zzzquil

Influenster sent me a pack of zzzquil to try. Gotta say, it worked pretty well. I didn't wake up too drowsy, but it put me to sleep quickly and I stayed asleep through the night, something I sometimes struggle with. I'm not sure how it compares with price to benadryl or unisom, but at least I know it works just as well, if not better. Got a good 9 hours of sleep, something this mama of 3 little ones needs every once in a while! Now we're up and ready for the day and I feel good and rested!

Thanks, Pampers!

So I signed up for Influenster, a website that sends you free stuff and then you review it :) I got a few Pampers diapers to try out for Reidboy. He pees SO much at night that I was desperate to try anything so this came at the right time! They sent us 3 free diapers, and I must say, they are pretty decent! I would've sized up (they sent us size 4) because he just pees so much, but they held a lot longer than the other disposables we've tried (cough:: target::cough)

Influenster

I got my first influenster box in June, which was full of awesome products I'd never heard of. I was disappointed that mine was missing a product so I wasn't able to try it, but the stuff I did get was awesome. Who doesn't love pampering products (the mask and shampoo!) and Red Vines?! I really wish I was able to try the SkinFix butt cream because I've got 2 kids in diapers so we go through a lot of cream!


The Uncle Bens was a new product for me but I love their other stuff and it did not disappoint. What an easy and delicious side dish! Same with the fries, though I was skeptical of their potential to be crispy. I can't wait to get another box sometime down the line and try new stuff!!

Attitude

I received a free bottle of Attitude shampoo from @influenster to try. I wasn't sure about this, because I have thick, frizzy hair and it's tough to find shampoo that cuts through all that hair, strips away the product, but doesn't leave it dry or frazzled.






But I was pleasantly surprised by this shampoo. It smells decent and doesn't make my hair greasy or dry. Just... normal :) The price was right, the smell was right, and it's a keeper!
@ATTITUDEliving and @Influenster  #ATTITUDEatTarget

Motion Sickness

If you know me, you know I get motion sick. Like, really really easily. As in, I rolled with my child down a hill and horked at the bottom. Needless to say, I've tried a lot of meds to help this. From Benadryl to sea sickness patches, from bracelets to essential oils, from all kinds of meds to Zofran, I've tried everything. But these new Dramamine naturals with ginger were, well, effective. I was able to ride rides at the amusement park, ride in the back of a car, and even do a couple of spins. Amazing!!! Adding this product to my must haves!

f'real®

f'real®
I won coupons for free F'real milkshakes, and I was pretty surprised at how good they tasted. You pick your flavor and then it blends like a blizzard right there for you, in the gas station. You all know how much I love couponing so when I signed up for Smiley360, I knew it was just another way to get free things! This was my most recent, but I've also gotten hair conditioner, face wash, etc. It's awesome!

Oh, my!

Let's just skip those 3 months I disappeared, mmmkay? Between the hubs working 60 hours a week and me wrangling 2 small children who can only survive by mauling me daily, we've had a lot on our plates! As if I don't like my life busy enough, a couple months ago, I added a new title to my resume, "Independent Consultant for Thirty-One Gifts." As Joel sees it, I'm a bag lady. Whatever. Ok, I like bags. A lot. But I also like to be organized, which is really what made me fall in love with this stuff. Their home organization line is awesome for keeping all my shelves, closets, beds, and bookcases clean and organized. Laundry too!

Joel has finally been able to take some time off work, and with 2 mobile children, we've needed to get a new game plan. Life is chaotic, and while we love it, it can be stressful. So instead of bogging you down with the past few months of stuff, I'll recap in pictures. Then you'll be all caught up!

 

 

Product Rave

I know I've mentioned Skinny Taste here before, but once again, she blows my mind. Not only are these recipes absolutely delicious, but they are healthy too! Most of them contain vegetables in a way that you'd never think to use them or imagine that they would work. But each time, I go for it and I've never been disappointed.

My newest attempt was this recipe. It's a meatloaf cupcake with mashed potato frosting. I did not pipe the frosting like she did, I just plopped a spoonful on top and spread it around. But man oh man, these rocked. With lean hamburger, 1 cup of zucchini, and bread crumbs plus spices, it's very simple.

I made some bread crumbs a couple weeks back using some whole grain bread that was on the verge of going bad. That was equally as easy. Cut it into chunks, bake it for 10-12 minutes or until it's hard, let the pieces cool, then throw them in the food processor until they are crumbs. Store them in the fridge in an air tight container. It's so great to have a homemade and natural alternative to packaged breadcrumbs with unnecessary additives. But  back to the meatloaf.

So you mix the loaf ingredients together and put them in cute little tin foil cups, baking for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes. After mashing the potatoes, add some yummies. I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream (they taste very similar!) to sneak a little more protein in the recipe, and added the milk, broth, and butter. Then put on top of the cupcakes and serve.

It was really very easy. The best part? Less than 300 calories for 2 cakes. They're even husband and toddler approved, as both thought they were tasty.

I really should start taking pictures of the process, but hers are always better and I want to make sure the recipe is a success first!

