Monday, January 27, 2014

While We Were Away: A Weekend Recap

This weekend was not nearly as exciting as the last BUT we did get a lot accomplished and still had time to relax and have some good quality family time. 
Friday night we wined and beer-ed about our week with the neighbor, this has become a tradition that I look forward to and absolutely LOVE! 
We also redid the pink not only in my hair but Lo's, the other two decided on just blonde this time which I was not so surprised about D but was a little surprised about Boo not wanting pink! It is her favorite color after all! 
Saturday it was off to the BIG city of Little Rock as we ran there to pay a bill but decided since we had driven into the big city to spend the day there and window shop (we are becoming experts at this)
We got to check out a few great stores that we had never been in before but the exciting party of the whole thing at least to me was going to Party City.
With the 3 birthdays this Spring and approaching faster than this mamma is ready we walked around to see all the hottest trends this Spring.
Here is what the 3 of them hinted towards...
 Dakota is really lovin' this Rocking theme... and it goes perfect with her black and red request! 
 The hubby REALLY liked this 50s theme! Maybe the 50 Chevy... ( I may or may not have already planned a different theme...) OH NO!
Aaliyah is still stuck on Disney's Frozen... They did not have the supplies in store BUT they do on line! One less thing to stress about! 
We also looked at some ideas for redecorating the house and in search for "THE" pool for this summer! 
Sunday 
We cleaned the house from top to bottom since it was overdue for a good deep cleaning. 
I am in the process of trying to convince talk the hubby into doing some room swaps
so I really wanted to deep clean so when he gives me the go ahead there is less to do. 

We also did watch some great movies this weekend. 
 This is definitely more the hubby's style movies more than mine but we like to try an compromise and watch them together.  
 So if you know me personally you know that Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite actresses! There has not been a movie that she is in that I can think of that I hated and Melissa McCarty has been a fav of mine since the Gilmore Girls (coughs) years ago. 
If you like a comedy and you have not seen this it is worth it. The hubby actually do I dare say LIKED it! 

This to me was a hard movie to watch. I LOVED it don;t get me wrong but it is based on the True Story of the day JFK was assassinated and the 3 days that followed the kill shot to the President. I could never imagine being alive then and seeing it all take place.
If you are a history buff take the time to watch this and let me know how "true" it is. 

The hubby and I are also anxiously awaiting for the library to have season 4 come in of SoA...

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Spring Fever = Birthday Party(s) Frenzy!

 Who doesn't like a birthday party???
With the cake...
Presents...
Food...
and most important 
Family and Friends! 

We LOVE the Spring and Fall when our birthdays hit and I LOVE to plan the parties.
In the Spring we have...
D who is the oldest and will be turning 12 in March
My hubby who will be the BIG 3-0 In April and
the day after Boo who will be turning 7 this year!
(Lo and I claim the fall so I have 6 months in between party planning!) 

This year I have already set in motion for the party planning and asked the girls what they would like for their "theme"

I like to include them now that they are older and it usually turns out well. 

SOOOO 

This year they have decided ON....

D: Black N Red....
 I LOVE this cake! :) Her??? Maybe not as much :( 

 I could make these myself.... MAYBE?
 Chocolate covered cookies? Yum who else says YES! 
 She doesn't want polka dots, stripes or anything else "girly" UGH! 
She would like this one better than the one I think is too cute :) 
 I am sure that hers will be the most difficult to plan because she is picky but we shall see what happens 
Boo: Frozen....
Here are a few inspirations for the big day :) 
 I love how simple this is AND the fact that it would be inexpensive to do 
 Cupcakes??? OR Cake??? HMMMM
 Thought this would be another cute food idea for the party and kid friendly. 
  This would be a HUGE hit with kids and adults :) 
 FREE? While yes thank you! 
 These are cute BUT not sure if I will choose these over the one above..

As for the hubby's... Well mum is the word at this point :) 

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Room Makeovers!

I have been thinking about re vamping decorating the house for some time and and I really wanting to start getting my butt in gear...
Since we rent our home we have some limitations like painting, wallpaper tearing down walls etc..
I am also stuck on which room to start with...
SO here are the ideas for each room:

Kitchen:

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a coffee addict, and I love the feel of cafes and the colors they tend to be, the rich browns, deep reds and black has this mamma looking to turn her kitchen in to Cafe SJ in the future..

Living Room
My hubby spends a lot of time in this room so I don't want it to be all sorts of girly and I want it to be somewhere he can relax after a long day at work, and what is better then the beach? 
(Yes I know we live in Arkansas and the is NO beach here) 
I was inspired by the love that we all have for ocean and want to bring it into our home.

Bathroom:
I wanted this to be very kid/adult  friendly since we have kids here more times then not. I also wanted to be able to show off some of my work in the house and with us having the beautiful city of Little Rock in our front yard this was a PERFECT idea.
City-scaped images with black grey and white was a winner for the house but we are still debating on what color to "pop" it with...

