What's more fun than a box? Mommebox

    I am super excited to be able to review this new subscription service of boxes. MomméBox has finally launched. Mommébox is a monthly subscription box of beauty, lifestyle and education products selected for mothers. 
According to the website:

Mommébox offers the following billing options for boxes:

• $20 for one month (Will not renew after one month)
• $18 per month for 3 months (Will not renew after 3 months)
• $15 per month for 4 months or more (Initial payment of $60 and you will receive 4 months of boxes. After the 4th month we will bill you $15 per month until you cancel).

Cancel anytime! If you don’t want next month’s box, simply cancel by the end of the month (applicable after the 2nd box on the 3 month subscription and after the 4th box on the monthly subscription).

    The monthly boxes have super fun themes that they have listed on their website here. The box that I am reviewing is their first one, the January Healthy Living Box.

   The sleek, glossy black box arrived shortly after their tracking confirmation email was sent. The information card was above the red tissue paper - confession - I didn't read it at first because I was too excited to see what was in the box.

How purdy!

Let's open her up!

Lots of goodies!!

 

     The breakdown of the goodies are as follows:

Health-

     - OurSkinny chocolate shake - I'm not much of a chocolate person but their Lemon-Raspberry looks yummy. There are bars and mini meals as well. I like that you just have to add water to the shake - which is an awesome convenience factor but I would also like to see the option to order refill packets.

     - Barre3 trial 2 weeks of workouts online

     - Kelapo Coconut Oil for healthier cooking 0.5oz packet

       (Love their selection of Coconut oil products! And their Cotton Elephant Tee is adorable!!)

     - Nature's Kick Clover Honey Stix 7pk

       (There are so many flavors of honey stix available to order on their website.)

Lifestyle-

     - Vaska laundry detergent

       (I have sampled this brand before and had good results - 2 thumbs up)

     - Good Clean Love- a sample of their 100% vegan, paraben, glycerin and

       petrochemical free organic natural lubricant (Phew!)
Beauty-

    - Kryolan makeup 5 piece goodie bag- duo eye pencil in brown and black,

     golden special event face primer, facial moisturizer & clear/pinkish lip gloss

    - Mineral Hygienic $15 dollar code offer - those mini starter kits look neat

 

 

    I am very happy with this box. It was full of a nice variety and quality of items and I think it sets a great stage for the boxes to come. I'm excited about the Kelapo Coconut oil and how I'm going to use it in my baking. (Side story - I have been trying to work on cooking with new items. That started when I bought a plantain a few months back. Most recently I made an artichoke!) I know the Tweedles were excited to each have a honey stix and then they asked if we could go to the Farmer's Market to pick up more but I have to inform them that it Winter so I have to promise to take them when it is open.    

    One thing that I found interesting was that the items were all for me (even though I shared). I have noticed that in a few kid themed subscription boxes there is a nice little treat in there for the parents so I was kind of thinking there would be a little treat for kiddos but this was a nice break. It was like shopping for shoes and coming home with a pair just for me and not one of the kids! (which all of us moms know that is hard to do when we go shopping -haha)

    I signed up for a 4 month subscription so I cannot wait to see what goodies come in next month's box! February's theme is Share the Love. Nothing like a little Valentines day gift to myself - well more like a Birthday gift to myself! (My birthday is two days after Valentines day so growing up I didn't celebrate it that much as I more excited about my birthday)

    What do you think about this subscription box? Did you sign up? Will you?

________________________________________________________

Part I - My review of Petitebox and you can read about it here.

(They are currently on a hold therefore no boxes right now)

Part II- My review of Bluum Box and you can read about it here.

Part III - My review of TeetheMe and you can read about it here.

(They are no longer sending boxes)

Part IV - My review of Stork Stack and you can read about it here.

Next box on deck to review: TBD

My House Barfed

    I am pretty sure my house barfed right into my basement. I am sitting here and it is just a crap explosion. How annoying! I go down here to organize and get overwhelmed before I start when I try to figure out where to begin. Even now as I am writing I take a pause to look around and just get irritated.
    I can't stand it. I know it all started to unravel once I had the second kiddo. It got harder and harder to keep organized while I had two running around and caring for. And if you had to take a wild guess, it hasn't gotten any better with the third kiddo. In fact I would be so bold to say that it is by far at the most chaotic state as it ever has been.
    Then again, in this house's defense I have clothes and children/baby items down here because we simply do not have the room upstairs and not the immediate need of. It's getting increasingly unforgiving with 3 kids and no room.
    The estate market in our area is at an all time suck which doesn't help. And who knows if we're going to add onto this place. We had the architects over to measure and come up with plans nearly a year ago. Sigh..,
    Where do I find time to organize and sort with three kids, my job and all the rest? Fingers crossed I find some soon!!

