The Blonde Burnett

2016-10-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hi!!! Good News: I'm back!! Now you can follow me and my two beautiful sistas over at www.pollypointe.com !!! Make sure that you subscribe!!!!

Let the games begin

2015-11-15T17:05:00.001-08:00

No words. Just dust. So thankful we are not living in this house at the moment! But so excited to be there once it's cleaned up and pretty !

new houzz

2015-11-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

So, I thought now might be a good time to start up the blog since I have a lot of free time between the four kids, moving, a trip to Disney and remodeling the new house ;) Here's a place I can start to capture pictures and tidbits of the next chapter of our life. I always love following home transformations so I maybe some of you may like it too.

Even though we LOVE our current home, we started to think about moving because we really wanted more of a backyard for the kids and more importantly a culdesac. Our new home (which is just a few streets away from the old house) has both, but we decided to remodel it to make it more us. We were not looking specifically for a place to fix up but we really felt led to this home and see it as a great place for our family to grow into and stay for the long haul.

Here are a few pics of the before...

And I can't wait to show some after pics :)

We started to demo the floors today. We will replace with a 7.5 wide plank hardwood--I'm really excited to see it. Designing the kitchen is pretty much done, which was quite the process; but I think that once we add a window and install all new white cabinetry, countertops and moldings that it will look great and be bright and sunny! We also plan to paint the entire house, replace front door with double doors painted a shiny black, rip out a few walls to open things up, remodel the master bedroom bathroom and I could name a few other projects but I'll save them for another day.

so far

2014-01-05T17:14:00.000-08:00

A few things...

I am totally on track for cooking only ONE out of the seven aforementioned planned meals. What to do with the cauliflower that is going to probably go bad in a few days?? Make it into baby food and give it to poor Luke? Can babies eat cauliflower?? Dunno....

My two big boys missed a day of school last week not because they were sick, but because I FORGOT that they had school. What is the matter with me?!!!!! ACK!!!!!!!

Thinking back, I guess it's okay that they missed school because one of the poor kids has two ear infections...which I tried to remedy using a homemade concoction of garlic infused coconut oil (Alli I see you rolling your eyes this exact second!!) and it definitely did NOT work. I feel like a terrible mom because his ears are still causing him some wretched pain. After the poor guy continued to complain about pain (even though I had dropped garlic coconut oil down his ears for days on end, multiple times a day), I caved and he's on day three of antibiotics. I know, I know, lesson learned. My inner leanings toward being a medicine free healthy meal planning hippy mom can only take me so far. And poor Jack still smells like garlic.

Lastly, for no real reason, I started to drink a TON of lemon water. Maybe it is because I got fed up with being dehydrated and concluded it's because regular water has lost its luster. So I started to squeeze lemon juice into a pitcher of water and have been guzzling it. I haven't taken the time to look up the benefits of lemon water online but all I can say is that from experience, it is amazzzzing! I have been way less hungry, it cleared up a couple of zits I was starting to get, and I haven't needed any afternoon caffeine since I started to drink it. I would guess its all related because the lemon water is the only new thing I have done with my routine for a while now....

So that's what I've learned so far this year: I need to keep a calendar, and look at it every day. I should stop trying to subject my innocent children to crazy hippy oil infused healing techniques and I should keep drinking the lemon water (and of course not force it on my children) :)

Happy New Year!

2014-01-01T07:13:00.001-08:00

Hi again and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I think that the new coffee the hubs bought me (Mayorga) must have more caffeine than the usual Starbucks because A) here I sit with a meal plan made for this next week and B) I am actually typing a blog post.

Honestly I have been SO BAD at planning and cooking dinners for a very looooong stretch and that needs to stop. Right Now. So, I am going to try and post them here...for organizations sake and maybe the exercise will be helpful to you, reading this blog...(if you like healthy food)...

Tonight: traditional Hungarian new years dinner

Thursday: Balsamic Pot Roast with red potatoes and side salad

Friday: Cauliflower Cheese Sticks and organic hot dogs (no bun)

Saturday: Mahi Mahi Nuggets, sweet potato fries and side salad

Sunday: dinner at parents (no cooking necessary)!!

Monday: Breakfast for dinner (oatmeal/almond pancakes with bacon and fruit)

Tuesday: Salmon Burgers (gluten free buns if I can find) and quina salad with craisins
Wednesday: Crockpot Honey Chicken with brown rice and green beans

Prediction: I will in reality make one out of six of these and the rest of the nights we will eat breakfast and turkey sandwiches and maceroni and cheese...but maybe just maybe I will prove myself wrong in this new year!!

Blog update

2013-07-18T17:03:00.006-07:00

It's about time I update this blog of mine...as you can guess I have zero free time these days, but because I know family has thoroughly enjoyed updates on the kids, I am going to take the blog private and post pictures and family updates. If you want to get access, I think you can just request it and I'll add you. If I ever regain brain cells and post anything other than kid related stuff, I'll consider re-opening it but for now this is the plan. Wish me some sleep :)

winter recap

2013-03-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

So spring is almost here, right? Our snowstorm yesterday was a great finale to a wonderful winter as you will see below. Here's a peek of how I got through a cold winter with my one, two and three year old:

the moon bounce in our basement. here's a pic of it on its way down. i think chase is under that sombrero somewhere. best money i've spent in my LIFE!

trips to dulles town center to ride the choo choo, grab balloons from nordstrom and of course, eat chick-fil-a.

don't break the ice!

bath time probably every night to kill more indoor time... of course tilly here is trying to get out, as usual....wonder why???!!!!

