Six and A Highchair

Sleeping Under the Sea...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:29:00 +0000

I was feeling a little yucky yesterday. You know, one of those days where you feel like you're "trying" to get sick and your hanging on the edge. Well that was me and my Sunday. So needless to say, I didn't get a lot accomplished. I did dredge through load after load of laundry and sink after sink full of dishes while taking nice BIG breaks throughout to be with the littles.

Though my day wasn't the best ever, my sweet little Ella Hope ended it perfectly. She must have known I needed to relax. Maybe she felt my yuckiness. I'm not sure what it was exactly but she nailed it when she brought her brothers new Cloud.B sea turtle to me last night. WOW... it was just what I needed. So peaceful and tranquil. The perfect ending to a yucky funky kind of day. I was all smiles, she was all smiles, and baby Addie was amazed with the ocean waves on the ceiling.

If you've never experienced Cloud.B products, you should definitely check them out. Not just for your young children, but for your older ones and maybe even yourself! They are so well made and the sound and display quality is outstanding. We have two Cloud.B turtles now and love them both for different reasons. I really like Ethan's new sea turtle because of the "wave" like pattern it displays on the ceiling. It projection is a beautiful shade of blue and it actually flows back and forth just like ocean waves. This little turtle soothes you through your senses via music, waves, or a combination of both. It's the perfect combination, trust me!

For those who are interested, I did a quick search and it looks like QVC has the Tranquil Turtle Light & Sound Plush Night Light available in either aqua or purple for 31.12 right now! That's an awesome price and cheaper than most retailers I've seen. Their shipping cost is 6.22. Not a bad deal! I may need to order another one of these little guys for myself...

Here's a little video of our ocean last night. It's not the best video, but it gives you a good idea of the images and motion that the turtle projects. So neat!

To Feel Needed..

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 05:44:00 +0000

I spend each and every day from sun up till sun down and many times through the night holding, loving, and providing for my littles. We seem to spend a lot of time rushing around trying to get here and there or simply trying to maintain the "clean path" in our home during the day. As each day comes to an end, we are all tired and sometimes irritated. I strive to make it through each day with a smile on my face and I SO look forward to my alone time at night. If my hubby is home, I usually get about 5 - 10 minutes of me time to do what I need to do before bed. Though I love this time, my children aren't always fond of it...

Tonight, I changed my clothes, washed my face, and brushed my teeth to the sound of little tears. Addie cried and moaned almost the whole time I was in the bathroom. I knew she was fine with her Daddy but my heart began to swell quickly with thoughts. Thoughts about her, and her sweet face. Thoughts about what might be going through her mind... So, like all Moms do, I rushed through my "me" time to get to Adeline.

I walked in to the family room to see her little eyes squenched and full of tears. As I stood beside her staring at her sweet trembling lips, she peeked at me from one eye and slowly began to grin. She was happy to see me, I was happy to see her, and for whatever reason tonight, I could tell... she needed me.

You know, that's a wonderful feeling, a feeling you don't ever want to forget, and one that will be cherished for years to come. It's the small things in life that mean the most...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 01:10:00 +0000

As of today, we're down to 39 days till baby girl arrives! We are SO excited, but a little stressed at the same time. I've got lots to do still in a very short amount of time! Ughhh...

LOTS of doctor appointments lately! LOTS... I'll have to share that fun little story with you as well. My appointments have kept me super busy lately driving back and forth but... the extra ultrasounds and sneak peaks of the babe have surely helped out a lot!

Her nursery is coming along slowly... I'll post a few pictures and links to some of the items I've purchased recently for her room soon. I'm so hoping it will come together just like I have envisioned it. Fingers crossed!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 22:05:00 +0000

Today is truly a Wordless Wednesday for me... I'm so thankful for my life and my family.

Nikon 5100

Ethan's First Day Of 3rd Grade!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 02:10:00 +0000

iPhone4S - PSE8

Today, July 20, 2012 was Ethan Cole's first day in 3rd grade! He was so excited to see me waiting for him when he got off the bus and even more excited about going to the beach [I think]. ❤ Just look at my sweet guy jumping off the bus! Too funny...

First day stats...

He says he had a great first day, he really likes his teacher Ms. Wilson this year, and his lunch was yummy. So... I guess we're off to a good start! Just seeing his little gappy toothed smile sure did help ease a mama's mind and warm her heart.

