April Showers brings May Whirlwind!

So far, this has been a whirlwind of a month...and we aren't even halfway there! We have been loving the warm weather. Zoo,pool, playground - you name it and we are there. Little miss V is still all about the accessories, as you can see in This very fashionable ensemble worn for the playground 

One of my greatest joys is dressing these living dolls up for events.That is probably way lame to hear for most of you, but as a fashion loving woman still struggling to wrangle into my Pre-preggo clothes (and stubbornly refusing to believe that my 16 years old abs are just a distant memory), dressing the girls is a delight because everything fits and exposed chubby thighs are considered cute, not repulsive.

The girls and I went to a KY Derby party and got all dolled up. We didn't win best dressed, but I think we looked pretty darn cute. Also, I won $6 for betting on Orb! My first gambling success!

Since quitting my job, the girls are loving getting to see The Knight more. He works strange hours and is training like a crazy person for the full Ironman, but he is home a good bit during the day. Vivi is definitely a daddy's girl, and getting to ride on his knee on his "tractor" is a prized spot for both girls these days! 

On Monday, I celebrated my 32nd birthday. While I didn't celebrate in as an over the top fashion in the past, it was really lovely. The Knight brought me flowers, shooed me out the door to go get a much needed pedicure (thoughtthenail tech was gonna have to bust out the drill and sander!) and then took me to dinner at shee shee poo poo restaurant called Acre with drinks afterward at the Grove Grill. We hadn't been on a date since before Valentines Day, so it was long overdue! Funny thing is that I was actually a little nervous, despite the fact that we have been together for 11+ years! I guess he still gives me butterflies. :)

I'm super pumped about out veggie garden! I've planted three different kinds of tomatoes (beefsteak, cherry, and a lovely purple heirloom), butternut squash, pole beans, and cucumbers. Fingers crossed the squirrels/dogs/toddlers let it thrive!

Speaking of pests, Henry has been slowly killing my rosebushes with his daily rear leg salute and shower. I decided to use some leftover bricks, mulch, and river rock to fashion a little garden and create some distance from the grass to the plants. It turned out pretty cute, and so far, it seems to be working!

Last night, I had a slumber party for a few girls who are daughters of my work friends! I felt like such a little girl planning this, I was giddy! We had required slumber party fare (pizza and cookie dough ice cream), we played Twister and an all-girl tween appropriate version of spin the bottle, and watched Pitch Perfect! I think the girls had grand plans to stay up all night until I reminded them that Coco and Vivi get up at 6:30!  Thankfully, we were all tucked in with lights out by midnight. 

Coco LOVED playing with the big girls. She was so cute! She patiently waited her turn when we were playing spin the bottle, and had some of the best dance moves!

The Knight is going to complete a full Ironman soon, and I am equal parts proud and terrified. 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and then a full marathon-I'm exhausted just thinking about it. He has trained and trained (and looks HOTT!). I'm going to take the girls to his parents' house and join him in Houston to cheer him on. So so stoked to have  some alone time with him and be there to cheer him on!

I'll hopefully update soon. Neon the lookout. For a great giveaway very soon!

It may be April, but Halloween is just around the corner! AFS reviews costumes for the whole family!

When it comes to pretend and dress-up, Vivi is definitely more of a princess, and Coco is more adventurous.  Vivi deliberately puts on bracelets before we head out the door, demands to wear a tiara and pearls to bed (which I have to sneak off once she dozes in my arms), and it is not uncommon to see her teetering around the house with a little purse on her arm.  Coco, on the other hand, prefers lurking in corners and "scaring" Mommy with her monster hands, growling and roaring like her favorite animals and brandishing her royal scepters and wands with more a sword-like flair.  Currently, they are 15 months and 2.5 years respectively.  I can only imagine what crazy roles I will have to play in the near future as their pretend play increases!

I was so flattered when Costume Discounters asked me to do another review for them.  Keeping my girls in mind, I was thrilled to discover a cute trunk chock full of fun Wizard of Oz costumes which my girls can play with either as suggested by the story, or in whatever concoction they dream up.  