YO GABBA GABBA. I think I've memorized every song to every single episode. And yes those are socks on his hands, standard uniform around here. as are the disappearing pants, neon headbands and mismatched socks.

Hockey in the driveway. Lili, not walking yet.

Tennis in the garage. Lili, not walking yet.

Baking soda/vinegar/food coloring fizz painting!! THE BEST (and only) craft I've ever done with the boys.

Homemade yo gabba gabba band. Tilly on the mic, chase on the guitar and jack conducting of course.

HIGHLIGHTS!!!! It's been 6 years since I've put some legit highlights and it is good to feel blonde again! Definitely a major bright spot of my winter.

Read three books at one time, no prob!

Yo Gabba Gabba. And puzzles. What would our life here be without puzzles? Well I'd be able to see my floor and tabletops again.

And more time in where else but our BASEMENT!! Couldn't have done winter without that magical place.

Don't know. But of course tilly is still on all fours.

Chapped lips and waiting for the doctor so we can hear baby brother's heartbeat.

palm beach beauty with my man...

Jack learning his letters thanks to who else?? Professor i-pad!!!

After dinner dance parties in their underwear of course

And finally some REAL winter fun at Grandude and Nina's farm!!!

Love my little rugrats and even though I am NOT a fan of cold weather, we had tons of fun this winter rompling around in our jibbies (pajamas) doing ridiculous things and taking some funny pics.

all warmed up....

2013-02-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

All warmed up, just in the nick of time. With the kids all sick for two weeks, going on three weeks and winter in full effect, Edward and I managed to escape to florida at the perfect moment. We planned a four day trip to southeast florida and before leaving the children, I can say that my heart was fully prepped to say goodbye for a few days and to miss them only a little bit ;) We had wonderful weather and a perfect time of sleeping, , lounging, walks on the beach and even a little window shopping. My bones are warmed up enough to pull me through the remainder or winter, so thank you to those who made our trip possible!!!! I've decided my next home decor purchase is going to be a huge potted palm tree; I need one in my life on a daily basis.

"candy" for the kids

2013-02-13T10:58:00.002-08:00

Nope, not valentines day candy. I've fooled my kids into thinking that candy is their daily regimen of vitamins. I am no health or nutrition expert but my brother has spent a lot of time researching supplements and holistic health, so I take his recommendations when it comes to what vitamins and supplements to give the kids.

I started my kids on their daily "candy" regimen about 1 year ago and this winter has convinced me that their "candy" is working!! This winter my toddlers have had lots of play dates, been dropped off at the gym's kids club and church nursery quite often, and sometimes even played on the nasty mall playground and they have not had a cold since September. Of course last week, a few days after I run out of their vitamins and am waiting for the next shipment to arrive, they all come down with a cold. Maybe the two events are connected, maybe they are not, but my husband and I both agree, let's make sure we don't run out of candy again.

Here's what I give them and I order them from Vitacost, which is the least expensive website I've found.

They have their probiotics before one or two meals every day. Probiotics fixed what I thought was their "gluten sensitivity" or toddler IBS. Probiotics give your gut a great dose of good bacteria which helps with digestion, fights against yeast production and therefore prevents bad bacteria growth and illness.

Here's where they get a great deal of "DHA," which promotes brain growth (important for little ones for obvious reasons)... from these fruity chewy balls of cod liver oil. They also give the kids naturally occurring vitamins A & D, which helps boost their immune systems.

This is their multivitamin "candy," they eat them after lunch. I've tried them and they are delicious!

This past flu season, in addition to the vitamin c they receive from their multivitamin, I've given them these vitamin c animal candies after dinner and they love them.

If you're inspired to order some supplements from from vitacost, let me know because every time you refer someone, both people get $10 off their order.

to my gurlz

2013-02-12T12:09:00.003-08:00

Feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends. God is good to give me just what I need and beyond. Thank you, gurrrllls, for doing all of the above and forcing me to take a moment and realize I've got my fourth little gift from God in my belly. I got really excited to meet my little future dirt hauler and booger picker today and I owe that to you all. Now that I am about to have a pregnancy hormone amplified teary moment I better stop writing but I just feel so blessed to have all of you friends and kiddos en mi vida. Even though life on this earth is not perfect, it sure is great when you're given exactly what you need.

1 Step Organic Whole Chicken

2013-02-11T11:18:00.003-08:00

My family is a family of eaters. I prefer eating organic meat and poultry but given how much our family eats (my toddlers eat as much if not more than I do on a daily basis), I buy non-organic everything else in order to save some dough. We get the majority of our groceries from Costco and go to Wegmans for the weekly round-up of fruits, veggies, milk and other random things. Thankfully Costco sells organic chicken (I am sure there's even better organic chicken out there from local farms but I don't think I'd be able to keep up with the ordering, picking up and probably smaller portions) ;)

I grab a few of Costco's whole chickens every time we go because there couldn't be an easier, more affordable way to have a bunch of chicken on hand for the meals we eat during the week. On Mondays usually I'll empty out the defrosted chicken's gizzards (I think that's what that bag inside of the chicken is called), rinse the chicken, plop it in my crock pot and turn it on low for 5-6 hours. That's literally all I do. MAYBE I'll sprinkle some seasonings on it and MAYBE I'll take the skin off beforehand if I don't plan to make chicken broth afterward. But usually, the chicken goes naked into my crock pot. I do this because I'll be adding it into fajitas or casseroles later on and just flavor it then, depending on the dish.

