Six

Yesterday, Chris and I celebrated 6 years of marriage.  Even though it was 6 years ago, I still remember our wedding day with such detail and have such fond memories of that Saturday in August.  But as I'm sure many of you will agree, the longer you've been married (and once you have kids), anniversary celebrations start to change shape a little.  While Chris and I still acknowledged the day (and exchanged "gifts"), in many ways it was just like any other day.  Noah still woke up early asking to play with daddy right away, we had a birthday party at the zoo to go to in the morning, and Chris still had to spend the afternoon mowing the lawn.  But in addition to our normal routine, there were cards exchanged, flowers given, and a nice dinner out just the two of us.  It was the perfect way to celebrate our life together.  

Chris surprised me with these beautiful roses and some chocolate.  

Noah made me this picture (with Chris helping him spell) :)

My gift to Chris was the Mets game we went to last month and Chris gifted me the gym membership I requested.  

My mom came over to watch Noah so we could go to an early dinner last night.  We went to try out an Italian restaurant in the next town over.  Years ago, a different italian restaurant was there.  It was one of my families favorite restaurants... we had many birthday dinners there as well as my bridal shower.  We have been meaning to try this "new" restaurant for years now, especially when we found out the owners live only a few houses down from us.  We got there at 6 and felt a little strange since the place was empty.  But by the time we got our appetizers, the place started filling out.  The problems you have when you go out to eat early!  But it's exactly how we like it... we get a nice dinner out, Noah gets to play with Grandma, and we still get to put him to bed.  

 top (Stitch Fix) | white jeans | sandals (in black) | clutch (very old, similar)

 ^^^ Noah wasn't really eager to get in a family photo this year.  We finally talked him into it and asked him to hold up 6 on his fingers.  He did manage to get 3 fingers up on each hand, but quickly went back to holding up 4 fingers instead.  Years from now we will probably think this was our 4th anniversary... or that he's really into the peace sign ;)

Dinner at Prezzo was delicious.  We got the Prosciutto Wrapped Fig appetizer special to share.  I got the Lobster Ravioli while Chris got the Linguini in White Clam Sauce.  And we splurged each got a dessert, the carrot cake for Chris and chocolate mousse for me. 

Another year of being married to the best guy I know.  He's not only a wonderful husband, but he's an amazing friend, hard worker, and loving dad!  I'm so glad we were able to celebrate the life we created.  

*affiliate links used

6th Wedding Anniversary Gift Guide

At the end of the month, Chris and I will be celebrating 6 years of marriage.  Sometimes I'm surprised that we've been married for "so long", but then I remember Noah is turning 4 this year (I'm in more denial about this event!).    Except for our first anniversary, when we went to California, we tend to keep our anniversaries a little more low key.  We usually just go out to dinner together and exchange a somewhat small gift.  I love following along with the traditional gifts for each year, but have to admit that we don't always follow along exactly.  

According to the "professionals", the traditional gifts for 6 years are iron and candy.  At first thought, I couldn't come up with a lot of ideas.  Chris is striving for a more healthy lifestyle, so the idea of giving him a bouquet of candy isn't exactly what I had in mind.  But after giving it some more thought, I've come up with a few cute yet practical gift ideas.

When looking up ideas for what I might want, I was pleased to come across this website that says anniversaries have gem stones too.  Who knew... I know I didn't!!!   I was pretty stoked to find out that 6 years is the amethyst, since purple is my favorite color.  Chris also gifted me amethyst earrings on our wedding day (and a matching necklace that Christmas), so it's kind of fitting to carry on that tradition.  

So here's my gift guide for a 6th wedding anniversary...

Le Creuset Cast Iron Dutch Oven | Amethyst Earrings

Iron Door Plaque | Willow Tree figurine | Half Dozen Donuts

Candy bouquet and "Iron" Man - I know I said no candy bouquets, but the stuffed Iron Man cracked me up! | Golf Clubs

However, in full disclosure, Chris' "actual" anniversary gift is the Mets game we went to last weekend (which is a little larger than what we normally give).  The opportunity came about kind of last minute and we jumped on it.  While I'm not a huge baseball fan, I was happy to go and make a date out of it.  Not sure if I can tie a sporting event into either of the gift themes, but who cares!   And the funny thing is that Chris just told me that for Christmas and his birthday (only 5 days apart), he wants new golf clubs.  His current golf clubs are 20+ years old, so it's definitely time.  But since I want him to do the research and pick them out, I will not be surprising him with them early ;)  

Once we got the tickets to the Mets game, Chris started asking me what I'd like as my anniversary gift.  And while those earrings are really pretty, I still can't decide!  So I'd love some suggestions from you guys as to what I should "ask for"!    

