Oh yes, the announcements.

I said that I would post my fab announcement(s) on Monday, and here we are.... 9:41 pm. Better late than never, right? It's been a whirlwind of a day, mostly because of announcement #1. Trying to get all my loose ends tied up and ready to go. Here's a look at the excitement:

1. Dylan and I leave for Indiana tomorrow!!! 8 days of joyful vacation and family time! Ben will be joining us on Friday, and it's going to be fun for all. Double fun: We're all flying out of the Provo airport! No driving all the way to SLC and doing the long security waiting thing.

2. We found a sitter! Thanks to our friends Drew and Jenna, we were referred to a great girl who lives nearby. No idea on how Dylan is going to do without his beloved sitter Denisse, who moves next week. 

3. My sister sent me the link to this website with hilarious commentary on celeb kid fashions, authored by "Suri Cruise." Get ready to laugh. 

And here's the big, huge, fabulous announcement that I alluded to in my last post....

4. I'm switching from working full-time to working part-time!!!! There are no words to express my excitement. Seriously, part-time full benefit jobs are hard to come by with the State, and I managed to snag one! Hooray! Expect a happier, less stressed me. 

May Birchbox!

This month's Birchbox finally arrived! Hooray! Seriously friends, I look forward to Birchbox day all month. More than Glamour magazine day, more than BH&G magazine day, more than any other mail day. Are you starting to understand my love for Birchbox? Yes, it's intense. 

This month's box had a Gossip Girl theme, which prepared me for a glamorous and trendy box. True story: I've never seen an episode of Gossip Girl in my life, but I do know that the show is famous for amazing looks and fashion. Yes please. 

Anyway, I was beyond thrilled with my May box. Here's what I received:

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Shampoo- Love. Seriously, if it wasn't $55(!) per bottle, I would be ordering a full-size bottle of this shampoo. It smells amazing, and it makes my hair feel sooo soft, light, and clean. 

Miracle Skin Transformer- I haven't really used this yet, but I'm excited to give it a go. 

Dior Diorshow Extase Mascara- This mascara is absolutely wonderful. I've used Dior mascara before, and it's always been one of my favorites. Love this. 

Dior Miss Dior Perfume- I've been on a major perfume kick lately (currently switching between about 7 different scents), and I was so excited to add Miss Dior to the mix. It's such a classic scent- floral with a little bit of musk. I've been sporting it the past few days and I love it. 

Bonus: XOXO notecard- I have a whole box of cards and stationary at my desk, and I have a serious love for handwritten notes. This is a perfect addition to my collection and I can't wait to use it. 

Alright pals, I know that I've been a sporadic at best blogger lately. I'm working on it. In the meantime, get excited for Monday's post, as I will be making a big announcement. Can't wait to tell you all! And NO, it will not be a pregnancy announcement. 

Anyone want to humor me and try to guess what the big announcement is?  Ready......GO!

Friday Five.

Yikes, I went over a week without an update! I really do prefer to post a few times each week, but life has been so darn hectic that blogging takes a back seat. Here are five things that went on this week:

1. I took a sick day on Wednesday. Was I sick? No, but Dylan sure was. I was up at 4 am with a sick boy and a whole lot of puke. Not so fun. Luckily I have a job that doesn't mean the end of the world when I have to stay home, and a boss that is willing to pick up my slack. Thanks, Jorden!

2. Dylan got better! I actually took him to the doctor on Wednesday, because on Tuesday evening he got hit in the head with a hard, plastic ball and it left a huge bruise and gave him a bloody nose. I just wanted to be sure that the head bump and vomiting weren't symptoms of a concussion. They weren't, thank goodness! Here he is on Thursday night, happy as a clam:

{Helping me cook dinner. He wanted to wear his apron, and he got me mine to wear as well} 

3. This isn't exactly recent news, but I discovered Francesca's, a darling new store at the mall. Gorgeous clothes, accessories, and gift ideas. I bought this necklace on my first trip:

I love this necklace and I get compliments on it every time I wear it. The price was also reasonable- it was about $25. 

It also makes a lovely new addition to my jewelry wall:

{Note: Must spray paint jewelry holder white}

4. This is some sad news for our family: Dylan's sitter is moving to Texas at the end of the month. Dylan adores her and it's so sad trying to find a new sitter that can fill her shoes. We will miss her family very, very much. Boo for people moving. 


5. I went to Sephora on the hunt for a new eyebrow pencil. I've been using MAC for years, but seeing as my local MAC counter went away when Nords closed, I was in the market for something else. Enter in my new cosmetic love:

Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil

I popped down to the mini-Sephora at JC Penney's and was pleasantly surprised. Great color with natural results. I'm kind of in love with this. Another perk of hitting up mini-Sephora? The great girls there gave me all sorts of samples to try out. Love! Turns out I'm also in love with Jennifer Aniston's new perfume. Who would have thought?

