The Patriotic Peacock

BIG NEWS!!!

2013-01-14T20:09:00.000-05:00

Part of me is a little sad to be leaving this actual blog home but a much larger part of me is SUPER DUPER ECSTATIC to be moving my blog to a new site!!!

I think blogger is an awesome blog platform, but I have made the personal decision to move over to a new platform. I will be leaving this blog up and running so you can check out all the past posts whenever you'd like but all new blog posting from here on will be posted on www.ThePatrioticPeacock.com.

Sooo, please please pretty pretty please follow me over???!!!

I'm on my knees....begging :)
Okay, maybe I'm not actually on my knees, but I am begging.

I have everything set up so you can subscribe in google reader, by email, or pretty much any other way you'd like!

Thanks for all your loyal support. I have truly enjoyed getting to know each of you and can't wait to see you over at my new site. I'm taking it up a few notches and I have TONS of great posts lined up!!!

See ya over there!!!!!!

Is it really over?

2012-12-28T08:25:00.001-05:00

I can't believe Christmas Day has come and gone. Can you?
We traveled to Virginia last week and we are still here, braving this cold weather that we aren't used to and spending time with our family. It's actually been nice to be here, unplugged from regular life for a while. I always seem to think more clearly when I am out of my regular routine. I guess not having to look at piles of laundry, dirty dishes, and wonder what in the world I'm gonna stir together for dinner can be good for a Mama every now and then. I am certainly enjoying myself and my Mama's oh so delicious cereal cookies (actually, I'm eating one right now with my coffee...it may have butter and sugar in it but it also has cereal and that's enough for me to eat them for breakfast. Muahahaha) and my mother in law and nanny made the best poke cakes. I mean, come on people! I was doing so good with eating better and *almost* fitting into a pair of my pre preggo jeans! My self control at holidays is non-existent. I think it's warranted though, agreed?
So onto the sweet stuff about Christmas. Santa was so good to my babies this year, and even left them a note of which Caleb thought was completely and utterly magical. He also opened up lots of car toys, ABC matching game, puzzles, superhero clothes, and the big shabang (that was 100% his daddy's idea) an iPad with a super shnazzy cover that could withstand a nuclear attack. Baby sister loaded up on lots of teething toys, wooden baubles, sofie the giraffe, chew beads, and some baby dolls. Daddy got a shirt, movies, and a huge book on Thomas Jefferson from Baine's books in historic Appomattox that I picked up on the way to visit my grandparents (pop quiz: why is Appomattox historic??).

I totally loaded up. We weren't suppose to buy each other gifts this year since we bought an iPad. I now know NEVER to believe my husband when he says that. He LIES!!! He bought me some completely amazing riding boots. The REAL thing. Leather, zipper on the back and rubber soles. Absolutely beautiful. I also got some new perfume, Estée Lauder lip gloss and lipstick, and an enamel cast iron pot like The Pioneer Woman's!!! For the first time in like ever, I am excited about cooking something in it!!!

We all spent and got way too much but we really enjoyed each other. We also tried to keep Jesus as the center of our Christmas. I had a talk with Caleb about how Christmas was really all about Jesus's birthday. He agreed that we should make him a birthday cake and the he said, "let's take the cake outside and throw it in the air so Jesus can eat it!!!"

He cracks me up.

I hope your Christmas was a blessed one, filled with lots of laughs and good times with people you love.
Here is to a new year!!! Do you have any resolutions???

December 17

2012-12-18T11:41:00.003-05:00

Every December 17th is my husband's birthday.

Yesterday, he had the day off of work!

It was the first birthday in a few years that he had an entire day devoted to him.

We started off the morning just lounging around.

Then, he headed off to play racquetball with a friend. This is his new hobby that he is a little obsessed with. But I don't mind! It's a good workout and he really enjoys it. He won't let us come and watch though. No worries, I'll be sneaking in the viewing room soon, with both kids so we can watch him do his thing, shhhhh ;)

While Seth was off playing racquetball, we snuck off to go get him his favorite birthday treat, a cookie (or 2) from The Great American Cookie Company. Even though they were a little rude and they stuck our iced cookies in a little BAG to get all smooshed, they still tasted great!

We then took Seth out for a late lunch/early dinner at our favorite Mexican place, then headed over to Barnes+Noble where we sat around letting the kids play and Seth got to look through his business magazines. I had an armful of crafting/home decor/fashion magazines and he had an armful of business mags. He and I are so different it's not even funny!

THEN, we came home, sung Happy Birthday with candles in the cookies, and let him open his gifts: a Liberty University tshirt and a gift card to Dick's so he can go get some new running shorts. Then we spent the rest of the evening watching football and snacking on a meat and cheese tray, pizza rolls, and homemade chocolate toffee cookies.

While we were eating cookies, Caleb told us, "This is a really good birthday!"

hahahahaha :)

We love that old Sethy Poo.

He's a reallllllly good husband, daddy, leader, and friend.

So blessed to call him ours and start a new year of adventures together!

lighting a candle

2012-12-15T16:11:00.003-05:00

In memory of the lives lost.
Praying for each one and their families left trying to make sense of the pain.
Only God can understand their hurt.

A day we will never forget.

12.14.12

Source: stinemos.blogspot.com via Myra on Pinterest

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

First Class at Coach price

2012-12-14T10:59:00.001-05:00

The weather is chilly here and I'm so excited to pull out my wintery clothes yall!!!

If your wardrobe is lacking this year, I've put together a few different fashion boards to get ya fashion brain a reelin'.

I also love finding great clothes for great prices, not really sure of anyone who doesn't.

Everything shown is under $50.

Proof that you don't have to spend hundreds to look super cute.

Favorite fun sweater pick for me would have to be the yellow giraffe. It's so unique and looks way too comfy!

