Table for MORE

The skinny on Pregnancy Weight....

2013-05-20T12:22:00.002-04:00

Well friends, this ain't my first rodeo at the wonderful world of pregnancy and since all my weight gains have been drastically different I would call myself somewhat of an expert on it.....

Let's look back at my weight journey....

Vincent's Pregnancy

I took the whole eating for two game SERIOUSLY. I think I may have actually ate for 3 or 4. I packed that weight on like it was going out of style. I look back at how freaking swollen I was those last few weeks and it pains me. I just ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Back then we weren't eating near as healthy so I ate a lot of carbs and grains and pretty much anything I craved that was unhealthy. Looking back I was a complete idiot. Not just for my own health but for the health of Vincent, he is totally fine, but still, a mother's eating habits trickle down to the baby and I was filling him with junk! Sorry bud! I gained a whopping 60-70 lbs with Vincent. I no joke weighed the same as my husband. I look back and cringe. (I literally die at this pic)

Luke's Pregnancy

I thought I had learned a thing or two from Vincent's but I still ate more than I should have. I was chasing Vincent around so I think I was a lot more active for Luke's pregnancy but I still ate a lot of carbs back then. When it was all said and done I think I gained about 50 with him.

Jude's Pregnancy

We had already made the switch to Paleo before I got pregnant with sweet Jude. Lucky him getting the best nourishment of them all (sorry Vincent and Luke, mommy and daddy were not as wise in the eating department back then!) I still didn't have a strict workout routine or anything crazy but I watched what I ate and I felt amazing the entire pregnancy. I gained 30-35 with him. It was so much easier to handle and not as horrific to stare at the aftermath of my body post delivery.

I was very comfortable in my skin with Jude's pregnancy. I felt wonderful

So ladies, I have played every game of pregnancy weight gain there is. This time around I am going to try again to stay near 30 lbs with healthy eating and all that jazz. The only problem is this baby is due after Thanksgiving and right before Christmas aka the best time for YUMMY food and desserts so I will have to watch myself extra close near the end.

The good news is that no matter what I gained it all came off my friends, I think that is mostly thanks to the wonderful world of breastfeeding. But seriously, it comes off. I am shocked that it came off after Vincent because like I said we ate horribly. (slams head into desk)

I read some great advice about the weight gain last night and a great rule to follow....

You are eating for 1.1, which means you only need 10% more of what you usually intake for your sweet like baby. When it's put like that it makes much more sense. So throw out the eating for two garbage of the past. You and your baby will be much happier if you do! Have an extra serving of fruit or veggies, or a handful of chips if you need to fulfill your salty craving. Crap have a cup of ice cream if you fancy. Because let's face it, you all know I have a tub of Half Baked Ben & Jerry's in the freezer for those ice cream craving moments!:)

Here are some great snack options:

(I need to eat every few hours or else I hit a wall)

Baby Carrots with yogurt or dip

Breakfast on the Go nut packs are my fave

Cup of your favorite fruit

String Cheese or cheese cubes

Smoothies- You can make a large on in the morning and split it up for the day.

Apple Sauce (so easy to make homemade too)

Your favorite chips/crackers (split into small serving bags so you don't over eat)

In the grand scheme of things the numbers did not matter because I ended up back where I started each time but for me I am a huge number person so I like to know what I need to lose at the end of the road. It helps me stay focused but at the same time I do not obsess if I accidentally go over by a few or 5 or 10! haha! Just stay healthy and happy, that is fully what matters.

But looking back the happiest I was, was when I gained the most healthy about with Jude. So here's to hoping I stick to the same route with baby #4!

What tips or tricks do you have???
PS any tips on arm toning while pregnant, I could use some toning badly :)

xoxo

Check In!

2013-05-17T14:10:00.001-04:00

I have been MIA like crazy around this blog but I swear once I get an ounce of energy back I will be doing house and baby #4 updates!! Things have been slightly nutzo with us lately clearly but we are managing.

Pregnancy- I literally feel like death. No puking (never have, thank God) but my body feels like sheer death. I feel like all my limbs are limp and my energy level is squat. I sleep 8-10 hours and feel like I did not even sleep. I am not sure if it's this pregnancy being different or just the sheer fact I am pregnant with 3 crazy hyper boys running around. Probably the later of the two! Next week we have our first appt and ultrasound so I am excited to finally FEEL more pregnant. Plus after miscarrying before Jude I am always a tad weary until I hear a heartbeat and see a wiggly gummy bear inside me. So prayers on Tuesday that all is well!:)

House Stuff- Our first bath remodel is complete and I am in love. I told you guys that our house only had 3 bedrooms when we moved in, well it originally HAD 4 but the previous owner made a giant master bath out of the 4th bedroom, making 3 FULL baths upstairs. TOTALLY not necessary. So we are taking out the giant master and moving to the boys old room which has a tiny bath but we gutted it and made it as masterly as we could with the space. We start of the main bath, which will be amazing and huge next week! Here are pics of the new small master bath. We will move our bedroom to the room hopefully this weekend. It's funny because one of the walls is RED per Vincent's request so now we will have to repaint at some point! Oh the joys! ;)

Our contractor made a cute cubby to give us a little more storage space...

