In This Wonderful Life

May Scents

2013-05-23T11:13:00.001-05:00

These are things I'm using, and things that are around my house, that I LOVE right now. Some are new and some I've had for a while. Since herbs can be seasonal, I enjoy having their scents in my kitchen.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

What scents are you liking right now??

I hope you all are having a good day :)

*Here are my deals today.

Kids' Bathroom Makeover - Complete!

2013-05-22T12:54:00.001-05:00

So the kiddos' bathroom is done....for the most part :) The main part is done, but I'm still doing some finishing touches in the bath area and the toilet area.

Like I figured, paint was really what it needed. Of course, all the fun stuff comes naturally, but to take the next step and paint completes it.

The before pictures can be seen HERE.

Painting can seem daunting, but the difference it can make is totally worth the time it takes. The good news is that often times, once you start, it really doesn't take too long! It's also pretty cost efficient.

I initially thought I would pick a wall color that was bright and colorful. However, the more I got to thinking, I thought about how the kids would eventually each have rooms connecting to the bathroom. Then, I figured they would maybe want to pick their room color on down the line, or, perhaps, change it. Therefore, I thought the bathroom might be best at a neutral color. That way, we could always change the way things looked on the inside, but the walls would work with it! In any case, we can always paint the bathroom if it comes to that :)

Since we've already painted quite a bit of the wood trim in our house, we went with the same color, Sherwin-Williams' Panda White. It's also what we have on our kitchen cabinets, along with a stain.

After using the Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap® smartphone app a few times, which I mentioned in my previous post, I went with Wool Skein on the walls. It was nice to have the color palette right there on my phone! I'm so used to carrying around a big deck when trying to decide!

The pictures don't do it justice, in my opinion. I couldn't get any natural light into the bathroom, so a lot of the color feeds off the light bulbs. One or two I took with my phone because I only have my 50mm lens right now. The phone pics might actually show the color better. It's much more subtle that the previous color, which I have no idea what it was. It's softer, and I think colors go with it so much better. And, can we talk about the trim? LOVE it.

As for all the new items, they are much brighter in person :) Hopefully you can envision it. I will post the details for the items at the bottom of the post.

The colors are pretty and soft, right? I wish you could see how pretty the green towels and rugs pop! As for the bronze hardware, a nice and easy update.

I forgot to take a picture of Knox's side. It basically looks the same except his towel and stool are different colors!

Oh, and I'm guessing you notice the mobiles . You may remember them from the nursery in our old house. I LOVE them. However, in this house, the nursery has very tall, slanted ceilings, and we couldn't make them work :( I had been thinking about putting them in the bathroom, and I thought now was the perfect time!

In between the doors, I went with darker frames to tie in with the cabinets. I like them so we left them as is. There are also cabinets in the bath and toilet areas. Nice storage. Anyways, I want to change the hardware to match the bronze, but didn't get a chance. I love the prints!

There is a large vanity area in between the sinks. I thought it would be fun to do some sort of picture there. I came across the states one and thought that would be fun and maybe a good learning tool :) (Left is camera and right is iPhone.)

I think it turned out cute! Gender neutral with neutral wall colors. I love that Sherwin-Williams made it easy for me to pick a color right from my phone! You guys should get the app. Not only does it come in handy for walls, but you can paint just about anything!

For a chance to win a $100 Sherwin-Williams gift card, share in the comments below what room you would like to makeover in your home?

No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/20/2013-6/10/2013.

Be sure to visit the Sherwin-Williams brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

*Mobiles are from BlaBlaKids.
*Rugs & towels are from Target.
*Step stools are from Target. (Knox's green one isn't pictured.)
*States canvas is from Target.
*Lion soap dispenser is from Target.
*The prints in the frames are from The Wheatfield. (Also have a print in nursery.)
*The frames are from Target.
*Tray is from TJ Maxx, probably three years ago.

For a fellow blogger and friend...

2013-05-21T22:44:00.001-05:00

If you've been reading my blog for a bit, you've probably heard me talk about Embellishology. My fellow twin mama friend, Heather, is super talented and creates great printables and Embellishology is her Etsy shop. Her blog is now "Just Wait til You have Kids" :)

Heather also lives in Oklahoma.

Her twin girls, Tensley & Tille, are two months older than Knox & Sloane and they are precious.

Tensley, Tille & Heather...

In 1999, Heather and her husband lost their home to a tornado. They re-built. Yesterday, they lost their home again. Thank God, Heather, James and the girls are okay, but their home is not and most, if not all, of their stuff is not. They will have to re-build, re-buy and start over.

My heart is SO heavy for them, but I'm just so thankful they are okay. I know James and Heather work very hard for Heather to stay at home with the girls and now they have no home. I imagine Heather has no computer to work from and I'm not sure about the state of their cars yet. I can only imagine the process of starting over can take a while.

Thankfully, the blogging community, it's readers and so many people in this country are stepping into help Oklahoma. We are choosing to help generally as well as to this sweet family. I'm hoping we are able to go when they open the town and help with our church.