Favorite coat. I love the first one on the top row (grey) for dressy style and the green one directly underneath for an everyday.

See those cowboy boots, top row, second from the left? Yep, I'm gonna need those.

Who doesn't love stripes?!
MY absolute fav from this line up is the first one on the top row. The aqua and gold mix is a great color combo!

On a sidenote, did I tell you about the time I tried to dye my hair a little darker and it came out almost black? Yes, that would be me right now.
Don't let the picture fool you, it's much darker than this appears!
No worries, it's semi-permanent.....hopefully.

For more info on each item, you can visit my boards on Polyvore.
Happy Wintery Friday my friends!!!

P.S. This is not a sponsored post. Purely my own fashion favs!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disney World Day 3- Hollywood Studios

2012-12-13T11:26:00.002-05:00

Day 3 and we were all getting a little tired.

Can you tell???

hahaha!

We headed over to Disney Hollywood studios and went straight to the Indiana Jones show.

I remember this show from when I went to Disney in THIRD GRADE!!!

It was still just as impressive, maybe more!

Then we booked it to Hollywood & Vine to have lunch with Disney Jr. friends!

Caleb had a BLAST dancing with all the kids!

And he loved the characters.

Slow mo dancing

Oso!!!

This was definitely a lunch we all enjoyed! Highly recommend this for kids who watch Disney Jr.

Later on that night, we went and watched, "Wreck It Ralph" at the eat in theatre at Downtown Disney.

SUCH a cute movie!

We made it to the Disney Jr. LIVE show. A must see for Caleb's age kids.

They dropped Golden Blooms from the ceiling! If you watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm pretty sure I still have a golden bloom or two hanging out in my pocket book! Haha :)

Even Little Miss Lorelei enjoyed the show.

We ran into Tow Mater too!

Caleb chose to wait in line to see Phineas and Ferb...two of his all time favorite characters!

It was a VERY fun day!

We saw a parade that was fantastic and ended the night watching Fantasmic.

Caleb was very afraid of indoor rides but loved the Fantasmic show, which is a laser lights, fireworks, and water show depiction of Mickey's nightmare.

A FANTASTIC show and in my book a definite must see, but a little scary for young kids.

Although I will say that Caleb wasn't scared at all, but I was...he is one confusing kid!

bows and harem

2012-12-12T17:23:00.002-05:00

I'm just on a big ol' sewing kick.

At Christmas time when I have a zillion other things to do.

Like wrapping presents and mailing our Christmas cards out!

I took a break from sewing for so long, and now I can't get enough. Nothing complex, just little projects here and there. Anything that takes longer than an hour is not my kind of sewing!

The weather down here in Bammy has finally turned Christmasy, thank the goodness. However, I found myself not prepared with girly girl accessories to keep my little lady warm!

A problem that can quickly be solved with some cute fabric and a plain beanie hat.

Put the two together and whaddayagot?

Bibbety, bobbety....bow beanie!

I have been seeing all these uber cute harem style baby pants and I just love them! So, I made Lorelei a pair out of some vintage fabric my Nanny had given me a couple of years ago. They are so soft and stretchy and the pattern fits her great!

They look a little odd off of her, but are adorable on.

I'm just so excited about this cold weather!

Makes me never want to take my pajamas off.

I want to sit around, watching Christmas movies and drinking mint hot chocolate all day ;)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

these two. these days.

2012-12-11T17:25:00.000-05:00

Have I ever said how much I love these two?

They consume my days, my evenings, my early mornings, and sometimes my middle of the nights.

Just when you think you love them more than you ever could, they go and start playing together, laughing together, talking jibber jabber back and forth, and I sit there watching with my heart in a puddle...a puddle I tell you!

I love how they care for each other right now. Lorelei's face lights up when she sees Caleb. He can get her to laugh harder than anyone can, and Caleb just thinks she is the best thing ever. In fact, he loves her so much that he has already started asking for more just like her.

His words were something to the effect of,

"We can have lots and lots and lots of babies and they will grow and grow and grow!"

I know in his mind he has figured out that the more babies, the more friends he will have.

That kid is a nut.

Ahhh, I love these two! We have all had our bad days and our crazy days but we have finally seemed to have gotten used to each other, and I must say, it's a fun ride.

My sweets.

Silhouette's

2012-12-10T18:01:00.003-05:00

Last week, I had an idea to make Caleb and Lorelei some fun pillows for their rooms and I wanted to make them personal, but wasn't sure what I wanted to do.

That's when I came across one of my favorite blogs and she had a picture of her bathroom on a blog post. Her bathroom was filled with tons of framed silhouette's and I LOVED it!

Soooo, I decided to try my hand at silhouette pillow cases and they turned out better than I thought they would and they look even better in real life!

Now I am afraid I am moving from the mustache and chevron obsession to the silhouette obsession! I. am. in. love with them. My mind is racing thinking of everything I could paint, sew, draw....

I posted these picture's on facebook and I had a couple of people ask if they were for sale, so, I listed them on my Etsy shop today!

And now, I am going to eat shrimp cocktail. That's what happens when you are in Target, hungry, and you walk by the shrimp aisle...I went in to exchange Caleb's shoes and I came out with pajama pants and shrimp cocktail. I'm a typical Target shopper.

Click here for purchasing details.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

11 Christmas Gift's for Everyone on Your List

2012-12-08T19:14:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to put together a few of my favorite things for a while now and I finally found some time to share some of my very favorite gift ideas for just about everyone on your list!

1. Bow Scarf from GertieBaxter on Etsy. I've seen several of these floating around on the internet but I just love this one! She offers several colors. Doesn't it look warm and cozy? It's $38.50 and perfect for the trendster on your list!

