birthday. I'll keep this short and sweet: He's the best. Really, he is. I couldn't ask for a better husband, partner, friend, or cribbage partner.

Matt: Callum and I love you like crazy. My life would suck with out you. (Thank you, Kelly Clarkson.)

2. This article from Lauren at MKE Mom's Blog on why her family is a flu shot family. She hit the nail on the head.

3. SNNNNNAPPPPPCCCCCHHHHHHAATTTTT!!! You guys. For whatever reason, I was super late to the Snapchat game. It didn't make sense to me and I was too lazy to figure out how it actually worked. Well, it didn't go away, and I kept hearing about how awesome it was, and finally decided my FOMO was not going to let me miss out on the Snapchat craze. And, now, I'm totally hooked. 

Come follow me on Snapchat: meganjoyo. Send me a snap and I'll follow you back! Let's share all the mundane details of our daily lives with each other!

How fun are the Halloween filters?!?! Callum loves them.

4. On Tuesday, Callum and I went to a Mummy and Me painting event at Elm Grove Art. The event was hosted by MKE Moms Blog and was such a good time. Although he still has the attention span of a, well, toddler, he still really enjoyed the painting and it was fun to work on it together. It was also sooooo nice to do a messy craft in a place you don't have to clean up. Seriously. These sorts of activities can stress me out because I just think about the mess that's going to be made. So, that alone helped me enjoy the activity so much more than I usually would. I hung our masterpiece on the wall, and Callum points to it about 100 times a day. He's so proud.

Have a great Halloween weekend everyone, and don't forget to turn your clocks back!

Here are a few things happening in Milwaukee this weekend:

• Ghosts Under Glass at the Domes on Friday.
• The Enchanted Film Series at Marcus Movie Theatres
• The Milwaukee Running Festival on Sunday morning. Go cheer on some runners!

Friday Favorites {16}

You guys. It has been a week of weeks. I could not be happier to see Friday.

As you know, I was in jury duty on Monday and Tuesday. I never got called for a case. I did get pulled in to one jury pool and was questioned for like a bajillion hours, but ultimately wasn't selected for the jury. Whew. If I would've been selected, I would've been listening to the case for at least one more day. It was an interesting experience, but I'm not disappointed that I have to wait at least four years to do it again.

Also, Callum's been fighting a cold all week and it has been ruining our nights. He's been up three or four times the last few nights and is need of extra snuggles to get back to sleep. His naps have also sucked. You'd think he would nap longer since he hasn't been sleeping at night, but obviously it never works out that way. Why is that, mommas!?!?! WHY??

I'm so looking forward to getting our lives back to normal this weekend. My brother, Andy, and his fiancé, Anna, are coming in to town from Minneapolis, and we've got all kinds of fun family stuff planned for the weekend.

Game on, Weekend.

To kick things off, here we go with this week's favorites.

1. Pumpkin Carving with a Drill. We're planning on carving pumpkins this weekend, and I think I'm going to try using a drill to carve. I love the way these pumpkins look. I'll be sure to share how it turns out. I'm envisioning Callum highjacking my drill and ruining everything, but such is life with a twonanger.

2. Fit4Mom, the country's largest fitness program for moms, is coming to the Milwaukee area! You guys. This is awesome. It can be so difficult for moms to find the time to work out. At Fit4Mom, you can bring your kids with you. It's perfect. The grand opening for the Brookfield/Tosa location will be held on November 11. The festivities will include a free Stroller Strides class, swag bags for everyone who registers, and an activity for the kiddos after class.

From their website: Stroller Strides is a total body fitness program that moms can do with their babies. It includes jogging or power walking and intervals of strength and body toning exercises using exercise tubing, the stroller and the environment.

I will definitely be there. I hope you can join me! I'm sure Callum won't sit as still as the "kids" in the photo below, but I'm sure it'll be a great workout nonetheless.

3. Have you guys heard that all the weather geniuses are predicting a warmer, dryer winter for southern Wisconsin? Music to my ears. I very much dislike the cold, and I like the snow for about a week. Fingers crossed that the predictions are correct.

Winter 2014. Can't even handle the snowsuit.

4. If you missed my latest post on the MKE Moms Blog, check it out here. Callum and I went to check out Lindners Pumpkin Farm and had a blast.

 

Things to do in Milwaukee this weekend:

• Cupcake Fest at the Domes on Saturday
• Boo at the Zoo on Friday and Saturday evenings
• The Enchanted Film Series at Marcus Theatres

Have a spectacular weekend!

