{FIVE} Favorite Moments of the Week | Beach Edition

Friday, June 26, 2015

We are back from the beach and not exactly happy about it. Ha. We had a wonderful time with family and I've already asked Sean if we can go back...this summer. Wyatt is a beach babe and loved the sand and waves. Stella, well, she liked to sit and watch. And mama enjoyed the long afternoon naps that were taken by sleepy babes.
 
{ONE}
It was so nice to spend some quality time with family! We don't all get together very often so it was nice seeing all the kids together. 
 
 
{TWO}
Our little family of four. All looking and Sissy hadn't taken her bow out...yet. 
 
{THREE}
Love this sweet boy! He wasn't too excited about having to sit still and get his picture taken but I'm so glad we got a picture together.

{FOUR}
Mimi's girls. We love our Mimi. She's definitely the heart of our family. 
 
{FIVE}
Wyatt couldn't walk to the beach without face-planting it along the way. And he loved it.
 

Hope everyone had a great week!! I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone in the next few days!
 

 
 
http://www.momfessionals.com/
ANDREA
 
THE GOOD LIFE BLOG
 
DARCI | NATASHA | APRIL | CHRISTINA

 
 
 
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Tuesday Talk | Packing Checklist for the Beach

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

I know many of you are going on beach vacations this summer so I thought I'd share the list that I used when packing. We haven't been to the beach since having kids, and let me tell you, the list has doubled...at least. I know we're probably over-packing but I'd rather not have to worry once we get there.


 
 
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Men's Health Week

Monday, June 22, 2015

I hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating all the dads! While we still have dads on the brain I wanted to remind everyone that this week is Men's Health Week. Keeping our men healthy is so important, and not always very easy.
 
Take my dad for instance, he hates going to the doctor. He is a diabetic and stays fairly healthy but he's still hates going to the doctor. My step-mom, Gramma, and myself are always nagging  him about his health but it's only because we love him and care. He feels the same way about going to the dentist and his dentist is my aunt, his own sister. Thankfully he is in good health but that's not always the case for everyone. Plus as he's getting older it's so important that he continues to have those routine checkups.
 
Thankfully Sean isn't as hard to keep healthy. He has required doctors visits through work, as well as routine physicals. But we are also proactive about other check-ups. Sean's dad passed away in 2012 due to prostate cancer so it's very important to us that Sean continue to receive routine checkups, even if it's not the recommended year.
 
I received this infographic from the health insurance company called Oscar and wanted to share it with all of you. It's an outline of checkups that men should receive throughout their lifetime. If you're having a hard time getting the men in your life to the doctor maybe this will help.

 Let's help keep the men in our lives healthy so they'll be around to watch their children, grandchildren, and possibly even great-grandchildren grow up!
  
If you're interested and in New Jersey and New York areas, you can check out the variety of Oscar's insurance plans

*I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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{FIVE} Favorite Moments of the Week

Friday, June 19, 2015

Hope everyone has had an awesome week! This week seemed to fly by which always makes me happy, and a little sad at the same time. We've been spending most of our mornings at the pool and our evening inside due to rain; so thankful we're not getting as much as some. Anyway, here are my top five favorite moments of the week!

{ONE}
You may have seen this picture on my INSTAGRAM the other day, so sorry about that. This was our breakfast picnic at the park where we left prematurely due to the mosquitoes and a snake (being killed). It was definitely time to head to the pool at that point.

{TWO}
This has become part of our morning routine and I love it. I love how excited Wyatt is to see her every morning. It's like he's still surprised that she's here. Ha. Stella has ok sleeping in her room; she could definitely do better. Just thankful that Wyatt hasn't woken up because of her.
 
{THREE}
I shared some of our POOL BAG ESSENTIALS the other day. We've been going to the pool almost everyday and it's made our mornings pass so quickly.
 
 
{FOUR}
This girl is full of all kinds of tricks these days. Clapping, dance, and her newest one, tongue clicking. ha. She's quite the imitator and pretty proud of herself. She has also successfully mastered scooting backwards on her tummy.
 
 
{FIVE}
And I'm pretty excited; got my beach reading all ready to go. Now hopefully I don't finish it on the drive down. ha.

 Hope everyone has a great weekend! And don't forget to spoil those dads in your life!
 
 
 
http://www.momfessionals.com/
ANDREA
 
THE GOOD LIFE BLOG
 
DARCI | NATASHA | APRIL | CHRISTINA

 
 
 
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Thoughts for Thursday | Thoughts on Swimsuits

Thursday, June 18, 2015

If you're like me then I'm sure you hate shopping for a swimsuit just as much as I do. I would imagine most women around the world hate shopping for swimsuits.
 
And I can't help but feel like the designers make an already impossible task of finding a swimsuit so much harder on us. Whether it's the teeny tiny bottoms, low bust lines, or just the ridiculous styles in general. It's pretty difficult to find a style that both fits and looks flattering.

