With my family living out of state it was inevitable that we would soon need to take our first road trip with little Christian. I hated the fact that I had this new precious miracle in my life and I had to wait to bring him to visit Grandma and Grandpa in PA, but his health and safety far outweighed my selfish desire to bring him there. We decided that after the holidays would be a perfect time to take that first trip. He would be over a month old, and we felt at the point it was safe for him to travel. I am happy to report the trip was a success!!

I had to admit I that although I was so excited, I was also very nervous. I mean let’s face it…traveling with a newborn could be difficult. Granted it’s great that he would supposedly sleep the entire car ride, but I was worried about what would happen when he was there. Would he sleep well in the pack and play when he was used to a bassinet? Would he be fussy? Would he give me any sleep with the new routine? Will I remember everything he needs?  All those worries came to my head. I tend to do that a lot. Picture the worst and get myself overly nervous.

Packing was tough. I needed enough outfits to cover each day we were there along with extras just in case he had an accident. (which is always possible). My parents had the pack and play (sleeping..check!), glider, diapers and wipes. That saved me from having to bring that which was helpful. I can only imagine what will happen when he just NEEDS those certain toys when he is away. I insisted on buying a humidifier for their house because he gets phlemmy at night. I didn’t want to rock the boat, and I packed his sleep sheep because I think he likes the heartbeat noise at night. I also packed this little sea horse that makes soothing sounds which helps him when it’s nap time. Personally, I think I did well in the packing department. (minus his bouncy chair which I forgot)

The forecast was for snow on the day we were supposed to leave so we decided to take the trip the night before to beat the storm. Smart idea! I made sure to feed him right before we left, and he slept the whole way! Keep in mind that a 2 1/2 hour trip could take 5 when it comes to Long Island/New York traffic. I was extremely nervous about that. Christian loves the car, but he hates when there is stop and go, so traffic could ruin the whole trip. Luckily..it did not.

The weekend in PA was really great. My family was so happy to see him, and a few of their friends also came by for an introduction. I have to admit that Christian was a bit spoiled because he was held the ENTIRE weekend. It was also nice because other people were excited to change his diapers and outfits. A break is always good for mommy.

Christian is such a good little boy (I am knocking on wood as we speak!), and was pleasant all weekend. He even had his best night of sleep to date! I started to feed him at 1:15, and he slept till 6:30! The good news is that I got more sleep, the bad news is my boobs TOTALLY missed that in between feeding. I guess they didn’t get the memo that he wasn’t hungry. I hope his good sleeping habits stick around. Maybe it’s a sign of things to come!

The trip home was just as successful. Again, he slept the entire way and traffic went in our favor. God was certainly looking out for us. The little guy has to get used to it though because he has many more trips to PA in his future. Road trip number 1 down….we will make a traveler out of our little guy yet!

At the Pumpkin Patch we are surrounded by tons of families with kids. Our little family which includes little Tinkerbell as our kid looks a bit out of place. But I say WHATEVER! This is our family and we deserve pumpkins too! I must admit that Tinkerbell is a HUGE hit at the patch. Tons of people stopped us to ask if they could pet her and to say how beautiful she was. All I could do was smile with pride.

This particular patch gives you a wagon when you arrive in order to help carry this pumpkins. I’m not sure if it was like this when I was little, but they charge $2 per person to get into the farm??? I don’t even know what that includes?? This pumpkin patch is cute. They have a whole playground area, a place where kids can take pony rides, a hay ride, and the new addition was the potato sling shot. This place is going to be great when we have kids…but unfortunately for now Tinkerbell can’t fully enjoy all the farm has to offer.

 While going through the patch we encountered one of those cut out boards where you stick your head through so you look like that person or animal…well my husband and I decided to torture our dog. Hey, she’s our baby…we get to take cute pictures of her too!!! Ya ok, I know….we are dorks..lol

Other than the pumpkins our favorite thing to buy here is the cider donuts. YUMMY! If you have never tried a cider donut I highly recommend them. We also bought apples so I could make an apple crumb pie, (It came out really good by the way!) and apple cider!