Friday Favorites {15}

And ....... it's FRIDAY! Alright.

I hope you all had an amazing week. Once again, we had perfect weather here in Milwaukee all week. It was gorgeous. Dear Mother Nature: Could we just skip the snow and freezing temps this year, and keep the weather just like this until next June? Thanks!

The weekend looks like it's supposed to be beautiful, too. We're planning on doing a few things around the house, getting out to a pumpkin farm, and, of course, tuning in to the Packer game on Sunday. Should be another wonderful fall weekend.

If you're looking for something to do in Milwaukee this weekend, be sure to check out some things happening in the area at the bottom of this post. (Including free admission to the Zoo on Saturday. Yes, you heard me right: FREE!)

As usual, here are some things that are floatin' my boat this week.

1. ALL THE PLAID!

You guys. My two plaid shirts have been on rotation these past few weeks. Throw on some leggings or jeans, and a pair of booties, and we're good to go. Plaid is definitely my fall uniform.

2. Continuing with the fall trend, I have a serious buttload of apples at my house. Like four bags full. I decided it was time to get abakin', and made an apple pie. Other than my sad attempt at a lattice crust, the pie turned out delicious. The recipe I used suggested brushing the edge of my crust with milk before baking to keep the edge from drying out. Worked like a charm!

Now, send me all your apple recipes!

3. For the next four weekends, Marcus Theatres is bringing back a classic Disney Movie to the big screen for their Enchanted Tales Film Series. Callum has never been to a movie theater, so I think we're going to take him to see one of these movies. I'm sort of leaning towards 101 Dalmatians, but Matt really wants to do the Jungle Book. I'll keep you posted.

4. Callum loves to help me in the kitchen. Whenever I am cooking, that kid is by my side. This week, my amazing mother-in-law made this awesome apron for Callum. He will not take it off. It just screams, "Callum." It has Thomas on one side, and a bunch of animals on the other. Also, the ties are attached to the neck strap, so when you pull the ties to close the apron, the neck hole gets smaller, too. It's genius. She said she found the pattern for it on Pinterest. Here's a similar one. (Don't worry. The knife he had in his hand was plastic. He was "helping" me cut lettuce.)

5. Last, but certainly not least, MKE Mom's Blog is giving away a new Baby Björn Carrier One over on their blog. Check it out!

Other things happening this weekend in Milwaukee:

• Admission is FREE at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Saturday 
• Cedarburg's Oktoberfest (Free Admission)
• Halloween Glen
• The Tinkertoy exhibit opens at Betty Brinn Children's Museum

Friday Favorites {14}

Did anyone else's week fly by as fast as mine? Friday, I am sooooo happy to see ya!

What does eveyone have on tap for the weekend? Other than the regular swim class on Saturday morning, I'm not too sure yet. I do know that we wanted to make it to Oktoberfest, so I hope to get there at some point. I'm also really excited for an afternoon Packer game on Sunday. I can never make it up for the night ones. Yes, I know I'm lame.

You know what's not lame: all these these things I'm loving this week. How'd you like that segue? Pretty good, if I do say so myself.

{PSA: If you're looking for something to do this weekend in Milwaukee, scroll to the bottom of the post for some fun (and even free) things happening this weekend in Milwaukee. Check em out!}

1. Can we talk about how excited I am for October? Since it's now official, I'm busting out all of the Halloween decorations this weekend! The first day of October here in Milwaukee was just gorgeous, too: blue skies, a little chill in the air. Keep doin' you, October. I like it.

2. On Tuesday, we finally got to the Milwaukee County Zoo to see the newborn giraffe. At two weeks old, it already stood almost six feet tall! It was so adorable. Even though it was huge, it still seemed like a baby. If you haven't had a chance to go see the giraffe yet, go check him out. It was all Callum could talk about after our visit. He kept saying "baby giraffe, baby giraffe" over and over.

3. I made my first batch of soup this week, and it was everything. Seriously. Soups are probably one of the easiest dinners to make, plus it is such a great way to sneak some extra veggies in for Callum. I made this Crock Pot (High five for the Crock Pot!) Cauliflower Sweet Potato soup.

I think I'm going to post a round-up of kid-friendly soup recipes some time in the next few weeks. What are your favorite soup recipes to make for your kids? Bonus points if you can make them in the Crock Pot!

