HOW 'BOUT THEM NOLES?!?!?!?!?!

HAPPY SUNDAY, SEMINOLES!

 IT WASN'T A DREAM!  :)

WE BEAT CLEMSON LAST NIGHT (BY A LOT) AND HAD THE LARGEST SCORE BY A VISITING TEAM EVER IN DEATH VALLEY!!!!!!!

These pictures were from yesterday leading up to the game. After I put Ava to bed at 7:30PM, my mom came over and stayed at the house.  Mark and I headed over to a friend's house to be able to watch the game with no fear of waking the baby with our obnoxious yelling. 

I wish I would have taken more pictures because it was one of the greatest nights of game watching with my friends.

I spent the entire night screaming my head off with our rowdy friends and it was absolutely amazing. 

I need to get a hold of the videos that my friend captured... It was basically a bunch of grown men throwing each other up in the air for each of the amazing plays while running circles throughout the house cheering. 

I knew it was going to be a great game when we scored in the first 30 sec. of the game. 

AND I love the fact that Clemson fans were actually "attempting to set the record for the highest decibel reading ever at a football game Saturday on Florida State's first possession. 

The Seminoles, though, took a lot out of the amped-up crowd by forcing a turnover on Clemson's first play and scoring three plays later." 

-Tom D'Angelo (Palm Beach Post)

 

and a little quote from the Clemson Coach himself...

 "Florida State might be the best team in the nation." 

- Dabo Swinney

Hope everyone has a very Happy Sunday. 

(51-14) 

:)

XO

Christina 

Ava's 11 Month Old Pictures

I thought I'd post some pictures of Ava during her last "baby" month.
In a couple of weeks she will turn the BIG 1. 
Who am I kidding? She will be considered our baby "Ava beans" forever. 
But really, how is this possible? 12 months have already gone by?!
 I just had her! 

Hope you all enjoy these photos as much as we did taking them. 



What is this thing? Toms? 

Grrrrr! 

Birds!

 

"Ava, Clap! Clap! Clap!"

I love this breeze! 

Is that my friend, Cooper? 

XO

Christina 

Love Your Greens

Morning!!! Ava and I just came in from a jog. Now it's time for my daily green juice. Thought I'd share and ask how you ladies get your daily greens?? 

^ I like using my simple hand blender to mix up my smoothie ingredients: 

Kale, spinach, lemon, apple, ginger root, banana, chia seeds, and water. Blend.

^Ava plays with random items I give her in the kitchen while I do this.

^ If you work outside the home and want to do this daily, I suggest placing your ingredients in a bag the night before (keep refrigerated) and blend at work. 

If you don't own a hand blender, get one. They are inexpensive and easy to travel with. 

Even though I stay home with my little one, planning ahead helps me for tomorrow as well. 

I mix in my large FSU cup and transfer into a mason jar to drink (that's just my preference for a cute mason jar ;) 

Eat (or drink) your greens for countless health benefits, detoxifying your body, weight loss, and an overall tasty way to add natural goodness to your body. 

During breast cancer awareness month, let's remember that our lifestyle choices play a main role in our overall health while taking responsibility of that as women. Our diet can act as a trigger- turning on and off dangerous cancer cells, etc.  There is a lot to be said when we look at our country's cancer rates in relation to our poor health compared to other counties. We love our processed foods here but are paying for it in many harmful ways. 

^this is not meant to offend anyone- just emphasizing the importance of eating well and not just supporting processed foods with pink advertising this month. There are many useful ways to support those with breast cancer and eating a bucket a fried chicken is not the best way.  (Though tasty, not the best way. Haha) 

Hope everyone has a great Monday. 

XO

Christina 

Our Quiet Sunday Evening

Hello hello! 

Hope everyone is having a relaxing Sunday. Mark and I are currently at the dining room table... He is on his laptop preparing for the upcoming work week  and I am making Ava's 1st birthday party invitations (crazy that is almost 1 year already!!!)

 Mark is headed to Atlanta, GA for work this week and I'll be busy on organizing a book drive for underprivileged students. (For those of you who don't know us personally, Mark and I sit on the board for the Seminole Club of Broward County. Since I am Community Service Chair, the book drive project is something I am organizing.)  

Back to Ava...

Since her birthday falls on the FSU vs. UM Gameday, she will be having a FSU themed birthday party. (Shocker, I know... Ha) We are very excited for her birthday. It is also her Godmother's birthday. We have friends from Jacksonville and Chicago that will be here as well! 

Tonight, we are having chili and cornbread for dinner. Between Mark making the chili and my mom making the cornbread, I get to sit back and enjoy my Cabernet. Lucky me. 

Happy Sunday! 

XO

Christina 

Snapshots of Today (10/12/13)

Today was a fun day. First I headed over to Nail Port in Ft. Lauderdale to get some new polish while enjoying a PSL. 

(Instagram photo) If you're on IG follow me at christinamcguire

Then at 12:30 I headed over to Cafe Vico for a friend'a bridal shower. Excuse the missing photos.  I was busy catching up with girlfriends. We had an amazing time. 

The food was absolutely delicious and the staff was great too. I recommend stopping in for dinner if you're in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 

^taken from their website 

The engaged couple:

I've known the groom since I was about 4 yeas old and couldn't be happier that he found such a beautiful and sweet woman to marry. So excited for the both of them. Such a great couple!

After the bridal shower I headed over to pick up some things we needed for the house and also bought some more things to make it feel a little more like Fall in South Florida:

A yummy smelling candle. (Way overdue on candles... All of ours go so quickly because we use so many. I need to stock up for the holidays soon.)

