The (Mis)Adventures of a Mommy

Subscription Boxes

2016-05-11T22:38:00.000-04:00

I am absolutely loving subscription boxes; there are so many to choose from and such great surprises each month. My hubby always says he doesn't know what to get me; so this year for my birthday I told him I wanted to try several new boxes. I already subscribe to PopSugar Must Have, which is awesome! Loved last April's box with Chrissy Teigen's cookbook. Based on reviews from the spring box of FabFitFun, I reactivated my subscription. I signed up for Lit-cube, The Book(ish) Box, and Stars Hollow Monthly. So excited for all the literary boxes, reading is one of the few hobbies I can still fit in with all my kiddos keeping me busy. I also decided to get my kids into subscription boxes and signed my two older ones up for NerdBlock Jr Boys and Girls.

Christmas is Coming

2015-12-02T11:31:00.001-05:00

It seems like every time I want to write a post; I am too busy or tired. I can't help but make sure I share just how much I love the holidays!! This is my favorite time of the year; the music, the spirit, and the time with friends and family. The other day, I took the kids to Starbucks and of course had to use the drive thru because 4 kids would make it hard to carry my coffee. I bought the kids a treat and my coffee, I had to reload my card to pay for the order and when I got to the window, the woman ahead of us had paid for our order. Of course, I paid for the person behind me and hope they kept it going. It really is the small things that matter. The kids have fun looking for Jackson, our elf, every morning and watching as I add presents under the tree. I need to find some crafty ideas, think ill go look on pinterest, why the kids are sleeping.

Wow, so many changes!

2015-09-30T21:43:00.001-04:00

So it is official the kids have been in school for a little over a month and we are finally getting a routine down. Homework is a little different than at their previous school; they are more in charge of time management but there seems to be less homework. The little ones are adjusting to their big brother and sister being gone; especially since they get more one-on-one time with mom. Austin had his evaluation with Early Intervention and meets his speech therapist next week, I can't wait for him to talk more and actually understand him. Ava is getting very feisty and independent. Alex is enjoying Boy Scouts. Dad and Alex had their first camping trip; it was fun watching them set up but also fun to leave the bugs, specifically, the daddy long legs who crawled on me. Addi starts Girl Scouts this week, hopefully she likes it. I am trying to cook a few new recipes and getting crafty for Halloween. Tonight was Chicken and Dumplings, pretty much just Dad was liking it. I am starting to get frustrated with the picky eaters or lackluster response to new foods. I definitely need help in the cooking dinner department.

Back to School!!

2015-08-30T23:17:00.001-04:00

Can't believe we are parents of second-graders!! With the move, a new school this year and the kids seem to really like it. I can't believe summer is over and back to a school routine. The babies seem to be sad because the older siblings are gone; however, they seem to like more one on one time with each other and mom :) I can't wait to see the kids flourish and grow throughout this new school year. We had so much fun back-to-school shopping; clothes, school supplies, and learning books. So grateful for Target, made most of my shopping happen in one place, rather than several stores. Will have to post pics later. This week we start getting info on Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts; hope the new troops are as great as the new school.

Weekend Family Fun!

2015-04-14T09:49:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was a busy weekend for the kids; packed with lots of fun. On Saturday, Nana came and took the two oldest to see the movie, Home, the kids loved it. Then playtime at the park with the three oldest, which meant Mom & Dad (&baby) had a lunch date grocery shopping and lunch at Chipotle. Then on Sunday April 12, we celebrated National Grilled Cheese Day at Tom + Chee in Lancaster, PA. Best grilled cheese ever, as was the grilled cheese donut! On the drive up we passed Hershey and decided to take the kids to Hershey's Chocolate World for a last minute celebration of Austin's 2nd birthday. So much to do and not enough time; 4D Mystery Show, decorating cookies and cupcakes, tour, shopping. It was such a needed break for the kids and wonderful family time. Picture to come! Of course, no trip can be complete for us without losing a baby bottle. Tommee Tipee has made a ton of money of off us losing bottles everywhere we go. Can't wait for the next adventure :)

Easter

2015-04-07T18:51:00.002-04:00

It has been a busy week; Easter was a weekend celebration for us! We were able to see both Nana & Grammy and the kids were so excited to see what the Easter Bunny had left. A lovely egg trail from their beds to the baskets and lots of goodies with a little bit of candy! Our Easter Bunny is more focused on dental hygiene such as leaving toothpaste instead of tons of candy; love seeing their excited faces!

