Mommy Musings

But Still I Worry

2013-05-25T04:03:00.000-04:00

Skip and I are leaving tomorrow {on a jet plane!} for California. My cousin is getting married on Tuesday and I could not be more excited to celebrate his special day with him.

But if I'm being honest with you all. I'm freakin' out a little. I've never been away from the girls for this long....and I've never been this far away from them. You know, a whole plane ride away...like thousands of miles away.

I'm not worried about them...my parents are watching them here. So I know they'll be safe, happy, and very well taken care of. They'll miss me, though I hope not too much. They love my parents and I'm happy for all of them to have this special time together.

But don't worry, I'm leaving them little presents to open every day we're gone, just in case.

And I really am excited, thrilled to be taking this time away with Skip. We haven't been on a vacation alone together since we went to Paris together...in 2008...when I was 10 weeks pregnant with Emmy.

I think it's so important to spend time with your husband, especially once you have kids. I'm excited to just be with Skip, laughing and having time together. We're getting to spend some time with family and really great friends. AND WE CAN SLEEP IN:) It will be so fun, relaxing, and we'll come home refreshed and rejuvenated.

So what's the problem? Why am I stressing this all so much? It all sounds like a win/win for everyone. But still I'm nervous. It probably has a little to do with the slight anxiety problem I have. But still, I'm nervous. I'm worried I won't get all the packing, cleaning, note-writing done that I have to do. I'm worried I'll forget to do something big. I'm worried I'll miss the girls too much and won't be able to handle being away from them for that long. I'm worried our travelling won't go smoothly. I'm worried our flight will get cancelled, our rental car reservation will get messed up, or our hotel won't be ready for us.

But most of all, and this I don't even want to think about, I'm worried something will happen to Skip and I. It's a scary, scary world we live in. Bad things happen to good people all the time. And I really, really don't want something bad to happen to us.

I know this is all silly. I'll get everything done. Our travelling may not go smoothly, but we'll figure it out. We'll miss the girls and they'll miss us, but we'll all get through it. I'm sure nothing bad will happen to us. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful, amazing time.

But still I worry.

Is this normal or am I a total freak?

Also, I've got a few posts scheduled for while I'm gone, so make sure to keep checking back as I doubt I'll be on social media much at all!

Toyota Highlander Hybrid

2013-05-25T00:21:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.

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Happy Birthday Buddy

2013-05-24T04:03:00.000-04:00

Today would have been Braddock's fifth birthday. I still miss my poor sweet boy all the time.

Here he is on his birthday last year.

If I had known it was his last I would have spoiled him a little more...bought him a few more toys....made him a special dinner.

I never thought he wouldn't live to see his fifth birthday.

I know he's just a dog, but I still miss him every day.

Hope you're having a birthday party in heaven Mr. B.

Thirty Miles in Thirty Days

2013-05-23T10:23:00.001-04:00

Time for another week with Nikki for 30 miles in 30 days!!

Thursday May 16 - 2 mile run

Friday - 2 mile walk

Saturday - Nothing

Sunday - Ripped in 30 level 2 {no miles}

Monday - Pushup and ab workouts {no miles}

Tuesday - Pushup and ab workouts {no miles}

Wednesday - 3.1 mile run

Weekly total: 7.1 miles

Monthly total: 39.1

I'm really disappointed with my total this week, but what can you do. I've been sick, suffering from bad allergies and have had a lot on my plate. I just have not been making workouts a priority. And unfortunately I know it's not going to get better this next week since we'll be away for most of it. I hope you've all been doing much better than I have!

Hope you're all logging lots of miles so far this month! Go link up with Nikki and boast your stats!

Little Bits

2013-05-22T09:20:00.000-04:00

- I'm tired and cranky and it's not even 9:00 am yet...this does not bode well for the rest of the day

- I have more to do than time to do it in the next few days. But instead of being productive I'm sitting here writing this worthless post.

- My bestie brought over some extra cannoli cake she had the other day. I may or may not be eating icing off it with a spoon right now.

- That along with the fact that I pretty much haven't worked out in a week means I'm not quite as bikini ready as I'd like before CA.

- Good thing it's only going to be about 65* while we're there, so I won't actually need a bikini anyway

- I'm totally embarrassed by the amount of clothes sitting on my bed waiting to be put away. But I can no longer see a giant spider that was in my room this morning, so that room is quarantine till further notice;-)

- My overall level of crankiness is way less than it could be though because of the warm weather. As long as it's above 80* nothing can bother me too much:)

- This year has been so craptastic {yes that's a word} and I'm over it. I'm determined to just be happy and make only good things happen for our family. This will be our best summer yet.

