Alabama + Graffiti

Alternate title to this post:  While the cat’s away, the mice will play.  One of the things that we did enjoy was getting to try places around Birmingham that we hadn’t gotten to before, or wouldn’t take Sheffield to.  He is a super picky eater, so we stick to the major food groups:  chicken nuggets, pizza and cheese dip.  So it was nice to get in a few good date nights and try some new joints!

First up is Little London Kitchen!

I have been wanting to try this place out for forever.  They started out as a food truck with seating in their double decker bus  – which they call The Duchess.  However, they have opened this cute little brick and mortar in Homewood, and it’s amazing.  They have made it feel like a slice of England in Birmingham – they have paid attention to all of the details.  They have the English favorites – meat pies and fish’n’chips, but we got the Diesel Duchess Chips (they were featured on a Netflix series), and the Vegetable Masaman Pokoras.  Everything was delicious – including their cocktails.  They did also have a kids menu with chicken, so we will be able to take Sheff here in the the future!

The second place we got to try out was a new ice cream place in Homewood: Neighbors.

We got really lucky the night we went, and we were the only people in there.  They had the cutest neon ice cream cone, and an attached ice cream cone on their building.  The people behind the counter were so nice and helpful.  I got a scoop of a turtle ice cream, and B got peanut butter chocolate chip.  We each ordered a single scoop in a waffle cone, and the ice cream was so delicious.  I can’t wait to take Sheff over to this place!

Next up are a few places that I didn’t get too many pictures of:  Abhi, Cayo Coco and Freddy’s Wine Bar.

Freddy’s Wine Bar is nestled inside a condo building off Highland Avenue in downtown.  It was actually really busy when we went, and we were lucky enough to score a seat inside.  They did have a full menu, but we decided to get the cheese and meat plate.  It was also old-fashioned night, so B got one of those, and I got an amazing glass of Malbec.

Sushi is one of our go-tos when we know we won’t have the kid with us.  We wanted to try out a new-to-us place, so we hit up Abhi in Mountain Brook.  We had the nicest server, and the sushi was delicious.  We tried out the Everest, the Sexy Lady and the Summit roll.  Their cocktails were also so delicious that we ordered a second round.  Perks of being childless for the night!

Next up, we went to Cayo Coco Rum Bar.  This place is really close to both our of offices, so we had been in there before for cocktails, but we hadn’t gotten to try out their food yet.  Unfortunately, they were really busy, and with everyone being short servers, the service wasn’t great (not complaining – as previous servers, both B and I understand).  But their beef picadillo empanada was incredible, as was their cocktails.  We’re hoping to go back and try more of their menu.

It was really fun to be able to try these places and not have to worry about a babysitter or being home at a certain time – so we were able to relax and just chill out.  Most nights we spent at home – we made a fancy cheeseboard with Brie and Iberico and Burrata from Trader Joes – as well as prosciutto, and smoked bologna from Pennsylvania.  We drank some wine and watched some Jeopardy.

It was like getting to re-date your spouse, and we had a lot of fun getting to reconnect and enjoy each other.  Thankful for the grandparents who made it possible.

It has been a looooong two weeks, but we finally got our kiddo back!!

For the past two weeks, I have felt like this knot in my stomach – like something just wasn’t right.  Like I was living on edge, and even though I have massive anxiety, it felt worse without him there.  As soon as I saw that sweet face, it just all melted away.  Him running into my arms was honestly one of the best feelings.  And he just didn’t want to seem to let me go – it felt sooo good.

Since the meemaw drove with Sheff by herself down to Wytheville, VA – we decided to go and explore the city for a bit while she took a nap.  The downtown area was so cute, and we went shopping at some of the antique stores there.  It is also the birthplace of Edith Wilson ( Woodrow’s wife) – and they had some of the cutest little murals and trails.  They even have a giant pencil attached to their office supplies store.

After we walked around for a bit, we hit up the pool in the hotel.  We had been promising him pool time since our last visit to that hotel, so we made good on it.  We played for about an hour before going back up to the room to change for dinner.  We went to Moon Dog Brick Oven for dinner, and they had the best warm Italian sub I’ve ever had.  B got a really good beer.  We went back to the hotel, Sheff got in jams and ate his pizza in bed while we watched some of the Olympics.

Sheff begged for me to sleep with him in his bed that night, and I happily obliged.  He was extra extra snuggly that night, and who am I to deny myself Sheffield snuggles?

It is so so so good to have him back –  our house is less quiet and less clean, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am so glad to see Friday – work has terrorized me all week (and let’s be real, will probably do so this weekend as well), but we get to pick up Sheffield tomorrow, and I can’t wait to give that guy the squeeziest of squeezy hugs.  I know it’s good for him to spend time with the grandparents and do new things, but dammit, I have missed him like crazy.  It’ll be so good to have that sweet voice back in the house.  Anyway – onto the Friday favorites!

// John Mayer’s Sob Rock came out last week.  I love everything John Mayer – his voice, his guitar playing, and I love this album.  I have been to five of his concerts, and am hoping to make it six next year.  This album reminds me a lot of his older stuff, which really makes me happy.

// Sweatshirts are my love language – and also anything Harry Potter.  Enter this Deathly Hallows sweatshirt, and well, I’m a pretty happy girl.  I am not-so-patiently waiting for fall!