Breakfast was a hit; the day before I decided to splurge and buy a Waring waffle iron

so waffles and apple sausage with no leftovers! Then a day of family time and Easter dinner; even though we didn't go anyway the kids still got a little dressed up and loved when Mom did a pic of all the kids together!

Hello Again!

2015-04-03T09:50:00.000-04:00

So it has been quite awhile, since I have written anything. Crazy how much has changed in the last 3 years. Two new babies and two stepdaughters, a husband, new home, and so much more. In 2013, we welcomed Austin (next week he will be 2!) and in 2014 we welcomed Ava! Two kids under the age of two has been very busy and demanding; not to mention Alex, 7 and Addison, 6 who have their own interests and activities . Our house appears to be in chaos but it is what I like to call a beautiful disaster. My goal this month is to get the house in order, especially since Ava's party is next month. Other goals this year are ways to make an income from home, more activities and fun times with the kids, moving to a new house, and hopefully find time for my own hobby. A great start would be to start working on all my Pinterest ideas I have been pinning.

Sickness

2012-01-23T07:57:00.000-05:00

This week has been tough, sickness is all throughout the house. I received two special wake up calls last week, Tuesday - vomit and Wednesday - diarrhea, oh the joys of motherhood. Glad to report Alex is 100% back to his normal, happy, energetic self. Mom feels like death. This needs to go away, moms don't get sick days! Well off I go to begin Operation Kill Germs...

New Year 2012

2012-01-01T19:50:00.001-05:00

While 2011 had many ups and downs, there was lots to learn. From sickness and surgery to finally finding a school my son thrives and loves and so much in between, I learned that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and that when times are tough just get creative and be thankful for what you have. I don't believe in New Year's resolutions but I do have a wish list of material and non material things I would like to get in 2012. So the dreading overhaul of the house has commenced and I am hoping by the end of January the house is completely organized and clean...pretty much my everyday hope in life. If only I could have a maid but then I am sure I would be one of those people who cleans before the maid comes, so they don't think I am cluttered or messy...hehe. Hoping that all my friends and family get everything they want in 2012 <3

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T20:08:00.002-05:00

So after all the hard work its is over....it was a fabulous Christmas and Alex was so excited!!! Not only did Santa bring awesome gifts, for once I do not recall any arguments at family gatherings ( i know everyone wants to be happy and jolly during the holidays but it is rare in my family). I am so thankful and blessed that I have an awesome son who is appreciative and giving, who also loves to open presents. Here are some pics from this years festivities....

Yummy Cupcakes by Christine and Alex

Transformers + Cars...Awesome Combo

Milk and Cookies for Santa and Reindeer Food for the Reindeer

Santa has come....

Thanks Santa!

Red Velvet Pancakes for Breakfast :)

Me Like Cookies - Cookie Monster

2011-12-22T21:53:00.001-05:00

Every Christmas we make cookies and while it is so yummy and delicious, it can be quite tiring. Each year a new cookie is made and if it is delicious it is added to the cookie roster! This year's game plan; chocolate chip, chocolate chip with walnut, tuxedos, peanut butter with Reese's, sugar cookies, and drum roll, the new addition is Nutella cookies!!!!! I have a confession; I am addicted to Nutella, and the Nutella icing for Alex's birthday was a success, so hopefully the cookies will be too.