2. Stripe-tastic Tea Set from Aedriel Originals.

I just love Aedriel and her designs. We have gotten to know each other a little bit via Instagram and she's such a sweet person, not to mention talented! I love all of her designs but this tea set is perfect for anyone on you list and at $18.99, you won't break the bank!

3. Home State T-Shirts from Homeland Tees on Etsy for $21.95.

What is there not to like about this? Pick the state you call home, and choose your size. Perfect for guy's or gal's. Of course, I'd have to pick the Virginia one! Love!!!

4. Hobo Eat Kit from Cool Material Shop. How awesome is this all in one tool? Great guy gift!

$27.95 and ready to ship

5. Sealed Ring from Amy Cornwell. This is such a classic gift. I love the personalization, makes it even more fun to gift. I see this as a great Mom, Mother-in-law, sister, or best friend gift. Who wouldn't love this beauty?

$40.00

6. Beard and Mustache hats from Little Bird Lucy. I came across this cute beard hat, then as I was looking through the pictures, I realized this is the shop Caleb modeled for 2 years ago! How cute?!

$32.99

7. Chewbeads. The ingenius necklace for Mama's and babies! Trendy style necklaces and bracelets for Mama that are safe for babies to chew on. Lorelei may or may not be getting one from Santa! :)))

$30ish

8. Organic Pumpkin Cinnamon Dog Treats from Alices Dog Treats for the pup in your life! At $4 a bag, your pup will love you even more :)

9. Honey Gift basket infused with Lavender, Rosemary, and Chocolate Mint from Horton's Farm. My grandparents would love this! $20 for three 6oz jars.

10. Crabtree and Evelyn's Gardener's Hand Care set. $22 and perfect for anyone with....hands!!!

11. Woodland Friends Finger Puppet Set from Rain Drop Stops. Fun gift for all kids, even the grown up ones. Hey, I'd totally play with this! I'm sure it doesn't get cuter either.

$32 for a set of four.

Also has a nativity set that I am in love with! That would make for a great before Christmas gift :)

Share with us YOUR favorite gifts to give and receive!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disney Day 2- Epcot!

2012-12-05T08:55:00.001-05:00

Day 2- Epcot!

Seth spotted the character sighting area as soon as we walked in and there was NO line!

Best place to meet characters, ever!

Some people think you have to meet them in Magic Kingdom, but the other parks usually have less of a line since people aren't expecting to see all the characters there :)

Tip: Meet characters in Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom instead of Magic Kingdom (unless of course, you get lucky and find a no-liner!)

Caleb had been asking us since we pulled into the Disney gates about seeing Mickey.

This was his dream come true.

Lorelei loved Mickey too. Actually, I think she loved Mickey's nose that looked like a great chew toy.

Sooo sweet! They had an instant bond :)

Pluto!!!

I love Minnie's pose here. She kissed Caleb's cheek right after this and he turned the color of red in her dress. It was hilarious.

Nemo ride!

Little train village display. You's think this wouldn't be a highlight with all the other neat things, but Caleb stood there and watched the train and looked at the village for a very long time. It's not always the big things! Glad we took a few minutes to stop. It was a nice break for all of us.

And by break, I mean this was Lorelei, trying to give all the other babies this intimidating face. She's saying, "This is how I roll. Don't mess with me or I will bop you with this paci."

Mickey called. He wanted his hands back.

Seth's face here cracks me up. Let's be honest. We had a magical time, but parts of Disney, when you have two little kids, crowds of people, and little sleep, are not very magical. I love that I caught Seth in a non-magical moment...hahaha!

Mickey hands are what he wanted more than anything else in the store. He also used them to wave at EVERYONE! Pretty sure they thought he worked there.

Put your hands up! Put your hands up!

Look at Lorelei thinking, "What. are. you. doing?"

Best meal ever!!! The revolving restaurant at Epcot's Garden Grill in Future Land.

When you make your resort reservations, go ahead and ask to be transferred to the dining reservation line and make your character dining plans as soon as you can.

They fill up quickly and if you wait too long, you will be stuck with no character options or really odd times. For example, we made these reservations 3 months in advance and the only time slot for dinner was 4pm, but we made it work!

Be flexible!!!

We met farmer Mickey.

Chip and Dale...

Caleb couldn't even eat. He was too excited about the characters walking around and which one was coming to our table next. It was a blast.

This is his super excited face...

This is his super excited moves...

Pluto!

Awe- Pluto was a cuddle bug!

Mickey came TWICE! He really liked the Mickey hands.

After Epcot, we ran back to the room to take a breather, then headed out to Magic Kingdom for the special Christmas parade, lights, and fireworks at the castle.

Lorelei was OUT! My Moby was perfect for this trip.

It was a GREAT day!

We got stuck at Magic Kingdom after the fireworks. The amount of people is ridiculous.

My suggestion is to stay put after the fireworks for about 30-45 minutes until the crowds die down and then you won't have to wait forever to catch the monorail.

OR better yet, stay at one of the resorts with a direct monorail from Magic Kingdom...their line was non-existent. We were so jealous.

It was a FUN day!

-------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. I am having a giveaway on my facebook page!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bibs and Play

2012-12-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

Each week I have a new idea in my head of something I want to try.

This past week, Lorelei's drooling was a little absurd. She is cutting teeth and it's a kinda crazy the amount of drool that involves.

I was tired of putting old boy bibs from her brother's stash on her, so I made a couple of my own.

Sometimes I make things and I realize how bad of an idea it is. These bibs were actually fun!

Then, I had a good laugh later in the week when Lorelei bamboozled Caleb's Candyland game.

She stole a game piece and then tried to "run".

The more Caleb reached for the game piece, the more she held her hand out away from him.

We all ended up laughing!

Not too long and they'll be playing the game together...but for right now, it looks like Caleb has a little bandit on his hands :)

I've been enjoying some homemade caramel macchiato's this week too!

