Sir Links-A-Lot + a bee sting

I definitely have time to blog but I'm in a moment of suspended paralyzation due to the fact that I'm speaking this weekend and I feel vvvvvvv inadequately prepared (pray for me?). I'm psyching myself out into thinking that I should be prepping every spare second of the day even when I can't and, thus, I am treating this post as if I had no time to blog even though, probably, in the land of the sane, I do.

So I will just leave you with a few quickie tidbits to munch on.

First, this weekend was crazy busy but super fun. We had our house blessed by our friend Father Jim (who happens to be the son of the late, great Mr Stehly). Father Jim gathered all the kids around and marched them from room to room, blessing our new home. It was surprisingly powerful and wonderful to hear the prayers read... prayers for our guests and our children and our marriage. He made sure to spend extra time dousing the boy's room with holy water which made all the littles crack up. Super sweet. We barbecued with a good amount of his family afterward, including his amazing mother who had ten children of her own. After dinner, she quietly sat on the couch for ages. Father Jim kept leaning in to see if she was ready to leave but she'd shake her head no every time. Finally, Joe burst into tears over something and she looked up and said "I can go now, I've heard one of them cry." (LOL) She is one of those that makes you feel like you're a goddess for mothering small children even though she did it with even more. I want to be that way to young moms when I am old and grey just like her.

Like gluttons for gluttony, we had a few good friends over for drinks later that night which was super fun in our freshly blessed pad. We took care of three bottles of rose, decided we need some poufs for around our coffee table (any rec's on good poufs? Why are poufs so stinking pricey??), and found three raccoons peeping us through the bushes.

Sunday we had the family that bought our old home up for another bbq. We had fun reminiscing about our old place and hearing about their plans for it now that it's theirs. Man, it feels good to pass that kind of torch to people who have become friends.

Yesterday, I hunted down two sets of chairs via Craiglist (as I do). One pair for outside and one for in, but the set for in is seriously messing up my vibe because now I feel despo to finish the space. The chairs are grey and I'm currently eyeing these Target stools for it but I need some color. Maybe these tables instead (I love me some Nate Berkus). Maybe another pouf? (We can all agree that we hate that word, right?)

Today our good buddy sent me a photo of a super cute minimal playhouse and now I'm set on him building it for our kids for us for a group Christmas gift. Wouldn't that be so good? How can I bribe him to do that? But how to hide a construction zone.... Tips?? (Cute playhouse and children whoever's photo this is...)

Hmmmm oh yes, I had my first ever allergic reaction on Friday night!! I stepped on a bee in our backyard and while the girls were playing nurse on my toe (ice pack and bulb syringe... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) the palms of my hands started to itch. At first I thought maybe I had touched a weird plant or something but then the bottoms of my feet started itching, too. And then my legs. It was maddening! I hid in my room and looked up bee stings itchy hands and feet and realized I was having an allergic reaction. Then I started looking up bee string reaction and that made me feel mildly spooked. You know, the whole anaphylaxis in 4 min thing. I took some children's Benadryl bc it was all we had and a few minutes later I began to break out in hives all over my torso, thighs, and arms. I was itching so badly that I took off (most) of my clothes and sat of my bed demanding Hero scratch me as hard as she could. (Don't worry, I realize how sketchy that sounds. But she wanted to and we were laughing pretty hard about it). At that point I started to look up bee sting allergic reaction when to go the the hospital and that made me feel about 100% freaked out. My right eye started to swell a bit and I decided that I definitely did not want to be the woman stumbling from the bedroom, covered in hives, unrecognizably swollen, screaming at Kirby to take me to the hospital in front of all our of children (my imaginary self). I preemptively struck and called my mom to see if she could take me to the ER before things got any worse and she did. On the way to the hospital I bought some adult Benadryl and be the time we got there I was feeling mucccch better. We decided to drive around a bit to see if I continued to improve and I did. So we got Foster's Freeze, turned around, and came home. Aside from feeling fairly waisted by the Benadryl, it ended up being over within a few hours with no real lasting effects PHEW. As far as I understand, reactions will most likely get worse, right? Which means I now have to be scared of bees which seems highly inconvenient. That's pretty much my only takeaway.

My brothers new record came out on Thursday (Colbert tonight!!)

My friend in life and The Haul shared this really profound article on 9/11. Worth the read (warning: it's pretty heavy)

Even though it's not sandal season, I just bought these. So help me (eyerolling myself as I type, don't worry).

We are headed to our annual Big Sur trip in two weeks (can't wait) and I snagged this travel bassinet for new baby. Seems legit and well-priced! Have any of you used it?

Off to not prepare my talk! Wish me luck.