*If your crock pot doesn't have a wire rack like mine, on which the chicken rests (so that it doesn't cook in the bubbling chicken drippings, supposedly that's unsanitary), then you can crumple up 4 or 5 foil balls and rest the bird on the foil balls.

The chicken cooks on low for 5-7 hours, depending on the size of the bird or until the chicken doesn't look pink.

On a rimmed cutting board I separate the skin and bones from the meat and there you have it...a TON of chicken that feeds my family of five for two maybe three meals. If you want shredded chicken (if you plan to make chicken salad or a casserole), then put the chicken into your kitchen aid mixer and with the white mixer blade it's perfectly shredded in seconds.

Last week I used the chicken to make fajitas and chicken salad. Visit my pinterest board titled "chicken dinners" for more ideas on what to make with the chicken.

THEN, if you feel really motivated and want your house to smell like Boston Market for just one more day, instead of throwing away the chicken bones and drippings, make homemade chicken broth. I really recommend doing this if you have little ones during flu season. Homemade chicken broth really helps reduce inflammation if you have a cold or virus.

Put the bones back into the crock pot, add 1.5 quarts of filtered water and a splash of white vinegar (it helps extract all the minerals from the bones and put them into the stock) and turn your crock pot on low for 8 hours, or overnight. If you have leftover vegetable scraps like celery roots, carrot stems or onion scraps, throw them in there as well for added flavor and nutrition. Then, use a strainer to strain the liquid from everything else, distribute the liquid into freezable containers and make sure to cool the broth in the refrigerator before you try to skim off the fat that collects on top. You can keep the broth in the refrigerator for a few days or store it for longer in the freezer. It's great to have on hand for soup but I use it most often when I cook rice and quinoa.

I call this stuff "liquid gold" during flu season

right-side-out is over-rated

2013-02-06T12:28:00.001-08:00

I used to have myself pretty together back in the day. I got almost perfect grades, kept a detailed agenda and passed room inspection 100% of the time back in the all-girls boarding school. After college I was an executive assistant for an extremely busy boss and made a good living by organizing people, events and keeping myself and others straight!

Fast forward and I am now a busy mama, who does NOT have it together in those ways any more. The past few years I have tried to keep a calendar or to-do list or something and a month or so into it, I lose said calendar, or throw it away on accident because I am so disorganized! (yes, I know, keep my calendar on my phone! ...but you don't want to know my track record with phones either). I doubt that any of my mom friends now would ever believe that I used to be organized for a living, but that's okay. Like I said before, I'm content in this state of chaos and truthfully enjoy the freedom that this new, type B way of life brings me. I'm sure that one day when my kids aren't all so young and dependent that I'll have more brain cells to devote towards organization, but right now I'm giving it all I've got and what I've decided that is right-side-out is over-rated.

When it comes to laundry, I mean. The washer and dryer run daily here and the amount of clothes I pick up and throw into the washer will just continue to grow as the children multiply and the years pass. I am sure of that and have accepted it as a constant part of my routine. That said, I have racked my brain on how to spend the least amount of time on laundry as possible. Here's what this oh so organized mom does not do: I do not, when folding the laundry, turn every single article of textile right-side out. It totally cuts down on the folding time. I figure that when it comes time for the owner of the inside out piece of clothing to put it on, they can take one extra second that day to fix it, if they so choose :)

Also, I don't even fold my kids clothes!! I just throw them directly from the dryer into their plastic bins, which are stacked in the laundry room. They just wear casual stuff every day that doesn't really show wrinkles so I save myself time and skip the folding. They inevitably plow through their bins each morning anyway trying to find the perfect outfit, so everything ends up unfolded after all.

Moving the little tots' "dressers" to the main floor laundry room was the most helpful thing I've done as a susie homemaker. My little ones get dressed and undressed multiple times a day and since we spend all of our waking hours on the main level, this has made my life so much easier. The other main reason I decided to keep their clothes in the laundry room is because it means I will actually put away their clean laundry (unfolded and inside out of course). I had the hardest time putting away their clean laundry when their dressers were in their rooms because they of course are napping when I find the time to sort laundry. And of course I am not going to go in their rooms while they nap or am I ever able to remember to put away up there while they are awake. SO, bins in laundry room = problem solved.

One last time saver laundry tip: the kids' clean socks go in the drawer located under the washing machine, un-matched for the most part (I do match lili's socks) because the boys are old enough now to find two that match every morning.

