Jackson's First Movie

Last Friday, Brandon and I took Jackson to his first ever movie (outside of our house, that is)!

We had planned to wait until he was a little older to take him, but when our local drive-in (88 Drive-in Theater, Commerce City) reached out after an Only in Colorado shout-out, we decided that now was a perfect time to go!

Free admission + Free popcorn = Winning the Sandmeier's hearts

Arriving an hour before showtime = selfie central

I love Colorado! P.S. Who brings a cab to the drive-in?

Jackson was in HEAVEN sitting up front with us, being able to move around wherever he wanted, and eating large amounts of popcorn -- he was so sweet and squealed with happiness the entire time! The movie itself (Inside Out) didn't start until after 9, so he only watched a few minutes before falling fast asleep on me, but I know that he enjoyed the time leading up to it.

We didn't get home until 1:30 (we stayed for Ant Man.. #worstmovieever.. we should have just gone home after Inside Out) so it was an unusually late night for us, but so worth it! I can't wait to go again when Jackson is a bit older. Thanks again to Jack at the 88 Drive-In for reaching out and treating us to a perfect family night! If you're in the Denver area and are looking for a fun, inexpensive outing, we highly recommend checking out this theater! 

Cracker Jacks(on)

Yesterday, Brandon and I took Jackson to his 3rd Rockies game! 

It was a very, very hot day, so we didn't watch much of the game (we saw maybe 2 innings; the rest of the time was spent walking around in the shade), but had a great time exploring the Field, watching Jax run around, and spending time together as a family. Brandon's work actually gave us the tickets and the section we sat in was reserved for people from his company -- it was virtually empty, so we were able to take up five seats and let Jax run up and down the row without disturbing anyone. 

I used to never really like this time of year, but I gotta admit that 2015 is changing that for me. 

Have a great weekend!

Spring is Sprung

On Wednesday night, Brandon, Jackson, a friend from Kansas, and I attended our first Rockies baseball game of the season!

You know what that means..

Spring has arrived! 

The weather in these parts has been absolutely glorious and we really couldn't have asked for better baseball weather on Wednesday evening. While I'm more partial to the fall, I must admit that spring has been pretty good to us thus far! 

Speaking of spring, I have declared that spring is coconut season (fall is pumpkin, winter is peppermint). I've been enjoying coconut creamer in my coffee every morning, have been burning a coconut candle, and have been lathering my hands with a yummy coconut lotion.. it really is a refreshing scent/taste! 

In other non-spring related news, Jax is actually beginning to ear strawberries and other fruits.. this is a big deal people (he ate TWO strawberries yesterday with his veggie burger and cheese)!! 

That's about it around here-- have a great weekend!! 

Party On, Garth!

On Saturday, Brandon and I had the opportunity to attend the Garth Brooks/Trisha Yearwood concert at the Pepsi Center and had the best time! Since I really only listen to 90s Alternative, I was worried about being the bump on a log attendee who didn't know any of the songs -- but it turns out that he wrote and performed basically every popular country song from the 1990s so I was able to sing along to most everything.. and when I couldn't sing, I danced!

It was so much fun!

 

My Aunt Nancy's awesome boss is actually friends with Garth (how cool is that?) and gave us our tickets-- the seats were fabulous and our entire group was up and moving the entire show! Side note: My aunt & uncle have actually gone to a party at Garth & Trisha's house in Nashville.. let the epic-ness of that sink in for just a minute.. 

My "little" Fedora wearing brother on the light rail ride to Pepsi.. this was his first concert! 

 

 

The fam -- my Aunt Judy and Cousin Angie came out from Kansas for the show! 

On the walk back to our car -- what a perfect night! 

It was such a fun and memorable day and I highly encourage everyone to attend a Garth concert -- he puts on an incredible show! 

Before I go, I have to share one last picture from earlier in the day on Saturday. We all went to lunch at Homegrown Tap & Dough on Old South Gaylord and Jax was eating up all of the attention.. thank you again to my parents for watching our little munchkin boy when we went to the show! 

It's such a shame that he never gets any attention.. 

Baby's 6th Haircut

A baby's 6th haircut is totally worth documenting.. right??

My little 14-month-old had his SIXTH haircut on Tuesday morning! This kid has some seriously crazy hair (and I couldn't be more envious.. I wish my hair would grow that quickly) and the ladies at the kiddie haircut place couldn't believe he'd been in so many times before.

As you may remember, Jackson had his first haircut by my uncle (who also did my first haircut and most of our family's first cuts) when he was about 5 1/2 months old. Ever since then, he's been getting a regular haircut every 2 months or so. You'd think he'd be a pro by now and wouldn't cry while sitting at the chair but, alas.. hopefully he's better for the 7th!

After the cut, we went to play at the park outside of the hair place..