The rain showerhead is the best thing ever. Plus since the shower is small having the water from above give you more space!

I am obsessed with the tile job. I love subway tile. Clean and classic look.

You cant see the lighting fixture but it's cute

The marble floor is my favorite. I had all intentions of going with just normal ceramic but the marble really gives the bath a cooler more vintage feel.

The vanity had gaps on both sides so he built it in a little but to give it a more completed look.

All in all I am VERY happy with the results.

I also planted some flowers to give our house a more welcoming feel.

I can't wait for the ones up above to start cascading down the balcony.

Mother's Day- We celebrated Mother's Day with a Coldstone cake (my favorite) and just hung out. It was perfect! Notice only one kid looking. Pretty classic ;)

Vacation- I will do a full post but Jordan and I got away 2 weeks ago for a quick trip to FL, it was a little reward from his company for him winning ~~HOTTEST~~ Sales Rep of the Year.

First thing we did was get 2 Pina Colada's (virgin for me)

We enjoyed dinner and some shopping alone in silence.

The resort was pretty fab!

Repping #4!;)

We did not just lounge at the beach because my husband is more adventerous and I got burnt the first day so we CANOED a river with some gators. Yeah, pretty mother freaking horrifying.

They were like 10 feet from us. We saw like 30. I don't like them. EEEEEEK!

I think that is all.

I have a whole TON of stuff to fill you guys in on in the coming weeks.

One being the hardest decision I have made as a mom thus far in regards to schooling.

I am still taking it all in on our decision and still uneasy about it but I will fill you all in.

Until next time!

xoxo

Help....Booster Seats?!

2013-05-10T13:43:00.004-04:00

As if owning 6 car seats is not enough we now need more!

(we have a set in each car lol)

We decided that we are just going to move Vincent into the booster seat next since he is 4.

Now, I need your help before we make the purchase.

FILL ME IN ON THE BEST BOOSTER SEATS!??!

I know everyone raves about Britax and they have an amazingly priced one.

But I kind of like the idea of still having the 5 harness? I just want extra protection!
Frankly thinking of my kids as old enough to just have the normal strap makes me sad.

We have had really great luck with Evenflo products so I kinda like this one!

But obviously I am just starting my search so fill me in!

I cannot believe we will have 8 car seats now. Holy moses.

This is sheer insanity.

Hopefully we can get some PINK in the mix this time around!!

(fat chance)

xoxo

Beans spilled....

2013-05-05T16:15:00.001-04:00

Being a sucky blogger can mean a few things.....

One of which is growing a human being inside your body and chasing 3 boys.

That is the one I am very guilty of.....

The only bikini pic where I will probably not look pregnant this year.

Now that the beans are spilled I can finally update you on all the freaking changes.

Obviously we were not "trying" but clearly we cannot keep our hands off eachother.

I wanted to wait til after Lasik and we found out 2 days AFTER Lasik.

Hence why I think my eyes are so slow to adjust fully.

There you have it all you who have been asking when baby #4 will come.

December 2013.

Holy Heavens.

(and yes, I am a tad nervous but excited)

This baby is sucking every ounce of energy from me so I will probably be missing from the blog until I regain some sense of strength.

Stuck in a Rut....

2013-04-25T15:27:00.001-04:00

I have some what been in a rut, not a bad rut just lots of thoughts going through my mind.

We have a lot of changes going on here which I will get to in other posts but just lots of thoughts on life and our future and our children's future.

All good things though, I promise!:)

Sometimes it is easy to get lost in the shuffle of all that is involved with being a wife and mother.

You get lost within your friends and family.

You just shuffled around and emotions get thrown around.

At some points it is just so hard to keep up with everything and everyone.

Being a mother is such a hard job.

Obviously it is rewarding but man it is rough.

You are molding the future, you have lives in your hands.

It is downright terrifying if you start to get ahead of yourself and think about the future.

Which is why I most of the times just choose to stay in the moment and not get too far ahead of myself about what is to come when the boys are teens and then God forbid, adults.

You look around at everyone else, other families, other children, other moms.

I used to have a hard time with comparing myself with others, when I only had Vincent I used to get intimidated by other moms who I thought were super moms.

With a few years under my belt in being a mom and wife my view has changed significantly.

No one can do it all.

If someone says they can, I honestly call their bluff.

I can do a decent amount most days but to say I fully have this mom thing under control would be BS.

If I am a rocking mom one day I can tell you that the house is probably a train wreck,

If my house is clean, I usually go to bed wondering if I spent enough quality time with the boys.

Thank God I have the world's most amazing husband who understands that I can not do it all perfect, all the time, he is just happy I am a trophy wife (with lots of sarcasm)

Each day brings new challenges, new experiences, some exciting, some terrifying.

I thought as the kids got older things would be easier, and yes in some aspects it is easier.

They can go to the bathroom on their own but they are now forming their own being.

Their attitude towards life and others is now forming.

They have opinions, they have more feelings than ever. They can relay their thoughts to you.

Throw any newborn my way, I can rock it out but man this toddler, almost school age stuff is tiring.

Not so much physically but emotionally.

I ask myself daily "Will this effect who they become?" ," Am I making the right choices?"

At the end of the day I just have to trust my gut as a mom and do the best that I can.

I just have to pray that everything will fall into place.