Weekend Fun - Happy 5!

Recently, our weekends have become even more precious to us. In the last month or so, Chris has been working late so much, that coming home on time has been the rarity.  That means that instead of leaving at 6 am and being home by 6:45 pm, he isn't getting home until after 9 pm!  It makes for a super long day for Chris as well as a long day for me!  I've moved Noah's bedtime back a little as a result, but it still means that Chris only sees Noah for about 10-15 minutes each day and they don't really get to play.  We've tried to take back our summer a little bit by having Chris take off every other Friday.  Since our 5th wedding anniversary was this past Friday, we made that one of the Fridays he took off :)  

The highlights of Friday included having our handyman come over to fix the closet doors in the basement, I was able to go out and get my hair cut and colored, and Chris and I got to go celebrate our anniversary with a dinner out :)

Noah wouldn't attempt saying "Happy Anniversary", so instead, we taught him to say "Happy 5"... it was super cute and he kept saying it all day long :)  While I went to get my hair done, Chris took Noah outside to play with the chalk and texted me this super cute message!

^^^ I've known my hairdresser longer than I've known Chris.  She did my hair for my wedding, so I had to get a picture of us exactly 5 years later ;)

my dress

My mom came over to watch Noah so that we could go out to dinner.  Since Noah won't go to bed without me, we try to go to an early-ish dinner and be home in time to put him to bed :)  Before leaving, we made sure to get some family pictures.  Chris had the idea to take a picture of us holding a framed wedding photo.  On our 10th anniversary we will take a picture of us holding a framed photo of the picture below.  We hope to do this every 5 years :)  It was too funny when my mom commented that it reminded her of Modern Family, since that's where Chris got the idea and how he described what he wanted to do!

my dress - Loft (old)

Before going to the restaurant, we headed to our wedding venue.  We just so happen to now live in the same town where we were married.  I drive by it almost every single day, but we haven't walked around the grounds since our wedding.  Originally we thought we'd eat dinner there, but when I called to make the reservation I found out we would just be sitting in a lounge area since it's just a hotel restaurant and not a real stand alone establishment.  We opted to find another restaurant.

^^^ I had to get a picture in this spot... I took quite a few photos by myself and with my bridesmaids in this location!

We finally made it to dinner at Focacceria and were so excited to get a table outside since it was such a beautiful night!  I had driven by this restaurant a few times and was interested in trying it.  Once our friends told us it was a must try, we knew we had to go for our anniversary!  The food was delicious and the service was great!  We shared a caprese with prosciutto appetizer, I had a fettuccine bolognese and Chris had linguini with clams, and we each had a berry tart for dessert :)

Not only did we make it home for bedtime, but also to sing "Happy 5" and let Noah blow out a candle.  I had no interest in eating the cake (so full from dinner), but Noah was beyond excited for the cake and candle!  

As for gifts, Chris surprised me with a few things throughout the day.  Some pretty flowers (purple for me and yellow for Noah) and an anniversary balloon :)  He also gave me a beautiful personalized card and a gift card for a massage.  I went the traditional route and got Chris a wooden "map of NJ" with our anniversary date engraved as well as a card :)  

wooden state

On Saturday, Chris went to the Mets vs. Red Sox baseball game with some friends.  I always laugh, because whenever I ask Chris what he wants for birthdays, Father's Day, anniversaries, he tells me nothing, but that he'd like to go to a sporting event or the golf outing through his work.  I've lost track, but for all I know this baseball game could have also been an anniversary gift ;)

Since he was gone all afternoon and into the evening, Noah and I decided to go to my parents' house for dinner.  I didn't have to worry about dinner and Noah got to play with Grandma & Papa.  I even brought over the supplies for a craft I had wanted to do with Noah and my mom ended up doing it too!  Stay tuned on Wednesday to see what they made :)

smock

On Sunday, Chris stayed home with Noah while I went to get my massage.  It was super relaxing and I would love to make them a regular thing :)  As soon as I got home, we headed to Open Gym at Gymboree.  They had just changed the set up of the room, so we had lots of fun exploring.  As we were leaving I asked Noah what he wanted for lunch.  I was having trouble understanding what he was saying, but finally realized he wanted a smoothie from the Red Mango next door.  I'm amazed he remembered it since my mom has only taken him there once and it was a long time ago!  We shared a strawberry banana smoothie and then headed home for lunch and a nap.  

