And we are back for more fun down South! We left you in our last post with some very yummy bbq. Next day we took a day trip down to San Antonio to see the Alamo.
A model I am not. Lol
This was arguably our favorite part of the trip. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I mean it was crowded and there were people everywhere but the whole mood around the church was so respectful. It reminded me a lot of our visit to Westminster Abbey.
Then we strolled along the River Walk and had some lunch!
After that we booked it back up to Fort Worth and crashed in our hotel.
The next day brought an early morning trip to the Fort Worth Zoo. Guys this zoo was fantastic! If you even remotely have the chance to visit you should totally do it. The animals were so well cared for and the zoo was well maintained.
Tay was so happy!
After lunch we headed north of the city to the Stockyards.
John was everywhere at the stalk yards.
We ended the night with a steak dinner and another movie and crash at the hotel. The next day we flew home. It was a great trip!
This trip was amazing! The weather was beautiful the entire we were there. The food was amazing and of course we got to do all the things!
Downtown Fort Worth, TX.
Our trip included a visit to Fort Worth, Dallas, and San Antonio. We went to the Depository, the Dallas Science Museum, the Alamo, Fort Worth Zoo and Stockyards. A very packed trip as per usual when I plan them. I am always very ambitious.
Me and my brother’s hound. Isn’t he gorgeous?
We also of course visited my big brother(the whole point of the trip) and his school TCU.
Fort Worth was very pretty! And like I said earlier the weather was perfect. Mid-70’s during the day and nights got down to the mid-40’s.
And then there was the ginormous monster that was Dallas, TX. And we’ll have to do the rest of the picture recap tomorrow! See ya then!
Happy Labor Day! (Or by the time you are reading this post-Labor Day) My sister and I had the day off, which since we both work for the same family does not happen often. And with adventure calling we headed north to Door County.
Us early in the morning(after snagging coffee) ready for the 2 1/2 hour drive north.
Our main goal for the day was to explore Cave Point County Park(a County park inside of a State Park) and paddle board up the coast of Lake Michigan.
We accomplished our goal! It was an absolutely gorgeous day with a warm sun and cool breeze. The water wasn’t freezing, which it normally is and it was crystal clear.
I’m Queen of the Rock!
After our paddle board adventure we are our packed lunch(Swedish leftovers of course) and then hiked the park.
By 2pm or so we were headed north for coffee and some shopping in Sister’s Bay.
We enjoyed our visit immensely. And after some our light shopping we continued northward for some Ice-cream!!
The pumpkin ice cream and homemade waffle cone was amazing!Tay enjoyed her cookies n’ Cream as well.
We kept heading north all the way to Gills Rock. Before we turned around for the long trek home. We stopped in Egg Harbor at Shipwrecked Brew Pub for some much needed supper and we were home by 10 pm.
If you stop at the Shipwreck Brew Pub I highly recommend the Clam Chowder- Delicious!Lots of love guys!
Happy Valentine’s!! Yay for love- So I have no idea what you guys are doing for Valentine’s but my sister and I will probably eat a delicious meal and watch some cheesy movie. But what movie? Below I have compiled my favorite “romance” films. (I’m using romance very loosely as some of them might be more subtly romantic)
Decoy Bride
My absolute favorite rom-com! It is so deliciously ridiculous, while also being heart felt and believable… well as believable as any rom-com can be. If you have not checked this one out you are seriously missing out.
Emma 2020
While there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the 1996 version of this beloved story I absolutely love the new adaption! Anya Taylor-Joy is so much fun to watch and the raw humor coupled with Jane Austin’s considerable whit and a beautiful color pallet; this film zooms in for the win.
Sabrina
I mean it’s Boggie, Audrey and William in an love triangle of the century. Complete with French make over, ball gowns and… David! (Oh and also a goldfish named George)
100 Foot Journey
One of my favorite movies this one is packed full of love and food(it’s in France after all) Helen Mirren is charming and the food looks amazing. So yeah. Enough said.
