Weekend Warriors: Florida Edition
This weekend I remembered the things I love about Florida. The warm weather. The sunshine. The outdoors.
And my hair remembered the reason we left Florida. The humidity. I’ve taken, like, two showers a day since we got here and my hair seems to have inflated. A LOT. I have trouble fitting it through doorways. And I don’t know what to do with it now besides throwing it all up on top of my head. I’m working on other options. Perhaps a side ponytail. Or a bun the size of Texas. We’re still working through those important details.
But I’m willing to overlook that horrific hair catastrophe in exchange for the bright blue skies and sunny days like we had this past Saturday.
Chris, Bean, and I went to the Winter Park Arts Festival (Winter Park is an area of town, not a reference to the season, by the way…). It was all through the downtown area of Winter Park and in the city park there were art vendors. At least, I think there were art vendors. I never actually saw one because I forgot to leave the food court area.
Festival food is my weakness. My BFF, Emily, and I call it “food on a stick.” If you can put it on a stick, deep fry it, or dip it in cheese sauce, we’re in. Bonus points if you can do all three at one time.
The festival was really crowded and I worried as I rammed my way through the crowds with my oversized stroller that Bean might not like being in such close quarters with 50,000 people.
But if he was nervous, you couldn’t tell. He sat in his stroller, waving his arms around like Moses parting the Red Sea of people. He yelled and babbled and called out to anyone who happened to be within shouting distance. And, believe me, there were a lot of people within shouting distance. A local radio station gave him a big yellow balloon and that silenced him long enough for him to see if the balloon was edible. It was not. And so the yelling and catcalling at strangers continued. But he was one happy, loud little guy.
At lunch time, we took a little break and grabbed a seat for a while. Chris and I shared one of my favorite meals – cuban skirt steak with rice and black beans. Oh my word. My mouth is watering just remembering the meal. Bean passed on the skirt steak and had sweet potatoes, avocados, and black beans. Which means his diaper later in the day almost made me pass out.
(Was that too much sharing? Sorry.)
After lunch, we walked around for a little bit more and finally Chris convinced me there was more to life than food vendors, though I still think he failed to make that argument successfully. We walked through a few rows of artists and their paintings and photography and wood working and jewelry and glass pieces. I ran up an imaginary tab of about $65,000 and had our entire house redecorated in my head. Complete with an enormous wooden sculpture of a pelican with a half eaten fish hanging out of his mouth. I thought this would be perfect in the new Man Cave. Chris disagreed.
A few hours later, we took another little break so that Bean Man could get some cuddles in. Sitting in that stroller all day was hot and even with all the fun of bossing around 50,000 people, he still needed a little break. Management is tough work.
When we got back to the car that afternoon, Bean fell asleep before we had even packed the stroller in the trunk. Which was good. I was balancing a funnel cake, a corn dog, a large frosty lemonade, and a gyro on my lap. I couldn’t be bothered with Bean’s antics in the car.
All in all, it was a great day for our family. It was so nice to be out of the house and doing something that was just the three of us. The sunshine made me happy and, despite the rapidly increasing size of my hair, I enjoyed being outdoors for the afternoon.
Of course, we could have been at a street festival in Norway in -20 degree blowing snow and I would have been completely happy with my corn dog. And my funnel cake. And my normal-sized hair.
33 Comments
Laura
I LOVE street festivals! So much fun! I always come home with some piece of art I didn’t actually need and several bbq sauce stains on my shirt. It’s a ritual.
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
Bean in the sunglasses is priceless. He is so stinkin’ cute.
Dyanna
That picture of Bean in the glasses is to freakin adorable!!!!! I always come home from festivals at least 10 pounds heavier.
Heather in ND
Sounds like you’re enjoying Florida… seems like a little vacation!!
Casey
The Winter Park Arts Fest is one of my favorite things in the world. My Mom’s whole family lives in Winter park and we usually go every year… except this year 🙁
I’m glad you had fun!
Alyson
Looks like soo much fun!! I have a recommendation for your hair! My hair is like yours, but blonde… well, except that I have it cut chin length now and straighten it every.single.day. Yes, I’m crazy!!
Deva Curl!!! You NEED those products! I PROMISE they will help and your hair will be like you’ve never seen it before! Before I chopped all of mine off, I’d been using Deva for about 2 years and omg… my hair was wonderful! Not big, not crazy and frizzy like it used to be. I live in California.. so the humidity is nothing compared to Florida, but I’d be willing to bet that it’d help! …all of this coming from a hairstylist turned stay at home mom! 🙂
Diana
As someone who also lives in Florida – with curly hair – I feel your pain. My hairstyles are usually – the messy bun, the ponytail, or a headband and letting it roam wild. In the meantime – I have petitioned for a separate zip code for my hair.
The Farmer’s Market in Winter Park is great too and very dog friendly. Molly would probably love it!
Tracey Ann
sniff* sniff* I used to attend the Winter Park Arts festival, I can’t tell you how happy/sad I am for you! Happy you’re in the sun, sad I am not.
Permanently gray in Seattle,
Tracey
http://youhavetoeatdirt.wordpress.com/
Jaclyn
There’s a festival in Laguna Beach called the Winter Arts Festival too! Only there wasn’t any of the yummy “fair” food that you partook of.
And I’m sorry about your hair! My months in Florida and years in North Carolina were definitely not friendly to my curly/wavy/changes-on-a-daily-basis hair either. The joys of warm but humidity free LA!
http://jaclynclaire.wordpress.com
Deana
The food is the only reason I go the WP Art festival and the Mount Dora one too. I always ALWAYS get a gyro and lemonade.. plus whatever good dessert stuff I find.