A paypal account was set up for Heather and her family. I know it's one of those feelings when you see the news, but not really feeling like you know anyone, but yet thinking how that could be any of us. This family, I know. If you can donate even a tiny bit, I know it will greatly help their situation. If you cannot donate financially, but want to do something else, or have questions, please email me - inthiswonderfullife{at}gmail{dot}com

Please share this.

Devastated

2013-05-21T10:50:00.003-05:00

Thank you all for the emails, texts, etc. We are thanking God the tornado missed us.

The news on the TV and radio started predicting our bad weather last week. I believe I heard things like, it's coming our way; Oklahoma is really in for it. They were basically saying Sunday and Monday were predicted to have awful weather.

After my cousins' house and ranch were destroyed last week in Texas, by a tornado, I've already been pretty freaked out. Sunday came and there were tornados, but they missed us. They were very close to some friends, but thankfully, missed them as well.

Monday, we woke and it wasn't raining and the news said we probably wouldn't have any bad weather until afternoon. I went ahead and took Knox & Sloane to Mother's Day Out. When I got home, I sent the school director an email just letting her know that if we went under any warnings that I would be coming to pick them up. The weather was normal and I picked them up at 2:30. We got home about 3 and my mom started calling to let me know that I needed to turn the news on. It wasn't long after and the news was showing tornados touching down about an hour away.

Thankfully, it missed us again. Unfortunately, it didn't miss many others. It's devastating the lives that have been taken and the damage that has been done. I couldn't stop watching the news last night as the search efforts were live. The kids in the school? No. I can't even handle that. I don't know the circumstances, but I will say that no school that Knox & Sloane go to will ever keep me from them in a weather situation. Period.

I'm not sure one can every truly be prepared, but it feels so much more real now that happened here, now. I've got two small children to protect. I've only lived in Oklahoma for six years and this is the worst thing I know of happening.

I'm truly so heartbroken.

Please pray. Please donate. Please give blood. Fund raise. Please just do whatever you can do.

If you haven't seen the news coverage it's probably hard to know the depths. I know a lot of it is on National News, so I suspect most people have.

I was thankful when I opened Facebook just now that I saw so many people that had Oklahoma graphics up. I know people will feel the thoughts an prayers.

I have no idea who made any of these or I promise I would give credit. If you did, feel free to comment.

If you know of any fundraisers, feel free to share those.

Brent just texted me and a customer of theirs has an IT guy that lost his 4 month old baby, his wife is in critical condition and they can't find his 5 year old son that was at school. I'm heartbroken for his family and so many in his situation. It's so awful.

Paul Hellstern/The Oklahoman/AP

Sue Ogrocki/AP

newson9

Jim Beckel/The Oklahoman/AP.

Hold your loved ones tight.

xoxo

Facial Regimen

2013-05-20T15:05:00.004-05:00

I'm currently pretty happy with my make-up routine, which I'll post more about soon. Right now, I'm working to find a good regimen of products that best fit my face. I've tried several, but I've never really stuck for more than a few months even when I could tell a difference. It usually happens as I run out of something and don't take the time to get more.

My long-time, Rosie Posie sponsor, is now also an Executive Consultant for Rodan and Fields and asked if I would be interested in trying a product! We decided on the under-eye cream. She said she's seen how well it works and that she thinks I would love it. My next step will be to decide if I want to try a regimen, too. Ashley also said that being a Rodan and Field consultant has been a great fit for her since it takes up very little of her time!

If you've been reading for a while, you know I've teamed up with Ashley to give lots of cute Rosie Posie things away and now she wants to give some Rodan and Fields away! She ALSO wants to give a discount and free shipping! Just email her (ashleyyancer{at}gmail{dot}com) and you can get 10% off your order and free shipping!

Now, who wants to win an eye cream!? Enter through Rafflecopter and email me with questions!

The required entry is to review the regimens and let Ashley know which you think would be best for you! You can use the "solutions tool" HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reminders :) ...
*I'm making over the kids' bathroom with Sherwin Williams and you can enter to win a $100 gift card here :)
*You can tell me what you look for in a DREAM vacation to win a cruise voucher for a trip for four here!
*Check out the Fuel Rewards Network Program to enter to win $100 Shell Fuel gift card here :)
*Enter to win a year long subscription to Hulu HERE.

Sunday Stuff - 21 months

2013-05-19T16:21:00.001-05:00

I posted on Instagram, a day or two ago, that this was my favorite picture from the week.....

Then, I remembered these two.....

They are 21 months old today. I love them and their teethy smiles so much. I cannot believe they are almost two. How has it been almost two years? It seems like yesterday that we were in the hospital having them.

Oh geez, I just watched the slideshow. I hadn't seen it in a while and now I'm crying like a baby, ha! And seriously, my mother-in-law picked the most perfect song for the slideshow.

I'm so thankful for all of them....

I'm thankful for all my family.

My heart is heavy for some. Some of my cousins in Texas had tornado destroy most of their home and ranch. They are still missing quite a few animals and they have to search 170 acres for them, on horseback. Thankfully my cousins weren't hurt (there is two of them) and their dogs, they were able to protect them. One of their barns was okay. In the picture is a side of their house, a water tank that was blown on top of a tractor and another one of the barns that was destroyed. It had been up for 100 years. Can you imagine all the storms it survived, but not this tornado. So awful. Please keep them in your prayers.