- Charlie and I are heading out on a missing to find white earrings...I didn't realize what a challenge that would be

- I'm wearing a $10 dress from K Mart to my cousin's wedding. It's fabulous though and I swear you would never know.

- I'm pretty sure 98% of my body is made up of coffee and Diet Coke these days.

- I'm so excited that a lot of the NJ beaches will be open for Memorial Day. We are Jersey Strong and will continue to rebuild from the devestating hurricane!

- None of this post is making sense anymore, so I'll just leave you with some pics of my sweet babes:) Happy Wednesday!

Prayers and Help for Oklahoma

2013-05-21T10:31:00.003-04:00

I am so so saddened by the terrible destruction and loss of life suffered by those in Moore, OK. So many people lost loved ones. Even more lost everything.

One of these is my friend from the blog world Heather. Heather's house was totally destroyed in the tornado yesterday. She has two young twin girls. Thankfully they are all fine and are able to stay with her parents. But everything they own is gone.

Thanks to the amazing hearts of two sweet ladies, a PayPal account has been set up to help Heather and her family with their most immediate needs and concerns. The Paypal sends the money directly to her, so you know every cent will help. If you feel the desire to donate, please just click the link below.

But most of all, we all need to pray for all of those affected by the storm. I pray that they find more survivors than victims. I pray they are all able to rebuild as soon as possible.

Our hearts are with your Oklahoma.

A Day in the Life

2013-05-20T04:03:00.000-04:00

I just love reading about "A Day in the Life" posts of other people, so I decided to one of my own. I have to say while it was a little tough remembering to constantly take pictures, it was so fun to document the entire day. I definitely want to do this a little more often {not for the blog but more to remember what I did with the girls}

A Day in the Life of Mommy Mandy - Friday May 17, 2013
I have about 4 alarms that go off between 6:00 and 6:30. I really love the snooze button.

Get the girls dressed.

Give them some milk and breakfast.

Drink lots of coffee.

Get myself dressed.

Ignore Charlie's tantrum over the bagel I gave her for breakfast.

Get the girls loaded up and take Emmy to school. {They hold hands every morning now...I melt.}

Charlie and I head to CVS to pick up some things for our trip to CA next week.

Come home and pay bills since it's payday!

Take a whole bunch of pictures of Charlie because she looks ridiculously adorable with her hair in a baby bun.

Browse Pinterest for some recipe ideas. I have to bring a dessert to my friend's house later.

Change into my workout clothes and go on a 45 minute walk with Charlie.

Come home and get back into my "appropriate for the outside world" clothes.

Head to the grocery store to pick up some brownie mix for my party tonight.

Grab a sandwich from the supermarket as well and eat it at 11:00. Morning workouts make me hungry!!

Play Doc McStuffins with this cutie.

Charlie and I get back in the car to go pick up Emmy from school.

Hit up Wendy's because it's Friday and been a long week.

Come home and feed the girls lunch.

Take a minute to load and run the dishwasher.

Enjoy some of my fountain soda...nectar of the gods.

Facetime with my mom from England!

Skip gets home early from the range!!

Put the girls down for naps.

Emmy got up before Charlie so while Skip was also napping, we had a little girlie time. Home-pedicures for the win!

Send texts to my baby sister {people used to think we were twins so we dubbed ourselves Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. She's Mary-Kate and I'm Ashley obviously}

Lay down and take a 20 minute power nap.

Complain about how I want to keep sleeping.

Watch Skip play outside for a few minutes before slaving away in the kitchen.

Make dinner {grilled chicken and tortellini with vodka sauce} while simultaneously making brownies.

Sit down and eat as a family.

I had to drop something off for my sister at my parent's house {which is just three blocks from me} so we took a little after-dinner walk.

Stop to pick some wishing flowers.

Get the girls settled on the couch with Skip for Friday movie night. {Toy Story 2}

Rush upstairs to quick shower and get ready to go to my friend's house.

Come downstairs for lots of snuggles and kisses with my girls before I leave.

Head out for some adult fun!

We had a dinner-making/video game party.
Good food and great friends!

Come home, hang out with Skip a bit and hit the sheets around 2:00am.

Phew! Everyday obviously doesn't look like this, but Friday was such a good, fun day...I'm glad I caught every moment!

What does a typical day look like for you?

Pretty Wicked Moms - When Did You Feel Judged As A Mom?

2013-05-19T12:58:00.000-04:00

I always thought that if I made it through middle school and high school relatively unscathed, then I made it through the hardest part of growing up as a girl. Little did I know just how wrong I was. Middle school girls have nothing on mommies.

