Easter Parade

Earlier in the week the girls’ preschool held their annual Easter Parade, complete with a song and egg hunt!  I basically live for their little performances at school but I was particularly excited about this one because the girls’ were asked to make a Spring/Easter hat!

Here’s our little creation and how I made it. Super easy, super cheap, super cute!

Here’s what you need:

-glue gun

-bunny ears

-fabric or fake flowers

Simply hot glue the flowers to the headband, let the glue harden and voila, a cute Easter accessory!

 

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Bridesmaids Bonanza!

With Rachel’s wedding right around the corner it is crunch time for me to find a dress!   Rachel is giving us free reign when it comes to our dresses and I think I speak for all of us when I say I LOVE that!!!

I wanted something that would fit the backyard boho feel of her wedding…maxi, flowy, drappy, but most of all pretty.  I was shocked when I discovered  Forever21 has a section dedicated to bridesmaids dresses; they are beautiful and totally affordable (one might even say cheap!). Here are my bridesmaid dress picks!  Which one do you like?

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2nd Annual Mini Vacay-Great Wolf Lodge

Photo Credit: Great Wolf Lodge Facebook Page

We’re heading back to Great Wolf Lodge this weekend! Check out my review from last year’s visit!!

One of our family Christmas gifts from my in-laws this year was a trip to Great Wolf Lodge. Located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Great Wolf Lodge is loaded with tons of activities for kids and families, but the biggest attraction is the huge in-door water park! The water park is over 79,000 square feet, with attractions including water-slides, a wave pool, and a “zero-depth entry” area for smaller children. The resort also includes a bowling alley, in-door mini golf, spa, nightly dance parties, story times and much much more!

We traveled with my husband’s sister, her husband and two children, and also my husband’s cousin and her two daughters. The kids ages ranged from 6 months to 15 years old and not one person was lacking in things to do.

Not only is there a lot to do but the rooms are pretty amazing! We stayed in a family suite and had more than enough room for the four of us. The two queen beds were super comfortable and the sectioned off sitting area was nice for the girls to hang out and play in. They also include a mini fridge and microwave which came in handy for bottle making and snacks.

Our girls had an amazing time playing n the “zero-depth entry” area. There was just enough water for them to feel comfortable and shallow enough that my husband and I weren’t paranoid that someone was going to drown. Our oldest daughter loved standing in the wave pool and our youngest liked hanging out in the warm springs.

In addition to all the fun things to do, the resort has many food options. From a Starbucks (which came in very handy for a momma with a 1 year old who didn’t sleep) to a buffet with everything you can dream of! The food can get a bit expensive so if you are on a budget I suggest taking a meal or two and some snacks to save a bit of money.

Over all we had a great time at Great Wolf Lodge; if it weren’t for a few meltdowns and the lack of sleep, I would say it was a perfect mini vacation; but where’s the fun in perfect?

For more information, click on the link: Great Wolf Lodge.

Sick mom here…

Since Thanksgiving, we have had at least one person in our home who has been sick…right now, I’m the winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Check back next week for how I plan to tackle my Spring organizing!

Quick, Easy Valentines Day Treat

Ahhh, Valentines Day, one of my favorite holidays as a child! I loved decorating my “mailbox,” receiving Valentines and of course the treats! Chocolate is my favorite thing besides coffee, and you can’t have Valentines Day without cholocate.

This year I volunteered to bring cookies in for the girls’ parties but I didn’t want to send in something store bought but I also didn’t want to send a ton of time baking. That’s when I found the perfect treat!  Valentine Wafer Cookies.

What you’ll need:

-Microwave (I did mine on the stovetop)

-Wax paper

-Vanilla wafer cookies

-Dolci fruit dip

-Sprinkles

Directions:

-melt your Dolci fruit dip and remove from heat; be sure not to over heat. I find that I can control it better if I melt it on the stovetop.

-Dip the wafer cookie in the melted Dolci dip. Place on wax paper.

-Pour on the sprinkles! Allow to cool.

-ENJOY!

Yep, they’re that easy and the kids loved them!

 

 

What I Wore This Week!

It has been a wild week in my neck-of-the-woods…we got slammed by Winter Storm Jonas on Saturday which left us with nearly 30 inches of snow, preschool was cancelled three out of five days, and the girls alternated not feeling well.  Weeks like this are ones when getting dressed for work is the absolute last thing on my mind so I’m glad I decided to post about what I wore because I had to do a bit of planning

Monday-the girls didn’t have school and I worked from home.  We made it a jammy day. I got these pj’s for Christmas and I love them!  They are super comfy and super warm.  The sweater is the perfect lightweight fabric and it’s not too tight, and the pants are the same great fabric.  I literally would live in these if I could.  Do I even need to say anything about my slippers…I think not!

Xhilartion pajama set-target.com  (This set, unfortunately is no longer available, but the Xhilaration has tons of great options.)

Ugg moccasins-uggaustralia.com

Tuesday-there was snow everywhere I looked, so I wanted to be cozy while at work.  My favorite over sized sweater was the best option.  I paired it with faux leather panel front leggings and my favorite black booties. Simple, easy, and comfortable!  My favorite combo!

Old Navy Sweater-winter 2015, no longer available

Mossimo Women’s Ponte Pant-Target.com

Black booties-winter 2014, no longer available

Wednesday-Half way through the week! The snow still hasn’t melted and a sweater is the most necessary piece of clothing on this side of the Mason-Dixon!  I love this cardigan because I can dress it up or down.  I could throw a tee-shirt under it and wear with jeans or pair it with a LBD.  It’s the perfect cardi and I love the pattern!  I’m not much a black dress pant kind of gal and I have a bunch of these black “jeggings.”