I hope you all are having a good Sunday. We've been working to clean out our garage. I really NEED to have a garage sale and we wanted to be able to fit both cars in because we are supposed to have bad storms over the next 24 hours. I think at one point they have said 80-100 mph wind. Ugh. Now I'm even more freaked out by weather.

Sloane is on hour four of her nap. Seriously in the past week or so, they've been taking 3-4 hour naps. I'm guessing ear infections and growth spurt. They are being picky little eaters.

There are still a few things left on our sale page! I'm going to the post office tomorrow to ship. Someone definitely needs the jeans :)

I like Sunday night TV, but I know seasons are ending on some things. We are almost caught up with Scandal so we may watch it so we can watch the new one when it comes on this week. We are watching it on Hulu, which reminds me, you can enter to win a YEAR subscription of of Hulu HERE!

I'm making a list of paleo crock pot recipes to make this week. Do you have any you love?

xo

WOW

2013-05-18T13:50:00.000-05:00

You guys, I've found the best gluten free cookie ever.

I really thought I had already posted these the last time I bought a bag, but I can't find the post. I bought a bag a month or so ago, but ~~didn't buy another because I ate the first bag in one day~~ I just got a second bag yesterday.

Seriously, they are soft and moist and taste like those soft batch cookies. Why not go with a gluten-free cookie that's just a yummy. Knox & Sloane love them, too.

We've only tried the chocolate chip, but I intend to try the others soon.

They are made by the WOW Baking Company. I got these at our local Fresh Market, but on their site you can order and it says they partner with Amazon.

Nope, they didn't ask me to review and blog about the cookies, but I would totally oblige if they did because I think they are delicious.

Happy Saturday :)

xo

End-of-Week Randoms :)

2013-05-17T12:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday :)

So thankful the kiddos were both feeling better this morning!

I just added LOTS of things to our sale page! I'm heading to the post office in a bit, but I can swing back by on Monday as well.

Is anyone interested in the orange Mia Bossi diaper bag that I have? I ended up never carrying it and just using the green one. Email me if so :)

This week flew by fast. The weather has been pretty drab and rainy, minus one day, so hopefully the weekend is a bit more nice.

I REALLY want to go to a movie. I think I've been saying this for a month or two. Maybe this weekend we can find some time once the babies go to bed.

I'm currently eating a bowl the almond chicken casserole. Seriously, I've been eating on it for a few days and it's so good.

I'm going to try out some Rodan & Fields eye cream and I'm super excited!

Speaking of trying, I posted a review yesterday on some Almay things. I really really love the smart shade mousse. I think this is definitely a product I'm going to stick with.

Lately I've been thinking how thankful I am for the people I've met through blogging and social media. It's weird to think some of them I've known for 5+ years now! Yesterday, sweet treats arrived for Knox & Sloane from our friends over at the Tichenor Family Blog! Meredith and I are now "real life" friends :)

We weren't able to do our mommy & me photo shoot this week, since the kiddos had ear infections, but we did re-schedule it for the end of the month.

I got my hair cut more yesterday. I know. When I left I was thinking it was really short, but this morning it doesn't seem quite so short. I'll post a pic soon!

I can't think of anything I need a dress for off the top of my head, but when I do, I hope it's this one. I love it.

I think I am going to do a "Midweek Random"link-up. I hope you all will join! Which link up program/site should I use??

Have a good day!

Makeup Day-to-Day

2013-05-16T15:07:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've felt pretty stuck in my ways when it comes to make-up. I've been using the same brands and same color shades for quite some time. I use to be pretty good about changing things up, but then once I had two little dumplings to buy for, makeup got put on the back burner. The big beauty stores were always the ones to suck me in and well, makeup there isn't always budget-friendly.

I do like to try new things out because I think one of the greatest things is finding something at a great price and liking it better than something you previously paid quite a bit for. That's honestly happened to me several times, whether they were all products from a department store, beauty store or a drug store.

You would think since I have dark hair and dark eyebrows that I would also have dark eyelashes, but that's not the case. They seem pretty light to me, therefore I've always been an eye makeup person. I guess I've never really known if there was a specific eye shadow color I should wear or not. I have hazel eyes and they kind of vary in shades of blue and green based on what I'm wearing.

Another thing that I've always looked for in my makeup is coverage. I have freckles and I've had them for a long time. They don't bother me, per se, but I'm tired of them and I'd really rather they be covered on my face so it would seem as though my skin is all one color. Not a huge deal, but if I'm going some place, I usually do put makeup on.

I'm not in front of the camera all too often, but anytime a photographer has taken pictures, beforehand, they always say, darken your makeup. I often think about this for special occasions because I know I'm more than likely going to be in a picture. I don't necessarily darken my makeup a lot, but I kind of pay more attention and try to take a little more time putting it on. As a mom with a million things going on, I'm not sure if I'm proud or ashamed to admit I can shower, put my makeup on and get dressed in less than 10 minutes, ha!