With the creation of blogs, Pinterest, and Twitter, it's easy to feel judged sometimes. But that is still nothing compared to be judged by moms siting right in front of you. When Emmy was little, I decided to try out a mommy/kid play date group. None of my family or friends had kids and I was desperate for some adult interaction.

I found one online and was so excited when I signed up for our first play date. A woman who lived in the town next to me was hosting. I daydreamed of Emmy playing with other kids, tiring her out for bedtime, and me meeting some brand new best friends. After all, weren't we all just moms looking for a fun way to spend the afternoon?

The day of our play date came, and I dressed Emmy and I in jeans and t-shirts, grabbed my diaper bag, and headed out the door. Unfortunately I got a little lost, and so I was about 10 minutes late. Had I known what would happen, I should have just cut my losses and headed home.

The host opened the door to greet me and the first thing out of her mouth was that they didn't think I was coming since I was so late {it was 10 minutes people!} When I stepped into the playroom, I knew I was out of my league. Every mom there had on designer jeans and flats, and fancy tops that probably cost more than my electric bill. Their hair and make-0up were done impeccably. Now, I definitely wasn't dressed like a hot mess, but I was no where near as groomed as these girls were.

I set Emmy down to play with the kids and attempted some small talk. Obviously, everyone was talking about their kids {is there a better ice breaker?} Each of the moms were talking about all the activities they had to take their kids to each day: swimming lessons, music lessons, gym classes, some even in foreign language classes. You would not believe the shocked looks on their faces when I said Emmy just stayed home with me all day {she was just over a year at this point}. Apparently I was already stunting my kid's chances of getting into a good college before the age of two. Of course all of these moms had their kids potty trained before they were two, and no one would dare put anything that wasn't organic into their mouths.

With each new topic brought up, I felt more and more like a failure. It didn't help that all of the kids seemed to be sitting nicely, playing and sharing with each other, while Emmy was more of a running around free spirit. I'm pretty sure my face was beet red the entire time I was there.

I pretended to get a text and excused Emmy and myself to the host. We had only been there about an hour, but I had had more than enough. None of the other moms even said goodbye to me and I never went to another meet-up again.

I have never felt so mortified and judged as a mom. I'm sure that's the same way a lot of the moms in Lifetime's brand-new series Pretty Wicked Moms feel all the time! Birthday parties, working vs stay at home moms, feeding and sleeping habits, moms judge each other on just about everything. And these ladies are no different! Apparently it's not good enough to be the best mom you can be. You have to be the best mom everyone else thinks you should be!

Tune in to watch parenting like you've never seen before with the first episode of Pretty Wicked Moms on Tuesday, June 4, at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Lifetime.

Disclaimer: Mommy Musings aims to provide unbiased editorials. However, I wish to disclose that from time to time I may receive free products or other compensation from companies for blogger reviews.

30 Miles in 30 Days

2013-05-16T07:03:00.000-04:00

I'm excited to be linking up with Nikki again for 30 miles in 30 days!!

Thursday May 9 - 3 mile run

Friday - 2.5 mile walk

Saturday - Kickboxing workout {no miles}

Sunday - 2 mile run

Monday - None...needed a day off

Tuesday - 3 mile elliptical / 1.5 mile bike

Wednesday - 3 mile run/walk intervals

Weekly total: 15

Monthly total: 32

Not as great as I would like so far, but I am happy that I've already reached 30 miles and we're only halfway through the month! I'm gonna try and step up my game this next week before we go away though. I'm also going to try and get one run in while we're in CA, but we'll see.

I've also been working on my abs every day...have you?

Hope you're all logging lots of miles so far this month! Go link up with Nikki and boast your stats!

So What Wednesday

2013-05-15T11:00:00.001-04:00

I'm excited to be linking up with Shannon this week to say So What!
So what if:
- I've been great at working out but my eating habits are horrendous.

- We're leaving in less than two weeks for California and I've done nothing to prepare

- I'm more excited about going than sad about leaving my girls

- I'm constantly painting furniture and rearranging things in the house

- I buy all these cute clothes but still spend most of my time in sweatpants

- I'm dreading taking Emmy to a birthday party tomorrow. I have to bring Charlie with me...this will be interesting

- I'm still looking up houses for sale in Florida...I had to put the heat on yesterday! Not cool Jersey, not cool

- I'm way to excited about the fact that I figured out how to make a lot of the decorations for Charlie's birthday. I think they're going to come out really good...even for a non-crafty person like myself! Yay for saving money!

- I'm bummed I couldn't go stalk Prince Harry yesterday....A ROYAL WAS IN NEW JERSEY!! I'm just glad he's bringing awareness to the fact that lots of this area is still detroyed from Hurrican Sandy

- I have no idea what I'm making for dinner tonight...maybe a chef elf will magically make it appear!

