Jod à La Mode

Ladies Portland Food Tour

8.02.2016

I have a new favorite activity for a girls day out, and it involves food. A lot of food. Also, a completely free (of plans) day. And I mean a WHOLE DAY. And I suppose it helps to live near a city big enough for people to rate the top places to eat in it... so if you live near a city, love food, and want to devote a whole day to eating out at new places with a bunch of girlfriends, I present to you: the Ladies Food Tour!

{myself, Becca, Claudia, Danielle, Amy, and Joni enjoying breakfast at Mother's Bistro}

My friends Danielle and Amy were the ones who came up with this awesome idea. They polled facebook for everyone's favorite/must visit places to eat in Portland and came up with our game plan:

Mother's Bistro for breakfast

Pips Original Doughnuts for, well, doughnuts

Nicholas Restaurant for lunch

Salt & Straw for ice cream

and La Provence (in nearby Lake Oswego) for dinner and dessert

They invited a bunch of ladies to carpool and do the whole shebang, or come to any part of the day that worked for them. I believe my response was, "I'm in, baby, and I mean ALL IN." We broke up the day with a little local shopping between breakfast and lunch, and an afternoon movie break at the theaters between lunch and dinner. All in all we were out for 12 hours and basically closed out La Provence at night, where two more girlfriends had joined us for dinner and dessert. It was the best day!

{These babies come out piping hot and they are gooooood}

{Joni & Amy with a giant fresh hot pita at Nicholas}

{It was our first time trying authentic Lebanese!}

{The many weird and wacky flavors at Salt & Straw}

{I was so full I had to get a kid's cone, haha. My favorite flavor is strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper. It's amazing! And yes that's a snazzy bandaid on my cheek. Sexy, I know.}

{Our group joined by Linley and Erin for dinner at La Provence}

{Desserts galore!}

{The best part about ordering food with girlfriends is getting all different things and then trying everyone else's!}

We decided we definitely need to do this again in the fall. There are so many more must-try places to check out in Portland! And I was pleased with how much I spent overall, which was quite a bit less than I thought it might be. Several times I split meals with one of the girls, and I only ordered a drink with dinner, so that helped.

You guys have got to try a food tour day with friends! And then please invite me along ;)

What I Wore No. 296

7.27.2016

No. 1

Target dress, Maurice's shirt, Trend Shoes booties

No. 2

TJ Maxx top, Target cardigan, American Eagle jeans, Fred Meyers sandals

No. 3

Ross blouse, Target shorts, Fred Meyers sandals

No. 4

Maurice's top, American Eagle jeans, Mayari Birkenstocks, Fossil purse, Nickel & Suede earrings

Thank goodness for that purple dress because my summer wardrobe is looking a bit bland lately!

(And also not what you'd call super summery... can you believe we've only had 9 days so far in July that it's even reached 80 degrees? C'mon sunshine - we just bought a pool!)

Happy Wednesday!

Monday Confessional {more small confessions}

7.25.2016

1. Yesterday I went shopping with my mum and sister to help them find dresses to wear to my brother's upcoming wedding. I already have my dress (two actually, purchased when I found them back in May because they were both such great deals and I loved them both), so I was solely along for the ride and playing the role of style advisor.

And that is the story of how I came home with a third dress.

Don't be like me.

2. Chick-Fil-A recently came to the state of Oregon and opened a location right in the area of town I do all of my shopping. After avoiding the long lines for the first couple of months, I finally made my way there and discovered their fresh squeezed lemonade, waffle fries and chicken sandwiches, and the all-important original sauce.

This picture was taken last Thursday night and it was my third visit in one week.

I am in trouble.

3. Last week we were given a large box of fresh-picked blueberries as a thank you gift.

After washing them, I reminded everyone not to eat too many at a time or they would deeply regret it... if you know what I mean. I then proceeded to ignore my own advice and ate and ate and ate, because they were just so delicious and tempting, and I don't think I have to explain why I may never be able to look at another blueberry again.

I'm so sorry, dear digestive system.

Monday confessional, over and ouuuuttttt.

On Tuesday... {Diary of a mom - SUMMER edition}

7.22.2016

Tuesday 7/19/16

7:56 am - rudely awakened by teen #1 who's in a complete panic because she slept in and missed her ride to weights/track workout. Am begged to jump up and take her ASAP. Respond, "You snooze, you lose, girlfriend".

7:57 am - remember I agreed to give teen #1's friend a ride home afterwards so it would be awkward if teen wasn't there. Grumpily get up and wonder out loud if teen's ride forgot to come get her because I think I would have been woken by a knock on the door. Teen says, "well the doorbell ringing is what woke me up..." Realize I was obviously in a cryogenic sleep and feel deep foreboding over our back-to-school morning transition, come September.