For $29.95, the cute little blue and white check trunk is full of fun little costumes for Dorothy, Glinda, and the Wicked Witch!  Even the accessories were included - from blue ribbon for Dorothy's pig tails, red glitter shoes, a fabulous crown, scepter, and pearls for Glinda, and an awesome cape and spider necklace for the Witch!

Here is C in all her Dorothy glory:

Here are C and two of her buds modeling the box's contents (plus a few added accessories of their own - Who knew that the Wicked Witch plays the maracas? But you get the idea!)

This picture is a little blurry because I was laughing so hard...when I told C she needed a little dog in a basket, her response was to grab the shopping cart and big brown puppy dog.  I guess I need to show her the movie so she knows about the real Toto!

Of all the surprises in the box, these red shoes make a near daily appearance in our home.  They may have also gone with us to the grocery store, story time, and to the hardware store.  I kind of want them in my size too. :)

       

The one odd thing about the costumes is that the sleeves are detached from the bodice of the costumes.  I guess this makes it more adjustable for more sizes and ages, but it does take a little longer to assemble each costume because of that.  Just FYI. The fast and careful shipping was also nice, which I always appreciate.  Follow @CostumeDiscount on Twitter, and feel free to check them out on Facebook too!  In short, this would be great for Halloween, or even a birthday gift for the dress-up or Oz loving child!  

Totos and tiaras,

AFS does SAHM

Well, I made the leap. In case you didn't see the Facebook posting about a month ago, I bid adieu to the life of a trial attorney and said hello to my children. This decision has been in the works for a long time, but this past fall, I was finding myself more and more unhappy, unfocused, and unfulfilled at my job than I had ever felt before. I was under a lot of stress and although my reviews and evaluations at work were very good, my self assessed evaluations on the home front were not so favorable.

After many talks with the Knight, my boss, and God, I decided to hang up my briefcase and pull out the jogging stroller. I couldn't ignore the tuggings on my heart and my desire to raise my girls and care for my husband any longer. After one month, my review on my new career is resoundingly positive. I'm loving getting to see my girls all day, every day. We can just hop on over to the zoo, make a pile of stuffed animals on the floor for an impromptu snuggle fest and talk about the difference between a butterfly kiss and an eskimo kiss without me anxiously checking my phone for emails and stressing about all the deadlines and tasks on my digital to do list have turned red bc they are way overdue.

Selfishly, I feel better, I'm more well rested and I love not having to make the mad rush in the morning with the girls - bags and meals for daycare, get girls dressed, get mommy dressed, breakfast, feed dogs, briefcase, possibly another change of clothes after breakfast, load up car, lock up, forget that vivi's out of diapers so stop and buy more, and we're still not even to daycare yet! Let alone work! So yeah...eliminating that has been pretty much amazing. The Knight is thrilled that he gets to see his family more now too, since he has such a weird schedule which prohibited us from getting to spend most evenings and the majority of the weekend together when I was working.

As a woman in America, I truly believe you can "have it all" but for me, I think that the second part of that saying is "not at the same time." I will keep my license active and I'm still doing contract work for my firm, but this girl doesn't plan to go back into the legal corporate world any time soon. I know the saying is "home is where the heart is" but I must say, my heart is so glad to finally be home.

Whole milk and whole hearts,
AFS

Knock Out Your Valentine’s Day Shopping in One Swoop

Shutterfly Sponsored Post - Knock Out Your Valentine’s Day Shopping in One Swoop!
Photo books make great gifts for loved ones

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’re constantly on the prowl for that elusive expression of love, gratitude or thoughtfulness to top them all. If your idea of the perfect gift involves love, laughter and memories, then creating a photo book is the answer. Whether you are a detailed planner or last minute shopper, photo books make it easy to find gifts for those you hold dear.