Winners and Flops

    I have been totally m.i.a these past few days. Obviously because of this wonderful holiday season. I'm also off of work so I have been trying to keep up with trying to organize this house that is simply busting at the seams and the kids running around. Add a fun snow storm on top of that and cabin fever is setting in pretty fierce now.
    I had a wonderful Christmas. The Hubs got me a Kindle Fire that I have been playing around with. I was so surprised when I opened it! I didn't ask for it but I had asked if he knew anything about the e-readers a few months ago since he is the techno buff in the house. (I also got the Cricut cartridge that I wanted/need for my Etsy shop, DulcetBloom that I have to get my but into gear to post my listings that I have saved - I smell a resolution!!)
    Trey got his train and marble rally, Hexbugs and a duplo block zoo. He is in his own little world right now. Liv got a Rapunzel Princess and Me doll that she is over the moon about, the mermaid LalaLoopsy and a styling head. Bear likes her wooden fabric rattle and her giggling head thing Santa brought.And the kids are stoked because our zoo membership was renewed. In fact, Trey asked me if we could go already. All in all they had a wonderful Christmas.
    There were also flops.., but we wont go into those. I feel bad for the gift giver though when the kids are not as thrilled with their gift than with others. I am one of those gift givers that would like to see happiness or excitement when a gift is opened. What kind of gift giver are you? Do you ask for suggestions? Do you get creative? And what do you do with flops?


Trey's trail of toys

   

A Merry Merry!

    Today's post is short but sweet.., Hope you and yours had a very merry Christmas!! We were very busy all day, starting at 5:20am with Bear and finally going to head off to sleep.., or as much as we can consider sleep.
    The children were ecstatic! They had a great day!! And I am excited - my brother proposed to his girlfriend and she said yes! Whoo hoo!!

Nothing like a TRAIN for Christmas

   

Over the Countdown

    I fear my older daughter has inherited my awesome ability to not be able to wait for anything. I am impatient. She is impatient. We are impatient. (We are also both Aquarians but the Hubs doesn't think that has anything to do with it.)
    This morning she asked me if it was Christmas yet?! I think this Christmas countdown with the Elf and Advent calendar are getting boring for her. I will admit, it's kind of getting a touch boring for me to. I just want Christmas to hurry up and get here too.
    On a side note, we were told that Bear is going to be moved up to the next room at daycare because she is so mobile. She is in the air butt rocking stage of learning to crawl. It's really cute! I'm trying to take it all in -since she is our last babe. Still in denial she is growing so fast.
    Also I wrapped the majority of the presents yesterday and it literally felt like it was taking all day doing that! Pats self on back...., btw Santa needs to learn how to wrap his crap up! Haha.
    How is the final Christmas prep going with you? Are you ready for Christmas to get here as much as Liv wants it here?

Making cookies with the Elf

Tears and Coupons

    I'm standing in my kitchen cutting out coupons and trying to organize a whole bunch of papers all while keeping an eye out for a check that I placed somewhere safe from the kids lost. Bear is swinging fast asleep and the Hubs took the Tweedles out to Lowes and a few other stores. I have Christmas songs on and I am crying.
    I don't know what to blame on the tears - being tired thanks to Bear's 2:22am feeding, being overwhelmed with things I have to get done and cleaned up, the memories of past Christmases (mainly Wigilia at Grandpa's house), the recent event in CT, the feeling of being unsuccessful with having so much to do but not feeling like I have finished anything, my scrambled up post pregnancy hormones, the list goes on and on.
    I think I need to breath and then go out and find a spell to pause time around me so I can catch up - ha! I wish! Ok - I think I'm done crying about crying.
    How are you feeling this fine Thursday before Christmas?