So, wether it's family pictures, Christmas, Easter, etc., I try to find time to put forth effort, if you will, into my makeup. :) I can't honestly tell that it looks any different than my everyday makeup, but I like not to feel rushed and like I have a reason to wear it!

I was pretty excited when ALMAY offered to have me try some of their new makeup. I immediately thought to myself, Mother's Day is coming up and so are family pictures! With Mother's Day in just a few days, I kind of already have in mind what I'm going to wear and what color eye shadow. ALMAY sent me their intense i-color bold nudes kits. I love how they are laid out...

It shows you the best place to put each shade on your eye. Each palette is specified for a certain eye color, but after trying each one out, I've determined I like something about all of them. Even if I don't have brown eyes, I think that one can be more subtle if I'm just hanging out around the house, but still trying to fix myself up a bit. :)

I think my dress for Mother's Day is going to have blue in it, so I'll probably go with the palette for blue eyes. I figure that makes sense!

ALMAY also sent me their smart shade mousse makeup.

I'll be honest, I had always been a bit confused by the term "smart shade." What does that even mean? Well, from what I've gathered after trying this mousse out is that it's basically magic. It somehow creates a color that goes with your skin. It gives you coverage, but it's not thick AT ALL. It's kind of like a velvety feel. I truly really like the feel so much and I do think the color works great with my skin and to conceal my freckles. When I opened the container, I was a little caught off guard. My initial thought was, this must have gotten too hot in the mail. It looked a little funny...

I first rubbed a little on my hand and sure enough, it started blending into a pretty color and I could immediately tell it was light and not thick.

Here is a picture where I have on both of these products.

For more information about Almay's products, visit their website, and don't forget to like Almay on Facebook!

And now for the giveaway! To enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card, tell me, what is your favorite look for Mother's Day? Do you put more effort into your makeup for special occasions?

Rules
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

Almond Chicken Casserole

2013-05-16T09:14:00.001-05:00

I got this recipe from my mom. She's been making it for years and I love it. It's easy and delicious! Not many ingredients and they are all typically things most might have on hand! I also think this one re-heats well for leftovers, and typically I don't do chicken re-heated.

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup mayo/mayo-type dressing
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion

Directions:

I used sliced almonds and usually toast in the oven or conventional oven. I like mine pretty toasted, but they will also get a bit more toasted when the entire casserole is cooking.

Combine chicken, celery and dressing, 1/4 cup almonds, cheese and onion in a bowl. Mix well. Pour into a 6x10 baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 25 min. Check center with fork to see if warm. Sprinkle remaining almonds on top!

Serves 4-6

Enjoy!

Bloglovin'

2013-05-15T09:29:00.004-05:00

I've read lots of posts, tweets and more about Bloglovin' lately. People have said it helps keep the blogs you read organized. You can add ay blog you read to the list and they pop up when there is a new post!

I just started adding in some blogs and hopefully will add more! Do you have Bloglovin'? Leave your user name or blog and I'll follow! :)

You can follow me on Bloglovin' here or with the button below :)

Cool, Colorful & Refreshing!

2013-05-14T13:18:00.000-05:00

I think we can FINALLY say that spring has sprung around here in my neck of the woods. It seems like last year we didn't have much of a winter, but this year it has lingered on and on.

In winter you can always walk into our house and see blankets and jackets in eyesight. I typically don't have any bright and fresh flowers and certainly no herbs growing in the window sill in the kitchen. You can also typically smell some sort of cinnamon or fir type candle and/or something warm brewing.

I always catch myself reflecting back from season to season. Typically something always reminds me of the same season, the previous year, if that makes sense :) For instance, this past fall, we made a lot of chili. We tried several different recipes and then found one we just really liked. When this coming fall rolls around, we may be on a soup kick, but I'll think back to the previous fall and remember chili!

With warm weather approaching, one of the first things I thought about was cold drinks! It's kind of like opposites attract: in the summer, with warm weather, cold drinks sound good, and in the winter, with cool weather, warm drinks sound good! Do you feel the same?

Last summer, I was kind of on an iced coffee kick. While I may still be this year, I'm also concocting some other cool drinks in my head. Maybe some drinks that are a little bit more bright and refreshing! After all, the spring and summer is a bright and refreshing time, right? We want cold, colorful and flavorful drinks, right? I thought you would agree :)

One of my friends mentioned on Instagram, posted about some Crystal Light that she had just purchased, but it was Crystal Light Liquid. I hadn't heard of it and I remember I did like Crystal Light, but it had been quite a while since I had any. Anyways, this friend said she really did like it so I went to the Crystal Light website to see more about it and what flavors it came in. When I was at the store I decided on these three.

I picked peach bellini, pomtini and strawberry lemonade.

Now, instead of my mornings, days and nights looking like this...

I think they are going to look at lot more like this!

I really like the liquids. They are easy, 0 calories and not too strong. I like that you can kind of determine how strong you want your flavor based on how much you put into your water. For me, I just like one or two squeezes!

