Review: Wine and Design- Stafford VA

A good tip for new (or rather any parent) is: When someone offers to watch your kid(s) for the night, you just smile and say "thank you". Try not to run or trip on your way out from your excitement though. Desperation for some much needed alone time makes you look.... well... is there any other way to say it? Desperate. 

Since moving back to the states, I've been lucky to have my mother come visit not once, but TWICE! This last time she was kind enough to offer my husband and I a night to just go out and enjoy a few kid free hours. When date nights are rare, you want to make sure what you do is either: completely practical and/or something you can't do with the kids. So my first thoughts were... we either go baby stuff shopping without kids or we do something new. Thank goodness we decided to do the latter. 

For our night of kidless fun we decided to go to Wine and Design in Stafford, VA. 

Before we get started, let me first tell you that I made the decision to go there without consulting my husband. So call it pregnancy brain if you will or just a crazy lapse in judgement, but for someone reason I just assumed this was the perfect date night thing to do. While it was fun, I didn't realize that my husband would be the only man there and we probably seemed a little silly among a plethora of wine drinking "girlfriends."  Good thing my hubby is a good sport and didn't even think twice about putting on an apron and painting the evening away with his very pregnant wife. 


So if you've never been to Wine and Design before (or any other wine and painting type of class) let me just give you a small run down of what they do. These type of classes are set up so that in one evening you will complete a work of art that is broken down for you in baby-steps by your class instructor. At our class, our masterpiece was already outlined for us and we were given all of the supplies to finish our "lovebirds" painting. I won't go too deep in to each step of our paintings creation, but I can tell you that our instructor was very patient and gave everyone plenty of time to paint and to be creative. 



I do, however, have a few tips for anyone doing this for the first time.

1. Don't get too boxed in to thinking your painting has to be perfect! Every painting comes out different. I mean we must have had 12 people in our class and I don't think any of our paintings looked alike in the end. Think of it as a family of paintings: You might have similar features, but in the end everyone is a little different. 

2. Snap a few pics of your painting when your done. That little boggier will look like a million bucks in a fancy full filtered Instagram photo and will make you super proud of what you've just done. Slap a few hashtags on that baby and tag your painting partner in crime and I guarantee you all of your friends will become insta-jealous of what an awesome evening you just had. 

3. Lastly, do not... I repeat DO NOT.... get water to drink and accidentally wash your paint brush in your water. Your night will not end well. Just a tip from experience. 



Conclusion: Wine and Design is a super cute way to spend the evening. It was an easy class and despite the fact that I'm not creative at all, I still left feeling like I was an artist. Our instructor was funny and lively; the environment was relaxed; and I felt like it was something different to do for date night. I highly recommend going to a class if you want a fun, relaxing evening creating your own unique work of art! 

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Day 5: 10 Playful Signs That Your Kids Have Taken Over Your Life


Before I had kids I had all these "ideas" of what being a parent would be like. I envisioned weekend picnics at the park, giggle sessions in a play tent, dress-up fashion shows in the living room, and quiet evenings reading books together while snuggled under a warm blanket on the couch. While all these moment really do happen in my life, they are far more rare than I ever dreamed. I never imagined I would spend most of my time wiping butts, breaking up fights, and cleaning up the same mess over and over again. Most of my days are too chaotic to even get the simplest task done. I'm extremely proud on those unusual days where I get all the laundry cleaned, the dished washed, and ALL of the toys picked up. Don't get me wrong, my kids are the most important things in the world to me and spending time with them definitely trumps chores (hence why they don't get done), but man oh man, on days like today I can't help dreaming about the good ol' days when I wasn't chased down every time I attempted to go to the bathroom.

Just for fun though I decided to make a quick list of my ten most favorite "playful" signs that your kids have taken over your life. This list is really meant for a quick chuckle and to give all you "kid-less" folks a glimpse into your future. Feel free to comment and tell me some of your favorite signs that your kids have taken over at your house.

Ten Playful Signs That Your Kids Have Taken Over Your Life
1.  When the most played song on your iTunes is a Disney Princess sing-a-long song.
Like this isn't a joke. We've really listened to it that many times. 
2. When you catch yourself watching the end of "Dora", even though the kids have already left the room. 
3. When you realize in the last 3 years the only movies you've seen in theaters were the Lorax and Monster University. 
4. When you go on vacation your suitcase situation has gone from one small suitcase to having so many bags that you looks like you're a roadie for a rock band. 
5. When you give in and let your daughter name the new cat "Rusapea" because that's what the mice from Cinderella call that mean cat who chases them all the time.
6. When you and your husband have taken to hiding in the kitchen to eat dessert so that no little kids snake it before you even get a bite. 
7. When your iPad no longer has apps on it that you enjoy, but rather it's filled with coloring games and Nickelodeon shows. 
8. When all of your Netflix's suggestions are based off of how often you watch "My Little Pony" and "Chuck the Truck." 
9. When you and your husband compete at whose better at drawing. (I am, btw! Okay... we both stink, but I'm the less stinky ones. haha)

10. When the best moments of your day are filled with kid kisses, chalk drawings, Barbie dream houses, and late morning snuggles in the bed squished between two kids and two annoying cats.

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