Newsday Tuesday

I haven't done one of these posts in awhile, and frankly its because most of the news these days has been awful. However I have noticed that most people I know don't really know many of the candidates or what they stand for. Of course they know the name Donald Trump - but do they know his platform? (Don't worry, he doesn't seem to know it either.) If we do choose to go down the route of electing and 'outsider' with no political experience, the least we can do is know who they are and what they have done. The good, the bad, the ugly.

The thing that irks me about politics is not the underhandedness, or the backroom deals. It's the way the people are used as a pawn. It is easy to woo the people. It's easy to get in front of a crowd and say the things that people want to hear. And that, is how Donald Trump is leading. That, is how Barack Obama is President. Pretty words are great to hear. I love a moving speech. But here's the thing - it gets you no where when rubber meets the road. Barack Obama has had a battle of epic proportions with Congress at every turn because of his refusal to really work with the GOP. Do you think Donald Trump will somehow have an easier time? When you're President you can't just call congress 'ugly' or a 'loser' and get what you want. If anything, partisan politics will turn into defcon 5.

The candidates that would make the best Presidents - the Jeb Bushes, Mitt Romneys - are the ones that understand how governance and policy work. They know that simply building a giant wall isn't going to solve immigration. They understand that it would cost a lot more to send 11 million people home than it would to naturalize them, and make them tax paying citizens (hello, someone's gotta help pay for ACA!) They aren't going to try to sell you some ocean front property in Arizona. They're going to tell you the truth. Its hot, and its a desert. But that's not sexy. It's not pretty speeches. It's not gum drops and candy bars. It's reality. So, I'm doing this series in the hopes that you see a candidate for who he or she is, and not the media hype. We don't have to elect a DC insider. But we can't elect a clown. Or a Democratic Socialist (SERIOUSLY, how does he win elections with that label?!)

To start off I'm going to post a series of videos to get you caught up on where we are...

"Trump ignores Policy, Talks Trump during Speech" 9/15/15

"Jeb in Brawl for Presidency" 9/15/15

"Hillary Loses Lead in Iowa" 9/10/15

Baby Clothing Favorites

The vast majority of Beckett's wardrobe is made up of Carter's onesies. As a new mom, I didn't really know of any other brand and so I just stocked up on those. Also, I knew he'd be growing voraciously, in the dead of summer. It seemed like the perfect option. The cut was perfect for him, long and not too wide. However, as he has grown I have gotten a few hand me downs and have found some reallly great brands I wanted to share with you. I loved these because they were just as easy to wear/wash, but were a tad trendier -- and I didn't see every baby on Facebook wearing it. Some are a little pricier - but its nice to have a few outfits for outings that aren't as dressy as a bubble and won't wrinkle - and your child will look precious without sacrificing comfort. I will say, most of these brands ran small for Beckett. He is about 5 mos old (18 lbs) and wearing at least 6 mos in these but more comfortable in 9 mos.

1. Little Giraffe - Nordstrom

I got the shorts version of this onesie from my Sister in Law - so soft and cute!

2. Le Top - Amazon

Beckett in his 4 month shoot wearing his Le Top romper. (size 9 mos, I might add...)

3. Zutano - Nordstrom

4. Kissy Kissy

 (Purchase at Neiman's, Sak's Amazon, etc)

This is one of my favorite brands - it's all SO soft. It's a little pricey - but worth it.

5. Tea Collection - Nordstrom

This would be perfect for learning to crawl with those knee patches!

Friday Five

Happy Friday!

 I'm linking up today with April, Christina, and Natasha for Five on Friday
 and
September Farm and the Farmer's Wife for Oh, Hey Friday!

1. #PlaneBreakUp

I'm not sure why I found this so entertaining. Perhaps I'm just a glutton for drama. I would been all over this too. @keegs141 is kind of my hero.

While stuck on a plane on the tarmac, this girl witness two people having a mega blowup/break up. She live tweeted pics and some classic lines. It's pretty hysterical. Here are a few snippets...to read the whole story - check out Keegs141 twitter account, or look it up on the Huffington Post.

Hysterical.

2. Donald Trump's response to Bush's critique of his Mexico-America relationship. Classy. And reaaalll intelligent-like.

3. Archipelago Candles - Birch

I can't begin to dscribe to you how amazing and wonderful this smells...just trust me. Its rustic, but fresh, and doesn't smell *too* girly or *too* manly. Perfect for a married couple (and if your husband hates scents like lavender, clean linen and vanilla). If you're unsure, my second fave is their soy candle excursion line - Havana. Dreamy.

4. Home Decorating... 

So I think I found a rug for my family room! Currently its a total blank slate with nothing but 3 random chairs, baby toys, and a tv credenza we are no longer using. I hope having a rug will 1) provide a place for Beckett to play without fear of breaking his nose and 2) make the room look like someone is actually attempting to decorate it.

Here are a few snaps of what's currently going on here...

 Pretty much a blank canvas.

To incorporate the blue from the kitchen and the background of the built-ins I'm looking at this rug:

I'm a big fan of more traditional prints, but I don't want it to look too old fashioned...I think that's whats drawn me to this one. Here are some pictures from the store - which I think better shows the colors.

