A post where I get to tell you about my love for Carter’s and my kids (maybe not in that order ) ~  sponsored by Carter’s.

There’s no doubt, being a mother is hard work.  You have your good days & your bad days.  There’s days when the wild antics of 3 kids can roll off my back like a bouncing ball, and then there are days when they drive me nuts.  The thing about being a Mom and having kids, even if you mess up, you get to start fresh the next day!  Your kids will always be your number one fans.  You can mess up, you can forget important things, you can send them to school with their socks turned inside out because you failed to wash more…and they’ll forgive you.  They are yours & I am theirs.  Forever.

You’re in their hearts & in their thoughts.  You are their caregiver & their comforter.  There’s no other job like it.

 Carter’s knows & respects the work Moms have to do, they feel Moms should be celebrated EVERY day.  In celebration of Moms everywhere, Carter’s is hosting 100,000 Ways to Celebrate Moms  Sweepstakes.

Here’s how YOU can enter:

Tell Carter’s why you love being a Mom and share a photo of you with your little (or big) ones for a chance to win!
To enter the Sweepstakes >>> go here!
 “Like” Carter’s on Facebook then enter for your chance to win $100,000, plus outfit your children for an entire year in the cutest Carter’s kids or baby clothes with a $5,000 gift card.
One grand prize winner: $100,000 plus a $5,000 Carter’s gift card
        Ten second prize winners: $1,000 Visa gift cards (total $10,000)
        Ninety third prize winners:  $100 Carter’s gift cards (total $9,000)
        You could also be one of 250 instant winners and win a Carter’s gift card valued at $10-$50.

 NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The Carter’s 100,000 Ways To Celebrate Moms Sweepstakes ends 6/3/13. Mothers, 18+, 50 US/DC/PR only. Go to www.facebook.com/carters for Official Rules/details and alternative method of entry instructions.

>>> Our local Carter’s store is my favorite place to shop for the twins!  To find a Carter’s store near you click here.

Carter’s is also offering a chance to win a $50 gift card here on Nest of Posies!  To enter use the rafflecopter box below!
Good Luck!

*This post & the Sweepstakes are sponsored by Carter’s, but all opinions are my own.  Please see below for additional disclosure.

Carter’s partnered with bloggers such as me to help promote Carter’s “100,000 Ways to Celebrate Moms” Sweepstakes. As part of the program, I received product or gift cards.  Carter’s believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words, and therefore did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products I used. Carter’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. The winner of any giveaway in this program will be randomly chosen and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

If you like reality TV, you’ll love this show!  It’s based in the South, as in Hot-lanta, with a group of rich, young moms, trying to keep up with their appearances, their Elizabeth Arden make-up,  who’s wearing what, & their social calendar!   All while raising their little ones & trying to stay married.  All of them of course having some issues with their lives, while judging all the others & their friends.  It’s she said vs. she said.   Some people might call it their guilty pleasure.  Here’s a sneak peek into the series of Pretty Wicked Moms:

When I thought about that, knowing it was something I would never talk about on my own, I almost declined.  But the truth is, we’ve ALL have experienced it.  Some more than others, some might feel they experience this all the time.  Being honest with the subject & all of you…it has certainly happened to me!

When I had my oldest, I was very eager to try to do all the things that the “first time mommy” does with their one & only child.  We did the playdates, we joined some mommy circles, we joined a little gym, we would meet other mommies at the park for lunch – etc.  All of that was pretty much a great experience at the time.  Being social & having playdates, I thought I was doing all the right things that I was “supposed” to be doing.  Fast forward about a year & a half later…I was pregnant with the twins.  For the record, I had a great pregnancy with the twins.  I carried them full term.  But I knew I needed to reduce my schedule & back out of many things that I had normally done with my oldest.  THAT’S when some of the judging started for me.  I knew in my heart I was doing what I needed to be doing for my pregnancy & for our family, but that didn’t make the questions  of  “What about Graham (my oldest)…what are you doing for him?” comments any easier.  Also, I had to decline many party invitations & events.  As we all know those 1st birthdays & all the other birthday parties are so important when you’re the actual mother of the said birthday child.  But the thing is, when you aren’t the said parent of the birthday child,  you realize you need to prioritize & pick & choose the outings you do take when you’re carrying twins.  It all became a social backlash on me & the decisions I was supposedly making for Graham.  I heard many times, “You’ve gotta make your mind up now, that you can keep doing all of this(?) for Graham’s sake.”  ”Graham will suffer from all these great experiences as a child, if you keep him away from social gatherings.”  Now of course, looking back at those comments, I can say those “friends” were just people.  They really didn’t matter.  But those comments sure did at the time!