Wordless Wednesday

Tweedles hanging ornaments

Extreme Coups

    I'm going to admit it - I use to be organized. Emphasis on "use to be". I didn't have to worry about where things were and could leave all my important papers sitting in sorted piles undisturbed on the desk and dining table. I could sit there and cut out coupons and leave those in little piles as well until I wanted to search for the coupons I need. Those days are long gone - LONG gone.
   A New Year resolution is my desire want to get better organized, with a strong focus on my coupons and gift cards. My only problem is I don't know which route to take.
   Do I pursue a binder system like the Coupon Pro Binder? I hesitate with that because I think I will be neurotic about keeping the coupons organized. What do you do if the size of a coupon doesn't fit on the page you need it to? Aren't extra pages expensive? What's the longevity of those plastic sleeved pages?


The Coupon Pro Binder System

    On the other side of the coin - do I invest in a file type of storage system like the Coupon Cubby? But I have a ton of coupons. Do I store them in a tub then sort through the ones I'm going to use and stash in there? I wonder how many I can keep in there. I'd probably want one for groceries and one for baby/kid coupons.

Beautiful Coupon Cubby

    Or maybe just one big file system like this one of these coupon organizers made on Etsy at GlowGirl?

Organizer by GlowGirl

    I don't know which route to go.., and I hesitate only because I don't want to invest too much money into something that I am not sure of. Any helpful hints? What system do you have? Does it work as well as you want it to? Is there anything that wish it had?

Goody Gum Drops

     As some of you might know, Bear is my third and last baby. I am tapping out at three kids. It's amazing how different all three of these kids are. Both of my girls wanted pacifiers, my son wanted nothing to do with them. And that was fine by me. 
    Directly after Liv's first birthday we took her pacifier away. If you were to ask the Hubs what is one pet peeve that would make his head spin then pop off, it would be kids walking around with a pacifier in their mouths older than 18 months (and that is even pushing it). 
    I don't think we are going to have any problems with Bear and her pacifier, as she doesn't want it that much. We just use it when she gets really fussy or over tired. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself. (Knocks on wood)
    With so many pacifiers to choose from and all of them saying pretty much the same thing I opted for safety. GumDrop pacifiers were what I used with Liv and that is exactly what I am using with Bear.  (And luckily I have a few unused ones still in their bags from when Liv was a baby that I'm using)
    There is no bits and pieces all snapped together, it is just a one piece design that is BPA Free and Latex Free. It is easy to clean and I don't have to worry about anything falling apart.

    I ordered Liv's pacifiers from Baby Esscentials. They carry Hawaii Medical GumDrop Pacifiers that are made in America. When I ordered them they came in individually wrapped bags which were perfect for stashing a spare in the purse just in case one got lost while we were out. They carry adorable pacifier clips like this First Christmas one. And even a BinkiBear!

    With so many pacifiers to choose from, I would highly suggest giving Gum Drops a chance. (And let's not forget how adorable they look when a baby has one in their mouth)

 

*Please note: This post is my opinion only. 

I was not paid to endorse or promote the product, the company or website. 

I also purchased the product - I was not given anything to sample or for free.

Take a deep breath in

    I WISH I could take a deep breath. It currently hurts a lot to take a deep breath in. I must have just pulled something in my back when I was lifting my 4 year old - soon to be 5 year old into her top bunk bed. I'll spare you the long story of the blanket/blue chair debacle but needless to say I had to separate the Tweedles into their own beds - even though they're in the same bedroom. Ironic? Sure. But was it effective? I think so. After about 4 minutes of crying from being sent into their rooms I don't hear anything.
    So that either means they re asleep or up to no good together. Gosh I love the sibling love/hate relationship! I have tried so many times to teach what my father use to say to my brother and I. "One of yous two have to be the smarter one." Meaning one of us should just walk away and let it be. And chances are who ever is left with whatever doesn't want it any longer and abandons that. Oy!
    In the mean time, however, Bear and I are trying to sort through papers and I just noticed that I cannot take a deep breath in and now my upper back is feeling achy. This sucks! I have way too much to do today. Seriously.., way too much! The maid and organizer must have lost our address because they're not here.., or maybe they're not here because we never hired them. Bummer!!
    How is your holiday season panning out? Is the stress starting to overflow your joyous cup of cheer?


Marshmellow Alice Bell reminds us to floss!

   

Santa's Doppelganger?