And for the sake of my mom who may read this, I did not learn these tricks from her ;) She did a much better job ;)

my maternity wear trick

2013-01-31T11:37:00.001-08:00

My bump is getting bigger so I'm now able to enjoy the latest purchases I recently made from Old Navy. I don't like to spend a lot of money on maternity wear for obvious reasons and ideally I like to buy pieces that I can wear in that fourth trimester (you moms who have gained more than 20 pounds during pregnancy know what I'm talking about) too. So, Old Navy and H&M have been my go-to places when I need a maternity wardrobe refresher. For this pregnancy here's what I ordered and I've been really happy with all of it. The trick I've discovered in ordering pregnancy clothes is going to the "tall" category when picking tops. That way the shirts or cardigans are long enough to fit over a growing belly but don't have that "I'm from motherhood maternity store" look to them. So here's what I ordered, and only the jeans are "maternity."

I love these jeans--most of the maternity jeans I already have are bootcut or flare so I decided to add these into the mix this time around....

LOVE this top but I have it in their gray/charcoal color. It's so comfortable and looks nicer than it probably is. It comes in a ton of colors so I may snag it in a few more.

Another from their "tall" category...love it, it reminds me of something that you might find at lilly pulitzer or some preppy store like that.

Now I can wear a hip "chambray" shirt even while pregnant, just get it in tall (someone please let me know if chambray shirts are still cool? I knew they were a little while ago, but maybe I'm fooling myself wearing one now)?

Their "boyfriend" cardigan. Definitely long enough to cover the bootay if I'm wearing leggings, which is necessary these days and all days but especially now :)

Part of my "uniform," I got it in black of course.

I bought about four of these in solid colors to wear under cardigans, zip-ups and for when it warms up just by themselves. Definitely wish I would have discovered them for the other three pregnancies as they are really really long and light weight (again, buy them in "tall")

And the final two pieces of my serious every day uniform are the below two dry-fit tops from their Activewear section. Unfortunately I couldn't find them in "tall" but they still stretch over the bump because of the material. They are so comfortable and cute (I got both of them in gray, not pink) and perfect for a very casual mom on the go...me. Slap one of these on with some yoga pants and at least I look like I'm trying to have a fit and active pregnancy even if I don't make it to the gym that day :)

And this post would not be complete if I failed to mention these:

Anthropologie fleece-lined leggings for EIGHTEEN bucks! I have them in black and gray and they are so cozy, even after washing them a lot, they've maintained their cozy warm feel. Even though they are lined with fleece you wouldn't know it by looking at them because they don't look thicker than normal leggings.

mudroom makeover

2013-01-28T10:54:00.001-08:00

Our home has a small hallway with a built-in bench right off of the garage. I've had plans for a while (three years) to hang hooks, buy baskets, paint the bench, etc. but that's all they've been, plans. Until this weekend!! I'd finally had enough of storing coats on the counter and gloves on the floor and decided to hang some darn hooks. I couldn't find any pre-mounted board/hook sets that had 8 hooks on them and looked decent and durable, so I knew I needed to diy it. As much as I want to be a "diy"-er I can honestly say that most of the time, at least in this phase of life, I do not enjoy the process. Something as simple as mounting hooks on a wall turns into 4 home depot trips and lots of last minute head scratching, not to mention entire nap times taken up by projects when I'd rather be napping too. Anyway, after all that, I'm very happy with how it turned out and think it will make our home feel less cluttered. I took the kids out this morning and afterward, the boys hung up their own coats instead of throwing them on the floor. Glorious!!

this is where i put everything before.

here's our hallway/bench before this weekend

And here's the start of our "MUDROOM!"

I plan to add a mirror, some baskets and a fun runner/rug and call it a day.

hey mama whatchu makin for breakfast?

2013-01-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

Is the question I hear every morning from my hungry hippos and I usually give the same (in my opinion boring) answer "oatmeal!" Lucky for me, all the kids love mama's oatmeal and I feel good about giving it to them pretty much every day of the week. On weekends I'll branch out and make eggs, pancakes or waffles but the standard Mon-Fri procedure is oatmeal. Rather than making the instant oats, I take an extra 10-15 minutes on the stovetop and make the old fashioned slower cooking oats, which I've read are healthier for you, and I have a solid, easy to memorize recipe to share that will hopefully please your kiddos and/or yourself.

I pour about 1.25 cups of oats into a pot ( it feeds three toddlers and then most days I have a little leftover to put in smoothies). Then I add 1.25 cups water and 1.25 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (any milk will work though) with some cinnamon and sometimes a tablespoon or two of maple syrup.

Turn it on high and bring it all to a beautiful frothy boil.

Give it a good stir and turn heat to low. Let it simmer for about ten minutes or until it reaches almost the consistency that you want.

Then I let it sit for a couple minutes to cool off and absorb the last little bit of liquid and let the kids have at it. Sometimes I'll add in blueberries, bananas or raisins for a nice little topping. Healthy, inexpensive and relatively fast. Let's hope I can keep up with the oatmeal making in the future when we actually have to get some of the kids off to preschool in the morning, but for now I'll savor the lazy breakfasts and mornings we get to have...and I'll have you know all three of them are still in their jammies and it's almost 2pm. And so am I.