Now truth be told, I don’t have a “full” social calendar, I’m a pretty simple mom, now.  Ever since the pregnancy of the twins, I have shied away from many invites.  My husband travels with his job.  He is typically home just 2 nights out of the week & I don’t have family close by.  So that leaves me, myself & I to run our household, take care of the kids, meals & all the other inbetweens.

So this is what it looked like when we would go out in the early days:

SUMMER is almost here!  Can you believe it?  We are in serious countdown mode for school to end, Summer to start & our vacation to begin!  I am so looking forward to the lazy days of SUMMER!

To celebrate Summer almost being here ~ 20 creative bloggers have gathered together to share THEIR favorite summer things under $50 AND we are each giving away the basket of our own Favorite Things!! How fun is that?!

 To view closer details and enter to win the other baskets, simply HOP on over to the links below, where you can also enter to win the giveaway on their sites.

You can enter to win ONE or all TWENTY, what ever looks fun to you.  There’s such a great variety from all the bloggers.  From fun crafty items, home decor, household, jewelry, beauty products and office supplies to snacks, bags, gift cards and so much more!  There’s a little fun for everyone!

1. Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke | 2. No Biggie | 3. Tatertots and Jello | 4. The Idea Room | 5. TidyMom | 6. Dine & Dish | 7. Skip to My Lou | 8. House of Smiths | 9. I Heart Faces | 10. Nest of Posies | 11. The Inspired Room | 12. Living Locurto | 13. 30 Handmade Days | 14. Picky Palate | 15. Today’s Creative Blog | 16. Live Laugh Rowe | 17. Snap Creativity | 18. My Baking Addiction | 19. Sweet Sugar Belle | 20. FoodieCrush

Here’s what to do:

• Take a quick glance at the collage above

• Scroll to the bottom of this post to see my giveaway up close with details of my favorite summer things

• Enter to win my gift basket using the giveaway widget below ($125 value)

• HOP to all of the other sites to enter to win their gifts and say hello!

Look around and enjoy the sites of the 2o creative bloggers–they will not disappoint!  Be sure to tell your friends!

I had so much fun putting my Summer favorites together!!!  All my regular readers know, I LOVE color & I think Summer is the perfect time to have or wear colorful things!

So here are my handpicked items:

Orange & white stripe jute carry all (beach or pool) bag :: Pantone Emerald Green Tribal Beach Towel :: Led light Luminary Lanterns (perfect for front porch sitting at night = my fave!) :: Colorful fringe bunting to celebrate Summer :: Sangria Ice Tea :: chevron pink paper straws :: Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Moisturizer :: Elle Pink Coral Nail Polish & Pink Coral Lip Gloss :: Colorful candles to celebrate the lazy days of Summer :: YES facial wipes in pink grapefruit (love these!) :: chocolate mint M&Ms :: Water balloons (or at least balloons for throwing water balloons, because Summer isn’t complete without a good soaking balloon fight!) :: mint & white stripe wallet :: my favorite Orbit gum :: $30 Starbucks gift card (for your favorite Summer drink) :: $25 Target gift card (not pictured)

Shopping for all these fun favorite things, put me so in the mood for Summer!  I can’t wait for it to be here!

TO ENTER:  Just use the rafflecopter widget below to enter.  Remember once you’ve entered here, there are 19 other bloggers giving away their favorite things as well!  Every giveaway is unique & each giveaway will be extremely easy to enter!

GOOD LUCK!!!

What’s your favorite smell of Summer?