Come join in the fun with Shannon!

Nuby Bedlight Buddy Review

2013-05-14T15:57:00.000-04:00

Charlie has always leaned more towards stuffed animals and toys than hard plastic ones like Emmy. So I knew that she would prefer to test out the Bedlite Buddy we received from Nuby.

According to Nuby:
The Bedlite Buddies are GREAT cuddle buddies. Their faces light up and sing when you hug them! They like to go to bed on time and get tucked-in. Bedlight Buddies are made of soft and colorful materials that stimulate your child's senses. The built in night lights brightens up the face, bringing a smile to your child.

The buddies come in either a bee, turtle, or frog, and we got to review the bee. I just love his little antennae!

This is truly an adorable toy. When you press on the stomach {or give him a hug!} the face lights up and it plays a song for about 30 seconds before turning itself off.

What I love most about this toy is that it doesn't just play one song. Each time your hug your buddy he plays a different song, such as “Hush, Little Baby;” “Rock-a-bye Baby;” Pachelbel’s “Canon in D;” “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star;” Brahms “Lullaby;” and “Frère Jacques.”

There is a hidden music box inside the buddy that you can access from a Velcro enclosure in the back. However, even if your child were to open the back, they can't access the batteries which I liked {Nuby does recommend all children under 3 only use this toy under supervision though.

Charlie loves this toy not only as we are snuggling up for nap and bed time, but also to play with during the day! Definitely a winner in our house!

If you want to get your own Bedlite Buddy, you can find them at the following retailer:
- K-Mart
- www.amazon.com

Also, make sure you are following Nuby at the following locations! You don't want to miss out on any of their great contests and giveaways!
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest

Disclaimer: As a Nuby Mommy Blogger, I received this item free of charge in order to complete my review. All thoughts, opinions, and pictures are my own.

One of those days...

2013-05-14T09:18:00.002-04:00

Some days, ahem like yesterday, can be really tough and trying. There aren't enough hours in the day...kids aren't listening...you just can't seem to shake your cranky moods.

But then there are the really awesome days. The ones that make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside when you think about them. The ones where you know you're rocking this motherhood thing.

Charlie and I started off the day with a pretty typical morning. We dropped Emmy off at school, went for a long walk, then came home to shower and get ready. I got a little more dressed up than normal, and my mom came over to watch Charlie while I headed to Emmy's school. They were having a special Mother's Day celebration and I could not wait to see it.

The whole class sang a special Mother's Day song and the kids presented us with sunflowers they had grown and a special sign they made.

It is always so fun to see Emmy at school, but this was even more special.

On our way home we picked up some "chicken and french fries" as a treat for the girls. Once we were done with lunch, we headed over to the local zoo for a little play-date with AP.

Sure Charlie screamed like she was being tortured and refused for me even to bring the stroller into the zoo. And it was nearly impossible to keep track of all four mobile kids while attempting to have a little bit of adult conversation. But it was one of those fun, relaxed play-dates that everyone leaves happy from.

Choo Choo!

In fact the girls had such a good time that they both passed out in the car before we had even left the parking lot.

When we got home it was dinner, and then Skip and Emmy headed out on a special daddy/daughter date.

She had been asking to go to a local carnival the firemen were putting on for days. So of course we had to bring her! I let Skip take her while I stayed home with Charlie {who was seconds away from the biggest meltdown in the history of the world}. I get to do so many firsts with the girls, so I wanted Skip to take her to her very first carnival.

And boy did she have fun. She rode a whole bunch of rides {all by herself!} Played a dart game and won a purple ball, and even brought some fried dough home for me! She was absolutely glowing over the whole experience.

I am so glad we all had such a wonderful day that day. It was one of those days I will hold in my memory for a very long time.

A Day for Me

2013-05-13T09:35:00.003-04:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday!! We as moms work so hard, always putting others first, and it's nice to have a day that those efforts are recognized.

If I'm being honest, I was kind of dreading Mother's Day this year. It is the first one without my MIL, and I knew it was going to be a really hard day for all of us. There was a decent amount of crying on my part on Saturday. But then Skip said something so wonderful that really put things into perspective. He said that we shouldn't be sad for his mom, since she was getting to spend Mother's Day with her mother in heaven...and what a wonderful gift that was. And while it was hard for the rest of us, we should just concentrate our efforts on those still here on Earth.

He's a smart one that boy;-)

Skip's wonderful mindset really helped put my mind at ease and help me and enjoy the day.

I was awoken at 10:30 {sweet!}. There was no breakfast in bed, since Skip knows how much I despise and early morning meal. I was greeted by some beautiful tulips {my favorite}, a few gifts, and the best card in the world...since Emmy wrote my name and signed it herself!!

