The Atlanta Hawks

One thing we love about living in Atlanta is that there are so many things to do, including lots of professional sports.  Jen has talked about the Braves a lot and last weekend the Mr. and I got to attend an Atlanta Hawks game.  I hadn't been to a Hawks game in years and was excited to see all of the new changes that I'd heard about.  

The thing I noticed first was the colors!  The team rebranded themselves, removed blue from their colors, added black and added an accent color of bright yellow/green to their uniforms.  We were told it was a throw-back to the uniforms of the 70's, but in a more updated way.  

Next we took a look around the arena and met up with the people we were there to see.  

They took us down on the floor, which was really cool and fun to see.  It was also sort of intimidating because there were tons of people down there and all of the players were warming up so their were basketballs flying everywhere.  Those guys are SO tall!  

While we were down on the floor we were introduced to Dominique Wilkins.  For those that might not know, he is a retired NBA player and played primarily for the Atlanta Hawks.  He was a nine-time NBA All-Star and one of the best dunkers in NBA history.  He was SO friendly and nice to us and was happy to smile for a quick picture!  :-) 

Next we made our way up to the top of the arena before the start of the game because we were excited to see the new 3-D basketball court projection system.  It was seriously the neatest thing!  The court floor literally looks like it disappears and the projection display shows everything from a patriotic scene for the National Anthem, a lot of team logos and designs, and then unique player introductions.  It is also used during half-time performances and certainly makes for a dynamic game experience.

The game was really fun to watch.  The mascot was really entertaining and the score was super close the entire game.  The Hawks pulled out a win over the Hornets and the final score was 97-94.

Since this outing was just for the Mr. and I, I'd love to go back and take the kids.  I think they would love all of the hype and performance aspect of the experience, as well as, the game itself!  Plus, the Hawks are a partner with our elementary school and the players an cheerleaders come out for certain school events and the kids just love that.  In fact, a few of the players took over the PE classes last week and the girls said they had a blast learning some basketball skills from professionals!

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It's Potty Time!?!

Just a few week ago Little Cute turned two, and now we are about to head into what I feel is the most dreaded phase of parenthood - potty training! L.C. has been showing signs for months now - signs that I have promptly ignored because potty training Cute was such a disaster and those memories are still fresh in my mind. With out getting into too many of the dirty details - let's just say it was a long long process that clearly I had no control over. One day he just decided he was trained and he never looked back.

But L.C. has decided to leave me behind in that decision, and continues to attempt to go to the potty on her own as often as possible. She also has become obsessed with underwear - in particular wearing her brother's.

Any chance she can get she strips down and takes off her diaper. It doesn't matter where we are. After an unfortunate (and quite embarrassing) trip to our local grocery store - I have decided to give in and fully train her the week of Thanksgiving.

I am trying to mentally prepare myself, and get prepped for everything that I will need. I found these super cute potty training charts online, and made this sticker reward chart for her. I plan to hang this in our kitchen so no matter what bathroom she uses she can put her sticker on it.

And yes, her big prize is Chuck E. Cheese. After her birthday, her love for Chuck E. has not dissipated, so I figure it is the ultimate motivator for her. Lord, help me.

We have this little potty that we can bring with us anywhere we go just in case we need to pull over on the side of the road or are in a park. I used it a few times with Cute, and it was nice because we could just store it in the stroller, or throw it in a bag, and it didn't take up much room. It was also nice because usually it didn't require any cleaning.

I've armed myself with some little treats and a few "prizes". I've also let her pick out her favorite underwear, but haven't let her wear it yet - hoping that it helps with the potty hype come next week.

I am blissfully hoping this is a quick process, but any tips and tricks are definitely welcome!!

Do you have any advice on how to get through potty training with as little stress as possible?

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Random Ramblings

Hi Friends!  It's been a little while since we've shared some random ramblings, but there has been so much going on lately that my mind is going in a million different directions.  We've been sharing lots of fun stuff on Instagram and if you aren't following us there, you need to be!  Some of these pictures are from Instagram, but some aren't so here is my randomness for today!

Boo-Boo is in Pre-K and he goes to school Monday through Thursday.  I just LOVE when he is home with me on Fridays.  We have so much fun hanging out and this day was no different.  It was right before Halloween and he was so excited.  We had a fun lunch date at non-other than Chick-fil-a.  I just love him so much!