Strength

2013-01-21T13:09:00.004-08:00

Over the past 24 hours I've held intense conversation with two different women. The first woman I ran into was a freshman in my high school when I was a senior. We had not talked in over ten years and she was very curious to hear about my life and now children, husband, etc. She just graduated from business school, makes great money and spends her free time traveling with friends. I described to her my day-to-day routine and she was a little shocked to hear how repetitive and unglamorous it is. Of course I explained to her how cute and hilarious my kids are and how I love (almost) every second of being a stay-at-home mama, but still she just couldn't believe the around the clock work that small children require. She told me a few times that she loved the strength and confidence that she saw in me yesterday as well as twelve years ago. I think she was trying to attribute it to my birth month, or astrological sign, but I insisted that it is all from God, even back in high school. I am actually content with my station in life as a stay at home mom, who wears yoga pants pretty much every day and can't seem to find enough shower time to wash my hair more than twice a week (max) and I am still content?! Well thankfully I've known Him well for a long time and now receive my sense of identity/security from Him. Maybe I imparted a tiny bit of wisdom to a woman a few years younger than me, searching for her spot in the world, but mostly the encounter just made me so satisfied to know my maker and to know exactly who I am and be wonderfully okay with it.

Today I talked with a woman exactly my age who desperately needs strength from somewhere in order to leave the extremely controlling boyfriend with whom she lives. She thinks that if she finds another boyfriend than she will have the strength to leave. I encouraged her to stop telling herself that she doesn't have the strength to leave and to start telling herself that she was made for more. I encouraged her to seek her identity from somewhere other than a man and to take a break from having a boyfriend for a while, so she can prove to herself that she is strong. With tears in her eyes, she agreed.

I know that most of my friends who check this blog are in the same stage of life and frame of mind as me. But in case you aren't or in case you know of someone who is searching for security and strength, please encourage her to find it somewhere other than money or men. Mine has come from God for a long time and I imagine it will always come from Him, even though I tried hard during one period of my life to find security in beauty and being thin. Ugh. But that's for another blog posting day....

New Looks

2013-01-18T05:05:00.004-08:00

New look for the hizzy and new look for the blog! Pics of the house to come; painters are done, what a whirlwind it was with three little ones around here. Thank goodness for a basement and a tv in the master bedroom is all I have to say. Happy Friday!!!!!

Newborn Essentials

2013-01-17T11:52:00.002-08:00

Jackie baby, all 9 pounds 7 ounces of him

A handful of my friends are about to have their first baby. Some have asked me questions about what items are absolutely necessary to have for the first week or two, so I thought I'd do a blog post in case even more of you want some recommendations. I can make this list pretty minimal given that I've only really decorated one nursery for the three babies I've brought home, sorry Chase, Lili and tbd!!...With Jack I went all out and basically took a month off work before his arrival to "get things ready" for him. With the others, here's what I did:

Diapers: Pampers Brand, "Swaddlers." I buy one big box of size N (newborn). These are the best for leak protection, just make sure that you fasten the diaper snug!

Diapering Gear:
-If I'm having a boy I make sure to have Vaseline and soft gauze at home for when you have to tend to their circumcision.
-I love Costco's Kirkland baby wipes.
-And I make sure to have Desitin diaper rash cream ready to go.

Clothes:
-I like dressing newborns in the sleep "gowns." The ones that don't have buttons or zippers or legs/feet. They look like a dress with elastic at the bottom. **BEST TIP EVER: When dressing/undressing your baby, don't put shirts, onesies, gowns, etc. over the baby's head. Mine have always hated it and it's just hard to do with a "delicate newborn." Instead, start at their feet and go feet first through the neckline.**
-Socks because their feet get cold.
-Swaddling Blankets! I've probably tried them all, but I love the Woombie the best because it zippers closed! No crazy acrobatics necessary--husband & babysitter tested and approved :) I also love the Miracle Blanket and the velcrow tab ones, but nobody ever gets those as tight as mama. And you want to swaddle tight!!

Food:
-Have a few basic bottles ready (you won't need fancy Dr. Browns or Born Free bottles in the first few weeks) in case you need to give baby a bottle.
-Have a can of formula (I would recommend Earth's Best Organic) in case you need to give formula.

Breastfeeding:
-Two nursing SLEEP bras. Those are by far the most comfortable in the first week when your milk arrives and you're just lounging around the hospital and house anyway. You can go out to Target later and find some that are more attractive.
-Lotion (nursing lotion) but the hospital will usually give you a few small tubes to take home.
-Nursing clean-up wipes for yourself. Use them as often as you can manage to prevent infection!
-Nursing pads: I love the Johnson & Johnson brand but I think every mom has their favorite depending on a few different factors. The hospital sends you home with enough to get you through a few days though.
-Bibs to put under baby's chin for the milk that will be drip. Keep baby's neck rolls clean and crust free. Sounds gross but trust me, use a cloth or something. Feel free to sponge bathe his face and neck as often as you want so that milk doesn't stay trapped in the creases.
-Breastfriend Nursing Pillow. This is super helpful if you have a c-section and/or if you are an A or B cup before baby comes. It just helps lift them up which gives some relief to your arms and back.
-Itzbeen App on your iPhone to keep track of how often you nurse.