Inspiration for Nutella Cookies

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/nutella-cookies/

Can't wait to see wait my little sous chef (Alex) whips up this year <3

Holidays

2011-12-17T15:27:00.000-05:00

The holidays are my favorite time of the year; yummy baking, presents, family time, the look on my son's face Christmas morning, and so many other wonderful things. These times can also be difficult for many families, especially financially. This year to alleviate some of the financial stress, I shopped all throughout the year. There were definite pros and cons; saving money yay!, possible over shopping due to spaced out timeline (not so yay!). Today, while doing some Christmas shopping for others, I had to remind my son to stay with me; as I was sternly letting him know this, a lady came over to us. I thought for sure she was going to say something not so nice about me correcting my son, instead she came over to give us a free $10.00 gift card to JcPenney, such a small gesture really did brighten my day! Overall, everyone was in a nice mood; if only everyone was as nice as they are during the holidays all year long! This really is the time to think of those less fortunate and remind our children while presents are great, they are not the most important part of the holidays. We usually donate toys to the Toys for Tots program and I would like to volunteer at a soup kitchen when my son is a little older. I am so grateful for everything my family has and hope everyone else has a nice holdiday <3

Me Time!!!

2011-12-08T21:07:00.001-05:00

With a much needed break from school, I feel such relief! More time to focus on my son, as well as me time. Funny, that I chose to read a book (like I didn't have enough of that with school). I read
It was so good and made me grateful that I do not live in those times. Now I can watch the movie, even though I am sure the book is better (they usually are). I do love Emma Stone though, so we will see. Now back to the holiday festivities/decorating and quality time with my little monkey :)

Sundays

2011-12-04T14:00:00.001-05:00

I love Sundays! Today is definitely not a lazy Sunday. I have rearranged and moved furniture, mountains of laundry, and overall cleaning in preparation for the holidays. Best part of the day, putting puzzles together with Alex. Lately, Alex has become very inquisitive and argumentative (wonder where he gets that!).It is funny how much he will argue with me about something so simple, such as it is not cold outside. Time for the good teaching moment of the day; no shoes outside on a cold day is a bad thing. Hopefully after freezing feet, he realized one of the major differences between summer and winter. Well break time is up and back to the cleaning I go.

Post Black Friday Recap

2011-11-29T20:22:00.001-05:00

I love shopping and am all about getting a great price. I use coupons and shop sales but not crazy about Black Friday. For one, I think it is ridiculous that stores are opening on Thanksgiving (not really on a Friday) and people fighting over products is just not worth it! I went to help a friend, while I did manage to pick up a couple small things, the general rudeness of other shoppers and fighting and hour long waits in line is not worth the few dollars I saved. It seems like as the years go by, the holidays are becoming more and more commercial. I want my son to think Santa brings cool toys but that it is not the end of the world if he doesn't get the "it" toy. The toy will be there after the holidays, but the holidays come only once a year. So while I scored some great deals $20.00 for a Tag reading system and $24.99 for a Leapster and some super cheap jammies and undies, I think next year I will spend the time with my son and oh yeah sleeping!!!

Blogger vs. Wordpress

2011-11-22T19:49:00.001-05:00

Not sure which one I like better...Both have pros and cons...too tired to list...We shall see.

:(

2011-11-19T09:01:00.001-05:00

Really?!?!?! For the second time in a little over a month a laptop has crashed :( When the first one died, I hurried to get a replacement because it is necessary for my school. Now the new one that is not even a month old has a motherboard failure according to the guy on the phone. Days like this make me want to curl up in bed and hide, but can't now to try and rewrite 900 words from a not so great memory and spend quality time with Alex. In order to help write this paper a friend suggested this app: Write or Die. Totally a great idea and perfect for times like this.

Kid Friendly Thanksgiving Ideas

2011-11-17T22:27:00.001-05:00

Love Parenting. It is one of my go-to sites when looking for valuable information on parenting.

Yummy Kid Friendly Thanksgiving Ideas

Really want to try the idea for turkey nuggets, because I am sure we are going to have a ton of leftovers. Alex is going through a phase. My child who used to eat anything and everything is starting to be picky *gasp* Please please be a phase.

P.S. Notice I am still procrastinating ;)

Thanksgiving Countdown

2011-11-17T22:20:00.001-05:00

So excited and nervous...It's official, my first time cooking dinner for Thanksgiving. So many yummy foods and I have a great sous chef. Need to come up with a game plan, not going to lie the thought of sticking my hand up a turkey is a little distracting. Only one week to go...hopefully it will be a success!