..and then we went to have a burger and shake (he wasn't interested in the burger and went straight for the shake.. judging by those cheeks and chins, the last thing he needed was some ice cream :D)

In case you live in the Denver area and are looking for a kid friendly hair place, I highly recommend Pigtails & Crewcuts in Westminster! I'd made the mistake of taking Jackson to a regular hair place a few times and I could tell they weren't too comfortable dealing with a squirmy, crying baby.. The gals at Pigtails & Crewcuts NAIL IT every single time and couldn't be sweeter with Jackson! They even have snacks, a treasure chest, and toy room for the kids to play in before and after their appointment.

I like the girls at Pigtails & Crewcuts so much that I even had them trim my hair for me on Tuesday! She did such an awesome job that I didn't even complain about not being offered animal cracker.. Ha!

2 Year Anniversary Recap

Okay, before I begin gushing about our wedding anniversary weekend, I must apologize; I promised you all on Monday that I'd have my recap post up and ready yesterday but I didn't.. I know you all must have been sitting on the edge of your seats pressing refresh over and over again waiting for pictures and stories to appear so I'm very sorry.

*Crickets chirping*

Oh, you didn't even notice? Oh.. okay then.

Anyway, we had one of those perfect weekends that you never want to end--in fact, every time I scroll through the pictures on my phone, I get the biggest smile on my face! It snowed all day Saturday so we didn't leave the house at all (with the exception of Brandon getting his hair cut), ordered pizza for dinner, and watched movies in bed. It was pure perfection.

Sunday was when the anniversary train rolled into motion.

Brandon and I dropped Jackson off at my aunt & uncle's house mid afternoon on Sunday and headed out for our anniversary date. On our way to the Cherry Cricket (best fries in Denver, btw), Brandon gave me the best surprise ever--he was taking Monday off so we could take Jax downtown to celebrate our anniversary as a family! Best. Gift. Ever!! But first, it was time for just us to celebrate our anniversary as husband and wife--so after pigging out on burgers, fries, and beer at the Cherry Cricket, we trekked on over to the Pepsi Center to take in an Avs game (which was one of my Christmas gifts to Brandon). 

If you're ever in Denver, you MUST go to either an Avalanche or Nuggets game at the Pepsi Center--it' so much fun!

Munchkin head didn't seem to mind us being gone--he had lots of fun playing at Aunt Nancy's (Uncle Rolf even made him cookies)!

After watching the Avs lose (booooooo!) and eating an entire bag of kettle corn by myself, we picked up our Jackson and came home to take baths/showers and hit the hay.

On Monday morning, we all stayed in bed until about 10:30, quickly got ready, and headed to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. When we arrived, we couldn't find a parking spot anywhere because it was a (unbeknownst to us) free day so we were about to give up all hope and head to the zoo next door when we found a spot right out front. It was fate. We had such a blast at the Museum (free admission made it that much better!) and stayed for almost 3 hours before it was time to get sleepy mom baby home for a nap. We picked up some burgers and nachos from Carl's Jr./Green Burrito on the way home, pigged out again, and then all proceeded to vedge/nap/do absolutely nothing the rest of the day.

The DMNS has an awesome new discovery zone for kids with water tables, fossils to dig (pictured), things to climb, etc.--we could have stayed there all day!

It's hard to see in this picture but Jackson and I were wearing matching stripes.

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect anniversary weekend and I couldn't love my life more than I do! Thank you all so much for the anniversary calls, cards, texts, and messages--you all bless our socks off! In other anniversary news, I gifted Brandon new Egyptian cotton sheets for our cotton anniversary (get it?) and he got me a selfie stick.

Brandon wins.

Mamma Nancy's Surprise Bachelorette Party!

Last weekend, my MIL (commonly known around these parts as "Mamma Nancy"), sister-in-law, and her family came to CO for a short visit and we had a wonderful time catching up with everyone, shopping, and showing off our new home.

Jackson LOVED spending time with his cousins--he and little Sara got along perfectly (he kept wanting to give her kisses and she loved holding "Baby")!

Nana's boy :)

One of the highlights of the weekend for me was getting to surprise Mamma Nanc with a little bachelorette party/girls evening! Nancy and her fiance are engaged and plan to be married by the end of this year so Britney (my SIL) and I wanted to make sure we got one last single lady shindig in before she tied the knot. 

Can you guess where we went/what you did?

If you answered strip club, you're wrong (though that would have been hilarious--I think Nancy was a little worried, ha!). 

We went and painted pottery at "Ceramics in the City" in LoDo!!

Our guest of honor getting her ID checked.

After we finished painting our masterpieces, we all signed the bottom of each others ceramics as a little keepsake to remember this special day. Congratulations to Mamma Nancy & Russell--we're so excited for you guys and love you very much!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The Best High I Ever Had.

Have you ever gotten a really amazing high that lasted the entire day?

I have--and it was the best ever!

In fact, it happened just a few weeks ago.. let me tell you all about it.