Sometimes, it just takes a few good quotes to put things into perspective.

I just have to be me, be the best mom and wife that I can and live the life at hand.

We are so extremely blessed and have our own special unique story that only God could have planned.

I need to stand tall and confident in the fact that I cannot do it all.

That at the end of the day, all that matters is that my family and I are happy.

They are hands down the most important thing and really all that matters when all is said and done.

Cannot wait to fill you in on all the changes and happenings in the household and our life.

Happy Thursday friends.

Vincent's Pirate Bash....

2013-04-23T13:54:00.001-04:00

I hope you enjoy pictures because you are going to get a full blast of Vincent's Party.

I literally started planning this a week prior. I hoped on Party City and ordered the supplies and stopped on over at Pinterest for pirate food ideas and BAM, the party was created in like 2 hours flat.

To help with prep I started cooking a few things on Thursday and Friday so I would not overload myself on Saturday morning, so I made the dip, the jello and the cupcakes ahead of time. So all that was left for Saturday morning (which I of course am nuts and also had a photo session that morning) but all I had left was picking up the chicken and assembling the fruit swords.

I loved the party, and Vincent was in HEAVEN.

We started the day with a treasure hunt, this was fully Jordan's idea and it was awesome.

We filled it with chocolate coins and m&ms! I got the chest at Hobby Lobby and painted it

I hid it in a tiny passage way we have in our house.

We then did what normal parents do. Dressed our kid as a pirate to complete his special day.

Got the costume for $10 at Party City! Best purchase ever.

Homeboy was in heaven!! We even talked like pirates for most of the day.

Now onto the details.....

The food consisted of:

Fruit swords aka fruit kabobs. Pirate Fingers aka Cocktail Weiners.

Ahoy Matey Salad. Just a normal salad. And Captain Jude's Jello found on pinterest.

I think they turned out really cute.

Golden Nuggets aka Chick Fil A nuggets.

Captain Luke's Deviled Eggs, my dad actually made these. SO CUTE.

Captain Vincent's Spicy Feta Dip and Sharks teeth. Spicy Feta recipe here.

Sharks teeth are just cut up cheese.

Pirate's Teeth and Pirate's Booty.

Pirate's Teeth is this amazing homemade caramel corn I made. Thank you Paula Dean!

Now onto the dessert table. We decided to try out an ice cream bar vs a cake.

Jordan constructed the table for me. Which was found on pinterest of course.

Scored these containers for toppings at the Dollar Tree.

Added cupcakes in case anyone wanted cake also.

I used the new cool whip frosting. HOLY HEAVEN IT IS AMAZING.

I grabbed Coldstone for the ice cream choices and got cake batter, chocolate and vanilla.

For drinks I just did Honest kids juice and then got Hansen's and Jones cane soda in cans for the adults.

Had to get Root Beer for people to make floats!:)

I only took a few pics during the party, was too busy visiting with friends and family.

And that is it.

Captain Vincent had a blast and it was easy as pie to create.

I got all the random pirate decor from Party City along with his costume.

They ship things literally the same day as you order so I always use them.

Hope you enjoyed a peek into the Pirate adventure!

xoxo

Tomorrow....FOUR.

2013-04-19T13:50:00.001-04:00

I am in shock that tomorrow Vincent turns 4.

This kid has been the world's biggest blessing, not to say that his brother's aren't equally as amazing though.

Vincent has literally been a dream from the beginning and the young man he is growing into just melts my soul every single day. Watching your children become little people is the most rewarding gift.

When we got pregnant with Vincent I had dreamed of a little boy with dark brown chocolate eyes.

I am not sure why but I love dark eyes, they speak to my soul and when Vincent popped out his eyes were dark as could be from day 1. When he looks at me, I melt. His eyes are beautiful, the are just one of the many things that I love about him.

Vincent is a giant old soul, he loves everyone and wants to do whatever he can for anyone. He helps his brothers with everyone and showers them with love. He totally mimicks me and I love it. You will find this little man rubbing his baby brothers back or holding Luke's hand to "protect" him. Obviously the boys fight like crazy lunatics at times but at the end of the day all they have is love.

I am so grateful to call Vincent mine. He is our first love.

I cannot believe you are growing so quickly my sweet babe.

Tomorrow we are having a Pirate Bash, because Vincent thinks he is a real pirate.

No joke. He is so funny.

Jordan is all about this party, which is funny because Jordan used to make fun of me for planning themed parties but now that Vincent is older Jordan is getting more into it.

When Vincent wakes up tomorrow he will be greeted by a treasure map and sent on a hunt for this.

Jordan was the one who thought of this whole idea, I just executed the details!

I will be sure to take lots of pictures of the party details because we actually put some planning into this party. That planning may or may not have just started last weekend but hey, we (pinterest) put a lot of thought into all the party stuff!

So Cheers to the weekend and my baby turning 4....sigh.

xoxo

iLasik, 6 days later.

2013-04-18T09:31:00.003-04:00

Well as you know I took the plunge and finally did Lasik.

I did the iLasik procedure, which is bladeless and all lasers.

I have been waiting 5 years since I have been pregnant and or nursing that entire time.

Kind of nuts right?

Well we finally had a window open of neither so we scheduled Lasik.

