Happy Halloween!

All Hallows' Eve is upon us! I'm up with the birds anxiously putting the finishing touches on our costumes, but mentally I'm already home from work applying fake eyelashes and trying to whip up a quick and healthy dinner for M before we rush out the door. Tonight we are taking Mila Trick or Treating for the first time! Last year she was too little, so after handing out some candy dressed in our costumes, we threw on some cozy jammies and walked around the neighborhood with a sleepy baby quietly riding in the stroller.

Although I find myself missing that sweet, snuggly lump of love we had this time last year, Ryan and I are really enjoying toddlerhood. Mila's little personality keeps us laughing and we're thrilled that as we start approaching the holiday season, we get to introduce her to traditions almost as if it were for the first time! And while Mila is much too young to understand the joys of pumpkin coffee, she certainly had a blast at the pumpkin patch earlier this week.

❤A

October in a Flash

It happens every October, with the [ever so slightly] cooler weather also comes the slam packed calendar. With all that's been going on PLUS an undefeated football season for Florida State, we've hardly noticed that October is almost over--talk about gone in a flash! But before we take a flashback of the month so far, let me mention that this week is going to be the busiest we've been all month.

Tonight Ryan and Mila are meeting me at the pumpkin patch as soon as I get off work. We're going to take some pictures, buy some pumpkins and hurry back to the house before it gets dark so we can carve pumpkins and watch the sunset from our backyard (Florida has the best fall sunsets). This year will be Mila's second Halloween but her first pumpkin carving experience--last year, at the tender age of 4 months, she slept through it. Unfortunately, wielding a knife seems like a dangerous activity for an almost 16 month old, so until her motor skills are perfected, she will mainly be in charge of pulling out pumpkin guts.

After pumpkin carving, I will toast some pumpkin seeds (my all time favorite snack) and spend the rest of the night chained to seated at the sewing machine so I can finish our family costumes. I'm super hoping that I can convince Auntie Evan to stop by our house tomorrow before work so we can get a couple family Halloween pictures in the morning, when the light is the best.

Wednesday is Ryan's 29th birthday, which he will actually be working through--BOOOO! <-- not the cute ghost kind, the Regina George kind. Thursday is Halloween, yay! And Friday is Ryan's super secret special birthday celebration, yay yay YAY!

BUT before this week can kick off, I have to catch you up. So here is a quick look into our October so far...

Festive Decor & Festive Beer

Festive [glow-in-the-dark] Jammies -- seriously, why don't they make these in adult sizes?!

The only thing making it bearable to live outside of Tallahassee this season.

Fall Festival at the Farm

Saturday Mornings with Festive Films -- should The Nightmare Before Christmas be considered a Halloween or a Christmas movie? It's both at our house.

Hardcore Mel's Bachelorette Party -- which MJ totally crashed.

Fall Festival and Craft Beer BREWhaha (and a sneak peek of the base of Mila's costume--oh yea, you know there is more)

The night FSU broke records at Death Valley when we beat Clemson 51 to 14. BOOM!

 Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes by Max and Jonah's

I told you Florida has the best sunsets in the fall.

Finally getting to break out the cool weather clothes!

And with that, let the best week ever commence in 5, 4, 3...

❤A


P.S. I'm in rare form this morning, maybe it's because of the "chill" in the air or maybe I'm just STARVING because I spent half of my mom's birthday weekend sick (and yes, she was here visiting, and yes, she did end up taking care of me--on her birthday). Regardless, I apologize if this post is a bit awkward and jumpy.

The Scariest Moment of My Life

Last night I experienced the most horrifying moment of my entire life. It was late, almost midnight, and I was still up cleaning, doing laundry and filling some orders for our cottage food bakery, Max and Jonah's. M was sound asleep and had been since about 8:30. She had gotten shots early in the evening and was really tired when bed time rolled around.

I snuck in her room to put some laundry away. I only turned the hall light on, so I didn't bother her. When I walked in, I looked at her, peacefully sleeping. She was quiet and still--almost too still, I thought and then smiled at myself for having such a worried mom thought. She was fine, I told myself lightly. 

