Travel in Style: w/ a kid edition

H&M chambray top | Zara jeans | German loafers | Liz Claiborne carry-on

You know what's worst than a crying baby/toddler on an airplane?! When its YOUR crying baby/toddler on that airplane. This past weekend, we took a trip to Arizona for my fiance's family reunion. I've been the one with the crying kid and its a horrible and embarrassing feeling so lets talk about the things that I feel are essential to smoothly traveling with your little ones!

1. Dress Comfortably
This one may be kind of self explanatory. No one likes being uncomfortable, especially children! Generally for travel purposes I dress my sons in jeans and a collared polo or t-shirt or a play set. Especially now that we're smack in the middle of the potty training. Who likes having to take off crazy amounts of clothing just to pee?! Even worst on an airplane! Being comfortable is definitely essential. Have you ever gotten really dressed up, only to go thru airport security and have to disassemble your entire ensemble?! This is why this rule applies to you too!

2. Entertain them
I remember when I was little, traveling with my 2nd family, the Radix's. Her mom would pack us each a backpack with little activity books. In today's society, we all have tablets and smart phones. Same thing. And if you don't have iPads or Galaxy notes for your kiddo, a VTECH equivalent will suffice. And if even that is out your budget, grab a couple of their favorite toys. In terms of noise, everyone is usually asleep or wearing headphones anyway, so as long as its not overly loud, you'll be fine. & again, your little one may just fall asleep, so don't forget to pack something for yourself!

3. Bring the crunchy munchies
We all love food. & our kids are not excluded from this. & airport/airline food is ridiculously overpriced. Personally, I like zip lock bags of wheat thins, nilla wafers, and/or pretzels that we pack at home. Here's another helpful tip: if you let the TSA agent know that your regular sized bottle of water or juice is for your little one, they'll allow it threw the checkpoint. So there really is no need to purchase food while at the airport (unless you have multiple connections). My son is at the age now where he wants to carry his own things, and by all means I support his independence. As seen in the picture below, he pulls his own bag and carries his own backpack. Of course, these are for the shorter trips where his bag is lighter and doesn't need to be checked.

4. Remember the odds & ends
This includes things like neck pillows, blankets and change of clothes. I always travel with these items. I think it's just kind of self explanatory for these. So I hope this list was helpful and helped to bring things into perspective. What are some essentials that you use when traveling with your families?! I'd love to know!

xo,

Glenesse

Pretty People & Peplum

Lace top & Peplum skirt - ROSS | Christian Louboutin Daffodile

I love mixing highs and lows; and honestly, I do what my budget can handle. I love stores like Ross, Marshalls & TJ Maxx for little gems like these. Granted, you need patience to tackle the racks, but they are so rewarding! I've had these pieces for years, minus the skirt which was purchased a few months ago. I was intimidated by these heels because they're weren't that easy to walk in at first but 20 minutes I was strolling like they were kitten heels. & they are fairly comfortable! We spent the evening in Austin with Jeremy's godmother Claudette (who flew over from Germany) catching up on lost times. Claudette and her family are awesome people who have always been there when we've needed them.



How did you guys spend your weekend?! I'd love to know!
xo,

Glenesse

Supermodel Saturday

Yesterday I was invited to "Supermodel Saturday" to receive a free facial by my neighbor Marvalon who is a Mary Kay consultant. Personally, I've never worn Mary Kay make up, but I was surprised by their product. Minus my eyebrows, I was fresh faced and ready to sample all that Mary Kay had to offer. It's finally sunny again in Killeen and it was well received after all the rain we've been getting lately.

H&M top | F21 shorts | DSW wedges

How did you guys spend your Saturday?! Leave me a comment, I'd love to know!
xo,

Glenesse

The day we almost got a dog..

I'm not a dog person. I've never really been a "pet" person in general. Fish, maybe. Anything that needs a vet?! No. My son Jeremy is normally terrified of dogs but for some reason this puppy in particular caught his attention. & as I watched him, I had ALMOST come to terms with the fact that I might actually have to buy him a dog! Until the lady told me that this Chihuahua puppy was $200. That was all I needed to give the puppy back and continue on my merry way! Jeremy is only 3, so getting him a dog would mean I have a dog and quite frankly I'm content with out one. So that's how that story ended.


As I said, Jeremy is normally afraid of animals but this day he really surprised me. He rode a horse! I never expected that to happen. He was such a big boy. I was the proudest mama in a 100 mile radius. Isn't he the most adorable little equestrian you've ever seen?! Check out his little TOMS:


Do you have pets?! I'd love to hear your opinions on the subject.
xo,

Glenesse

An Apple a Day..

Updates are in order! First things, I've finished my first class since being back in school. Granted, it was Fine Art Appreciation, I got an A! It's a relief to know that I passed. Hopefully I can maintain a 4.0 GPA. In terms of work, time is winding down until I have to leave for Recruiter school. I took a Physical Training Test (timed push ups, sit ups & 2 mile run) and passed, so now I can reenlist and continue my career.

Now, about what this post is really about! My neighborhood is brown. Literally. All the houses are made of bricks in shades of browns and all the doors and garages vary from tan to brown. In true absoluteDoll fashion, it was my duty to change it! Here's what it looked like before:


Pretty much, it looked like every other house in the neighborhood. I made it my mission to have lush grash and better curb appeal. I planted flowers, fertilized the grass with Weed & Feed and watered it everyday. & after hours on Pinterest I decided to paint the front door. Picking a color is always the hardest, but I had an idea of the color I wanted so I settled on "Apple a Day" by Olympic. Its a self priming exterior paint. Originally, the siding, trim and door were all the same color. We taped off the hardware and painted directly over the existing paint.


Here's how that turned out:



Even though the door looked great, the house in general needed more. I had already decided to paint the garage door as well, and yesterday I took the plunge. I absolutely love the outcome! When I hit the corner I already know which house is mine and I'm elated. Here's the finished product:


Would you get a load of that grass! Who said you couldnt have green grass in Texas?! Although my water bill is $40 more, its well worth it. There are homes in my neighbood with in ground irrigation systems whose lawns are not nearly as nice! I'm so proud of it and so happy to share it with you guys! Hope you guys like!

xo,

Glenesse