Zombie Turns 3!

Zombie's birthday parties are always prepared a little over 6 months in advance. This time is used to gather party supplies prep DIY decorations and spend hours "researching" Pinterest for unspeakably cute and memorable birthday accents.

We knew from the beginning we wanted something small and intimate with a top priority of bringing in good vibes only and settled on a sleepover and small get together. With everyone we've got going on however, my party planning began 2 weeks prior- for this neurotic perfectionist, this was a HUGE deal.

If you've been following me for awhile you know Shamu (the orca) is Zombie's valentine, the light of her soul, the prince charming who will save her from the castle. So we turned our living and dining room into an orca habitat.

My mom got the blow up fish and hanging sea creatures on sale as summer is long gone and the candy I strategically wait until Halloween candy goes on 75% off and BAM! I attack! As our guest list was smaller this year two bags of candy was more than enough. I got toy plastic orcas at the Dollar Tree and my mom made mini pinatas using toilet paper rolls, zebra striped wrapping paper and printed orcas as a label.

On our multiple trips to SeaWorld we acquired the party hats for the kids.

For the decorations I had Hubs hang blue and white streamers from the ceiling and I used fringe plastic tablecloth for the jellyfish tentacles and seaweed. For a SUPER SIMPLE tutorial click here I used two shades of blue table cloth for the "waves" and plastic head caps and tissue paper for the inner part of the Jellyfish- which were the biggest hit of the afternoon! Hub's friend who just moved to town happened to have worked in balloon art back in Puerto Rico. Just my luck! So naturally I put him to work and he did two gorgeous columns which were the perfect fit for my banner wall!

Our turnout was better than we'd imagined! We kept our mini guests busy with shooting games, under the sea dominoes, Bubbles, tug o'war, pin the tail on the whale (a beautiful poster done by my little sister) and we played Free Willy the movie while everyone ate cake and wound down.

I know the event industry is booming right now and there's a strong emphasis on birthdays, weddings, even dinners being beautiful decorated down to the smallest accent but after all is said and done my heart was full with the thought my daughter spent her 3rd birthday with people who wholeheartedly love and cherish her. People who would've cared less if I'd put up a few balloons and had a plain vanilla cake.

(Photo by Naiciry C.)

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Fail Festival

This year our local church hosted a fall festival/carnival which I'd forgotten all about it until our playdate buddies called us! Lucky for me I was at my mom's house just a few minutes away.

Fast forward to forty minutes in one-way traffic waiting and searching for parking. I secretly took back every Sunday morning thought I'd ever had of the property being HUGE, this friday it was anything but. Shout-out to the two women who found us some parking just as we were about to leave.

They had it divided into two events, the first being the fall festival where for $4 children were given candy and hay rides and access to the bounce houses. The carnival required a seperate $20 admisson required for the carnival rides and a 40 minute wait which I REFUSED to do. It was late and Zombie, Isa and i hadn't eaten so I went on a food hunt, hoping to find some deep fried oreos or bbq booths. Sadly all I found was a popcorn and funnel cakes. That was it. No food. long lines and wait times. I'd had it! After a mere 30 minutes we left. It was all too clear things weren't very well thought out and the HANGRY monster in me was about to get the best of me.

Earlier that day I'd come across a photo on instagram of Ben and Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream. SInce we couldn't decide on what to eat we took a ride down to Walmart and got ice cream instead. Years ago my mom brought home a sweet potato-pumpkin pie a coworker of hers had made. Ben and Jerry's took me back more than 10 years to the best pumpkin pie I had ever tasted.

So maybe our first fall festival experience wasn't the best... but at least I ended the night off with a fall worthy trip down memory lane.

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October is not ALL about Halloween you know!

Since being a child, I have never celebrated Halloween, even after being old enough to do so. I respect and love all my friends who do; it’s just not my “thing” if you will. In Miami our church had provided each family with a flyer to tape on their door advising tricksters and treaters alike that our house does not celebrate the holiday. Each year, the orange cardstock’s survival surprised me more. You would think after 6 years it would’ve at least had a bent corner! So, on the night of, we would put on our most worn-out and comfy pajamas, turn all the lights off, cuddle with enough candy, Hawaiian pizza and soda to give us entry-level diabetes, and watch the MTV Michael Jackson marathon. My sisters and I used to peek out the apartment shades just to watch the people in costume and pick out the creeps.

Fast forward to 13 years later and here I am starting my own anti-Halloween tradition (omitting the sign on the door). This year we thought we would have a sleepover party with our friends. Pinterest has a ton of inspiration on teaching toddlers about the fall, the weather changes and pumpkin lattes – OK just kidding on the pumpkin lattes. We figured a sleepover would be a great opportunity for us to do some pumpkin gutting! Aside from releasing some built up work, school, LIFE tension it also means pumpkin seed roasting and pumpkin painting! Zombie’s face while the pumpkin slime squishes through her tiny fingers should be pretty epic. If you’re looking for a great and inexpensive pumpkin patch I highly recommend the Sanlando Pumpkin Patch in Longwood. Their space has photo opportunities, haystacks, game sections, a “farm” and crafts. The girls loved picking out baby pumpkins and pointing out the really huge ones. We took our pumpkins home and turned the girls lose to paint their pumpkin faces.

