Baby on Board. Literally.

Hello! We are back! Broke-O and baby took a vaca! We went ALL the way across the country… a little math equation I call 4 flights, 4 days, 4 generations! It was pretty amazing to introduce Gavin to my 95-year-old grandfather, who instantly nicknamed him “the little fighter.” Who still gives out nicknames at 95, much less original ones? My grandpa. You can learn a lot from a guy who enjoyed a martini a day for most of his lifetime.

Though I had to skip the martinis, the trip was still an educational opportunity for Broke-O the mommy. This was baby’s first plane ride, and we figured we would start with a bang! No need to test the waters with a short flight to California or something. No, we just took a quick jaunt to the east coast. Me, Gavin, and the heavier-than-hell Marc by Marc Jacobs diaper bag. I love that thing, but I nearly ripped the strap off by making it so heavy. Though I sought tips from my really smart mom friends and the fairly smart baby books/sites, I still had to learn a few things the hard way. Which is fine, because I’m going to do this again in a few weeks, and then I can act like the pro and boss the husband around. Here are a few pieces of advice (if you want them – I realize I’m speaking from minimal experience, so take it or leave it) on travelling with a cute little peanut:

see: time to pick up that kindle!

-probably don’t need to bring your back issues of Vogue. And Real Simple. If you haven’t had time to read them at home, you probably won’t have time on the plane with your new little friend. Because my travel companion WAS actually so well-behaved though, I did have time to read. Thus, I recommend the Kindle. Which is a lovely little invention that I left at home. Because I’m a bozo. The plane + baby definitely requires a one-handed apparatus. Have you ever tried to read a magazine with one hand? I know I have small hands, but it is pretty much impossible.

-also, you don’t need your super warm and cozy scarf. You may be used to travelling with scarves and I understand why; they make great pillows and I always believed help keep the nasty plane germs away from my face. I made a point to wear a scarf on the plane no matter what time of year I travelled. Not anymore, fashionistas! First, lugging around your travel buddy-baby AND that bag loaded with (what seemed like) rocks weighs easily… too much for me. So, you are basically a packhorse and then you have on this WOOL-CASHMERE scarf: no. Don’t do it. Then, remember you are carrying the baby who loves to smother himself in a front pack situation. His face plus drool plus your cashmere: no again.

-While you’re at it, just wear as few clothes as possible.  It. Is. So. Hot. On. Planes. Maybe you used to think they were cold. Again, not anymore. Lugging that baby around is a WORK.OUT. And then you confine yourself to the bite-size seat and squish your overflowing bag underneath the seat in front of you – economy plus is a joke for a mommy and baby! We needed economy plus plus. Or multiplied or something.

-when planning your plane wardrobe, whether with baby or not, I (along with everyone sensible) recommend you dress in layers. I hate travelling with a coat, but in winter it must be done. The rest of the year, I usually do a cami, short sleeve t shirt, grandpa cardigan, and boyfriend jeans or leggings. (I really like this sweater too; Leith has some great pieces right now.)

-definitely bring another adult! My bestie and mom was a fabulous and fashionable partner. (We made sure to have a little “episode” as she called it at Nordstrom a few weeks before.) Though most people are very friendly and accommodating with you and your babe, there are just a lot of moving parts. TSA is intense for a normal, competent person; do they have to SHOUT at you about the bag of liquids? It’s so stressful. And then you add in that angry lady in front who needs no less than 6 bins and has the audacity to give ME a dirty look when I leave my (adorable) monogramed necklace on! It was an honest mistake! Bin thief.

Travel safe and smart, fashionistas! Stay warm and watch for a post on winter-wear (especially COATS) coming soon!

Safe travels, fashionistas!

Between the wedding whirlwind I told you about in my last post, you won’t believe this. But. I. Went. On. Vacation. This. Summer. Miracles do happen! Not only was this a MAJOR feat because I was successfully able to sneak away for 7 days and not miss a wedding, but my little retail-working self has not vacationed during June or July since… high school?! You all know I love my work, but this is the first summer that this Nordy girl wasn’t slinging sales and clocking 13 miles a day during the Anniversary event (trust me – I wore a pedometer last year and it was SCARY. You don’t want to see those things when they are reading double digits after your regular day at… work!). This year, fear not – I am still a Nordy girl, tried and true (duh), but after 7 summers, I have a new home on the 4^th floor that I LOVE. I am in Human Resources, recruiting and hiring, and this position comes with a wee bit more work-life balance. This makes the husband happy! I thought he would be even happier when I invited him to go on vacation with me, but not so much.

