homegrown(pontiac bourbon+bbq and the macaron bar}

We love to eat pretty much anything in this house but there are two things we will never turn down. Good Mexican food and good barbecue! With barbecue on the brain we headed downtown this week to try the brand spankin' new Pontiac Bourbon and BBQ. For locals, it's the sister restaurant to The Senate and Abigail Street. Those two restaurants are known for amazing food and service(the Senate is one of our faves!) so the bar is set pretty high for Pontiac. It did not disappoint! We started with the buffalo fried pickles which were epic! Doug and I both had pulled pork sandwiches with comes topped with coleslaw. For sides, I chose crinkle cut fries and Doug fries and the mac&cheese. Everything was so good! Despite the fact that the restaurant had just opened the service was smooth, the servers were knowledgeable and friendly. We will definitely be back to try the ribs and a few cocktails.   I also have to note, the interior is great. I'm a sucker for the whole rustic/industrial vibe they've got happening in there.

 Someone loved the mac&cheese.

We couldn't head back to the burbs without stopping at the new Macaron Bar on Main St. for a little something sweet. 

I'm so happy I have to drive all the way downtown for these because they could become a dangerous habit!

post holiday{it's a wrap!}

We're only a few days out of the holiday haze but it almost seems like it happened weeks ago!  Last week we wanted to take Rowan downtown to see the big holiday train display but I wasn't feeling well and the baby was a little fussy because he's teething. Dealing with the crowds and traffic into the city seemed more than we could handle so we opted to stay close to home. EnterTrainment Junction is not too far from our house. It's expensive, but they have a holiday display set up that's free. Free is good, especially when you're not sure if it's something your nine month will enjoy.

Much to my surprise this was perfect for us. The display was just enough to keep him entertained without being too overwhelming! I think there were only three or four other families there. It was like we had the entire thing to ourselves!

An unexpected benefit of the 17 year age gap between the kids is that I get to remember how great Christmas can be when you have young kids. Sadly most of our holiday traditions fell away as the kids got older. Teens make their own plans and dragging them to "family" activities is sometimes not worth battle of getting them there. Nothing harshes holiday cheer like sullen teenagers bitching about something they don't want to do! Picking out the perfect gifts becomes stressful and most of the time they just want cash so they can hit up post Christmas sales. The entire season can feel anti-climatic in so many ways...womp womp.

This year, I think we were all excited because it was Rowan's first Christmas! It was so good! Aside from the gifts there was so much laughter! Nothing felt perfunctory. We were all happy to be together-still sleepy and clutching mugs of coffee-listening to our favorite Christmas songs and helping the little one get the hang of ripping wrapping paper off of his gifts. Later our oldest daughter,on leave from the Navy, helped Doug make breakfast, the kids cleaned up the kitchen(a Christmas miracle!) and I prepped for dinner. It was just our little family for dinner. There were jokes and stories. Lots of eating! A few glasses of wine. And, a post dinner puzzle  that has become our white whale(although I think we're only a few hundred pieces away from finishing it)!

Things were so relaxed and we had such a good time I only managed to get a few shots of Christmas morning:)

This week I'll pack up the decorations and we'll say goodbye to another holiday season but one that I think will be memorable for all for a very long time!

homegrown {the city flea}

We've been trying to do as much as we can this summer. I foolishly thought we would keep our usual summer schedule, but you know with a baby in tow. Ha! I don't know if it's my age or what but the idea of packing up Rowan and all of his gear and getting ourselves ready seems a little daunting most of the time.

The weather has been kind of meh. Alternating between cool and rainy or sticky and humid. A few weeks ago the stars must have been in perfect alignment. We had energy to burn, the weather was glorious and we actually remembered there was something fun happening downtown that weekend. That something was the City Flea. The City Flea is a curated outdoor market in Washing ton Park. There are all kinds of artisans selling everything from handcrafted soaps, jewelry, and wooden toys to beard elixirs, vintage clothing and original art. And of course my favorite part, food trucks.