Alright friends, that's it for the day. Have a great weekend!

First of the Month Dinner: May.

Hooray! First of the month dinners are back! Actually, they never left- they just never made their way to the blog. Whoops. This month's dinner actually look place on May 2nd- that's because my husband is a rockstar and booked me a massage on the evening of the 1st. It was the best surprise! Thanks, Benjamin!

This month's dinner was actually a pitiful excuse for a dinner- hamburgers and strawberries. To be quite honest, I do make a mean hamburger. My mix of salt, pepper, and garlic powder makes the burgers taste amazing, no lie. 

What was special about tonight's dinner was what we discussed- the fun things we would do as a family during the month of May. Ben wants to try taking Dylan to a movie in the theater- probably a matinee at the dollar theater. If things go badly then we're only out $3, right? I want to take Dylan to Thanksgiving Point's Farm Country. 

Sounds pretty lame that two little family activities are considered  extra special, but Ben and I are usually too wiped out from the workweek to really want to do extra things during the weekend. It's just easier to relax at home, but we also realize that it's special and wonderful to do things as a family outside of our house. 

Anyway, here are a few pictures from our lovely dinner:

We like each other.

Delicious strawberries in a happy little bowl.

Aaaaand Dylan decided to pretend to be a puppy and drank out of the cat's water bowl. Ewwww.

The Husband and his Mini-Me.

One of the many things that I love about my husband is his interest in sharing his hobbies with Dylan. Ben decided that it was time to teach Dylan about golf, so he had his old putter cut down to Dylan size and started to teach our two year old about the game. 

Of course, Dylan just eats this up-- Dylan adores his dad and tries to imitate everything that Ben does. It's adorable, really. From the silly characters that Ben creates (Mr. Frog, the duck, and the woodchuck to name a few), to his mannerisms and interests, Dylan loves to follow in his dad's footsteps. 

Since the weather has gotten warmer Ben and Dylan have spent a little time each week outside with their putters. Yesterday when Ben asked Dylan if he wanted to putt, Dylan's whole face lit up and he yelled, "Uh-huh, YEAH!"

Here are some snaps of the  golf pros:

Here are a few taken on another day:

I sure love my boys. 

Friday Five.

Here are five great things that went on this week:


1. I discovered these:

Ohmygoodness, they are absolute heaven. I love almonds as is, but brush them with cocoa and I really cannot imagine something better. I may have eaten half of the can for dinner last night. Whoops. 

2. During one of my work appointments this week, a teenage girl whom I have never met came up to me and said, "You're a really pretty caseworker." Random compliments like that just warm my heart. It kind of reminded me of the somewhat creepy time when I was driving somewhere in a State car and some guy who was in the lane next to me rolled down his window and yelled at me, "Hey, are you a PO (probation officer)?" I said, "Nope, I'm a caseworker." He gave me a big smile and said, "I wish you were my caseworker!" before speeding away. Ummmm thanks, I think? BTW, you should not have to have a PO or a caseworker, just saying. 

3. Mmmmm, Yogurtland. Every day I try and find an excuse to go there for yogurt, which seems to have resulted in one real visit each week. Cheap, low-fat, and delish.

I prefer to get just yogurt and not mess it up with any toppings. Yuuuuum.

4. I found the perfect swimsuit for this year! Unfortunately, it's a little more spendy than my usual suits. I showed it to Ben and said, "Mother's Day present, please?" We'll see. Here's the top I picked, and I want to order the matching bottoms too- both in "vivid blue."

5. I discovered how ridiculously easy and convenient freezer meals can be!

{not my freezer...yet}

Good heavens, where have I been? My dinner making efforts have been pitiful at best this spring!  I come home from work and feel exhausted and don't feel like cooking, simple as that. Well, times are a-changing on the dinner front- enter freezer meals. All I have to do is take a little time and make some freezer meals over the weekend, and then I'm set for the week! I'm definitely going to keep doing this. There are some great sites with tons of freezer meal recipes and instructions- here, here, and here. 

Real quick.

 How cute is this boy? Yesterday he was so excited to get on his little bike and go to the park. And he insisted on wearing the sunglasses. I die.

Is it possible to botch No-Bake cookies? Cause I think I did. I've made them numerous times in the past, but this time they just wouldn't set and remained goopy for hours and hours. Even then, they went from goopy to kind of sticky and fragile. What gives? Unfortunately, the goopiness did not stop me from eating 5 of these on Sunday. Hangs head in shame.

That's all for today, friends. Enjoy the sunshine and have a great day!