    I have always loved how kid's minds work. It's fun to watch them try to process and think through things. This year my son, who will be three in January, is becoming more aware of the elements of Christmas. The candy canes, the lights, reindeer, the Elf, stockings and......... Stinky Pete. Yep! You read that right. Apparently Stinky Pete visits us on Christmas and brings us presents.
    We were driving home one day looking at all the decorations and one particular cut out of Santa must have made him think of Stinky Pete. I had a great laugh! He was so excited. Then I had to tell him it wasn't Stinky Pete.., it was Santa.
    In his defense.., I can see the similarity. What do you think? Is Stinky Pete Santa's doppelganger?

Run Run Run It's Fun to Run

    Woke up this morning with that song from Yo Gabba Gabba stuck in my head! If I had to chose a theme song for today that would be it! We have lots of running around to do today. It starts off with taking Bear to her 6 month appointment. 6 MONTHS! My baby is half way to her year - I know I blabbed about that in a post a few weeks ago but since a few days ago she is officially 6 months. (Which reminds those pictures should be in soon to be picked up! Yippie!)

    Then there is the run to a few stores while we're out. And of course, let's not forget the running around in the house getting things organized - well trying to get things organized and clean. What is that one card floating around on Facebook? Cleaning a house with kids awake is like trying to brush your teeth while eating an Oreo? Yeah - something like that.

    I have to catch up on my list as well. I like to keep a running list of things that I have active (like packages I'm waiting for, vouchers I have to make sure I use, etc) And don't get me started on my coupons! I still haven't figured out if I want to pursue a binder or a file box to keep them organized. Any suggestions?

    I am excited for a new subscription box to arrive! MommeBox is new to the scene and I have been patiently waiting for their box to ship out (2 more days!) I also "cashed in" a voucher for a crafty subscription box for Liv and she is excited to see what comes. A box from Green Kid Crafts should be coming soon as well.

    I have another Stork Stack review to post - it was a rocking November from them. And I have to post my overview of the BabbaCo boxes we had from over the Summer.

    As I sit here wrapping up this post I am hearing a faint occasional beep. At first I thought it was a kid's toy but now the Tweedles are out of their rooms and I keep hearing it - it's got to be a fire alarm in the basement. We'll add that to the list for today! Is it me or does "THE LIST" keeps growing without ever shrinking?

Muno was Liv's favorite - who is your favorite?

   

Wordless Wednesday

 Some Sweet Houses

Sleepy Milkshakes - Stat!

    I need a few "sleepy milkshakes" stat! The Tweedles are driving me up the wall! They are running around, chasing each other, trying to ride each other like a pony, jumping towards each other, yelling, screaming and now they're rolling around on the floor covered in a blanket. Bear is rolling into me and the laptop.
   I have asked my oldest twice now to calm down, knowing her brother will follow but she has yet to fully calm down. So again.., I need a few "sleepy milkshakes" stat!
    Maybe it's because I work outside of the home and I am not home as often as maybe some people feel I should be with young kids. Maybe it's because of their ages that they naturally don't hear me when I ask something of them. (But isn't that true for any age of children? haha)
    I have no clue how some mothers can work from home.., I would love to be able to just do a single chore and complete all of it while I am home instead of just survive! How in the world would I be able to complete a report or flyer for work in this current household status??! Oy! That's just a spit in the wind dream I guess.
    I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for what feels like forever to be able to get my Etsy shop off of the ground and running. I have such big hopes and plans for organizing my crafting area. And I never feel like I get to do a smidgen of what needs to get done.
    How in the hell did Mrs. Cleaver do it?! Any advice?? How do you try to juggle everything?

All with a pearl necklace on and every hair in place!

A Santa Success!

    Today we conquered Santa! My parents and I took the kiddos to sit on Santa's lap at the same place we always go to. (The hubs had to work today - boo) It was a wonderful success!! The pictures turned out fabulous, although Bear was more interested in eat Santa's beard and T was a little shy. He was adorable though. All week he had been saying he is going to ask Santa for a train and then at the clutch moment he said dinosaur. Haha. I love that little guy!
    Liv asked for a Jasmine dress and a Belle something or other. Not too sure on that yet, but not too sure what if Santa is going bring either. At least the kids had minty fresh breath though. Marshmellow Alice Bell brought them some breath mints to have fresh breath for when they told Santa what they wanted. Haha. Oh that tricky elf!
    What are your kids asking Santa for this year? Did you have a successful Santa sitting? Any tricks of the trade to ensure smiles?

