Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Our Favorites for November

November has come and gone almost and I thought a new post that I would do towards the end of the month would a feature on what the Haluska family is loving at that very moment.

Joe's Favorite-besides being showered with love and gifts on his birthday he is loving the show American Horror Story. It is pretty hard to get Joe interested in anything besides sports but every week when Wednesday rolls around he wants to make sure we can sit down and enjoy the show!! It is pretty scary/creepy in my opinion.

Erin's Favorite-IT was very hard for me to narrow it down to one thing. But those are the rules for these posts 1 favorite and 1 only.  Right now my favorite are Candy Cane Jo-Jo's from Trader Joe's. When I was in Naperville last time I picked up some of these and for me they are a little sneak peak of what is to come for December and the Christmas spirit. Plus they are delicious!!!

Harper's Favorite-Harper's new favorite isn't really a thing right now but rather a talent. She recently started doing this and absolutely loves doing it now. Whenever we sit down to eat dinner or during the day this is all she wants to do!! What a big girl!

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday in my opinion. It is a time to reflect on family and friends that you are so grateful for when life is going at warp speed.

Our Thanksgiving weekend started on Wednesday night when daddy got home from a long couple of weeks on travel. We were so excited to see him that we got all dolled up and went out for a fancy dinner.

This is Harper giving Daddy his birthday card, a turkey from her hand and footprints. His birthday was on Thanksgiving this year so it was fitting for the occasion.
 
It was so great to go for a nice dinner with my loves. Have I mentioned what my new winter drink is, a white russian. It is vodka, Kahlua, and a splash of cream!!!
Here is my sweetheart and I at dinner
 
After dinner we headed home and finished out packing since we wanted to get on the road bright and early the next day. Thanksgiving day we loaded up the vehicle and began out trip by listening to The Polar Express on cd in the car. I love that story such a classic. We had Thanksgiving with Grandpa and Grandma Zanoni and a relaxing evening at their house. Friday we braved the crowds for some great deals. We stopped and visited with nana as well in Albia and enjoyed seeing some of Joey's friends from college.

Saturday night we headed home since we had lots to do in anticipation for the following weekend.

The Haluska's are very thankful for a warm and loving home, a great group of friends that we love and that make the WC feel like home, and family that is always there to support us!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Blackberry Market

Over the last 4 year I traveled to the Naperville/Wheaton area quite frequently so  I have frequented many of the shops and restaurants. It is a wonderful area and I adore spending time in both areas since I am surrounded by family.

Recently a friend of my aunts began a journey to open a res truant in the Wheaton/Glen Ellyn area. I know her personally as well because she has helped me when I have been watching the She-She's.

On Halloween I was able to talk to her about her restaurant. It is going to be AMAZING and it makes me wish there were more places like this where I live. Friday and is shop small business day, remember to support your local vendors and shops on this day.

Below is a video about Blackberry Market
http://www.indiegogo.com/blackberrymarket

I highly recommend watching it. They needed to raise $15,000 and did it through donations through their town!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

It Is Almost That Time Of The Year

Good Morning Everyone,

I don't know about you but I am starting to get in the mood for some Red and Green. I know I ma being totally cliche since it isn't even Turkey Day but I can't wait for the Mr. to carry up the tubs of decorations and to get busy.

I had to share something that I have followed for you a few years and it is great during the Christmas season.

Food Network does an email series called the 12 Days of Cookies. Different chefs from the channel feature a different cookie for 12 days!!

Get Ready to Bake Food Network's Best Holiday Cookies

So go sign up today and get ready to be hungry and use alot of flour!!!!!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Wordless Wednesday

Halloween 2012 ( Yes I know it is November and I am just now posting a picture from Halloween, I must do better at keeping this blog up)
 
 
Harper was a very cute Oompa Lumpa!!!
 