We had planned to go to the pool after nap, but Noah didn't want to go and I had a headache.  Instead, we played around the house and then I took some pictures of Noah for his birthday invitation.  We bribed him to take photos by promising a "jump rope" that was really just a piece of twine ;)  He was also pretty excited to find a leaf and an acorn in the backyard.

How was your weekend?

Five Years on Friday!

Happy Friday!  Today is extra special for me... Chris and I are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary!  In honor of this special day, I thought I'd share some past anniversary photos.  I feel like  each year has had a "theme"... travel, pregnancy, new baby, new house, etc :)  It will be exciting to see what the next five years has in store for us!     

2010 - Our wedding day!  

Our wedding day was amazing!  Everything went well, we had amazing weather, and I got to marry Chris :)  We spent our first year married getting used to living together and just having fun.  We even took a few vacations.

2011 - 1st anniversary at Capitol Grille

Shortly after celebrating our first anniversary, we decided we'd like to add a baby to our family.  Our second year of marriage was spent trying for and then being pregnant with Noah.  As a result, after our anniversary trip to California, our year was completely baby focused!  

2012 - 2nd anniversary at David Todd's

While our second year of marriage was all about trying for a baby, our third was all about adjusting to our new family of three :)  Life as we knew it was all about Noah and we liked it that way.  

2013 - 3rd anniversary at Book of Mormon

In our 4th year of marriage, I feel like we finally fell into a groove as parents.  We started planning more dates just the two of us.  We also started looking to buy a new house and move out of our 2 bedroom apartment.  We moved in a month before our 4th anniversary.  

2014 - 4th anniversary in front of our new house before dinner

This year has been spent enjoying (and decorating) our new home.  We are also just really loving life.    Noah is at such a fun age and we get to do a lot of fun activities as a family.  Sure, I would love to say that Chris and I fit in tons of date nights.  But right now that's just not the stage of life we are in, and that's okay.  Regardless of how many (or few) dates we go on, I'm beyond happy to be able to call this man my husband and Noah's dad!   We will be celebrating tonight, just the two of us, by going out to a nice Italian dinner and stopping by our wedding venue :)

Happy Anniversary Chris!

5th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

Chris and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary at the end of the month.  While we don't always stick to the traditional anniversary gifts, I love referencing them and seeing if I can come up with a creative gift.  I got Chris a gift, but since he reads the blog, I won't be sharing it just yet.  We also plan to go to dinner at the venue where we were married.  No matter what your price range is for gifts, I've got something for you.  The 5th wedding anniversary is "traditionally" wood or "modernly" silverware.  I love that both wood and silver can easily be engraved to make the gift that much more special and personal.    

iPhone case | cutting board | cake serving set | cake stand 

trip to Muir Woods | ring

backgammon set | spoons | bed

I loved looking on Etsy for handmade wooden gifts.  I think a guy would love to have this cool looking iPhone case or wooden ring... both are so sleek and stylish!  I also love the idea of an engraved cutting board.  I think a personalized wooden sign would be a great gift too!  Also on Etsy, I found these personalized engraved spoons.  My grandma used to collect spoons, so I think it could be a cool collection to start with anniversary spoons!  Speaking of my grandma, I immediately thought of her when I saw this beautiful wooden backgammon set.  I loved playing with her and think it would be nice to play as a couple and have this wooden set as a keepsake.  I also really liked the idea of combining the wood and silverware and gifting a wooden cake stand and silverware serving set.  I don't know about you, but I could totally use another cake stand!  And if you like to use anniversaries as an excuse to get large items for the house, you can't go wrong with a wooden piece of furniture!  I would love to get a headboard for our bedroom, but the options are endless!  While we keep things on the simpler side, a vacation would be a great way to celebrate a milestone anniversary!  Chris and I went to Muir Woods when we were visiting San Francisco back in 2011.  We loved it and it would be so fitting to be surrounded by all that wood ;)

If you've already celebrated your 5th anniversary, what did you get for your spouse?