You can check out all the flavors on the site (It's so cute and colorful!). For a chance to win a $100 Visa giftcard, simply leave a comment below answering the question 'How do you plan to celebrate spring and summer?"

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the
following unique term in your tweet message: ""#SweepstakesEntry""; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post"
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/14 - 6/4.
Be sure to visit the Crystal Light page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Sunny Days

2013-05-14T08:51:00.001-05:00

Knox & Sloane love playing outside. I figure we might as well do it lots now before it gets miserably hot outside :p

I took most of these before and after Mother's Day Out yesterday.

They love dandelions....

:)

{The kids' outfits are Smocked Giraffe and I got them off Zulily.}

I added a few clothes to "Our Closet" page yesterday and plan to add more today, during nap!

Mother's Day 2013

2013-05-13T12:39:00.002-05:00

I hope you all had a nice Mother's Day!

Ours was very relaxing! Our entire weekend was that way, actually :)

On Friday, Knox went to the doctor because of a high fever. All of his tests came back negative (flu, rsv, etc.) and his ears and throat also looked fine. The doctor said it was probably just a virus and to keep an eye on his temp and take him in if it got higher. Well, Saturday afternoon it got high, too high. So, I took him in. Sure enough, both of his ears were infected. So, apparently, they were on the verge on Friday. They got him started on some medicine and well, he was an emotional mess the rest of the weekend, poor buddy. Thankfully, he woke up happy as a clam this morning and wanted nothing more than to give Sloane hugs and kisses. It was ridiculously cute.

Yesterday, we had a few errands to run then we stopped so the kids could grab a snack. We had plans to hang out and swim at our friends, Kyle & Jessica's house, but with Knox's ears I didn't think we would. Once we got there, we determined he would probably be fine and not get water in them with the little float things. Brent and Sloane borrowed suits and I picked Knox up one at the pool place. I sat on the side and enjoyed watching :) They LOVED the pool. They hadn't been in since last summer. It definitely seemed to calm Knox down.

Our attempt at pics before leaving the house. Knox seriously wanted nothing to do with me. He only wanted Brent. I wasn't intentionally rolling my eyes at him but I was blinking while Brent was trying to get a shot, ha.

I was a little bummed I didn't get a pic with the both of them, but we have a mommy & mom photo session this week and I think that will be fun!

I didn't end up getting my hair cut anymore on Friday because I ran out of time. The Jason Aldean and Jake Owen concert was SO MUCH FUN! I have a few pics I'll post soon!

Happy Monday :)

*I'm making over the kids' bathroom with Sherwin Williams and you can enter to win a $100 gift card here :)
*You can tell me what you look for in a DREAM vacation to win a cruise voucher for a trip for four here!
*Check out the Fuel Rewards Network Program to enter to win $100 Shell Fuel gift card here :)

One of the things...

2013-05-11T15:02:00.000-05:00

I remember before I ever became a mom I would see art work that little ones would make and I just thought it was so sweet. It was one of those things that always made me yearn to be a mom. Making those sweet little feet and forming those gentle hands.

I'm not kidding you, when I got my first pieces of artwork that Knox & Sloane made at Mother's Day Out, it took everything in my not to bust into tears. These little pieces of papers were filled with so many emotions. The fear of never having babies and fear of never having more babies ended long ago, but I felt a part of that when I got these, although overcome with so much thankfulness. The joy of having these hands and feet in my life and still the disbelief that there are two sets of each. Gosh, even typing that kind of made me get watery eyed. Really, though, I'm so incredible thankful to me a mommy :)

{We kept Knox home Friday so he hasn't done his Mother's Day pic yet;)}

I'm praying for all those yearning to become parents, too, as well as for those who have lost a baby/child.

xoxo

Midweek Randoms

2013-05-09T15:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday :)

Thank you for the nice comments on the derby post and Knox & Sloane's school pictures :)

Thankfully, this week has gone by pretty quickly. Brent was out of from Sunday night until last night, so I manned the ship by myself. Knox & Sloane has a pretty good week and have had such cute little personalities. Knox was battling some coughing, but I think it was mostly just allergies and it's passed. Loves...

I picked up some random gluten free things to try this week since Brent was going to be out of town. Knox & Sloane pretty much ate the entire box of the Van's crackers. They were delicious. I really liked the evol chicken bowl, but it was a bit too spicy for them. I didn't like the waffles. I'll just stick to Van's for waffles and gluten free Bisquick for pancakes, yum :) The chocolate dipped cookies were good, but I didn't like them as much as some that I got that are similar to "soft-batch" cookies.

I'm going to see Jason Aldean tomorrow night (Friday) and I'm super excited. I've always floated around on music and there have been time periods in my life where I didn't like country music, but right now I do, at least some of it. Jason Aldean may be my favorite right now.

I just added some things I'm leaving on my deals and discounts page. I'm trying to get back to updating it.

We are getting ready to have some landscaping done. We thought we would do it ourselves, but we don't trust ourselves as we haven't had much luck in the past. We have gotten a few things, these being my favorites....

The house I grew up with had hydrangeas and I love them. I'd really like to have every color, but I know that can kind of vary depending on the soil.