I was a trainwreck going into the surgery.

I seriously was so SCARED.

They give you a valium but it barely took effect before they walked me in.

They gave me a purple monkey to squeeze during the surgery.

Being the smart person I am you better believe I youtubed the surgery so I knew exactly what the doctor was doing at all times, not sure if that was wise haha!

Anyways let's just say I do not want to go through the surgery again.

It was one of those once in a lifetime is enough things.

It was just so weird, you have to keep your eyes perfectly still and it's so hard.

I was just saying hail mary's and telling myself "you have 3 kids stay strong for them" the entire time.

They did one eye at a time and the whole ordeal took about 20 minutes all together but at some points my eyes went completely black and then would slowly come in and out of being able to see.

It was really the weirdest thing ever.

When I got up I could see, but it was hazy, like when you open your eyes in a pool.

By the afternoon my eyesight had went from 20/250 to 20/30.

I tried my best to rest all weekend while I rocked these sweet goggles.

Smoking hot right?

Ps you cant wear make up for an entire week. Also really cool.

Well I just went along with our weekend as usual, with hazy eyesight and all.

Then this happened.

I bent down to pick up a toy in the kitchen and BAM.

Smacked my head right on the corner of a counter. I blame it on the goggles.

Literally worst pain ever!

So not only were my eyes hazy, I had a huge gash in my freaking forehead.

PS notice those red spots on my eyes. Yeah those are from the suction cups they used in surgery.

They are STILL on my eyes 6 days later. SO NOT COOL.

My head is getting better and I think we bandaged it so I wont have a scar.

My eyesight is still hazy. It's weird.

I can see better but it is not 20/20 by any means.

I am hoping that it clears up more here in the next few days.

I go in tomorrow for a one week post op visit so I am curious to see what they say.

I am just trying to pop the eye drops to keep them moisturized and happy.

Because in the middle of the night i wake up and feel like they are glued to my eyelids from being so dry.

So yes, Lasik has made my eyes better in a sense but still not perfect,

Really praying it clears up because I refuse to go through surgery again.

Anyone else have this problem with haziness?

Stella and Dot Giveaway ends 4/21....2 WINNERS!

Wordless Wednesday.....30 mins of peace ;)

2013-04-17T09:20:00.002-04:00

Stella and Dot Giveaway ends 4/21....2 WINNERS!

Bath Renovations.....oh my!

2013-04-16T09:51:00.004-04:00

We are in the midst of the master bath renovation at the moment but I am not really doing much on that because the new master bath is itty bitty (literally sink, toilet and tiny 3x3 shower) but we are making it as amazing as we can (marble floors, subway tile shower, rain shower from ceiling) I am going to do a video on our upstairs and explain why we are choosing to turn our 3 bedroom upstairs back into 4 bedrooms. The previous owner changed one of the bedrooms into a huge master bath which I cannot stand, it is ugly and over sized and we need bedrooms more than we need bathrooms. There is a tiny bath connected to the boys old room which will now become our master room and bathroom. It had to be completely gutted when we moved in because there was a roof leak. (funny because the renovation is currently haulted because the same leak spot that has been fixed 4 times keeps dripping in water, but thank God we found it before the walls went up) The other full bath on this floor will be my main go-to spot. It is going to be amazing and going to make up for any sadness of having a small master bath.

Here is the design board for that bad boy. I pee my pants in excitement.

This bath is my pride and joy because I will be making all the decisions (thanks Pinterest)

The main bath has already began to be gutted and is next on the construction guys list so both the master bath and main bath will be totally complete by this summer. Then we will move rooms and tear out the old master bath and take this house back to 4 bedrooms. I know this probably all makes zero sense but when you see the upstairs you would understand why.

Here is the main bath situation.

This where the old sweet yellow bath used to be, we are putting 2 pedestal sinks here now.

I love the arches on the ceilings.

The other side of the room is where the old vanity was and we are tearing out the closet behind the wall to make the bath bigger and putting the clawfoot tub on this side of the room.

Arch over the toilet area.

Another view of where the sink area will be.

Now switching modes....

Here is the master bath current situation...

See what I mean about itty bitty?

I will totally take a video this week and give you guys a tour of the upstairs of the house. I cannot wait for the master bath to be finished so my dream bath can come to life!

Eeeeeeeeek!

Did you enter the Stella and Dot Giveaway!?!??!

Stella and Dot GIVEAWAY...2 Winners!

2013-04-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

I am not a huge jewelry wearer but I love the Stella and Dot products.

They have something for everyone which I love.

Anyways, I want you all to meet Mindi Marshall.

She is the fabulous local Stella and Dot stylist.

Did you guys know that the average hostess earns $250 in free product credits

and 4 items at 50% off!

Umm sign me up for that!

You can contact Mindi for a show and even do one online through her!

She also has a new stylist sign up special offering new stylists $450 in free jewels for the $199 start up and launching their business with her as your coach!

Mindi told me that this month they have a featured bracelet, along with a few other items that benefit Autism Awareness, I am in love with the spirit bracelet.

As you all well know I am pushing for a personal friend of mine whose daughter Issy is autistic and in need of help. Issy is a child trapped inside her aggression like so many children and teens with autism. Awareness and help needs to be brought to this and I am so proud of Kelli, Issy's mom for fighting for her daughter and others.