I guess I should’ve added this little tradition in my previous post about Family Traditions. Little by little we are starting to build up little things that are special to us as a family. I know that this one will be even more fun once we have children. For now, it’s just the three of us…

I am not sure if it’s always been this way, or if it’s the fact that movie stars are making upwards of 20 million dollars per movie, but movie prices have gotten out of control! I noticed that each time I went to the theater the price would raise something like $.25, and each time I would comment on it but continue to go. The other week my husband and I went to the movies. The cost per ticket was $11! Seriously? That is $22 for me and him just to get in the door! Then my husband always likes to get popcorn…$7!!! That is almost $30 for a 2 hour movie?? What do you get for that? A cramped uncomfortable seat…that’s what. I told my husband that we could BUY the blu ray DVD when it comes out in 3 months for probably less than that..own the movie and be able to watch it comfortably in our own home with a nice cocktail to go with it. That sounds much better in my book!

But this is the problem…people are still going to the movies! That $30 was just for me and my husband. What if we had a family? A night out at the movie would cost a fortune. So why do people do it? I get that there are some movie that just should be seen on the big screen. For example I really wanted to see Transformers, and Harry Potter on the big screen….but due to my recent boycott I had to refrain. I don’t see why we allow them to do it? I get that the movie theaters need to make money but come on! Maybe the actors shouldn’t make so much to be in the film? I mean their salaries are getting ridiculous.

I am not sure of the answer to this problem. The only thing I can do is stick to my guns and not go to the movies…if others join me …and others join them I think that is the only way to show them that we are not going to stand for it anymore!

So who’s coming with me??? Anyone??

Friday night was one of my best friends wedding. She was the most beautiful bride, and he was such a handsom groom.

She had the most beautiful day any bride could ask for. The weather called for 77 and sunny with 0% chance of precipitation. Who would ever believe that July 10th would have such weather? When in the summer is there EVER a 0% chance of rain?? I’ll tell you who gets this day? A woman who deserves it! She hoped and prayed for such weather and she got it. I did my best to be as good of a bridesmaid as she was for my wedding…hopefully I accomplished that.

As I am writing the first half of this post it is Saturday night and I am laying on the couch with a glass of wine with my dog. As sad as it may seem to some, I am so happy for this relaxing evening. My husband and I have been on the go for weeks. As I said earlier it’s a blessing in disguise to be so busy, but I gotta tell you, It was great to sit around my house all day today with my husband being lazy. We are very good at being lazy!

Sunday was another beautiful day here on Long Island. Days like this make me happy that we have a community pool across the street. My husband and I actually ventured out of our home to lounge by the pool for a bit. It’s amazing how easy it is for the two of us to get sucked into our couch. At least we are the same when it comes to that.

So there is the recap of our weekend. Next weekend I am so excited to leave for our family vacation to the Jersey Shore for the week, but more to come on that later.

As you may or may not know, these books have been made in to an HBO series called True Blood. I am a HUGE fan of the show, and my husband and I are certainly looking forward to the second season which is starting this month on HBO. Anyway…here is the synopsis that appears on the back cover..

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small town Louisiana. She’s quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn’t get out much. Not because she isn’t pretty. She is. It’s just that, well, Sookie has this sort of “disability.” She can read minds. And that doesn’t make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He’s tall, dar, handsome- and Sookie can’t hear a word he’s thinking. He’s exactly the type of guy she’s been waiting for all her life….

But Bill has a disability of his own: He’s a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of-big surprise-murder. And when one of Sookie’s coworkers is killed, she fears she’s next…

As you all know I am OBSESSED with the Twilight books….and I think these books can give me my vampire fix. Plus there are 9 Sookie Stackhouse books, so I have alot to look forward to. I think these books will make for some nice summer reading.  Plus, my neighbor is letting me borrow her books so I don’t have to deal with the library! My last book was overdue!

The weathermen started off the weekend by calling for rain, but if you recall my last post I made sure to keep hoping and praying that they were wrong, (the odds were in my favor since they are always wrong) and by George it worked!! lol Rain or bad weather did not deter any activity the entire weekend! In fact…the weather was perfect!