4. MKE Moms Blog announced it's first event for Milwaukee area Moms: Meet me at the Barre on October  15. I'm so looking forward to this! Hope to see you there!

5. Finally, I just have to give a big shout out to our Milwaukee Art Museum. Callum and I went on Thursday for their free day, and were initially disappointed to find the main exhibition area closed for remodeling. We started walking through the atrium, and came across a bunch of art packs that kids can check out for free while they visit the museum. We took this one that included a ton of blocks for kids to build their own Calatrava. There we sat on the floor of the museum, playing with blocks and watching Lake Michigan. It was so perfect! The next time you are at the MAM, be sure to check theses art packs out. They had a bunch for kids of all ages.

Other things happening in Milwaukee this weekend:

• Free admission Discovery World Oct. 3 - 4
• Oktoberfest at the Bavarian Inn
• Brady Street Pet Parade
• Cider Sunday at the Wehr Nature Center

Have an excellent weekend!

Friday Favorites {13}

Happy Friday, peeps.

This week, I finally feel like I'm ready for fall. I'm not sure what happened, but all of a sudden I've fully submerged myself in to sweaters and all things pumpkin spice. This weekend, I look forward to doing just that.

In usual Friday fashion, here are a few of my favorites from this week.

1. I've been searching all summer for the perfect jean romper. I'm not entirely sure why this quest started, but I know I thought it would be the perfect thing to wear for summer days chasing Callum around. But, every one I came across had something wrong with it: the price, the fit, not as comfy as I imagined. Anyways, it's been quite the roller coaster. ;) Until this week, that is! I stopped in to Forever 21 for a couple pairs of leggings, and came across this jean romper on the sales rack. It was love at first sight. The color was perfect. The fit was perfect. And, it had pockets! Triple win. I just wish I had found it earlier in the summer. I'll probably wear it every day until the temperature drops below 70.

Wasn't that a thrilling story? Thanks for putting up with me.

2. How excited were you guys for fall TV to come back? Between that and the romper, this has been one epic week. I'm a big fan of Nashville, The Mindy Project (which is now on Hulu), How to Get Away With Murder, and Scandal. And, I'll tell you one more thing if you promise to never hold it against me: I LOVE DANCING WITH THE STARS! Whew. It feels good to get that off my chest.

I did check out a couple new series. Obviously the Muppets, and it was as perfect as you would expect. I also watched Ryan Murphy's new horror comedy, Scream Queens. I thought it was great! It reminded me so much of the movie, Jawbreaker. I'm usually not a horror fan, but it's all so over the top that it's hardly believable. Check it out if you're looking for a new show to get sucked in to.

3. I've been meaning to share this for a while, but it keeps slipping my mind. Sorry, I've been holding out on you. I'd like to introduce you to the best Tumblr site known to man: It's Like They Know Us. This Tumblr takes various ads or stock photos with families in them and puts the best captions ever on them. Because, let's face it, most of them are so ridiculous. Here are a few of my favorites. You can also find them on Facebook. Happy scrolling!

4. In case you missed the other bazillion times I mentioned it, Mke Moms Blog launched this week. My favorite post there this week was from contributor Laura, What Really Matters. She talks about how difficult it can be to remember what the important things are on a daily basis. Where should I be focusing my energy? It's easy to tell your kids you'll be with them once you finish the dishes. But, dirty dishes don't matter. Those moments playing with your kids do. Anyways, Laura put a few Post-Its around her house with the phrase "What matters?" to remind herself to think about it daily. I love this! As soon as I read it, I slapped one of those notes on my fridge. Check out Laura's full post. My little explanation here did not do it justice.

5. Finally, our favorite Milwaukee duo, Fox & Branch will be playing at Anodyne Coffee in Walker's Point this Sunday morning. We love these shows! They are free to attend; Callum loves, loves, loves them; and Matt and I can sit and drink coffee. They are the best. Not to mention, the music is actually enjoyable. If you're looking for something to do Sunday morning, check it out. We'll be there!

A few other amazing things happening this weekend in Milwaukee:

• Chili'n on the Hill in East Tosa
• Barktoberfest in Estabrook Park
• Oktoberfest in Glendale

Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Favorites {12}

And another week has flown by!

With all the birthday craziness from last weekend, I'm really looking forward to a relaxing couple of days in the Olson house. There are a few things happening in the Milwaukee area that we'd like to check out.