It took several trips in and out of her room to bring in and put away all the laundry. Once I finished hanging her little dresses, I was done. But before sneaking back out and carefully shutting the door, I was going to steal a kiss. I gently sat on the side of her bed and looked down. She really was unusually quiet, even if she was sleeping. I noticed a watermark on her sheet, by her mouth, as if she'd been drooling. Then I noticed food around her mouth--but it couldn't be, I gave her a bath after dinner, right before bed.

She was snuggling her blanky, I pulled it from her grip, it was soaked an covered with food. Vomit. "Mila" I said in a low voice as gently nudged her shoulder--I had to wash her face and change her jammies and sheets, I couldn't leave her life that--but she didn't respond. Fear, the heart-sinking kind. Almost blackout, paralyzingly fear. "MILA" I said much louder rolling her onto her back from her side and finally noticing that she was laying in a huge pool of vomit. Her body had been covering it but there was much more than just a little spit up. Her jammies were covered and soaked and her hair and side of her face were caked with it.

This moment took only a second but the world stopped. I absorbed everything, I had a distinct sense of clarity. I was aware of every detail. As I waited for her to respond I collected her into my arms, repeating her name and running through first responder protocol in my head--four years of lifeguarding and renewing my CPR certification annually prepared me for a moment like this for someone else, I never thought I'd need it for my own daughter. That one second was the scariest I've ever lived though.

As time moved into a second second, Mila sleepily opened and rubbed her eyes, confused to see me at that time of night. With an emotional gasp and tears in my eyes, I pulled her into my chest, taking no mind to the vomit I was coincidentally covering myself with. We made our way to the shower, put on fresh jammies and snuggled in my bed with Chopped glowing from the TV. I completely aborted my laundry and baking responsibilities, texting Ryan to wrap things up when he got home from his late night tutoring session. 

You always hear how one second can feel like minutes, and sometimes you think you've experienced it. But you will never quite understand that feeling so much as when you're waiting to see if your child will wake up after vomiting in her sleep.

Mila slept fine the rest of the night in our bed. No more vomit. The doctor mentioned she might get sick after the chicken pox shot, and she was right. No fever or anything, just an untimely vomit.

❤A

 

October 1st - Happy Fall Y'all!

September is like the purgatory of months, it's not quite summer, not quite autumn, but it sure gives us time to gear up for the second best month of the year, October! And now it's here, October 1st--which, in my world, means it's officially fall. Happy Fall Y'all!

You better believe that today I will be enjoying pumpkin coffee, wearing orange, shopping for Halloween costumes, making soup and drinking pumpkin beer while singing, "It's the [second] most wonderful time of the year!"

Besides the usual goodness that October brings, October is also birthday month for some of my favorite people, which means birthday planning, parties and presents! I love birthdays. I have some ideas already brewing; unfortunately, I can't tell you much, in case they're reading. However, I will say that I'm going to be making some extra special birthday cookies and a festive cheesecake or two!

❤A

The Real King of the Grill

Did you catch that line in my last post about my cousin Justin having a metric ass-ton of talents and hobbies? I really wasn't kidding. From beekeeping to airboating, he tries it, masters it and adds it to his list. So it made total sense that he entered the King of the Grill contest in Ormond with only one goal, to give out samples of beer he and Cliff will be serving at the Ormond Brewing Company, yet somehow still managed to win first place for his "BBQ Balls".

Justin, his wife and the trophy that is too big to fit on any shelf or window sill in the brewery..

The winning team, Ormond Brewing Company

Three generations of BBQ lovers

 ♥A

Cousins Who Kick Ass Together...

Today my phone is blowing up. My family--forgetting that Facebook is a thing--has been trying to get a hold of me to tell me about this article that ran in the Daytona Beach News Journal. What is so special about this article? It's about my cousin Justin, his partner Cliff, and their plans to open a nanobrewery in my hometown. The Ormond Brewing Company will begin brewing in a few weeks and will open after, when they get their license to brew.