Skip also told me that we would be going on a date night later on that evening thanks to my baby sister and her fabulous babysitting skills. Skip and I hadn't been on a date in a loooong time, so needless to say I was very excited.

For lunch Skip and the girls got me a bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel, and some delicious cupcakes {with a little help from Skip's best friend}

During the girls' nap time, I just relaxed and watched Harry Potter. My parents and sister stopped by for a bit in the afternoon so we could celebrate with my mom for a bit. We were also treated to a repeat performance of the Mother's Day song Emmy sang in school on Friday. {so glad my older sister got it on video!}

After they left I headed out by myself for a bit, and then went on a quick two mile run.

I took my time getting ready when we got home, and then Skip and I headed out to dinner and to see Gatsby.

Dinner was at my favorite little Italian place in town, and was delicious as always. We saw the movie in 3D and was really really good. Seriously, does Leo ever make a bad movie. I think not.

Overall it was a truly wonderful day. I felt so loved and appreciated. But I don't do it for the love or praise. I don't do it for any other reason that I love these girls with my whole heart.

I truly am so so blessed.

Bits and Pieces

2013-05-10T08:57:00.002-04:00

It's Friday!! It's going to be 80*!!! The girls and I have a fabulous play date lined up!! Today...today...is a good day and I'm going to savor every moment.

So for now here's a little recap of what we've been up to recently.

Emmy had a science fair at school a few weeks ago {omg how is my baby old enough to have a science fair?!?} It was all on water and Emmy talked about how things that sink in water are dense and solid. I die.

My sweet Tubby {yes we call her that...yes we're terrible parents} Living up to your nickname you recently ate a cupcake with no hands. I'm impressed to say the least.

I mean, who doesn't love a good cupcake?

Skip has been showing Emmy how to raise the flag every morning. Once a Marine always a Marine.

I finally got new glasses for the first time in about a decade. I don't hate them!

I tried to recreate my first Pinterest inspired outfit...I think it came out pretty good!!

Dirty kids in the sunshine...looks like spring to me!

I literally don't believe she's mine sometimes...how did my baby get so big?!?!

Who needs furniture when you have wood floors and a monkey?

This is hands down my favorite ice cream in the whole world.

Because of that fact, it's a good thing my running has been going pretty good these days. Nothing spectacular, but trucking along.

Not a bad view while running

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'll be back tomorrow with my thoughts on Mother's Day

30 Miles in 30 Days

2013-05-09T09:40:00.001-04:00

I'm excited to be linking up with Nikki again this month for 30 miles in 30 days!!

I'm really happy that I was able to do 59 miles in April. I really wanted to beat that and do at least 60 in May, but since Skip and I are going away at the end of May to California, I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull it off. I'm hoping to get in at least 40-50 miles though!

Okay so here's my breakdown so far.

Wednesday May 1 - 3 mile run

Thursday - 3 mile run

Friday - 3 mile run

Saturday - Ripped in 30 {no miles}

Sunday - Ab workout {no miles}

Monday - 3 mile run

Tuesday - 2 mile run

Wednesday - 3 mile elliptical

Weekly total: 17 miles. Not too bad for the week!

I've also been working on my abs every day...have you?

Hope you're all logging lots of miles so far this month! Go link up with Nikki and boast your stats!

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

2013-05-08T10:55:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I never really thought I liked hot or spicy things. I'm not exactly sure why I thought this, but I pretty much avoided them like the plague.

Enter college. Senior year, my roomie and I would go watch Monday Night Football in the senior pub with most weeks. They were always serving free wings while we were there. And there are few things that college students love more than free food. So I started eating them just because they were there.

Such began my love affair with buffalo chicken wings.

Since then it has grown so much that I want to try all things buffalo sauce. And none of that blue cheese crap to cool it down...the hotter the better.

So when I came across a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake, I knew I had to add it in to our meal plan. I adapted the recipe that I found here.

Ingredients
- one box of penne pasta
- Perdue frozen grilled chicken pieces {half a bag}
- 1 cup of Frank's hot sauce {or almost 1 1/2 cups if you're me}
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing {you'll want more if you don't like it super spicy}
- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350*

Cook and drain pasta

Pour the frozen chicken into a skillet, add the seasonings you want, and heat till warmed all the way through.

Mix hot sauce and ranch together.

In a separate, very large bowl {trust me on this one}, mix together the pasta, chicken, and half the cheese.

Pour the sauce on top and mix well.

Pour everything into a baking dish and cover with the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes, then enjoy!!

