I Heart the Town & Country

This is the first time that I have announced it publicly, but I am now the proud,  slightly embarrassed, owner of a - wait for it - minivan.  I was so conflicted about the decision to leave behind my twenty-something-I'm-still-kinda-cool persona to dive head first into the soccer mom thing, but in the words of my husband, "you have two kids...who do you think you're kidding?"  (Nice, honey.  Very nice.)

So anyway, this weekend was the first time that we packed the kids, the dog, and about half of the toys in our house, into the minivan for a long weekend away, and let me tell you, that car is heaven.  I'm ready to fully declare my love.  I spend the long, 4 hour drive home yesterday, in the 3rd row, horizontal, and out like a light, while my children watched movies and my husband drove.  LOVE it.

Not to mention the stow-and-go.  Who knew there was so much wasted space in a car!  I had both the kids suitcases stored underneath their seats, along with a pillow pet, a sleeping bag, and two headrests that we took off of the bucket seats where the kids sit.

The dog slept between the kids' bucket seats, and for the most part didn't bother anyone.  The kids watched their movies, napped, and for the most part - didn't bother anyone.  I slept, and definitely didn't bother anyone.  Except maybe my husband, who might have been a little jealous, but come on now, my 5 foot frame laying in the back row is a lot more comfortable than his 6'1" frame trying to do it.  He wouldn't have liked it anyway. ;)

So anyway, there you have it.  I heart my minivan.  Love being up high, love that the doors open by themselves, love that on a road trip we all have plenty of space to relax, and love the storage.  I admit it.  I'm a soccer mom.  All the way.  And it's fabulous. :)

Baby, It's Cold Outside

I realize that my title today refers to the weather in December, however, up here in New England, that's exactly how it feels.  And by the way, how did it become the end of September already?!  I could have sworn yesterday it was July.  :/

Well, thanks to Hurricane Irene, the subsequent rain, and my flooded basement, when I went into our cedar closet to retrieve my down comforter, I realized that despite the ceder, and tupperware, it was covered in mildew.  So, off I went to the mall.  (I hate when that happens. hehe)

I had just received a $25 coupon for Pottery Barn in the mail, and in my mind, that meant my bedroom deserved a fabulous new makeover. 

So off I went with Bean for a little girl time and shopping while hubs watched football with P.  Perfect timing, in my opinion.  There's not much that can make the hubs mad while drinking beer and eating wings.  Especially if I keep things to the point and don't interrupt the game.  Hence our discussion.

Me:  "Our comforter is mildew-y and stinks.  I'm going to get a new one.  I'll take the baby."

Hubbs:  (Without even looking at me.)  "Okay, have fun."

And off I went.  Sometimes, I love football too.

Anyway, when I got back with my big Pottery Barn bag, I  wasn't even a little concerned because I got the deal of a lifetime.  Check out my new room.  (But disregard the yellow paint.  It's in need of a makeover too.  Maybe next weekend.)

Ignore the funky iphone photo...

So here is my fabulous find.  I got the Bella Paisley Duvet Cover at PB for $41.99!  Can you even believe that!  It was marked down (even though I just saw it in the catalogue I got 2 days ago for full price) and I had my coupon.  Then I hit TJMaxx on my way home and scored an Eddie Bauer Down Alernative Comforter for $20 out of pocket (I had a credit too...), and finally I popped by Target for some wrapping paper and fell upon that super comfy smokey blue blanket for $26.  Woo hoo!  A whole new bed for under $100.  LOVE it!  It is soooo warm, which is fab since it's currently 50 degrees and rainy outside.  I am so enjoying the feel of fall with the bright duvet colors, and how inviting it looks.  (Especially on 3-4 hours of sleep.)

Now, my goal is to keep my kids from peeing, puking, pooping, or eating in it.  And the dog too.

Ha!  Wish me luck...

My New Gig

So, I have sort of been neglecting my blog lately.  Not on purpose.  Just lots of stuff going on around here.  I went back to work last week.  (If you don't know, I teach math at our local college.  Only a few hours a week.  At night.  It's my quiet time, and Daddy's bedtime and bath night.  :D)  I've been on the search for a new car, the kid's fall activities have begun, and I got a new gig.  So what am I doing?  Well thanks for asking.  I am now the social media admin for ODIZ Baby Supply.

