Sunday, December 30, 2012

Song: Rocket


" Bleed in your own light
dream of your own life
I miss me
I miss everything I'll never be
and on, and on

I torch my soul to show
the world that I am pure
deep inside my heart
no more lies."

It's been pretty quite here on the blog this week so I just wanted take a minute to say hi! and to share a song I have been loving these days from the Smashing Pumpkins. I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend so far. Be on the look out for a new post tomorrow about resolutions and welcoming the New Year.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Dear Chloe: Those Precious Moments


Dear Chloe,

Life has been so busy lately that I completely forgot to share with you these sweet pictures I took of you and your Great Grandma from Thanksgiving weekend. Here is the little story behind them - while we were all sitting down at the table enjoying some delicious desserts at your Great Aunt and Uncles house, your GG came over to sit by you while you were sitting in the highchair. It was so precious to watch your face light up as you and your GG laughed and played together. You thought it was so fun to share all your dessert with your Great Grandma, and even fed her a few pieces of your cake! GG was laughing and smiling the entire time you two were playing together and I know it just means the world to her to be able to get to spend time with you. 

Your family loves you so much my sweet child. Thank you for bringing so much love and joy and beauty to our lives!

Love, forever and ever

Mama

Monday, December 24, 2012

Song: I'll Be Home For Christmas



" I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams."

Merry Christmas from the Lang's. We hope your holiday is filled with lots of love, laughter, warmth, and peace.

Friday, December 21, 2012

The First Day Of Winter


Today is officially the first day of winter, and what a wonderful surprise it was to wake up this morning to see our neighborhood covered in a blanket of snow. It's finally starting to feel like Christmas is near! Happy Friday, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend ahead of them.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Song: Fool In The Rain



" I will run in the rain till I'm breathless

When I'm breathless I'll run till I drop, hey
The thoughts of a fool's kind of careless
I'm just a fool waiting on the wrong block, oh ya
light of the love that I found...."

Now I know this song isn't exactly Christmas music but it sure makes me feel all happy and joyful inside!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Currently

Bath time, always a favorite activity of Chloe's!

*Linking up this currently post with Randalin and Lindsey.

Wearing: The usual these days, yoga pants and a sweatshirt, but I have been making more of an effort though to at least straighten my hair everyday and put on a little makeup.

Playing: Chloe and I have been spending lot's of time playing with all the new toys she's received for Hanukkah and Christmas this year. We feel so blessed to have such a generous and loving family.

Baking: Haven't baked anything yet but that does sound kinda fun actually and I know my husband would love it! Any easy but good recipes for a beginner?

Loving: My new blog design created by the lovely and very talented Tiffany. It is exactly what I wanted and even more. I can't say enough good things about Tiffany, she is creative, so easy to work with, talented and so very sweet.

Looking forward to: Our first Christmas and New Years spent back home in Chicago, winter, and playing in the snow with Chloe. Oh and maybe taking Chloe to go see the zoo lights this weekend!

Making me happy: This time of year, there is something so magical about the holidays and winter, and the fact that we are back home just makes it all that much better.

Monday, December 17, 2012

On My Heart: Connecticut

Image Via

It's been three days since the shooting in Connecticut. As a human being, and as a Mother my heart breaks for those sweet, innocent children, and the teachers that were taken away from their loved ones on that incredibly sad autumn day. I cant even begin to fathom the pain that, that community is going through right now, and I pray I never have to.

As I hold my little girl tight in my arms I feel humbled and blessed beyond belief that she is here, warm, and safe, and healthy. To think of something like that ever happening to her brings tears to my eyes. My heart aches for those parents who's children we're taken away from them on that day. No one should ever have to go through something so devastating and tragic.

Our love, and prayers, and thoughts go out to all those affected in the community of Newtown. May you take comfort and refuge in God's great arms.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

A Picture With Santa, 2012


Today we took Chloe to Woodfield mall to get her picture taken with Santa Claus. We waited in line for over two hours and as you can imagine it was no easy task keeping Chloe entertained for that long. In my eyes though, to have this picture, this memory to keep forever and ever made it all so worth it in the end! 

Chloe did wonderful with Santa too. She was very fascinated with him but a little too scared to sit on his lap so Santa had the brilliant idea to drape a red piece of cloth over Mike's legs and have Chloe sit on his lap and the photographer would simply just crop Mike out of the picture. For the most part I'd say it worked out really well.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Around The Web

Happy Friday, so glad the weekend is finally here! We have a few fun things planned for this weekend, tonight we are going out to dinner with family to celebrate by brother and sister's 22nd birthday, and tomorrow or Sunday we're taking Chloe to see Santa Claus at the the mall Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Here are a few things I've been loving around the internet lately:

-- Kate, from one of my favorite blogs - Diapers and Skinny Jeans just announced she's pregnant with baby number two with the sweetest little video staring her beautiful daughter Sofia!