For me it is, fresh cut grass, the smell of summer rain, a cookout happening in the neighborhood, the smell of fresh cut fruit coming from the kitchen, Coppertone Sunscreen & a seasalt breeze hitting your face.     Memorial Day has always been a big day in our family.  It’s my sister’s birthday & without fail my mom would pull out all the stops for her & the holiday weekend.   It’s the official begin to the Summer season & since my was a teacher, she always kicked it off in a big way.  ~~~ I love my memories of Summer growing up.  I could talk about them for hours because my parents made them so special for all of us!

But since we don’t have hours ~~~ and you’re here for some easy & fun things to do, here are links to some fun ideas that I’ve personally done throughout the years for the Summer holidays! (Yep, these links are all from this blog!  Some are really old, but great ideas all the same!)

 Easy & fun Patriotic Table Decor Ideas

Use cupcake liners to keep the bugs away & add a pop of color to your table!
(if you live in the South, you know what I mean, by keeping the bugs away!)

Make Patriotic Ice Cream Cones!  Done in a matter of minutes!

Sweet Blue Cream Ice Cream

How to take pictures of fireworks!

Homemade Ice Cream & fresh Summer berries ~ nothing better!

Make Watermelon Stars!
(this link will take you to the twins’ 1st birthday party.  an old post, with terrible photography skills, but to this day one of my very favorite posts!)

Here’s to a HAPPY & CAREFREE SUMMER!!!
xoxo

 this post contains affiliate links.

Every year about this time, my real life BFF & I start texting each other to see if either one of us have  found the perfect swimsuit  & coverup.    We’ve been doing this for 20+ years with each other.  We’ve been known to send pictures of swimsuits on racks, even while in the dressing room (she knows all my secrets) or even telling the other to completely avoid a certain store because they don’t allow for curves in any of their swimsuits.

You see, we can be brutally honest with each other.

We have definitely passed the “sugar coating stage” of our friendship since we’re 20+ years deep into this friendship.

For the record, I have lots of curves.

And rolls.

I get in the water a lot, but I also like my time under the umbrella with a drink in hand & a good mag or book.

But chasing after 3 kids on the beach while trying to look somewhat decent can be a challenge.  (Remember, I have rolls.)  For the past 3 years, I have had the slightly longer swim skirt cover up – that I POSITIVELY LOVED.  Well, that skirt has gone M.I.A. so I had to order another one, the one pictured above.  It’s a great wrap skirt made out of swimsuit material.   It’s perfect to wear over a swimsuit while swimming or going for a walk on the beach.  The other great cover up that I found was this  tunic dress.  I am loving it as well.  It’s easy & modest while you’re walking back & forth to your hotel or pool, and of course carrying a load of inflatable floats, 55 towels, buckets & shovels.  ~ I know you all know what I’m talking about.  Because we have ALL been there!

Here’s the links to some of my favorite MUST HAVES for the beach or pool:

Tunic Swimsuit cover up $34.77 - available in many colors

Swim Skirt Wrap Cover Up $49.00 – but worth it in my opinion.

Cork-y Metallic Gold Flip Flops – $6.00

Classic Natural Fedora Hat $9.99 – different color bands available

Classic Brown Aviator Sunglasses $5.50

Bossy Pants by Tina Fey $8.09

24 oz Cold Tumbler Glass with straw $7.99

We are in serious countdown mode to our Summer vacation & trying to get all the little details taken care of.  Here’s hoping I’ll look somewhat graceful & modest while chasing after my 3 on the beach.

]]> http://www.nestofposies-blog.com/2013/05/beach-pool-must-haves-for-the-curvy-mom/feed/ 6 http://www.nestofposies-blog.com/2013/05/beach-pool-must-haves-for-the-curvy-mom/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisBlessedNest/~3/sZ5EDj6SiKc/ http://www.nestofposies-blog.com/2013/05/spring-cleaning-a-3-month-maid-service-giveaway/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 00:23:44 +0000 Kellie http://www.nestofposies-blog.com/?p=7367

This is part 2 of a sponsored post from HomeAdvisor – where I get to talk about home maintenance, Spring Cleaning & sipping on sweet tea.
(Giveaway for the Maid Service is at the bottom of this post.)

