Magnolia Market Trip Review!

Last week the weather was beautiful, so my neighbor and I decided to skipped town and take a field trip to the {now famous} Magnolia Market at the Silos. Since this is getting to be SUCH a popular destination, I figured it needed an official review.

Lindsey has two kiddos, but her hubby graciously kept the littlest guy so we wouldn't be outnumbered. From Plano, it took us about 2 hours to get there. (This was the first "mama road trip" I've taken and I will admit, one of the highlights was just having some "{semi} un-interrupted conversation with Lindsey! We do a lot of "activities" together with our kiddos which really means that we're squeezing in bits and pieces between rescuing them from the jungle gym or digging out a snack.)

We stopped in West for a potty break and since the famous Czeck Stop was on the other side of the highway, we slipped into the new Slovacek's station.  But holy moly. I could've made a full shopping trip there.  They had all sorts of treats, homemade fudge, sausage, the most DARLING gift shop, complete with collegiate paraphernalia, including some Mississippi State stuff. And there were some delicious aromas coming from the Kissing Pig Cafe.  And listen. I'm from Mississippi, so I can tell you that some of the best eatin' you'll ever do is at the local gas station. (I'm looking at you Shell station in Woodville, MS.) #truth

Lindsey and I both took advantage of the t-shirt selection; she found a Razorbacks shirt, and I go this one.

She pretty much made me buy this. I love that we were headed to one of the most popular markets in the country and we ended up buying shirts at a gas station.

Too be honest, I wish we would've had more time at Slovacek's.  I probably would've knocked out some Christmas presents.  

Anyway, 30 minutes later, we arrived in downtown Waco which is now a TOURIST ATTRACTION. (Which sounds bizarre if you remember David Koresh in the 90's. ) Baylor University is of course a big deal, but really?.....these people are flocking there for the #shiplap following. It's unreal. We went on a random weekday in school season and it was packed! We paid $10 to park at the First Baptist Church of Waco, and started the fun!  

The bakery is on the corner of the property, and we should have gotten our sweets FIRST. Cuz by lunchtime, there was a line completely wrapped around the building.  (But it moved fast!) 

Front of the Market and courtyards 

This was taken from the other side of the property because our kids did not appreciate we were at such a famous place....they found a big pile of rocks and played for like 20 minutes. #boys 

Our official picture. Awesome that Greyson has a disorder against looking at the camera.I love that they have a designated Magnolia employee to stand there and take pictures of your group. #nomanleftbehind

The green space was so fun and cute! They had music playing, there's bean bags, corn holes, and swings hanging from those steel bars! The boys had a great time getting their wiggles out after being in the car. The big pavilion to the left has picnic tables under it. 

We decided to head into the store.  Like most toddlers, Greyson has a since KEEN SENSE for the most inopportune times to need a diaper change. So we petty much walked in the store and then stood in line for 20 minutes to go to the bathroom. The highlight was that while we waited, we got a great picture in front of the fresh flower wall. #freshflowers #freshdiaper

Finally, we got to scope the store out. Everything was SO DARN CUTE. I still love my home decor, but of course, it made me want to start over with a farm house theme. ; ) I will say that I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonably priced everything was.  Honestly, the smaller decor items that I was interested in were no more than Marshall's or Homegoods.

I loved these board/wire wall hangings.  Think...you could really put anything in these! Children's books, photo albums, cutting boards, flowers, etc.

 Give me all the tulips! 

 I couldn't get a great shot of the kitchen area, but I LOVED all the kitchen pottery stuff. 

This was the back portion of the market which was down a few stairs.  Down here was "Chip's Corner" (really cool manly things), more decor, a children's decor area (which was adorable) and all the shirts/caps, etc. (My friend Lindsey bought a shirt that said #demoday. Yep,with kids er'day is #demoday.)  

I also loved the jewelry and purse section! (Yes, they leave no stone un-turned.)

After reading the book, I know that Joanna's goal for her decor is that it doesn't have to be super expensive or complicated.  And this store really reflects that.  Everything is super laid back and just has a fresh, relaxing feel.  

I would've spent MUCH more time in the store but Greyson was quite literally MELTING onto the floor and getting hungry.  So we headed to the back where several food trucks are and got some gourmet mac 'n cheese.  And y'all.  This stuff made it OK to eat mac 'n cheese for lunch.  Delish! Then I watched the boys while Lindsey stood in line at the bakery to get us some cupcakes. Teamwork is dreamwork. They were about wiped out by then, so it was pretty easy.  