My mom has some beautiful rose bushes in her yard and brought me enough to fill two vases this week. I love their color.

If you are local, mark your calendar for the below. It will be SUCH a fun event for SUCH an important cause.

I watched season one of Scandal and the movie, What to Expect When You're Expecting while Brent was away. I really enjoyed both. I kinda wish I would have waited to see if Brent watched to watch Scandal because I think he would have liked it. I suppose I can sit through season one again. I can't wait to watch season two, though!

I think these Cents of Style earrings today on Very Jane are so cute! With shipping they are only $9.44. You can't beat that many places! I love a good deal. I got the pink center stone ones :)

I'm trying to decided what I should make for dinner tonight. When Brent got in last night, we went for sushi with a lady, from his company, in town running his office while he was gone. I love sushi and could eat it every day.

I'm totally getting my hair trimmed again tomorrow. I know, I'm a nut. Surely I won't go much shorter.

What do you all have going on this week? Do you do a "midweek randoms" post? I've thought about doing a link-up, but didn't know if anyone else would participate besides me :) haha

xoxo

Derby Party

2013-05-08T09:41:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, Brent and I went to a derby party for the Kentucky Derby. It was so much fun and my friend, Jessica, did SUCH a wonderful job hosting and decorating. The food was also delicious. She is a great party planner! She doesn't blog, but if she did, it would be full of pretty things and parties!

You can't tell all too well, but Brent's suit is seersucker. Love it. He had been wanting one for a while and figured now was as good of time as any. My head is large and I have puffy hair, so I never feel like hats work with me, but it was fun to wear. The weather was rainy and cold, but no one let that get in the way :)

Maybe one day we will go to the derby, but for this year, we had so much fun with our friends!

Vacation Talk!

2013-05-07T14:13:00.002-05:00

So, I'm wondering, do we all look for the same things when traveling?

We want to have fun. Sometimes, if haven't visited the place before, we want to have plans in order to make sure we do and see the things that we've heard about.

We've only traveled a few places since Knox & Sloane have been born, but they've always had a purpose. They haven't necessarily been for no reason and just to have fun!

Before Knox & Sloane, when we were planning vacations, I would sometimes get overwhelmed. I just wanted to be sure we did everything we possibly could. I hated the thought of not seeing something or eating something that was all the rave, wherever we were going! Silly, probably! Now, we tend to go back to the same places over and over again. I know in the future we will probably be going different places and looking at different things.

Our interests have now expanded. They include kid things!

Now, as we think about going on vacation with Knox & Sloane, we think about what will there be for them to enjoy? Will it be kid friendly? Will there be food they will eat? The list goes on.

We know we want to do the beach, but that can be pretty broad.

Have you all ever been on a cruise? I recently got a pamphlet for Norwegian Cruise Line. They have a youth program and Nickelodeon is featured exclusively featured on some of Norwegian's ships. While I think Knox and Sloane may be a tad bit too young for this right now, it does seem like a great option for older kiddos. I can only imagine that Nickelodeon is probably an expert when it comes to showing kids a good time!

Norwegian wanted their ships to be welcoming and family friendly. This way, there is something for everyone to do. Kids can participate in activities from sports to crafts and the list goes on. They also have a new Cirque du Jou program with many circus activities listed. Who doesn't love the circus?

The pamphlet talks about the youth counselors who guide them and encourage them to have as much fun as they can while they are on vacation, while also teaching them new things.

I think since they are offering and promoting their program for kids, it really takes the worry out of figuring out if they will have fun. Of course with there being such a large youth program and entertaining focus on this cruise, you can guarantee they will probably have all sorts of foods, fun rooms and everything you can think of for kids. It's basically like a theme park on a boat! I'm pretty sure any kiddo would be thrilled to go on this vacation.

I can totally see Brent dancing along.

I'm also pretty certain that mommy could sneak away for some of this....

When Norwegian asked me to share about their program for kids, of course I was willing! I think all parents should know this is an option. A family friendly vacation that is SET UP for kids to have the BEST time possible :)

Click here to find out more about Norwegian's family vacation experience.

BlogHer and Norwegian Cruise Line is offering a voucher for a cruise for a family of four to one lucky reader. In the comments, tell me what you look for in your dream family vacation!

Rules:

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Entries from all participating blogs will be pooled for winner selection; only two entries per household.

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Be sure to visit Norwegian Cruise Line's brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Spring Pictures at School :)

2013-05-07T08:47:00.000-05:00

Knox & Sloane had their first "school pictures" last week at Mother's Day Out and I think they are pretty stinking cute.

Sloane is having an attachment to her lovey and paci, so while I got her to leave it at home, I had to compromise and let her take her doll. I love how she holds it in the picture, though. Knox did pretty good for being a little irritable with an ear infection.

Afterwards, we went to Cheesecake Factory, which was kind of a disaster. They were tired and squealing so we left after just a bit.

The restaurant wasn't open when we got there so we had to wait a bit before going in, that's why they are pulling on door ;)

I can't even believe they can do booster seats now. My salad was massive and we had TWO containers of it to take home, so Sloane was sure to ask for some.

Have a good day!