I use strong coffeee, cream (steamed or heated on the stove), caramel sauce, and whipped cream.

It's soooo good!

I've been trying to make more of an effort to spend some quality time with Caleb when Lorelei is napping.

His behavior usually reflects the amount of attention he gets during the day, and honestly, some days I am overwhelmed and I just don't take the time to spend with him that I should.

I grabbed some random supplies out of the cabinet and we made this little guy!

Unusual, but creative ;)

And drum roll please........

the best mommy fail of the week:

Christmas Zombie cookies!!!!

This is what happens when I forget sprinkles and icing.

They were still good, and yet again, we win the award for most original!

Things get scary when you forget sprinkles ;)

Bahahaha!

Now, if you'll excuse me...I should probably go get out of my pajamas and brush my teeth since it's almost lunch time!

Monday's are slow moving over here, and that's ok with us ;)

My Dad

2012-11-30T13:20:00.001-05:00

Did I ever show you all this picture of my dad?

He's a handsome ol' feller.

This is his before and after pictures from Rodan+Fields Reverse Regimen.

Seriously unreal results.

I took these pictures at the same time of day with the same camera.

Does he not look 10 years younger?

Our Reverse regimen is a great for sun damage, melasma, hyperpigmentation, dull skin, and fine lines and wrinkles.

All our products come with a 60 day money back guarantee.

Sign up as a preferred customer today and I will send you a $25 gift card as my way of saying thanks! (Just email me saying you saw the special on my blog).

We also have great Christmas gifts and regimens for every type of skin issue.

This business has been great for our family.

People love the products because they work.

If you are interested in additional income, email for details about this great business.

Dr. Rodan+Fields are the genius doctors who created Proactiv and their new line of skincare is spreading like crazy! Today is a great day to join us!

Business aside...

How are you all doing?

I don't know about you but I am SOOO ready for the weekend!

My hunny bun and I are going on a DATE!

So, I am off to fold laundry and try and be somewhat productive ;-)

I promise I will be posting about the rest of our Disney trip soon!

Have a fabulous weekend!!!

life is good

2012-11-26T18:21:00.002-05:00

Amen? Amen.

DIY Mickey Ears + Day 1 Disney World- The Magic Kingdom!

2012-11-19T14:26:00.000-05:00

The day before we left for Disney, we made Mickey and Minnie ears.

Mind you that Caleb had NO idea why we were making them, but he loved them just the same and actually wore them the rest of the day!

You'll need:

-2 black head bands

-2-3 pieces of black felt

-1 piece of red felt

-1 piece of white felt

-hot glue gun and sticks

-Something round (roll of tape, drinking glass,etc.)

Fold a piece of the black felt in half and cut a circle, but don't cut the circle completely. Let a fold over section to wrap around the headband as pictured below:

Do this 4 times.

Using LOTS of hot glue, glue the ears around the head band and then together. The more glue you use, the sturdier the ears!

I mean, seriously...look at these two!

Thennnnn came THE DAY!

Seth had to work until noon, so we had the car packed and ready to go.

Caleb had no idea we were headed to Disney and Seth and I were about to explode from not being able to tell him. It was way worth it though!

His reaction was priceless. It was dark when we pulled into our resort. We told him right as we were stopping at the gate. The security guard was SO nice to him! He was definitely in shock right after we told him. He was kind of numb and speechless. Then, it hit him when we walked into the resort and everything was so big and grand. He went crazy!

This is THE WORST picture ever of his face. I was running video, trying to take a picture of him, and tell him what was going on at the same time...plus I realized afterwards that my camera was on the wayyyy wrong setting. But, this is his speechless picture!

Checking in!

Port Orleans, Riverside Resort...we loved it! But next time, we are splurging to stay at one of the resorts that has a direct monorail line to it. Getting in and out of Magic Kingdom was a nightmare, and we went during off season!

First day outfits:

My friend Holly made these...soooo cute!

Everyone's first moment in Magic Kingdom! They all look very confused....haha!

The amazing moment when you get your first glimpse of Cinderella's castle! PLUS they had already decorated for Christmas!!!

We caught a show right when we walked in.

Caleb's FAVORITE ride! It's a new, mini roller coaster in Magic Kingdom called, The Barnstormer.

I was thinking he wouldn't like it, but he insisted on riding it.

When they got off, I asked how it went...thinking I would get bad news.

Instead, Seth said that Caleb rode the entire ride with his hands in the air, screaming!

He LOVED it!!!

Pooh Bear honey pots!

We used a fast pass for this ride....sooo totally worth it!

Fast passes are free, you are just limited as to how many you can get.

Luckily, the lines weren't very long since we were there during off-season, so we never ran into any issues with our fast passes overlapping.

Getting ready to get on the Pooh ride!

Here's how Lorelei and I rolled....I love Moby wraps!!!

Wheeeee! Lorelei looks a little terrified/confused.

Caleb learned very quickly that he was NOT a fan of the indoor rides!

We scheduled our days after this to revolve around shows, outdoor rides, and fireworks!

The Buzz Lightyear ride was the final straw for Caleb...he was so scared in this one!!! But, it was very neat.

First parade!

Caleb was waving at everyone and LOVING it!

Captain Hook came over and shook Caleb's hand. I thought he would be terrified, but he was in awe. Now he loves Captain Hook.

Borrowing my shades because we left his in the room.

Tips from day 1: -Download the Disney app on your phone and check out which rides have long and short wait times.

If there is one with a long wait that you really want to go on, go grab a fast pass.

-Go to Disney during off-season. It was BUSY while we were there so I can not imagine what holidays and summertime would be like. You really wouldn't be able to get too much packed into your days. We missed a lot, and we didn't even have to wait in line very long!

-If you can plan and save, stay in a resort with a direct monorail line to it. Especially if you have young kids and you are wanting to do Magic Kingdom more than one day!

