Today I was lucky enough to have the day off work, which I spent getting ready for a weekend visit from some of our very best friends from Memphis.

Last night I asked Iris, do you want to go to school tomorrow or stay home with me?
“Stay with you forever!”
You got it.

Iris started her day with yogurt, fruit, and Mary Poppins.

I always start mine with a fresh pot of coffee, a fresh face, and a fresh scent.

We ran to Target to pick up a couple things.
Like popcorn and smoothies.

Then we headed over to Ozark Natural Foods to load up on vegan goodies for our guests.

And in an ironic non-vegan twist, Iris has been asking to go to the ice cream shop for a few days now. So after eating a quick lunch at ONF, I decided that she would finally get her wish.
This was her face when she found out:

Iris Cream

Thankfully, Iris is still a pretty good napper, so while she rested up from our day I tidied up our house a bit.

All the sudden our weather is amazing (almost in the 60s!), so we had to scoot on over the park as soon as she woke up.

As a working mom, I really think days like this are important to have every once in a while.
Even if we all ate a little too much.

So we’ve already established that Iris got a ton of awesome presents for Christmas this year, but last night we had fun playing with everything she got from our good friends, Seth and Ashlee (who live in Kansas City). The gifts are a perfect mix of cute, goofy and creative.

Just like our little Iris.

I have a big work meeting next week, so my weekend is cut short and my work days will be long. I’m trying to spend my down time in pajamas, playing with Iris, cleaning house, and watching Gilmore Girls again from the start.

I’m pretty sure that’s what heaven is like.
Except for the cleaning house part.

Today I’m maximizing my “me time” by writing this little blog post while getting my hair done.
How very efficient (and embarrassing), right?

But I’m so thankful to have these two hours to sit blissfully uninterrupted. January and February aren’t my favorite months of the year. Work is busy, the weather is cold, and the excitement of Christmas is gone.

Every once in a while though, I’m smart enough to schedule my hair appointment towards the end of the work day so that I can enjoy a glass of wine, which is paired nicely with a bunch of girl talk with my pal Taylor at B L O N D E.

Maybe I’m enjoying myself a little too much because…
I’m booking an appointment for Iris to get bangs.

To be continued (!!!).

I’m so fortunate that I get the week in-between Christmas and New Years off work. The only downfall is when it’s all over and I have get out of my pajamas and back into the real world. That’s where I am now and, goodness gracious, is it rough. This year we didn’t travel at all, so the time off felt like forever, but somehow still not enough.

We were also fortunate in that our family and friends came to us.
We ate, we drank, we played.
The holidays of 2014 were legit and I miss them already. Here are just a few notes and photos from our holidays.

All Iris wanted in the whole wide world of Christmas was a chocolate bunny. Somehow Santa came through (he must have had a deal with the Easter Bunny.. or Amazon). I asked her a few times why she wanted one or where this idea came from. “I don’t know. I just want one,” was all I could get out of her. Let’s just hope she doesn’t ask for a chocolate Santa for Easter… Maybe I should stash one away just in case.

Of course Santa didn’t stop with just a piece of candy.
(He could have, but then – there’s Target).
Iris got a pink kitchen, tons of pretend food to go along with it, a comfy lounge chair for watching endless episodes of Peppa Pig (her current fave), new books, and more toys than I care to admit.

Lots of family and friends made everything extra special.

Some of our friends’ kids even started a band.

My old gal pals, Laura & Bev.

Todd and Iris enjoyed some quality father daughter time on Christmas day.

And I got a much needed new pair of my favorite pair of slippers. I’ve never met anything as comfortable as L.L. Bean’s Wicked Good slipper. This is my third pair in about ten years.

Clink! Our New Years tradition.

And finally, a little of Iris’ joy to lead you into this new year…