Two Saturdays ago, I had that itch that I just couldn't scratch; you know the one I'm talking about? I tried convincing myself it wasn't worth it.. we're trying to save for a house and I didn't need to be spending our hard earned money on my bad habit.

I tried to distract myself but it didn't work.

When Brandon woke up Saturday morning, I told him I needed to get my fix.

I needed to go thrifting.

Wait.. what did you think I was talking about?!

Brandon, Jackson, and I headed out of the house late Saturday morning on a mission to find some "new" pajamas for Jax (we're very blessed in that we were gifted with boxes of our nephews old baby clothes.. however, Mr. Jax continues to grow and is too big for most of the pajamas now). The first stop on our trip was the gigantic Arc down the street--I figured they'd have tons of pajamas at a good price!

Nope. Not at all.

The plan was to get 12 Month PJs (Jax is a tall guy and currently wears 9 Month everything) that he could start wearing in the next month or two.. Arc had nothing.

Bummer.

The next closest thrift store was (Habitat for Humanity) ReStore--we'd never been to a ReStore before but we'd heard they have nice furniture at a decent price so we figured we'd at least go in to peruse.

You guys; I have a new favorite thrift store.

ReStore was HUGE and had tons of furniture, clothes, appliances, cabinetry, and more--for next to nothing!

I loved this desk.. I'm in desperate need of a desk/home office space but we literally have NO room for any new furniture. *sigh* Wouldn't that be gorgeous repainted white with black hardware?

The price of that desk.. it pained me to leave it! Stupid tiny apartment..

Anyway, after scouring all of the furniture we made our way back to the clothes.

I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of baby clothes but we hit the jackpot.

Kinda hard to see but the boy's pajamas were $1.25 each. Boom!

We went through the boy's pajama drawer and found 7 different pairs of like new Carters brand PJs for $1.25 each. SOLD! We grabbed all of the 12 Month ones and made a quick beeline over to the women's clothing to see if anything caught my eye. 

They had several shirts from The Loft for only $2 each.. not bad!

After making a quick trip around the outdoor and cabinetry sections, we headed to the cash register to pay for our purchases and received the surprise of a lifetime. Our total for 7 pairs of gently used Carters brand pajamas and my adorable cupcake shirt was $4.87. 

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! 

Come to find out, Saturdays are $.50 baby clothes and $1 adult clothing day. 

$3.50 for the lot.

I was seriously on Cloud 9 the rest of the day and had to text my mom and Mamma Nancy to brag about our purchase (I am not a humble person when it comes to finding a good deal). After leaving ReStore, Brandon and I celebrated with Burger Saturday at Rock Bottom Brewery. 

The Bourbonzola Burger--BEST burger ever!

Brandon and I were both really impressed with ReStore and plan to frequent it often--I also plan to donate all of our clothes, furniture, and whatnot to them in the future. If you have one in your area, I highly encourage you to check it out; you won't be disappointed!

Burger Saturday: Jim's Burger Haven

1st Burger Saturday: Buffalo Wild Wings in Fort Collins
2nd Burger Saturday: Old Chicago in Boulder
3rd Burger Saturday: Five Guys in Castle Rock
4th Burger Saturday: Park Burger in Denver
5th Burger Saturday: 5280 Burger Bar in Denver
6th Burger Saturday: Ted's Montana Grill in Greenwood Village
7th Burger Saturday: LoDo's Bar & Grill in Westminster
8th Burger Saturday: Jim's Burger Haven in Westminster

As I mentioned yesterday, my boys and I went to my parents house Saturday afternoon, so we didn't want to venture too far away for a burger last weekend--enter Yelp. I did a Yelp search for the best burger in northern Denver and the results came back with Jim's Burger Haven. Brandon and I have driven by Jim's a couple times now (once on the way to Casa Bonita, the other time on our way to thrift) and talked about stopping there sometime, so we were sold.

Jim's it was!

The atmosphere of Jim's Burger Haven isn't anything too special (no special decor, kind of resembled a plain Jane 50's burger joint) but what it lacks in frill, it makes up for in taste.. and good oldies music. 

Oh my goodness, were their burgers and fries yummy!

My "small" (4 in.) burger with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mustard.

Brandon's large (6 in.--the size of my head) cheeseburger with lettuce, mustard, and ketchup.

As soon as you bite into one of Jim's mouthwatering masterpieces, you can taste the quality and freshness of the beef. This isn't one of your regular fast food burgers; these bad boys are cooked to order and it shows (the company even prides itself on not owning steam trays)! The patties are seasoned to absolute perfection and carry that greasy, enticing aroma that I've come to expect from superb burgers.

Brandon and I both give Jim's Burger Haven a big thumbs up! Oh, and an added bonus? This has been our least expensive Burger Saturday yet (my burger was about $2.50)! A second bonus? The smell of grilled deliciousness is so heavy in the restaurant that it will be embedded in your clothes for the rest of the day (which is fine by me)! Boom!

We'll be back.