{The school pics are proof from Olmstead Photography, which I'm ordering them. They were wonderful to work with!}

Saving by Spending

2013-05-06T08:23:00.001-05:00

So, I've determined I'm not very good when it comes to clipping coupons. I've tried several times and I just can't get on a routine to do it. It feels like I just never take the time to sit and make it a priority. Of course every time I see someone checking out at the grocery store and saving a ton of money, I always feel quite regretful that I'm not doing the same.

Life is busy!

I need easy. I do like to save money, though. So, I need easy ways to save money that aren't time consuming. Even a little here and there helps!

Lately I've been finding other ways to save money. I've come to find that, for me, the easiest way is to save through spending. I know, that seems silly, right? I suppose it's a newer concept, but now companies are setting up ways to save money on other things through shopping.

So, unfortunately I don't have a bunch of great coupon sites at the moment, although maybe one day I will. I do like to share other ways, though!

I am doing things like reward cards and paying attention to online deals more, which I love to share :)

There are a few online only savings programs, but those typically just give you a certain percent off your online purchase and give you cash back into your Paypal account. While that seems awesome, and it is, the money you save often goes back into random purchases for things you might not necessarily need.

When we think about things we have to buy, that's where we would really like to get the most bang for our buck, agreed?

BlogHer reached out to me about the Fuel Rewards Network™ program, or FRN™ program, and it sparked my interest. Why? It's one of those where I can save and spend :) What really caught my eye is that it automatically tells me where my savings are going. What does everyone spend money on? GAS. My spending saves me money on fuel. The Fuel Rewards Network program helps people save money at participating Shell stations when they are spending money elsewhere.

Since launching in 2012, consumers have saved approximately $68 million in savings at Shell. That is a LOT. The average savings is $.31 per gallon (according to fuelrewards.com on 5/6/13). That adds up.

I knew it would be easy and free to sign up for the rewards, but I wanted to investigate whether or not I actually thought I would use it. I don't really need just any other card in my wallet.

So with the FRN program, they allow you to combine other rewards programs or cents per gallon programs. You don't have to change the things you are buying. There are participating grocery stores, dining places and over 700 online retailers in the FRN Online Mall. They even do affiliate with eCoupons. So, click coupons online and earn money off gas.

If I don't explain it all too well, I encourage you to watch this video.

I did sign up for the FRN program and I'll be curious to see how much savings I have over the next few months. I know that savings vary by market depending on participating businesses. If you are interested in saving on gas, and not just saving to spend, you should check out the Fuel Rewards Network program. You might have a ton of places you can save right in your area.

For a little recap...

Shop Online: Access nearly 700 brand name online merchants offering at least 5¢/gal for every $50 you spend. Some may offer 2x, 5x, 10x rewards or more to multiply your savings!

Dine Out: Link a payment card to the Dining program and earn 10¢/gal for every $50 you spend at 10,000+ participating restaurants nationwide.

Buy Groceries: Depending on your location, you can link to your local participating grocery store’s rewards card to your FRN Account and earn rewards on your grocery store purchases.

Get eCoupons: Select eCoupons at fuelrewards.com and earn Fuel Rewards® savings when the eCoupons items are subsequently purchased at participating grocery and drug stores.

Shop at Shell: Depending on your location, you can purchase specially marked products inside the convenience store as well as car washes or auto services at participating Shell stations to earn Fuel Rewards savings.

Happy shopping and saving...on gas!

And now for the giveaway...

How would you benefit from the Fuel Rewards Network program? Answer this question in the comments section below for a chance to win a $100 Shell Gift Card.

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

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This sweepstakes runs from 5/6/2013-6/2/2013.

Be sure to visit the Fuel Rewards Network program page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

In the end...

2013-05-04T14:01:00.002-05:00

only kindness matters :) ..... Jewel, anyone?

Last night I went to a Jewel concert. I really wasn't sure what to expect as it had been so long since I had heard much of her music. I'm pretty sure she became popular when I was in 8th grade. So, the songs made me think of that and the few years to follow. She played some newer stuff, too. Regardless, she really is a great singer and I think it's awesome she writes most of her songs.

Lifetime has a Johnny Cash/ June Carter movie coming out, Ring of Fire, and Jewel is playing June. June actually wrote Ring of Fire. Anyways, I'll definitely try to catch that on.

My phone didn't have space to record much, as usual, but I got a little bit. I went with my sister and law and one of our friends. We had a nice dinner on the top floor of the Hard Rock and a beautiful view.

Hope you all are having a good Saturday :)

Twin Treats

2013-05-03T08:28:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday!! :)

Some recent videos of Knox & Sloane. They are funny dumplings. I think the dancing one might be my fav :) I took it yesterday...excuse my slight singing. woof.

Sloane Talking

Golf

Knox loves music

Dancing

Kids' Bathroom Makeover!

2013-05-01T12:41:00.002-05:00

I had been thinking of fixing up Knox & Sloane's bathroom for a while now. It's been drab, boring and without color pretty much since we moved in. Since they are getting older and notice things, I decided it's probably time to make it appealing to their eyes :)

I've previously posted about paint and the HUGE difference I think it can make. When we moved into our house, it had all dark trim. While I think that look is great in some houses, it just didn't fit in ours or our preferences. We've slowly painted the trim and a good portion of the walls. We still have several rooms to go, but we've made good progress.