-- This cesarean birth story is so beautiful.

-- I am so in love with this photographers work, his pictures are truly breathtaking.

-- One of the toys Mike and I really want to get Chloe for Christmas this year is the B. Symphony at Target. It teaches colors, shapes, musical instruments, and encourages kids to put different sounds together to make their own symphony!

-- I love the idea of making a touch and feel mystery box for Chloe and found this great tutorial on YouTube on how to make one.

-- And.... here's a little sneak peak of my new blog design!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Currently

Playing in the waiting room at our doctors office yesterday

*Linking up today's currently post with Randalin.

Reading: At the moment, nothing at all. I really need to make it a priority to pick up a book from time to time, I miss reading.... a lot actually.

Listening to: The usual, Ben Howard, Lana Del Rey, Deftones, and the classic rock station on the radio.

Hating: To be honest, the holiday commercials on tv, the ones that make this time a year all about buying things. Maybe if I had a ton of money I wouldn't mind them so much but when you don't have enough money to buy gifts for friends and family those commercials can make you feel so guilty about it.

Laughing: Yesterday evening Chloe opened up a few Hanukkah gifts from my parents, one of them being a shopping cart. Chloe was so excited about having her very own shopping cart and drove it all over the house which mostly consisted of her bumping into everything. She had us all cracking up!

Ignoring: The fact that Christmas is only a few weeks away! For some reason it just doesn't feel like it's that time of year yet. 

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Song: Bel Air

     

" Roses, Bel Air, take me there,
I have been waiting to meet you.
Palm trees, in the light, I can see, late at night
Darling I'm waiting to greet you,
come to me baby."

This has truly been a favorite song of mine lately.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Currently


Loving: These sweet pictures of Chloe. A few days ago I took her to the park to play and she spent most of the time we where there going down the slide all by herself! I just cant believe how quickly she has grown into a little girl.

Watching: Mostly just the show Catfish on MTV and the new season of SVU. 

Listening to: Lot's of Lana Del Rey, Ben Howard, Deftones, and Jeff Buckley these days.

Dreaming about: Getting my hair cut and colored and maybe also getting a manicure and pedicure too. I'm in need of some serious me time!

Looking forward to: My new blog design is coming together beautifully thanks to my wonderful blog designer, Tiffany. I cant wait to see it all finished and to be able to share it with all of you. Other things I am looking forward to, taking Chloe to see Santa Claus this weekend, and celebrating my brother and sisters 22nd birthday next Friday.

Making me happy: This season, this month, that winter and the holiday's are almost here. It just gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Infuenster: The Cosmo VoxBox


First off what exactly is Influenster? Influenster is a free to join community of invited trendsetters who love to try new products and give their honest opinion. Influenster creates links between brands and members to reward participation and influence future products. To learn more about Influenster please visit their website, Influenster.com.

A few months ago I signed up for Influenster and on Saturday I received my very first VoxBox in the mail! Below I have listed the products that came inside my VoxBox as well as a small review on each product.

Inside the Cosmo VoxBox:

:: Ghirardelli's sea salt escape gourmet milk chocolate bar
:: Forever Red perfume exclusively at Bath & Body Works
:: Gillette Venus Embrace razor
:: Gillette Venus & Olay single cartridge
:: $ 2.00 off coupon for any Venus cartridge pack
:: FriXion erasable pen's by Pilot Pen in both black and pink

Product Description and Review:

Product: Ghirardelli Sea Salt Escape - gourmet milk chocolate with bursts of sea salt and almonds.

Review: Delicious! The sea salt in this chocolate bar made me a little hesitant at first but after trying it I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle taste of the sea salt and the creaminess of the milk chocolate. I will definitely be trying this chocolate bar again!

Product: Forever Red exclusively at Bath & Body Works - a blend of pomegranate, red osmanthus, and vanilla rum.

Review: I absolutely love perfume so I was thrilled when I saw Bath & Body Works new perfume Forever Red in my VoxBox. After wearing this perfume for a few days I can definitely say I am really enjoying it so far, it smells very womanly, sexy, and the vanilla rum and oak wood give it, it's edge and richness. I would highly recommend this perfume and think it would be perfect to wear on dates and special occasions!