BeautifulFantastic
Last on the list is less a romance movie and more a film about friendships. Andrew Scott is amazing and my fav; plus Jessica Brown Findlay gives a very compelling performance. Add in Tom Wilkinson and you have a winner.
So what is your go to I’m-still-single-on-Valentine’s-Day-movie? As always…
Hello all my wonderful readers! As I write this post(which you will get next week as perusal) I am laying in my bed on my yearly work trip to Pittsburg, PA.
We usually visit the Steel City in the summer, but because of the crappy year formally known as 2020 it got pushed back all the way to 2021… yay…
Being a live-in can require traveling with the family you work for, which I have covered here. As well as a bonus post about being a nanny when just the parents travel(here) This is probably one of my favorite things about nanny hood. I have always been up for adventures and exploring new places and to do that for free? And to get paid to boot!(not that there’s not work involved- there is) Such a cool and rewarding experience.
So without further ado here are some of the picks from the trip. Hope you enjoy!
We brought the snow with us from WI.Macaroons from Oakmont Bakery… to die for!When in Rome late night snacks are allowed.More baked goodies from Oakmont Bakery.
Not a lot of pics mainly because the family I work for just visited family and everything else was pretty much on lock down. But it was a really nice trip.
Also guys be sure to check out my “Nannyhood” section on the website for even more info on my dream job. Or if traveling is more your thing(wanderluster over here) then check-out all my many travel blogs and look books.
O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. Isaiah 25:1
The Bible is God’s holy word is replete with examples of God’s faithfulness. From the beginning God spoke of a coming Savior who would crush Satan’s head freeing the elect from the power of sin and death. History is God’s story of redemption and love. But who is this Messiah? Is He to be ignored? Is He to be admired? Or is He to be worshiped?
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4
“26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed[b] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”[c] 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” Luke 1
The Savior, fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, by the power of the Holy Spirit and without sin. He is the Son of God.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1
Jesus the Son of God is eternal and the creator of all things.
“15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[f] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Colossians 1
“18 For Christ also suffered[a] once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” 1Peter 3:18
He came to earth to be a ransom for sin to give His life to redeem men from every tribe and tongue. For we were dead in our sins and trespasses alienated from God. We were His enemies deserving eternal death.
“2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—“ Ephesians 2
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[a] from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In the fullness of time God sent forth His son Jesus who is Christ the Lord.
“2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.[c]
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” John 2
Last post I am gonna try to squeeze in before the season is over. Yikes! I meant yesterday’s and today’s for last week but I was rushing around meeting up with friends. Trying to squeeze them all in before the holidays. Anyway all that to say that is way this week you are about to be overloaded with Christmas related content. Let’s go!
Painting my canvases… a project in and or it’s self.
This year(like back in March when the world ended) I decided, mainly because my fingers needed something to do, I decided to make homemade ornaments for everyone for Christmas. I try to make a least one gift. Last year I made those big hand knitted blankets for my coworkers. (My adult coworkers to be clear) I find that homemade gifts are more special and meaningful than something store bought.
My inspiration!
These gorgeous hand embroidered ornaments were a joy to make and took me since March till last week to finish. I think I made a grand total of seven… I think. They all kind of blur together.
I started by painting the canvas so I had some kind of pattern to go off of and then went into stitch after stitch. I really think they turned out well.
My handiwork. Not bad right?
This might be a tradition I continue. By making a homemade ornament every year. Though now my embroidery project is over I miss the hand work and need a new project to pick up. Obviously I need to decide what next year’s ornaments will look like(thinking of trying needlepoint) And then my other two grand ideas are fancy rag dolls and/or a quilt. A hand sewn quilt. That might be too ambitious but we shall see. I am going to be doing a lot of research into this one before I just jump into it. Quilting can get expensive along with being time consuming and taking up space in my apartment.
Rag doll inspo. Aren’t they adorable?
Anyway do you have any homemade gifts to give this year? Or ever received a homemade gift?
Oh what a wonderful, crazy time of the year! This is true I think in every aspect of life, but nanny hood can get especially chaotic.