Sitting on Santa's lap with some fresh breath mints

Snowmen and hanging around

    Well, I have been very busy - at work and at home. Is it vacation time yet? *Looks at calendar.., nope. Boo. Isn't it fun how our schedules and lists get busy and super long during the holidays?!
    I just wanted to post quickly what our elf has been up to. She made the kids a marshmellow snowman because they watched Frosty the other night, then she decided to hang around on some decorations. The kids can't wait to see what she does tonite.
    What has your elf been up to?

Wednesday morning

Thursday morning

  

Cocoa and Angels

    So far our elf, Miss Marshmellow Alice Bell, has made herself a yummy cup of hot cocoa after she gave Santa her report of the kids and last night she made some excitingly delish marshmellow snow angels. 
    What kind of things are your elf getting into? 

A name has been chosen

    So Trey spotted our elf first.., he was just chilling then exclaimed "Who is that?!" It was Liv who gave the elf a name. May I present to you ladies and gentlemen of the cyber world..,

Marshmellow Alice Bell

 

She's just hanging around

What the ELF?

    So apparently our Elf got delayed at the North Pole.., He had to stay at the North Pole to help Santa with a few things (aka Mum couldn't find him in time). He did manage to drop off the Tweedles Advent calendars, yeah chocolate! He left his note and the calendars by the back door near the shoes.
    He left a letter telling us to keep a watchful eye out in the morning for his sneaky, tricky friend he will be sending in his place this year (Spoiler alert - it's a girl elf!)
    Do you do the Elf in your house? What are some fun ideas? When did you stop doing the Elf? How old were your kids?

The note and calendars

The Tweedles finding the note

Half Way

    My little baby is 6 months! Seriously I know a lot of people say it but really - where does the time go?!?! I spent the first three months home with her and I hate to admit that the past few months have blurred a little since returning back to work. That feeling snowballs into a boulder going down the hill when I then step back further and realize the same with the Tweedles.
    My little man is turning 3 soon and my older daughter is going to be whole hand's worth of fingers! Then she'll be off to Kindergarten and then college then off to start a family of her own.., ok that was a little intense. But it's true.
    I am going to make it one of my New Year's resolutions to be more aware of my children growing. That definitely means more pictures! (Sorry honey) More one on one dates. More moments where I don't worry about the mess on the floor, the clothes that need to be picked up, the coupons that need to be sorted, the list that needs to be made or anything else. Those moments that I would pay anything to pause in time. Like that of when Bear and I dance in the rain.
    The Tweedles and I took Bear to get her 6 month pictures taken. She was breathtakingly beautiful. And yes I actually did a gigantic flower head band. I could not help myself. She's my last one. I'm not going to have another, so of course I'm going to doll her up! She looked like a Victorian-ish shabby chic little lady in coral and teal. Four words! A Dor A Bal!
    How do you take a moment to breath in your children growing up?

Wordless Wednesday

My three birdies

Gatorade and a movie from 1988

     Right now I'm sitting on my sofa while my little man is sitting on the blue chair  (aka Daddy's chair) with a cup of gatorade. My little guy is the last of us to get sick from Thanksgiving, as someone was so kind enough to bring a bug to the party. Haha. He is actually sitting still watching Runaway Ralph from 1988. Yes- I said 1988 with a very young Fred Savage. Haha. This is Beverly Cleary's sequel to The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

   
    What is a movie that your kid will sit and watch when they are not feeling well? Do you have a blanket or something special that they get when they're sick?

What's more fun than a box? Stork Stack

    Well look what the Stork brought?! I'm not talking about my three beautiful children. This review of the monthly subscription for Stork Stack. I had purchased a voucher from Plum District to try out one box. 

    Monthly memberships start at $28/box. You can purchase a 3 month membership for $84 where a box will be donate through their great Give Back Program, a 6 month membership for $168 where 2 boxes will be donated and a 12 month membership for $336 where 3 boxes are donated. Boxes ship out the first of the month.

Super cute box design!

Yippie!!

How cute is this? I love the presentation!



    The box I received was their November Stack that was themed "Around the table" and it was geared for my 5 month old. It was spot on! Lets break down the box and all the goodies inside that I received!

Lots of fun goodies!! A perfect themed collection.

All the goodies outside of the box.