                                            
We did get to look into the silos which are humongous, and echo really loud so the boys were completely enamored with them.  While they were screaming their heads off playing, I got a couple neat shots, including one of Magnolia Seed and Supply (it's kinda hard to see).  They have all the garden seeds, supplies, and herbs that Joanna loves and features a lot on her show.

                         

                        

Lindsey sent me a picture once she was inside the bakery! Oh really, look how yummy and adorable everything is!  She said the line moved really fast; they hand you a menu while you're in line so you can mark what you want beforehand. (For people like me who just freeze with indecision when it involves chocolate.) She also took a pic of the YUMMY menu for your choosing pleasure.  The cupcakes really were absolutely incredible.  

By 1:00, the littles AND the mamas were tired, hot, and needed naps, spankings, or whatever came first. We headed out and they were GONE in about two seconds.  

We had a GREAT day, and it was definitely worth the trip.  After reading the book, I have an even deeper love and appreciation for what Chip and Joanna's vision is, and the journey that has brought them here. They never started out desiring to be famous. They are just talented, do what they love, and know that God has laid out every step for them.  

I love the fact that they wanted to create a space that the whole family could enjoy. For the kids and dads what's better than some green space and food trucks? And the Market is just so beautiful and inspiring. It SCREAMS their designs, so if you are a fan of their style, you will just be giddy stepping into the store!

The Bakery is a MUST and oh so worth the wait!

If I had to say a con, it would be the crowds.  Like I said, we were there on a random school-day and it was swarming. I can't imagine what it's going to look like during spring break or summertime! (There's not an abundance of bathrooms, so if you have littles, I would definitely do a bathroom stop before you get there.) That being said, I think crowds are ALWAYS more frustrating and harder to navigate when you have a 2 year old monkey clinging to your leg. If your kids are older and you can trust them to play on the grounds while you head to the food truck or shop, then this will be a different experience for you. ; ) Next time, I'll make it a mamas only trip OR have my stud muffin with me and leave the two of them with the hot dog stand and corn hole. 

I really would love to spend some more time in Waco, and check out some other stores that I've heard about, like The Findery, Harp Design Co., and Junque In The Trunk.  (I mean, don't you wanna check it out solely for the name?) 

If you know a lot about Waco and have any suggestions on lodging, things to do, restaurants, I'd LOVE to hear them!  

Friday Favorites

I'm linking up with my usuals, Narci and Erika for Friday Favorites! Grab the graphic, and include on of their links to join with your own Friday Favorites!

1)  This car seat tray has been a lifesaver for us!  We first used it on the way to Mississippi, and it was amazing! Not only was it a spot to put Greyson's snacks, but he LOVED driving his little cars on it! This week, I used it so he could eat his lunch on the way home.  We were at an event until noon, so I knew he'd be hungry AND we could go straight to naptime when we got home! I love when a plan is well executed. ; )  It really gives him a lot more options of activities than just sitting there with his arms dangling!  You can find it....OFCOURSE....on the glorious Amazon here.

2) Greyson was sent home with the "JOY Box" this week.  The sheet inside said he was the "Chapel Angel" at school this week and was "given the opportunity to hold the class Bible and sit in front of the class during lesson time." You'd think that he had won the National Spelling Bee or something; me and Jeremie were so proud when we read the sheet.  (Not so proud when he was LOSING IT over a Cheez-It later that day.  I'm thinkin' "AIN'T NO ANGEL IN THIS HOUSE.") Anyway, I will say the little box was adorable and had everything we needed to have "Chapel" here at home and see what they do.  (It even had a little CD!) And I must say, the little Hermie book was PREACHIN' it to Mama, because Hermie was asking God why he was as "special/strong/gifted" as some other animals and God kept telling him "Be patient, Hermie, I'm not finished with you yet." Of course in the end, Hermie comes out of his cocoon, and is a beautiful butterfly.  GEEZ. Some spiritual truth in that board book, y'all.  Thank you, Hermie.  Anyway, I LOVE Greyson's school program and very blessed that they are dedicated to teaching God's truth so early.  

3) We FINALLY went to play at Safari Run this week and WOW, we were impressed! This place was SO fun, SO CUTE, and SO clean! Some of these jungle gym places get a little skeezy, but you can tell, cleanliness is important to these folks! G could totally climb around the jungle gym safely, but he just isn't quite tall enough to conquer some of the climbing portions yet.  (Bless it. Me and J didn't offer much in the height gene.) But I actually loved climbing around in there with him because it was super roomy and not crowded.  There IS a smaller gated off area for the little tots that is awesome too though. This place also kept the parents in mind with Wi-fi, comfy couches and a coffee machine! It was great! We'll definitely be back a lot over the summer I'm sure! 