I thought I would do a very brief and grand overview of what a Christmas Nanny looks like! (Ya know since I don’t have time for an in depth look)
Christmas Traveling
First thing you should be aware of if you are thinking seriously of pursuing that #thatnannylife, is that some families will actually want you to work during the holiday season. If this is a regular thing for them, because they travel every year and need that extra help, they should explain this either in their want ad or during the hiring process.
Most families however like to have the possibility of you being willing to work a holiday. So they’ll say that in their ad. Something like “must be flexible” or “willing to work some holidays”. For instance I will be working New Years this year. So just be aware of this when applying for a job.
Wrapping, wrapping, wrapping…
I don’t know if every family will ask their nanny to wrap Christmas presents, but my family does. And it never fails that at the beginning of the season I am all excited to pull out the paper and the scissors. But wrapping for six kids quickly gets to you and by the end I don’t care if the paper has sharp edges or not! As long as they have something to pull off the thing on Christmas. When people ask me what I did at work today I say I wrapped… for an hour and half… I don’t know if everything will be wrapped by Christmas.
Everybody’s Home
The Christmas season is also challenging in the fact that everyone is home. This year hasn’t been quite as noticeable because of COVID. But everyone is on Christmas break and the parents are home wanting to do activities with the kids. Plus relatives come to visit(I have done a post about the awkwardness of this here) and the house can get very full, very fast. Don’t get overwhelmed and just focus on your job as best as you can. Much like being on vacation with the family(covered here) nap and bedtime schedules and other daily routines will get shifted around or thrown out the window. Just do the best you can and know that is only one time a year that this happens.
Never ending Christmas Programs
Of course this looks a little different this year. With many events having been canceled and/or done virtually. But this time last year it seemed every night there was some Christmas party, program or what not to get the kids ready for. Normally I would just make sure they were clean, dressed and as ready to go. But sometimes I would take them and drop them off early for whatever Christmas themed program was needed. Then there were cousins and family members’ events to get to. It can quickly become a lot. But like everything else on this list, just remember that you can only control so much. Do what you can and let the rest go. You’re only human after all.
And that’s it my lovelies! If you still aren’t satisfied and what to learn more about nannying at Christmas here is last year’s post; plus a link to my very first nanny related post if ya want to start at the very beginning of my crazy journey.
I don’t know about you guys but this time of year is either all or nothing for me. Either it is crazy busy, bubbly and none stop go; or really lonely. There is like no in between. Last year was kind of “eh” time. And like at the totally other end of the spectrum this year has been the most Christmas-y Christmas I have had in a long time. I think that is probably because my baby sister is living with me. (So thankful she’s staying with me)
We’ve listened to Christmas music none stop since November 29th and we have basically watched a Christmas movie every night. (I think Tay is getting slightly tired of the music) We got our first ever real tree, made gingerbread houses and threw a Christmas party.
And the most lovely part is we haven’t been forcing any of this. We’re just doing it because we want too and not because we feel like we have to.
What’s the point of all this? Great you’re having a wonderful Christmas. So happy for you, but what does that have to do with me?
I just want to “give you the permission” not to do all the things. Christmas doesn’t have to fill some list or Instagram goal. It’s okay. I don’t know, maybe it’s super presumptuous of me to even write that. But I know I really need people to tell me it’s okay not to do everything. Don’t put that stress on yourself. Why should you? Who said Christmas was supposed to be perfect or trend worthy?
Anyway I just thought I would put this out there for those of us who need that permission. I hope this makes sense(it probably doesn’t) Oh well.
Hello everyone! I hope you had just fabulous holiday weekend. With the jump into a busy and festive couple weeks I thought I would give a few tips on how to throw an awesome holiday party. (Pics will be from a Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving Party I helped planned) but can be easily applied to a Christmas get together as well.
My apologies- the party I planned for Thanksgiving and talk about in this post. I didn’t have time to take pictures so here are a few throw backs.