I am THRILLED to be a part of this awesome company that is owned and run by a fabulous mama, who only stocks brands that she trusts and would use with her own little ones.  When I spoke with Christine, the owner, about reviewing her site on my blog, one thing turned to another, and now I am not only keeping up with her Facebook and Twitter accounts, but I'm also writing for the ODIZ "Let's Talk Baby Stuff" Blog.   It is such a fantastic job for me.  It takes a handful of my favorite things and puts them all together.  I get to blog, FB, & Tweet about baby products that I love and use with P and Bean.  Amaze-Balls!

So come on over to the ODIZ Facebook page and like us.  As soon as ODIZ hits 150 fans, we will do a giveaway and/or a promo code.  Leave us a comment and let us know what you'd like to see us do to celebrate!

How I Keep My Babies With Me All the Time

If you are a parent, you know that the hardest thing in the world to do is to leave your children.  Even when I am at the end of my rope, and feel like I can't handle another minute, I still love my kids more than I ever knew I could love.  Even when I wait for my husband to get home so I can dash out the door and have 20 minutes of peace at the grocery store, the second I am alone in my car, I miss my babies.

Right before P was born, my husband gave me a super sweet gift.  You see, he has this tradition of leaving a Tiffany box in the tree every Christmas.  (I know, he is amazing. :) )  We hadn't shared P's name with anyone, but we had decided what it would be, and so he gave me this Letter Lock Charm.

 

I am crazy about this necklace!  Of course, since then he has given me a C for Bean's name, but they both hang on the necklace together and I really love how they look.  I get tons of compliments on them and pretty much wear it everywhere, everyday.  It might sound silly, but having these charms that represent my children makes me feel like I always have them close.  Plus, they are super unique.  There are definitely some designs from Tiffany & Co. that I think are way over used.  I get that having a recognizable symbol is important for some people, but I prefer to have something a little out of the ordinary.

Well, the newTiffany catalogue arrived the other day, and now I have my eye on another way to keep my kids close to my heart...check these out.  (Psssst, hubby, hiiinnnntttt ;) ).

I love how classy and simple these pendants are.  They come in gold as well, which is REALLY pretty, but since I need two, if I want to stand a chance of getting these, I should probably ask for silver.  (Ahem, hint, ahem).

So I'm curious, what's on your holiday list?  Or better yet, what is on your child's holiday list?  (P of course has a list of about 4,000 things.  If there is a commercial for it, he wants it.  I think he thinks that Santa is rich.  Sorry, P.  Not the case. ;) )

Disney Dreams

I have been waiting for this day for the past 3 weeks.  Why, you ask???  Because today was the day that I could finally apply to be a part of the Walt Disney World Mom's Panel.  In case you didn't know, I am a Disney FREAK.  I truly believe that Disney is the happiest place on earth, and if the hubs would allow it, I would probably move there.  For-EVER.  But anyway, our bi-annual trips are a good second...for now.  I have big plans to retire to Celebration, FL, but that's a post for another day.  Anyway, this morning, I applied to become a panelist along with 19,999 other hopefuls.  I won't hear anything back from Disney unless they would like me to move on to the next round of interviews, and if they did contact me, it wouldn't be until the week of November 14.  Yup - two months from now.  Sooooo, while I wait, I've decided to share with you a little montage of my favorite WDW memories from the past 6 years or so.  (I've spared you the pics of me with my bowl haircut circa 1992.  Ugh!  Thanks again, Mom ;) )

Row 1 L-R:  Our honeymoon at the Grand Floridian, Sporting Our Yoda Backpacks at Hollywood Studios, Family Trip with mom and sis, P’s first trip @ the Playhouse Disney Show.

Row 2 L-R:  P’s first trip asleep with Baby Mickey, P and Pregnant me 2009, P and very pregnant me @ Beaches & Cream, Bean’s First Trip Dinner with the Princesses.

Row 3 L-R:  Chef Mickeys for Bean’s First Time, P and his best Buddy Celebrating P’s birthday, Bean excited for the People Mover, Bean as Princess Minnie.

Row 4 L-R:  Bean letting her inner Tink out, P loving Mickey, P becoming a Pirate, Bean with Mickey hands.

And we have our winners!

Congrats to commenters #3, Christine Thomas, and #2, Monet B.! Please shoot me an email to receive your prize!