4) We made a little field trip this week to a very popular place that's the home of a very poplar HGTV show.......wink wink wink.  I won't give anything away because I'll be doing a full blogpost on Monday about our trip! But I did get a good pic with my little guy.  One of my favorites of all time so far.  We're both LOOKING. With a good background. Can't seem to get one without the toddler backpack though. #oneday #goals

5) I've acquired some favorite shirts this week too. Funny thing is that I didn't buy anything for myself at the fabulous above mentioned location, but I did grab this tshirt at a gas station on the way down there.  Gas stations have come a long way people.  And TEXAS gas stations? Well, you know, everything's bigger.  

My neighbor pretty much forced me to buy it.  Apparently, I say this a lot. ; ) 

I also picked up a few more of my ALL TIME FAVORITE tshirts at the Gap Factory this week.  They aren't $7.99 anymore, but still worth the $13 now.  I feel like I must share this shirt with all mamas.  It's perfect.  Lightweight. Can be dressy or casual, loose but flattering at the same time. I bought a gray one last year, and this week I grabbed 2 more solid colors and the navy printed one I'm wearing above! You can find it here.  Buy every color and thank me later. 

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!!!  HAPPY FRIDAY!

Friday Favorites

Today I'm linking up with Narci and Erika for Friday Favorites! Just grab the graphic below and link back to them to join in! Here's my favorites for the week!

1) Yess, It was the infamous Valentine's Day this week.  Like most moms, I was at the Dollar Store the day before throwing 16 goodie bags together at the last minute.  Mama was out of town all weekend and totally forgot about goodie bags.  We also made Dad some Jumbo Chocolate Chip cookies.  And LISTEN. The were HEAVENLY.  I wanna kick myself for making them, and on the other hand, I'm tempted to whip up another batch.  SOOOO GOOD. I'm gonna share the love...you can find the the recipe here. Your welcome and I'm sorry. ; ) 

Love having my little helper in the kitchen.

2) My little Valentine would hardly be still enough for me to snap a pic.  His shirt says: "I WHEELIE Like You."  Currently, he's OBSESSED with hold as MANY monster trucks as possible in his hands, so it was a battle to get him to hold the flowers. 

They had a Valentine's party in his class that day and when I went to pick him up, this is what I find.  Lights on, kids running around, parents in and out.  And my little cherub was OUT. #SUGARCOMA.  I actually had to wake him up. 

3) Another favorite I discovered this week was LipSense.  I kept hearing about this company, and my friend Ashley started selling it recently.  I decided to try it and HELLO!!! This is the perfect lip product for moms! It is LITERALLY waterproof, smudge-proof, wipe proof, etc. In the pic below, I'd had the color on since 11:00 a.m.....this was at like 4:00 p.m.!!! I'm a skeptical person, but this stuff is amazing! I'm wearing Caramel Latte, but already have a list of colors going that I love! You can find Ashley and order on her Facebook site, Kiss This! With Ashley. 

4)  Jeremie and I love trying new restaurants that are local to our area that aren't chains.  We ate at FarmByrd Rotisserie & Fry the other day and oh dear, it was fried chicken heaven. If you're local, you should definitely check it out!

5) Finally, let's talk about this fabulous book and fabulous couple.  I love the Fixer Upper show, but I can't say that I tune in EVERY week to watch it.  But after reading this book, I am pretty obsessed with the Magnolia story and franchise.  Some of their stories are completely hilarious. I love their faith in God and confidence in how His hand guided them through their journey. I'm ready to head to the silos at Magnolia Market. Who's with me?!

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE! Have a fabulous weekend!

The Prodigal Parents

My mom coined this term last weekend and I thought it was pretty fitting.  Before we all started DYING last month, Jeremie and I had signed up to attend a marriage conference in Houston that took place last weekend.  Three weeks of sickness paired with some tough work stuff for Jeremie made for two quite wound up folks. We planned to only spend one night, but any type of getaway sounded GOLDEN to me. I was GIDDY when I picked up my mother-in-law from the airport. We got home and she totally took over. I pretty much handed her the baby monitor, said PEACE and slept till 8:00 the next morning. 

While I was pouring my cup of coffee, Nona said: "Would y'all just want to stay 2 nights? Me and Greyson are totally fine!" I LAUGHED. Like a hyena. She said the look on my face was priceless.  So within an hour, I had thrown more clothes in a bag, run the the grocery store, and got my oil changed. (Because doesn't EVERYBODY wait until the last minute to change their oil?! EVERY. TIME.) We LOVE our lives and LOVE that little bandit, but OH DEAR. ADULTHOOD. We spun out with smoke coming off the tires.  