Some pumpkin spice coffee by Unique Coffee Roasters 

And a surprise for Mark. A Fall colored bow tie. 

    

We are all about the little gift surprises. I think it's sweet to remind the other one that you thought about them while you were out all day. 

He loved it :) 

How are you guys enjoying the Fall? It is currently 89 degrees here in South FL so not feeling like Fall just yet. 

Hope everyone is enjoying some college football. FSU doesn't have a game this week so we are just enjoying the other games and lounging out today. 

My mom will probably be coming over later to stay a couple hours after Ava goes to bed so Mark and I can get out and enjoy the jacuzzi :) I would live in that thing if I could... 

Happy Saturday, everyone. 

XO

Christina 

Family Date Night

Tonight we let Ava stay up late and headed over to Bahia Cabana on the beach for a quick family dinner. 

Ava behaved well besides being a wiggle worm and wanting to throw everything on the floor. 

Our waitress was 7 months pregnant and I didn't even notice until her mother (sitting next to our table) told us. That shows how busy I was picking up Ava's toys and entertaining her. Ha 

Mark having his turn holding her while I finished my needed mommy cocktail 

Me and my crazy girl. 

I can't believe this little sweet potato will be a year old on Nov 2nd. 

Hope everyone is having a fun Friday night! 

Mark and I will spend the rest of the night out back with the baby monitor, some cocktails, and a cigar (for him). 

Tomorrow I'm off to a friend's bridal shower- can't wait! 

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. 

XO

Christina 

Our Morning ((Warning: Mommy Rant Inside))

Good Afternoon!

Okay, so I'm going to be a whiny mom and rant about this on my blog because... I can :) 

It's my blog and I can do what I want with it! Ha

Actually this morning was peaceful and typical... Ava sneaking off to chew on Mark's suit buttons in the closet and Cooper wanting my undivided attention. 

^ see? He's like a second child. That's why I already feel like I have 2. 

We got ready and headed to Bed Bath & Beyond to purchase a bridal shower gift for this weekend. Ava and I had fun picking out which gift would be from us. 

It was after this when things went downhill. At the check out counter, the cashier told me that he wouldn't accept my expired 20% off coupon texts that store sends me. I was fine with that. Policy is policy and I am all about following the rules. (I'm being serious) 

Then he happily accepts my Buy Buy Baby coupon which I had with me (they are owned by the same company. Wonderful! 

Now it's time for my "complimentary gift wrap" that he told me about.

"It's over there," he points. 

 "Who should I ask to help me? I don't see anyone over there." I ask 

"It's self service," he said 

Okay, so now I'm heading over there and still fine with it all while wondering how this will turn out since I wrap gifts like a 6 year old. But that's fine. I'm off to do this with baby in tow. 

All of a sudden Ava loses. her. mind. 

She wants out and she wants me to carry her. 

I keep calm, give her some toys and her pacifer...

She refuses and starts throwing these things all over the store. (Baby brat moment if you will.) 

At this point I have only figured out how to horizontally rip the wrapping paper off the spindle without ripping the paper vertically.  Score.

Ava is getting worse at this point. Not impressed with my step 1 in my wrapping achievements. 

(There are barely any customers in the store because it is about 10AM. There are plenty of cashiers and what looked like a manager up front.

I am now expecting praying that one of them comes over and graciously offers to help me since my baby is losing her mind and I clearly only have two hands.

Nope....

Then, I give up. I collect Ava's toys and pacifer off the floor and stick them under the stroller. I go to just cut some ribbon to stick in the bag so that I can just do it later at home. As I'm doing this, Ava is furious with me. I go back to get her a new pacifer from the bottom of the stroller and quickly give it to her. When I look up, I see that I have something white smeared all over my hand. I quickly look at Ava and she has the same white substance smeared on her face. I was able to see it because she threw her pacifer on the floor again without hesitation to make her point. That's when I freaked. 

I couldn't help it (reminder: first time mom here)

 I let out a worried "OH MY GOD!" 

I had no idea what was on my hand and, more importantly, on my baby's face. 

I quickly whiped her mouth area and realized that her sunscreen had exploded underneath the stroller. Luckily it didn't go into her mouth. (I will now be looking for a new, non toxic baby sunscreen incase this ever happens again!) 

Ava is still unhappy at this point. I take her out of the stroller to pick her up, my stroller falls backwards because of the weight of my baby bag on the handles, and I finish up with one hand. 

Side note: It is amazing to me what I end up doing (all day, every day) with one hand! 

I feel like I (and all mothers) should be able to add "I can do what most can but with one hand" onto my resume one day. 

I packed up our things, fixed the stroller situation, and grabbed my car keys. It took every once of me to not freak out let the manager behind the customer service desk know how I felt.

We left, I got a PSL, and we feel better now. 

Back at home and happy again with Ava bayba... She loves the mirror game.

So why am I blogging about this non sense if I feel better now? Well one, Ava is napping. Two, I guess I just miss when there are moments of real customer service. I can honestly say that if I were a Bed Bath & Beyond staff member (at 10AM and no one to help in the store) I would have gone over to a mother with a crying baby and asked her if I could help in any way.
Am I wrong? Because if I am, I will admit it. (I do it all the time. No shame here)

Well, onto the next, happier half of our day. Ava will wake up from her nap and we will go for a jog around the neighborhood. She is loving her new BOB jogger - probably because she gets more breeze since we are at a quicker pace. I will then starting making her 1st birthday party invitations. I already bought the supplies at Michael's craft store. Wish me luck!

Okay. Well, fellow moms, that's all I've got for now. Guess I need to take more deep breaths when these not so fun mom moments happen and move on.
Hope you all have a great rest of the day!

 XO
Christina