Depending on how hot you like your buffalo sauce, you can adjust the amount of hot sauce or ranch.

This was so delicious and will definitely be making it into our weekly meal rotation. It would be a perfect meal for football season as well!

Three Week Ab Tone-Up

2013-05-06T06:47:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: First off, I am in no way a certified fitness instructor. This are just some super easy moves that I have used for years and really think work! Also, it is SO HARD to use the self timer to take pictures of yourself while doing a workout...please don't judge my pictures!

Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, is only three weeks today. Which means we are only three weeks from bathing suit season!

Coincidentally, Skip and I will be in California that weekend, and you can be sure that I want to be in the best shape possible by then!

Now no, you can't have been eating whatever you want and not exercising at all since Labor Day, and expect to get in shape in a measly three weeks.

But you can tone-up the and make a bit of difference in your stomach area by then!

I've put together a little "cheat sheet" of some of my favorite ab exercises. What I love about all of these is that they are effective, and can easily be done while watching TV!

In order to help you all the best I can, I spent an embarrassing Sunday night using the timer on my camera to take pictures of myself doing each of the exercises. Most.awkward.thing.ever. But hopefully it will help!!

Do 25 repetitions of each move, except for the planks. Full plank you should hold for at least 30 seconds. Left and right planks aim to hold for 15 seconds. For a more advanced workout, repeat the whole workout twice.

Regular crunches:
Lay on your back with your knees bent and your arms behind your neck. Raise up only using your abdominal muscles. Hold for a beat at the top. Lower back down and repeat.

Reverse crunches:
Lay on your back with your knees bent and parallel to the floor. Arms behind your neck. Raise your knees up towards your head using your abdominal muscles. Lower back down to your starting position.

Crunches with legs flat on the floor:
This is the same move as a regular crunch. However, instead of keeping your knees bent on the floor, keep your legs straight throughout the whole move.

Leg drops:
Start with your back flat on the floor, arms at your side. Put your legs straight up in the air. Lower legs down to about a foot or so above the floor if you can. It can be very difficult so just try and lower them as low as possible. Return to your starting position.

Right oblique crunch :
Start with your left leg bent and foot on the floor. Cross your right leg over your left. Place your right arm flat on the floor and your left arm behind your neck. Crunch up and towards your right leg. Return to your starting position.

Left oblique crunch:
Same move as the right oblique crunch, but on the opposite side.

Double crunches:
Start with your legs bent and parallel to the floor and your arms behind your neck. Crunch up both your arms and legs at the same time. Return to the starting position.

Bicycle crunches:
Bend your left leg a and pull it towards your head. Keep your right leg straight and off the floor. Put both arms behind your neck. Crunch your right arm towards your left leg. In a continuous movement, switch your leg and arm positioning....like you're riding a bike.

Left side plank:
Hold the following position without moving for at least 15 seconds. If it is too hard to keep both legs up, you can place your left leg bent on the floor.

Right side plank:
Same as the left side plank.

Full plank:
Hold the following position for at least 30 seconds. As your abs get stronger, hold for as long as you can.

So who's going to join in on this easy to complete three week challenge? Take some before pictures and get to work! Since it's only three weeks, I highly recommend doing the challenge every day. I'll have a link-up going live on Tuesday May 28th to show off your progress!

Now go get crunching!!

Steals, Deals, and Some Blogging Love

2013-05-03T00:31:00.000-04:00

I always love when I see other people post about deals and whatnot that they find, so I thought I'd do a little of my own!

I'm sure most of you have already heard about Ebates. But here's the info for those of you who haven't yet. We all love to shop online right? Well who wouldn't want to earn cash back at almost every place your shop? You just sign into Ebates {and you get a $10 gift card when you sign up} and find the store you want to shop in. You click on it and just shop away! You earn different percentages back depending on the store. And every few months Ebates sends you a big fat check for the money you earned. Who doesn't love free money?!?

ThredUp is one of my new favorite sites both for shopping and getting rid of old clothes for the girls, AND NOW ME!! It is an online consignment shop for both kids and women's clothes. You order a bag, fill it with clothes you no longer want, and they will either give you a credit to the store or send it to your PayPal account. You can also just browse and shop used, but great quality clothes for you or your little one! If you use this link here to sign up, you will get $10 off your first order! You can also get free shipping on your first order with the code SHIPAPR13. Happy Shopping!!

Zulily is another one of my favorite places to shop. I just received one of Charlie's birthday presents from there today!! "zulily is fabulous! It's a new online store offering daily sales events on top-quality apparel, gear and other goodies for moms, babies and kids. We carry the best brands at the lowest prices. Members enjoy savings of up to 90% off retail prices. zulily loves to find deals on favorite styles, and we love introducing our members to exciting new brands, too."