Product: Gillette Venus Embrace razor

Review: I have been using the Gillette Venus Embrace razor for years now and love how smooth it makes my legs feel after I shave, I also really love that any Venus cartridge will fit any Venus razor handle, so you can mix and match as you please!

Product: Gillette Venus and Olay cartridge

Review: What I really loved about the Venus and Olay cartridge is that it is very moisturizing and made my legs feel very soft and smooth. What I don't like about this product though is that the Olay moisturizing bars on the razor blade run out very quickly. I personally would much rather use a very moisturizing soap or shaving cream that I know will last me a while instead of having to spend money on an expensive razor cartridge that's not going to last me very long.

Product: FriXion by Pilot Pen - writes in gel ink and can be completely erased with the rubber tip.

Review: I'm actually kind picky when it comes to pens because my handwriting is awful and there are some pens out there that make it even worse. The FriXion pen looks well made and I really like the idea of the eraser on the end, which by the way works really well! My only problem with the FriXon pen is that the gel fades in and out when you write with it. Other then that it's a nice pen and I'm very impressed with how well the eraser works!

* Please note I received each product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. Each review listed above is my own honest opinion on the products I received.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Oh, Hello December


It's hard to believe December is already here! Yesterday it was a beautiful 60 degrees outside, so we took Chloe to the park near our house to play, and as you can see we even took off our jackets for part of the time we were there. It sure doesn't feel like winter is quickly approaching here in the windy city but I know it is.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Bits + Pieces


These pictures mean so much to me, on Wednesday Chloe got to meet for the very first time her Aunt Dana and cousins Hannah and Ethan who were in town visiting from North Carolina, and if the night couldn't get any more special Mike's oldest sister Cory and her husband Jeff were also in town visiting from Seattle! Hannah and Ethan were so, so sweet with Chloe and could not wait to meet their newest little cousin, and Chloe just adored them both so much.

I am so grateful to have these pictures to look back on, with everyone living so far apart moments like these don't happen very often.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Currently


Loving: This time of year... there is something so magical about the winter months.

Watching: Right now I am loving MTV's new show Catfish, as well as the new season of SVU. Both shows are really good!

Listening to: Same as usual, Ben Howard, Lana Del Rey and the new Deftones album, which by the way is beautiful and amazing!

Thinking about: I have a lot on my mind these days, life has been filled with so many struggles and challenges.

Dreaming about: Taking a real vacation to some far away beautiful place. 

Looking forward to: Even though this time period has been pretty rough we still have so many things to look forward to, and for that I am so grateful. This evening Chloe will be meeting her cousins Hannah and Ethan for the very first time, we have our first family photoshoot with a friend photographer on Saturday, and then there's taking Chloe to see Santa, and celebrating Christmas and New Years together as a family! 

Making me happy: My sweet daughter, everyday she amazes me more and more.

Do you have a currently post? If so, leave me a link to it in the comments section, I'd love to read what you've been up too!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thankful


Since I can remember I have always loved celebrating Thanksgiving. There is something so warm and comforting about surrounding yourself with the ones you love, laughing and reminiscing about all that you have to be grateful for. These past few years have been incredibly difficult for Mike and I and life has been far from easy but I am so grateful for where we are today. 

On this thanksgiving I am so very thankful for:

:: My sweet little family, Mike and Chloe are my soul and heart. There are not enough words in the world to describe how much I love them both and how grateful I am to have them in my life.

:: To finally be back in Chicago, for now I know that this is were I belong.

:: To be celebrating Chloe's second Thanksgiving at my Grandma's house with the rest of my family this year.

:: Friends and family both near and far. I am so grateful for all the wonderful friends and family that make up our life and even though some of them are far away I will always hold them close to my heart.

:: Mike's love and dedication to his family, everyday he works so hard to support Chloe and I and everyday he loves me for who I am and is such a loving, strong, wonderful Father to Chloe.

:: Simple pleasures, like enjoying a hot cup of coffee alone in the early morning light, kisses from my sweet Chloe, watching her blossom and grow, sleep, and cuddles, and laughter on a Saturday morning.

:: Blogging and this wonderful community of woman and Mom bloggers that I feel so honored to be a part of.

:: Creativity, inspiration and the freedom to do both.

:: God's unwavering, unconditional love for me.

:: Beauty, and art, and photography, and music, and words.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Dear Chloe: The Sweetest 17 Months


Dear Chloe,

Yesterday you turned 17 months old! 