Monday, November 5, 2012

Milk and Cookies Party Part 2

On to the next part of the party
The favor bags for the adults and favor kits for the kids.
A long time ago I saw on Pinterest how you could re-purpose formula cans and I loved this idea since we had an abundance of them. So I started saving them months before Harper's birthday and they were simple to dress up.
Inside the kits were crackers, crayons, paper to drawer on and a juice box. It was Perfect! Thanks targert for providing the the coordinated color scheme for the crackers! To cover the formula can I wrapped a simple piece of scrapboook paper around the outside!


The adult favor bags were simple brown paper bags with scrapbook paper to dress it up a bit! Inside was a red crush drink and my mom's special batch of "crack" crunch mix.
I had the favors in the foyer which made it very easy as people arrived and left to grab a bag!
Joey tackled a big part of the decorations as well and that was a hand drawn canvas all about Harper at 1. He did such a great job and it is perfect. It nows hangs in her room and I smile everytime I see it.

Above the cookie bar I had every picture from her monthly photo shoot on one side.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A Milk and Cookies Party Part 1

I started looking for ideas for Harper's party when she was 7 months old!! Yes I know that is early but I couldnt wait and there are so many cute ideas for children's birrhday ideas. I had 3 ideas going strong and narrowed it down to the milk and cookies theme by the time she was 9 months.  I loved this idea for the simplicity of the menu, and the idea of being able to do cute little touches along the way and in different areas of the party.
Let's start with the invitation. I looked, and looked, and looked and couldnt find one online that I really liked so I took the color scheme, and started to put together different ideas. I love how it turned out and although I spent a good week cutting out cookies, and milk bottles it was worth it at the end
 
 

The Color Scheme: I purposely picked something other than Pink! why?? Because I thought pink was to obvious of a choice and I wanted it to be something different because when Harper gets older I am sure she will want a pink girly party and we will have pink galore than!! The color theme was brown, reda nd white polka dots. I carried this theme through the invitations, decor around the house and favor bags.
Menu: The menu was extremly simple and was cookies and milk. I had chocolate and white milk and 6 differnt cookies. The cookies were Harper's Kisses, Fall Fest Cookies, Chocolate Chip, Grandma Eileen's Special Cookie, Chocolate Yummies, Yum Yum Balls.

 
Part 2 Coming Up!!!
 
 
 
 




Wednesday, October 17, 2012

A Year Of Harper

For Harper's Birthday party Joey made a video from this past year!! We had it playing on the tv for some of the party on autoplay. I love watching it!!! Thank you so much Joey for taking th time to do this!

We love you Harper Regina!!!!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

12 Months Old

Harper Regina is 1 Year Old!!!

Height:30 inches

Weight:25 ilbs

Sleeping: Still doing great! She typically goes to bed around 8 and gets up at 7:30-7:45. She is still taking 2 naps most days but a few days a week she only has one. I can tell on the days that she only has 1 nap she is a little more sassy come dinner time. Either way for right now we are blessed that sleeping has been so well.

Eating: This girl loves to eat!!! She eats about 3 solid meals a day along with 2 snacks. She drinks from a sippy cup and has done great transitioning to only 2 bottles a day in the morning and at bedtime. Next month we are planning on moving towards only 1 bottle a day being at nightime.
Some of her favorite foods contuine to be fruit, veggies, pasta, and hot dogs!! Whole milk is what Harper drinks in her bottles and occasionally she gets a little bit of 100% of juice dilluted with water.

Playing: Harper is a dancer. If there is music on she is moving and bouncing up and down. Normally in the morning I am unloading the dishwasher and Harper stands at the dishwasher and dances as I put the dishes away. We recently got her a new carseat and she has loved the box that it came in. Sometimes the best toys are the ones that are the simplest.

Harper Can DO:
-Stand holding onto something
-Climb up the stairs all by herself
-Say Dada
-Say Momma
-Wave Hello and Goodbye
-point out her tummy
-point out her hair

Harper is still working on walking and standing along she is getting closer everyday!
I plan to contnue updates on Harper but they wont be every month.

