Winter weekend perfection.

What makes for a fantastic, relaxing weekend?
Even when it's -30 degrees outside?
In addition to a last-minute visit by my brother,
I'd have to say this weekend was fabulous for numerous reasons:

1.

Cold weather + snow flurries with nowhere to go...
except to The Original Pancake House, just because.
Mmmm, Dutch babies.

2.

A Skype date with Mema and Poppy...
and Aunt Auntie / Godmother / bestie Nichole!
Isn't technology grand?

3.

Hot bath, cold night = perfection.
(sigh)

4.
Saturday "date night" with my little man.
Savoring the snuggles for as long as I can...

5.

Superbowl!
Even though the Packers aren't playing,
I'm looking forward to making/eating these and drinking a few of these.
(And watching the commercials and Beyonce, of course!)

Hope your weekend was just as lovely!

~photos by b / images via stuffhomestuff tumblr & the fit cook~



Are you ready for some football?

Badgers are clearly off to a rough start. 

It is evident that it is a re-building year.

Sad!

While that makes the road to the Rose Bowl that much harder,

at least we have NFL, namely our Packers, to hopefully pull us through!

Aren't his green & gold duds just the cutest?!

Etsy!

:)

And for your culinary inspiration,

check out this arsenal of game time recipes.

~photos by b~

It's that time of year again.

What time is that, you say?

BADGER FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!!!

I literally get goosebumps thinking about the amazing atmosphere

at Camp Randall in Madison.

Perhaps those of you (living in a bubble) aren't familiar with this phenomenon / University of Wisconsin tradition that follows the student section "race"...

...but this guy sure is!

Watch out, Class of 2034!

(He's come a long way in a few weeks of "jumping", hey?)

Look for us in the sea of red tomorrow!

~videos by b~

The Friday Five

1.

Jams by Jonquil

Perfect for summer chillin'.

If you like this song,

be sure to check out "It Never Rains" and "Fighting Smiles"!



2.
Little white dresses.
Lace + a sexy open back?  Bonus.
Paired with a sweet, low & loose chignon?  Even better.
Perfect for traipsing about the town
before summer is gone and the crisp fall evenings are upon us.

3.
Olympics.
It's almost over, whatever will I do?!?!

To celebrate the final days...

Watch U.S. gymnast Aly Raisman's hilarious parents' reaction to her bars routine.
(Nice f' bomb mom.  And is someone prodding poor pops' butthole?  Seriously.)

Enter in your info to see what Olympic sport is best suited for your body.
(Football??  Wrestling?!  Steeplechase?  WTF.  I need to go on a major diet.)

Take an inside look at the athletes' living quarters inside the Olympic Village.
Is there any partying and/or sex happening here?!  I want need to know.
(I'm looking at you, Ryan Lochte.  I know you be trollin'.)

4.
D.I.Y. Gallery Wall Perfection
This is probably the best tip for aligning photos I've ever seen.
Use painters' tape to measure the distance between the two holes,
then put the tape on the wall to pound in your nails/hooks.
Genius!

5.
How to Raise a Happy Baby
{HERE}
I completely understand why you need to let them "struggle" and feel "mad" and "sad" at times, but that's sooooo much easier said than done!  I've mastered the whole "let them fall asleep on their own" advice to ensure good sleep habits with success...so I guess it's time I try this notion!
Bring on happiness, confidence, and independence.

And a few more links, just for fun...

This D.I.Y. rustic + sparkly tray is perfect for serving cocktails or breakfast in bed.

"Rich Kids of Instagram" is this funny?  Or, disgusting?  You be the judge.

The ultimate site for hair tutorials.  Go on, get your Ken Paves on.

This recipe for fruit water looks so refreshingly delicious!

Houzz.  Design porno.  That is all.

And one funny for the road.
;)

~images via this is glamorous & pinterest x 3 / photo by b~

The Friday Five

I still cannot believe it's August already.
Where on earth has this summer gone?!?
May the fall be long and wonderful!

A week of Olympics has also gone by.
It has been consuming our T.V. viewing, that is for sure.
Some other things I'm loving this week?  Keep reading...