Amy
I’m so glad you guys got to get out and rediscover some fun parts of home. I agree with you–street food is the BOMB! There’s nothing better than a funnel cake with lemonade while walking in the sunshine.
Yes mam.
http://threepeasinakitchen.blogspot.com
Camille
Not sure if I can ever forgive you for FAILING to post photos of the food.
Probably I won’t.
Megan
Embrace the curl…embrace it! Or…spend countless hours straightening simply to have it curly/frizzy in the first 10 minutes of being outside in the humidity. So…embrace it! 🙂
Lovin the Bean in his sunglasses! Wish Q-Tip would keep hers on. She so hates the bright sun in her eyes. I’m sure she will one day. She wouldn’t keep a hat on last year and so far we’re doing good this year. Keepin my fingers crossed!
Ta Ta,
Megan
http://reddirtandcrazy.blogspot.com/
Jayme
I am so jealous right now!!!! The blue skies, the short sleeves, the SUN!!! It just snowed about 10 inches here over the 1ST DAY OF SPRING!!! and today!
Soak up all that sun and warm weather for me please!!
Anne Cooper
That picture of Bean with the sunglasses on is so cute I laughed out loud! That one should definitely get framed somewhere!
Kiana
LOVE Winter Park, so jealous. I’m from Windermere, my parents are still there. I’m in Atlanta now and even though it’s only 1 state away, I can still tell the difference in the humidity! I feel for you…and your hair. Hang in there 😉
Christina
This made me laugh so. We have only been in town for that festival once…whenever we visit Mike’s family it’s always summertime or one of the winter holidays. How fun that you were able to go! It’s so beautiful there.
The picture of you pushing the stroller (the first one) made me giggle-it looks a little like you are at Disney with mouse ears on. It’s cute.
It’s funny how curly hair gets bigger there and straight hair gets flatter there…the latter would be my problem. 🙂 Following the biblical principle, though…those who have much will be given more and those who have little, even what they have will be taken away (Matt. 25:29). (Yes, I’m aware that is a totally incorrect application of the Scripture. Just making a little joke. Oh dear.) I’m afraid this has applied to more than one of my physical features. Sigh.
And I don’t know why, but I think moms not only like to share about their diaper troubles, but they also like to hear about others’…commiseratorial, perhaps? (I think I made that word up.)
Marla
I need to go to a fair… Like tonight! That food sounds so amazing.
I have no advice about the hair. I stay away from humidity.
Marla @ http://www.asthefarmturns.wordpress.com
Sarah
So…I’ll say what all of your other readers are thinking and not saying: umm, where’s the post about the shennanigans that ensued at Ginny’s bachelorette party? After that big build up..you totally skipped right past it. I’m assuming it’s intentional as you don’t seem to blog out of order and you have moved right onto the move so I’m guessing you just don’t want your parents to read about it or something? Anyway, that sucks. :/
Katie
LOL – no, its coming! I couldn’t find my camera in all the moving fuss so I have been waiting for my sister to send me her pictures. I got them yesterday so I’ll be posting about it soon!
Mom of 3
A tip for next year…get to the WP Art Festival right when it opens (on any day) and it’s awesome. We went with all the kids at 9am today and cruised through the whole thing without any trouble…then there’s plenty of time to hang out at the food booths while the crowds go by.
Abby @ They Lend Me Their Hearts
I love that picture of Bean with those sunglasses! His expression is just perfect!
I too love carnival/fair/festival food! Mini-doughnuts, funnel cake, Martha’s Cookies (maybe just a MN State Fair thing), and a few more dozen bags of mini-doughnuts!
Ella
Sounds like fun day! Love the photo of Beanie in his sunnies 🙂
Miss M!
Dude – quit shampooing your hair! Seriously, wet it, rinse it, shower to your heart’s content, but stop putting ‘poo in your curls. THAT likely is causing a lot of the volume. Check out the book Curly Girl. It has great tips for managing curls.
EmilyC
I have a serious weakness for fair food too, that’s really the only reason I go! lol Love the pictures and so glad you have the same Florida frizz problems that I have…it’s nice to know I’m not the only one suffering! I use BioSilk hair therapy but it still doesn’t cure the frizzies. I’m going to see if I can find that Curly Girl book and some Deva Curl! 🙂
Shannon
I feel your pain on the humidity. Arkansas humidity is bad news for my hair! I’ll let ya in on a secret though – get some serum and apply it while your hair is still wet. I go the cheap route and get Suave’s Sleek Frizz Control (creme/gel/serum stuff). It seems to help out with the use of a flat iron!
Megan (Best of Fates)
I’ve spent my entire live in Northern Virginia, right outside D.C., so I’ve never known a life aside from humidity. Hair that inflating every season, frizziness that can never be tamed – sometimes I dream of a life without these things, but I’m not sure I believe it’s real.
Mrs Jen B
I just love him! Yo really, really make me wanna have a baby, and I helped raise 2 while in my teens so I know the yucky parts! Sigh.
Michelle
I just cannot get over Bean’s cuteness. He is so stinkin adorable!!
Katy
How fun!! PS, my favorite food is on a stick 🙂
Audrey
That beautiful picture of you snuggling with Bean melted my heart. Thanks for sharing it.
Emma
Very sweet and funny post. I have to stop reading your blog at work. I laugh out loud (cant be helped) at your posts and my cubicle mates are beginning to wonder about me! Glad you are back to posting again.
Jen
My huge oversized hair welcomes you to florida. Yay! I can sooooo relate to your posts now… the winter park arts festival is pretty fabulous!