Betty’s last chance
We found out Christmas lights are a major to-do in our neighborhood. We’re really happy with how our interior decorations came out –so festive!- and the Pilot put up Christmas lights for the first time.
He did an amazing job, and we have a single strand of sparkly lights on the roof.
I was in the kitchen and could hear him mumbling in the garage shortly after he put the lights up.
“M*&@*( F*(#& blah blah curse curse”
He was peering through the garage windows, and I could see what he was staring at:
Not exactly our neighbor’s house, but you get the idea.
I had been asking him if we could get a sparkly snowman for the yard from Lowe’s, and he said, “let’s just keep it simple.” After seeing the intense light display across the street, he was like “You can get your snowman." Haha. After talking with our other neighbor, we found out that apparently we live in Christmas town and have to step up our light game a little. This could get a little crazy.
Mr. Handyman grilled up a beautiful feast for us last night, too:
-BBQ chicken
-grilled butternut squash
-we shared the Super Spinach Salad (my fave!!) from Trader Joe’s. Love the miso dressing
Speaking of handymen, I’m postponing the gym until later since I have to take my car in… again. I’ve written about going to the dealership a few times to get repairs done – we only bought it two summers ago, used- but I have to take it in almost every month for one thing or another. It’s getting expensive and annoying, so this is Betty’s (<— my car) last chance. She’s very pretty, and drives like a dream, but we may be trading her in for something more reliable this weekend. If you have any small SUV suggestions (Betty was a sedan, but we may get something a little bigger), let me know!
Breakfast was waiting for me….
A breakfast cookie using dark chocolate almond milk and topped with raspberries
Enjoy your day and I’ll see ya later!
xoxo
Gina
Something to think:
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”
? Thich Nhat Hanh
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I haven’t had a breakfast cookie in far too long… I was hoping that really was your neighbor’s house! 😉
Haha! The Pilot needs to be the ” Clark Griswold ” of the neighborhood! Go big or go home!
Happy Tuesday love! xo
I traded in my Honda Accord for a Toyota RAV4 and couldn’t be happier. It sits up, easy in and out but not so giant you can’t park it. I can’t recommend one enough!
My Dad just bought the new Volvo SUV (the smallest one) and it is really spectacular – my Mom drives the small Lexus SUV and she loves it, so I think they are going to battle over whose car to take to dinner for a long time, ha. My husband and I are in the market for a small SUV (city living!) but his Dad was a GM engineer so we are sticking with GM- we have test driven the Equniox and the Traverse and really like both of them. They get the same gas mileage as my current sedan, so I’m optimistic one of them will come home with us in the near future, with all the trimmings (I need heated seats.)
Hahaha, maybe The Pilot will let you buy 50 snowmen!
Your bfast cookie is looking beautiful this morning! And LOL about the Christmas lights. I bet after mini-Fitnessista is born, and after a few years of living in such a festive neighbourhood, you guys will have a house that looks just like the one in the picture! (PS. Tell the Pilot he’s lucky he didn’t have any snow to deal with during the hanging process!)
You can’t go wrong with a Subaru. We have a Legacy, but I’m dreaming of an Outback.
We have a Ford Edge and love it, great gas mileage, drives really well and it’s very comfortable. Plenty of room for baby and her things. The Escape is also really nice, and very inexpensive right now because they are totally redesigning it for next year.
Hi Gina!
I love the Nissan Rouge and Nissan Murano – my friend just had a baby and she has the Nissan Rouge. Such a cute little SUV and safe! I’d definitely check it out. 🙂
YUM that dinner looks amazing! Butternut squash is so good.
Your Christmas lights situation reminds me “Christmas With The Kranks”! I hope it’s a friendly neighborhood and not competitive. You could always get crazy and set your lights to music like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcNoMnKjrY&feature=share. Set them to a zumba song!! That will up the ante for the whole neighborhood haha.
Boo, car troubles are the WORST! I am sorry to hear that Betty is not doing well. I had a Chevy Cavalier, I got it used, and it was AMAZING! It never gave me any trouble at all. Your B fast cookie looked beautiful! And did you know that spinach has coQ10 in it! Awesome!
I’ll second the Volvo SUV. Very luxurious inside and great safety features. The VW Toureg is also amazing. Only two brands we buy because of safety features and you can get more features for your money, especially with VW.
I drive a 2011 Chevy Equinox and absolutely love it! I would definitely recommend it for someone looking for a small SUV. Great choice!
The quotes that you choose are always great, I love them! The breakfast cookie looks delicious. I should make one of those soon.