    From left to right: A full sized bottle of Pure Matters for Hair, Skin & Nails Support. This bottle retails at $27.95. According to the website it says it promotes healthy hair, nails and skin, supports healthy connective tissue formation and may help to manage skin-related health conditions. Two full sized pouches of Peter Rabbit Organics Fruit Snacks. I let the Tweedles enjoy these. These retail for about $1.29 each.

    This next one is a fun one! Lunch by Denise Fleming board book. This is about a mouse who is just so hungry he starts to eat and cant stop. This book retails for $7.99. The kids all love it and the illustrations are very colorful. Next to that is the Spuds Spoon and Fork set. This is another neat product made in America from non-toxic and biodegradable materials. The company story is a sad story but out from that came a wonderful product. These sets retail for about $5.99.  

    The adorable giraffe item is one of the jungle jam designed burpy bibs from aden + anais. Made from 100% cotton muslin with four layers this design of burp cloth  goes on real easy with one snap and provides a ton of coverage. A 2-pk retails for $22. Lastly there was a savings code for the Tea Collection. This is fantastic collection of clothes. I found out about them when Liv was a wee one (four and a half years ago - yikes!). Their dresses are fun and stylish. I still have all of them saved for Bear.

    Hands down this is a fantastic company! I had had a question and within an hour I had an answer. I also exchanged some more emails to find out more details of the company.

I asked about the different age breakdowns with the boxes:

We have members from 3rd Trimester to 3rd Birthday, and the breakdown really depends on the products for any given month. We don't actually set the different groups until all product partners are selected (each product is tested, and must not only fit quality standards, but must also fit into the month's theme, such as "Around the Table"). This month, the breakdown was 3T-4 months, 5-10 months, 11-23 months, and 24-36 months.
Here I asked if I wanted to break down a subscription or switch between age groups for my kids:

You can purchase multiple Stacks, but you need to do so by contacting us (our system gets confused if you buy two monthly memberships). The 2 year old Stack would have had the same book, and would have also included: Gummy Vitamins (for kids), the Itzy Ritzy Bento Box, Funny Face dried cranberries, and a cup by the company Spuds that created your utensils.

You can definitely break down the 6 month membership by age and split it up. All you would need to do is email me when you want to switch and I'll have someone update the database.

     This really is a great service with an awesome mission of giving back to those who served our country and those in need. I would highly suggest checking them out for yourself. And yes, I am signing up for a monthly subscription for this service. I think I'm going to go with Trey for a few then switch back over to Bear.

    Have you tried these guys out? What did you think? What was your favorite product from "the Stork"?

______________________________________________________________

Part I - My review of Petitebox and you can read about it here.

(They are currently on a hold therefore no boxes right now)

Part II- My review of Bluum Box and you can read about it here.

 

Part III - My review of TeetheMe and you can read about it here.

(They are no longer sending boxes)

 

Next box on deck to review: BabbaCo.

Lazy Lazy

    Things have been quite lazy around here since the Thanksgiving holiday. The kids and I have been total lazy bums. Not to mention that we have been feeling a little sick lately. Seems like someone brought some yucky germs to the party. (bleck!)
    We have just been relaxing in our pjs and bumming with movies. Even though I should really be cleaning and reorganizing the house. Speaking of the house, the quest to figure out what to do is still there. Do we add on and stay where we are? Or do we continue to look to move? It's so annoying. We have even thought about adding to the mixture the possibility of buying land and then building on that but that is a far cry unless we win a silver of the lotto.
    We have figured out that we would like at least one acre of land and I really like the colonial style of house. And that a basement is required. Also a perfect Christmas tree spot is needed in the living room.
    What are some things that you looked for in a house? Master bedroom? At least two bathrooms? A basement? An updated kitchen?

A place to cook your garbage can turkey?