With options to customize a photo book to your desired preferences or use existing templates designed for a large selection of styles, occasions and color palettes, finding one for each person on your Valentine’s Day list is a breeze. Simply upload photos from your smartphone or digital camera – some retailers let you access photos from your Facebook and Instagram accounts – and arrange them on the pages of the photo book to tell a story or provide a photo journey through many of life’s amazing events, such as a birthday, anniversary, vacation, etc.   

Just a few ideas to help you get started include:

·         Expecting –For Your Spouse: You fell in love with your child the moment you found out you were expecting. Arrange all those photos showing mom’s growing belly, along with newborn photos for a gift sure to be treasured for years to come.

·         Babies First Year – For Grandparents, Godparents and Parents: From newborn to infant to toddler, your baby reaches many milestones in his first year – rolling over, sitting, crawling and more. Additionally, they experience a great number of firsts: first tooth, first haircut, first Christmas, and so much more. With cameras aimed at baby all year, you’ll have plenty of photos to make Baby’s First Year: Part 1 and Part 2.

·         First Grade, Second Grade, etc. – For Your Parents: Children learn and grow by leaps and bounds. From the first day of school, to holiday crafts and school plays, compile their year in pictures for all to enjoy.  

·         Annual Family Vacation – For Your Kids: Each year you set out on a journey to discover new things, relax and enjoy time together as a family. No matter where you go – camping, surfing, overseas – what better way to capture your annual vacation than with a photo book?

·         Wedding – For Your Spouse: From the engagement party and bridal shower, to the wedding and reception, capturing these once-in-a-lifetime celebrations in a beautifully crafted book is sure to be cherished for years to come.

·         Milestone Anniversary – For Your Spouse or Parents: Whether the tenth year of marriage or the fiftieth, chronicling the years of marital bliss are a great way to share memoires with a loved one.

·         Any special event – From birthdays and graduations, to promotions and holiday parties, capturing any type of celebration in a photo book is a great way to relive the moment.

Wherever there’s a camera or smartphone to seize the moment, whether to commemorate a particular event or just an extraordinary way to present memories, photo books are not only great gifts, but a great way to remember life’s greatest milestones and every day moments. 

Heather Hewitt is a seasoned writer who enjoys connecting people with thoughtful products, services and ideas as they relate to crafting, photography, gift giving and personal expression.

An interesting insight on being a true shopaholic

I write on here a lot about shopping, sales, great finds on etsy, etc. I love to shop for myself, my children, my friends, my family...I am a Taurus, and even though I don't put a lot of stock in horoscopes, I do love comfort, security, and material things.  I guess I come by my shopaholic nature, well, naturally.

I often joke about how I have my debit card number memorized, and how the Knight starts sweating when I show him how much I "saved."  I hope you know that such comments are in jest.  Although it would be lovely to have access to a Hilton-esque trust fund, I am actually quite thrifty and (most of the time) stay within my "fun money" budget.  We try very hard to follow the advice of Dave Ramsey, live beneath our means, eliminate debt, save for emergencies, retirement, and our girls, and would you believe that the only credit card we have is truly "frozen" in a block of ice.  So, we actually have to thaw it before we use it...talk about the chilling effects of credit card debts!  Ha!

I guess I am divulging this because I do think about my love for shopping and what kind of message that sends to my girls.  I do love showing C the little packages I get in the mail for her.  Just a couple of nights ago, I showed her a pair of flip-flops that came in the mail for her for this summer, and it melted my heart when she clapped her chubby hands and exclaimed "Thank you, mama!"  Despite my urge to give my children everything, I want to teach my girls that the ability to buy nice things come as a result of hard work, and also that, while nice things are nice, acquring such items is not a proper elixir for dealing with troubles and should not be used to measure self worth.  I desperately want their treasures to be heavenly.

When Allison asked me if I would be interested in sharing a graphic about the "cost" of being a shopaholic, I was intrigued. It is sobering, to say the least, and I thought it was very interesting.  I can identify with some of the statistics, and think it is good to keep in mind a) how incredibly blessed and comfortable we are and b) how powerful and destructive even an innocent 'addiction' can be:


Infographic brought to you by www.OnlinePsychologyDegree.net. 

sober shopper,

Will you be my Valentine?