(Follow Team Issy on FB and also @teamissy on Twitter)

Mindi was so touched by Kelli and Issy's story that she set up an online trunk show with all the proceeds going to Issy and her family for her treatment fees.

To shop that trunk show, click the image!

Now time for the giveaway....

I will pick two winners from random.org

1 will win the Spirit Bracelet

and

1 will win their choice of Pouf Bag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Table for More on Bloglovin

Good Luck guys!

The winner will be chosen 4/20 at midnight.

xoxo

Lasik. the day after.

2013-04-13T09:02:00.001-04:00

The good news is that I can indeed read that!

I will update a lot more on the whole thing later but I can see!:)

Yesterday morning before surgery my vision was 20/250 after my check up about 6 hours after the surgery my vision was 20/30. How insane is that.

The surgery was weird and I did a lot of praying on that table while laying perfectly still death gripping the purple monkey stuffed animal they gave me.

But today is feeling pretty good. Still a tad hazy but I can see!...

Full post on the whole surgery to come.

High five for better vision!

This is happening....

2013-04-11T19:34:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow morning it is happening.

LASIK surgery on the good ole eye balls.

My friends I will share with you just how bad my eyes are.

My contacts are -5.75, without glasses the world is a hot mess blur.

I do not know how I am going to act when I wake up and can SEE in the middle of the night.

Or what I will do when I do not have to fuss around with contact lenses daily.

I am nervous but very excited.

The new treatment involves no lens flap cutting, it is all laser.

Talk about a tiny relief.

It will take less than a minute for each eye.

Insanity.

Say a tiny prayer for me tomorrow.

The best part is that I have to keep my eyes closed ALL DAY after the surgery.

That is beyond amazing for a mom.

An entire day in bed. Even when I am sick this never happens.

So cheers to hopefully amazing eye sight tomorrow morning.

Peace out glasses and contacts.

House Hunters update...

2013-04-11T08:36:00.000-04:00

Ugh, I wish this update would indeed be telling you the date of our episode.

But sadly, it is not. And frankly that kills my horribly impatient soul.

Well I can tell you our episode is #7704
Our episode has been done and finished for a few months

By the program guide on HGTV in May they are on the 7500's

They do not go exactly in order and it skips from time to time but I am going to guess that we won't be on til June!:( It stinks because I am so eager to see ~~how bad~~ how we look!
I literally curse at the TV when they show re-runs because every night at 10 it is supposed to be a new episode! Gahh!!!

I wish we could view it before everyone in case I look like a total trainwreck, but rest assured when it airs I will be watching it for the first time with everyone else. Hopefully for my sake no one tunes in haha! I am a tad nervous because I follow House Hunters on facebook and the commenters rip people apart. It is pretty nasty. I should just steer clear of the internet when our episode airs because trust me I have no patience for snarky people.

That is why I pray to God that they show the REAL us but let's be serious we would not be on the show if we weren't a tad bit controversial or if we did not have differences, which we do and that is what makes us tick.

Okay let's face it, I just pray I look good, bahahahah, don't lie, you would all feel the same way. After kids you are insanely critical about how you look so I hope the outfits I wore don't make me look chubby or anything like that. Hopefully the camera stays on Jordan a lot, he's got a rocking body. Geesh maybe they should have just filmed him with his shirt off the entire episode.

That would be amazing.

Well that is all I have got for now. I may be wrong and it may be sooner but I have looked all the way through May and have not seen our episode. But they said HGTV can change at any minute which is why I am recording every night. Hopefully I will get the confirmation email with a date and a time, once I do I will share that with all of you!

In the meantime we are knee deep in renovations, 2 bathrooms at the moment. One is prepped to be gutted the other is half way through renovations. Trust me PLENTY of pics of that process will be on here!:)

xoxo

The few pictures from Jude's Birthday...

2013-04-10T13:30:00.000-04:00

Chalk this one up to a mom fail.

I took barely any pictures of Jude's birthday.

A far cry from the magic of Luke's first birthday

But, hello Luke's birthday is in the summer, we all know summer is easy and fun to throw parties, March is cold and bitter, sorry Jude!

Anyways I am still in shock that he is ONE....when people ask his age my gut wants to say "oh he is just 6 months" but he isn't, and that breaks my mommy heart. He is a big boy now and wants to be just like his brothers. Here are the few pics from his birthday. We have Vincent's birthday in a few weeks so I am swearing to get a family picture at his party!!

Why are you all staring and singing at me....

Being shy with his messy ice cream cake face!

The only mommy and Jude picture as of late. I really need some family pics done stat.

PS check that hair of his. He got a haircut last week haha

And that is it.

Told you I have NO pictures. Mom of the year over here.

Holla.

xoxo

Bloglovin LOVE time.

2013-04-09T19:08:00.000-04:00

I am so annoyed along with everyone else about google reader but thank God for Bloglovin.

I am still getting the hang of Bloglovin and trying to follow back everyone's blog but I am slow as molasses. Yes, slow poke ma-gee over here! Making switches like this annoy me. haha

The one upside is that bloglovin makes it so easy to follow blogs, MUCH freaking easier than google did. No signing in crap just click follow and it's donezo!

