Did you hear?

....did you hear that the fashion world caught wind of my girls' awesome modeling abilities and awe-inspiring super model poses, and they  are now soon to be rich and famous?!

...I didn't  hear that  either :-P  Well, I guess only  Lee  and I (along with you loyal blog  readers!) will get to witness these awesome skills. It must  be  the  pumpkin pjs that are helping to bring out their  best moves! hehe

Please  tell me that they'll continue to let me dress them alike until  they  are 18 and out of the house? haha. There's nothing cuter in my book! :-)

Mama Style

So you all  know that  I  LOVE to dress my girls and shop for them. Not only is little girl stuff  adorable, but  I also love being able to pick stuff  out online and not really worry about how flattering it is, whether it fits, etc. Little kids have it easy!

I on the other hand could never shop online. Well, maybe for shoes haha. No, shopping for me involves LOTS of trying on stuff, going to tons of stores, trying to predict which things I might like in the dressing room but then declare horrid once I get them home (please tell me I'm not the only one who does this! haha), etc. Basically shopping for Mama = no fun, and shopping for the girls = tons of fun ;-)

But today with Raya shipped off to Lee's parents, and Brielle spending the day with my parents, I headed into town in an attempt to get some winter shirts. I have 3 main "food groups" currently in my closet--post pardum attire, sweatshirts, and clothes I don't wear :-P So my goal today  was to branch out and enjoy shopping while not preggo and while not dealing with post pardum horrors! I am assumingly in a safe window for awhile of wearing the same size and that is super exciting.

Today's treasures  came f rom Target, Kohls, Old Navy, and TJMax. (And while I am a bargain hunter for kids clothes, when it comes  to my own clothes  I pretty much buy something when I like it...because I don't like  that many things!)

Wanna see a couple things I bought? (Please excuse the smudged up mirror from the girls admiring themselves haha...and  let it be know that  I only have one supermodel  pose in my arsenol, so that's what you get in every picture ;-)

This is my personal favorite purchase  of the day--from Kohls. I always  love the idea of  puffer vests, but  hate them in actuality because I feel like a stuffed sausage of something---like I can't  move. But this is a very thin puffer vest--more for looks than actual warmth--so it's comfy! And yes, it's got faux fur on the hood hehe. Lee will hate that, but the hood is removable for when I'm not feeling furry ;-) And this kelly green is my new favorite  color of the season I think!

On a side note, while trying on clothes at Kohls i went to try on a folded up sweather and as I unfolded it and lifted it above my head a DEAD ROACH fell out!!! Yes, no shit. And people, I"m shopping in the Iowa 'burbs...not some roach infested area haha. I was shocked and horrified and immediately left the dressing room needless to say! :-o

Love this one too. From Target.

This kinda looks  red here, but it's actually like a burnt orange. I thought it would be good for fall (and fall  pictures if we ever get brave enough to pull out the tripod and try some family pics haha) . I just  tried my white tank on with everything but  might try to find something else to go under  it.

Hoodie! haha. $9 find at TJMax and I couldn't pass it up :-P

And while I now have  cute  clothes, I will admit that I probably will still spend most my days in comfy clothes haha. I picked up a couple of these cheapo thermal tops at Old Navy...this is my SAHM uniform ;-)

I got other cute stuff too, but since  I"m not nearly  as cute as the girls I won't bore you all with any  more pictures! ;-)

And here was Brielle today before going  to my parents' house:

Blurry from running! This  outfit you may recognize from last year...still fits

Doesn't  she look like some sort of posessed puppet in this photo?! LOL


So Mamas, where are *your* favorite places to shop? And if you are a SAHM, what do you consider to be  your SAHM uniform?



T.G.I.F.

