Here We Go Again...

Rich is deploying for 6 months starting in June. I try not to be too sad about it because I knew what I was in store for when we got married. I am sad for the kids though. What will Jacob do without his daddy for six whole months?! You have never met a bigger daddy's boy, that's for sure. He will miss Josslyn's first birthday, but he will be home for Christmas. At least Justyn and Rich will still be able to keep their Tuesday & Thursday reading nights via web cam. I love technology. I am definitely not looking forward to being a single mom, again. Blah!

I've been getting better with the Photoshop stuff. It's hard self teaching, LOL. Thank the Lord for Youtube!

Here are some recent pics.

Check out her little ruffle bum! I love girlie girl outfits. I'll be stocking up on outfits that this, that's for sure!

The spouse and me. The only time he smiles big is when he's on his bike. HATER! Pay no attention to me. I'm beefy.

ALOHA FRIDAY!!!

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

Do you have a favorite Girl Scout cookie? Which one?

I love love love Do-Si-Dos. They've been my favorite since I was a Brownie, LOL. I could probably eat the entire box in 1 sitting. I also love frozen Thin Mints. MMM!

For more Aloha Friday stop by An Island Life and join in the fun!

SpaTimeBaby Cozy Contest

Finally...something I could really use. I still have 2 little ones I have to give baths to. I almost never come out of the bathroom dry. Why? Because my 2 year old is a crazy splash man, and Josslyn...well...she is a crazy splash woman. When I get them out of the bath I get water all over my shirt. I've tried draping the towel over my chest but bending down kind of kills that. All I can do is watch my towel fall to the floor. The people over at SpaTimeBaby finally got it right. They've created the Cozy Care Cape. What is a Cozy Care Cape?

The mom invented CozyCare Cape is revolutionizing bath time for babies. It's more than just an ordinary towel. *bath time becomes a relaxing, nurturing and pampering experience *drying baby is easy, safe and comfortable *no more tucking a towel under your chin or in your shirt *keeps caregiver dry with exclusive waterproof panel *unique cape design keeps your shoulders and arms dry *caregiver's body is a natural towel warmer Machine Washable * Tumble Dry Soft Absorbent * 100% Cotton Terry Cloth Patented

Instructions for Use

Simply slip the cape over your head with the waterproof panel facing in to prevent those little and big splashes from soaking through. When baby's bath is done, simply gather your little one in your arms against the cape and wrap in the absorbent terry cloth. You can pat baby dry with the CozyCare Cape while holding him or her securely in your arms.

Now you don't have to change your shirt to bathe your baby. Just slip this amazing invention on and splash away with your little one. Wanting more than just a cape? SpaTimeBaby offers tons of bath time products. Even natural skin care items, and baby spa sets, which would make the CUTEST baby shower gift EVER!

Want a chance to win some of these great items? Well, you can. Just hop on over to Tara's blog, Through Hazel Eyes , and enter! It's just that simple.

Thousand Words Thursday

Josslyn's first time eating mashed potatoes. Believe it or not, she did like it.

She did...I swear! For more of A Thousand Words Thursday head on over to Cheaper Than Therapy.

Thursday Thirteen - Shake Shake Your Booty

Thirteen random songs on my iPod. Just going to throw it on shuffle and let'er ride.

1. '97 Bonnie & Clyde - Eminem
2. Lessons Learned - Carrie Underwood
3. My Band - D12
4. You & Me - Lifehouse
5. Fall In Love - Kenny Chesney
6. One Step Closer - Linkin Park
7. Without You - Frankie J
8. When I Saw You - Mariah Carey
9. Vienna - Billy Joel
10. Best Of You - Foo Fighters
11. You Already Know - 112
12. This Love - Cruel Intentions soundtrack
13. Just A Lil Bit - 50 Cent
    

Wordless Wednesday

Smiley being silly.

Silly being smiley.

Crazy being lazy.

For more WW fun, head on over to MomDot!

Full Circle

Sunday night we worked on Justyn's family project for school. I just had to take a step back and watch as daddy helped his son with his homework. Has it really been 22 years since I sat at the table with my parents working on homework? It feels like not that long ago I was doing projects for school. Now I'm teaching my son to read and write. It really makes me feel like life really is that short.