Groupon is another one of my favorite sites! I love getting a discount on eating out, massages, manicures, and so many other things. I've gotten some great gifts for Skip under their product discounts as well. Definitely head over to Groupon and check out your city!

I have also decided that I would love to do a button swap with anyone who is interested! Just email me at mommymandymusings@yahoo.com and we'll work it out!!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

A New Tradition

2013-05-02T07:03:00.000-04:00

I've started a family tradition around here in the passed few weeks....Friday Movie Night. Every Friday, after dinner has been eaten and the dishes all put away, we all sit on the couch together and pick out a movie to watch.

Sure Skip is pretty much always working on Friday nights it seems, and Charlie will only sit still for about 20 minutes max, but it's one of my most favorite things recently.

Pouty faces

I love the routine of it, the simplicity. I love watching Emmy decide between two movies to watch, and her running commentary during the film.

It's such a nice way to unwind and relax at the end of the week.

I hope they always want to hang out with me on a Friday night!! And apparently Emmy agrees!!

Does your family do anything similar? Game nights? Reading nights?

Mom Tip

2013-05-01T07:03:00.000-04:00

Picture this scene:
It's late at night...
you're sleep deprived...
you hear a kid crying...
you stumble into their room and pick them up without thinking twice.

EXCEPT IT'S THE WRONG KID. You just woke up the sweetly sleeping child, while the other one continues to cry for you.

Now you have not one, but two kids up needed your attention.

And you have no one to blame but yourself.

Learn from my mistakes. Always check the monitor or listen at the door before you go in to check on a crying child. Always.

30 Miles in 30 Days - End of April recap

2013-04-30T10:29:00.002-04:00

It's the end of April, and I'm linking up one last time with Nikki for the 30 Miles in 30 Days Challenge!

This post covers all of the end of April, starting back on April 18th. Nikki gave us a few extra days to get in more miles!

I didn't really push myself as much as I would have liked. A lot of that had to do with my endoscopy and not feeling so great for a few days after. Also, there were a lot of days that Skip was working so I had to fit in a workout at home, and couldn't run.

So here's my breakdown for the rest of April:

Thursday 4/18 - 3 miles on the elliptical

Friday - 2 mile run

Saturday - Ab workout {no miles}

Sunday - Shred level 2 {no miles}

Monday - Kickboxing workout {no miles}

Tuesday - 2.5 mile run

Wednesday - 2 mile run

Thursday 4/25 - Endoscopy {no working out}

Friday - 2 mile run

Saturday - Ab workout {no miles}

Sunday - 2.5 mile walk

Monday - Strength training {no miles}

Today - Now, I haven't worked out yet today, but I do plan on running or hitting the elliptical and squeezing in a few more miles! But I'll just count what I have now.

Weekly mileage: 14 miles

April total: 56!!!!

I am really proud of myself for completing that many miles this month! Had I been keeping track the past week, I would have pushed a little harder to reach 60 miles. Hey, there's still time for me to get in 4 today!

I'm also pleased that I made a commitment to working out every day in April and only missed TWO days! The day of my endoscopy {obviously} and the day I was down in South Jersey for the day. By the time I came home I had a massive headache and just couldn't.

Nikki says we're doing this challenge again in May. I'll definitely be signing up to see if I can beat this month's miles. Come join in and see how many miles you can log!!

Random Musings

2013-04-29T09:00:00.002-04:00

It's Monday...raining...chilly...and I've been solo parenting all weekend....so a list is all you're getting today

- So I'm all recovered from my endoscopy, well almost. The actually procedure was so much easier than I thought it would be. But my throat has been on fire for the past few days. Doc says that's normal up to a week though...awesome.

- My doc said everything looked good, but they did take one biopsy. I swear there are few things in the world that can strike such fear in a person in just a single word. Biopsy being one of them. I get my results in about a week. Fingers crossed.

- I had to fast before my procedure. So obviously I was dreaming up all the different food I wanted once it was done. After much deliberating, I finally decided on ribs and onion rings...you know, the perfect post-endoscopy treat. I'm an idiot sometimes.

- We're going to be doing some re-configuring of things around the house coming up soon, so I spend most of my days mentally rearranging things. I'm trying to do this all as easily and cheaply as possible. I may lose my mind in the process.

- Four weeks today Skip and I will be lying on a beach in California. Four days in one of my favorite states with my man and some of our best friends, sans kids. I.cannot.wait.

- And I am focusing on the fact that I'm so excited so I don't totally freak out that omg I'm leaving my babies for four days and flying across the country.

- Emmy renamed half the icons on our computer. I have no idea how she pulled that one off.

