one year ago today...

... we arrived at LAX from Sydney, Australia, thus ending one of the best trips EVER. Oh how we miss the South Pacific. From one adventure to the next though, right?

From sheep and NZ life...

...to Aussie city life and koalas...

...to a new city and new jobs...

...to being parents...

Holy crap. Where has the time gone?!?!!?

happy valentine's day to me!!

Happy Valentine's Day to me!! Thanks Josh!! THIS came in the mail yesterday... the CUTEST diaper bag EVER! I'm in love with it.

Josh is really off the hook this year for Valentine's Day because I have some girlfriends coming into town that weekend for girls weekend and I may have purchased this very bag for him to give to me. He's pretty darn lucky... but then again, so am I... happy diapering!

our new obsession.

Sam will be happy to hear that her lending us all 7 seasons of The West Wing has officially kicked into addiction mode. CJ, Sam, Toby, Josh, Donna, Charlie, Leo, and President Bartlet have all become household names at chez Dunlop. We love it! It took a few episodes to get into it, but now we're officially rolling in political love for these characters. Onto Season 3!

feeling green...

So our farm box has been coming consistently and the past 2 times it has had collard greens... what oh what to do with collard greens?!!? I ruined them last time (tried the garlicky greens from 101 cookbooks but accidentally over olive oiled so they were too soggy to consume)... I've been thinking quiche because I have all ingredients on hand? Someone has to have some suggestions... hit me with your best shot!

rock around the wallet...

I will apologize in advance... I've been in a nesting mood and this means I can't stop thinking about things that need to be bought/will be bought for the new little addition to our family. I've realized my blog has turned into a baby-zone and for those of you who could care less, I apologize. Hang in there with me. I promise I'll post about other things than pregnancy and babies and freaking amazing rockers... but first I have to talk about this amazing rocker I've fallen in love with but would need to sell a kidney to own...



This rocker is beautiful. I've seen rocking chairs in like every baby store/website there is, but they all have this vinyl cover or look cheap or is a lazy-boy type feel that just doesn't go with the rest of our furniture let alone our design tastes. But this rocker is gorgeous. Something that you could have in your house with or without a baby. I love it. It's more than the price of our rent check each month, but a girl can dream, no...?

a weekend of food...

Santa Barbara was just lovely... Josh and I arrived and were able to stop in to see Miss Leslie and Molly (two of SB's cutest residents) and were able to talk baby gear and such - we then made it to our hotel and while waiting for the Olsens to arrive we took a little walk out on the wharf and took some sunset shots with the new cam... not bad, eh?

Dinner was an SB classic and an Olsen fav - Palazzios. Their garlic balls are worth going for alone.

The next morning we made our way to farmers market to sample the local cuisine and then Linds and I got our nails done while the boys opted for a more manly tobacco shopping for their pipes. Lunch was Fresco's (a SB MUST for Josh and I). Warm goat cheese salad?? Oh man. I'd drive back to SB right now for that!

Post lunch was a baby shower for our friend Sarah (she's due in less than a month!) and then we walked into town for a Los Arroyos dinner where a plethora of topics were covered... Oh Dunsens...

Sunday we slipped in a walk along the beach to East Beach Grill for wheatgerm pancakes before the rain. We then took the trolly into town for some shopping, Habit burgers for lunch, the afternoon at the Natural History Museum, and finally a late dinner at Ca Dario. We shut that place down!!

Monday was POURING cats and dogs so we did a brunch at Jeannine's and then a quick goodbye in the rain - time to drive home safe!! Please notice that each little section of this blog mentions at least one restaurant or food item. We ate our way through Santa Barbara and would do it again in a heartbeat.

whence we came...

We're going to Santa Barbara for the weekend! The ol' stomping grounds...

Hopefully a glamour belly shot session on the beach will provide for ample belly footage to satisfy all... Happy weekend!

just stop...

Stop. Stop right there. I'm head over heels OBSESSED with this website for baby stuff. With everything! Their clothes... their toys... their towels... their photography. I'm obsessed. In fact, I need to close the internet browser so I can actually get some work done. LOVE!

winter cleaning!

Josh and I went through our closets and came out with 2 large bags of stuff to give to good will or throw away... Most of the stuff was mine as Josh doesn't normally buy things he doesn't intend on wearing more than once (Target is my downfall... so cute, so cheap, love it for a time or two and then am over it... so frustrating!). I'm making room for maternity gear and we're also trying to clean out the 2nd room's closet for more baskets and storage for baby stuff... SO. MUCH. STUFF.

As I've become overwhelmed as of late with baby gear, we're just trying to cross things off our list one item at a time... that way we make progress without driving ourselves mad. Business idea for the future: Baby planner. We've all heard of party planners or wedding planners, but a baby planner? I'm going to create an empire. I'm going to be the David Tutera of the baby world. You just wait and see...

milestones!

100,000 miles!! Love the civic...

Busy mall? No parking? No worries... I've got expectant mother parking! I love California...

overwhelmed much?

So Josh and I ventured to Babies R Us today to just get a feel for what is out there in terms of car seats and strollers and cribs, etc, etc... Oh. My. Word. There is just so much out there!! But... at the same time... it all is basically the same thing!!

So - we found a car seat we thought was great... cool handle that didn't twist or strain your arm, cool looking, seemed to have everything going for it, $99. Great. Sounds good. BUT. There's a seat that looks exactly the same for $149! Same safety features, different brand. Is one safer than the other?? Are we selling our baby's safety short by registering for the cheaper brand?? I think our problem is that we just don't know what to look for - we don't know what features are important, what is a non-negotiable and what is a convenience, or what is the best bang for our buck. It's frustrating.

So moms... or sisters of moms... or moms to be... or anyone who has any knowledge of car seats/strollers. Please. Enlighten us. What are non-negotiables? What are the best features to look for? Are there certain features that are worth spending the additional $50 or $100 on? Brands that are the best? Any and all information would be most helpful... I'm sure I'll have more desperate cries as we try to decide on a crib and pacifiers and bottles and changing pads and diapers and breast pumps and bassinets and... ... ... ... oh vey!

rose colored glasses...

2010 New Years Day... 6AM... some are taking the walk of shame back to their home after a long night of partying. Some are sound asleep in their bed. Some are bundling up to go sit on Colorado Blvd to watch the Rose Bowl Parade. Josh and I fall into the final category.

6AM comes early but for front row seats, it was worth it. Well... that's not an entirely true statement. We wouldn't have had front row seating without the the help of Lindsey's brother bear Kevin taping off space since 10AM on New Year's Eve... thanks Kevin! But the front seats = totally worth it.

The floats are incredible... all organic material and such detail! It's incredible...

All the floats were incredible. Definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity to sit front and center for the parade. Happy New Year!