The girls opened the door for a Jehovah's Witness this morning when I was downstairs getting something :-o I posted on facebook that I need to explain to them we only open the door for people selling Girl Scout Cookies! lol

Raya is going to stay with Lee's parents this weekend...Yay! ;-)

My parents will probably take Brielle for a little bit sometime this weekend too---maybe Mama can go shopping for a couple new tops to go with my new jeans! Or else maybe I can just lay around the house and enjoy the quiet :-P

It's freaking COLD here today. As in I turned on the heat and made hot chocolate cold. Brrrrrrr.

Brielle's cold is in full force today...I hate snot, especially when it's on my pant leg :-/

Thanks to everyone for the reviews/advice on my post yesterday about Christmas shopping!

Wanna know what's on *my* Christmas list? Well  I'd really like a point and shoot camera to keep in my purse. (Hint Hint Lee ;-)  I also want a rug for the new playroom and shelving (not sure if this would go on my list or the girls', but probably mine since I don't have all that much I want personally.

This is the rug I'm currently set on for the playroom:

Source: ebay.com via Shawna on Pinterest

I love all  the colors and I think it'd go well with the trees and deer on the wall, because it's still an outdoorsy feel. I also like that it feels girlie without pink and purple throwing up all over the room haha. I really want to do red accents, so I think I'll pull out the red from the ladybugs and stuff.

I would  love to find something like this--I really want some toadstools in the room!

Source: ravelry.com via Shawna on Pinterest

This is what I want to do for the shelving--or something similiar  (since Lee refuses to build any more toy shelves! haha) ...I want a bench in the middle and then shelves on either side.

Source: landofnod.com via Shawna on Pinterest

And lastly, I want this wall art! I talked to the Etsy seller who sells it and she said it's no problem to add a second little deer :-) I think I want the little deer and heart in shades of red, and then the adult deer in brown...

Source: etsy.com via Shawna on Pinterest

Lastly  for this  random update, here is a quick Fashion Friday...the cold weather let us  bring out some fun comfy clothes!

Old Navy hooded thermal dress and silver bow  leggings

Lydia Jane outfit...found this at TJMaxx. Please excuse the drool on her shirt ;-)

Have a great weekend everyone--I know *I* will!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't kill me, but.....let's talk Christmas! :-P

Yeah, yeah, yeah...it's not even Halloween yet...or Thanksgiving lol. But the commercials have already started on tv, we've been  getting toy magazines in the mail (which Raya loves to "read" and tell me what Santa can bring her haha), and so now  I"m starting to do preliminary planning for Christmas shopping lists!

Anyone else started brainstorming yet?

Last year  I  was trying to avoid any large, take up tons of space, items....so I got the girls lots of little  games and such. Which worked great in that they just fit right inside our game closet and didn't seem to add a ton of clutter to our house, but the downside is that I think Raya got overwhelmed with the sheer number of presents to unwrap. Everything was pretty cheap so she got a ton of packages, and it just took forever to open!

So this year I'm thinking I'm going to focus on a couple large ticket items. And *everything* is going to be joint presents for Raya and Brielle. (Parents with same gender kids close in age, is this ok? I mean, at this age they don't need their own presents do they? I like the idea that everything is joint because it will help prevent some of the fighting when Raya  says "santa gave this to ME" etc. etc. Plus they like all the  same stuff anyways.)

Here is what  I'm thinking this year:

1) For sure  we need a new  kitchen set. Ours was mine from when I was 2 years old. I"m now 30. It's ready to move on to play kitchen heaven! haha. Raya wants a pink kitchen, and I want wood--not plastic. I also want a big one (tall) because Raya is already almost 40 inches  tall so she would look silly  playing at a short little kitchen set...and most of the kitchen sets are short!

So I'm thinking we'll do this one---we already have a lot of Kidkraft wooden food and it's super cute. This is supposed to be a tall/large playset, without being Pottery Barn prices (because the Pottery Barn set is what I really would like haha...but let's just say a $700 play kitchen is not on Lee's priority list ;-)

Anyone know about this Kidcraft set?

