Good morning, my friends! How are you? How was your weekend? For my American readers out there, I hope you were able to enjoy both some excitement and some relaxation over the holiday weekend.
Our weekend was a good one! We spent most of Saturday and Sunday outside – hiking, grilling, boating, dining al freso in Davidson and enjoying every second of the unseasonably cool weather. The weekend temperatures didn’t eclipse 80 degrees and it felt amazing. Fall is coming!!!
With the exception of a few random photos I shared on Snapchat, I didn’t take many pictures over the weekend, but I did manage to snap a few yesterday to document our Labor Day, so here’s a recap of our Monday in a nutshell!
Breakfast + Morning Run
Ryan had to work for most of the day yesterday so we were both up by 6 a.m. I can never seem to continue sleeping when Ryan wakes up earlier than me and tried my best to take advantage of a quiet hour before Chase awoke. I enjoyed a cup of coffee with collagen and whole milk and a reheated frittata before topping it with half of a sliced avocado.
After snapping the above picture, I ate my breakfast in my home office while I put the finishing touches on yesterday’s Apple Pie Spice Chex Mix blog post and scheduled the corresponding social media shares.
Chase began to stir a little after 7 a.m., so I headed upstairs to get him up for the day! I was greeted with big smiles and baby babble and scooped Chase up out of his crib for his morning nursing session. Chase had me laughing pretty hard while he nursed because he decided to wave at me with one hand almost the whole time he was nursing. Whenever I’d wave back, he’d giggle and giggle. Once he was dressed and changed, I took him back into our bedroom to play while Ryan finished getting ready after his post-workout shower. Chase crawled around and followed him everywhere until we headed downstairs to say goodbye.
While Ryan headed off to work, I decided to take my two babies out for a run around the neighborhood. Even though temperatures crept up by the end of the day, the morning was nice and cool and perfect for a three mile run. I am so ready for cooler fall temperatures and am feeling awfully tempted to break out my autumn décor… Maybe next week?
Even though we stopped a few times so Chase could enjoy a few sips of a green smoothie during my run, by the time we made it home, he was ready for a “real food” breakfast and picked his way through a spread of sweet potatoes, blueberries (his latest obsession) and leftover hamburger from a weekend cookout.
While Chase ate, I inhaled a banana with almond butter and a leftover hot Italian chicken sausage out of tupperware (<— aka my attempt not to dirty another dish) with some ketchup on the side because my mom snacks are oh so glamorous these days.
(Hi Sadie!)
Since I knew Chase wanted to crawl around, practice walking with his walker and explore, we spent another 20 minutes or so playing around the house before Chase was ready for his morning nap.
Naptime for Chase meant work + coffee time for me! After a quick shower, I made another cup of collagen coffee with whole milk and began typing up this blog post and working on a side project I can’t wait to share with you guys soon. If you’ve been looking for an easy meal planning guide that takes all the guess work out of planning and food prep, I think you’re going to like it!
Splash Pad + Lunch
Once I started to hear Chase make some noises, I quickly made myself a plate of leftovers for lunch.
Burger + Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon + Roasted Sweet Potatoes
I made it about halfway through my plate before I knew Chase wanted to get up, so I finished my lunch beside him while he sipped on his green smoothie and ate some of the same leftovers I was eating (plus chicken).
Once we were done, we headed off to Birkdale Village to meet up with some friends to play at the splash pad!
Chase has come a long way around the splash pad and was a lot braver around the shooting bursts of water than he was when Ryan and I first brought him to the splash pad earlier this summer. Though he still isn’t ready to run around like the big kids, he seems to enjoy touching the streams of water and watching the older children play.
While we were at Birkdale, I also managed to sneak in a little bit of shopping for some small gifts for Ryan’s mom and grandma to give them when we’re in Sarasota this weekend before we headed back home.
And I couldn’t resist stopping by lululemon to try on some of their end of season sale apparel.
I loved the floral print of these shorts but ended up walking away empty handed.
Side note: How awesome is this box of toys for kids in the lululemon dressing room!? Chase loved it!!
By the time we made it home, Chase was ready for his afternoon nap, so I put him down before heading into the kitchen for a snack and some recipe testing.
I ate a couple of mini muffins along with a cup of siggi’s raspberry yogurt while I tried my hand at creating a batch of chocolate protein fudge cups. They turned out SO tasty, so I am hoping to make another batch to photograph today so I can share the recipe with you guys soon.
Ella’s Fairyland First Birthday Party
Ryan arrived home from work a bit early which was great because we had plans to attend Ella’s first birthday party in Mooresville at 4 p.m. We had to wake Chase up from his nap which was a bit of a bummer but definitely worth it to celebrate such a sweet little girl!
Ella’s birthday party was fairy themed and so adorable! Laura did such a great job decorating her backyard with shades of purple and it truly looked like a magical fairyland!
How cute is this cake!?
We had a great time celebrating Ella’s special day, eating delicious food and watching all the babies play together on blankets in the grass. They had blast and Chase enjoyed exploring every inch of Laura and Reed’s backyard.
Ella’s party almost felt like the final summertime soirée and we all talked about how we cannot wait for pumpkin patch play dates with our little ones in the coming months. I am ready for fall, that’s for sure!
I hope you all had a great weekend!!!
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Saw a snap or insta story with the chocolate protein fudge cups! Looked delicious and can’t wait too see the recipe!
Love the photo of you and chase in the backyard!
Julie,
Love the recap, would mind sharing where your gold headband is from in the first couple pics? I love that style, have a good week!
Thank you!! I honestly have NO idea. I’ve had it for years… I really can’t remember. :/ I’m sorry!!!