Baby Gear:
-Somewhere for baby to sleep other than the crib like a pack-n-play or bassinet (and bedding with a few extra crib sheets).
-Somewhere for the baby to lay/sit/sleep after nursing sessions. An infant chair like this: http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/babygear/products/46925
-Changing Pad, you don't really need to bother putting your nice new cover on it until you become a diapering pro, because it will just live in the washing machine the first few weeks. Instead, just snag all the baby hospital blankets (that you've paid for anyway) on your way out and use those as your "changing pad cover" in the beginning. Seriously, take everything in the room on your way out because when you look at your bill a month later, you realize that you've paid for it all anyway.
-The hospital gives you the blue snot-sucker bulb thing.
-The hospital gives you pacifiers. You can buy more on your first Target run (freedommmm)! if your baby (and you) are lucky enough to take one.
-Make sure you have fingernail clippers. Those suckers grow crazy fast and newborns can't find their hands to suck on with those mitten things on. Just take a deep breath and clip them or rip them (gently of course).
-Car seat and stroller. The car seat I've used with all my babies is the Graco Snugride. And I can't say enough amazing things about my beloved BOB stroller. Yes, it's heavy, but babies make you grow muscles :)

Bathing Gear:
-Infant tub with a reclining sling. Put it near (or in) a sink and use a washcloth and Burts Bees (my favorite) baby wash to sponge bathe the baby until the cord falls off. I always just keep a dry towel over the baby after I'm done washing one section so he doesn't freeze while I work on the rest of him. And when you're done, get the diaper back on FAST!
-I love Burt's Bees baby lotion. But like I said, first put the diaper on, then worry about lotion.
-Mustela's No-Rinse Cleaning Solution. This makes your baby smell like a baby for those visitors who arrive before you had time to bathe little junior. Pump this onto a washcloth or paper towel, wipe him down with it and he'll smell how he's "supposed" to smell :)

Usually my babies start having gas pain around 2 weeks. I make sure to have my stock of Mylicon drops ready for when that fun period starts. You can't overdose on Mylicon so grab a bunch of those too.

SO, if you don't take an entire month off of work before your first baby arrives, just make sure that you have what I talked about above and you'll be fine for a week or two (or longer). Experienced mamas, feel free to add or subtract things in the comments section! And here's a look at my first baby's nursery. Somehow Chase and Lili have grown into happy toddlers in spite of their un-finished (and un-started) baby rooms though :)

bedding for the boyz

2013-01-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

My boys share a room and both need bedding. Currently they still insist on using their collection of baby blankets to keep them warm at night, but according to Chase's recent middle of the night screams for more blankets, his teeny tiny knit ones aren't enough for him. Poor guy. Jack's temperature stays true to his Canadian blood, warm always, but Chase is a different story. This little big man needs some extra coverage. So the hunt is on for their "big boy" bedding. I randomly looked online at World Market today and may have found the winner . And it's on sale. Well that was easier than picking out paint. The Shanta quilt below reminds me of John Robshaw's textiles, which of course are probably 20 times the cost of what World Market would charge for their most expensive item.

Shanta Quilt: On sale for $39! Two please.

Now that I have their bedding I'm totally ready to put together the rest of their room...here's a peek of what I'm thinking for the room:

Jack & Chase's Eclectic Safari Little Man Cave

I've already got the rug, drapes, yellow campaign chest, beds and artwork. I may reupholster a wing back chair that I already have for their room and then of course, pick up the bedding from World Market. What do you all think?

The Perfect White

2013-01-14T13:33:00.001-08:00

Happy Monday! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Ours was fun, we had an evening with friends and their baby and then I enjoyed a nice Sunday afternoon with the neighborhood girls at a group baby shower. Four of us are due within a month or so of each other and we all live within a 1-block radius! Crazy! Like my one neighbor said at a Christmas party this year, "you come to Brambleton to breed." He couldn't be more accurate. Time with girlfriends is so special, and I love that I live in a community like ours, where neighbors actually get to know each other and do life together. In our neighborhood we celebrate summer with block parties, celebrate babies with showers, the holidays with some great parties, and girl time with wine and laughter. This community also seriously comes together to help those in need which is the icing on the cake. I've seen my neighbors donate clothes to a kid in school who has been seen in the same sweatshirt for weeks, raise money for all sorts of charities and events and give away all their nice baby gear to financially struggling moms. It's so encouraging to me to see how aware this community is of how blessed we are and how willing it is to generously bless others.

On another note, while the kiddos napped I literally watched paint dry. I would not wish the search for the perfect white paint on anyone, not even the nurse who presses on your stomach so hard twenty million times right after you give birth. Is that not the worst thing ever?!!!! I am dreading that come the arrival of baby boy.

I did not know what I was getting into when I said I was going white. Well, the painters come tomorrow morning, which means I've made my final picks. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace for the trim and Benjamin Moore Simply White for the walls.

Chantilly Lace is a pure, crisp white. I painted samples of each white in almost every room, and Chantilly Lace held bright, clean white everywhere.

Simply White is another pure white but just a tad softer, which I thought would look great on the walls. Even though it has a warmer feel to it than Chantilly Lace, it never looks yellow or tan.

Other whites I tried and my reviews: Keep in mind I tested these whites in mostly south-facing rooms that get a lot of natural light. Also, I have light warm wood floors and cabinets. With these factors combined, I knew he slightest hint of yellow or tan or pink that happened to be in these white paints would be noticed.