Anyways if you want to keep following my dear ole blog here is the link for my bloglovin.

I know a lot of you have already switched over and are already following me but this is for the rest of you people like me, who slack it up! :) Slackers unite!:)

xoxo

Why we skipped Milk....

2013-04-09T07:21:00.002-04:00

Now that we are on kid #3 a lot of the rules have changed.

I am not near as anal about the "rules" and guidelines to raising my kids.

You can tell that by the fact I have still yet to even take Jude to his 9 month appt (he is over a year old now) but he is happy and healthy, thriving like crazy so I just need to call and make the stinking appointment.

Anyways with Vincent (our first) he stopped breastfeeding when I got pregnant with Luke (our second) when he was about 9-10 months old. I was terrified to start him on cows milk so I went with the toddler formula, thinking that if I started him too soon on milk it would be bad? The guidelines the pediatrician gave us were the LAW back then. (I have soon learned otherwise)

Luke weaned from breastfeeding around 9-10 months as well and I just started him straight on cows milk with no problems. So I thought "what the heck??" why do they pound it into your head that they have to wait until 12 months? Then at Luke's 1 year appointment I asked the pediatrician about how many ounces Luke should be having and he said no more than 3 glasses a day. He said TOO MUCH milk will harm children. It will make them anemic? What the heck? I thought milk does a body good??

So what is a mom to think? Is milk even the best choice for kids? And beyond that, do they even need milk? Why the heck is this so confusing?

We have dug into organics and more natural foods for about the past 2 years and have found so much information out there. We knew organic was the best choice to stay away from chemicals and antibitoics in the cows. It's just like our milk. We are supposed to sustain from breastfeeding if we are on antibitiocs, so why is it okay for us to drink cow's milk when they are on antibitocs? To me, it's not. Which is why I opt for organic. Now take that one step further and I even push for grassfed milk. Same stance as grassfed meat. Cows are not meant to eat grain which is what most milk producing cows eat. So the milk is coming from sick cows, hence why they have to have antiboiotics so it's best to find grassfed milk (or pasture raised milk).

Trust me when I say this, 3 years ago if I read this blog post I would have possibly been annoyed. I never in a million years thought I would be the organic mom but after learning all the facts there is no other ways that I want to raise my kids.

Now back to why we skipped milk. Jude started weaning himself also around 9 months, I swear that is the lucky number in these boys. Well we decided since we ate such a well rounded diet that we would just skip milk. And we did just that. I would say he has had cows milk a handful of times and truthfully he does not even like it. So he just drinks water. For dinner he eats everything from veggies, to meat, to fruit. We eat grassfed meat which has high levels of naturally occurring Omega-3's. The kid loves food and is thriving beyond belief. He is chubby as can be and I know there is no problems.

One last thing on the milk movement that padded our decision is that cows milk is meant for cows. We obviously make human milk for our children so isn't it a little weird that we drink the milk of another mammal? I mean look at how BIG cows are, their mothers milk is packed full of nutrients for them to grow to full size, which their full size is a hell of a lot bigger than a human. Whatever the reasons are that is why we chose to skip the milk this time around.

What are your thoughts on milk?

Obviously this is not a debate it is why in our case we chose to skip milk after much research.

How many?.....this is hilarious!

2013-04-08T10:20:00.000-04:00

The most normal comment I get when I have all the boys with me is "wow, you have your hands full?" Yes, yes I do! haha! It's funny because I have started to hold back when I tell people our kids ages, mainly because of the blank look of horror I get every time I say "3, 2, 1" for their ages. The other day during a session my client asked and I said "I don't want to tell you because people think we are completely insane" so of course I told her and she laughed her butt off and said I was indeed insane!! hahaha!

How true is this diagram?? What do people most say to you about your # of kids???

Zoo Time...

2013-04-05T09:05:00.001-04:00

Finally it is warm enough to hit up the zoo.

We went a few weeks back for the Easter Egg hunt where they give the animals eggs filled with goodies, but it just equated to a hot mess at the zoo. They would have a set time to release the eggs to the animals. For example at 11 am they would do the tigers, well everyone and their mom went to watch that so no joke 100's of people crammed near the tigers to watch, I took one look at the mass chaos and said "NO THANKS!", we bolted to another area of the zoo where there was no one! I am not one for huge crowds especially with 3 little ones so we made the best of the sunny day at the zoo by trying to avoid the crazy crowds.

The upside of a trip to the zoo was we finally used our new kid carrier, The Deuter, and oh my gosh, it rocked. Jordan loved it because now he has both hands free. Next time instead of the wagon I am going to take the double stroller so I can strap the kids in hahaha!

The deuter seriously rocks. We had no idea they made men approved carriers until we were in England and saw a dad carrying his toddler boy, we may have somewhat chased him down to see what brand it was. Well when we got home from that trip we ordered one!

Vincent pulled Luke a lot that day....hence why I will take the double stroller so we can cover more ground and weave in and out of crowds quicker lol

Jude seriously loved the back pack,

he just chilled back there sucking his fingers in complete happiness.

It even has a kick stand haha so Jude can just chill in it! I mean come on you can't do that with a bjorn. I even tried the back pack out and it was a tad heavy but I could rock it if need be.