I Want A Birchbox!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 23:27:00 +0000

So I've been reading and hearing lots of great reviews and excitement concerning Birchboxes and... well, I want one {one every month that is}! I went to their site to sign up and had no idea you had to wait for an invitation to be released to join. Ughhhh... How sad am I? SAD

Birchbox seems like such a wonderful idea for those of use that like to try new things and it sure is nice that it's delivered FREE straight to your door! Perfect for busy moms like me...

Hope I get an invite soon!

Wordless Wednesday...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 20:00:00 +0000

We can all see what kind of mood her outfit put her in today! Such a sweet girl...

iPhone4S-PSE8

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 23:17:00 +0000

Well it's actually 60 days to go! I made this header a few days ago and never got around to publishing it. Ooops! Our precious baby girl will be here soon and we are just as excited about her arrival as we were about our other 5!

We've been busy working on moving my craft stuff out of what will soon be her nursery. I ordered her bedding and purchased her stroller and carseat but... that's about as far as I've gotten. Yikes! I've got a large list to cross off so I better get busy.

Here are a few things or purchases rather that have been on my mind...

Diapers... Cloth or Disposable? Suggestions would be great!

Bottles... Plastic or Glass? For when I'm not around to breastfeed her.

Bouncy Seat... Hummm, not sure what kind?

Adorable baby girl clothes!!! I need some and fast!

Lots to find and not a lot of time!

Hello... it's been a while!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:31:00 +0000

I've been missing my little blog lately so... I thought I'd stop by and say Hi! Where have I been you might ask? Well... like before, I've been busy working, spending time with family and friends, preparing the kiddos for back to school and loving life.

Immediate thoughts, wants and needs...

I want, well need to freshen up my blog! Kinda need a new outfit so to speak.
Need to blog! I've got lots to journal and share.
My Nikon D40 needs to be repaired. I think?
Our annual Disney trip is booked and the savings plan is in full force!
My first born is almost 13. Wow... she's a teenager. *tear*
Hannah + Horseback riding lessons = pure bliss
Peek-A-Boo is an official ballerina at age 3!
Basketball here we come...
Finish up our back to school shopping...

Speaking of back to shool shopping, I have run across several products that are super neat and helpful. I bought Hannah a ZIPIT this weekend. It's a super versatile pouch that can be used for pencils, markers or whatnots! It's made from a super long zipper which you can us to open your ZIPIT a lot or just a little. This bag is a hit in our house for sure! Go check them out. They've got lots of colors and sizes to choose from.

Thanks to ZIPIT for making our new school year just a little more exciting...

My Little Green Machine...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Fri, 06 May 2011 02:11:00 +0000

SOOC

EDIT

Nikin D40, PSE8, Paint the Moon Action

Organizing is FUN...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:56:00 +0000

Whew... I'm tired, but {so} excited that I've been able to get my house organized and clean over the past couple of weeks! Now... it's not {clean} from top to bottom but it's way closer today than its been in years.

It's amazing how less stressed I feel when things around me are clean and organized. I'm a happier person and mommy. All I've got to say is organization is fun and I'm lovin' it!

But all this organization has created pile after pile of {stuff} that we've outgrown, don't use anymore or is just in the way. So Ebay it has been and WOW, who knew I could make so much money with stuff that has been just laying around the house!

Sicky Icky...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:24:00 +0000

Dear Peek-a-Boo,

Oh sweet girl, I'm so... sorry you're sicky and feeling icky. I wish those nasty germs didn't love you so. The runny nose, cough, fever and aches they give you are no fun. You've cried and moaned for two days straight and recently decided that fever reducing medicine can {wait}. My heart breaks when I look into those sad droopy little sleep deprived eyes. I'm hoping tomorrow will be a better day...

xoxo,

Mama

So.. we've had such a hard time getting Peek-a-Boo to take any medicine since she's been sick. She's never not wanted to take Tylenol or Motrin until now? We've tried everything in the book to get her to take it. After about 30 minutes with her fever hovering around 103.8 she usually gives in. Whew... so stressful. What baby doesn't love Tylenol and Motrin? Crazy I say, crazy...

So after being up all night last night, daddy got up at 5, drove to the grocery store and picked up a bottle of Ibuprofen and Tylenol Meltaways. First off, let me say the Ibuprofen has always seemed to help my kiddos faster and longer than Tylenol but with the Motrin "recall" still going on I didn't have any in the house. So I was so excited to see Brent come home with a Motrin knock off! Ella slept for over five hours after I finally got a teaspoon in her. Wow...