A HUGE thank you to Melissa Martins for hosting this amazing giveaway! Please don't forget to check out her website @ www.MaryKay.com/MelissaMartins.

Winners were chosen using www.random.org.

My Little World Traveler

My hubby and I love to travel.  Before we had kids we were constantly going to new places and planning new trips.  We decided that when we had kids, we weren't going to stop traveling.  As a matter of fact, we decided that we would take our little ones anywhere we went and we would start them young so that they would be used to it.  That's why our little man, who is only 3 1/2, has already been to Hawaii, California, Florida, and many states in between.  He knows the drill with airport security and has his shoes off before we reach the x-ray belt.  He knows what the seat belt sign on the plane means, and when it's okay to put down his seat-back tray, and he knows that the nice lady or gentleman who walks down the airplane aisle will bring him an apple juice if he asks nicely.  :)

The only thing we haven't done with our munchkins is leave the country.  Honestly, it isn't for a lack of desire, it more like we really shouldn't be spending half as much money on travel as we do, and adding another $300 + to the trip to get both kids passports, never really seemed worth it.

Well, that has all changed.  We gave in and planned a trip to Aruba, so off to Town Hall & the post office we went to get the kids set up.

Yesterday, P's passport arrived.  He was so excited that he wouldn't put it down.  This is how nap time went at our house...

(I Love Instagram!)

Don't worry, as soon as I took this picture I took his passport and put it in a safe place.  Luckily he didn't seem to think about it when he woke up.  (My only concern is that Bean's birth certificate and passport have yet to materialize in my mail box...)

So now, the world's the limit, literally. Where to next?  I'm thinking Disney World Paris...or maybe the French Riviera...or maybe both! ;)

Mary Kay Giveaway...still time to enter!

There's still time to enter my Mary Kay Giveaway.  Don't forget, there will be TWO winners!  Contest closes tomorrow night at 9pm.  Don't miss it! :)

Baby Buddy "Size-it" Closet Organizers

My friend, the UPS man, stopped by today to bring me my closet organizers and I was soooo excited!  (P literally knows the UPS man at this point.  He tells me my friend has a package for me.  Oh boy.)

Lucky for me they arrived just after the kids had fallen asleep for their naps, so I got to put them in Bean's closet right away!  And I LOVE them!  They are absolutely going on my must-buy list for baby showers.  I can't believe that I didn't have these all this time!  They would have been such a huge help after my baby showers when I was loaded up with new clothes and no little cutie to put them on.  So here's a little photo tour of Bean's closet...before and after a visit from my bestie and the UPS man.

BEFORE. 

Yikes!  I know it probably doesn't look too bad to you, but trust me, it is.  See the gray arrow?  That's pointing you towards where I just threw clothes over the rod in the closet, where I shoved bags of clothes, both new and hand-me-downs, and where the hubs hid the box fan we use in Bean's room because I insisted on replacing the ceiling fan with a chandelier. ;)

This is my lap. 

It's under there, I promise.  When Christine and I organize, I do what she tells me.  She said empty the closet, so I emptied the closet.  Here's how it turned out...

 

Ahhhhhhh!  Beautiful!  I am OBSESSED with these labels.  They were super easy to put in, and they give you two stickers for every size so that you can make your labels double sided.  They also include blank labels in case you need more of something.  Now I know I am totally stocked on 18 month clothes for the Fall, I've kept out Bean's 18-24 month Summer stuff for Aruba, and I have all of the kids special dress up clothes and old Halloween costumes on the top right.  You can even get a glimpse of Bean's costume for this year :) 

So, there you have it.  I would absolutely recommend these closet organizers.  Bean's super clean and organized closet.   Let's see how long this lasts...

Feels a little like Fall

I love this time of year!  There are so many fabulous things about the Fall.  Wearing socks (yes, I love that!), cozy wrap sweaters, cashmere, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pretty much anything with "pumpkin" in it's name, pumpkin picking, pumpkin decorating, and so on.  But another reason that I LOVE the Fall is getting ready for Halloween. 

I am aware that Halloween is still about a month and a half (or 3/4) away.  However, around here, we start planning early.  My kid already have their Halloween costumes, and I am already planning our neighborhood Halloween party.

Here's a little sneak peak at what's on it's way to my house...

Oh yes, a Pirate Pumpkin Decorating Kit.  You can't have a Halloween Party without decorating pumpkins, and what's better than  dressing them up like Captain Jack?!