Benjamin Moore Decorator's White: I was so excited for this one. I thought that surely it would be the winner given that it's one of Pottery Barn's whites and highly recommended by many designers as a pure, cool white. But I saw pink!! It was my fastest "definite no."

Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee: I was so tempted to choose this for about a 12 hour period. It looked great in every room but once I compared it to Chantilly Lace and Simply White, it became clear that it's part of the off-white family (at least in my home), which is the exact color from which I want to escape!

Dunn Edwards Swiss Coffee: Pretty much the same feelings toward this color as the Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee, but it was overall just a tad "duller" than Ben Moore's version.

Benjamin Moore Super White: A very bright white as you the name lends you to believe, but in my home it looked too gray.

Benjamin Moore White Dove: Nice white, but again, I would probably place it in the off-white family. In my darker rooms, I saw the tan factor.

Benjamin Moore Cloud White: I understand why this is a very popular color for trim, if you want a solid, bright off-white trim. It looks the same in every room, but it's in the off-white family.

If I were willing to go off-white again for trim and walls, Cloud White trim with Swiss Coffee walls would be an amazing combination.

Stay tuned for pics of the fresh new vibe hopefully!!!!! If you're reading this, please reassure me that it will look great. I'm having a bit of anxiety over how it will turn out!!

Healthy Homemade Cherry Pie [lara bars]

2013-01-10T11:31:00.001-08:00

Today is the type of day where I feel SO blessed to be a stay at home mom. Ever since I became I mom, when the cold winter weather hits I kind of start to just hold my breath and brace myself until it's finished! I savor every day of good summer, spring and fall weather, but winter and I typically do not jive, except for today. I got outside and warmed my bones and it was wonnnnnderful. Apparently my 3-year old agrees; he repeated "Mom this is the best ever! Sunshine is awesome!" about twenty times. A boy after my own heart. *sidenote: have I really kept you locked up indoors for this long? I'm kind of embarrassed that you just said that so many times!!!*

Before we headed over to my parents' farm this morning to enjoy the sunshine and harass the chickens, we all ate a couple homemade LARA bars. Hands-down the kids' favorite "healthy" snack. Bars are great for everyone who is on-the-go...Edward loves them, Tia loves them, I love them, the kids love them. Since we eat so many of them I try and make sure that we eat healthy bars. In my opinion and from what I've heard, Lara Bars and Kind Bars are good options. Both are full of just fruits and nuts and things from nature rather than a long list of processed ingredients. Both bars are also really expensive, so I make my own Cherry Pie Lara Bars and they taste exactly the same as the real thing. Here's how to do it:

Ingredients:
1 cup almonds (preferably raw)
1/2 cup dried pitted dates
1/2 cup dried cherries

Chop almonds into little bits. I use my blendtec blender (similar to a vitamix or maybe a nina blender) and "pulse" until they are in tiny lara bar-sized pieces. If you don't have a high-powered blender you can use a food processor. After the almonds are finely chopped, I pour them into my kitchen aid mixer bowl.

I then process the dates and cherries into a sticky paste. I use the "pulse" function. This part takes a little more patience than the almonds because of the stick factor. Sometimes I need to use a spoon or a knife to help the process along because the cherries and dates get stuck.

Once the cherries and dates turn into a sticky paste, I add them to my kitchen aid mixer bowl and blend the mixture using............my kitchen aid mixer!

When everything forms one big glob, I shape the glob into a huge rectangle on my cutting board and roll it out flat with the rolling pin. This is the part where Jack and Chase love to help and sneak as much of it into their mouths as fast as possible, surprise surprise!

After the "big bar" is flat, I use a pizza cutter to cut it into smaller bars. Then I wrap them all in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Wa-la! :)

If you've never had a lara bar and you like cherry pie just not at breakfast and snack time, seriously you should make these.

Here's the recipe and process all in one section:

Homemade Cherry Pie Lara Bars

1 cup almonds (preferably raw)

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup dried pitted dates

optional ingredient: 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Adds a nice touch/element.

Chop almonds into teeny little bits using a high powered blender or food processor. Add almonds to a mixing bowl.

Pulse cherries and dates until they form a sticky paste. Spoon and scrape the paste into the same mixing bowl.

Either with your hands (a little wetted down is helpful) or the kitchen aid mixer white mixer attachment, mix the three ingredients until they form one large glob.

On a cutting board, shape the glob into a large rectangle and then roll it flat (to about 3/4 inch thickness). Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut it into individual bars. Some people like to make cherry pie balls so you could also roll the mixture into little cherry-pie energy balls, whatever suits your fancy!

Store in the refrigerator.

Surprise!!!!