8:20 am - arrive back home from dropping teen off to find child #3 (8 years old), dressed in pajamas, riding his scooter in the driveway.
Me: "Morning, bud! I didn't think you'd wake up while I was gone, is your brother (teen #2) up too?"
Child #3: "Cooper's here? I thought you guys were all gone!"
Me: "You woke up and thought you were all alone... so you came outside to ride your scooter?!"
Child #3: "I'm practicing my jumps, mom!"
Me: *stares blankly at strange child*
Obviously have a third child on my hands. After reminding him I would never leave him home alone, and that his brother slept in his tent in the backyard last night, dutifully watch him do jumps over sticks with his scooter for ten hours. (Or two minutes. SAME DIFF.)

8:25 am - climb back in bed to browse instagram/facebook/twitter/blogs until it's time to go back to town to pick up teen #1 because technically I would have still been sleeping if not for the early interruption and wouldn't have started doing house chores yet. Feel no regret.

10:00 am - back home from daughter pick up/friend drop off/gas stop/coffee drive-thru. Kick boys off Minecraft and tell them I'm going to the bathroom and then it's chore time so, "brace yourselves". While in bathroom browse phone again (I'm sorry, it happens. And it's summer. So I'm not sorry.) and come across very interesting article and decide to flop across bed to finish it. Rabbit trail through several news stories and political commentary until I realize my phone is at 20% battery and it's 11:00 am. Plug phone in on nightstand and swear not to touch it for 6 hours.

11:00 am - announce that it's FOR REAL chore time and discover teen #2 has completely cleaned living room/kitchen/bathroom/and laundry and everything looks immaculate, and he is now listening to an audiobook while relaxing on the couch.
Me: "Cooper! Why did you do all this before I even assigned chores? Also, why are you an angel sent to me from heaven?"
Teen #2: "I just hate putting off chores. I like to get them done as quickly as possible so I can be free!"
Me (in front of the other two children I birthed): "YOU ARE MY FAVORITE OF ALL MY CHILDREN AND I LOVE YOU THE VERY, VERY MOST OF ALL!"
Teen #1: *rolls eyes*
Child #3: *giggles*
Me: *performs happy dance then kisses and hugs teen #2 profusely*
Teen #2: *squirms away and returns to audiobook*

11:05 - 12:30 pm: power-chore time with teen #1 and child #3. Get everything done that needs doing plus a few extras (sweep cobwebs off siding, move pavers that used to be our deck steps now we have real ones, skim pool, etc.) Pat self on back that we are quick and efficient workers when we want to be.

12:30 pm: do-what-we-want time. I read several chapters of a new bible study book I've started. Teen #1 plays the piano and sings. Teen #2 creates stop motion videos with very elaborate backdrops that I keep having to climb over. Child #3 disappears for a while and I discover him cruising up and down our elderly neighbor's driveway on Mr. Hiscoe's motorized mobility scooter while Mrs. Hiscoe gardens in her muumuu and Mr. Hiscoe supervises. Again, THIRD CHILD.

2:00 pm: drop teens off at dentist for cleanings and take child #3 to park. Supervise CLOSELY, for obvious reasons.

3:30 pm: arrive back home and decide I can fit in a 20 minute power nap before husband arrives home at 4 pm and it's time to start dinner.

3:35 pm: husband Facetimes from Home Depot and needs me to walk outside and measure something. Wail and gnash teeth at the unfairness of life and forlornly wave goodbye to naptime. Proceed to argue about what measuring something from "the tip" means. The top? The corner? The top of the corner? Be more specific! I could have been napping!

4:00 pm: I don't even know. But I'm sure I was grumpy for it.

5:00 pm: take teen #1 and neighbor girl to volleyball open gym. Promise to not forget to pick them up like last week and set alarm in phone this time.

5:30 pm: eat homemade dinner with husband and boys and try to put a damper on all the potty humor going down.

6:30 pm: remember to go get girls from open gym. (Because alarm goes off.) Give self an atta girl for thinking to set alarm. Girl, you brilliant.

7:00 pm: watch husband and his best friend install and hook up can lights in front porch roof and dance for joy at outdoor lighting on front porch for the first time in over ten years! Ponder the thought that it only took an hour to complete a project that's been needed for over a decade. Quickly decide to move on. (Also water flower beds.)

8:00 pm: Watch America's Got Talent with the family while child #3 drives toy cars over my legs because my quilt has "roads" (patchwork intertwining circles) all over it. Don't even mind because FREE LEG MASSAGE.

10:00 pm: kiss all family members goodnight and consider climbing in bed too, but succumb to the pull of Friends season 9 on Netflix. Tell self you can nap tomorrow. (Ignore self who reminds you that never seems to work out.)

Midnight: while shutting down house, turn on new porch lights for the 7th or 20th time and grin like a Cheshire cat. It's been a wonderful day.