Mom Mart

Happy Birthday

2013-05-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

So… It’s my birthday! Another year older, another year wiser… well maybe not wiser. My pregnancy brain this year is crazy! I am lucky if I can remember my name some days. Regardless, I am fully embracing this birthday. I have decided to take a little look down memory lane at past birthdays. Here is a little throwback into my past for you. Me as a baby Me as a kid The 1st Pink Themed Birthday Party Me and my crazy big sister! Highschool Birthday Celebration! A pink birthday celebration for me, baby sister, and J.R.! Boy oh boy do my “looks” change over the...

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How to make Chicken Tetrazzini #Recipe

2013-05-21T13:12:00.001-05:00

My mother always made turkey tetrazzini after holidays as a way to use up the leftover turkey and provide an easy no fuss meal for the whole family that didn’t feel like leftovers. Over the years she has changed the recipe up a bit and made it with turkey for after the holidays and with chicken for nights that we want tetrazzini without having to cook a whole bird. This is a really simple meal that I have come to love making for my family. While this dish is a great post-holiday meal, it is also a great dinner for any night of the week. You can make it ahead and pop it in the oven to bake...

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Finding the right balance: Being a mom and being ME!

2013-05-20T10:46:00.000-05:00

Recently POPSUGAR asked me to check out a new Lifetime show entitled Pretty Wicked Moms, a new reality television show about a group of wealthy Atlanta moms and how they take on the challenges of motherhood and parenting. This got me thinking about my parenting style and how I find time for myself while raising a family. As a stay at home mother of two little boys with a third baby on the way it can be difficult to carve out ME time. My days pretty much revolve around my children and our various activities. It probably doesn’t help that we are a very active family that seems to...

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Homemade Gifts: How to make DIY personalized cups #CraftForKids

2013-05-17T14:24:00.000-05:00

I love giving gifts and I try to make personalized gifts whenever I can. I believe that a personalized gift shows that you put thought and effort into the gift and who doesn’t like to feel like someone cared enough about them to create something specifically for them? I decided to take on a little DIY personalized cup project and see where it took me. I made a number of these cups for a holiday gift. I created a little family fun night package that included these personalized cups with everyone’s name, DIY Coasters, DVD’s, Games, and Treats {cookies and truffles}. They were a big hit....

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Waddle Waddle #Pregnancy Week 34

2013-05-16T11:20:00.002-05:00

I waddle. I like to think that it is more of a sashay, as I do have quite the sense of humor about my pregnancies. But once the rose colored glasses come off I am forced to come to the realization that my walk is no sassy sashay, but a full blown waddle. How Far Along: 34 Weeks Pregnant {34 weeks 5 days} Due Date: June 22nd, 2013 Boy or girl: Girl! Bump Picture: I am HUGE! Baby Development: Baby Julia should now weigh about 4 3/4 pounds and be almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers are filling out, making her rounder and ready...

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How I spent my Mother’s Day

2013-05-15T08:12:00.000-05:00

I had the best Mother’s Day ever this year! In fact, it was more of a Mother’s Day Weekend. On Saturday we took the boys to Medieval Times in Shamburg IL and they had a blast. On Sunday we spent the morning at Brookfield Zoo, came home mid afternoon and took a nap, grilled out for dinner, and then hit up the Colonial Café for some ice cream. Thought and planning went into the weekend and I appreciate all of the effort! When someone PLANS something, it tells me that they care. My boys snuggled with me and gave me as many cuddles as I wanted. They held my hand and walked with me through the...

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Make a Cheesy Turkey Spinach Omelet! #Recipe

2013-05-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

Over the years my tastes have changed. Instead of ordering the country fried steak smothered in gravy that I used to get for breakfast when dining out, I now usually order an omelet of some kind. For a very long time I was afraid to make these in my kitchen… I have no idea why. I guess I thought that they were a lot more complicated than they were. Let me tell you, making an omelet is not difficult. In fact it is quite easy. I like to make one large omelet for my husband and I to split. Even my kiddos love to eat omelets! The best part about making your own omelets at home is the...

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Baby Trend Inertia Infant Car Seat

2013-05-14T10:48:00.000-05:00

Baby Trend has just launched their newest product – the Baby Trend Inertia Car Seat and they offered me a car seat to review! I could not have been more excited about this, as I am expecting baby number three this June. While I still have an infant car seat from my previous children, I also have a sister who is pregnant and without ANY baby gear. So my old infant car seat and travel system are being given to my little sister and I am having a blast playing with my new Inertia infant car seat. Before I get into it let me share some quick points with you: –Compatible with any baby...