Why do I keep procrastinating?

2011-11-17T22:01:00.001-05:00

So much to do, never enough time! I am exhausted; busy with school, work, and Alex. Only a little over a week to go and a much needed break from school. Before I could start my homework, I had to focus on Alex's homework. I do not remember having homework in preschool, but Alex does.We made a turkey (http://www.modernmom.com/article/preschool-turkey-thanksgiving-art-projects). Lots of fun, after the initial frustration of trying to trace a moving preschoolers foot. Well time for me to stop procrastinating and get back to homework or sleep....I think sleep wins :) Which reminds me, Alex is sleeping so peacefully in his big boy bed!!!!

Sports Time

2011-11-15T16:39:00.001-05:00

I used to be a pretty girly girl, but being a mom and having a son have changed that (just a little bit). Makeup is minimal, I do not remember what it feels like to walk in heels (but flats are so comfy and have gotten stylish over the years) and hair straightening is now exchanged for ponytails and buns. I do miss having the time to make myself over, but that time is reserved for much needed sleep. Tonight is Alex's sports class, where hopefully he will find an interest, passion, or just a place to let out all that energy (I wish I could bottle it for myself and maybe even sell some, I'd be rich!).While being girly is fun, not so great for my son. I don't care for getting dirty, bugs, and know little about sports, hence the sports class; but I am a great boo-boo kisser, story-time reader, board game player and hugger <3

Rushed

2011-11-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

I am usually one of the most organized, planning, Type A personality lady but this last month I feel rushed, hectic, and all over the place. For example, this morning as I am driving Alex to school, I realize halfway there I forgot his blanket...do I turn around or go without the blanket???...Any other day I would turn around but I was trying to get to work early. I tell his teacher I am so sorry I forgot to bring a blanket, she says no problem...After work, I pick up Alex and wouldn't you know he was wrapped up so comfy and snuggly in his own blanket...I never took it home last week...so what is worse that I forgot to bring the blanket home last week or thought I forgot to being the blanket to school this morning?

Co-Sleeping

2011-11-12T23:12:00.001-05:00

When I was pregnant, I thought I had every detail planned (yeah, right). I swore I would never let my baby sleep with me, I had a pack'n'play, bassinet, and crib. That all changed when my son decided to make an early appearance at 33 weeks and 4 days. I often wonder if he hadn't been premature if I would have stuck to my initial thinking...Fast forward to 4 years later and I still occasionally get a bedtime visitor. The last few nights my son has rolled out of his bed, but it never happens in my bed. I wonder if he is doing it on purpose ;) I need to invest in a bed rail...Not sure he would appreciate Santa bringing that for Christmas.

Stressed Saturday

2011-11-12T12:38:00.001-05:00

I remember when Saturdays were the best part of the week because of parties and my schedule was open for anything. Saturdays are still great but in a different way. I feel like my son has more scheduled in life than I do. Birthday parties, sports classes, mommy and me excursions....but today is definitely a stressed Saturday. My son had a birthday party to attend but we can't go. I had to work at 6:00 am (on which was supposed to be a three day weekend), tons of homework, and I am officially sick :( Luckily I have an awesome son who understands and knows that we have plenty of Saturdays ahead to have adventures :)

Holiday Shopping :)

2011-11-11T18:58:00.001-05:00

I love the holidays...hands down the best time of the year!!! This year Alex is soooo excited...I was able to wrap some Christmas presents today and it made me think about last years holiday shopping. See this year I was able to get most of my holiday shopping done earlier in the year thanks to my fav store Target and their amazing deals!!! After taking care of everyone else, moms deserve to take advantage of all the holiday sales too! I really hope Black Friday this year will bring some great deals for Cricut accessories. Last year I bought for myself and have been patiently waiting for sales (which do not seem to happen often) to buy cartridges and accessories. So funny to think all the time spent on shopping for the perfect presents and wrapping, that kids manage to open presents in lightning speed :)

Can't wait: Christmas Countdown