But... my hat's off to Tylenol for their Meltaway tablets!!! I always rotate Motrin and Tylenol per the docs orders so when the Ibuprofen wore off around 1 I gave Ella one of the Tylenol Meltaway tablets. Guess what? She loved them!!! Yipee... I'm hooked for sure.

Here's what Ella had to say about the Tylenol Meltaways....

"Mama, they're great!" You like them Ella? "Yes, thanksss... mom!" You're welcome baby.

Awww... she melts my ♡.

Week Two Edit...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:24:00 +0000

SOOC

EDIT

I followed Ashley's advanced editing steps, cropped the shot and adjusted the levels, contrast and brightness to {taste}... They're yummy, yum, yum! I finally think I'm starting to understand layering masks thanks to Ashley.

Looking forward to next weeks Shoot and Edit!

Saving Time and Money

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:28:00 +0000

Do you like buying things on $ale, using coupons or both? Would you like to see hard numbers on you're actual yearly savings? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you might be interested in this neat Savings Tracker Spreadsheet I recently ran across from Sue Stock. There are three different versions to choose from... basic, advanced and super detailed. Just pick one, download it and start tracking those savings!

{sample of basic spreadsheet}

As for me, I'm not a professional coupon shopper by any means. I often wish I were but my schedule just doesn't allow time for me to sit down, research all the local deals, organize those deals and execute actual shopping trips. Instead, I use several coupon blogs, news paper circulars and coupons both clipped and printed to get my deals. I tend to stick to my {usual} stomping grounds... Target, CVS, Walgreens, Harris Teeter, Lowes and even Michaels every now and again. I've always found awesome deals at all of these stores and you just can't beat buying an item on sale, topped with daily double coupons and even triple coupons from time to time!

Here's a recent deal I picked up from Gaggle Chicks...

My kiddos ♡ to pick up a Peeled Snack bag when I stop by Starbucks. They're organic, yummy and good for them so I don't mind but.. They can get expensive with four little ones. So... needless to say, I was excited to find this awesome deal! Now I can keep a few bags of Peeled Snacks in my purse for those stops at Starbucks! I got 30 bags of Peeled Snacks for $10.00! Regular price is $59.99. What a savings...

and today I picked up some GE Reveal Light Bulbs from Target for $0.04 a pack!

Now I can take the $5.00 Starbucks Card that I purchased from familyFinds for $1.00, score myself a delish coffee, pass out some Peeled Sanck bags to the kids and keep some dinero in my pocket! Nice...

So... my savings goal is and always has been buy as much as I can on sale and try not to buy any household item unless it is on sale or I have a coupon. Why? Because you can always find a sale or a coupon for household items. Now if I could only find some coupons for my "green" products I'd be one happy camper!
Those are few and far between...

Go Google that little word coupon and you'll be amazed at what you find. Here are a few of the sites I stalk for good deals. I'm leaving the deal findin' up to the {pros}!

Money Saving Mom
Cha Ching On A Shoestring
Common Sense with Money
familyFinds
Jessica's Coupons

How do you find your deals and how much do you think you save?

Week Two Shoot and Edit

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 03:49:00 +0000

I say "Good Morning" with a big ol' smile when fresh muffins are on the menu! This doesn't happen often, but I sure do enjoy it when it does.

I baked these late Sunday night, so everyone in the house went to bed dreaming of yummy pumpkin muffins. A great {treat} for a cloudy Monday morning!

A bottomless glass of water and just one will do...

SOOC

Stop by Jill's check out all the creative entries, link up and I'll see you at Ashely's for the edit on Thursday!

Day 13 Medicine Mess

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 03:19:00 +0000

Well... our medicine cabinet is an actual {cabinet}, a small kitchen cabinet to be exact. Not because we have a ton of medicine but because we don't have a "real" medicine cabinet mounted to the wall in our bathroom.

I was excited about Day 13 because I've been wanting to go through our medicines {again} for a long... time. There's nothing worse than having a sick child, or feeling sick yourself and having to search, search and search through an unorganized, out of date medicine cabinet. Ughhh...

So... you'd think I threw out lots of medicine but I actually threw out lots of baby stuff! All I can say is "How'd that get in there?" Hehe...

The Unorganized Cabinet

The Organized Cabinet

Today's challenge, Day 14, was {the bathroom sink}. I had recently organized our bathroom sink cabinets so... I had an easy day! All I had to do was make sure everything still looked good and believe it or not, IT DID.