Girls Room

Surprisingly all of the girls LOVE this bed set and honestly I am in shock that they do. 
Since all 3 think that they have to sleep in the same room
 (even though they don't always get along during the day) 
This was a clear winner.
I love the colors and the fact that it is a little more "grown" but fits nicely with all of their ages and is something that they will hopefully like for the next few years.
I would have been happy with coordinating colors and decorative pieces on walls etc to tie them all in but this works just as well for this mamma :) 

Office:
  
Though my "office" is not just my office but also the girls play room and guest room this room is crammed multitasking like crazy. 
I am sure that over time if we are still here in this home it will end up going into JUST a guest room BUT until then this mamma is craving her own space. I LOVE this idea above but I would have to add a splash of color or two to make it more me and not so BRIGHT...

 Our Room:
This room is still up for debate since me and the hubs can;t agree on 1. Color....2. Design....3. Just about everything else when it comes to this room. 
Since it is our little hideaway I would like for it to be relaxing and cozy... he on the other hand has a lot of bolder ideas...

So there are my ideas, I would love to hear what room you would start in and why? 
Thanks! Happy Hump Day! 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

While We Were Away... A 3 day Weekend Recap

So not everyone had a 3 day weekend in our household, but we still took the long weekend to the max!
Friday afternoon my daughter brought home some furry friends from the class room:


Friday night our neighbor came over and we wined about our week (ok well she beer-ed but it doesn't sound as good.. :))
Colored with the kids, where Tracy colored what we now call a Zippo...
Check it out!


Saturday was family day and we spent the majority of it in the BIG city of Little Rock. I don't get there personally myself but the hubby is there everyday for work, but we still enjoy seeing the town and even after 2 years of being here we are still finding more about the Capital and new places to explore. ;)
First stop was the mall as we window shopped and enjoyed the rare occasion of lunch out (we don't eat out often :))
We chose Sbarro since they had a vegetarian option for our oldest.
I haven't ate there for years and truly enjoyed it!

After lunch we finished window shopping and a new pair of shoes may or may not have been purchased :)


The kids each got a case for their tablets that they got for Christmas.

and we went to the NEW Bass Pro Shop of Little Rock to check out what all the fuss was about.


That night we stayed home and relaxed as me and the hubby finished season 3 of our newest favorite show SoA (Sons Of Anarchy)

Sunday we went shopping with the neighbor so she could find some things that she needed and do more window shopping.

Then we all hit the local grocery store to do the dreaded event of grocery shopping.
We went back tot he house where I did the house cleaning chores, laundry, the kids "cleaned", and the hubby cat napped most of the afternoon.

Monday was girls day with Ant at work and them out of school. I did not have any of the day car kids so we took this time to finish things up around the house, sleep in and have a music day with Tracy.
We also got to play with her new coffee maker...

We had a great 3 day weekend and LOVED the fact that I did manage to get a day with just me and the girls.
Now for today D got to play hookie  stay home from school for a few appointments this morning to check on her ADHD and other "complications" they refer her to have.


Friday, January 17, 2014

Operation Brace Face: Phase 7

Back in December D went and finally went and got the rest of her brackets since she FINALLY lost all of her baby teeth.
 (Because I need to feel older than I already do...)
Thanks to a HECTIC schedule between the kids and the holidays and my UN photographic child, I forgot to get a picture the day of soooo needless to say we are behind,
D needless to say is well over the initial excitement of being a brace face and was ready to have them taken off before they even got them all on...
NOTE: We are not even half way through!
She did pick a rainbow of colors for the 4 brackets that allow her to have color on them.
The rest are locking brackets where the wire locks into places versus the ones 15 years ago that required the color rubber bands all the way through.
If you ask me that was the best part of my braces were all the colors I could choose
 yeah so I am a dork nerd ;)

Yesterday however she went back for a band check and the doctor noticed that her K9s were coming in fast and they prepped her teeth for them to finish coming in and to be bracketed the next visit.
She was unhappy though about the one color chain she ended up with and has been a fan of Tylenol since..
 My daycare kid B got to hang out and visit the ortho too :)
 
  Picture on the left is the newest progress, the bottom right is last month..

We return in a month to get new brackets and she hopes more than the one color.... ;)



Tuesday, January 14, 2014

To the Doctors we go... and why I LOVE Target Pharmacy

Yesterday was a Monday needless to say...
but the important and highlight of this mamma's day was taking my youngest daughter to the doctor to finalize some testing for her.
It has been a few months progress between behavior in school and attention span, but
thanks to her wonderful teacher this year we have had her tested for ADHD.

She did well at her appointment and after looking over test scores from her teacher and my self and spending about 5 minutes with Aaliyah they were 100% convinced she was in fact ADHD.
After talking we decided the best route of treatment for her would be a very low dose of meds to start off...

 So that included a trip to our local Target to fill her meds, and what better way to cruise Target then in their carts. 
She got to hang out with Bray ( my 22 month old little boy I watch during the week) 
They were rewarded with a snack and drink for being so good at the doctors and the doctor gave them both a grape stick. 