Okay so first off I love planning and staging a party. Going to and/or running said party not so much. I love make things look pretty and over the top(which ya will see) fun, but hosting… Yeah can someone else do that? But in the end my desire to plan a party normally overrides my introverted-ness. Not always(looking at you Pumpkin Carving Party- ah maybe next year) but sometimes.
My Checklist for over-the-top-party- mania!
I mean why wouldn’t I write this post like my others… checklists, bullet points… I like lists. Moving on!
Pick a theme or activity–
This is normally my first step in party planning or else I drive myself crazy with options, because I want to do all the things. So really just focus on narrowing down your options. Examples of a Christmas Party Theme could be:
Ornament Making Party
Gingerbread House Party
Christmas Movie Night
Victorian Themed Costume Party
Christmas Cookie Night
Christmas Art Night
Christmas Caroling Party
Tree Trimming Party
So these are just a few options to tumble around in your brain. And just because you pick one doesn’t mean you can’t combine it will another. You could have friends over to go caroling in your neighborhood or apartment building and then come back for hot cocoa and reading of your favorite Christmas books. And though while I am specifically talking about parties at your house(or apartment) you could skip having people over and go ice skating with friends or to look at the Christmas lights. See my mind is already overflowing with all the things.
Once you have your theme/activity picked out it really helps narrow down your other planning details. Let’s tackle my favorite point next…
The Fixings-
Anytime you have a group of people together ya need food. Now this(like picking a theme) can be overwhelming, because there are so many options! So again really narrow those options down. Do you want to serve a full fancy meal?(Victorian Costume Christmas Party anyone?) Or do you want something more laid back? Just do little weenies and meatballs and other o’derves? And if food really ain’t your thing you can always do the “everyone bring something to share” routine.
But don’t be afraid to go over the top here folks. I personally love tying my food options into my theme. So like the Thanksgiving Party I knew we were doing a fancy catered meal, which translated into laying a very fancy table spread.
So like a Christmas party you may want to do a Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board. Or any kind of Charcuterie boards really. Cheese and crackers, build-your-own sugar cookie board, Christmas cookie board, etc. Pinterest had so many gorgeous ideas. And no only do these boards taste amazing, but they look amazing and almost decorative. Below are two boards I have done in the past(one for Thanksgiving and one for my sister’s baby shower. Again I go over the top so these are a bit extreme)
I honestly could go on and on talking about food. I mean I love to cook so I tend to try and make my things homemade, but even if you(like my sister) can’t cook or bake to save your life by a prepared try or meal at the store. Both Sam’s Club and Costco have really cool options. But let’s move on or we’ll just stay here forever.
The trimmings and trappings–
So probably my second favorite thing to plan for a party after food is the decorating. Growing up my Mom loved to decorate! In that over the top way I have learned so well. Our house was called the “decorated house” since it literally looked looked like a Better Homes and Gardens catalog. But at now time did my Mom decorate more than at Christmas time. Our whole house became stuffed(in a good way) with the Christmas season. I have followed my Mother’s footsteps happily(as have all my sisters- it’s a blessing and a curse)
That being said decorating is just natural to me. For the Thanksgiving Party I literally used my own decor from my apartment. But I realize that might not be everyone’s strong suit, so here are just a few small tips to hopefully help with the confusion of staging and decorating:
Little details add up-
Everyone loves a party favor-
Music sets the mood-
Candles and smells bring warmth-
Food can be used as decor-
Use what you already have-
Party favors!
Just Be You!
My final and probably most important point is just do you. You do not have to throw the most amazing Christmas party ever. Even if you did no body might show up or the food may burn or your tree fall over. The point is it is not going to be perfect. And you’ll only ruin the party for yourself if you try to make it perfect.
If big groups aren’t your thing don’t have a crap ton of people over. Just a few friends for hot cocoa and puzzles and Christmas music can be just as good as a big group for ornament making, food eating night.
If you don’t have money to spend on the trimmings and trappings skip them. Turn on your favorite Christmas playlist and bring on the snacks and games.
Stop setting yourself up and trying to be that perfect host. Just enjoy the friends and the fellowship. Let’s do this!
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