Friday Started off with a little neighborhood Happy Hour . This is always a welcomed way to start any weekend. We then ended up going with a group of friends to a local bar which has an outdoor portion. It was a perfect night for it. I wasn’t planning on a late night..but being that I got home at 2 am that night I think somewhere down the line I forgot that I wanted to get a good nights sleep and the party just took over. It was worth it though, I had a blast.

Saturday the pool in our complex opened. It’s great to have a pool right across the street. Especially one you don’t have to care for yourself. I decided to go there to regroup from the previous night so I relaxed and read my book. Later that day, our friends were having a BBQ so we went there for the rest of the evening. It had all the elements of a great BBQ…Great food, lots of beverages and back yard games. They had Kan Jam(a Frisbee type game), Okies (a ring toss type game), and Beer Pong (a good old classic), all going on at the same time. Everyone was most certainly entertained.

After our rowdy Friday and Saturday’s, Sunday was a little more low key. That morning the forecast was calling for thunder storms all day, and we didn’t want to make plans just to have them ruined with rain. But low and behold the sun came out, and stayed out all day! Unfortunately we did make our decisions based on the weatherman…and we should be ashamed of that. Had we learned nothing? But the day was certainly not a complete waste. I enjoyed the early afternoon with our neighbor by sitting outside and chatting while my husband did his neighborly duties and set up her Tivo to her cable box (he’s great at doing electronic things), and later we went to yet another BBQ. We had a nice time but retired home early because we needed to get some rest…

Monday, Memorial Day was so much fun! Our friend was gracious enough to invite us on his boat! We got an early start and by the time we got all the necessities for a full day on the water, we set sail by around 10:30 am. We threw anchor down close enough to the beach that the men were able to disembark from the boat in order to throw around the Frisbee and football. Us girls (2 of us) relaxed in comfort and worked on our tans. That evening we came back to the neighborhood and BBQ’d. What a perfect end to a perfect weekend!

You won’t hear me say this often…so listen closely…Long Island knows how to do summer weather justice! So go ahead friends, let the  mocking begin and remind me that I said something good about Long Island..lol…but I’ll take it, because for now it has left me with some great memories!

I am not a Long Island lover..but if I must live on this Island then summer is a great time to be here. I must admit that it has a lot to offer in warm weather. There are nearby beaches, and since we have friends with boats it’s great that they are nice enough to take us out to enjoy the water. Our neighborhood has a pool which is opening up this weekend, so I look forward to working on my tan there. Also, there are great bars and restaurants that are outside on the water, and summer nights are always better enjoyed outside.

I am not a weatherman so I can not predict what the weekend’s weather will be (not that the weather people ever get it right…but I digress) but I will tell you, that if this weekend is predominantly rainy and cold I will not be a happy camper. I don’t think I could stand one more weekend inside. So with sheer will I am hoping and praying that I get my great weekend outside….I think I deserve it.

So to all…HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND! Enjoy it with your family and friends…I know I will!

Wine Club at My House

Wine club was scheduled to be held at another person’s house, but at the last minute she found out that a softball game was scheduled for that day (she’s the coach). So after much back and forth we decided that I would just host this one because everyone had already scheduled to go out that night. My friend did some research and decided that we would be trying wines from Chile. We all thought it would be a fun way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and since our stores don’t sell wines from Mexico (are there Mexican wines?) we’d just improvise a little. So Chile it was!

The Evening’s Festivities

We had eight women show up for this month’s gathering. It was a perfect number because that is the exact amount that could sit around my kitchen table. It was such a great mixed group. I love it when you can make new friendships by meeting with other women this way. I had some college friends, some neighborhood friends, and some who are just friends….and it was wonderful. We always start out very dignified. The person who brought the wine would read the bottle and explain the type of wine it was…then we’d have a little taste. This was great for a little while but soon everyone is carrying on and drinking which ever wine was their favorite! Wine club is a great gossip fest!

I figured I would share our tasting! It turns out that there seems to be one main brand of wine from Chile that is sold in the local liquor stores, because we had 3 bottles (all different kinds) from the same winery!