Justin is the oldest in our family and has a laundry list of talents and hobbies, but he isn't the only one of the cousins kicking ass. My other cousin, Graham, has been passionate about music his whole life and is actively pursuing a music career in New Orleans. In fact, he and his girlfriend's band, Daria & The Hip Drops, plays all over the southeast--Ryan and I were even able to catch them at the Tropical Heatwave Music Festival here in Tampa! And, as you know, with the help of my friend Evan, this cousin has launched her own cottage food business. Although Max and Jonah's is a part-time hobby more than anything, I'm proud to be doing something I love and I'm glad that my cousins are doing the same.

 

If you want to try some of Justin's beer before the grand opening, you can taste it this Saturday, September 28th, at the King of the Grill Contest in Ormond Beach. Like them on Facebook here.

If you want to check out Daria & The Hip Drops live in concert or listen to their music, go to their website for tour dates and to download their songs. Like them on Facebook here.

As for Max and Jonah's, if you're interested in ordering some of our desserts for your next event, email us at MaxandJonahs@gmail.com. Like us on Facebook here.

Make sure you stay tuned, this won't be the last you here from these ass-kicking cousins!

♥A

Aa & V's Wedding

There is nothing quite like a great wedding. All the dancing, kisses, charming stories, personal touches, beautiful people and romance is enough to even make the Grinch gush (insert heart-eyed emoticon). But weddings seem to be especially great when they are celebrating the love of two truly special people--and while I hate to get completely sappy with you, that was the case this weekend.

Ryan and I met Vanessa and Aaron after moving to St. Pete. They are such selfless, good-hearted people. Vanessa is one of the most caring, positive, genuinely good women people I've ever met. Aaron is smart, generous and amazingly resourceful, as his grandfather pointed out during a speech. In fact, Aaron is so clever and handy, Ryan and I have fully revised our Doomsday Plan, which is now "make it to Aa and V's house alive."

As you can imagine, we could not have been more thrilled to help celebrate the marriage of Aaron and Vanessa and we were especially excited that they asked Miss Mila Joan to be the flower girl.

This sweet little baby, adorned with her white dress, was almost the perfect flower girl. Mila decided while getting dressed that she wanted nothing to do with the headband OR the "last resort" clip. After we came to terms with that, Ryan and I took Mila to practice walking down the isle. Practice round one and two were flawless and adorable. However, during round three, Mila stopped at every one of the vases lining the isle and proceeded to empty the vases of their flowers then splash in the remaining water. 

Ryan and I quickly rearranged the flowers and dried Mila off. Shortly after it was time for the show to begin. With Auntie Evan strategically placed at an end seat in the middle of the crowd, Ryan at the end of the isle to send Mila off and me at the front to catch, the wedding began. 

Ryan released Mila with two handfuls of flower petals, which she threw up in the air on her first step. Slowly, she started down the isle but quickly veered to the left and reached her hand towards the vase closest to Auntie Evan. Just in time, Evan caught the interception and redirected Mila. Mila looked up, saw me waiting for her at the top of the isle and took off running to me, to which the crowd responded to with an "aww!" I snatched Mila and ran back to my seat just in time for Vanessa to make her big entrance. 

Mila started off strong during the wedding ceremony but began crying during the vows so I took her on a walk around the venue. During our walk, a fountain caught Mila's eye and she decided that she wouldn't be happy again unless she got to play in it. Against my better judgement, I let this happen and although she ended up pretty wet, it cheered her up and distracted her until she was allowed to recapture the attention of the wedding guests.

(I finally got to wear the dress I bought for M's birthday party.)

Cutting the cake made by Max and Jonah's

A better look at the wedding cake and cupcakes by Max and Jonah's

I mentioned in my last post that I wasn't nervous about making the wedding cake or the cupcakes for Vanessa's wedding. Surprisingly, this remained true until I arrived at the venue. Once we got there and started putting things together I started to panic a bit. Fortunately, I brought my mom and Evan who were both pretty successful at talking me off the cliff. Once we were finished and got to show the end product to Vanessa, it was all worth it. Evan and I were honored that Vanessa and Aaron wanted Max and Jonah's to be a part of their big day! And now that I know we can do it, I'm looking forward to the next wedding Max and Jonah's gets to cater. Will it be yours?

♥A

P.S. To contact Max and Jonah's about catering your next event, email Evan and I at MaxandJonahs@gmail.com