// Do I need pink flats with a chain link strap?  Probably not.  Do I really really want them?  Yes, yes I do.  These are so cute, and since I’m back in the office full time in August, I’d definitely get wear out of them.

// I’ve been wanting a prettier watch band for my Apple Watch for when I’m not just lounging around the house or working out.  This one is super pretty, comes in a million colors and is under $30.  I’m sold.

// Again with the sweatshirts!!  I love the look of this one, and it looks so cozy.

// Nadine sent me a link to the Disney x Pop Sugar Collection at Target.  Tiana is my favorite Disney princess, and I love this little trinket tray.

My favorite moment of the week was getting to have lunch with Zoe and Nadine – sometimes you really just need to sit and have a poke bowl with your bestie and her kid.  It was really really good for the soul.

 

I hope you all had a great week and have a good weekend!  Can’t wait to get my Sheffield back!

We got to spend Sheff’s sixth birthday in PA with my mom and step-dad.  We got up there late on a Friday night, enjoyed some spaghetti and went to bed super early.  We had a birthday party to get ready for in the morning!

The next morning, we got up and hit two markets.  We got so many good local goodies – including ranch and old bay pickles, and a log of smoked bologna.  At the second market, we got the BEST pretzels ever (the line at the stall for these was hella long, and with good reason.  Think Auntie Anne’s but better), and a delicious boba tea.  They had almost everything you could think of there.   My mom had also gotten a really cool yard sign with dinosaurs to boot.

After we dropped the boys off, we went to get balloons for the party.  We got so many balloons – because Sheff loves balloons.  I helped my mom make the apps and got ready to celebrate our 6 year old!  Luckily my step-dad’s grandson has two younger kids and brought a water slide, so they played in the water the whole time.  They were all so cute together.  We did a hamburger and hot dog cook out, enjoyed cake and an ice cream bar, and watched Sheff open his presents.

I am glad Sheff got to spend his birthday with his meemaw and pappy.  He definitely got spoiled for his sixth birthday!

Man, am I far behind on my posts.  There has already been another trip to New Orleans since this one – so I need to get on my shit.  Prepare for a lot of NOLA this upcoming week.  Maybe.  Who knows if I’ll keep my word and actually post.

It was brought to my attention that a lot of my “online” life was under some scrutiny – what I was posting on Instagram about my workouts (which I addressed) and in general.  I’m worried my blogging will come under the same fire, but decided it’s too important for me to not link up my life on my blog.  The circle of people that I completely trust keeps getting smaller and smaller.  And in a world where I’m already pretty guarded, people keep giving me reasons to keep it that way.

On this day – we started out with Cafe du Monde in City Park.  As always, their beignets were delicious, and we got to enjoy a frozen cafe au lait as well.  After that, we walked a few minutes and decided to do the sculpture garden.  It was really neat, and Sheffield really enjoyed it.  We unfortunately got caught in the rain, so we were all soaked by the time we got back to the car.  We drove over to Parkway for fried shrimp po’boys and a hot dog that Sheff inhaled.  Later that afternoon, we decided to just roam the Quarter for a bit, and Sheffield picked out a fun New Orleans Pete the Cat print and book.

That night, my dad and step-mom graciously kept Sheffield overnight in their hotel, so we could go out and celebrate our 12th year anniversary.  We hooked up with Robert and Lindsey to get bikes, and we rode our bikes all around New Orleans.  We started at Auction House, where we got some dinner.  B got sushi, and I of course, got Mexican food.  After that, we headed to the Higgins hotel for some rooftop cocktails and beautiful views of NOLA.  Then we headed over to the Carousel bar for French 75s. Lindsey and Robert had to get back, so we just rode our bikes around for a bit.  Our last stop was Bar Tonique, and then we headed back to the hotel.  It was definitely a fun way to spend our anniversary, and was really glad that Lindsey and Robert could join us for the celebration.

The next morning, we went to pick up Sheff and the parents and headed into Jean Lafitte for an airboat ride.  Our guide was amazing, and knew exactly where to find the gators.  There was one who stayed by the boat pretty much the whole time.  And Sheff even got to throw a marshmallow to him.  It was honestly a really fun trip, and I definitely recommend doing it.  Later that afternoon (since the pool in our hotel was closed), we took Sheff over to Dave & Busters for some game playing.  We all had a really good time.  Later that night, we had our trusty NOLA babysitter come over, so we could enjoy an adult dinner at Vessel.  We ordered an amazing cheese plate and food, and then went to some hole in the wall bar and had seltzers and brews until about 11.  It was a good way to send them off – since they were leaving the next day.

 

We had a pretty couple of next days.  One was spent doing some remote work, but then at night, we went and let Sheff play around in the pool.  We had “moved in” to my dad’s hotel since they had it the whole week, and they had a really nice little courtyard area.  Sheff had a blast swimming around, and we enjoyed their free wine tasting.  The next day, we had planned for the zoo and splashpad, but as you can tell from the pictures above, we got totally washed out.  It actually wasn’t horrible walking around the zoo in the rain, and at least we got a good story out of it!  We stopped at Dong Phuong on the way home for banh mi’s, and they were honestly the best we’ve ever had.

It was such a nice little short getaway, and was glad to get to have that family time – especially showing my Dad and step-mom around, and showing them everything we love about NOLA.