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No Fuss Window Must: Window Sensory Bag #CraftForKids

2013-05-10T13:19:00.001-05:00

I am always looking for things that my toddler can do to entertain himself throughout the day. I am especially happy when I find something that can occupy both my 4 year old and my 2 year old for longer than 10 minutes. This week has been a bit rainy and I thought I would head over to my bag of tricks and try to come up with an indoor rainy day activity for my boys. We took a trip to our dollar store and picked up some beads, glow in the dark toys, and aloe for this little craft. Once home we got busy making our window sensory bag. The boys had fun dumping everything in the bag and...

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Slow moving #Pregnancy Week 33

2013-05-09T12:10:00.000-05:00

I take FOREVER to move from one place to the next. Yes, we have reached the stage where I am past waddling and have moved up to full fledge pokiness. Oh my goodness I am getting big. I have been asking my boys to “help” me up whenever I get up from the sitting position {which they love – my big strong boys both totally flex their muscles whenever they do this}. It takes me a lot longer to walk {I use the word walk with humor} from one place to the next. If it wasn’t so funny I would think it was sad. Thank goodness I can laugh at myself. How Far Along: 33 Weeks Pregnant {33 weeks 5...

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Sleepy Time

2013-05-08T07:16:00.000-05:00

I love it when the boys sleep. As a stay at home mother I look forward to nap time like no other. It is when there is peace a quiet in my home and maybe even a little relaxation. I love my boys and I adore interacting with them throughout the day. The fact that I look forward to nap time does not diminish my love for them. It just means that I am not completely crazy – I need some sanity time too. Sometimes I sneak in and check on them when they are napping and giggle at the funny positions they seem to get themselves into. They look so peaceful that you would not believe they were just...

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The Best Alfredo Recipe EVER!

2013-05-07T12:55:00.001-05:00

I have been playing around with my creamy Alfredo sauce recipe for what seems like forever. This has been a labor of love and one that has taken me quite a while. There has been a lot of tweaking and quite a few times there have been inedible meals… But I have finally perfected this recipe - at least I think it is perfect. One of the best parts of this recipe is the fact that the Alfredo sauce is creamy without being sticky and the recipe makes enough for a meal tonight and another meal later in the week. I cooked it with chicken for the first meal and then put the remaining sauce in a...

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Q-Tip Painting #CraftsForKids

2013-05-06T14:27:00.002-05:00

Looking for a new way to explore painting? How about using q-tips? We typically use paintbrushes and stamps and even our fingers to paint, but this was a first for q-tips and I have to say that it went much better than expected. It was less messy and made the materials last much longer than usual, as they were using a smaller instrument to distribute the paint. I originally thought that q-tip painting was going to be a terrible idea. I figured the kids would either try to eat the paint or stick the paint covered q-tips in their ears. Neither of those things happened –thank...

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Starting the countdown #Pregnancy Week 32

2013-05-02T11:18:00.000-05:00

Normally I don’t start to countdown to my due date until I am about a month away. But with my sister-in-law giving birth to her beautiful baby girl and most of my girl friends having babies I am more than ready to meet little miss Julia! I am 8 weeks away from my due date and although my home is not ready for the arrival of a new baby {AT ALL} I am very much looking forward to June arriving so that I can hold her in my arms and get baby snuggles. How Far Along: 32 Weeks Pregnant {32 weeks 5 days} Due Date: June 22nd, 2013 Boy or girl: Girl!...

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Boys will be boys

2013-05-01T15:27:00.001-05:00

My life is filled with constant “boy” things. Pirates, Knights, and Kings are big make believe games we play in our home. But when the weather cooperated and the sun is shining we head outside for some serious fun… I am talking digging for worms and sports. Although saying sports is exaggerating a bit. We really just like to take out all of the toys and my youngest likes to hoard them. It is comical. SO between playing hard until we drop, digging for worms, hoarding sports equipment, and running wild – we are so thankful that it is spring and the sun is shining here in...

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Black Bean Avocado Corn Salsa Recipe

2013-04-30T10:31:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo is this amazing {yes I said amazing- just try it and tell me you don’t want to eat it by the bowl full. I dare you!} This has become one of my favorite things to eat – as a snack… or a meal! I love it and the fact that it is really darn healthy for you only adds to its awesomeness. My aunt makes a black bean, corn, and avocado salsa that is out of this world. I swear that she has given me her recipe about a gazillion times and I keep misplacing it! Needless to say, I have been trying to re-create her masterpiece to the best of my ability without the actual...

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Complete Pregnancy Fitness Program {Lindsay Brin’s 4 DVD Workout Set} Review

2013-04-29T14:05:00.000-05:00

Something that I have come to enjoy over the years is having a fitness routine. I like to change it up and try new things constantly. But no matter what I am doing I AM doing something to stay active and healthy. I have to in order to keep up with my 4 year-old and my 2 year-old boys. Now that I have a third baby on the way, staying healthy and active is even more important. With all of my pregnancies I have suffered from morning sickness throughout my first trimester, making any form of exercise all but impossible until the morning sickness subsides. Then once the second trimester...