Friday Favorites

Here are a few things that have been my favorite this week. Mainly, it's because they've made life a little more enjoyable.

My co-worker Jenny brought a Scentsy catalog to work, and I ordered a warmer and some Scentsy bars. To be honest, I've been wanting a Scentsy warmer for ages, as I love my home to smell good, and I love that I do not like running the risk of setting my house on fire with a warmer. 

I picked a warmer that would be able to go from room to room if I wanted, so I ordered the Crinkle full-size warmer. 

Cute, right? It's pretty and functional, which I love. I also chose the Scentsy bars in Perfectly Pomegranate and Home Sweet Home, because I think that's what my friend Taylor has. Her home always smells amazing, and I'm fine being a copycat when it comes to delicious smells. 

Holy delicious, people. I spotted these yesterday afternoon while out and about and decided to give them a try. They. Are. Amazing. Seriously, it's like the people from Mars read my mind about what I would love the most and put it in M&M form. I hope this is not a limited edition treat, because I want to eat them for the rest of my life. Yep, they're that good. 

Ben and I are absolutely drilling saying "please" and "thank you" into Dylan's head. Seriously, toddlers are demanding enough, and everything sounds a little better when it's polite. If Dylan asks for anything and doesn't say please, we prompt him to do so. If we give him anything and he doesn't say thank you, we prompt him to do so. He's getting really good about remembering his pleases and thank yous, which is rewarding and adorable. 

Oh my goodness. I saw this ring and I gasped. How beautiful is this? Diamonds + bows + Chanel = perfection. If I would have been been among the lucky three winners of the Super Lottery then this ring would have been one of my first purchases. Dream big, right?

Have a great weekend, friends! 

April Birchbox.

Hooray, hooray- it's my favorite time of the month again- Birchbox time!

Last month's Birchbox was absolutely spectacular, so I kind of expected this month's box to be a little more normal. I realize that it's rare to love everything in my box, so a box of some great things and some ok things was anticipated. And that's pretty much what I got. Great and so-so. Here's a look!

Atelier Orange Sanguine Perfume- Smells nice and orangey, but it's not really my favorite. I can see myself wearing this scent every once in awhile during spring or summer. 

Yes To Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes- LOVE THESE! Smell is wonderful, and they do a great job. I love cleansing towelettes, as sometimes washing my face is more work than I'm willing to put forth, but these are a perfect remedy. I think I'll end up buying a full-size pack. 

Marula- The Leakey Collections Omega Rich Pure Marula Oil- Whoops, haven't tried this one yet. It's supposed to be an anti-aging face oil... we'll see how well it works. 

Weleda Pomegranate Firming Night Cream- Not too shabby. Thick without feeling greasy, nice smell. 

Zoya TRUE Spring Collection Nail Polish- Oy. The color is called "Farah," but it should really be called "Corpse." It's one of those nude polishes that does not work for my skin tone. 

Let's all say VOM- both for the color as well as the state of my cuticles. 

What I must say about Zoya polish is this- it stays on! Even though I've hated this color since minute 1, I still find it on my fingers 5 days later, free of any and all chippage. This stuff doesn't budge. 

Terrible polish colors or not, I love Birchbox and cannot wait for next month's box to arrive!

And again, if any of you want to sign up for Birchbox, email me at chrissi.harris@gmail.com and I'll send you an invite. 

The Zoo!

Last weekend we were able to have Ben's dad Carl and his Aunt Carrie visit us for a few days. They're such easy guests and we love having them. Dylan and I went to the zoo with them and some of Ben's cousins on one of the afternoons. It had been awhile since Dylan's last trip to the zoo, and I knew that he would love it at 2 1/2 years old. 

It isn't a Hogle Zoo visit without a ride on the carousel, right? Dylan was so excited by all the options  of which animal to sit on, but in the end picked the elephant. I'm telling you, he picked the largest and most high up animal on the whole carousel- it was not easy to keep a grip on him!

Here we are! Dylan was obviously not into pictures or being held... nope, he preferred to run around the zoo like an animal himself. Luckily, the zoo was absolutely empty, and it was very easy to keep track of him!

Dylan loves his grandpa, and was excited to get such a great view of the elephants. Dylan was such a happy boy and was telling me what sounds all the animals make. 

Dylan also loved sitting on the fake versions of the animals and would have conversations with them. 

"Oh hi, mommy lion. How are you? Hi baby lion."

We had a great view of the tiger, who was just taking a nap during our visit. Thank you tiger for taking a nap right in front of the window!

Our visit ended with a trip on the train, which had to be the highlight for Dylan. How do I know? Because he had an absolute come-apart when we had to get off the train. He cried, he wailed, he tantrumed. He is still talking about the train days later. 

What does that mean?

Another zoo trip is in order!