When I say I invited the husband to go on vacation with me, it’s because I did. I extended a personal invite (actually more than one), and I got declined! We did take a lovely week-long vaca to Maui with my family (and yes, I absolutely bought and sent vintage postcards like the one above because they are SO cute and make people smile when they get their mail), but a couple weeks ago, I decided I needed one more mini-trip. I like using “mini” when I want something, because it seems like I’m asking for less. One of my frequently used phrases is “Can I have a mini massage?” This implies that I want him to give me a massage equivalent of service I would pay $100+ for in a spa, but I throw “mini” in there so it seems like a quick and easy request! Try it at home and see what happens!

Back to my mini-vaca. We usually go with a group of friends on a (wild and crazy and not G-rated) house boat trip every year. Last year, 6 couples on the trip were engaged. This year, guess what? They all got married. Not that married people aren’t allowed at Lake Shasta – I proudly pioneered that trend! But, with all the weddings and honeymoons, we took a hiatus and will resume Shasta 3.0 in 2013 (get excited for that post, people)!

Thinking this would be the perfect opportunity to go on a 2^nd honeymoon (ok, more like 3^rd or 4^th but who’s counting? Those things should be endless, right?), I suggested several genius ideas to the husband. First, I generously offered to take him to Lake Chelan, where I could conveniently lay out all day and wine taste all night. Who wouldn’t want to spend a few days with the happiest version of Erin? After I spent 3 days researching places to stay, he informed me he was not interested in going.

No problem! Me and my “mini” requests will not be deterred. I quickly changed pace and invited him to a romantic getaway in Mexico. We love Mexico. It’s inexpensive and guacamole is one of my favorite foods. What’s not to love? When the only “serious” decision of your day is choosing the beach or the pool, life is pretty grand. We went to the Riviera Maya last year and spent 8 days in paradise for practically pennies! We literally NEVER left the resort. I read 9 books on my Kindle, and the husband kept busy refilling our travel mugs with adult beverages. We were both in heaven.  This is why I was confused when he AGAIN dissed my invitation! I was all hot and bothered to go to Puerto Vallarta  and even found an all-inclusive resort that was definitely calling our names. This time, he says we shouldn’t spend the money (or some stupid excuse like that). Would have been nice to know that BEFORE I devoted a week of my life to Travelocity.com! Oh well.

After all that, me and my mini vaca are ON! The moral of the story is – I’m (oh, i mean we) are going to Newport Beach. This place really IS calling our names – frequent flier miles at the ideal days and times, friends to visit, and by that I mean free places to stay? Yep, California sunshine, here I come!

You know I have plenty of dresses to bring. But what else will I pack in my suitcase for along weekend full of fun in the sun? Here are a few of my current faves:

• ring necklace – the husband got this (in mixed metal) for me as my “mini-present” when we were in Maui, and I absolutely worship it. It goes with so much. Easy to layer or wear on it’s own, casual or formal.
• iPad with cute Dodo cover, made especially for J.Crew (here is the chambray one, but I obviously have leopard, which is in-store only - totally won't be offended if you copy me)
• long black maxi dress – I found a strapless, wrinkle-free one and have worn it for many an occasion this summer. It’s ideal for travel and can be quickly accessorized to dress up or down.
• rompers! Love these little guys. I have yellow, blush, and my favorite – leopard! Perfect for swimsuit cover up or just with gold gladiator sandals and some gold bangles for a day out and about.
• big hats! The only problem with the extra large wide brim hat is that it can be challenging to navigate with, especially while driving (warning: danger!) so just beware that looking good really does come with side effects (see big hat PLUS leopard romper above; that's my mom with me, embracing her own visor-hat-hybrid trend. I do appreciate, however, that she is rocking a black maxi. Whew, since she often refers to your truly as her "mini-me!") 

Safe travels, fashionistas!