August Date | Our 4th Anniversary

For Christmas, I gave Chris "A Year of Dates".  On Christmas, he opened a stack of envelopes, one for each month of 2014.  Inside the envelopes are pre-planned (and some pre-paid) dates for us to enjoy each month.  At the beginning of each month, we open the envelope and schedule a day to go on the date.   I will be recapping our dates each month.  

Happy Labor Day!  It's weird how the calendar works with holidays, because 4 years ago when we got married, it was not Labor Day Weekend.  Instead, we were on our honeymoon in Italy for Labor Day.  This year we had a busy fun filled weekend at home :)  Part of our weekend included going on our monthly date Saturday night.  For our August date, Chris and I went out to dinner to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary.  We purposefully go on "early" dates so that we can still do Noah's naps and bedtime.  My mom came over to watch Noah and we were able to get some family pictures before leaving.  Noah loves to be outside so he wasn't even upset to see us leave.  

We tried a new (to us) restaurant, called Verve.  Our realtor recently gave us a gift card to this restaurant as a housewarming gift.  We heard great things about it and the menu looked yummy, so we were excited to try it out immediately.  We had 6 pm reservations and were able to sit outside.  Their bread was warm and had this great oil mixture to dip it in.  I got a cesar salad and short ribs and Chris got the lobster.  

I had given Chris his gift early... a hydrangea for our front yard.  Chris surprised me at dinner with a gift certificate to get a massage.  It was a really great evening and I really value these dates!  

4 years = Flowers

Today is Chris and my 4th wedding anniversary!  We will be celebrating by going out to dinner this weekend.  Otherwise we are keeping it pretty simple this year.  I decided to go the traditional route this year for my gift to Chris.  I bought a hydrangea plant for our front yard... And then made him dig a hole and plant it!  I made him work for his gift ;). 

We ended up getting some help from my dad (aka our gardener).  Noah had fun helping too and playing with his new garden wheelbarrow toy (thanks grandma!).  

Happy Anniversary Chris!  I love our family and the life we've created!  Here's to many more years :). 

4th Wedding Anniversary Gift Guide

Chris and I will be celebrating 4 years of marriage next week.  According to the traditional anniversary gifts, the 4th anniversary is flowers and fruit.  While you can go the traditional route and just give a bouquet of flowers, I think there's definitely room to be creative.  You can also spend as little or as much as you want.  It's easy to find flower inspired jewelry as well as items for the home or articles of clothing with a floral pattern.  Even a pretty vase to hold the bouquet of flowers would be pretty.  I also like the idea of planting a flower bush together and watching it grow over the years.  You can keep the night simple but romantic by staying in and having chocolate covered strawberries with champagne.  If you want to splurge, why not take some freedom with the fruit theme and get something from the Apple store.  I also think a trip to a vineyard (grapes) would be fun... you could stay local or go all out and spend a week in Napa.  I feel the choices are endless this year!  

How do you normally celebrate your wedding anniversaries?  Do you splurge or keep them simple???

Celebrating 3 Years!

Last Wednesday, Chris and I celebrated our 3rd Wedding Anniversary.   Chris and I exchanged gifts on Tuesday night... he brought me some gorgeous flowers and gave me some leather photo albums, and I got him a leather toiletry case.  

On Wednesday, I took the train into NYC to meet Chris for dinner and a show.  We went to Trattoria Trecolori on 47th Street.  We had been there a few times before and loved the food and the proximity to all the Broadway shows.  

After dinner, we walked 2 blocks over to see The Book of Mormon!  We got these tickets about 9 months ago (it's a super popular show) and I've been looking forward to it ever since!  Since I was raised in the church, I was excited to see the show and figured I'd find the jokes even that much funnier.  The show was not only hilarious, but the songs were great and the actors were amazing.  I definitely recommend seeing it... as long as you don't mind some foul language ;)

It was really nice spending our anniversary just the two of us.  Thanks to my mom for watching Noah!