I've been really trying to get organized at home.  I'm a really organized person, but because we stay so busy and I constantly feel like we are running from one activity to the other, things tend to get messy in certain places.  I worked on getting Little Mama's closet organized last week and I have finally accepted that her clothes are just too big for the children's sized hangers.  Her clothes kept falling off and it was just time to replace with adult sized hangers.  I don't know why that made me so sad, but it did!  I wish she would just stay small forever!

But, thankfully she is still willing to wear cute clothes and although she is growing she is growing into a sweet young lady that I just adore.  She's at a fun age, is so smart, loves her friends, and is a big help to me!  

Unfortunately she has a ton of homework and 3rd grade might just be the death of me. I know it is only going to get harder as the years go on, but it drives me to drinking on some nights!  Between reading, writing, math worksheets, studying for tests, memorizing multiplication facts and everything else she has to do, we certainly do get excited about the weekends and the break from it all.

Last week I shared my tutorial for the tassel necklaces and have loved wearing them.  I'm convinced every mom has a "mom uniform."  You know, the thing they wear on pretty much a daily basis.  For me, if I'm not in my workout wear, jeans and a cute tee dressed up with fun jewelry is always my go-to.  Whether I'm volunteering at school or just running errands, I feel put together, but still comfortable.  

We have been having so much bad weather lately and the rain has been out of control.  On days it hasn't rained it has been dark and gloomy.  On this day the girls got off the bus and they were so bright and colorful I told them I just had to take their picture.  They were bringing a little bit sunshine to a day that would otherwise be gray, which is not as much fun as these bright colors! 

 When the rain finally stopped the sun came out and we just love this type of fall weather.  The cool, crisp mornings with warmer, sunny afternoons are my favorite.  It's also perfect VEST weather.  We all love our VESTS!

Our yard is surrounded by lots of trees, so the leaves have been out of control.  Since the rain had stopped and the ground had finally dried up a bit the kids were thrilled to finally get to play in the leaves.  They could not have been more excited about making a big pile and jumping in it over and over.  It was such a fun afternoon for them and brought back so many memories from my own childhood.

These cool fall days are also perfect for evenings on the porch.  The Mr. and I love putting the kids to bed and then hanging out on our screened porch.  My comfy Ugg boots, a fire, cocktails and a fire make for a perfect Saturday night!

And lastly, don't forget that we are giving away GRACE, the American Girl Doll of the year.  Our winner will be announce next week so be sure to enter for a chance to win this special doll before she is gone forever at the end of this year.  Check out all the details HERE. 

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Road Trip: Chattanooga

This weekend was so much fun! We joined some of our friends for our annual adults only "Celebrate Life" trip in one of our favorite southern cities - Chattanooga. 

Each year our dinner club group takes an adult only trip for a weekend getaway. Last year we had a fabulous time in Asheville, NC. This year was kind of tricky because even though we knew the trip was coming up we didn't quite get plans coordinated until the last minute. Literally the weekend before we left did we make solid plans on where to go, what to do, etc. Because only half the group was able to make it we planned to stay pretty close and go to Chattanooga. We had been with the kids before, but never just as a couple. 

Friday afternoon we all dropped our lovely children off at their grandparents' homes and made our way north. I'm not going to lie, the road trip up was quite sobering as we learned of the heartbreaking attacks that were occurring in Paris. We hugged each other a little tighter upon arrival and said our prayers that the beautiful city would find peace soon. 

Mr. Cute and I arrived to the hotel just before dinner time, so we were able to check in and relax a bit before meeting everyone for dinner. We chose to stay at the DoubleTree in downtown Chattanooga. 

It was the perfect location to be close to everything that we had planned to do and for almost everything we were able to just walk. It had a super cute pool area and several of these cozy fire pits around so that you could enjoy being outdoors but stay warm. 

For dinner we walked a few blocks away to the Big River Grille. It was a fun restaurant and brewery with a slightly nicer sports bar feel. Even with eating dinner late it was packed and tons of people were in town for a football game. It was a fun atmosphere with yummy food...and even yummier dessert. We all ended up seeing the carrot cake walking around so we just had to try it on our own. Yum!!

We called it a night after dessert, knowing the next day we would have a full day. Saturday morning we woke up bright and early despite being kid free. Parent life! 

We ate breakfast at the hotel and then the boys and girls split up for part of the day. The husbands headed out to do man things and shoot skeet, while the girls headed to the spa! 

Since we made last minute plans we weren't sure if we would be able to make reservations anywhere, but we found this cute little spa in the NorthShore District of downtown Chattanooga. The area was super cute and filled with lots of fun boutiques, shops, and yummy restaurants.