Source: costco.ca via Lori on Pinterest

2.) Since Santa  will be bringing a kitchen and it won't be wrapped or anything, I  do want to get them *something* to unwarp Christmas morning. So that I think is going to be some Lalaloopsy toys. Both girls  like their  Lalaloopsy house but  they have zero furniture or anything for it...just a couple doys and trinkets. So I think I'll  get them  a couple sets to share and open from Santa....something along these lines

Source: ultimate-shopping-cart.com via Digital on Pinterest

Source: amazon.com via Alana on Pinterest

Source: google.es via Aurora on Pinterest

3.) And now for  what  I really could  use help on. The last thing I'm thinking (either from Lee and I or from my parents maybe) is some sort of electronic learning thing. We don't have ipads or anything--I don't even have a fancy phone...so the girls really  have nothing electronic to play on. I'm so glad I don't have boys because I'm hoping to avoid the whole video game thing, since  Lee and I  aren't into that  at all, but  I do think Raya and Brielle would like some learning app type stuff to do and we could bring it along in the car or to a restaraunt and such.

So I'm thinking maybe a LeapPad 2 (the 2 just came out)

Source: squidoo.com via Karen on Pinterest

Anyone know anything at all about this?? (Or even the original  model?) I really  don't have a clue what it does or is, but  I'm thinking  it might be what I'm wanting. Reviews? Suggestions for something similiar? I don't want anything that  plays video games--I want it for learning apps and activities.

4.) The 4th and final  item on the girls list I think will be a real bow and arrow.  Lee  really  wants to get them a real one, not a toy  one. Whatever keeps him happy as I buy play kitchens and lalaloopsy dolls, right?! LOL ;-)

Lastly, here was Raya for preschool today

Please excuse  the  weird pose.  Hooded sweater dress  is Gap, from the Himalaya line (one of my favs!). You may remember  the fur trimmed hooded zip up sweater that Raya wore for her 2 year pictures? This is the same line. Bought used.

Bomber jacket is Target. Headband is Children's Place. Leggings Target, shoes Carters. (I had adorable  brown boots from Target picked  out, but  she decided they weren't "comfy" enough today ---whatever kid! ;-)

With the hood ;-)

Am I the only one....

....who stays up waaaay too late at night, because my only  down time is when the girls are sleeping, and I don't  want to waste it? haha. Seriously, it's been months now that I have been staying up past midnight (and mind you still getting up at 6am with my early  risers!) but  I  just can't bring myself to go to bed any sooner! I have so much to cram into my evenings once the girls go to bed--Etsy sewing, watching DVR'd shows, catching up on internet stuff, eating snacks in peace, etc.  etc. :-P And  before I know it  every night it's after midnight before  I even think about going to bed!

Not that I don't  enjoy my time with these two:

...but  Lee and  I often find ourselves  doing the parent celebration dance after getting the  girls  to bed for the night---and  then it's PAR-TAY time kid free! hehe.  No way I'm spending party time in my bed  asleep :-P

And so that's the  story of why you may see me answering Etsy emails, surfing facebook and blog land, pinning away on Pinterest, and watching The Voice in the wee hours of the morning while the girls sleep. 'Tis the life of a mom!

Just passing by....

It's Tuesday again...."tired Tuesday" lol...and I have  all four kids today, so  I"m going to keep the blogging short!

Raya had preschool this morning--it's a pumpkin theme this week and today they were looking inside pumpkins, etc...so a good day to break out the pumpkin shirt!

Raya's headband  in Gymboree (it's from last year  I believe---people are selling them on ebay brand new for $4.95 so I bought one for each girl hehe. Raya didn't wear it to preschool though because it's a little fussy for school and slides off her head when she plays) ...Raya's pants are Old Navy (her shirt  is all bunched up weird in this picture...it's not really that short!)

Brielle is wearings a Gymboree outfit that I bought during that awesome sale I mentioned awhile back. So cute for fall!