It ended up being a great visit to the zoo, the first of many for this year.

xoxo

Spicy Feta Dip...

2013-04-04T18:17:00.003-04:00

Geesh, I swear all I have been blogging about is FOOD! haha But it is one of my most favorite things ever so I don't mind blogging about it! The renovation process just started upstairs so our house is a tad of a hot mess, I am going to have to do a vlog on the upstairs because it is so HARD to explain but there is a LOT of work going on up there! Today I will be sharing an amazing recipe with all of you, that I know you will LOVE....a local resturaunt has this on it's menu and I could literally eat it by the gallon. It is that amazing, well this recipe is almost like theirs and easy to make if you don't live here!

You will need:

1 block feta (8oz)

1 package cream cheese (8oz)

Hot sauce (I usually just wing it and pour a few TBS at a time until its hot enough)

1 TBS minced garlic

First on medium heat melt the feta down, break it all up.

Then add the hot sauce and garlic, once it is melted add the cream cheese in, stir until it is completely mixed.

Then pour into a dish with your favorite dipping sides, I love red peppers and corn chips!

Sprinkle some ground pepper on for some extra spice!

You will LOVE this dip and it will most likely become your go-to party side!

xoxo

Door to Door Organics....

2013-04-02T22:02:00.002-04:00

A few years ago I read about Door to Door Organics but they did not deliver to our area. Last week a friend from our town posted about receiving a box from Door to Door Organics and I got so excited that they were indeed NOW delivering to our area! Score! She sent me a coupon to get 50% off my first box, double score! It was obviously fate, duh!

Anyways I was so amazed when I went to their site because not only do they have produce they carry pretty much everything my organic loving heart could ever want. I mean EVERYTHING. It is insane how MUCH they carry. The best part....I can sit in my pajamas and order from my couch! They deliver it to your house weekly or bi-weekly! No, my friends this is not a dream. This is amazing because we do not have a Whole Foods or Trader Joes so my grocery shopping is all done at Kroger in their organics section which you can imagine is not too great, don't get me wrong, it is getting better but my meals are at total liberty to what they have in stock.

Well today I got my first box.

I went with the large box because we eat so much fruits and veggies, the cool thing is that they send you a list of what will be in the box then you can exchange out items (5) for other things so I switched out a few weird ones like fennel for bananas and apples for the boys. I stuck with just the box and then also added eggs because they are local and $1 cheaper than at Kroger.

The produce was packed wonderfully. It was COLD and crisp and just perfect. Much better than the produce in stores. They even had an ice pack in a separate section with my eggs.

Here is a look at what we got.

All organic goodness.

We went through and tallied up what we thought it would cost buying it at the store and this way is more expensive but not by much maybe 7-10 bucks. BUT they had things that our Kroger would never carry, they delivered it to my door, they are LOCAL, and they support local farms and the organic movement. Its a win-win-win! We are going to do the every 2 week plan so I can mix in sales from Kroger on certain items, like last week they had organic strawberries for 2.99 where as Door to Doors are 6 bucks. So obviously you just have to be smart if you choose to go this way.

One bonus is that they sell fish. We have no access to good fish here really so next time I am getting salmon in our box as well. Obviously between this door service and our amazing freezer full or grassfed organic meat we are good to go.

The freezer is stocked because we just got our whole pig and half cow last week.

Yum. Yum.

I will do more posts on why we choose to eat the way we do. But it is mainly because we feel organic is the way to go. I cannot stand factory farms and huge manufacturers, I want to support local farmers who raise their animals and produce in the safest, clean way. I do not want my family growing on chemicals and junk.

Anyways, thumbs up from this mama on Door to Door Organics!

xoxo

Coconut Flour Pancakes- Paleo

2013-04-01T10:36:00.000-04:00

As you will may well know I am all about easy recipes, if it takes too long you won't see me making more than once or twice. It is a complete headache scrambling in the morning to get breakfast on the table for the boys, and Jude is not one to wait when he is hungry, hence why sometimes he will literally be at my legs whining while I am making the food (so much fun). These pancakes take little to no effort to make and the health benefits of them are amazing for your family.

You will need:

1/4 cup coconut flour

2 TBS coconut oil (or butter)

1-2 bananas

6 eggs

Optionals:

1-2 TBS Honey

2 TBS cocoa powder

1 TBS cinnamon

First I always make sure to click the griddle on high before I even mix the batter up so it's hot and ready to go.

Then I mix it all up in the mixer, the batter is somewhat chunky when all is said and done.

Pour onto the griddle and bake, once they start to bubble it means they are ready to flip.

Cook on both sides and then you are done!:)

Last week I actually used the cookie cutter and make them into planes and trains, the boys loved them. This was my second attempt with the cookie cutter shapes because the last time I honestly tried putting the cookie cutter on the griddle and pouring the batter into the cutter, let's just say it did not work. Thankfully my smart hubs said I should use the cookie cutter AFTER they were baked. One of those why didn't I think of that moments!:)

You can enjoy with your favorite syrup, local is the best, it's REAL. No high fructose corn syrup. Yuck.

I also like to cut up berries and bananas, it is seriously heaven.

Yum Yum in the tummy!:) ENJOY!

.xoxo.

Take Lessons...