That birthday party is adorable! I cannot wait until cooler weather. We are pushing 90 + humid today, which is super annoying (Midwest weather, I am sure you remember lol). Sounds like a fun weekend.
Looks like a fantastic weekend! (And those shirts match the Nike Juvenates from the Nordstrom sale that you convinced me to buy!)
A visit to SF this weekend got me really excited for cooler weather, too!
I had the EXACT same thought about the shorts!!!! Ha!
Good morning! Where did you get that coffee straw?! Does it help prevent teeth staining?
Thank you!
The birthday party looks like a lot of fun. It’s hard to believe that the last long weekend of the summer is over already! This summer went by so quickly. I can’t believe that my university classes start tomorrow.
I can completely relate to the ‘mom snacks’ – ha! Grab what you can, when you can. I used to think it was tough to eat with a newborn, but a busy toddler isn’t any easier. Can you share how you plan out your days. It seems as though you accomplish so much, it must be thanks to some planning with playdates, work and knowing Chase’s schedule, but I’d love to hear your tips!
What an adorable birthday party! Too precious!! How did you get Chase to drink smoothies from a straw? Adeline will sip from a straw if I put it in her mouth (like if it was my straw), but she won’t use a sippy cup with a straw. I feel like if she would it would open the door to way more fun treats!
I love little kid birthday parties, they’re the sweetest! Can I also ask where you yellow dress is from? I loved it when I saw it on social media.
Thank you! It’s ABS by Allan Schwartz but I bought it on Ruelala.com a couple years ago.
What a fun Labor Day!! can’t wait for that recipe!
So fun! 😀 That frittata with avocado looks amazing!! Ill be sad when all of the summer produce goes away!
ah, summer in Finland means less than 70° and cloudy most days haha so I’m SO happy to be back in Hungary where it’s WARM and SUNNY! 😀 But clearly contrast is key to appreciating the seasons 🙂
What a fun weekend! Chase is just the cutest!!
Looks like such a fun way to celebrate the holiday! We did a small amount of lounging, but a whole lot of spending to get furniture for our new house! Not the most relaxing, but I could sleep much better at night knowing that we now have a bed that’s finally going to be shipped!
Love the fairy themed birthday, idea, too. Perfect end of summer party. : )
Have a great Tuesday!
XO, Jessica
http://www.semisweettooth.com
Looks like a fun weekend can’t wait for all your yummy recipes! I did a little working this weekend too, but I don’t mind!
ha ha, loving the “unglamorous mom lunch” in the tupperware. I’m not a mom, and I unglamorously eat like that all the time! I’m super excited about the meal planning stuff, and the upcoming recipes! Yum! You’re my recipe go-to girl!
Looks like you had a fun day – (boo that Ryan had to work on labor day, if I’m reading that correctly). But that fairy party looked very happy! Per usual, great pics of everyone!
I had a cold (boo!) all weekend, but I too am looking forward to the fall stuff! I think next week is the perfect time to crack open the decor! Have a great day.
Haha I totally know what you mean by not wanting to dirty another dish 😉 SO many dishes when you stay home! Sounds like a great weekend!
P.S. Your Canadian readers celebrate Labour Day Long Weekend too 🙂
Looks like you had a fun weekend! I’m ready for pumpkin patches and fall festivities too!
Looks like a great weekend! I’d LOVE that shaved brussels sprouts salad recipe… do you have it? Thanks!
Tupperware meals straight out of the fridge is the way to go! Why dirty another dish if you don’t have to? I’m very economical when it comes to doing dishes lol.
Exactly!
What an ADORABLE party! I agree- I can’t wait to do a Pumpkin Patch date with friends!
I’m excited for this fudge cup recipe! It Sounds delicious!
Question regarding collagen … does it taste/smell ‘funky’ ? 🙂 I purchased some about a year ago and could not get past the smell nor the taste. Adding it to coffee may help … I threw away the entire container. Looking forward to hearing from you regarding the brand you use, etc. Thanks! Chris
I can’t wait to hear about this meal planning project you’re working on! I’m all about meal planning! Saves time and money!
Love your blog!
Glad you had a great weekend!! That is the CUTEST birthday party theme ! My baby girl is only six months but I’m already thinking about her first birthday party. Great idea !
Great pictures! My family lives in New Jersey and they reported amazing weather as well. Unfortunately, Austin is still very hot!
Hi Julie- This is off topic but I was wondering if you’re still nursing Chase? If you aren’t how’d the weaning process go? If you are how many times a day is he still nursing. I have a 7 month old and still nurse. I’m just curious. :). Thanks!!!!
I am still nursing! I recently dropped his daytime feedings and am still nursing him in the morning, before bed and often once in the middle of the night. 🙂
Sounds like a you had a great Labour Day weekend!!
Also, love the daily updated posts where you keep us posted on what you did / ate 🙂 They’re my favourite!
You walked away from Lulu empty-handed? You are a much stronger woman than I! 🙂
Was there a post about green smoothies for babies? If not, could you do one? I have a six month old just starting solids. Thanks!
It looks like you got some great photos from this weekend! Do you have a recipe for that flatbread you had for breakfast? That avocado looks amazing! It’s making me hungry, haha. Loved the decorations for the little fairyland party also, so adorable!
xo,
Mariah|Two Dapper Dogs
What a fun labor day! That’s amazing you did a 3 mile run with Sadie and Chase! And all your food is making me hungry. That shaved brussels salad looks delicious.
Hey girl – what kind of high chair is that, where it snaps to the table? I am building our registry and debating between one that connects to table or free standing (or both?).
Thank you!
Happy Birthday to the beautiful Ella! It’s wonderful that you got to spend a lot of family time this weekend! The food you eat always looks so delicious!