Last week, I shared how HomeAdvisor can step in & help get things crossed off your list for your home with trusted pros in your area.  You see, HomeAdvisor has thousands of  pros in your area that can do the specific things your house needs for Spring cleaning  & the fun Summer months ahead.

I opted to get our house pressure washed, window & screens cleaned, our front porch & our large deck area cleaned.  They all desperately needed some attention & TLC!  I contacted the pros that HomeAdvisor sent over on their web page & discussed prices & job completion time, and picked the one I felt best met our specific needs.  We set an appt time & they showed up & immediately went to work.  All of the men saying “yes ma’am” when I spoke or asked a question.  (Now that may just be a Southern thing, but I’m sharing this, because it really did happen.)  They had their entire team working on our house to get it done.  Can I just say, there’s something about getting things done that have been on your list for-ever that makes you appreciate your house like you did when you first purchased it.

I love details.

 I love it even more when people you hire pay attention to details.

You know, cleaning windows is not my favorite thing to do.

At all.

So when you have a group of pros cleaning your windows, washing all the nooks & crannies of your house while you’re sipping on sweet tea – it’s a heavenly experience.  I can assure you!

To find a trusted pro in your area just click on the button below to get started!  It’s that easy!

They have a trusted pro to meet your needs!

And don’t forget about the recommend Spring Cleaning Tips that I discussed in last weeks post to help maintain your home’s needs.

>>>The other good news about this post, is that HomeAdvisor is giving away 3 months of maid service on their FB page!<<<  

Um, that’s like my ultimate dream!  All you have to do is search their site to see how much a maid service costs in your area & fill out the short form & you’re entered, just click here to be taken to the entry form on the giveaway page.  Giveaway ends May 16th!

*This is part 2 of 2 sponsored posts written by me on behalf of HomeAdvisor.   All opinions are 100% my own.*

When given a choice, I’ll take the carbohydrate dish every time.

I love breakfast food.  It’s my favorite meal of the day.

Starting my day off with all those glorious carbs along with my morning coffee, makes me one happy person.

I typically eat my breakfast after I drop the kids off at school.  So I usually come back & nuke (microwave) a serving size of oatmeal for 3 minutes & add my favorite toppings.  I had this idea the other day, and I’m sure it’s been done several times before, but it’s new to me & I absolutely love it.

• To make Banana Split Oatmeal:
• Make your regular serving size of oatmeal on the stove top or in the microwave.
• Add about a tablespoon of butter (of course)
• Add 1 banana
• Add fresh cut strawberries on top of your banana
• Top with Low Sugar Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup

If you like your oatmeal to have a creamier base, you may add your normal milk, cream or yogurt to the oatmeal before you add your toppings, and I can assure you it will taste just as good as the above.

It’s like dessert for breakfast & that’s always a good thing!

A post where I get to talk about maintenance on an older home & trying to keep up with the Kardashians life.  Sponsored by HomeAdvisor.

If you’ve been a reader of this blog for a while, than you know we live in almost a 100 year old small home.  Most people wouldn’t give it the time of day if they passed it on the street, but for me – it’s our castle.  It’s where we as first time homeowners were thrilled to cut our own grass for the first time & smell that smell of our grass being cut, because it was ours!   It’s where we actually own trees, roots, flowers, hardwood floors, bedrooms, bathrooms, all the things that makes a house a home.  We.actually.own.them.  Those first time feelings of being a homeowner, nothing can compare to them!  It’s an awesome feeling!

Then…

Babies happened.  They even happened so fast they multiplied & we got the two for one special.  And suddenly the house you love  & everything you thought you could do to it, you can’t.  Things go undone, because life is happening.  Regular maintenance on your home doesn’t happen because you’re too busy changing diapers, teaching the abc, or you are just too tired to do anything extra because life is flying by.

That’s where HomeAdvisor can step in & help you get accomplished everything you need to do for regular maintenance on your home.  Or if you’re finding you need to add on, because you got the two for 1 special when they were handing out babies, HomeAdvisor can help you with that as well!