2013-03-28T19:50:00.002-04:00

I must say that hands down one of the coolest things in my opinion is when someone can sing or play music. I just find that such a cool talent that can be used anywhere. Jordan can play the guitar and I will never forget when he played it for me the first time, he even sang.

Hello, melt my heart instantly.

I kind of wished that I would have learned more about music, but I ditched the flute a few weeks in back in 5th grade. I wish my parents would have encouraged me to branch out and try other things within the realm of music. I think that back then it was not easy to find lessons though, I mean it was either you learned at school or your parents taught you. Now there is an amazing site that you can find teachers and lessons in your area.

Insert the site to take the headache out of it all, Take Lessons.

It is so easy, anyone can do it! All you do is type in the type of lesson you are looking for and then your zip code and a whole list will come up then you can call and figure out which is the best fit for your child or teens needs. All of the instructors are screened so you will not have to worry. You can also read reviews on the teachers from actual students!

You can choose in-home lessons, in-studio or even online(via skype)

Right now they are offering 20% off their lesson packages if you use the code SPRINGMUSIC

You can book online or by calling 844-334-1831. This promo is only good March 29-April 1st.

Disclosure: I was selected by Mom Bloggers Club for this social media promotion with Take Lessons. All opinions are as always my own and honest.

New Table...New Hood....

2013-03-27T10:56:00.001-04:00

Here are a few of the new additions to the house, soon I will have a whole kitchen update because that room has been the biggest overhaul bc it was a train wreck when we moved in! We got all new appliances, painted the cabinets and walls and so much more. I just am not fully done with the room so I do not want to reveal it until it is more complete. Anyways here are a few newer additions....

Dining Room table....we had the same ole table since we were engaged, only fit 4-6 people obviously did not cut it but we wanted to wait until we bought a house before we bought our big people table....

The new room looked so awkward with the small table...

Welcome THE BEAST table. She is 9 feet long and GIANT! haha

I joke that it looks like the table from the last supper. The picture does not do it justice at all.

We used our old chairs from the other table and had the table and bench custom made.

The room is FAR from complete and I think I will be kicking that armoir out of the room. I cannot wait to get the wall stuff hung and the curtains up but for now I am loving our new table!

Next order of business was the NASTY white backsplash that was colored yellow from stains (yum) and the sweet old hood and the gap that was left because they had a freaking 60 inch range!

We bought a 36 inch range and still had a huge gap so my sexy husband built another cabinet and we had a huge butcher block fit for the caibnet.

(Vincent was helping the guys remove the hood)

Well here is the after picture.

It looks 1 million times better! We just painted the backsplash area for the time being because I am not exactly sure what I want for the kitchen yet. All I know is that I am obsessed with our stove and hood. Thermador is hands down the best appliances ever.

I am going to do an entire post on the 1-2 month process it took us to finally decide on what appliances to get, but man we made the right decision!

So there you have it, a few little house updates. I pinky swear more will come!:)

Here is a picture of daily life in our house.

Oh Jude!:)

((House Hunters update....our episode could air ANY TIME! We are hoping they inform us first but sometimes they do not get enough warning))

Happy Wednesday friends!

Brownies made from GOOD stuff.

2013-03-25T21:43:00.004-04:00

I did not want to say Paleo Brownies right off the bat and have you guys running for the hills.

I know sometimes when something is "paleo" some people may equate that to "tastes like butt"

It's actually the complete opposite, paleo is amazing, it is funny the stuff I cannot stand anymore that I used to love. I have found replacements for everything in my life!

Anyways I ran across these brownies last week and had to make them RIGHT THEN!

So I ran out to the store and stocked up on a few items I did not have on hand.

First off let's take a peek at the end result, the amazing chocolaty goodness.

No way those can be healthy, right!???

Well my dear friends they are and they are divine.

Here is what you will need.

You will die over HOW EASY and little you need.

4 eggs

1 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup pure honey

3 TBS coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla (i skipped bc I was out)

pinch of salt

I know, you are wondering....where is the flour?, what the heck is going on.

No flour here honey!

Melt the coconut oil and mix everything together, I did not even use my mixer, I just hand mixed it all, it was so easy. Pour it into a pan, I chose a 10 inch pie pan but a 9x9 or 8x8 would work!

((Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, mine was done quick so I would check it around 20 minutes!))

While its baking make the frosting, which is so freaking easy as well. The only downside is you have to let it chill for awhile before you whip it.

Here is what you need:

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla (which I skipped)

Melt the two over low heat in a saucepan.

Once melted place in a dish in the fridge for half hour, you could put it in the freezer to speed that crap up a little. After that whip it in your mixer on high until somewhat fluffy.

((it tastes like fudge, no joke!)

After its done baking let them cool, cut your brownies and place on a plate and frost them!

Jordan kept eating the ones I was taking pictures of haha!

THEY ARE AMAZING.

They are super rich flavored and over the top chocolaty!

Thank me later.

PS Who ever said paleo was boring? haha

PSS. I spruced up my baking nook in the kitchen. It used to just have a boring white backsplash that we cannot rip out because its attached to the stinking cabinets, well I fixed that with some contact paper the other night....I am obsessed with it!

(someone on instagram pointed out my wine rack is lacking haha, sadly true)