Girls Day of Fun

Ok so I knew that baby Sawyer would be entering this world in a little over two weeks (Oct 2nd at the latest).  So I thought it would be a good idea to plan a fun and relaxed girls outing for the most important women in my life.

I thought about going to Sprinkles in Dallas and then going over to North Park Mall but the traffic is horrible and it's a long drive.

 I like the atmosphere in Ft Worth a lot better but I don't ever go there except to go to the Zoo. So I started googling places to have lunch with near by shopping. Well, I stumbled upon this bakery/cafe that also had an amazing sounding breakfast and lunch menu. Even better, it is actually located in a upscale shopping center in University Park Village down the street from the zoo. So many amazing stores to go to after you eat! Jackpot! Perfect place to have a girls day!!!! So I called my mom and sister and mother in law and sister in law and planned a girls day!

University Park Village Ft. Worth

Night time at Univ Park Village- Beautiful! 

           

Apparently everyone in Ft. Worth has been to McKinley's Bakery.  Upon arrival, it seemed to be the popular place to eat. There were a ton of TCU students there as well as families. Not only did they have speciality cakes, pies, cookies and cupcakes....but they had a LARGE speciality salad menu, along with multiple delicious cold and hot sandwiches and soups.

   

McKinley's has been featured in many different magazines in DFW. Click to zoom.

It was very hard to decide what to order (which my husband would tell you is typical for me at any restaurant). You should see their menu!! You better look it up before hand if you decide to try it out yourself or you'll be in line a long time. What I like about it is if you are going for something healthy, you can totally eat carb free even though it's a bakery.

 I ended up ordering the quiche with the "down-sized" pecan crusted salad. When they say "down-sized" they mean regular sized. When they say "regular sized" they mean large. Haha. I ordered the balsamic vinaigrette dressing and it was to die for. I wish I would have taken a pic of everyones plate. Unfortunately, the only lens we own is a prime 50mm and while I love it for some things (weddings/portraits), it's not easy getting pictures close up and in small spaces so I skipped it. We really should invest in a wide angle lens for personal use but they are over a thousand dollars. I digress.... The quiche was just as amazing. Next time I go I will try something different just cause I want to try everything on the menu. It all looked so good.

 This one looks very similar to the combo I had accept I got the quiche instead of the pasta with a salad.

                             












After we ate we went to walk around and look at some of the awesome stores that we never get to go to. My absolute favorite store was the one that we visited first...

We spent more time here then any other store. Yet again, I should have taken pictures of everything I really wanted but I  only ended up getting a pic of Addy trying on something she wanted....a pink Snow White Apron...lol...

Here are a few of the things I was eyeing in the store...

   

 I've always heard that whenever you bake, you should use the finest ingredients. It makes everything taste better. Well, thats great if you have the money. I always end up just buying the $2 cheap imitation vanilla at Walmart. I stumbled upon this authentic strong vanilla bean at William Sonoma and will be adding it to my Christmas list. Based on the reviews on the website, a bottle of $20 vanilla makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE in a recipe compared to the cheap stuff. I would love to splurge and try it sometime.  I don't think i've ever made a plain ol' vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting but I'd definitely give it a shot if I had this stuff.

So how cute is this raspberry colored Kitchen Aid Mixer. I've always wanted one of these. It's what all the Food Network chiefs use. They come in so many different colors I would have a hard time deciding. LOL! Plus the fact that they range in price from $300-400 is a major disadvantage too. 

They even have stuff Matt would like! Hahaha!

I could go on but I won't....

After lots more stores, Addy was getting restless. She had been doing great and I thought she needed to do something kid-friendly so we went on a $3 mini train ride! So much fun! Plus, the fact that it was in the high 60's - low 70's made it a really fun side trip. Here are a few pictures of us waiting for the train!

After that we went BACK to Mckinley's to get dessert and coffee. Here are a few pictures. 

Here is the only pic you will see of me on the trip. I hate it but I know I have to put one in. Courtney isn't in it because she met us there. I don't even look like myself.

Every woman has a different experience with their pregnancies. Mine has not been easy, especially this time around. Working full time when your 3 cm dilated is not fun. Some women have very few symptoms, very minimal weight gain and carry their babies very well. None of those describe my pregnancies. When I am pregnant I swell and it all goes to my face, not my ankles....I only wish I had cankels!!

PRE-Pregnancy Katie

MID-Pregnancy Katie

END-Pregnancy Katie- Yuck!

On a funny note: This is Addy pretending to have a baby. Hahaha! Hilarious!