 

 

 

   

An Ironic Thankful Thursday on Thanksgiving

    Happy Thanksgiving! In most of my Thankful Thursdays posts I would blab about what I am thankful for. The obvious family and healthy children. My (small) home, my job, my creative spirit and so on. I'm going to blab about some things that I am thankful for that are off the cuff.
    I am also thankful for coffee - even though I currently have to resort to decaf (Bear gets very irritated when I have caffeine). I am thankful for socks! Lots of them because my toes get super cold. I am thankful for basements because we recently looked at a house that didn't have a basement. (How can you NOT have a basement?! I thought I could be able to make it work but not with the way I stock up and store things and there were a few other problems with it. Major Bummer!)
    I am surprisingly thankful for sick babes, only because that's when they need to cuddle the most. Although I really don't like the sickness that comes with those cuddles. I am thankful for daisies because when I get them for my birthday in February they brighten up the place and make me remember the summer time!
    I am thankful for green tea lattes because they are delish and make me feel happy. It's one of my favorite treats! I am thankful for mail and packages. Yes, I am one of those people who like to get mail - just not bills. Fuzzy blankets, fleece zip ups, pony tail bands, Merlot (that was obvious - haha). I will add in there that I am thankful that we were able to get a great family of five picture together and it wasn't as painful as I thought it was going to be.
    Liv says she is thankful for "all of the people I met when I was a baby". When I asked Trey what he was thankful for today he simply said "dum ditty ditty dum dum dum". So maybe he is thankful for Dr. Seuss?
    What are you thankful that is off the cuff?


I am also thankful for toy trains for keeping my little man occupied while we clean.

Wordless Wednesday

Its a holy cow now.., hah

Be amazed!

    I was amazed! I was beyond amazed I teared up but don't worry I didn't cry. they would have been tears of pure happiness!! Today we attempted and succeeded our first family of five picture!! It was the third group picture the girl took and we were done! I was floored!
    I was preparing for the worse. I warned the girl taking the pictures. I put on extra deodorant (yeah that's tmi but true) I felt I was going to sweat bullets. I still can't believe we were able to pull it off. I thought with a 4.5, 2.5 and a 5  month old this wasn't going to go very well. BUT IT DID!! And the Hubs and I finally got a nice picture of just the two of us. We haven't had one since our wedding.
    I was proud and happy. My heart fills up with warmth when I look at it! And I also learned a very valuable lesson - one must never underestimate the power of a promised Twizzler.
    What are some tricks and trade secrets for getting young kids to sit and smile? Sweet bribes like this mama?

I can be bribed with a Milky Way - how about you?

This can't be a good sign

    It seems to me that my cabin fever has snuck up and attacked me - and it's only November 17! This cannot be a good sign. There is no snow but it gets darker out earlier, it's not sunny out when I wake up and it's getting colder. (Talk about being a cry baby - boo)
    I have been done with holiday shopping so I don't have to worry about sneaking in some shopping while the kids are at school or on Sundays. Unfortunately the house will get a light coat of decorations like we did for Halloween. I just don't forsee any extra time or energy this year getting ALL the decorations out, putting them up and then taking them all down. Sorry kiddos. BUT we will keep up the tradition of going out and "hunting" for our Christmas tree. Maybe this year Trey can help the Hubs chop it down. I'll be on camera duty, as always.
    Liv has been asking to listen to Christmas songs so we have those playing. I have to admit, every time I hear a start to a song that I think could be my Grandpa's song I start to feel anxiety. No, maybe not anxiety but I have caught myself holding my breath waiting to is if it is playing. (We'll save that for another day...., I'm not ready to blog about it)
    Trey gets super excited when his new favorite song is on, Bing Crosby's Happy Holidays. Liv just likes ALL of them. I'm sure if I asked her what her favorite is she'll say which ever the last one that was played, which is currently the 12 days of Christmas. Although yesterday she sang all of White Christmas, which made me smile. She loves that movie, even when it's not winter. I remember we use to watch that while we waited for Midnight Mass after Wigilia. And now that she has Bear she's happy to be able to sing Sisters from White Christmas. 

My favorite song from there is Best Things

 Wow! This posting did a quick turn on subject eh? I suppose while we're at it.., what is your favorite song from White Christmas? Is that one of the movies you watch come Christmas time?

This butt is not part of the joke

  
     Again, I am surprised! I read my email from Earth911 this morning to find out that cigarette butts liter worldwide is about 1.69 billion pounds a year! How insane is that?!  On top of that they are also a form of non-biodegradable litter so they are hear to stay - bummer. 
    Believe it or not according to the email, TerraCycle is teaming up with Sante Fe Tobacco Co. and promoting the opportunity for individuals and groups to collect the cigarette waste and send it in where they will turn around and produce things like shipping pallets, railroad ties, plastic lumber or (my favorite which is wonderfully ironic) ash trays! 
    If you are interested in finding out more about TerraCycle's recycling program, check out their Cigarette Waste Brigade.