Day 15, here I come!

Day 12 Sugar N' Spice...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:14:00 +0000

On the twelfth day of The 21 Days To Getting Organized Challenge we were to tackle our spice cabinet or spice cabinets in my case and so I did...

I've got three, well four actual cabinets that hold my spices and baking powders. You might wonder {why} I have four cabinets for these tiny little items. Well, I have a ton of them and my so called spice cabinet is really, really tiny! I thought I had my cabinets all "planned" out when we build our home, but I guess you can't think, prepare or know exactly how many "spices" you'll house in your spice cabinet. Ahhh...

So it's the same ol' story for me... Out with the old and in with a few new baskets, but boy is it makin' me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I'm lovin' all the organization...

Here's a look at the before...

and the after...

I ♡ "little" baskets for tiny spaces.

Thanks for followin' along! I'll post my medicine cabinet results along with Day 14's challenge tommorrow...

Photo Friday Week 2 Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 02:20:00 +0000

A shot of my breakfast before I even had a chance to mix it up! That's the norm for me in the mornings... This isn't my regular breakfast but it's close {I guess}. I was out of my Bear Naked Fruit & Nut Granola which is my {fav}. OMG... I ♡ that stuff and I can't stand to go a day without it. It's so... yummy. I have it every morning except this one of course...

There's nothing like a bowl of yogurt topped off with a little Bear Naked Granola and a glass of water. Ahhh... maybe tomorrow!

2{52}

Be sure to stop by Trina's and check out all the other entries!

Day 11 Lots O' Nothin'

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 05:36:00 +0000

Yipee... I completed day #11 of The 21 Days To Getting Organized Challenge! Well, it's actually only day two for me {remember}, but who's counting? All that matters is that I'm gettin' it done.

So... my freezer isn't huge, thank goodness, but it sure was packed with a bunch of junk! It was very obvious that we don't use half of the things we freeze once I started taking them out today. I'm not even sure I want to tell you some of the {dates} I found on a few packages. Let's just say many, many months... years even?

Though my freezer looks small, it's pretty deep! Guess what I found in the back? Liquid Gold Yes, you heard me right, my liquid gold... {a.k.a breast milk}. Ughh... I worked SO hard to save it for Peek-a-Boo and there it sat. All 500 ounces of it! Yep that's right folks, 500 ounces. That's 100 5oz bags! How the heck did I miss that? I'll tell you how... lack of organization. Fooey...

I'm sorta sad about the waste, but happy to have an empty freezer. Now I've got a great reason to whip out my coupons, head to Target, stock up on a few baskets, and some frozen grub!

Thanks for stoppin' in! Wonder what's in store for Day 12... stay tuned!

Here's the Edit...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:48:00 +0000

SOOC

Edit

I followed Ashley's second edit for this shot... I kept everything pretty much the same except the BW preset and the last action. For those I used the scenic landscape preset and a fill layer.

Thanks for your help Ashley!

Stop by Ashley's and check out all the wonderful edits...

Day 10 Lots O' Dust Bunnies

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:45:00 +0000

Part One | The Laundry Room

Well, it's the end to day #10 of The 21 Days To Getting Organized Challenge and my laundry room is officially clean and organized! wow...

You wouldn't believe how good if feels to be able to walk in your laundry room, find what you want, have room to move around and feel "almost" stress free. I'd be {totally} stress free if the laundry would ~~stop~~ well, slow down just a little.

So here it is, I guess you could say I'm airing my dirty laundry! Yuk... You might not be able to see it in my before pictures but my laundry room was SO dirty/dusty. I went in planning to organize {only}, but I quickly realized I was going to be cleaning a lot too. Yuk again... I scrubed, dusted, soaked stuff and threw away a load of stuff! Yuk x 3... But what a great... feeling!

While I cleaned, organized and washed a few loads of clothes of course, I thought about the "things" I wanted to include in my laundry room redo! I'd like to change the faucet, help the hubby finish building my awesome storage platform for my washer and dryer, hang a shabby chic towel rack, a cute vintage styled curtain and a picture, pick up a comfy rug for my tired feet and PAINT! Contractor paint sure doesn't hold up very well...

Though my list may be long, I'm excited that I actually have one now! It's a first. I've never been interested in my laundry room until today. This little organization project has helped me see it in a whole new light...

