Uh, What Day is Today?!

I can't remember the date, I've over slept the past 3 mornings and this morning I locked us out of the house...WHOOPS! The dog pulled the bottom rack of the dishwasher out when he got it caught on his collar...dishes went flying everywhere as he ran through the house! The dog also destroyed my ID so I have to get a pass every day that we leave post!

I need hidden cameras in my home so you can all laugh at the chaos...because looking back as I write about it, it's hilarious!

We got another package this week for review! We are SO excited about this one and are definitely in LOVE with the rabbit's hat! (https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheRabbitsHat)These adorable little baby shoes are just like slippers with the grippy material on the bottom. They are so easy to slip on her and because they have the elastic around the ankles they don't fall off like her normal shoes! AND there are SO MANY amazing patterns to chose from! Do me a favor and check her out on Facebook and tell her we sent you! https://www.facebook.com/therabbitshat

 

This week for my photography class I had to do portraits. A lot of our examples were of a darker nature. I wanted to do some eery photos of a friend of mine, but she ended up sick! So, MD stepped in. I had to change up my ideas a bit, couldn't really go as "dark" as I originally planned! But we did creepy and she LOVED it! It was so funny to have her beg me to make her a zombie and then to watch her GROWL at me as I took her photos HAHA! There are a lot of pictures of her laughing because I couldn't help but bust out laughing at her. She did great and we had a lot of fun with it and oh my did she love looking at the photos when they were finished! 

Here is another glimpse at our Sassy Bow Co goodies on our Baby Diva! With a bow that bold, she's totally going to take on the day with divatude! Seriously, I can't express with you all how obsessed I am with these bows ;) Isn't it....PERFECT! We also did some assignment photos with BD :) why yes, she loved rolling around in a basket on the floor haha.

Today was spring picture day at MD's school! She was squinty from the flash, ha but isn't her outfit adorable :) Why yes, it is her valentine's day outfit again And yes, I really did torture myself with curling her hair again! I really need to find a faster way to get all that hair curled. THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY, ha!




Today was also my birthday, my GOLDEN birthday! I turned 27 on the 27th!!! WHEN THE HELL DID I GET SO OLD?!

Anyways,

 It's no surprise to those that know me personally that I've had a rough year. I'm not a fan of our current "home" and by home I mean the place we have to live because the Army told my husband so, ha! I haven't had a sense of belonging or community since we've been here. We were so blessed with the most amazing friends and neighbors as well as a very active community at his last assigned place that I knew it'd be hard to follow but this has been....well, a struggle.

My girlfriend invited me to lunch today. I had a hunch something was up because she planned this a week in advance and typically it's a phone call the morning of ;) But, I figured she just realized it was my birthday and wanted to do a birthday lunch! We were going to Fatz. I'd never been there before so thought it would be fun to try!

Kids were to school, Baby Diva was dressed and ready to go and I thought...hmm I should try that thing I used to do everyday. Ya know, where you get dressed, put on make up and maybe run a flat iron through your hair. Yeah that! I did that! Weird, I feel like a real person again.

We pull up to Fatz and make our way to the door where the line was out the restaurant. I manage to squeeze past with BD in her infant carrier. They were busy at the front so I peeked around looking for  Tonya. And she had ALL my friends there :) I was so excited and happy to see everyone there. I really had no clue that was what she was up to and it made my day, well birthday :) It was such a fun lunch for me and I'm so grateful my friends took the time to come. I felt like a little girl so excited to run home and tell my husband about all my friends wanting to sit with me at my lunch table, haha.

thanks for letting us entertain you once again this week. Much love everyone! 

One day at a time...

Hey All, We have received some amazing products recently that we wanted to share with you! Of course, being a diva, mini diva or baby diva requires some fantastic accessories and we are always on the lookout for great deals and we are excited to share them with you!