- Even though it's still on the chillier side most days, and all I want to do is wear my sweats, I have been trying to branch out and really make an effort in the morning.

- This obviously has nothing to do with the fact that I got a hole in my favorite yoga pants and their replacement hasn't arrived yet.

- Charlie's second birthday is in only a few weeks!! I should really get moving on planning that.

- Every day I wake up and say this is the day I'm going to eat really healthy. And every day I eat some form of chocolate in the morning and laugh and how I ever thought I could start to like vegetables.

- Emmy has legit been sobbing the past two mornings when Skip goes to work. He was gone all day for a bachelor party Saturday, and had to work a double shift yesterday. Girl is dying for some daddy time tonight.

- There is all sorts of running going on over here recently. Which is good because I signed up to do a Color Run in Brooklyn in September. I'm so excited!

I do hate running up the hills in my neighborhood though

- My kid was literally licking her plate clean the other day. God I love her.

- Of course she then refused to eat anything for the next two days....toddlers.

- Speaking of Charlie, girl has hit the terrible twos hard. I'm not sure if either of us is going to survive.

Alright, I'm off to get a few things done before I get to go see Emmy's class science fair today. I'm so excited!

Hope you all survive this dreary Monday!

NJ All Day - A Cafe Press Review

2013-04-26T13:24:00.000-04:00

I've talked about my love of Cafe Press before. It is a company I have used for years and really believe in. Every product I have ever received is of the highest quality and I have been nothing but pleased.

As I said in my last post, I had a really difficult time trying to decide what to review this time. There were a few hoodies and sweatshirts I had my eye on, as well as a Marine Corps coffee mug for Skip.

But when I saw these pajamas, I knew I had to have them!! I mean seriously, how perfect are these for me.

Photo taken from Cafepress.com

The t-shirt fits me perfectly and I love that it is longer and contoured, not baggy like most pajama tops can be. It is made with 100% cotton. I washed and dried {in the dryer} this shirt several times. There has been no shrinking and the decal still looks as perfect as the day I got it in the mail.

The pajama pants are the perfect shade of pink, and so soft. They're warm enough for cold winter temps, but not so warm that I can't also wear them during the summertime.

My only complaint with the pants is that they were definitely too long for me. I'm 5'4 and I ordered the small {which is the smallest size they have}. They fit perfectly, except for the length. They are significantly too long for me.

But I just rolled them at the waist and have not had a problem with that.

I was wearing these pajamas when my best friend came over for a girls night last week and she kept raving about them. I have a feeling she's ordering a pair for herself!

So head on over to Cafe Press and browse around!! I know some of you expecting mommas will not be able to resist some of these custom baby onesies!

Disclaimer: I received a gift card to cover the purchase of these pajamas in order to complete my review. I received no other compensation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Don't Anger the Toddler

2013-04-26T07:03:00.000-04:00

I am hopefully spending the day resting after getting good news about my endoscopy. I plan on taking full advantage of an excuse to just lie around and relax for two days.

But I cannot leave you all without nothing, so I share with you a picture of the cutest grumpy face I have ever seen.

It's so sad that this girl has no personality;-)

I am not a pleasant person without caffeine

2013-04-25T11:17:00.003-04:00

I am anxiously awaiting to head out for my endoscopy today. I have been dreading this for months now, but at least it's finally here. I couldn't eat anything after midnight, could only have clear liquids from midnight till 6:30, and then nothing, nada, not even a sip of coffee.

The food thing I can do without, but this whole "no caffeine at all this morning" thing is killing me. I'm tired and have a massive headache...a real treat to be around, let me tell you.

And I know this isn't a big deal, and there are so many worse things I could go through than not being able to have coffee. But I'm so scared that they're going to find something really bad and so focusing on stupid little things help.

Anyway, while you're keeping me in your good thoughts {please!} head over to Melissa's blog!! I've taken it over today to talk about being a cop wife. Go check me out!

Mommy Musings

But Still I Worry

Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Happy Birthday Buddy

Thirty Miles in Thirty Days

Little Bits

Prayers and Help for Oklahoma

A Day in the Life

Pretty Wicked Moms - When Did You Feel Judged As A Mom?

30 Miles in 30 Days

So What Wednesday

Nuby Bedlight Buddy Review

One of those days...

A Day for Me

Bits and Pieces

30 Miles in 30 Days

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

Three Week Ab Tone-Up

Steals, Deals, and Some Blogging Love

A New Tradition

*Mom Tip*

30 Miles in 30 Days - End of April recap

Random Musings

NJ All Day - A Cafe Press Review

Don't Anger the Toddler

I am not a pleasant person without caffeine

Mom Tip