Gotta Have It Too Tuesday

It's no secret I love to shop. One of the things I find myself doing is trying to get my friends and family to buy products that I have tried and love. So, my bloggy friends, you are no different. Every Tuesday I'm going to bring you a new product I have tried and love. These recommendations are based on my own experiences and opinions. Please don't hold me responsible if you get something I boast about and hate it. Not like that would ever happen anyway! ;-P

So my first Gotta Have It is all about my Shark steam mop. LOVE LOVE LOVE this! I can't tell you how easy mopping has become for me. I won't lie, before this handy contraption I pretty much NEVER mopped. I have back issues due to being chesty and getting down on my hands and knees to mop is not appealing to me.

• Just fill with water. No chemicals at all. Now I don't have to worry about my littlest crawling on the floor just after I mop.

• Quick drying. There is no more yelling at the kids to stay out of the kitchen until the floor dries. It dries in a matter of seconds.

• No scrubbing required. The steam just melts stuck-on-gunk right off the floor.

• Husband Approved. Now my husband mops, a lot! We have probably mopped more in the 2 months we've had it than we have in our 8 years together, LMAO! True story. Sad, I know.

• Space Saver. Fits so nicely in my closet.

• Money Saver. The pads are washable. And since you only add water, there is no need to buy floor cleaners anymore.

So there you have it. I think everyone needs a Shark steam mop. It's super cute, super easy, ,and super clean!

This is not a paid review and I do not have any affiliation with Shark.

I'm The Baby! I'm The Baby!

...And I'm having a helluva time letting go of the fact that my baby girl is growing up. She has already started to nurse less and less. I am hoping she will at least keep going 4 more months. She is up to 20lbs and probably should be out of the swing but I just can't help myself. She loves it, and I love her in it. We only use it for when we need her to just take a quick cat nap. We know the boys will never let her sleep for very long, LOL.


Baby steps. Baby steps. It's hard to believe she is my last little bundle of joy. Oh how I miss the newborn snuggle stage. The immobile stage. Soon giving kisses will be embarrassing and I will only be needed for clean laundry and something to eat. ::sniff sniff:: I can't wait for grandkids. Well, I can.

Just Loungin'

Josslyn was laying upside down on Sarah's lap.

Vlogging Laughs

The Sweetest sound.

I ♥ Dyson

It took me 5 years to convince my skeptic husband to purchase a Dyson vacuum. After 3 cheap crappy & very broken vacuums later he finally agreed. I. Am. In. LOVE! It has 10 times the suction and 1/3 of the noise. Now I can vacuum without scaring the life out of my little ones. Even Josslyn will sleep through me vacuuming right next to her. We opted for the DC14. Since we only have a cat who doesn't shed much we thought this was the best one for our family. It is super simple to put together. Just snaps together in minutes. I couldn't believe the amount of dirt and dust that I vacuumed in 1 use. Especially since I thought my carpets were pretty clean. Minus the kid stains, LOL. Cleaning out the canister couldn't be easier. In my old canister vacuums I always spilled dirt back onto my floor, my hands were always covered in dust and dirt as well. With the Dyson it's as simple as pressing the release button and it empties out from the bottom straight into the trash can. No mess!!! I mean really, who wants to vacuum up mess, only to put it back on the floor to vacuum up again?!?! My advice...buy a Dyson. Get it right the first time. I know you are all thinking, "Dyson's are way too expensive!" If you think about it. I purchased 3 reasonably priced, cheap, vacuums all ranging around $150 dollars, in a matter of 4 years and all 3 broke. Simple math can tell you, that is not cheap. Dyson gives you a 5 year warranty on their vacuums. You just can't beat that! So...GO BUY A DYSON! You will not regret it.

Flickr Friday - The Mister & His Mistress

I've decided that every Friday I'm going to post a picture from my Flickr. Just thought it would be a fun way to share some pictures. Like you all don't see enough, lol. I was using Photobucket but that site distorts my pictures for some reason. Super annoying. Anyway...onto Flickr Friday. Feel free to join in. I love seeing people's pictures.