As a mom of 3 and 2 of which are ADHD with daily meds, I am in LOVE with Target's pharmacy, 
they offer these great bottles that are not only easy to read BUT they are also color coded.
Each member of our family has their own color and it is SOOOO much easier for me to be able to keep up with who's is who's without having to read every bottle in our little pharmacy at the house. 
Also it is great for the kids because teaching them to take their meds daily and on schedule can be a job in itself.



* I was not recruited or asked to talk about Target Pharmacy and the opinions are of my own.  

Monday, January 13, 2014

While We Were Out: Weekend Recap

Weekends are nothing different than our usual weekly routines,
Always on the go or busy busy with kids, friends and this thing called life.
Here is a recap of our crazy weekend! 
 My power lunch on Friday to keep me going while I was getting things ready for our cookout Saturday. 
 My late Christmas gift from my mom came in Friday and I LOVE it! I have used it everyday since I opened the box Friday night.
It is a scent warmer from Gold Canyon, you can order one for yourself here
 My youngest daughter came home Friday from school with this AMAZING grade on her spelling test! 
Friday night my neighbor and one of my best friends came over to help me tie up some loose ends for the cook out Saturday, while the hubby went to bed early ( he had to work the next day), she and the kids decorated the food table... I am still debating who had more fun :)  

Our fire Saturday night!
We had an amazing turn out and since the hubby had to work I was left finishing getting food ready and running errands, and managing my 3 kids, plus I had to work the grill ( I promise no one got sick)
Sorry for the lack of pictures but I hope for the next one I will have more camera time. 
I want to thank everyone again who came and joined in on the fun and food! 

On Sunday I meet with my last Olivia Act winners for What the Photography and I am so excited to take their pictures in a few weeks.
I also cleaned up most of the house and yard from the cook out, did laundry and enjoyed some hubby time while the kids were at church. 

Hope you all had a great weekend. 
Come back and see how our hectic week goes :) 

Thursday, January 9, 2014

A Thief in the Night

If you follow me on Facebook you say Monday mornings post about my VERY bad Monday. 
I was very vague on what our bad news was and I want to thank everyone that send prayers for our family.

Monday morning I woke up to a temperature of 12 with the windchill of 2.. By the time I got the kids to school it felt like -2 and this So Cal girl was not a happy camper.

Though this was not the reason I requested prayers it is how my Monday morning started. 
Next time I will know to just go back to bed and wait for Tuesday to arrive...

What came next was unexpected and shocking, to be honest it still seems very surreal to me. 

My hubby called me from work to tell me that over the weekend some one had stolen tools out of the tool box in his truck. 
Of course these were not just any ordinary, Walmart bought tools but ALL of his special made electrical tools that cost a pretty penny...
They also took several of his bosses tools and then were gone.

I know it doesn't sound like a HUGE deal but this is how he makes his living, and is able to provide for me and our girls. 
We are talking several thousand lost...
I called and filed a police report and since these tools do not have serial numbers they classify them in the wind and pretty much a lost cause. 
I called the insurance company and because there was no damage to the truck the insurance will not cover it.

This thief will get away with what they did and and we will suffer the consequences involved, though the truck was insured.

I am thankful that they did not take more than what they did and that no cars were damaged or harmed, and that we are all safe as was our home but the thought of these people taking the things that are needed to provide our families lively hood is sickening.



Thursday, January 2, 2014

Ringing in 2014 and the top 10 post of 2013

We had a quiet night at home since the hubby had to work the next day and was unable to ring in the new year with his girls, but the neighbor came over for a mini party so we could wine about 2013 and toast in 2014 together! 
 The girls and their kiddie "wine" toasting 
 The girls drink line up for the night, thanks to Ms. Tracy 
the adult line up for the night, even the hubby had a few tastes before hitting the sack 
Though it was a quiet one it was a nice way to relax and reflect on 2013 and think about what the new year holds for us!

NOW.... 
Our top 10 post count down of 2013!
If you missed the top 10 follow the links to see what you missed! 

10: School Fundraising: 6 More days!
We had 21 views on this post!

9: Beginning to Wonder 
We were humbled with 22 views with this one.

8: Lip gloss vs. Laptop: Round One
Another one with 22 views

7: Getting Older
With 23 views this one shared our Christmas morning

6: Happy New Years Eve... 2013 Recap
Getting 24 views on this one shared our 2013 highlights... There was A LOT


5: Tech Savvy Parent/Teacher Communication
With 26 views we have reached the half way point in the count down


4: Cut and Style Time
This one getting 26 views


3: The Faint of Hearts
With 32 views shows a good story is hard to beat

2: Operation Brace Face: Phase 2
At 36 views D might be becoming famous.... just kidding

And our NUMBER ONE post for 2013???


1: New Year = New Us: Resolutions
This bad boy took the leap at 103 views!
I am amazed at the response to this one!


Thank you all for reading our blog! I hope you will continue to follow us in 2014!
Here is a toast to you!