It's so hard for me to believe that in less than a month you my dear will be 1 1/2. It's truly unreal how quickly you are growing up, one minute you we're this tiny, sleepy, newborn baby in my arms and then the next you're this beautiful, smart, adventures, wild toddler. You Daddy and I love you so much sweetheart, since the moment we found out you we're ours our life has been filled with so much love and beauty! Since I've been completely awful about keeping up with your monthly updates I just wanted to share a few fun things you've been up to these days.

:: You have become such a little helper, you'll hand me a diaper when its time to change you, you love helping me empty the dishwasher, and you'll even help me put away the laundry!

:: You love giving your Daddy and I kisses! and a kiss from you is the most sweetest thing in the world!

:: You are such a talkative little girl!

:: Your obsessed with playing with the kitchen utensils.

:: You climb on everything, chairs, tables, the piano bench.... just to name a few.

:: You still love music and now you even sing along to your favorite songs!

:: If you hear everyone laughing you always make sure to laugh along too, it's so funny.

You run and jump and kick and throw and dance and are just such a delight to be around. You can light up a room with your beautiful smile and sweet laugh.

We love you so much Chloe, always and forever

Mommy and Daddy

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Toddler Activities: Hot & Cold


A few day's ago while reading some of my favorite blogs I found this great Montessori activity on Randalin's blog Harvesting Kale that I knew Chloe would just love. Lately we have been working a lot with Chloe on  learning about hot and cold, hot has been very easy for Chloe to understand, she'll say the word hot when she sees something she knows is hot and she'll also blow on it to cool it down. Learning about things that are cold though have been a little more of a challenge, so when I read about this toddler learning activity I knew it would be a great way to teach Chloe about the differences between hot and cold, plus she loves to play in water!

What you need:

:: One bowl of warm water
 :: One bowl of cold water
:: And any other objects you'd like to add that are hot & cold, like ice for example.

Such a simple activity and I loved watching Chloe learn and explore the differences between temperatures. We will definitely be doing this activity again and as Chloe gets older I plan to make it a little more complicated and suitable for her age.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Currently

One of Chloe's favorite things to do, sit in Ozzy's toy basket!

Loving: Watching my sweet girl grow and learn, she amazes me every single day. I cant believe she's going to be 1 1/2 soon!

Watching: I just started watching a new show on mtv called Catfish which so far is really, really good! And as usual I'm still watching SVU, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, and America's Next Top Model.

Listening to: I just recently discovered Lana Del Rey and am so completely in love with her music. Her songs and voice are very dark and complicated and romantic and nothing like I've ever really heard before.

Thinking about: To many things honestly, life has been full of challenges lately.

Dreaming about: Taking a trip to Seattle to visit some dear friends and family I've been missing a lot lately.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving and once again watching the seasons change. I cant wait for the first real snow fall, to watch Chloe's eyes light up with excitement and wonder as we take her outside to play in the snow for the first time.

Making me happy: Last Saturday my family got together to celebrate my cousin Brooke getting bat mitzvahed. It was so great to see everyone together, laughing and having fun and the best part of it all was that my cousin Marc and his wife and daughter were there too! I wasn't expecting to see them so when I walked up the stairs to the synagogue and saw my cousin Marc standing there talking to my Mom and Grandma I was in complete shock. It was amazing to finally be able to spend some much needed time with them, it had been much to long since I've seen them.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

The Simple Things


It's the simple things in life that make everyday so beautiful, like watching my sweet daughter play and splash and float around on her belly in the bath tub happy as can be.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Currently

Loving: Simple things.... like kisses from Chloe, a hot cup of coffee on a cold fall morning, the sound of my husband singing and playing guitar from the basement every evening after dinner. 

Watching: Same as usual, SVU (which by the way I'm really loving the new season so far!) Dr. Phill, a few episodes of Seinfeld and The king of queens and yesterday evening I caught part of the show Mike & Molly and thought it was pretty funny!

Listening to: I'm still absolutely loving Ben Howard, his music just fits my life so well right now.

Thinking about: The election, money, jobs, babies and our future. 
Haha nothing to big right?

Dreaming about: Getting a "real" camera someday. Unfortunately that's last on the list of things my family needs right now.

Looking forward to: My cousin's bat mitzvah this Saturday, winter, and celebrating Chloe's second Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Having a child has brought so much more meaning to the holidays, I find myself looking forward to them more then ever now.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Firsts: Trick or Treating


Yesterday evening the three of us ventured out into the cold to take Chloe trick or treating for the very first time. We had such a great time walking around our neighborhood collecting candy and seeing all the children dressed up in their costumes. Everyone thought Chloe looked so adorable and after a few houses she really got the hang of trick or treating. I cant wait to do this with Chloe every year on Halloween!