-Get the hopper pass. With little kids, it was so much easier to park hop and not feel pressured to fit everything in in one day.

-Schedule your day around the parades, shows, and fireworks. EVERYONE will love them! They were worth the whole trip for us!

-Bring sunglasses, sunscreen, and jackets (if you are going during fall or winter months.)

-Ask the photographers to use your camera to take pictures! They try to push you to use their photopass, but they will also use your camera to take a picture too. We have many great shots from their photographers using our camera. Just make sure your camera has a strap!

20 One-Handed Snack Ideas for Breastfeeding Mama's

2012-11-14T13:04:00.004-05:00

Breastfeeding is one of my favorite parts of having a little baby.

There is just nothing quite like the bond that Mama and baby get from breastfeeding. Some people don't enjoy it, or are afraid to even try. If I could give one piece of advice to any new mother contemplating breastfeeding it would be, TRY IT! So many people don't even give it a chance.

It could be a wonderful experience for the both of you. It's even more convenient than a bottle because, 1. You don't have to get up and make a bottle in the middle of the night and stay awake until baby is done eating. All you have to do is pick baby up out of the baby and side nurse. Then you can actually sleep while baby eats, baby falls back asleep and when you wake up, you can put your baby back in their crib.

2. It's the perfect source of nutrition for them. Mixed and heated to the perfect temperature by GOD...om, who wouldn't want God to make their food???

3. It's healthy for both Mama and baby. Did you know that breastfeeding Mother's have less chance of developing breast cancer? Not to mention, it will help you burn those baby weight calories more quickly!

It has so many other positive attributes.

Breastfeeding helps prevent SIDS in infants, helps in preventing childhood leukemia and other cancers, helps in preventing ear infection and colds, children are less likely to having learning and behavior issues, it's easy to digest, helps prevent constipation, helps with skin issues, is great for brain growth and development, it helps the mom to loose weight faster, baby and mama can get more sleep because baby is able to latch on while mama lays on her side in bed (this has been a dream come true for us!), it's a FREE, God given gift, and the list could go on and on and on!!!

I know I repeated myself, but I just can't say enough how great breastfeeding is if you are willing to give it a fair chance.

If you do choose to breastfeed, you will find yourself in a chair often, realizing you are hungry too. Only problem is that, you only have one hand available.

But since breastfeeding only requires the use of one hand, you can feed yourself while you feed baby, but you are somewhat limited in that you have to find foods that are "one-handed foods" and as any breastfeeding mother knows, we stay hungry! If you are breastfeeding, you burn about 500 extra calories a day which can add up to quite the appetite.

After two baby's and a combined total of 27 months of breastfeeding (and we are still going strong!), I have a great list of one handed healthy snacks and meals that hopefully will be helpful to all you breastfeeding mama's.

We need all the help we can get, right?!?

Plus, most of these are also great snack ideas that you can share if you have other hungry kiddos roaming the house. If your house is anything like mine, Caleb has a nose for snack time. If I have a snack, he wants one too. It's always easier when we can both enjoy the same snack!

So, here goes:

1. Fruit. Pre-wash fruit and keep it handy. Apples, grapes, berries, bananas. You could even make fruit kabobs. All are great sources of nutrition for you and your little bambino.

2. Raw veggies. Wash and cut veggies while baby is napping. Keep in an easy to grab container. You might even want to add a little bowl of ranch dip. Sit on your couch near a side table and you're good to go!

3. Craisins/Raisins

4. Pickles (the whole kind). Eat with a fork or wrap in a paper towel.

5. Popcorn. There are so many great popcorn options. I even saw whole grain today!

6. Cheese sticks or cubes.

7. Glass of almond milk. Wayyyy better for you then milk because it doesn't endure the horrible pasteurization product that cow's milk does (yes, even the organic!), and it has even MORE calcium than cow's milk! Coconut milk is another great option if almond milk isn't your thing.

8. Deli meat, rolled up. If you have prep time, you could even spread some cream cheese and chives on the meat, then roll it up. The perfect light snack!

9. Meal replacement bars. Be careful to look at the ingredients carefully. You want something with good amounts of protein and fiber and not a lot of sugar. I like Isagenix bars. They have SAVED me and my 3 year old can have half of a bar with me!

10. Salads. This would require you to sit near a side table again. Grab a fork and go to town!

11. Squeezable's. Many of the snacks geared towards toddlers can also double as adult snacks too! The squeezable apple sauce and yogurts can be a great option if you are able to find the healthier, low sugar options.

12. Nuts. Raw almonds, walnuts, even peanuts! Great source of nutrition and easily eaten with one hand.

13. Edamame. I love getting the steam-able bags, still in the pods. Steam them in the microwave, dump in a bowl and eat with your hands! My 3 year old loves edamame in the pod, mostly because he has fun popping them out of the pod and into his mouth :)

14. Whole wheat tortilla's rolled up and filled with spinach, a little ranch dressing and some real bacon bits, add some avocado if you have time for an extra burst of good fats. Or, spread peanut butter and honey on it to satisfy a sweet tooth!

15. Granola. Target sells great varieties of granola and snack mixes on their nut aisle. Everything from sweet and spicy to sweet and sassy... I mean salty. Or you can make your own combinations.

16. Bean Salad, eat with a spoon, recipe HERE!

17. Sweet Potato fries with raspberry dip. To make dip, mix 2 tablespoons of raspberry preserves with a teaspoon of water. Mix well and dip away...absolutely amazing!

18. Grilled chicken tenders. Buy a pack of raw chicken tenders, bake or grill and keep in fridge as a high protein meal or snack to grab! Much healthier than buying them already cooked in the freezer section. You can skip out on loading your body with preservatives and extra sodium by cooking them yourself.

