Austin, Waco, Our Love-Hate For Screen Time + The Weekly Edit

Lots of progress was made on the home front while we were in Austin this past weekend, and we’re headed to Waco for a fun project with Texas Monthly + Magnolia this weekend!

Maybe this just means we need to leave town more often? Lol. (We wish.) The new master bath tiles are in, the new kitchen is coming along, and we even picked out some yucca plants for the landscaping!

Gwen has been such a trooper throughout this huge house renovation. She’s typically great at entertaining herself, but sometimes we resort to the TV so that we can get work done when she’s home with us during work days and mom-guilt is real!

It’s a running joke in our household that Moana is our after-hours nanny. Ironically, we were those people who said we would NEVER allow excessive screen time for our kids. And then we became parents. And now she has an iPad…while I’m here apologizing to you for it.

Have any advice on how to not be so codependent on the TV? Please leave a comment! Everyone tells us (especially the grandparents…) that another sibling/playmate would be beneficial. But, as you guys know, we are not quite there yet!

Hopefully, our new big backyard serves as a solution once it’s done…

Gwen Houston Rodeo Ice Cream by top Houston lifestyle blogger Ashley Rose of Sugar & Cloth Jared and Gwen Houston Rodeo

Gwen Houston Rodeo

On Tuesday, Instagram and Facebook refused to cooperate (#firstworldproblems). We used this as an excuse to unplug from the computer and checked out all the animals at the Houston Rodeo. (Gwen wasn’t into them.)

So we ditched calorie counting for their foot-long corndogs and carnival popsicles! That part she was into, lol. Clearly, she’s my child…

Daddy and Gwen at the Houston rodeo this week! - Gwen Houston Rodeo Ice Cream by top Houston lifestyle blogger Ashley Rose of Sugar & Cloth

Lastly, this week’s Weekly Edit links are dedicated to Austin because we had such a blast! We somehow managed to balance being there to work and bouncing around with Gwen!

The city never disappoints us. If it were not for the house construction and influx of the South by Southwest crowd coming in, we’d stay longer, especially since Jared’s brother lives there!

THE WEEKLY EDIT

  • Alright, Alright, Alright! Watch out for 10 Famous People You Might Bump Into in Austin. And we sooo wanna bump into the first one.
  • Alyson Fox’s hilltop home (designed by her and her husband and built by her brother) is our #housegoals. An illustrator, printmaker, jeweler, photographer, clothing designer, home and textile designer – is there anything she cannot do?
  • Another fave Austin home goods and textile artist of ours, Leah Duncan launched her Wild fabric collection. We also love her Mountain Blossom Art Print collab.
  • Could P.Terry’s Become As Big As Whataburger? The Austin fast food late-night burger chain only uses fresh all-natural ingredients. Don’t forget to add on a milkshake and all-butter oatmeal sea salt chocolate chip cookie to your order too! Good news for us: A Houston location is slated to be open within 2 years. These are probably fighting words, but P.Terry’s is way better than In-N-Out. (Sorry, Cali!)
  • A state-fair cheese themed exhibit debuted at South by Southwest this week. Cheeselandia features a giant ferris wheel of cheese with over 600 Wisconsin cheeses weighing 1,000+lbs.
  • Now that we’ll have a backyard, the Music of the Spheres Mezzo Chimes would be a nice touch.
  • Check out our past guides for 24 Hours In Austin and 48 Hours In Austin.
  • This place is so not Gwen-appropriate, but it’s a new one not mentioned in our above guides. Urban Axes gives you a place to relieve some stress. Yes, the name describes it all. It’s an axe-throwing range!

Please note that we may earn a commission for some of the above affiliate links. However, products featured are independently selected and personally well-loved by us!

4 thoughts on “Austin, Waco, Our Love-Hate For Screen Time + The Weekly Edit”

  1. We tried really hard to not do much screen time with my daughter (only child) before she was two. Of course, it snuck in there now and again. But I try to give her other things to do so I don’t have to listen to the TV: magnetic building blocks, playdough, dress-up and painting are long-time favorites. We have family movie nights too; it makes screen time more of an event and we end up watching a big variety of movies instead of the same things over and over.

    Reply
    • Hi Becca! That is awesome that you were able to really limit the screen time until your daughter was 2. Most of the articles we’ve read tells you to avoid any screen time until they’re that age. Thanks for the alternatives (love the painting idea) and especially family movie night!

      Reply
  2. Hey! So about screen time… I have twins about a month younger than Gwen and the temptation is real sometimes to put the TV on! First thing we did was move the TV out of our shared living space, and then I have a box of toys that they really enjoy that I only bring out when I need them to occupy themselves.
    Honestly though, a little screen time will not hurt! The girls watch TV at my moms sometimes when we’re there and it’s whatever. And as far as a sibling to occupy- it doesn’t always work even with twins 😂 more often than not “go play with your sister” turns into a baby brawl.
    Whatever works for your fam is what’s right for you guys! And from your insta Gwen seems like a smart and happy little lady, so don’t stress. Mom guilt can be terrible but outsider looking in- you are doing amazing.

    Reply
    • Lol. When the grandparents suggest another sibling, we are soo going to tell them your twins experience. That is major devotion to move the TV room out of the living room and wonderful that you did that! Thank you so much! XOXO

      Reply

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