OMG I was cracking up because that’s EXACTLY what my husband did looking out our front window looking at our neighbor’s. THe people across the street have these crazy multicolored lights. I like our simple white lights thankyouverymuch!
I need to get a new car too, and I’ve totally fallen in love with the VW Tiguan. It’s a smaller SUV and super cute. We are most likely going to get one in the next few months 🙂
I have the Nissan Rouge and love it! The Murano’s are a tad bigger and my Mother In Law has one and loves her too – over other SUVs she has had – GMC’s and Toyota;s.
I have a few reindeer we put out, but most people around here keep it simple so there is no pressure! I have always loved the little lit candy canes up people’s walks though.
Recommend getting a vehicle that your baby’s car seat(s) will easily fit into, is easy to get the baby into AND out of the car/car seat, that you can change your baby’s diaper/clothes reasonably easily, and has a good safety record. Try your car seat facing backwards and forwards, too. Also you will be storing your baby’s stroller, and whatever your baby will need which takes up more space than you might think. We REALLY liked a hatch back type of rear door as it provided shade or cover from rain and was easy to get baby stuff like stroller, portable crib …… out. A minivan with bench seats worked great for us, esp with two children. It was really nice in bad weather not to have to go out of the van to change seats, if I needed to go to be next to a child without getting wet or cold or hot outside (van was stopped/ parked, of course!). Have fun finding the right Mommy vehicle, I still miss our van!! 🙁
I drive a Chevy Equinox and love it! It will be perfect for when we have kids and it drives great..so comfy. I bought it used and it had 116 000 km (which is not low obv) and I haven’t had it in the shop ONCE since I got it. No problems whatsoever. *knock on wood* lol
Avoid the Honda CR-V. My parents and I drove to the cottage (2000km each way) for the summer, and the back seat was so bad that my parents bought me a plane ticket to get home, since none of us would sit in the back. It made us really really nauseous (and we never get car sick). The front seats are straight and hard, so if you have a bit of a booty, it’s back pain city. My cheaper Civic doesn’t have this problem.
I’d suggest bringing a car seat shopping, and seeing how easy it is to get the little one in and out. My sister-in-law learned that lesson the hard way.
I have an 08 CRV and it is AMAZING! I think it’s really comfortable to drive and I’ve never had any trouble with it mechanics-wise. I thought the Toyota Rav-4 was really uncomfortable for a similar reason the person above listed – my butt just didn’t fit right in the seats.
I with the person above though who suggested getting something that will be most functional for you in terms of moving baby in and out, storing her gear, etc. And of course, something that is comfortable for your body 🙂
Good luck!
I’m all for the Lexus RX350 (the small SUV). Best. Car. Ever. The day I sold mine was the saddest day of my life. With small kids it makes life so easy, drives like a dream, and VERY low maintenance. They can get a little pricey, but a certified pre-owned one is easier to manage. Now I drive a GMC Yukon and I hate it… big, bulky, and a pain in the rear. We are currently expecting our third baby and I refuse to go the minivan route, so since we need more space (trunk space) we’ll be upsizing to a Suburban…UGH!
This Lexus is what I have and I will drive it forever! LOVE it so much. I bought it “Pre-owned” and got the same warranty as a new one. No problems, SO comfortable, kind of sporty to drive, hardly any maintenance (just your regular oil change etc plus the Lexus recommended stuff at the appointed mileage intervals). I hope to have it for years and years more!
That’s the bad thing about the yukon! If you use the 3rd seat, there’s NO trunk space whatsoever! So frustrating! And the yukon xl is enormous! The look of the yukon is pretty nice though 😉
I love today’s quote! My husband has an automotive repair shop, & he recommends Toyota, Honda, or if you want to buy American, Chevy. These are the vehicles he has to work on the least other than routine maintanance. Plus when you have to do work or maintanance Asians or domestic vehicles are much more reasonable than German imports (BMW, Volks, Mercedes, Volvos, etc). I drive a CRV & I adore it! It is so cute & feels roomy inside but looks little, gets great gas mileage, drives like a dream, & has not had any issues. It is also great in the snow & ice.
I am buying a new car this week, too! I am between the Toyota Rav 4 and the Subaru Forester. We went car shopping all last weekend and I test drove tons of smaller SUVs (I’m 34 weeks pregnant so a smaller SUV is perfect). I should have a decision made and a new SUV by the weekend, I’m so excited! Keep us posted on what you decide to do!
I love that quote! Thanks for sharing! And yay for light decorating! I can’t wait to get to do that!
Prius suv. I saw one this weekend and they are very classy looking. Plus, think how much money you would save on gas driving around town!