19. Frozen yogurt, scooped into a cone. Our local grocery store has a huge selection of frozen yogurt. It's has fewer calories than regular ice cream and you'll get a great dose of probiotics that ice cream doesn't offer.

20. Soup poured into a mug so you don't have to worry about using a spoon.

For those of you who have other children still at home with you, lunchables were AWESOME for us! You can make your own lunchable's or grab a stack at the grocery store because as all new mom's know, we don't always have tons of prep time.

I also kept snack boxes in the bottom shelf of the fridge and the bottom shelf of the pantry. That way, Caleb could go grab him a snack when he was hungry instead of having to wait for me to finish feeding the baby.

I stocked the snack boxes with several one serving baggies of pickles, grapes, cheese, yogurt cups, ritz crackers, graham crackers, pretzels, etc.

I know many of you have great one-handed snack ideas too.

Share in the comments section!

I hope this gave you all a few ideas :)

Halloween Costumes and the Pumpkin Patch

2012-11-13T11:01:00.000-05:00

This year, we had a handsome football player and the cutest football I ever did see.

Caleb insisted on wearing a mustache...cracks me up!

Isn't he intimidating?

Caleb is holding tight to the football..he doesn't want to fumble!!!

I made Lorelei's outfit by sewing white felt onto a brown onesie. I made the headband by gluing a football patch onto a brown flower, then I attached that to a headband. Easy peasy! Caleb's outfit came from our sweet neighbor's who let him have it because it was too little for their little boy. We are Virginia Tech/ Georgia Bulldog fans, but hey, while in Alabama, we will do as the Alabamian's do! Of course, the U of A fans didn't even want to give him candy...lol! I think it would have been funny to wear the Auburn uniform with an Alabama helmet. Let me just tell you all, if you haven't lived in the south and experienced football season, you just don't know what you are missing. The south is hard core when it comes to football!!!

We also visited the pumpkin patch.

And we literally got LOST in the corn maze.

We were exhausted by the time we got out of there!

An experience we won't forget...hahaha!

My serious kid....

We also did our annual pumpkin painting day!

Lots of concentration going on here.

Lorelei's had the warmest seat during pumpkin painting. She was taking it easy!

Final products!!!

If you look close, you can see the faces Caleb painted on his little pumpkins.

We also JUST got back from DISNEY WORLD last night!

We are exhausted but had a BLAST!

I have LOTS to share with you as soon as I get the energy to download and edit my ba-zillion pictures ;)

Happy Tuesday everyone!!!

#1 Taco Chili Recipe

2012-11-02T13:31:00.001-04:00

This is our family's FAVORITE crock pot meal...and by favorite, I mean that we eat this stuff UP!

I may have already blogged this recipe before because we have it all the time during the fall and winter months.

It has become our Halloween tradition to have Taco Chili after we get home from trick or treating!

We get home, starving, and our house smells AMAZING!

Then, of course, we finish the meal by digging into a pile of candy :)

It is the easiest chili ever and everyone loves it!

I reallllly love it because this recipe makes enough for our family to eat on it for 2 days and I love days when I don't have to cook dinner!

I used to nanny as my full time job during college and right after. One of the families I worked for made this recipe and over the years, I have adapted it to make it exactly what our family LOVES!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

1 package of dry ranch dressing mix

1 package of taco seasoning

1 large can of crushed tomatoes

1 regular can of diced tomatoes (southwestern style if you can find it!)

1 can of corn

1 can of kidney beans

1 can black beans

sour cream

shredded cheddar

tortilla chips

Combine all of your ingredients.

Cook all low for 4-8 hours, depending on how fast your crockpot cooks.

Garnish with cheese and sour cream and chips if you'd like.

Now, RUN to the store and grab these ingredients and then let me know what you think about it!!!

Happy weekend!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

D.I.Y. Halloween Masks

2012-10-31T15:48:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween everybody!!!

We are having a GREAT Halloween so far :)

Caleb is counting down the minutes until "showtime".

I can't wait to post their pictures of their costumes tomorrow.

Being that it is a Halloween, we skipped nap and did a fun Halloween craft...

Spooky Masks!!!

They were quick, easy, cheap, and Caleb is really having some fun with them.

Supplies:

Colored felt

hot glue and gun

elastic

black permanent marker

candy (optional ;-))

First, fill your mouth with lots of candy.

Decide what kind of masks you want.

We wanted a skeleton skull (as requested by Caleb), a Frankenstein monster, a ghost, and a pumpkin.

2 small ones for the kiddos and two larger ones for the parents.

I pulled up a photo on my phone and guesstimated as I cut.

These masks are very forgiving!

Couple of nostrils hot glued here...

Some scary details drawn on there...

Then I sewed elastic to the sides and voila!

Spookiness on the go!

Repeat for each mask, adding whatever details you would like!

Frankenstein is my fav :)

You can't see it here, but Lorelei was totally laughing under her mask!

I think she was trying to figure out what was going on.....either that or the felt was tickling her :)

We hope you all have a fun and safe and SPOOOOOOOOKY Halloween!!!

What are you and your kids dressing up as for Halloween???

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another reason I love Etsy

2012-10-29T15:51:00.003-04:00

I've been passing my Rodan+Fields business cards out like a mad woman.

I'm a sucker for some cute busi cards and last week, I found myself searching through the masses of them on Etsy.

I came across a really neat shop. The cute designs grabbed my attention, and I really loved the square shape of a lot of them! I wanted something that people might keep a little longer, and I hit the mark.

What's even better is that the shop owner is so sweet and lives in a town we used to live in!

So, if you are in the market for some adorable business cards, announcements, Christmas cards, tags, stationary, Thank-You cards, and pretty much anything paper related and ridiculously adorable, and you want to work with a great lady, Graycious Designs is your go-to!

What's YOUR favorite Etsy shop?