Other than that I did some grocery shopping, post office, etc. with Brielle and Harper this morning. Now I need to go pick up my destroyed house while the kids nap (did I mention Raya pretty much gave up naps? UGH. We have been doing a reverse quiet time where I send her downstairs and she can watch tv or play, etc. as long as I don't hear from her until nap time is over---that way mama still gets *her* quiet time! :-) So today her and sawyer are both downstairs.

Lastly, remember that new clothing brand NEXT I  talked about last week? Well my order came  today! Oh my god, I LOVE this stuff!!!

I got Brielle size 1.5-2 years and it's plenty big, but I wanted it to fit all winter. I sort of want to take everything else of hers back and have her wear this outfit every day, that's how much I love it! The quality is amazing and the details are so precious--little knitted ears, yarn whiskers, etc.!

She loves it too! She kepts saying "squeak squeak!" for the mouse haha

Raya's  sweatshirt is adorable too! The 4-5 I got her seems to be perfect to last the winter.

I didn't realize the back  was polkadot when I ordered for  some reason--even better!

**If anyone wants to order form NEXT and never has, they sent me *4* coupons to give out to new customers. It's only good for people who have never ordered from them before--they are $10 off a purchase of $50--plus free shipping. So if you'd like one to place an order just message me through my Etsy shop and I will  give you a coupon code!! :-)

Misc. Monday

1) Raya dressed herself today. Oy. At least she is warming up to the red wig my mom had...should look cute with her mermaid costume for Halloween LOL. I need to tame that wig down a little though---it's going a little crazy  ;-)

2) It's OCTOBER!!!!!!!! We have made a start on our fall bucket list. First, we got a ton more apples off our neighbors tree...

And I made a big  batch of homemade applesauce in the crockpot this weekend--yum!

We also have had apple cider.

And the girls had their  first ever hot chocolate today---Raya calls it "the chocolate thing that tastes like a tootsie roll" ;-)

3) Yesterday I invited my mom along to go to the Children's Museum with me and the girls. We had a fun day and the girls were really good! I actually snuck away for a bit too in order to buy some new jeans. OMG, I was in deserate need. It's probably been two years since I've gotten a new jean stash. I like Vanity jeans because they sell them in inches (waist x inseam) so I can make sure they are long enough and such. Well I was totally pumped to try on 4 pairs, love 3 of them enough to buy them, *and* realized that my new waist size is 4 inches smaller than all my jeans at home :-)  (And that should give you all an idea of the hot mess I've been looking wearing saggy jeans at home :-P)  The diet plan is called "have two children 19 months apart, and chase them both around as toddlers!

4) I know I've mentioned how my parents  like to go to consignment stores and antique stores etc....well  they always keep an eye out for good deals for the grandkids and usually end up finding some awesome deals (whereas if I go to Goodwill for example I find nasty old stuff haha) Anyways, this weekend they found FOUR new with tag pairs of shoes for $2 each--go figure! Raya is just getting into size 9 this fall/winter and these shoes are size 9, 10, and 11...but  she'll grow into them for $2! :-)

5) My etsy shop is having a GIVEAWAY right now!!!!! Who doesn't like to win free stuff?! So go to my facebook page and enter---it's easy!

My very popular Thanksgiving turkey shirts  just made  their  reappearance in my Etsy shop as well.  For two years now  they've been huge sellers for me---so if you haven't already ordered them in the past you should this year! I can do BOY OR GIRL color schemes. These are so cute to coordinate siblings/cousins/etc.

6) Brielle showed interest for the first time today in using the big girl potty! I  still will in no way consider potty training her until she's at least 2, but it's promising that she acts like she is starting to "get" the concept. She came up to me today and pointed to her diaper and said  "pee...ewwww" and then ran down the hall to the potty and stood there. So i put her on it and she laughed and laughed and tried to go haha...but didn't actually go. It  was a good try though!

Speaking of Brielle, she's so stinkin' adorable

Sporting some pigtails!

Have a great week everyone--Happy October!