Which segues me beautifully in to some of my favorites this week:

1. Tomorrow night, I'll be attending the Milwaukee Mommas' night out at Elm Grove Art, hosted by Keila from Mommy in Milwaukee and Amber from Milwaukee by Storm. I am so looking forward to it! Keila is a blogging-turned-real-life friend, and this will be my first time meeting Amber, and I can't wait to hear their presentation. Not to mention: I have never taken one of these "night out painting" classes before. Primarily because I am just not a good artist. Period. So, I don't have any high hopes that I'll be creating a masterpiece, but I know I'm going to have a good time with everyone. If you're a mom in the Milwaukee area without plans for tomorrow night, you should join me for the event!

Here's the picture we're painting. I'll be sure to compare mine to it on Monday. Don't hold your breath

2. Also happening this weekend is Doors Open Milwaukee. This event opens over 150 buildings in the Milwaukee area to the public, free of charge! This year, I'd like to check out one of the open firehouses, make our way to the top of the U.S. Bank building, and visit the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. You can see a full list of open buildings here. 

Islamic Center of Milwaukee.

3. On Wednesday, our sweet foster pup, Willy, was adopted in to his forever home. Saying goodbye to these dogs who come into your home for a brief time is always more difficult than I ever expect. But, it's so nice to see them go to such loving families. Fostering dogs definitely has its challenges, but those are far outweighed by its rewards. If you've ever thought about fostering dogs, do it! (Milwaukeeans: We foster through Tailwaggers 911. They are amazing!)

4. As I was going through pictures from Callum's birthday party, I couldn't help but compare them to his first birthday. Man, oh man, what a difference a year makes. These two of Callum and his best buds especially make me smile. Maybe next year we'll actually get one of all the boys looking at the camera.

2014

2015

5. Finally, just for those weekend feels, this mashup of 100 movie dance scenes is perfect. Have a good weekend, errrrrbody!

Friday Favorites {11}

This weekend is my last one as a mom of a 1-year-old. Monday, my sweet boy will be two. I just can't even. I'm already a ball of emotions just thinking about it. The highlight of the weekend for us will be his birthday party tomorrow. We're going with the ever-popular "digger" theme. I promise to share lots of photos.

I also just have to mention that I've been thinking a lot this morning about everyone who lost their lives 14 years ago today. I had a chance to visit the 9/11 Memorial in NYC a few years ago, and I was so overwhelmed with emotion by it all. Words just can't describe. Today will be a day I will never forget.

Alright, now that I'm feeling all emotional, let's move on to some light stuff.

1. You guys. This video of guys trying liquid eyeliner is great. I've probably watched it ten times and laugh harder every single time. "Is it supposed to connect with my eyebrow?" The eyeliner struggle is so real. (Just a heads up, there's a little profanity. So, if that's not your thing. Skip it.)

2. A few weeks ago, I saw on Pinterest a color matching activity for toddlers using paint chips and clothes pins. Callum loves playing with clothes pins, so I had a feeling this would be right up his alley! We had to run to the hardware store and I finally remembered to grab paint chips. I used an old piece of plexiglass we already had around the house to hot glue the paint chips to. Then, I just added a small square of the colors to different clothes pins. It probably took 10 minutes to put together. Callum loves it! I'm not sure he understands the whole matching the colors thing yet, but he loves trying to open the clothes pins.

3. On Tuesday, I attended the kickoff party for the MKE Moms Blog contributors at Screaming Tuna. It was such a great time and it was so awesome to meet all the other mommas on this wonderful team. The website is scheduled to launch September 21, so follow along if you're not already. This is going to be huge for moms in the Milwaukee area. One of my favorite things about the MKE Moms Blog is that, in addition to an online community, we're also going to strive to build real-life relationships with moms in Milwaukee. Keep an eye out for the first event, open to all moms in the area, this October.

4. Milwaukeeans, peep this list: 50 Things You Need to Eat in Milwaukee Before You Die. I've got a lot of work to do. My only complaint: Kopp's custard did not make the list. It should definitely be there.

5. Last night, I attended the private preview party for the new Milwaukee-area Container Store. It was insane. It was like a wedding: great band, open bar, lots of food. It was such a blast. I went with Alyson from Alyson M (a neighbor and another MKE Moms Blog contributor) and Sarah, one of the founders of MKE Moms. I could not be more thrilled about the addition of the Container Store to the Milwaukee area. Time to organize all the things!

Cheers to the weekend!