----------------------------------------------------------------

Our week via Instagram

2012-10-23T08:22:00.000-04:00

Anyone who follows me on twitter or Instagram (PaulaKathlyn username), knows that I LOVE taking a million pictures and posting them on Instagram....I just love it!

When kids are as small as mine, they are constantly learning something new, doing something funny, trying something for the first time, etc. Instagram has been the perfect outlet for me to easily capture a lot of these moments.

Here are a few moments I've captured just this past week:

Stealing daddy's coffee he left on the table, tasting it and realizing it was not as sweet as Mommy's.

Look at my baby...all grown up and sitting in the cart like she's a big girl or something.

Caleb loves Lorelei's milestones. He knows she is one step closer to joining him in mischief ;-)

My brave friend painted her piano and it looks awesome!

Seth and Lorelei having their first daddy daughter talk. It was intense.

Happy Skeletons.

Outfit of the day! When you are surrounded by a 6 month old and a 3 year old most of the day, it's easy to lose track of what is in style. THANK GOODNESS for Pinterest. I browsed my Pinterest Style board for some inspiration, and this is what I came up with. The most in-style outfit I've worn in a while! And even then, it's probably not the new fall style, but hey, I'm trying here.

We set up a Rodan+Fields booth this weekend...it was fun!

Look at this endearing picture. Older brother teaching sister a valuable lesson. It's funny that I'm pretty sure Lorelei already thinks it's gross!

"Dunkle" Seth sent Lorelei a onesie. He said he tried to find one that says, "My Uncle Loves Bluegrass", but he couldn't. I'm shocked.

So, there ya have it!

Our week via Instagram.

Are you on Instagram?

What ways do you keep up with your family and all their events/special moments?

Chalk Paint Inspiration

2012-10-17T11:47:00.002-04:00

The new obsession: CHALK PAINT!

I will have to agree, it is beautiful.

My mom asked me yesterday where she could find some Annie Sloan chalk paint so that got my wheels turning on what I could chalk paint too!

What is chalk paint?

Well, it looks like a very matte paint, just like a chalkboard but it comes in all kinds of amazing colors.

Here is an official definition from momtastic.com:

Chalk "style" Paint is not chalkboard paint, but paint that makes transforming furniture easy as it needs no surface prep and dries to a chalk-like finish.

Of course, I ran to Pinterest for some inspiration that never lets me down.

What do you all think about all this chalk paint?

Chalk Paint FLOOR...this is breathtaking

Source: shabbycoastcottage.blogspot.com via The Decorated House on Pinterest

Paris Grey Armoire

Source: lavieenroseblog.blogspot.ie via La Vie on Pinterest

More Paris Grey on a table...I'm obsessed with the Paris Grey!

Source: linenflowerstudios.com via martha on Pinterest

I should've named this blog, "The Turquoise Peacock" with the way I obsess over turquoise. Isn't this the beachiest, cutest side table?

Source: theshabbycreekcottage.com via Paula on Pinterest

Here is my dream dresser for whenever Lorelei gets a bigger room. Adorable and so girly.

Source: shadesofamberinc.blogspot.ca via Paula on Pinterest

A whole bunch of great chalked pieces.

Source: anniesloanpaintandcolour.blogspot.co.uk via Paula on Pinterest

This could be my favorite

Source: facebook.com via Paula on Pinterest

How beautiful and creative is this?

Source: beneathmyheart.net via Paula on Pinterest

Annie Sloan chalk painted kitchen cabinets.

Source: appleboxboutique.blogspot.ca via Apple Box Boutique on Pinterest

More cabinets...

Source: fauxology.com via Dana on Pinterest

A headboard to drool over

Source: uniquelyyoursormine.wordpress.com via Susan @ Uniquely Yours or Mine on Pinterest

Chest of drawers painted in Annie Sloan cream with dark wax

Source: mypassionfordecor.blogspot.com via Melody on Pinterest

And here are all the color options:

Source: centsationalgirl.com via ebbamade on Pinterest

I have also seen homemade chalk paint recipes. This recipe is from momtastic.com

DIY Chalk "style"Paint

Mix:

1 cup paint

2 T Non-sanded grout

Water

Who is ready to chalk paint something???

I AM!!!

Like what you see?

Pin it for safe keeping!

____________________________________________________

Pumpkin Pals

2012-10-15T09:04:00.001-04:00

Caleb and I made these cute little Pumpkin' Pals a couple weeks ago.

I was perusing the beautiful aisles at Hobby Lobby and decided to try to come up with something fun Caleb would enjoy helping me make.

Not only were these fun and easy to make, they are cute decor lying around during fall AND Caleb loves them!

Supplies:

Glue green pom pom's on top of your pumpkin puffs.

Then glue the eyes on.

One of our pumpkins got into the bag of apples.

Let your pumpkin pal watch as you wrap the pipe cleaner around your crayon.

Big dab of glue on the end of the crayon and glue the pumpkin pal on.

Hot glue would work a lot quicker, but if you are patient, Elmers glue works great, you just have to set it aside to dry for about 30 minutes.

You can play and color with your pals on top of crayons...

Or skip the crayons and play with them as fun pumpkin pal pouf's!

And then, of course, you have to make some great book work glasses to play with too!

Happy crafting!!!

Like what you see?

Pin it for safe keeping!

3 months and 5 months and Politics

2012-10-12T09:14:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when you have 2 kids...you miss out on some of the monthly pictures!

Wish I could go back and do them but the time has passed me by.

The 3 and 5 month ones are cute enough to make up for it though...I love my pretty baby!

Anddddd she's done! :)

Speaking of babies, I can not, in good conscious, go through this political season without posting what I strongly believe in.

As a military wife and a mother of 2 children who are the future of our country, and as an American, it is my duty to do my best to inform myself of the facts and to vote for the very best candidate.