Romeo and Juliet Couture Leopard Cardigan-purchased winter 2015

Bonton-Jessica Simpson Black Kiss Me Ponte Leggings

Black Old Navy Tank-oldnavy.com

Thursday-I did not feel like thinking about getting dressed on Thursday, simple solution…this shirt dress!  I love the color and its loose fit.  It can be dressed up or down and it goes with my most favorite black booties!  My black chunky necklace is one of my oldest necklaces, and it is timeless. I wear that puppy at least once a week!

H&M Chiffon Dress-H&M.com

Black Target tights-target.com

Friday-Friday is finally upon us; and you know what that means (at least at my office), JEAN FRIDAY!  No thought involved in getting dressed today.  Grabbed my dressy sweatshirt with a peplum, a pair of skinny’s and my fav tan booties and I’m out the door!

Women’s Flounce Sweatshirt-target.com

Levi’s Juniors’ 535 Denim Leggings-bonton.com

Women’s Merona Sawyer Booties-target.com

 

Happy Weekend!  May your weekend be filled with comfy clothes and lots of fun!

Friday Favorites!

Winter has finally arrived in PA…we had our first snow fall this week and the temperatures finally feel like winter.  It’s time to bust out the cold weather gear!  I got a ton of great pieces of clothes for Christmas and the girls received some great toys that will occupy them when we can’t get outside.

Playdoh has always been one of my favorite toys for the girls to play with, it keeps them occupied for hours and it lets them be creative.  These sets are wonderful, we have about five of them and the girls love creating and pretending with them.  My personal favorite is the “My Little Pony” set!

I have been on the search for a long puffer coat with a hood forever, so when I found this Michael Kors coat I fell in love!  It is so warm, and the perfect length.

My girls LOVE any holiday, and they are loving anything Valentine’s Day!  The same day we took down our Christmas decorations we put up our Valentine’s Day decor.  Target has some pretty adorable things that I plan on picking up but in the meantime I found great LED lights and sequined ampersand signs.  Both are adorable and were only $3!

This hat…is…everything!  I found this at Target before the holidays and was unsure of it until I put it on last week, now I’m building outfits around it.  It works with everything and the brim is the perfect size!

My girls love this Ginzick Super Fun Ice Cream Shop!  They play with it all the time.  There’s tons of play food pieces that go with it.  I love it because it keeps them busy and unlike most toys like it, this one is super sturdy, not to mention the price was perfect!

What are some of your favorites this winter??

 

 

 

See You Next Year!

Christmas Expections

Since the girls were born I’ve had these grand plans for the perfect Christmas. You know… the one where everyone wakes up happy, no one cries over presents they didn’t want, everyone smiles for the Christmas photos, and there are no meltdowns. And every year I find myself wishing I had taken a few more pictures or bought that other toy or not rushed so much.

The truth of the matter is with two toddlers there is no telling what mood with strike, what piece of clothing will have food on it or what toy will or will not make someone turn into a puddle of tears.

This year I’m going in with no expectations. We’re just going by the seat of our pants. I will not be planning the perfect photo or the perfect reaction to a gift that I knew would make my girls scream with excitement. I will be sitting back and enjoying my little girls as they open each gift, I won’t have a conniption if someone gets mashed potatoes on their Christmas dress, or doesn’t smile for a family photo. I will wait in the car patiently as my husband double and triple checks the locks and won’t freak out when he’s getting in the shower at the exact time we need to be leaving the house.

Christmas is about enjoying the ones you love the most, and that’s what I plan to do this year! I can’t wait to shower my family with love and attention! Maybe our photos will be blurry or someone will be sticking out their tongue, there’s sure to be at least one meltdown and I’m sure there will be unwanted gifts but I’m going to take in every second of it!

5 Ways to Make Mornings Run a Bit Smoother

Mornings are super hectic in our house, between two busy toddlers running around, me frantically trying to get everyone (including myself) out the door on time, and trying to make sure my husband gets more than just a quick “good morning” has become some sort of strange puzzle that I attempt to put together every morning.

Although most mornings end with me shuffling the girls out the door at the very last minute, I have perfected a few ways to save a little bit of time:

1. Pick out everyone’s outfit the night before.  I usually know what everyone is going to wear the night before, I don’t lay it out but in my head I know exactly (down to the socks) what I need to grab first thing in the morning.
2. Dresses save a ton of time.  I recently read that throwing on a dress in the morning saves at least four minutes of your time.  I tested this theory out and I definitely saved tons of time wearing a dress rather than pants and a top..
3. Feed your kids in the car.  I know this sounds so detached and rushed but if your kids are anything like mine, they aren’t hungry until an hour to two hours after they wake up, which puts us exactly at the time we need to be out the door.
4. Plan out your lunches before the week starts.  My girls lunches are pretty much the same every week.  I alternate fruit and chips/crackers everyday but as far as the main part of the meal goes, it’s pretty much the same thing everyday.  This helps me to grab what I need and quickly get lunches made and packed.
5. Get a good dry shampoo and have a quick make-up routine.  I usually can go about four days without washing my hair, and dry shampoo can usually get me through the work week.  It gives a little extra body and gets rid of the oily/greasy look I get on day four/five.  If you don’t have a quick routine, check out my post from a few weeks ago, 5 Minute Mommy Makeup.

How do you save time in the morning?   What are some ways that help your mornings to run smoother?  Any suggestions would be appreciated 🙂