1.
The Olympic video montage song.
I LOVE me an inspiring video montage.
USA!  USA!  USA!
And this year's song selection is pretty damn catchy!

(Apparently, he's from American Idol.  I wouldn't know this.

What I do know, is that he sounds like Mumford and Sons.

Which mama likey!)

2.
 Braided top knots
It's still hot as hell and this up-do is adorable.
(Sorry, it is impossible to make this picture bigger without being blurry as hell.)

(And paired with boatneck stripes?!  Yes!)


3.
Cool Mist Humidifiers
Namely, this one:

So incredibly cute in my son's nursery.
And kudos for drastically reducing his a.m. booger production!
It's currently on sale {HERE}.



4.
Gatorade
Specifically, G2 (the lower calorie version) in
Raspberry Lemonade.
YUM.

The Blueberry-Pomegranate or Fierce Grape are my #2 go-to flavors.
We usually nab this at the Pick'n'Save where they are usually 10 for $10.
(Is that ghetto and/or cheap?  I don't even care.)
My husband is "real into electrolyte replacement" these days
and Gatorade supposedly helps with breastmilk production.
Win-win for a + b!



5.

How to maintain a well-run home.

I personally need to work on tips 6 and 8.

{HERE}

(And I couldn't agree more with tips 1 and 3!!)

And a few more links, just for you...

Test your Olympics knowledge with this quiz.
I personally LOVE the Olympics and only scored 50%. :(

Cake Batter Pancakes.
Must I really wait for my birthday??

These darling little garden-themed utensil sleeves are adorable for a party.
(Though they could be easily DIY'd  out of floral cardstock or wallpaper scraps, no?)

A guide to spray painting anything and everything.

8 baby sleep habits to avoid.
(So far, really doing my best to adhere to these!)

How to build a better bar.

And finally, some Olympic diving face funnies.
Warning:  Inappropriateness follows this link. ;)

~images via pinterest, target, gatorade, & pinterest~

A party of Olympic proportion

Are you getting excited for the Summer Olympics??

Opening Ceremony in T-1 day.  WhooHoo!

To celebrate, why not host an Olympic-themed get together?

Here is some inspiration to jump start your party planning...

Color scheme, as follows:

Fun cupcakes with the classic Olympic rings + your native country's flag!

Speaking of rings, throw in appropriate-hued Lifesavers into your cocktail.

Instant Olympics!

Or, perhaps to be traditionally British,

make a refreshing, classic Pimms' Cup.

{HERE}

Consider serving a wide variety of ethnic foods to represent the various countries.

And hand out "medals" for Olympic sports trivia!

I think I am most excited for the gymnastics and swimming events,

while my husband is pumped for USA basketball.

What sporting events are you looking forward to?

Faster, higher, stronger!

~images via onecharmingparty, asmallsnippet, pinterest & imbibe magazine~

First cookout of the year

Who would have ever thought that it'd be over St. Paddy's Day weekend?!

Unheard of to have sunshine and 77 degrees in mid-March here,

but I will take it!

Today's recipe shall be called:

French Onion Burgers with Mushrooms & Fontina

Yummy.

Ingredients

Burgers:

1 lb lean sirloin

Seasoning salt (like Lawry's) and pepper, to taste

4 kaiser or brioche buns, toasted

Topping:

1 red onion, chopped

4 oz white button mushrooms (half package), thinly sliced

Dash cayenne pepper

Salt, pepper, herbes de Provence (to taste)

1 tsp sugar

1/4 c water or stock

Fontina cheese, shredded (enough to top 4 burgers)

(Any quality, white, melting cheese could be substituted.  Example:  Gruyere, provolone, mozzarella)

Sauce:

1/2 c light mayo

~1/4 c finely chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced (4 if they're small!)

1 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Salt, to taste

Directions

Shape your sirloin into 4 patties.

Tip:  Make an indent in the center of each patty...this helps prevent them puffing up into a ball-like shape and being too small for your buns.  (You can thank Rachel Ray, the self-acclaimed Burger Queen, for that one.)

Season with seasoning salt and pepper, to taste.