I am a 29 year old mother of two. (Can I just stop right there and say, that sentence just took my breath away.) I have stretch marks left behind from both of my children. I'm not fat but I'm definitely not toned. Really, who has time to works out with two kids?? I wear a size 6 in pants and dresses and a medium in tops. And for some reason when I go to try on a swimsuit I automatically feel more self conscious than before. I recently purchased a one piece swimsuit and I had to buy a size 12. Yes, 12. Note: I am not trying to insult or make anyone feel bad about wearing a size 12 so please don't take it as that. I'm just wondering why, if I'm a size 6/medium, do I have to buy a size 12 in order to feel comfortable. I'm just wondering why swimsuits can't be made to fit just as regular clothing does.

Ok, rant over. Those are just my thoughts on that today.

Thoughts for Thursday
 
 
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Tuesday Talk | Pool Bag Essentials

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

**post contains affiliate links**

We've been going to the pool almost every morning so far this summer. Wyatt loves it and it gets him and Stella worn out for their afternoon naps. To make life somewhat easy I keep our pool bag in the car stocked with everything we'll need. So I thought I'd share our essentials, just in case you're packing up your pool bag soon and need some ideas!

 
  • Towels | 2-3
  • Sunscreen | Spray & Lotion
  • Snacks | Fruit snacks, Nutri-Grain Bars, Goldfish, Fruit/Veggies Pouches, etc.
  • Drinks
  • Pool Toys
  • Swim Diapers
  • POP-UP TENT | I like to keep the kids safe from the sun when they're eating a snack, re-applying sunscreen, or just taking a break.
  • First Aide | Waterproof band-aides, (adult) Tylenol, (adult) Benadryl
  • Phone | For documenting all the fun!
 


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Our Weekend

Monday, June 15, 2015

WHEW! What a weekend! Sean has worked every.single.day. the past 2 weeks and this mama is worn out! I don't think I've ever been happier to see 8 o'clock every night. So since the kids and I were by ourselves again this weekend, I tried to keep us as busy as possible.
 
^^^And this??? AmIright???^^^
 
{FRIDAY}
Friday morning we headed to the pool as early as we could manage. By the time I get everyone fed, ready, and out the door, we usually get there around 10. When we left I wasn't quite in the mood to make lunch so we swung by McDonald's on the way home. Of course to Wyatt that means it's time to go to the park. I tried to avoid it but as I was turning to get home he had a complete screaming fit. Please tell me your toddler knows directions!! It's so funny and really annoying at the same time. We didn't stay too long as it was bajilion degrees outside and we were in our swimsuits. ha.
 
We headed home for naps and I actually had some time to work out and shower. WOOHOO!! When Sean got home around 4:30 we got ready and headed to dinner and swimsuit shopping. The only stores worth shopping at are about 30 minutes away and thankfully I found something that worked. I had ordered THESE bottoms a couple weeks ago but unfortunately they didn't work. And Urban Outfitters was out of the ones I originally wanted.
 
We then headed for home and the kiddos headed to bed. Sean and I finished the night with some Dateline. Exciting, I know.
 
{SATURDAY}
Saturday morning Sean headed to work bright and early. When the kids woke up we got around and headed to, guess where, the pool. And Wyatt finally got brave enough to start jumping in all by himself. He even went in a couple time when I wasn't even in the pool. This makes me so happy, considering last summer I could barely get him in the pool. We then headed home for some lunch and naps.
 
 
Sean got home around 5 and we got changed and headed back to the pool. Wyatt was really excited about showing daddy his new trick!
 
{SUNDAY}
Again, on Sunday, Sean headed out to work. We needed a few things at the store so I thought it would be a good way to get the kids out of the house. On the way to the store there's a small pasture that usually has horses. So I promised Wyatt that on the way home we'd stop and see the horses. He was pretty intimidated by them but was pretty curious about the giant creatures.
Of course on the way home Wyatt had another meltdown when I did not turn towards the park. But finally (after about 30 minutes) calmed down once he started playing in the water hose at home.
 
Sean made it home during nap time and we were actually able to spend some time together before the kids woke up. When the kids woke up we had some playtime before heading out to pick up some dinner. I was really neeeeeding a cheeseburger.
 
We got home and made a quick decision to kick Stella out of our closet and into her "big girl" room. Not gonna' lie I was so nervous about her waking Wyatt up. Thankfully we made it through the night without that happening but she did wake up more than usual. Hoping it gets better because running through the house in the middle of the night is not real exciting. But at least we were able to brush our teeth and get ready for bed without tip-toeing around. ha.
 
We really had a pretty great weekend. Just looking forward to Sean having a few days off...hopefully soon.
 
 
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{FIVE} Favorite Moments of the Week

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Goodness, y'all! I feel like this has been the longest week ever! I know it's just because I'm patiently waiting for vacation. One. More. Week. Thankfully it's been a good week, though.
 