Our Wines

1. Anakena Souvignon Blanc: 2008 Vendimia Chile: Crisp Gooseberries and wild blossom. This one was a favorite. it was light and crisp and very fruity. Also, very refreshing.
2. Anakena Ona: 35% Viognier, 35% Riesling, 30% Chardonnay. This one was tasty also. It was less sweet than the first one but still crisp.
3. Frontera: Conchay y Toro: Chardonnay. This one was very dry.
4. Big Tatto Red: 50%Cabernet 50%Syrah: 2006 Colchagua Valley: This one had an interesting story. There is a breast cancer ribbon that hangs from the bottle. The story is that this vineyard was started by two brothers whose mom died of breast cancer. Therefore, 50 Cents of each bottle sold is donated to charity. It wasn’t the best tasting (although I don’t discriminate), but it’s still a good cause!
5.  Anakena Cabernet: Chile: Full bodied bursting with fruit. Blackberry, vanilla. This one was a hit! You could really taste the flavor of this wine.

The winner of the white category was the Anakena Souvignon Blanc, and the winner of the red category was the Anakena Cabernet. Overall the winner was the Souvignon Blanc! It is definitely worth the buy and would be perfect for sipping on the porch on a nice summer evening.

It was a little tough to get started this morning after the previous night’s festivities. I must make a mental note for next month: Drink Less Wine at Wine Club!

So here is a little fun challenge…run out to your liquor store, buy any of the wines mentioned and give me your take on it! All were tasty so you won’t be disappointed!

My Current Book

I am currently reading “Barbara Walters Audition: A memoir”. I am a huge fan of biographies and memoirs for some reason. I find people fascinating, and I love to read about their personal stories. If you ask me which I like better I have to lean towards Memoirs, because you can find so many interesting stories out there from people who are not necessarily famous, but still have a great story to tell. Writer’s Digest explains the difference between the two this way.

In some general contexts, memoir and autobiography can be used interchangeably. However, when publishing houses note a difference, they’re making the following distinction: autobiography focuses on the writer’s entire life, whereas memoir focuses on a certain aspect of it

So back to Barbara Walters. I find her absolutely fascinating. She was a woman who took the television world by storm when women were not treated as equals. She interviewed some of the most famous people in the world; Politicians, actors/actresses and world leaders. I find this book to be well written and easy to read and follow. She is extremely honest about her life, and all her success’ and failures. It’s refreshing.

I have never written a book review, so I am not sure about how much information to give. I guess being that this is not a fictional story, I can breathe easier to know that I can in no way give away the plot, or the ending. Especially since Barbara is still a living and breathing member of society. But since this is my first go at it I will leave you with this. If you are interested in reading something other than fiction, and want to learn about this woman who pretty much paved the way for women in television and news, then I say this book is definitely worth the read!

So what are you reading? If you read this book please share your thoughts. If you haven’t but are reading something else that is good, let me know about it! Maybe I’ll read it next.

My New Happy Hour

When we moved into our townhouse almost two years ago, I found that some of my neighbors also had a love for drinking alcoholic beverages at the end of the work week. We would take turns knocking on each other’s doors with wine, and we’d end up outside chatting away till our men got home. And after that…friends would start to show up, and next thing you know, it’s 1 am and we have a party! What a wonderful tradition. It’s the Autumn Drive Happy Hour!

We partake in this fun event a few times a month in the warmer weather. The fun of it is sitting outside and enjoying the fresh air. So, now that the weather is turning around and Friday was a warmer day, I hunted down my neighbors and we planned for our first Happy Hour of the year. It started out small. Myself and 2 of my neighbors. We started light, just some wine in our small front yard, but as more people show up, the rowdier it gets!

Half the Neighborhood Hates It

Our neighborhood is split into halves. First, the next generation half, is where we live. It consists of mostly people in their 20′s and early 30′s. There are few children. The other half is the 55 and older half. Now, you can see how the two don’t mix very well. Everyone is polite and smiles at one another, but each side knows that the two halves do not make a good whole. So our nosy older neighbors HATE when we have our happy hours. I would understand if we were outside and loud to the wee hours of the morning, but most of the time, we are considerate and bring the party inside when it starts to get late. I guess it’s all part of neighborhood living. Especially in such close quarters.

I look forward to this small little event. I get to bond with my neighbors and that makes me happy. We have many warm months ahead, so let the fun begin!

How do you get along with your neighbors? Do you have any great neighborhood traditions?