First, I want to share with you a quick pic of MD I took this morning and a short story to go with it.(isn't her zip up adorable, #OldNavy) She got dressed and asked if I could curl her hair. I said, really....you hate when I curl your hair because it takes too long. She said yes I really really want curly hair today. Let me remind you my husband is gone and I have a 6 month old that is teething. We are up four, yes FOUR times a night and I have three kids to get ready in the morning. But, she has been such a helper that I figured ok, let's do it. SO began our journey of curling her hair...about every other strand was met with "how many more pieces" to which I replied "A lot, you have a lot of hair". She was blessed with beautiful long, thick hair...That takes forever to do anything with, ha! She grew tired of being patient, started being sassy, throwing a fit and before I knew it I was ready to throw in the towel.

Then, I finished. She ran to the mirror. Started "flipping" her hair and twirling in circles and giggling. "MOOOOMMMMMM, don't forget hairspray. I love my hair when it's so big. I CANNOT wear a hat today it will wreck my curls". Oh the ups and downs of a 6 year old HA!

So, onto our new accessories! How beautiful is this bow. I'm totally obsessed with @sassybowco It's a little big yet but we totally used it to keep BabyDiva's ears warm yesterday since it was a little chilly and super windy!













MD had this fun little necklace sent for her to try out. Of course she is always wanting to wear jewelry but is always taking it off at school because it's bugging her. It's itchy, it's caught in her hair, etc. NOT THIS BABY it's perfect for young girls! She is definitely loving it and kept in on all through school. Of course, we had to get pink but there are a ton of colors and styles available. Check it out at www.facebook.com/DazzlingDesignedNecklaces

Like I mentioned before...I have a teething 6 month old. It has been rough on this little munchkin and we had a few friends recommend trying Amber necklaces. I thought, well it  seems a little silly but at this point I am willing to try anything to help my typically happy girl out. If nothing else, they are super cute anyways, ha! My mom actually found a cute etsy store called Eyes On Fire and ordered her one. She had some issues mailing it since we are on a military instillation  and called to ask some questions about sending it. She was so sweet and I was so excited to get it. Let me tell you...Night and day difference! She's stopped spitting up ALL OVER ME, haha, she's back to bouncy happy BD and she's not drooling puddles! I'm sold! Check her stuff out, it's amazing!



So glad we could share these with you all! Let us know how you like them or if you order some yourself! Much Love!

Late nights, Early mornings..

When you are a mother you sacrifice. It is just what you do. There is no longer an I in your vocabulary, rather WE. A friend may ask to go for coffee or grab some lunch and you simply reply WE can't because WE have a Dr's appointment. You hit a whole new level of exhaustion. No amount of wild nights in College could prepare you for the lack of sleep a mother of an infant experiences.(I was literally nodding off while eating dinner tonight). It can be one of the most difficult and overwhelming roles...And then this happens...

You snuggle your sweet, sweet baby as she falls asleep. You hold her tight and breathe a little easier. This is the most calming part of my day, everyday. I've had a long week but my sweet littles have reminded me today, each in their own way, just how worth it it truly is. 

Ok, Ok, I'm done being emotional...back to the fun!

 
We had a fabulous start to our week when we received a package from @sassybowco ! We got a few bows for sweet baby diva and of course MD had to try one on herself! These headbands are just too adorable, super affordable and I'm obsessed. They have a huge selection of all sorts of bows and headbands so there is definitely something for every type of diva!

These little love bugs had an amazing Valentine's day(we hope you did, too)! They had their school parties on Friday and were so excited to hand out their Valentine's and even more excited to get home and show us all the Valentine's they got from friends. MD's little brother went on all weekend about all his friends giving him cards and candy, it was so adorable. I love watching them use their big hearts and be so loving without any effort. 

MD's Daddy left us again this week for a little bit. Since we had a bit of a rough time this last separation we decided to get some Build A Bear's with a recording of my husband voice on them. The kids love them and it was fun to spoil them. I honestly wanted to cry as we made them because I hate that the kids have to be away from their dad...But the bears are great. We got the idea from my sweet friend Rachel, who said she wanted to do this for her Pug when her husband was away, haha. Their little pug, Ronnie, is hilariously cute and I about died when she told me the idea...but it was a fantastic one!