Today, the Knight called me at work with a simple request, "Will you be my Valentine?"  This is the man who, just the night before, was doing middle school cheerleading jumps with me and laughing at with me while I attempted to do a backbend and the splits (conclusion...just because you can do something, doesn't necessarily mean that you should.  Ouch!).  Anyway, how could I say no?  So, we are doing something for V-Day, but I have no idea what.  Hopefully it will involve wine, adult conversation, and maybe even a little neckin' in the backseat (the two carseats might make that part difficult!  ha!).

Speaking of sweethearts, recently, I won a giveaway on a blog for a very cute heart banner from an even cuter friend!

Rachel and I are friends from college (and a fellow Sister of Joy) and she has the cutest blog.  You can check it out here.  I never win anything, so I was so stoked to find out a sweet piece of glittery goodness was coming my way.  Can you believe she made this?  I can see this banner easily being used at baby showers, bridal showers, even part of the decor for a funky vintage boho tea party.  Currently, it is adorning Coco's window.  Every night, we point at objects around the room and identify shapes.  C always points to this as the heart.  Thanks Rach!

Have you been Etsy'ing lately?  Be still my heart.  There is always so much amazingness on there, my husband and my checking account both shiver with nervousness when I get on there.  Here are a few of my favorite Valentine inspired items:

Valentine Men's Gifts, Gift For Him, Guy Gifts, Stud Hanger

Valentines Headband with Red and Pink Hearts

Children at Play - On Parade Flutter Dress 6 months to 6T

Hand woven wool and leather Brittany ballet flat shoes

tender love,


P.S. Need an awesome (and free) valentine?  Check out these gorgeous printables on seeingjoy.com.  Beautiful and perfect for all ages.  :)

Free Valentine Photo Shoot and a WORTHWHILE cause!

If I didn't make my admiration for Jessica of Jessica Risinger Photography here, then I don't know how to better say it.  She has a heart for God, and is a fantastic photographer, to boot. For the past several years, she has hosted a pajama drive event which provides needy children with snuggly pjs and bedtime books for the Pajama Program.  This year her event is even more exciting!

Here's a pic she took of C at 9 months for this same event 2 years ago!  Sniff Sniff.  What an angel. 

But I digress...mama's privilege. :)

 What?  A FREE mini photo shoot that shouldn't be missed. This is a great time to get photos to make Valentine Cards, or bring a Grandparent along for a quick and fun photo with their Little Valentine Sweethearts! Donations benefit the Pajama Program (www.pajamaprogram.org). 

When? Next Saturday, February 9th, with time slot availability from 12-2 p.m.

Where? City Hall Cheesecake, 114 N. Main Street, Collierville, TN (Added bonus: City Hall Cheesecake is offering an amazing special during this event. Buy one slice of cheesecake, get one FREE!)  

How does this work? Basically, you bring as many new pjs and books for kids that would like to donate.  I went to Target and raided the clearance section and got tons of cute pjs in all sizes.  Bring your donation for the Pajama Program (www.pajamaprogram.org), and earn a $10 Gift Card to Jessica Risinger Photography for each pair of new pajamas or book you donate. Then use your Gift Cards on any of Jessica's products...Gift Prints, Custom Valentine Cards, etc. from this session. There is no limit on donations. The more you bring, the more Gift Cards you get!

Where do I sign up?  You can reach Jessica via her website here, her Facebook page here, and while you are at it, why don't you check out her blog here?

If you would like to attend, please request a TIME SLOT and Valentine Minis PRICE GUIDE from Jessica. For a heart warming video about the Pajama Program, check this video out!  

Sweet tarts and sweeter hearts,

P.S. I can't remember if I ever share Jessica's sweet blog about our photo shoot, but here it is!  My favorite part is C's mad balancing skills on the rocking horse.  Yeah, she's pretty much ready for the circus. :)