Secret Give-Away...Shhhh

So I'm going to be hosting my first give away. I'm super excited. I hope it's going to be the first of many. I can't tell you what it is yet. Well, I guess I could, but really what fun would that be?! I can give you a hint though. They are super cute! Keep checking back for your chance to enter and win!!! I know I know, I'm evil.

Aloha Friday - Cha Ching

It's Aloha Friday again over at An Island Life! Answer my question and make sure you post one on your blog! After that, go relax because today is Friday!!

It's been a super long time since I've blogged one of these.

What is one of your money saving secrets?

It's not really a secret, but I recently started clipping coupons. I save anywhere from $50-$70 dollars per grocery trip. That is super exciting to me. It's actually pretty good considering the commissary doesn't double or triple coupons. Imagine how much I could save if they did? I have 5 boxes of Equal that I got for free!!! Hey! When you have a coupon for $2.50 off a box of Equal that costs $2.49 you just can't pass it up!!!! I also buy my kids' clothes a season ahead so I can buy most on sale and/or clearance. I will then turn around and sell it on eBay and use that money towards more new clothes. I'm such a spender but I make up for it by being thrifty.

Wordless Wednesday

Jossy poo

My baby Jacob

Wordless Wednesday

Daddy All Day Long

Too Cute Tuesday Dear Wendy Bellissimo

In the summer of 2006 we found out we were having a beautiful baby boy. The first thing I did was run to Babies 'R' Us to get some adorable baby boy things. During this time I found the most gorgeous blanket on sale made by you. It was a gorgeous white and baby blue blanket with a crown embroidered on it and the precious words "Little Prince" on it. It was the softest blanket and I knew this would be my baby's blankey. Jacob was born in December of that same year and we immediately used this blanket for him to keep him warm. Around 6 months we started to put him in his crib with this blanket to keep him nice and cozy. We noticed that he would cry anytime he was away from it. He has slept with it ever since. He likes to suck on the corners and soothe him to sleep. Here we are 2 years later and he still can't be without it. I have searched high and low for an identical matching blanket. We even purchased another blanket made by you that we thought would work as a back up. It was the same material. The only thing different was the color. It was a failed mission. He actually laughed at us. I think he's smarter than we give him credit for ;-) . So I have been trying my hardest to find an identical match to this specific blanket without success. If you ever stumble upon my blog, and you have an extra blanket, PLEASE send it this way!!!

Sincerly
Me



How cute is my little man watching Toy Story with his nasty socks and even nastier blankey!!!??? Jacob has a thing for going outside with his socks on. No he doesn't take the blankey out there with him and drag it through the mud. That is one well loved blankey. Jacob sleeps with the blanket in his mouth like that. Lord help us if anything were to ever happen to that blankey, LOL.

Pinky Dinky Who?

My kids love watching Pinky Dinky Do and I have to tell ya...that is one entertaining cartoon, LOL. Here I sit on the sofa trying to catch up on my bloggy good reads when I catch myself watching Pinky's great big idea. Makes me feel like a kid again. Oh how I'd love to be a kid again.

I've been in such a blog funk lately. I feel like I can't get anything done anymore. Josslyn is crawling and getting into everything. Jacob is killing me with his two year old attitude which is only made worse by Justyn's crappy tude.

I did a photo session last weekend. I was super nervous and I did a horrible job. My timing was totally off. I wanted to start when the sun was going down but ended up starting an hour too early. Totally my fault. I should have stayed longer and got the shots I needed to get but Rich, not realizing I had planned to do the session that weekend, had surprised me with tickets to see Dane Cook so I had to get going in order to make it there in time. Makes me feel like maybe being a photographer isn't my fortay. I'm so critical of myself but even Rich said I should redo the pictures. Isn't he sweet?!

My ILs were just in town. We had a blast with them here, even though it was just a short visit. This coming weekend we have friends coming in town. I'm excited. I love good times with good people.

Anyway, that was my update for ya. I know you have all been dying for one! ;-P

Here are some pictures of my lil baby girl. My she has grown. I'm ever so sad about it.