This week another spouse from the area had asked for help with a wreath she was making. I thought hey, it'd be nice to meet some more friends and head over and help but as I mentioned last week I truly have zero wiggle room in my crazy schedule so I told her I could just do it after I got the kids to bed. She dropped all her supplies she had purchased off and here is how it turned out. How cute, right! I think I need to make myself a few new door hangers for the Holiday's coming up! Crafts are my favorite kind of me time. I had also come across someone looking for a bow holder. I've seen enough examples to know they aren't exactly difficult to make so I gave it my best and she loves it. I added some hooks to the bottom for headbands as well. It hangs horizontally. I am thinking I need to make MD one of these!

We also got around to making our shadow boxes with our pensacola shells and Guantanamo Bay shells and sea glass! I LOVE how these turned out and they are now hanging in our bathroom! 

MD had pageant practice on Monday so the two youngest and me showed up a little early so we could sneak a peek at how she is doing. I really don't think pageants are her thing, as she's not constantly going on about it or seeming too excited talking about it like she does cheer, but she is making new friends and I love that. This may be just a one time thing and I'm glad she will have had a new experience and met some girls outside of her class at school. How cute is this little get up she had on Monday. Her leggings are from justice and I love them! 

Thanks for catching up with MD this week! Much Love

 

OH.MY.WORD

I like to pride myself on my ability to juggle life. I've always been better off busy. I love taking on projects and having goals. Right now however, I have to admit I've taken on more than I can handle. I woke up to a beautiful sunrise, rushed MD and her little brother to get ready and out the door to school and had a mini anxiety attack. Where do I even start?! My current commitments include Full time student, Full time mommy, Instagram for a Rescue I volunteer with, MD's crazy schedule of pageant and cheer practice, all on top of MD's daddy being gone on and off. It's not so much the constant to do's but more the lack of me time. I need to find a way to take an evening to myself. I recently read an article on why moms are bad friends and oh my gosh is it ringing so true lately. I simply do not have the time or the energy at the end of the day to be a good friend. I'm more often than not turning down invitations due to sickness, practice, schoolwork, etc. (Speaking of our Instagram Find us and follow, pretty please! Help us find these babies their humans!)

These crazy times certainly make me look back to when I was working 50+ hours a week and maintaining MD's crazy schedule with the help of our amazing nanny, Kasi and my bestie Christie. Our little family would not have made it without their help while MD's daddy was gone from May-Oct! Kasi even helped with Sergeant when he was just a pup! We will forever love and miss her! (no she's not dead, I'm still mourning the loss of her as our nanny over 1.5yrs later LOL) Here are some pics of MD from that summer! And how cute is baby Sergeant sitting for MD!              

 

It was my turn with this awful stomach bug our family cannot rid ourselves of so MD attended our friends Tea party baby shower without me. A friend of mine picked her up and let her tag along. BD and their brother had felt off all weekend as well. I took them (baby diva and their brother) for a walk while MD was at the baby shower so their daddy could get some work done hoping the fresh air would do them good! Apparently baby diva hasn't gotten over it yet since she's had 4 outfit changes today due to throwing up, ha! She started off all cutesy, then I gave up and went with pajamas! 

(MD with sweet Grace at the Baby Shower)

(Don't worry, I never walked away from her while she was in her bumbo...I had it in the bassinet because the dogs always manage to smack her in the face with their tails when we sit on the floor!)

I got the sweetest message about MD from my friend Rachel, who the shower was for. I was so disappointed I couldn't go and when she sent me this it warmed my heart, ha! She is such a sweet woman and I'm so excited for her to be an amazing role model for their sweet princess!