In Florida October means our weather gets frisky, getting as low as 70 degrees- we can wear thigh-high boots! Perfect weather to get outside and enjoy our beautiful scenery. For us that’s a hike down the 13 plus trails at Wekiva Springs, our current favorite since there’s so much uncovered territory. It’s like a scavenger hunt with nature! We went a few weekends ago for the first time and although it was beautiful it was also very Florida humid. Do not forget the bug spray; the mosquitoes will down you like fast food. For those of you who do not like hiking they also offer canoeing, tubing, and kayaking. And the entrance fee is only $6 per vehicle!

We all scream for ice cream and we all fall for fall…. festivals that is! There are many large church or campground sites that have a yearly fall festival anytime from mid-October to late November. In all honesty I don’t remember the last time I was ever at a fall festival, but according to Pinterest it’s a lot of fun; and fun means sleepy car rides home! (YAY!) So what exactly happens at these festivals? There’s a petting zoo, face painting, hayrides, scarecrow crafts, bobbing for apples, music, and of course food. The haystacks and pumpkins at these festivals are perfect family photo backdrops and props for your Thanksgiving Day cards. If you’re in the Orlando area there’s a great fall festival list here.

I hope you all have a safe holiday!

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"Are You at the Shop?"- Sincerely the Annoyed Barber's Wife

Full pockets on the daily, no management team to report to, you make your own schedule, your social life is always in motion and you are seen as the ultimate man’s-man. What’s not to love about being a barber?!

Well let me tell you about the other side of this life. The side of the Barber’s Wife. Hubs has been a barber for a few years now- he grew up in the industry as both his parents are stylists. At first it was great as we had just found out we were expecting our little Zombie and a daily flow of money really helped get us on our feet. But soon I realized there was a lot more baggage than meets the eye.

Let’s start with the clients. Our first argument since he started at the barbershop were the late night calls asking what time he’d be in the next day or whether he could make the trip to their place for a late night cut (No Joke!). Barbers may have a time to go in but they NEVER have a time to close. When he first launched his own barbershop Hubs would stay at the shop until 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Many nights this meant I’d be dining alone or rearranging our date-night plans since by the time he got off we were both exhausted. He of working and I of waiting for him to stop working!

Now I have met my fair share of other Barber’s wife and it isn’t like Basketball wives of Atlanta or anything but it definitely has its drama. Anything from infidelity to financial issues to women who just have nothing better to do than to watch their man cut hair all day- I have seen it all! Barber’s wives are usually quiet, uptight, and suffer from the infinite “B**** Face” syndrome (OK I’ll admit it- This last one includes me!) So the next time you walk into the shop- you should be able to point at least one of them out. You’re welcome.

The pros include the connections. Hubs is an EXPERT networker, he knows just enough people to get us pretty much anywhere! He is also a real people person as he can hold up a conversation with anyone. He considers his customer service just as important as his cutting skills, which I can honestly say sets him apart from so many other Barbers.

AND of course there’s the childcare. When Zombie was months old Hubs had set up a corner of the barbershop with her playpen. The feedback he received was incredible. Men respected and admired him so much more because he was courageous enough to take care of his daughter regardless of his work obligation. He was demonstrating what a modern-day dad COULD do! They learned to love her and now she has an array of “friends” who she’s grown up with and enjoy her company when she’s around.

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Armani the Eskie- The Missing Puzzle Piece

Three days ago we brought Armani home, he is a 9 week old American Eskimo puppy in hopes of keeping our baby girl from being lonely since her best friend/sister isn’t around much anymore. We’ve tried the puppy thing once before and that did not exactly work out. Flashback to Duchess the Chihuahua-Boston terrier mix which lasted an excruciating 3 weeks with us before her original owner begged for her back….she was ran over by a car a week later.

I’ve found Armani to be different in terms of being a really quick learner! In three days I have taught him to sit and we’re already advancing in his potty training! He’s lazy with sudden bursts of playful energy and has these sunken eyes which light up whenever you squeeze his pink “Peppa Pig”

Everything I’ve read on these dogs reminds me puppies are children too, meaning they need lots of love, attention, dominance and consistency. Now we have the perfect pair, and boy do these two fight like brother and sister! He takes her toys, she bothers him and vice versa, and she hates it when he gets too much attention.

Most places won’t touch a puppy so small and one receptionist suggested we buy a regular nail file to smooth out his nails. SO we tried it….and we worsened them! Zombie would scream when he would come within 5 feet of her! After much searching we finally found a spot!

Now I’ve never trained a dog before so for any of you fellow dog owners, please let me know if any tips, tricks, or common practices that could be lifesavers for us in this process! Follow me on Instagram to watch Armani the Eskie grow with us!

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