 

And a few of these bad boys to hang around with us during the party are also on their way.  Again - a MUST for a Halloween Party - some LED Skulls.

And...goody bags!!!  I think this is one of my favorite treats that I found for our goody bags this year.

It's a little hard to see, but it's Green Apple Eye Ball Gum Tape!  Ohhhh, brings me back to my childhood.  All of the other goodies are going to remain a surprise for now, but when I get my extra large box from Oriental Trading, I'll be sure to share a picture.

On a side note, a VERY BIG THANK YOU to my bestie, Christine, for coming over today to help me clean out Bean's closet and get it ready for my new sizing labels.  They should be arriving tomorrow and as soon as I have them in I will share the results!

And on another side note, just a few more days to enter my giveaway!  Make sure you enter!





Switching Over the Closets

For those of you who live in the few magical places on earth, where the temperature is always a gorgeous 75, and it never rains or snows...

I envy you. 

I want to live there. 

I want to stop having to switch out my closet, my kids closets, my bedding, my kids bedding, my shoes, my kids shoes, etc., every 4 months or so. 

I really wouldn't care so much if I didn't have to store 4 seasons worth of clothes, shoes, and accessories.  I mean, where are you supposed to put it all?!? 

Anyway, at least once a year, I come across an outfit that I bought for one of my kids, that got shoved into the back of a closet or a draw, and still has the tags on it, when they have already outgrown it.  That drives me CRAZY!  Especially with Bean...she is still in the stage where her clothing size changes as often as the seasons and her clothes are WAY TOO CUTE to not be worn.  Today when I was looking through my One Step Ahead catalogue, I saw these for probably the hundredth time...

Every time I see these size dividers, I think, hmm, I could really use these.  But honestly, I'm cheap frugal.  These are only $8, but shipping is just as much, and that's another one of those things that drive me nuts.  (I sound like such a complainer...I try not to be! :/) 

So what did I do?  I did what I always do.  Popped it into google and see if they would come up somewhere else for a better price.  And guess what???  They did!!! Best of all, they showed up on Amazon!  With FREE shipping!  And they were only $4.99! And they came in all different colors, including PINK!  (I'd use two exclamation points if they came in purple ;) )

I am soooo EXCITED!!!  Thanks to Amazon Moms and free Prime shipping, I should have these guys in my hands by the middle of next week!  I can't wait to organize Bean's closet and share the pics with you!  :)  Woo hoo!!!

If you don't know what it means to be an Amazon Mom, you HAVE to go check out my post here.  It is a FAB-u-lous thing, and it's free!

Oh, and speaking of free, don't forget to enter my giveaway from yesterday's post!

Yay for Mary Kay and another GIVEAWAY! (GiveawayS!)

Recently, I was reintroduced to Mary Kay.  This is not the Mary Kay that I remember stealing from my mother's Caboodle.  (If you know what I am talking about, you are probably laughing...if not, you are probably too young! And yes, they still make Caboodles for those of you that are tempted right now.  I am!)  Annnnyyyway, I was reintroduced to Mary Kay at P's swim lessons, from his little buddy's Mommy, and let me tell you people...this is NOT your gramma's makeup.  No more fuchsia lipstick and neon blue eye shadow!  Nope - this is a much more sophisticated line of not only makeup, but skin care too.

So, P's little buddy's Mommy (Melissa) was kind of enough to invite me over for a play date and a makeover!  (What a great combo!  Kids play, moms relax.  LOVE it!)  The first thing that she let me try was the Time Wise Miracle set.  I know that I am not THAT old, but I am truly getting to a point where I worry about the lines appearing on my face, and I want to do anything I can to keep them at bay.  This set does it all!  And, because I loved it so much, Melissa offered me a month's supply to take home with me!  (Sweeeet!) 

But wait, it gets better.  We are chatting and I tell her that I have a blog, and guess what she does?!  She offers me not one,but TWO more sets to giveaway to my wonderful followers.  Wooohooo!

So check it out...if you win, you get a months supply of each of the following (which by the way, is a $44 value!)

TimeWise 3-In-1 Cleanser.  This is such a fantastic face wash.  It not only exfoliates, but it seriously makes your face feel fresh.  I am crazy about it!  You use it day and night, which also makes life a little simpler!