HomeAdvisor will help you find trusted home improvement pros.  Their site is very user friendly & is area specific.  So you can just do a search of things you need to get done to your home & HomeAdvisor will give you names & numbers of pros in your area.  They even have a cost guide research function that will aide you in determining the costs for your area.  For added convenience they have regular or suggested maintenance checklists you should do for your own home.  Here is the list for Spring:

For the record we have barely touched the surface of this list since we’ve moved into our home.  But we are in desperate need of power washing, window cleaning and deck spraying.  The very front of our exterior received a face lift last year, but the rest of the house is extremely dirty & oh so gross.  I honestly cannot wait to have the entire house pressured washed & have sparkly clean windows!  After searching & discussing our needs with the pros in our area, I was pleasantly surprised how I could use the cost guide function & determine about the amount of money we would be paying out based on the services that will be provided.  After arranging schedules & trying to predict our crazy weather, I have an appointment with a local pro to come & make our house all shiny, sparkly & white.  Woot!

Whether you have something simple or big or just need some of the above Spring Maintenance issues taken care of  HomeAdvisor can help you find a trusted professional in your area!

*This is part 1 of 2 sponsored posts written by me on behalf of HomeAdvisor.  I am sharing my personal home experiences to share about HomeAdvisor and the services they provide.  All opinions are 100% my own.*

This post contains affiliate links.

Sometimes, you can’t help but think about the dear ol’ Dads trying to scramble to get “just the right” Mother’s Day gift for the wife.  I realize I don’t have many male readers, but you ladies could always direct your husband here  - or text this picture to him to give him ideas.  :)  That’s what I do – text a photo & talk about it non stop until hopefully, it’s mine.  ;)

I’m a practical wife.  I don’t require jewelry for gifts or items I’ll rarely ever use.  I want something that I’ll use, but that’s fun & out of the normal, that I wouldn’t purchase for myself.  So I’ve complied a few things that I think most Moms would love to have, if they don’t have already!

Kindle Fire HD Tablet $199.99
Fuji Film Instant Camera $105.95
Beach Umbrella 8 ft. with 50+ SPF
Lawn Adirondack Chairs (in many color choices) 
Yellow Keurig Coffee Maker
Kcup sampler coffee pack
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker (in many color choices)
Ice Cream bowl set

Now trust me, I don’t always want an “appliance” as a Mother’s Day gift, but if it’s something I would use & a fun color – you betcha!  Also, if by some small chance my husband offers to take me on a trip, in lieu of a gift…well, you better believe I would gladly take the trip!

Hint Hint, dear ol’ husband of mine.

p.s.  YES!  there’s still time to order these gifts!  especially if you selected 2 day shipping!  so hurry.

Please know this will give you a major brain freeze.

You’ll want to get all of that homemade Magic Shell in your mouth before anyone steals a bite from you.

At least…that’s the way it is in our house.

Or if you’re like me, you’re sneaking in the pantry trying to eat one really fast, so no one else will see you, or ask for a bite.

You can find popsicle molds everywhere right now, but I found the best deal at Amazon for a tray that will make 10!  Those 10 popsicles will last about 2  1 day in our house.

All I do is:
*Layer a spoonful of regular or Greek yogurt.  (whatever I have on hand…strawberry, vanilla etc)
*Add fresh fruit – again whatever I have on hand.
*Add & fill up with more yogurt.
*Freeze.

To make the delicious homemade Magic Shell topping, I use Cindy’s recipe found here.  It’s an awesome combination that is already a regular in our house & I’m sure will be throughout the summer months.  I will also add, knowing exactly what is going into these popsicles & in my kids’ mouth (and mine) gives me a little more piece of mind as well.  They truly are delicious, healthy and extremely easy to make.  Plus if you’re using Greek yogurt – there’s protein in them!  Woot!  Can’t beat that!

For a Patriotic version of a homemade popsicle visit my friend Melissa’s Blog, for her Red, White & Blue Jello Pudding Pops.

Linking with:

Tatertots and Jello, Tidy Mom, I Heart Naptime, Tip Junkie, Today’s Creative Blog, 30 Handmade Days, Home Stories A to Z