GiGi is 85

This past weekend we celebrated my wonderful Grandmother's 85th birthday. We went out for a nice dinner (without kids!), had some cake, ice cream, and wine, and played some card games to celebrate.

Some things I love about my Grandma Lil:

• She is an old farm girl and is still very frugal.
• Her freezer is full of yogurt containers, washed and refilled with single servings of leftovers.
•  She always has cookies.
• She's always up for a card game.
• She remembers every birthday and anniversary,and always times it so it gets to you on your exact birthdate.
• She is an incredibly good cook, but her recipes are difficult to repeat.
• She'll drive an hour to watch a 20 minute program you are involved in.
• You can't arrive or leave her place without at least 2 hugs and a kiss on the cheek.
• She makes quilts for every child and grandchild.
• She walks 3 miles a day and does these awesome 1980's workout videos.
• She has my mom's high school senior picture hanging in her stairwell.
• She drinks Old Milwaukee.
• There's always room in her house and heart for one more.

Baking fun

Tessa loves to help in the kitchen lately. Every time I head toward that room, there is she, grabbing her stool and trying to get right in the middle of the action. She usually drags a dining room chair over so she can stand or kneel on it. This allows her to see and reach everything, which so far, is funny but also frustrating. She's begun taking it upon herself to grab snacks off the counter, open cupboards, drawers, wash dishes, etc. The other morning, Joel and Nora were still asleep so Tessa and I decided to make muffins. She had so much fun pouring in the ingredients and stirring, and the end result was a hit too!

Christmases

Being from a family that is very close in proximity and relationships means around the holidays, we have a balancing act.We coordinated quite a few Christmas celebrations this year. We visited my aunt in Ames, then had our family Christmas at home in Webster, then Joel's Grandma in Elkhart, then Joel's parents in Ankeny, then my parents in Des Moines, and finally, my Grandma in Guthrie Center. This does not count the Christmas we have the weekend before Thanksgiving.

We both love our families and enjoy our time with them, so between these Christmases and our work schedules, we found ourselves driving back and forth so much in that Christmas week. But, to spend time with everyone, it was well worth it! Here are some pictures to highlight how our week went!

tub painting

On a gloomy Sunday with a lively toddler, mommy had to get creative. It was late afternoon and Tessa was getting stir crazy inside the house, so I went to old faithful (Pinterest) for some ideas. Then, it came to me. Bathroom paint. Better yet, washable, nonstaining, smelling-like-apple soap, paint.

I took cornstarch, hand soap, and food coloring. I mixed up a few different colors in bowls and let her go crazy. If the pictures don't convince you, I don't know what will.

What a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. She got a bath and she thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. To be fair, it was pretty cool.

Luck

I sometimes go overboard when I find something I enjoy. The husband thinks I get obsessive, I just think I like to do everything at 100% and not half-ass anything :). So when I started stumbling across different deal sites, sweepstakes and contests online, I of course, had to enter them all. I was smart enough to set up a 2nd email address so Joel didn't have to sort through all the silly ones on our joint email account. Plus, then he doesn't know just how much I love the competition and thrill of possibly winning and beating "the man" by getting things for so cheap!

Lately, I seem to be pretty lucky! Between finding some smoking good deals and using coupons, I've been able to start getting Christmas presents early!

When I online shop, I go through Ebates. This site tracks all your online purchases and rewards you with cash back. It's as simple as going to their website first, then searching for the store you want to shop at, and clicking the link. By going through ebates first an then clicking the link from Ebates to the place you want to shop, you earn cash back. One of my favorites, Old Navy, offers 2-5% cashback on anything and everything. Amazon is 3%.  My newest shopping addiction, Zulily, has 3.5% cashback. Once a quarter, they just send you a check. It's so easy.

 I use Hip2Save to find all the best sales/deals/coupons. She posts everything for you, including the links to get them. This is also where I find most of my freebies that I get. I've gotten such a range of free stuff, including coffee mugs, make up bags, tons of product samples, tshirts, onesies, a 2 year subscription to Us Weekly, a 1 year subscription to ESPN the Magazine, and a 1 year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens. I've also gotten free coffee, cookies, candy, vitamins, the list goes on and on.

First, I won 100 k-cups, drinking mugs, an apron, and some biscotti mix. Then, I won a $500 gift certificate to my favorite cloth diaper store. Then, I won a handmade hat and scarf. Yesterday, I got an e-mail stating I'd won a $25 gift card from American Express.

Maybe I should play the lottery!

Birthday!

We celebrated Tessa's 2nd birthday on October 27 at our house. We were going to play tailgate games outside, but with the lovely Iowa weather being unpredictable, we ended up with 40 degree weather. Of course, 2 days before and after, it was in the 60's, but not on party day. So instead, we watched the Iowa Hawkeyes blow it again and enjoyed some good food and company.

The cake was a hit, but she had more fun watching the candles and playing with the football rings that came on the cake. It was a little chaotic putting that many people in our little 3 bedroom ranch, but it was fun! I'm glad everyone made the trip up to see us and Tessa got spoiled rotten.