Since this organization project looks like it's going to turn a few spaces in my house in to mini redos, I'll post a Part Two for each of those once they're complete!
Thanks for stoppin' in!

Week One Shoot and Edit

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 04:19:00 +0000

Yikes... I'm cutting this one close but I wanted to enter Ashley and Jill's first "Shoot and Edit" so here it is!

SOOC

The theme is "winter" and my first thought was to post a picture of one of my kiddos playing in the snow but I decided not to since I've already posted a few of them lately.

So... while I was organizing my laundry room today, I noticed one tiny little rose peekin' at me through the window. It looked so "wintery" with it's little ice coated, limp, shriveled petals blowing back and forth in the wind that I grabbed my camera, opened the window and took a quick picture of my little "winter".

Be sure to stop by and check out all the wonderful entries...

Organizing...

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:54:00 +0000

So I've been thinking about it and taking a stab at it over and over agian for quiet some time with no avail... What is it? It is {organizing}. I have this deep inner need to organize my home, my office and my shedule. I wake up every morning with a plan of how to do this, but somehow it never works out. It's not a new years resolution for me, it's more like an ongoing resolution!

I once was a very, very organized person. Even with three children, I could get it all done quickly and neatly while still having quality time for myself and the family. What happened to that person? Where did she go... Why does she now struggle to accoplish any of the above on a daily basis?

Well, I think she left the schene about the same time Peek-a-Boo was born. Not because she wanted to, or because she became lazy, it was simply another adjustment period in my life that obviously hasn't completely adjusted. Hah! I'm thinking the extra time I once had when I was a very, very organized person was given to Peek-a-Boo. She needed me, and I needed her. I didn't mind letting a few things slide here and there just to be able to spend more time with her and the other kiddos. It was fun, it's still fun and I love the time I spend with them more than anything, but... I've realized recently my lack of time for organizing is making me a little sad and seriously stressed at times. I want to be able to have both! I know I can do it, I just need a little help or support that is. You know, someone to push me in the right direction... someone to organize along side of... someone to guide me when I'm stuck... Who is this person? Where might he or she be?

I don't have an answer to these questions just yet, but I think I've found a {great} starting place! I've decided to take this...

As soon as a wobbled in to this blog I knew it was the perfect challenge for me! It's the motivation and encouragement I've been looking for a long, long time. With over 200 peeps participating in this challenge the ideas and tools to use for organization are endless!

Who would've ever thought I'd be so... excited about something that requires work? Not me, but I so... am! Though I'm jumping in on day 10 of the challenge I've made a promise to myself to complete days 1-8 at the end of the challenge.

Let me know if you want to jump in with me! If so, we'll continue the link up for days 1-9 here at the end of the 21.

Today's challenge is the Laundry Room! Oh boy... I'm a little scared of that room. I'll post my before and after shots later today.

Photo Friday Week 1 Cold

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:57:00 +0000

Well, I've decided to give Trina's 52 week Photo Friday Project a shot! Maybe, just maybe this little project will force me to look outside the box more and shoot some fun and maybe even funky stuff.

Stop by Trina's for a visit, stay awhile and link up if you can!

1{52}

So... she thinks it's cold enough to wear her toboggan inside! Funny...

Don't forget to link join Ambrosia's Pay It Forward movement! I'm lookin' for 1 more taker! Read about it here...

Pay It Forward & Phone Photo Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:32:00 +0000

I saw this message from Ambrosia Clark on The Paper Mama's site a couple of days ago...

I promise to send something handmade
to the first 3 people who leave a comment here.
To be eligible, you must also post this in your blog,
offering the same thing to 3 other people.
The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it
must be sent to your 3 people *sometime* in 2011.

So... I'm in! How bout you? I ♡ the whole Pay It Forward concept... What an awesome idea this is.

I'm planning to have my handmade goodies sent out by the end of February.

Who will be my first 3?

*Update*
Looks like I have two takers so far!
Erica & Joni
Who'll be my 3rd?

Oh... I almost forgot! Here's my entry for Phone Photo Friday.

Do we really need these "Mama PLEASE" machines in our malls now? Really? They're cute and all and kids love them but now every time I stop by the mall my youngest two torture me with the "Mama PLEASE".

Quick note... the ride holds three and my two are on the right {if you can tell in my blurry shot}. See the little guy on the left, he sat on the ride for over 25 minutes waiting for us to finish eating so he could ride with my kiddos. He was determined huh? Funny how smart they are at such a young age!