2013-01-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

I do own clothes other than yoga pants and solid colored v-neck tees. SHOCKER!! I can't say I own that many since all I've really needed the past four years is my "get fat" wardrobe and my "get skinny" wardrobe! Having kids back to back hasn't really given me the time or energy to keep up with the trends so I've managed to acquire a few classic pieces when I do get the chance to head out shopping. One thing I love is my H&M white blazer. It's nice because I can wear it while pregnant even though it's not maternity. I also own a lot of black tops and gray tops. The one I have on tonight is long enough to cover the belly here (at five months preggo) even though it's not maternity either. Pants on the other hand must be maternity for me at this point. I'm a fan of the full panel, which I've got on here. I call these my "fat skinny jeans" since I can eat as much as I want when wearing them. Crucial for tonight's dinner out. And the boots are compliments of DSW clearance!!!

tarjay knows whats up

2013-01-08T11:02:00.001-08:00

I am a practical girl who generally doesn't like to spend a lot of cash on things that I can't take with me into eternity. I'm not someone who splurges on expensive jewelry, clothes or home decor (thankfully I also like the challenge of scoring good deals on things). I would rather spend money on experiences like a vacation or fancy date. That's why Target and I have become good friends since we moved into our home. I want to accessorize beautifully without spending a lot of money. The people in charge of Target's home decor section really took it up a notch a few years ago and haven't let me down since. Here's a little "look for less" post:

Some of Target's "Modern Cottage Home Decor" Collection:

And then head over to One Kings Lane today and you'll find items from Dana Gibson's line that look very similar but for a much higher price point. For example:

Originally $500, selling for $269 on OKL

Here are a few mirrors for $169, originally $300

If you go to Dana Gibson's own website you'll find even more expensive fancy things like trays and picture frames, some of which look identical to the things that Target carries in the Modern Cottage Collection. So, if you like the looks of these fun, bold accessories, run to either OKL or Target, but I choose Target today!!

white walls

2013-01-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm about to pull a re-do on my home decor. Or maybe based on the way that I make decor-related decisions, I should say that I'm about to start THINKING about pulling a re-do on my house. Don't hold your breath. I want to re-paint a large part of our home, specifically the rooms that are the "open" part of our open floor plan (everything minus my office and the dining room, which will stay my beloved BM Italiano Rose). The walls I want to paint are currently a variety of neutral tones that the previous owner picked. They have been fine for the past three years, but I really want to finish decorating our home which means painting, window treatments and artwork. Painting is the obvious first step to me, and I think I finally I know what I want. (everyone who has seen the dozens of paint samples on all of my walls recently must be happy to hear this) I've tried about 9 different "greige" samples and about 7 more light tan-ish samples but none of them fit the bill, especially up against my 8 year-old "bone white" trim and light brown wood floors. I want the spaces to feel bright, warm and relaxed but do not want even a speck of yellow on my walls, which rules out any sort of tan. And given the warmth of the floors and my own general color preference, I've ruled out the grey based tan option.

Left to Right and then Top to Bottom: BM Swiss Coffee, BM Muslin, Behr Crepe, Behr Calm Air, BM Barely Beige, Behr Biloxi, Behr Light Incense, BM Edgecomb Gray, BM Revere Pewter 50% Lighter, BM Edgcomb Gray 25% Lighter, BM Classic Gray 50% lighter, BM Revere Pewter 50% lighter, BM Revere Pewter, Behr Wheat Bread, BM Elephants Breath, BM Hazy Skies, McCormick Appollodorous. As you can see, a decision must be made!!!! Well now,

I want white walls. Not cream, not off-white.

WHITE.

Like I said, our floor plan is pretty open and the rooms where we spend the majority of our day in are sun-drenched with beautiful windows and high ceilings. I think white walls and trim will make the home feel relaxed, open & airy...

I'm a cali girl (or anywhere where I can find sunshine and warmth year round for that matter) at heart and I feel like airy white walls are just what this northern virginia lady needs in her life. Am I crazy?! Almost four kids under the age of four, three of whom are boys, a husband, sister and dog who also live here, and I want to paint the majority of my house white?! I think I am. But I do remember meeting Mr. Clean's magic eraser in college when I moved out of my junior year college apartment. I was shocked at how he made all of our white rental walls look just like new when the time came to move out and our landlord was just waiting to charge us for every scratch, pencil mark and fingerprint that he found in that place. BOOYA, thank you Mr. Clean. You just convinced me to get the entire house and trim repainted a glorious white.

Sneaking In The Greens

2013-01-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

I try to eat healthy most of the time. One method I've used for years (minus my first pregnancy where I gained an almost SIXTY POUNDS!!!, thank you Five Guys) is to eat generally healthy (whole foods, organic meat and poultry, lots of fruits and veggies) five to six days a week and then treat myself on the other days. This has worked well for me and I think it's sustainable, which is an important factor when it comes to healthy lifestyle choices. I used to be better at making salads for lunch and dinner, but that was before we had three little babes all in a row. The main way I (and my kids) eat our vegetables now is to sneak them into smoothies and other dishes.

Here's the green smoothie recipe I use most days that the whole family loves:

1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
3-4 Ice Cubes
1 Banana (preferably frozen, but most days not in this house)
1/2 Small Apple (if I have one, if not the smoothie still tastes great)
1/4 Cup Oatmeal (cooked or uncooked, I've tried both and either works to add thickness)
1 Tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
2 Handfulls of Spinach

I also threw in a bunch of spinach to Thursday night's gourmet dinner of hamburger helper (don't turn up your nose, Iowa Girl knows what she's doing!)...and nobody said a word about the wilted greens. Bowls were empty and of course, my boys including the husband, kept asking for more--and if we're keeping it real, my preggo self definitely ate a few huge bowls.