We arrived at the beautiful Houstonian Hotel and grabbed an appetizer at the hotel restaurant. Then we got all settled in our room and ready for the conference.  Since it started at 7:00 that night, we figured we'd better eat supper beforehand, so we ordered room service. Is there ANYTHING BETTER than room service y'all?! It just fills my heart when someone WHEELS in delicious food and when you're done you WHEEL IT OUT. No planning. No prep. No loading the dishwasher. Yes, please, and thank you.  

We headed to the conference, called The Mingling of Souls, which was Friday evening from 7:00-10:00 and then Saturday morning from 9:00-1:00.  This was really perfect, because we got some great teaching, but had the rest of the weekend to spend with the hubs. 

Matt Chandler, who is the lead pastor at our church, was the speaker. (His wife, Lauren actually led worship.) He's an amazing speaker who can really communicate the Bible in a special way.  He makes it understandable and tangible. If you're wondering, here's some of my big takeaways: 

*I can't write a takeaway without mentioning what Chandler ALWAYS says should be the main focus of our lives: To understand and continually remind ourselves of the Gospel and to abide and remain in the Lord. 

Now to the "marriage-y" takeaways: 

1) We live in a society where Consumerism rules. We bring this mentality into marriage by thinking "If YOU aren't making me happy and giving me what I need, then I'm out." If you were married in a church and made vows to God, we actually entered into a Covenantal marriage, meaning: "Neither of us are perfect, so we're going to fail each other, but I'm not going anywhere." 

2) We should be experts in our spouse's strengths.  More often, we are experts in their weaknesses and we compare all of OUR strengths verses their weakness.  How awful and unfair! My job is to own MY junk and work on myself.  

3) It is not my job to "play the Holy Spirit" in my spouse. While accountability is necessary, this is not an excuse to "convict" my spouse of something I think needs "fixing". My job is to support and encourage. 

4) Live with the end in mind. We both loved this concept.  Life (especially with young children) feels so "urgent" and demanding. Chandler talked about actually fantasizing about what the "end" looks like, when you are 80 and sitting beside each other in rocking chairs. 

That is just a small piece of some good points that I learned.  There's an entire study with a 12 session DVD set that you can purchase here.  (It's actually half off right now!) If you're interested in going next year, the link to the conference is here.

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The rest of our weekend was totally blissful.  It was like one big long date. We had a fabulous lunch at Backstreet Cafe, took a NAP (AND ALL THE PARENTS SAID AMEN), went to dinner at Andalucia, and then had dessert at the hotel. We even roamed around the gorgeous property and enjoyed the opportunity to have uninterrupted conversation! 

We are TERRIBLE at taking selfies!!!!!

We finally got a decent one! 

I think it's safe to say that both felt totally refreshed and renewed after our getaway! It was so nice to step outside the Parent/Work/Stress box for a while and relax.

Looking forward to a lifetime of memories with this guy as we work our way to 60+ years and a well-earned set of rocking chairs. Love you hubby!

January 2017 Review

Remember this post where I told you about the lovely frame that broke into pieces just as I was putting it together?  

Well, if I only knew that this would essentially represent most of January. Cuz Lawd have mercy.  Just as we were recovering from the holidays and getting put back together, everything came apart.  January should be an easy month to recap because we spent half of it being sick. But sounds like the rest of the world did too, so I feel like I can hear a resounding YES. My friend posted this on FB the other day, and I was like, AMEN. 

I think Greyson's picture here can communicate ALL of our feelings about January sickness. 

I will say that we started out strong. We had a good time pretending it was winter and playing in the snow that fell for about 2 minutes before it went back to 80 degrees.  

We went with dad to his favorite "playdate spot", the Bass Pro Shop.  

Jeremie and I even took the plunge and FINALLY purchased a new mattress and upgraded to a king, which meant another plunge to all new bedroom furniture.  Listen.  We've been Craigslist-ing and spray painting furniture all of our adult lives.  We felt like it was time to invest in a good bedroom set.  It does make me feel all grown up.  ('Bout time, I'm 32.)

Still working on what's going next to the cow print. Doesn't a baby monitor add to any decor?

My mom came to visit at the beginning of the month, so we got some good CC time in. She pretty much walked in the door, G TOLD HER he wanted popcorn and that he wanted to watch a movie, and that was it.  

They had a cup 'o tea at Playstreet.