The ladies and I were so excited because we couldn't even remember the last time we went to the spa.  Last year on our Asheville trip only a few ladies made it to the spa while the rest of us opted to sleep in. I think for me its been years. Eek!

From the list of menu options I chose a prenatal massage and a facial. This was my home for the next few hours. Ahhh...

Both were heavenly and I was a little skeptical about having a prenatal massage, but they were able to help ease the pain of a few things that I had been feeling. That alone was worth a million dollars!!

And I had a little giggle to myself when I turned around at some point and saw this...

A crockpot! Look at that...my favorite kitchen appliance is also useful at the spa. Who knew??

All of us thoroughly enjoyed our relaxation time and left feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. By this time it was mid afternoon so we decided to grab a quick light bite to eat. The receptionist at the spa let us know what her neighborhood favorite was so we made our way over there. 

Her suggestion was a local mexican style restaurant Taco Mamacita. Even though it was chilly out this place was packed even on the patio. We knew it must be yummy then if at 3:00p.m. it was still full for lunch.

We opened with some of the yummiest cheese dip I've ever tasted, and then we dug into the rest of the menu. The ladies ordered some yummy tacos and sides, and I heard they were scrumptious! 

Knowing we were eating dinner in a few hours, I opted for something light and decided on the chicken tortilla soup. It made me laugh when it arrived and it looked like this...

 I had never seen soup where you did the creating. It was fun though and super yummy!

Once we wrapped up our yummy meals and had some fun girl talk we decided it was about time we checked up on the husbands. Oh my were they having some fun! They had ended up at Taco Mac to watch some football and to our surprise UGA beat Auburn! To say they had been celebrating was an understatement. 

We couldn't let them have all that fun on their own so we decided to meet up with them. It was such a great time hanging out and letting loose with our friends. 

 Once we determined everyone might need a little down time before any more "celebrating" went on, we made our way across the street to check out the infamous Moon Pie General Store. Oh my this place smelled like marshmallow heaven before you even walked in the door! My pregnant lady tastebuds definitely perked up the moment we walked in.

It was super cute inside and filled with every kind of yummy Moon Pie you could think of as well as other yummy treats. Y'all...Moon Pie ice cream. Need I say more? 

We had a quick turnaround before our dinner reservations, but I would say we cleaned up nicely. :) 

We made reservations at the TerraMae Appalachian Bistro located in the historic Stone Fort Inn. I am kicking myself for not taking more photos because this place was adorable! The atmosphere combined luxury with a little bit of southern industrial and if I could recreate the look in my home I totally would. 

The menu is farm to table style and changes seasonally, and the extensive bar includes cocktails crafted from moonshine and a southern favorite - bourbon. Everyone (minus this mommy) enjoyed taste testing before dinner. 

I failed to take one photo during dinner as well. Boo! I had the chicken and it was delicious, and Mr. Cute enjoyed the salmon. We ordered the pumpkin creme brulee and pecan pie for dessert and I would say pass on both. Multiple people at the table agreed. Good thing we had that yummy carrot cake the night before so that we got our yummy dessert fix in!

The group decided it was time to end the night just yet, so we Ubered it over to a local bar called World of Beer. It had a fun atmosphere and was unique in a sense. They had a live DJ playing some fun music, but also as we looked around you could grab board games and play some of your favorites with your friends. Next to us there was a mean Connect Four game happening. It was definitely a fun little place. We lasted for a few drinks and lots of laughs and then decided we are old and needed to tuck ourselves in. A quick walk to the hotel and we were all snuggled in for the night. 

The next morning we said goodbye to part of the group after breakfast, but the rest of us decided to take a little walk around town before heading back home. It was so fun to walk the city and check out some of the sites. We made our way to the river and got a little peek of what they have in store for the holiday season. They were setting up a super cute ice skating rink to overlook the river. How fun! 

We made our way over the Walnut Street Walking Bridge and back towards the NorthShore District to show the husbands around a little bit. There were so many fun things we missed the day before. We loved seeing (and trying) out these dance steps that were hidden throughout the sidewalks.

Then because we were so close we took the husbands back to Taco Mamacita's for lunch so they too could let their tastebuds experience the yumminess of that queso dip and those tacos. Let me just say it did not disappoint on day two. 

After we had satisfied our need for melted cheese we made our way back across the bridge to start our journey back home. We loved our time in Chattanooga and can't wait to go back. It is such a fun city packed with tons to do for both couples and families. With it's convenient location to Atlanta, we know it won't be long before we see this sweet city nestled on the Tennessee River again. 

Have you been to Chattanooga? What are some of your favorite things to do, places to eat, etc.? 

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