" I just wanted to tell you that it was such a pleasure having (MD) there. She was VERY adorable and so sweet. My mom talked about her for hours after the party last night. She said the sweetest things and toward the end was on the floor playing with Grace keeping her company so Amanda could walk around. I just thought you should know you had one very well behaved little lady who honestly made everyone's day!! Please tell her again that I said thank you for coming. "

I am so proud of MD for so many reasons. She is so talented at anything she sets her mind to and she is such a loving person. She has the biggest hear yet has plenty of Sass to balance it all out, ha ha. She is such a smart and driven little girl and I never, ever want to be the one to make her think she can't achieve anything! We will 100% back her passions and let her follow her dreams. Today MD is wearing her "work" outfit as she called it. These mini black slacks are THE most adorable thing I've seen! She topped it off with an Elsa(fishtail) braid and one of BD's new headbands from Claire's! OH, and the shoes! Of course with a work outfit you have to wear heels! 

(Sorry it's a bit blurry...My iPhone hadn't had it's coffee yet!)

Then, this afternoon I got another sweet message from a friend! The universe must have known I'd been feeling down and needed a little love. Hilary is the mom of one of the girls on MD's cheer team(They even share the same name, how cute!)  and we met at the gym. I absolutely adore her! They have the sweetest family(they are the ones that bought our pizza the night before our competition!). She just started her own blog and she text me to let me know she loves our blog and it inspired her. <3 AWWW <3 check her blog out! http://inhillville.blogspot.com/2015/02/when-baby-turns-one.html

Thanks again for catching up with us! Much love!

Another Week Down

Well, it's saturday and we've been non stop all week of course. There seems to be no end to the chaos and everyone says we'll miss it someday....But can't we just squeeze a nap in, ha?  



Monday MD came home early sick from school. She's had a terrible infection she just cannot shake! My phone was dead so they called her daddy at work and I felt terrible. She said they tried calling me for a while before calling her daddy. I'm so bad about letting my phone go dead. Then again Thursday morning she was sick so I kept her from school. By 10am she had bounced back feeling just fine so we took the time to make her valentines box. They were instructed that they had to use  a shoebox so our ideas were limited but it still turned out pretty cute! MD did a lot of the cutting pictures out of magazines and placing herself! I did the glueing since we used a hot glue gun!

We also did a quick little photo shoot at the house! I found a cool blog called The CoffeeShop Blog and downloaded  a ton of actions and overlays that I wanted to try out. This is my first go at using any actions so go easy on me :)

I was doing MD's photos and of course her attention starved dogs had to jump in the mix so I took a few with them as well. MD is wearing my headband I scored at Ulta for $2 and a necklace I got from forever21 online for $3! 

Friday MD went back to school and BD and I ventured to a store called The Christmas Tree Shop for the first time! I love this glass bottle($1.99) that I now have our dish soap in and found this adorable table cloth on clearance for $3.97!!! Placemats were on sale for $1.25 and I got this farm for a very beautiful poster that my mom sent me from items she had of my grandmothers. MD is obsessed with Paris and the Eiffel Tower. I want to head back next week to get a basket to keep some toys for the kids down stairs! I am slowly trying to convert our house to an airy old farmhouse feel and this store can definitely help me do that on a budget!

      

Friday afternoon the person designing MD's Pageant dress and Pageant costume came over to show us some sketches, fabric and measure MD. Her sketches are amazing and she found some very cool fabrics on a budget! I'm very excited to see how these turn out! 

Today we headed to something called Cars and Coffee for the first time. It was a little bit chilly but it was a lot of fun for us and for the kids to just walk around. I was not expecting it to be as big of an event as it was but there were A TON of cars there. I loved seeing all of the different styles, different people and the old and new models.

 

MD helped me take photos of all the fun cars and trucks. The photo of the back of the FORD is one that she took! Pretty good for 6, huh! After Cars and Coffee we drove by a house in the area we are really interested in! If praying is your thing please pray for us on this matter. We are currently very unhappy in our house we are renting on post and LOVE this house we have found. It's an older home with amazing character, a yard for the kids and dogs, and enough room for all the chaos! Next, we headed to the mall so the kids could play at the play place there. They really enjoy playing there and I wanted to take BD to get her ears pierced! She did so well, only cried for a few minutes. Her grandma absolutely hates that I get the girls ears pierced before they can make the decision for themselves. While we were waiting to get them done the girls' brother and dad had a lot of fun in Claires, haha!