For their bathroom, I think something bright and colorful with a cute theme is in the works, but I'm having a hard time deciding either of those. I'm sometimes quite indecisive. Part of me is already trying to think about Knox & Sloane's big kid rooms, but I don't want to think about them being a "big kid," nor am I ready for them to leave their cribs or the room they share :( I know, it's all inevitable.

Here are a few before pictures of the room.

I'm very thankful that is has dual sinks. It's between two rooms, which will be their rooms. I also like that it has the toilet area closed off and the shower area closed off. The guy who built this house was smart when thinking of his kiddos' privacy.

The last room I blogged about making over was our bathroom. Here is the before and here is the after. It's hard for me to ever think a room is "done" because I am always fine with making changes if I find something I like.

With our master bathroom, I used the Sherwin-Williams color selection tool, Chip It!™. I thought it was so helpful in finding a color, and it turned out to be exactly what I had in mind.

I think with the kids' bathroom, I'm going to try ColorSnap®. This is an app I can have on my phone, so anytime I'm out and not around my computer, I can take a picture, and it can find a similar color for me!

From the website, here are some details on the ColorSnap app. I think having a library where I can save colors will be very helpful!

I'll do the after pictures once it's complete! Complete, but never done :)

How do you find color inspiration for your home projects? Tell us in the comments below, and you just might win a $100 Sherwin-Williams gift card from BlogHer!

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You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

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Midweek Randoms

2013-05-01T08:27:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone :)

Let's see, what's in my head this morning...

Happy MAY. Um, how did that happen? Wasn't it just Christmas?

Brent took Knox to Urgent Care last night and he has a bad ear infection :( Before dinner, he started getting so fussy, but he had been fine all day. I gave him some Tylenol because I know both babes are working on their molars. Then, we laid down to watch Barney. I could feel his little skin was warm so I checked and his temp was about 104, 103.6, 104. I knew it was about time for Brent to get home so he came and took him in. He didn't do well on antibiotics the last time he had an ear infection, so hopefully these won't mess with him.

After the doctor, they had to wait on his medicine to be called in and it was past dinner time, so Brent took him to Chickfila. They had dinner together and of course Brent sent me this awesome picture...

LOVE him.

Sloane and I played outside while they were gone..

Her little teethy smile melts my heart.

Thank you all for the feedback in the outdoor post yesterday. I got a few things ordered and I'm excited. They should arrive tomorrow! Thank you, Amazon, for super FAST shipping :)

We have a Derby Party this coming weekend and I haven't a clue what I'm going to wear! I suppose I should start thinking about that.

Some girlfriends and I going tickets to Jason Aldean in a few weeks. I love his songs and I'm super excited!

I've been having a few people email me and ask if they win a giveaway. I think I'll start posting winners again so everyone knows :)

Knox & Sloane have school pictures today and I have no idea what they are going to wear! I should probably figure that out before they wake up. They don't have school today, but thankfully they let you come up if it's not your day.

Does anyone have any safe, kind of natural, magic potion that will keep spiders away. I.HATE.THEM and they are starting to show their ugly faces. We've had a company that has been spraying every month for about a year, but honestly, I don't think they do too good of a job, or maybe there stuff isn't too good. I know it doesn't help that we live on a green belt.

When I look back at my post last week about cutting my hair, I feel like it's already gotten longer. When I look in the mirror, or see a new picture, it just looks longer. Hopefully I don't get addicting to cutting it, although I might want a little more out. I am thinking about getting a straightener put on it. We thinned it a lot when I got it cut, but it still is so puffy when it's short. I have curly hair so that's probably why.

Tara, from Jimmy Shoes & Tennis Shoes, asked me if I wanted to participate in spreading the word about her "celebrate baby" giveaway! I said of course :) She is so sweet and I've "known" her for a long time! I'm thrilled for her and her husband.

She teamed up with some wonderful boutiques and one winner will receive a total of $125 in gift cards to the following boutiques.

Savoir Faire - value $25

Hazels Haven-value $25

Impressions-value $25

Riffraff-value $25

Maude Boutique-value $25

A second winner will receive a dress and accessory styled by Tara! If you want to enter, you can do so through the Rafflecopter below.

Shannon // Tarin // Jade

Leslie // Aliya // Kristin

Morgan // Megan // Meghan

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Outdoor Fun

2013-04-30T13:01:00.003-05:00

It's time to pull out our water toys and all things for outside. We've actually had a consistent two days of warm, sunny weather. I do think we are about to get rain, but we are enjoying playing outside. While Knox & Sloane are napping, I decided I'd make a list and narrow it down as to some new things we can get them since they are actually playing outside this year and not just sitting in a pool :)

I have my eyes on these things right now....

picnic table/water playground/table & bench set/ flower hose attachment/ water & sand table/ covered pool/ bubble mower

Do you have anything you love that I should check out??