5. Napping

Naps are hard. At least for my baby. My child does not seem to want to nap longer than 45 min- 1 hour. WHY?! My doctor says to pick my battles since he's been sleeping 11 hours at night since has 10 wks. (He has NEVER EVER woken unless I was feeding him. One time he took an hour to go back to sleep...he was about 3 days old. When he was eating at night, he'd wake up, eat and then he'd immediately pass out.) He used to sleep 1 - 1.5 hours at all 4-5 of his naps. What gives? Any tips??? His wake time is 1 hr 30 min, and he eats every 3 hours. If I extend wake time he either will not go down, or he sleeps only 30 minutes. I've tried moving him to a 4 hr schedule and consolidating naps - but then he will wake 2 hours before his feedings and its totally screwed up. I've tried cry it out, and he just escalates and even when he does pass out, he will sleep only 30 minutes. Do I just deal with the short naps? I need help! What gives?

Have a great weekend y'all!

Thoughts for Thursday Playing at Pawleys

It's Throwback Thursday, and so my thoughts have revolved around Pawleys Island. I'm remembering the three weeks I've spent at the beach this year, and how relaxing it was to get away from moving, and all the stress of getting settled in the new house (it. has. been. awful).  The days we spend at Granny's Beach House are ones that I remember fondly each year, and I never get tired of being there. The beach is such a special place, and I love that we are able to share this with Beckett -- even though he doesn't remember it yet. I feel like each time we go he's "so much bigger" and ready to hang on the beach...but in reality, he isn't. We are heading back down to Pawleys next week, and I can hardly wait!

So here are a few snaps from our trips...

Beckett and Daddy on the porch hammock - 3 months

 Our annual "Dune" picture - Beckett is 3 months

Mommy and B in August - 4 mos

Mommy and B in August - 4 mos

The whole family at our July Family Week

Passed out on the beach - 3 mos

Weekending: Sister Celebrations

So, that was perhaps the shortest weekend EVER.

Starting on Friday night, my parents, my sister and her fiance, and a close family friend all came over to our new place to have dinner. It was a really fun night, full of stories, laughter, and baby snuggles. Luckily, Beckett was in a good mood and was the life of the party. The real success? Beckett didn't cry when my Dad held him! I think he's finally over his fear of the beard...

On Saturday, I helped host a wedding shower for my sister, who is getting married in October. We held it at a local club, and it was so pretty!

Me, the Bride to be, and our Mom

Cute napkins

the Bride and some of her maids..

And on Sunday, my sister became an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church. We are so proud of her and thrilled that we got to see it! Unfortunately I couldn't snag a picture of that, and afterward things were too hectic for photos. But, here are a few I caught before the ceremony.

 Beckett with his Great Great Aunt Louise

Daddy and Baby

Swimsuit Save

Round two at my speed blogging...I tried a stain removal trick and I had to share.

I recently bought this adorable bikini from Lord and Taylor. It is a Trina Turk and was NOT cheap. I needed something to accommodate my new bust line while nursing that wasn't a 'mom' bathing suit. I couldn't handle the options out there, and refused to spend money on something I hated. I settled on this bralette style top :

Trina Turk "Tropicalia" Swim Suit 

It's been a great suit so far, but after its second wash (weird, right?) it bled - and of course bled on several other Trina Turk suits I owned. I was furious, especially because I own at least 7 or 8 of her suits and the reason I buy them is because of the quality, and the patterns.  I did see later that the tag said to handwash, so I suppose the fault is mine for washing it in the washing machine.  A friend of mine suggested I soak the affected suits in Clorox 2 and water for a day or two. I don't know how it happened, but somehow doing this got the dye off of the bathing suits! I'm so thrilled, and a little annoyed I didn't know this trick sooner. (I recently got rid of some stuff that had been bled on...) So, if you run into this issue - try this trick!

Speed Blogging

I have abut 20 minutes until I have to wake the baby for his 4 month checkup and vaccines (eeek!) So I'm trying my hand at some speed blogging. Here's what I'm watching/looking at in my free time this morning....

Catching up on my favorite blogs and saw this number....

Horse High Low Tee

I saw this on a blog, and I LOVE it. (I LOVE horses fyi).

Watched a little Morning Joe with my coffee...

This is probably the best commentary I have heard on the Iran Nuke Deal, take a listen.

And saw a clip of this with Chuck Todd and HAD to watch it...

I saw a clip of this interview and it was absurd. Other parts weren't as bad. I still really dislike him. There are moments of lucidity but they are brief. This is actually the best I've heard him sound, which isn't saying much.

"You're not even going to believe how many jobs I'll create, Chuck". WORST ANSWER EVER.

Oh, and let's just take Iraq's oil. That won't piss anyone off. (PS the Middle East already thinks that's the whole reason we went to Iraq...)

And, after every comment about war he says, "We got nothing"...as if we go to war to 'get things'? We aren't Nazi Germany doing a land grab or Saddam attempting to claim Kuwait as the 19th province. We don't go to war to "get" things or "get" paid.