For any of you who know me or have followed my blog for any length of time, my choice will come as no surprise.

Some keys facts:

1. A country who gives the government more power than it should has historically been a country who fails and whose citizens suffer.

2. Rich people are the one's who give middle class and lower class people JOBS. If we force the rich to pay more of a percent than the rest of us, this country will be in BIG trouble because there will be fewer employers able to afford to hire new employee's. It's common sense that the more jobs that are created, the more people who are able to have jobs, and therefore more taxes are being paid. Catching my drift?

Also, let's just say that you were able to move your way from lower class to middle class and then to upper class. Would you want to be punished for your hard work and success by having to pay more than everyone else to the government? It's just kindergarten basics we are talking about here. Fairness, equality, and not fearing that your hard earned money will be taken from you to give to someone who is sitting on their rear, collecting unemployment because they are too lazy to go get a job. Temporary unemployment is understandable. People who are collecting unemployment and at the same time are getting up every day and working all day to find a job, those people I can respect. The rest of them deserve ZERO from the rest of American's who work hard to earn their money.

3. This is a good point for all my military friends.

Everyone praises Obama for bringing our troops home...but have you stopped to think about what happens to all of them when they get back home? Well, I will tell you. Our military is cutting back BIG time! That means Obama is "nice" enough to bring our troops home and then he procedes to fire them. Guess what Romney wants to do? Romney also has no issue with bringing our troops back home. However, he wants to leave on the right foot. He doesn't want to leave with the attitude of "we are tired, we give up so we are leaving". He wants to leave with the attitude of, "We came, we accomplished our task, and we conquered...adios!"

Romney's plan is also to bring our troops back, keep them, and get them better.

This year alone, our military has lost more men and women due to suicide than we have in war.

What a staggering fact.

Our military need help emotionally and physically.

They need a chance to work through their PTSD, to be counseled and encouraged so we can bring the suicide rate down and get our military forces healthy and strong. And that my friends is what Romney's plan is. So if you are military and you are well informed, you will vote Romney!

4. This issue is the most important to me. But strange enough, I keep having people tell me it isn't one of the "real" issues, and to that I ask them, "What is more of an issue than murder?" As of today, I haven't had one person answer me, even though I begged for a list of the "real" issues.

That's right, I am talking about abortion.

People who are pro-choice are SELFISH people. I can guarantee that if they were the baby getting ready to be murdered, they would change their minds pretty quickly. But what do they care? They are here on earth, living and breathing, so who cares about the baby, right??? I'm so sick of the selfish, irresponsible attitude's. Women don't deserve the right to choose to murder their children. What women need to do is suck it up and take responsibility for their actions. Adoption is ALWAYS a great alternative. Obama not only supports early term abortion, he believes in and supports the absolute worst and gruesome forms of abortion. This blog post very clearly tells you what Obama supports and gives details on the types of procedure that is going on every day here in our country. Something HAS to be done about it!!! If you vote for Romney for no other reason, this issue is more than enough.

Our female ancestors did NOT fight for our rights as women to choose to murder our own children. I wish I could bring Susan B. Anthony back right now. I am positive she would throw up to think that everything she fought for was being taken advantage of.

Here is the blog post...it's graphic.

And here is a video we all need to take the time to watch, especially if you are pro-choice or on the fence.

If I sound harsh, it's because this issue can NOT be sugar coated.

I will not sit back and pretend to be neutral just so I won't offend someone.

If I lose all my followers because of this post, I will have lost each one proudly because standing up for the right thing is worth standing alone.

I encourage all of you to stand firm and strong and not be afraid of losing the popularity contest.

These babies need OUR help. If you have any bit of compassion, please vote for Romney.

Paul Ryan addressed abortion last night in the debate, and they will be doing everything they can to put a stop to it if elected!

So, there's my political post for ya! I realize I will probably be getting some interesting responses, but I am good with that.

Send them my way!

Also, if you are military and haven't sent in your absentee ballot, www.fvap.gov is a GREAT website to use. It's simple and you still have time if you do it soon!

Happy Friday!

Before and After

2012-10-08T19:09:00.002-04:00

If I ever had any doubt that I love the products I represent, this before and after shot of my very own dad would erase all that doubt...but fortunately, I've been impressed with all of these products since day 1.

Look at my 51 year old dad.

This man has spent the last 30+ years in the sun.

He is a timber consultant and even though he slathers on the 50 spf daily, the sun still got him!

He used the REVERSE regimen, and still is using he.

His results are amazing!

My mom was so impressed that she started on the REVERSE two weeks ago.

I can't wait to see her "after" shot!

Here' old Donald's before and after.

He looks sooo much younger, doesn't he???

Our product cost is very affordable.

It's about $2.36 a day to use most of our regimens, including the one my dad used.

This business has been a GREAT GREAT GREAT thing for our family.

I have loved every minute of being a consultant for this company. With 3 promotions under my belt, I am still going strong and I'm actually surprising my own self. I never knew how much I would enjoy this. My excuse was always, "I am not a salesperson!" You know what the funny thing is? I'm still not! But, I am doing great with this company because we aren't taught to be pushy salespeople. We know the products and the business aren't for everyone, so we only spend our time with the ones who are interested.

If you are looking for extra income and you want to be a part of a company that is growing by leaps and bounds AND has the Dr.'s who created Proactiv on their team, let me know! My email is: KathlynWade@hotmail.com

I am not a pressuring sales person and Rodan+Fields isn't for everyone, but if you think you might be a good fit, I'd love to give you a little more information and ask you some questions to see if you would be a good match.

You don't need any previous experience in skincare, you don't have to have "home parties", AND you don't have to waste any money in keeping inventory stocked.

The start up cost is low, the potential is endless, and the feeling of accomplishment is overwhelming!