Set aside.  (Or in the fridge if you're planning on grilling later.)

Make your topping.

Saute onions in olive oil for approximately 7 minutes, or until soft and slightly browned.

Season with dash of cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.

Add mushrooms.

After approximately 1 minute,

add 1/4 c of liquid (water or stock) and teaspoon of sugar.

Cook for an additional 6 minutes or so, until mushrooms are tender.

Set aside in a small bowl until you are ready for it.

Note:  If grilling later, you can re-heat in the microwave to ensure a warm topping.

Shred cheese.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.

Mix mayo, parsley, garlic, mustard, salt & pepper together well.

Set aside.

Fire up your grill to medium-high heat.

Grill burgers for a total of 7 minutes, flipping once.

Then, add a generous spoonful of the topping to each burger.

Top with shredded fontina cheese.

Cover the grill and let cook for an additional minute or so.

(Until the cheese is ooey gooey!)

Meanwhile, toast your buns.

Spread the sauce on one (or both) sides.

Assemble, and enjoy!!

So garlicky and good.

(Reminds me of "The Dane Burger" for those of you who have been lucky enough to try one at the Great Dane in Madison, WI.)

Serve with your favorite veggie salad, chips, & cold beverage.

(We thought the sea salt and cracked black pepper kettle chips were a perfect fit.)

And why not a festive St. Patrick's Day brownie? 

Mmmmm.

While you've got the grill going,

you might as well go ahead and cook up some brats & sausages for the next day.

:)

Hope the sunshine and heatwave lasts!

Cheers to the rest of a fabulously relaxing weekend, m'dears.

P.S.  GO BADGERS!!

Who are you rooting for in this year's NCAA tourney?

~photos by b~

Capturing California

As this blows into town this week...

(P.S.  Ask any Wisconsinite, pretty sure we will all agree that we're not "snow starved.")

...I found myself reminiscing about our wonderful trip to southern California!

View from our hotel balcony,

overlooking Venice Beach and the foggy Pacific.

We stayed at the boutique hotel - Hotel Erwin.

Love the in-room sunglasses store and "muscle beach" themed table lamps. ;)

Not to mention a killer roof-top lounge and small, but delish kitchen/room service.

(Amazing house-made ginger ale and breakfast tacos!)

 

Grabbing some grub and beers (N/A) for me, from Larry's.

Kudos for homemade aoilis and pickles!

Strolling the Venice Boardwalk amongst the hippies and homeless.

(P.S.  Are the "kush doctors" always in??)

Alex is obsessed with the street ball...White Men Can't Jump, anybody?

Walking along the beach to Santa Monica (and WI Badger pep rallies!)

Much to my husband's dismay, I had to stop and pee at least 3 times.

(My bladder = baby's first squeeze toy.)

Baby on the beach!

Pre-pep rally  WI hoops game...

...and Cali-style bar food.  YUM!

Arugula & proscuitto pizza...

... & Farmer's Market spinach salad with lemon vinaigrette.

Party at the Santa Monica Pier!  On Wisconsin!

The heavy fog rolled back in right before it kicked off.  Oh well, at least it was warm!

NYE dinner at a sweet little Italian spot, popular with the locals in Marina del Rey - 

C&O Trattoria. Two words - garlic knots.  To die for!

And "on your honor" fill-your-own Chianti.

The only bubbles I had this NYE...

An early NYE night followed by New Year's Day perfection in Santa Monica...

Beachside breakfast and Packer viewing at Big Dean's...

A nap in the sand in January is a true treat! :)

Game day!!

Tailgating in Pasadena.

Gosh, our seats were terrible. ;)

Sea of red, baby.  Sea of red.

At least our band schooled the Oregon Ducks' band.

But what an exciting game!

And my sweet lil babe got to witness it all!

:)

This was probably our last "big trip" before he joins our little family.

And it was special and amazing and fun and all we hoped it would be.

Back to January in the Midwest (and a gnarly airport head cold),

but at least I have these warm memories to look back on!

:)

P.S.  The huzz will be soooo annoyed that I blogged about this before uploading a facebook album. Ha!

~photos by b~