More on Harper's Birthday Party to come!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

A Weekend Away So The Parents Can Play

This past weekend me and the hubby headed on Thursday to KC to start the celebrations of Joe's best friend wedding. It was such a good time and despite the cold weather we had a great time and got to soak up every adult moment.

The rehersal dinner was at a beautiful italian resturant called Trezo Mare. I loved the selection of dinnedr and the cold drinks!! This is a picture of the groom, Joe and I.

Unfotunately they had planned the ceremony and reception to be outisde and it was cold. But during the day I ran out and got some much needed tights to coplete my look for the evening.
 The tent was gorgeous and Katrina made all of the decor herself!!!
 Me and my the best man at the wedding! Love him!
Yes we had a very long weekend and Harper and I were in some much needed time in bed together sleeping!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Show and Tell: If


 

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1. If you could relive any memory in your life, tell us what it would be, and what/if anything you

would change about it?
I think every mother would automatically say the day their child was born. To change things up and be a bit different I am going to say my wedding day. Every single person that has gotten married would probably say the day goes by so fast. I would love to go back and relive that day over again. There are a few things I would change. I would love to be getting married at sunset. I love the color of a summer sun setting and I would love to be able to enjoy the day getting ready with my bridesmaids and family. I would love to get the rush I experienced again in seeing Mr. H standing at the altar and the once in a lifetime experience of saying those special vows to him again!
 
2. If you could be any celebrity or well-known person, show us who you would be.
 
I would be Savannah Guthrie the new host on the morning show The Today Show. She recently took over the anchor co-host position with Matt Lauer and she gets to do a variety of stories from current news topics, to fashion, cooking, etc. She always has a smile on her face and she gets to meet the group of fans outside everyday which seems like a great day to spend working.
 
 


3. If you won the lottery, tell us would take the lump sum or take the money overtime, would you continue working or quit right away, would you reveal who you are, and what are some of the first things you would spend with your money?
This is a question that the Mr and I talk about all the time on our road trips. First up I would take the money overtime. First I don't want to lose any of that money for a quick pay-out. Secondly we aren't in dire need of the lump sum so we can afford to take it in a monthly payment. Yes I would reveal myself but I wouldn't be interested in alot of publication or media attention. I would love for my husband to be able to quit working so we could travel, spend time together as a family and/or open a family business together.
 
4. If you could live anywhere, show us where it would be and tell us why.
This was alot of fun picturing where I would pic and searching for a house that I would choose. A year and a half ago Joe and I almost made the move to this state for a job opportunity for him but God would have a different plan for us at this time in life. I would choose for Tuscalossa, Alabama. It is a beautiful city, great southern charm and the University of Alabama is right down the street, roll-tide roll!

This is for sale in Tuscaloosa, AL right now!
 
 
 
5. If you could have one magic power, what would be and what would you do with it?
 
To fly. I know a very generic answer but I think it would be incredible to feel the wind beneath and the view that you could see. I think everyday I would take a quick fly around town and when traffic was bad I would put those wings to work!
 
Want to take part in show and tell next week the topic is
"When I was 17" and here are the questions
1. When you were 17, tell us what kind of car you drove, where you worked, and what you were usually up to on the weekends.
2. Show us a picture of you when you were 17 {roughly}.
3. When you were 17, tell us what you wanted to be when you "grew up."
4. When you were 17, tell us the kind of boys that you dated. Did you have a type? Do you have a relationship you remember well? Tell us about it.
5. When you were 17, tell us where you pictured your life 10 years from then. Did it turn out the way you expected it to?






 
 

 
 
 
 

Thursday, October 4, 2012

A Mantra For All

Good Morning All,
Can  you believe it is October already? I am having a hard time really believing it myself. September really flew by!