{ONE}
We've been spending our mornings at the pool and Wyatt is loving it! He's getting so comfortable being in the water. And, surprisingly, I've handled being at the pool with two kiddos pretty well. The trick...lots of snacks. ha.
 
 
{TWO}
My sweet girl turned 8 months old yesterday and I can't even believe it! We also had her final "head check" and it's growing perfectly so no more check-ups for that!
 
{THREE}
Sean and I celebrated 6 years of marriage last Saturday and we had a nice dinner at a new restaurant. Sean surprised me with two new charms for my Pandora bracelet; an "S"  and PINK STARS for our Stella.
 
{FOUR}
I made THIS last night and OMGOSH, it was delicious! I made it as a side, I guess, but it's definitely a meal in itself. It's amazing what I can accomplish in the few hours that Wyatt's at MDO. I'd been trying to make it all week. ha.
Slow Cooker Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes - The easiest potatoes you can make right in the crockpot - perfectly tender, flavorful and cheesy!
 
{FIVE}
Our first family vacation is coming up soon!! I've started packing. I mean, over-packing. Ha. Who doesn't love matching siblings?? And the best part, I don't even think there are plans to leave the house.
 
 
 
http://www.momfessionals.com/
ANDREA
 
THE GOOD LIFE BLOG
 
DARCI | NATASHA | APRIL | CHRISTINA
 
 
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!
 
 
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8 Months!!

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Our Dearest Stella,
 
Our sweet baby girl, I can not believe you are already 8 months old! I just keep thinking about all of the milestones you're going to be reaching so very soon; for now I'm taking in every second of carrying you around and rocking you to sleep. You are still the most chill and laid-back little girl ever; you rarely cry anymore at all. We love you so much baby girl!
What you did this month:
  • You are weighing about 15 pounds and roughly 24 inches long.
  • You are wearing 6M to 6-12M clothes. You wear size 6/9 M and 9M in pajamas.
  • You are wearing size 2 diaper but we're going up to 3s on the next order.
  • You nurse every 2-3 hours during the day and about every 4-5 hours at night.
  • You are napping much better this month. You take a morning nap around 10 for an hour to hour and a half. Then you take an afternoon nap around 2 for about 2 hours.
  • You go to bed around 7:30 at night and you've been waking up around 11:30, 3:30, and then you're up for the day around 8.
  • You are still sleeping in your pack n' play in our closet. 
  • You've gotten pretty good at going from a sitting position to laying on your tummy. You're still not a fan of rolling over though so you usually just stay there until someone picks you up.
  • You can move yourself around by grabbing the rugs in yours and Wyatt's rooms.
  • You love eating food and really prefer to feed yourself. You're still eating some purees, yogurt, and pieces of food that were eating.
  • You love when mommy sings and rocks you to sleep.
  • You love animals! Your face lights up and you're so happy when they come around.
  • You sat in a high-chair at a restaurant for the first time this month.
  • You slept in the crib at Mimi and Pop's house when we visited.
  • You had  a final head check today and you're all clear! Your head is growing perfectly!
  • You've had lots of pool time but haven't actually been in the water yet. Hopefully that's coming soon!

 
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{FIVE} Favorite Moments of the Week

Friday, June 5, 2015

Boy, did this week fly-by for anyone else?? I love weekends and I'm definitely not complaining about it being Friday again.  Here's a little of what's been happening around here this week.
 
{ONE}
Any Christian Grey fans out there?? I'm not going to lie, I was a sucker for the 50 Shades series and am just as excited about this! And just in time for our beach trip too!
 

 
{TWO}
I love summers spent at the pool! And I'm loving even more that Wyatt is actually (for the most part) playing in the pool, as opposed to running around it and me chasing him. We went twice this week and he was definitely not happy about leaving the second time. But, YAY for long naps!
 
 {THREE}
This girl. I love her. I can't believe she's almost 8 months old. Y'ALL, that's only 4 months away from turning ONE. I don't care, I still treat her like she's 2 months old. And I'm ok with that.

{FOUR}
This guy started going to a MDO program once a week. It's the first time he's actually gone somewhere and needed to take his lunch. Do you think I packed enough food?? Ha. #HeOnlyAteTheYogurtandCheese

{FIVE}
Sean and I are celebrating 6 years of marriage tomorrow. WOW! Where does the time go? Actually it really feels like we've been married much longer. I mean we have been together for almost 14 years. Looking forward to a little date night with him tomorrow night. You can check out this post that I did last year about our WEDDING DAY!

 
Hope everyone enjoys a fabulous weekend and enjoys the sun! Rumor has it we have more rain coming....waaah!!
 
 

 
 
http://www.momfessionals.com/
ANDREA
 
THE GOOD LIFE BLOG
 
DARCI | NATASHA | APRIL | CHRISTINA


 
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