TimeWise Age Fighting Moisturizer.  This lotion feels fantastic going on.  It is smooth, but not oily.  It is filled with antioxidants, and it helps reduce fine lines.  You will see a difference in just a few weeks.  I'm so excited to share my before and after pictures with you.

TimeWise Day Solution with Sunscreen SPF 25.  What is the number one rule of skin care??  SUNSCREEN, people!  And with SPF 25, you can be sure this bad boy is protecting that precious face ;)  It also has a calming peptide to help relax expression lines.  (A wonderful thing for those of us that spend our days making silly faces at little people :) )

TimeWise Night Solution.  This might be my favorite part of the line.  It is just such a cool idea!  See those pretty little beads floating in the solution.  Those are little capsules filled with vitamins, antioxidants, and collagen enhancing peptides.  All that goodness stays encapsulated until you pump it out onto our hand to spread on your face, giving you the maximum exposure to these line and wrinkle fighting goodies. 

Less than 5 minutes to a fresh, happy face!

So, there you have it.  A super simple, extremely gentle, age fighting collection that WILL give you results...and it can all be yours!  Just follow these simple steps...

How to Win a TimeWise Miracle Set

(In your choice of "Normal to Dry" or "Combination to Oily")

MANDATORY:  In order to win, you must be a public follower of my blog.  (Just click the little "Follow" button over there on the right...) 

MANDATORY:  You must also visit Melissa's website and register with her to receive emails with the latest products and promotions.  You can do that right here.  (Top right corner.)

Additional Entries can be earned in the following ways...

Share a link to this post on your Facebook page.

Share a link to this post on your blog and share that link here.

Tweet about this post and share the link.

(Please leave a comment on this post for each of the above.  Each comment is it's own entry!)

Good luck!  This contest is open from now until Friday, September 9th at 9 pm EST. 

Melissa has also offered the first 15 people, who don't already have a beauty consultant, and who place an order through her website, a free Mineral Eye Shadow.  MK's mineral makeup is so awesome.  It lasts all day but comes right off with a little eye makeup remover.  (I use MK's eye makeup remover too...just a little on a cotton ball and it comes right off...and it's oil free.)

Oh, and because I love Mary Kay's Mineral Products and their new Lash Love Mascara, I thought I'd share this pic...you go ahead and pretend you don't see the dark circles, m'kay?

Serial Fiction - My New Addiction!

If you are asking yourself, what the hey is serial fiction?!  It's okay...I wasn't quite sure before Irene either, but when I heard that we would probably be without power for "several days" I opened up my iBooks and Kindle accounts and downloaded every free book I could find.  I figured I should be prepared.  (Water?  Batteries?  Nah.  I had books!)

Anyway, one of the books that I happened to find, was this one...

 

I was instantly addicted.  As a matter of fact, Irene killed our power first thing Saturday morning and by bedtime Saturday I had finished this book and was looking for more.  The last page of the book stated that the story continued at www.denvercereal.com.  Of course, I was ecstatic!  I was aching to find out what happened with Jill and Jake and the rest of the family.  So, I figured, I'll grab the laptop and see what's going on.  And then I remembered...Irene.  That $%#%$ stole our power.

So, I did what any other sane person would do.  I convinced my hubs that we HAD to go to the mall, charge the laptop, and find some free wi-fi, and because the power was out at home and he really didn't have a better suggestion, we went! :)

Long story short - this is what I found out.  Denver Cereal started as a serial fiction.  A daily installment on a blog.  A chapter at a time.  No planning on the author's part, she just wrote it as it came to her.  And, now, 170 chapters later, it's still going.  Lucky for me, the chapters that have fallen off of her blog have also been turned into books.  And now, a few days later, I'm moving on to the blog to see what else is happening with all of my favorite peeps in Denver.

But in the interim, while we patiently (ahem!) waited for our electricity to return, I read these guys that I was able to download...at the mall...on the free wi-fi ;)

       

I'm amazed that these books were originally published in such small tidbits.  Every once in a while I come across something that is a little confusing, and there are a LOT of characters to keep up with, but in general, this book is filled with lots of story lines that are creative, intriguing, and make you want more.  So, if you have some time, (or you lose power for a few days), download these.  Last time I checked, the first volume, The Denver Cereal, was a free download on Amazon and iBooks.  Then, when you're finished come back and let me know what you think :p