I found this saying the other day on the great and wonderful PINTEREST and wanted to share!
Pinned Image

Isn't it peaceful???To me iot is wonderful!
We have a big day ahead of us, Harper Regina's 1 year old pictures! Her outfit is laid out and we are crossing our fingers for big smiles!
Have a great day!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

A Year Ago Today. . .

A Year Ago Today. . . . .. . . . .  ..

-I was starting to get pretty anxious about meeting the baby inside my belly!

-I was starting to go crazy wondering if it was a boy or a girl(I really thought it was a boy)

-I had come to the conclusion that I couldn't get any bigger

-My house was filled with little (very little) clothes

-My nails and toes were in tip top shape for the big event!

-Tums were constantly at my side

-My love for diet coke was SURGING since I knew a cold one was right around the corner!

and this is what I looked like

This was the actual picture I posted on October 3rd 2011 with my 37 weeks report!
And now I am enjoying this sweet face!
 
LIFE IS VERY SWEET

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

An Awesome DIY Cleaner

I must admit something right now on this blog. . . . I AM NOT VERY GOOD AT CLEANING MY HOUSE! I procrastinate and wait till I know I am going to have people over, or guests are coming over and then I do a mad scramble to clean and organize. This always creates stress in my household and I don’t like it at all. So, going into the Fall season, I decided this was something that was going to change in the Haluska household. I decided to try a cleaning schedule and sticking to it is a MUST!!!!
 
With this new cleaning regimen on the agenda, I started realizing that cleaning supplies are expensive and not the best to have in your home with a little girl that is very mobile. The search was on to find some great useful DIY cleaning recipes, and I must say that I hit the JACKPOT!
 
I have never liked the tile in my main floor bathroom, it always looked dirty to me and no matter how many times I scrubbed it with my Swiffer it never really looked that clean. Until the day that I went to the dollar store and stocked up on cheap toothbrushes, baking soda and water.
A scrubbing party started, and I was literally amazed at the difference that these simple, household items could make.
 
Kitchen/Grout Cleaner Recipe
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
4 Tablespoons of water
Mix these ingredients together, and you can use a sponge or toothbrush to clean your surface.
Here is a picture of a row of the floor that has been cleaned, a row that is about to be scrubbed, and the untouched portion-HUGE difference right?
 

Monday, October 1, 2012

Friday Night Fun Night

Life can get so busy that sometimes you need to slow down and enjoy life a little more. Joe and I are traveling usually 2 weekends out of he month so we decided that when we are home we are going to make the most out of Friday nights and try to establish some family fun nights.

In the last month and a half we have made it a point to carve out some very fun, ,simple, creative, family time together and it has been great for us.

Whether we are making pancakes in the shape of our name, shopping at target, or grabbing a bite to eat somewhere it is the simpe togetherness that we have relished in.

                              Letter pancakes! Harper loved that she got the whole thing to start with!
                                    Me and my sweetie pie! No makeup for momma on this Friday Night!
                                           Harper doing some re-arranging for the house!
                                                Mommy's drink of choice on Friday Nights
                                                 Dad and Wrigley grilling out dinner on the deck!
What do you like to do around your house on a Friday night when you dont have anything going on?

Thursday, September 20, 2012

11 Months Old

How can my sweet girl be 11 months old, almost a whole year old? This time has gone by so fast!

11 Months Old

Weight: 21 pounds even

Length:29 inches

Diaper Size: 4

Clothing: 12-18 Months ( I recently paced away a bunch of her clothes that didnt fit anymore)

Food: Harper is still loving to eat but has started doing a new trick when she eats. When Harper doesn't want anymore she will shake her head or cover her mouth. To say the least her personality is really coming through at mealtimes. We have started to wean her from her bottles. She is doing great and we are so proud of her. Harper does still love to try whatever someone else is eating she will literally try calling up you if you are eating something.

Sleeping: Still does a great job. We recently moved her crib so it was flat against the wall and not angled anymore because she was throwing all her pacis behind her crib. She still takes two naps a day and goes to bed around 745 every night.