Mercedes GLK. It’s a gorgeous small SUV, and inexpensive for a Benz!
lots to comment on! 1. how fun, about your christmas town. it sounds like a really great environment for a family. 2. please grill me some butternut squash!! i brought some roasted for lunch today, but grilled sounds and looks awesome. 3. return of the breakfast cookie!!! yay! 4. good luck with your car. and 5. this one is a little weird. okay, A LOT weird. but maybe you’ll appreciate it. you and the pilot and all of your readers were in my dream last night. it was actually a blog baby shower for you. you and tom were super sweet and fun and so thankful for everyone being there to honor your family, but you were also a little embarrassed from the attention. that’s about it. i woke up like ‘um, that was strange..’ and now i sound like a total creeper, haha. have a great day!!!
Haha, I really thought that was your neigbors house. I can just imagine what it looks like it you used the source picture as an example. I love, love, love my Honda CR-V in fact this is my 4th one. I lease my vehicles so every three years I get a new model. It is comfortable, GREAT on gas, its roomy and has a big trunk. Hope this helps…..good luck on your car hunt,
I used to work in a used car dealership, and small SUVs are super popular among parents now. They have just enough room for a kid or two, without being the gas guzzlers that larger SUVs are.
The two popular ones you’ll hear about: Honda CR-V and the Toyota Rav-4. Both are nice, a great size for a small family, and have good storage with decent gas mileage.
My favorite is actually the Hyundai Santa Fe. It’s just as nice as the CR-V and the Rav-4, just as reliable (based on how often people brought them back for repairs), and a boatload less expensive. You can get a Santa Fe Limited with all the options for about the same price as a base-level CR-V or Rav-4, and if you take care of it then it’ll look just as nice and last just as long. Think of them as the “store brand” vehicle- just as good as buying the big brand name but cheaper 😉 Plus my aunt’s has like 300K miles on it and is still going strong, which is crazy.
I would stay far away from the luxury small SUVs. They might be a bit prettier than the regular brands, but they aren’t as reliable in my experience, especially once you start putting some miles on them. The Lexus and Mercedes SUV’s were much more likely to end up back in the shop for repairs, and they’re also more expensive to get spare parts for. I’d also stay far far away from the German imports (Volkswagen, Audi, etc.). They’re fun to drive, but not as reliable, and also way more expensive to fix if something goes wrong. Not something you want to deal with with le bebe on the way.
Can’t disagree more about the small Lexus SUV’s. There are 3 in my family (going on 7+ years for the oldest one), never been back in the shop outside of routine stuff and the parts are compareable with my parents’ Honda! Plus drive one and you’ll fall in love!
Everyone has their own experiences 🙂 Lexus SUVs were less likely to come in for repairs than some of the other brands, but still much more likely than a Honda, Toyota, or Hyundai. And they just don’t age as well, in my experience.
I 100% agree with Amanda. I drive a Hyundai Santa Fe and could not be happier…it’s cute (maybe I’m shallow but that’s important to me haha), good gas mileage, zero maintenance other than oil changes so far (1 year and counting), and the most perfect size for my husband and I, our dog, and the little one. I get lots of compliments and I cannot recommend it enough.
I can also say that in my experience, I agree that its a good idea to stay away from the luxury and German import SUVs. I had a VW Touareg and it was sooooo expensive to get repaired. Same with my Lexus SUV, which also ran up a high repair bill. Not. Cool.
Good luck with the car search…shopping for cars is equal parts exciting and super stressful, but you got it girl 🙂
oh Gina, I smell a Griswold Christmas coming your way. Your husband doesn’t happen to have a brother or cousin that lives in an RV with a giant dog, do you?
Have you ever had Dinosaur BBQ sauce?! If not, girl….you need to order some for next time Tom makes that chicken. #magical
Ohhh that breakfast cookie looks SO GOOD!!!
Two of my friends have the Honda CR-V and LOVE them! They have so much room!!! I test drove a Volvo when I was getting my suv … it was the small one, something 60. I liked it a lot and it had tons of room! They are also great and sturdy cars. They have this promise that their cars are supposed to last 100k miles .. or something like that.
My friend just got the GMC small suv. She loves it! It is a super smooth ride too!
Hope this helps!
I lied … its 1 million .. or something like that. haha. Sorry, the sales pitch is a little foggy 🙂
I have a Ford Escape, but am getting a new car in the next few weeks. We’re planning to go with the new Honda CRV, but also liked the new Escape a lot as well. They both have good gas mileage, are easy to put car seats/babies in and out of, and drive more like cars than larger SUVs.
Loved this post! I see you guys adding some lights and decorations…every weekend! As your daughter gets older, even by next Christmas, she will LOVE going for walks down your street to see the Christmas lights and decorations!