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Leaping Lizard Brew #CraftsForKids

2013-04-26T12:47:00.000-05:00

As a mother of two little boys I find myself constantly digging in the dirt for worms or pretending to be a pirate captain. These activities are all well and good, but can only be done so much before the entertainment factor in them wears thin. So I have been racking my brain trying to think of some fun alternative activities. While I was never great at the math part of most science experiments, I always enjoyed the wow factor science experiments brought to the table. So while the Chicagoland area has been bombarded with rain I have been working on remembering all the experiments I enjoyed...

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Prepping for baby! #Pregnancy Week 31

2013-04-25T10:00:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week I shared with you that I have been on a mad cleaning and organizing spree. I have gone through all of the clothing I have for Julia, washed it and organized it according to size. I have taken the crib out of Steven’s room and it is patiently waiting to be put together in Julia’s room {this has to wait until we finish the basement as we may need Julia’s room as a guest room again in the meantime}. I have started to look at fabric for the nursery bedding – as I think I want to make something myself. I even have a new car seat for Julia that I have been playing with for the...

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Organizing Baby Girls Closet

2013-04-24T07:32:00.000-05:00

It is no secret that I love to organize and put order to chaos. Right now my home is a little chaotic as we work towards finishing our basement, moving Steven into a big boy bed {I ordered his bed in February and still have NO idea when I can expect it to arrive – but that is another post all together}, and transition the guest room into the nursery. It is a process and one that requires certain elements of one to be completed before we can work towards the others. So while I patiently waiting for the bed to come and the basement to be completed I am also waiting to put together my...

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Rock Bottom inspired Cajun Fish Tacos Recipe

2013-04-23T13:26:00.001-05:00

In case you missed it, I love fish tacos. This was not always the case and in fact it took me quite a while to warm up to the idea of even trying a fish taco. For some reason fish tacos has been a major craving of mine throughout this pregnancy and I cannot get enough of them. I had a mom’s night out with a friend of mine at Rock Bottom and had a chance to try their Cajun Fish Tacos… They were really good. They were spicy, but not too spicy. They had a crisp clean flavor that I knew if I put my mind to I could recreate at home. Needless to say that I got busy in my kitchen trying out...

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DIY Custom Coasters

2013-04-19T14:56:00.000-05:00

I enjoy getting my craftiness on. I especially enjoy getting crafty and creative with gifts {when time, energy, and income permit}. As the weather starts to warm up, and I truly believe that one of these days it will warm up and stay warm for a while, I start to notice the use of coasters becomes more common. I use coasters most often when the weather is warm and I don’t want my glass to sweat and ruin my table. I am longing for the truly warm weather so that I can make a batch of ice tea to take out back while the kids run circles around me. So in the hopes that by making these coasters...

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10 More Weeks! #Pregnancy Week 30

2013-04-18T11:29:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe that I am so close to the end! I have 10 more weeks to go and am in full on nesting mode. I have gone through all of my baby clothing and pulled out what I can use for a little girl, those few gender neutral outfits that I had. I have gone through my hand me downs from friends and family and am feeling much more prepared. Next up is laundering and organizing everything in the nursery closet {I am really looking forward to this}. How Far Along: 30 Weeks Pregnant {30 weeks 5 days} Due Date: June 22nd, 2013 Boy or girl: Girl!...

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Hello Spring

2013-04-17T12:42:00.004-05:00

While it has been raining nonstop today, I have been thankful that it is rain and not snow. In Illinois you never know what kind of weather to expect and I am quite pleased that it is starting to feel like spring. After a winter of surgery, ear infections, colds, and morning sickness – I am very much ready to embrace spring weather and outdoor play. Yes my boys are still wearing coats and hats, but they are not in snow pants and mittens. I will take what I can get and be thankful. My favorite part of springtime is my ability to get outdoors and embrace Mother Nature. More so now...

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Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

2013-04-16T14:32:00.000-05:00

Once again I am back on a vegetable kick and am looking for new ways to bring these healthy sides into my home and onto my table. This dish in particular has been very perplexing for me and has taken quite a few rewrites and alterations to bring it up to snuff. Thanks to many tweaks and substitutions I have come up with a cheesy mashed cauliflower recipe that is simply scrumptious. What you need: 1 small head of cauliflower {chopped up into small pieces}. 4 tbsp cream cheese 1/4 cup milk {I use 2%) 1/4 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Pepper 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 tbsp Parmesan...

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