One of Harper's favorite new toys is her grocery cart. She loves to put toys inside of it and than sit inside of it while Joe or I push her around the house!

Harper has completely mastered the stairs and can climb up them in a breeze. She is working on standing by herself and no walking yet!

Harper's first birthday party is coming up quick we are in fill party planning mode around the house and so excited to celebrate her special day!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Laugh Attack

What a joy it is to get to spend everyday with this precious girl!!!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Harper's Spot

When we were in Chicago for our anniversary day CoCo got out a special surprise for Harper girl, which she LOVED!

When I was growing up I had a special chair, a rocking chair that I loved to sit in and play and read books! My mom has kept it all these years and decided that it will be Harper's spot at her house!


Monday, September 10, 2012

2nd Anniversary Celebration-Part 2

Here is the conclusion to our anniversary celebration

After dinner we headed to a close bar to RPM which happened to be Harry Caray's. Joe and I love the Cubs so we saw it very fitting to go there.


                                          Joe with the one and the only, drinking one for his Papa
                                         For our dearest CoCo who is the best Cubs fan we know!!!
 After a quick drink here we headed off for the big conclusion to the evening which was an architectural  tour along Lake Michigan of Chicago. It was perfect because I have always wanted to do this and it was at sunset which made it perfect. The boat we went on had a bar which was a PLUS and we meet some fun people.


It was an amazing time and I couldn't be more thankful for 2 years of being married to my best friend!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

2nd Anniversary Celebration

It is hard for me to believe that it has already been 2 years since Joe and I were married! What a beautiful day it was with pink and brown being our colors, our sweet family and friends that surrounded us on that day and to my dear husband for your unconditional love and support.

Joey is really good at spoiling me. For our anniversary this year he had plans in place for some time. All I was told until the day before our getaway was that my mom would be taking care of Harper and that he had lots of stuff planned for us in "THE CITY" translation heading into Chicago!!! Just the idea of spending the day in Chicago was perfection whatever the specific plans were was the icing on the cake!!!

Saturday morning we got up Harper and CoCo took us to the train station in Naperville and she even had screwdrivers(orange juice and vodka, yes they let you drink on the train) made up for us. We kissed them both goodbye and started our journey into the city.
                                                                    (train ride photo)

When we arrived and stepped out of the train station. It was a beautiful day in the city. The sun was shining it wasn't to warm and it was buzzing!
The first place we headed to was the bean in Millennium Park.


After taking our picture in front of the bean we headed down to the lunch area called Central Park Grill. I decided to have a classic Chicago lunch of a Chicago hot dog. It was so great sitting outside for lunch.
After lunch the journey continued down Michigan Ave to bar 679 in the Omni Hotel. It has a great view of Michigan Ave and Joe and I love it there.
Joe loved how they served his beer in this glass I need to find these somewhere!
After 679 we headed down to the Michael Jordan Steakhouse. Believe it or not it was gorgeous. Joey was in Heaven and wanted to kiss the floor when he walked in. The drinks were so fun too.
Joey's Pick:
 Erin's Pick
Both were delicious and the food looked good too! Our next destination was Pops Champagne. It is a beautiful bar that features a vast array of Champagne. We decided to go with a Cranberry Champagne that we both loved. I could drink Champagne everyday!
After Pops, we wanted to go to Trump Tower because we had heard they had a beautiful outdoor bar that had a great view. The rumors did not disappoint.

After the Trump Tower it was time to head for dinner which I was beyond excited for. Joey had made reservations at RPM. It is a new Italian restaurant that Bill and Guiliana Ranic opened in Chicago and it has gotten amazing reviews. We had an amazing dishes and we both can't wait to go back.



The drink I am drinking above is Bill Ranic's speciality it is limencello sherbert and champagne! Delicious!
After our dinner we had a short amount of time before the conclusion of our trip so we headed to
Part 2 is coming tomorrow! Check back in!