As far a car change, I am a Toyota girl myself, and my in-laws all have them too! I love the RAV-4, 4-runner and highlander! And the sequoia seems to be the bigger soccer-mom’s car! My sister-in-law has the Sienna (Mini-van) and absolutely LOVES it! She has 2 small ones and it is perfect for her family and dogs! She actually traded in their second car and bought a second sienna! I would also suggest trying to put the car seat in different positions and if you are deciding between just 2 or 3, rent one for the weekend to make sure you love it before you buy it! Good luck!
we just pulled out our christmas decorations last night – but we live in an apartment, so we don’t have to worry about outside decorations. i remember that my dad used to HATE putting up and taking down the outdoor christmas lights (we live in wisconsin, though, so being outside in the cold is just unpleasant…).
i drive an acura mdx. it’s awesome–drives like a car with the space of a small suv.
I’m on my 2nd Chevy Equinox so clearly I recommend it 😉 Great truck, no major problems on either of them (knock on wood), smooth ride and the legroom is insane-everyone who sits on the backseat is amazed. Great on gas and very comfortable. Good luck in your search!
I love the Christmas decor “game,” we’d love that neighborhood! I can’t wait to see what snowman you pick! We have a Jeep Liberty and love it, it’s big enough for a mega Costco run and seats 5 (we’ve only ever had 4 in it though) without feeling like I’m driving a tank/no issues parking.
Ha, the whole Christmas lights thing had me laughing. Houses aren’t too overdone in my neighborhood but around my grandma’s house people really go all out. And it’s funny because it’s in the city, so they have less space to decorate yet they all dress their houses up to the nines!
I LOVE this post so much! lol I know that if someone had decorated a house like that near us, my husband would go bizerk! My husband is pretty much Clark Grizwald…and we’re the only ones around us that decorate that way. We don’t go as far as that house…we keep it pretty clean. I’m not a fan of the millions of light figures. But he lines the entire roof in different patterns each year and outlines the house. But I could totally see him mumbling like your hubby over the dude across the street. LOVE it. lol (And the “you can get your snowman”. Hehehe.)
I love love love my Nissan murano! It’s the perfect size and drives great! It’s perfect for a growing family!
Saturn Vue. I know, Saturn?? I LOVE mine-never had a problem with it. Big, but not obnoxious. So great!
My husband just finished paying off the payment for his LEMON of a crappy Chevy Trailblazer. He says he’s going to run it into the ground before he buys a new SUV. We hope we can get 5 more years out of it (he bought it in 2006). I heard other bad stuff about the Chevy TB, so don’t buy it! If they still make it that is.
My sister has a Toyota Forerunner (older model) and it runs like a dream. I heard good things about the Honda CRV and Ford Escape. I have been eyeing them for a while, but my Nissan Maxima (Baby) sedan is still running strong (’00 model).
And I love Christmas decorations!! I can’t wait to get our own home just to decorate for the major events. Halloween and Christmas!!
Do you make your own miso dressing or is that from TJ’s too? Looks and sounds yummy.
My husband’s a BMW man, he has a X5 and loves it. I have a sedan and probably will get the smaller version of his car when we have kids. (I’m 5’10 and leaning that far down, butt in air, climbing in to get a chair seat doesn’t seem.. appealing). 😉
A co-worker has a Honda Pilot (her 2nd actually), she loves it and she has 3 kids. It’s up to what you and your Pilot prefer! 😀
That’s hilarious. Maybe he’ll let you get some walkway candy canes, too? 😛
A lot of ppl like Honda CR-V’s…me personally, I think it feels like a brick but to each his own. You should look into the Honda Accord Crosstour. It isn’t an SUV but it is like a modern hatchback- way better looking than a regular hatchback and it drives like a dream and it super roomy.
You have inspired me to make breakfast cookies again- it has been too long 🙂
ahh fun! we need to get on our xmas decorations like..now. i love having them up but then we always leave for xmas (parents house) so we cant enjoy them for very long. i think the parentals need to start coming to us!
You neighbor sounds like Clark Griswold:)
We never put up lights because my Dad didn’t want the hassle, but the inside of the house was always decked out!
I’ve had a couple of Jeeps (Grand Cherokees) and loved them, but it seems like they’re getting bigger and bigger (that’s what she said?) and they’re definitely not on the small side anymore, but a different model might be what you’re looking for?
We love our Nissans. I have a Pathfinder, but the Murano is a great small SUV option.
Omg, that is so stinkin’ funny about the lights! Totally reminds me of Clark Griswald!