I loved watching her face everytime someone new arrived. Her face would just light up and she would run to the door and yell who was coming. "Papa Steve, Grandma Laura!!" "Nama HAM! PAPA SCOT!!!" Knowing everyone was there to see her just made her so happy and I loved seeing that glee on her face. Even some of Joel's friends and their families came, which was so cool.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Tessa Kelly. We love you and your wild spirit!

Petite

I like the word petite. It's better than small, short, tiny, little, etc. Plus, it describes my girls perfectly.  It also happens to describe me, my mother, my sister, my aunt, and my grandma. I assume it also describes her mother, her mother's mother, and so on. Somewhere down the line, the petite gene was created and here we are. A whole family of petite girls.

We had Tessa's 2 year check up and Nora's 2 month check up this past Thursday.

Tessa is was 25.5 pounds (fully clothed) and 34 inches tall. That's 25th percentile for weight, right where she's been since birth. Her height was just under the 60th percentile, which was a little shorter than she had been previously. She had always hovered around the 75th percentile and was long and skinny, just like her dad. She seems to be tapering off in her height as of late. She's in 18-24 month clothes, but we usually wear 2T leggings and tights because her cloth diapers make her butt big. Old Navy makes these awesome jeans with adjustable waists so we can buy a 2T, which fit her in the length without her pants falling off.

Nora was 9lbs 15.5oz and 21.5 inches long. That puts her just under the 25th percentile for height and weight. She seems like a chunk but I guess she's little compared to what others are. She has started smiling and brings a whole new level of awesome baby with that development. She is just so easy and so content. She eats so well, taking 4oz of pumped milk or nursing 5-6 times per day. She's sleeping 10-12 hours at night (usually 9-7, 9-8ish) She's still wearing newborn clothes but those are getting pretty tight. The 3 month size is still a little big so we go back and forth. She loves to be swaddled, loves her swing, and loves the chances she gets to lay on the ground without fear of getting smushed by sister.

I never thought I'd be the parent that would just call my kids by a nickname instead of their actual name, but we've got some nicknames that are really starting to stick. Nora, for example, is "baby sister Nora Jean." Not Nora, not sister, it has to be the whole thing. Just ask Tess. Oh, I've been calling Tessa "Tess" pretty frequently.  Tessa is also known as "goose". It started by asking her "Who's my baby goose?" I don't know why we ever got on the subject of baby geese but somehow Tessa is goose now.

Pawk

With having fewer and fewer warm days this fall, we have been taking full advantage of the park at the end of the block. Tessa always asks to go to the "pawk" and it easily wears her out for nap time, so one of us is usually happy to oblige. It's a cute little park with a couple swings, a slide, some climbing bars, and a teeter totter.

From the top of the slide, getting ready to go down. 

She could swing all day if we let her. She likes to tell you to "push more, Mommy." She also makes sure there is an available swing next to hers because she wants you to swing with her. She's a bossypants already!

This was the first day she tried the teeter-totter. She wasn't really sure what to think of it, but after a few cycles of going up and down, she loved it. This is her new favorite, and she constantly asks us to "tee-totter". 

Back When

A few days before I was set to deliver, my wonderful mother Pam, pictured below, came to visit with  a plan: to make a plethora of meals that we can freeze and defrost post baby to ease supper time preparation!

We started with 8 pounds of hamburger meat, a rotisserie chicken, 3 pounds of ground ham, and a bunch of vegetables, spices, and sauces. After a long hard day of mixing, we had the following:

4 pans of homemade chicken and noodles, just needs to be reheated
4 pans of cavatelli
2 pans of spaghetti bake
3 pans of ham balls (pictured below, one of my favorite meals!)
3 pans of cheesy potatoes
double batch of chili
3 pounds of sloppy joe meat

I also got a fresh batch of cheese soup, another one of my favorite meals.

The woman is a saint, I tell ya. We're about halfway through our freezer meals, and I can't even begin to explain how great it is be able to run to the basement and grab a meal to defrost for dinner, especially while taking care of 2 little ones while Joel is at work. I can pop it in the oven without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

Tessa can't be trusted alone in a room with Nora and Tessa isn't helpful in the kitchen, so this is just a huge relief for me. When Joel's home, I cook fresh meals. When I'm feeling even lazier than normal, we splurge on a Casey's pizza.

Busy, Busy

I apologize for the lack of posting. Life is busy with a newborn and a 2 year old! I can't get the time to update without Tessa trying to "help" me take care of Nora, which includes picking her up, giving her the pacifier, and trying to change her diaper. Tessa is adjusting very well, although we still have to constantly remind her that Nora is fragile and we need to be very careful. I can't believe in a couple short days, we'll have a 6 week old!

We decided to take month by month pictures of Nora like we did with Tess, so here's month one!

We have also determined that Nora looks much different than Tessa. Some of their facial expressions are the same, but their overall look is much different. Here is Tessa's one month picture for comparison.

This is Tessa at 4 weeks.