We headed to the Ft. Worth Stock Show, and this year we actually took G to the Rodeo. He did great and seemed to enjoy it!  The Stock Show is really one of my favorite DFW traditions.  I LOVE walking through all the barns; it just takes me back to my 4-H/FFA sheep and pig showing days.  I just loved it and had so many great memories doing that.  

His favorite part really is riding the tractors in the exhibit hall. 

In the pig barn!

And that was pretty much our last happy memory in January.  We noticed at the rodeo that G was a little off and quite literally, when we pulled up in the driveway, he felt hot. He was running a 102 fever. AWESOME. So the next week, we did a lot of this:  

                          

I will admit I enjoyed the time that we got to spend in Dad's chair and watch some toons.  

I finally called it and took him to the doctor, confirming he had an upper respiratory virus.  My throat was getting scratchy too, so I made an executive decision and decided all sick babies (and mamas) deserved a DQ Blizzard.

G finally started feeling better mid-week and we decided to make a Triple Chocolate Bundt cake. (Clearly I feel like sweets are healing.) G loves to stand on his stool, wear his apron and "help". (FYI,  I found him this child size apron at Hobby Lobby for $2.79).  After his nap, he totally remembered his chocolate cake (which makes me wonder why he can't remember that a diaper change takes 2 seconds and acts like a wild bobcat EVERY TIME) so I cut him a piece and he was GIGGLING with excitement. Here's a video to show just how it made him feel....

By Friday, G we ready to bust this joint, so we headed to our buddy's for a rowdy playdate. ROWDY. These babes have been buds since birth and now they're chasing each other in circles screaming at the top of their lungs. 

So I guess I'll rescind that earlier thought and say that THIS was quite literally the last happy memory of January. Without ANY signs, symptoms, or warning, G started throwing up the next day in the middle of the living room.  At first we just thought it was a hoax, because he even acted fine afterwards. But no. Minutes later it kept coming. And didn't stop.

We stayed up ALL night long Saturday night trying to replenish G's fluids with sips of Gatorade. This was all for naught. Little guy was SO sick.

We called the on call doctor in the middle of the night and he said we could give it a shot, but "predicted you'll be headed to the ER at 4:00 a.m.".  We'll, shouldn't he win a million dollars, because precisely at 4:00 a.m., we gave up and headed to Children's ER. They gave him some anti-nausea meds and he finally kept down a juice and a Popsicle.

By the time we got home, we'd been awake like 30 hours and were LOSING OUR MINDS. So we got a couple hours sleep, but of course G was just still so miserable and couldn't rest.  Eventually, the throw up came back and we did everything we could to just get him threw the night so we could go to OUR pediatrician the next morning. So off we go first thing Monday morning with about 2 hours of sleep in two days. Our doctor barely had to walk in the door before she told us to get back to the ER for fluids.  G had lost 10% of his body weight and was completely dehydrated. This was really our first big "scare", and I was scared ya'll.  His eyes were so sunken and he was totally lethargic. Like any normal sleep deprived person, I burst into tears in the doctors office. She assured me the fluids would do wonders and off went to the ER. I sped like a maniac. They were waiting for us when we got there and got him all hooked up. (Which was a sad process in itself.)

Sure enough, the fluids DID do wonders, and we even got a mini-smile out of Lil G.

We finally got home and since he had held down some juice and wasn't dying of thirst anymore, he was finally able to rest. Manny took a shift while me and J napped on the air mattress beside him.

But the party never ends folks. That night, I got the bug and was OUT. And for some reason, even though Greyson had the green light to gorge on fluids, he didn't want to drink.  So Jeremie pretty much stayed up again all night giving him syringes of Pedialyte while I hung over the toilet. By the morning, G was doing better though and we realized I was useless, so I took a leftover Phenergran and slept all day. Jeremie was finally able to get some sleep too.

I'm thrilled to report that each day got a little better and slowly but surely, G started eating solids and getting his energy back.  He's doing great, but the doc said it'd take about a week for his tummy to recover.

Like every situation in parenthood, J and I learned a lot of things. Definitely learned what dehydration looks like and looking back, I don't think there's anything we could have done to prevent it.  I think this was just a really bad virus that got the best of G. So glad it's over and that God literally gave us the strength to get through the week.

Although for us this was traumatic, I do realize this was a typical/normal illness. This tiny hospital visit(s) really made me think about children/parents who LIVE their lives in hospitals due to illness. And this breaks my heart to the core. I know this is real for a lot of people. And I don't personally know a lot of these situations, but God does, and for these people, I pray. I just really can't imagine.

So that was January, folks. With a big thankful, happy heart, we move onto the month of LOVE!