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Friday favorites-Back to school 2018!

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It’s that time again, back to school and I thought I would gather up all my most favorite things to share.

This year I am really proud of myself for not overspending in areas that were unnecessary. Like, on new backpacks. We bought new ones last year and with a quarterly toss in the washing machine, they look good as new! Also, did you know most brands have a lifetime warranty? Major savings!

So besides the usual back to school items here are a few things I think are really cool this year!

No. 1 on my list, name labels from NameBubbles! I love to label things and so do my girls! Plus, as a mom of three, I always know who’s cup is who’s and guess what? So do they and our school, church, and just about anywhere else we go! My girls labeled their backpacks, folders, and water bottles and they make it through dishwashing, washing machines, even the microwave!

No. 2 This one may not fit the back to school category but in my mind it does. Especially if you had a mom freak-out like I did over the summer! You can see full details on my IGTV but I will give you the condensed version. Basically, we have too many toys!

With three girls we must have every Shopkin, Lego, Barbie known to mankind!

My solution is Swoop bags! I’m not sure why I didn’t think of this sooner because we love them for our Lego storage and they hold a lot of toys. They each will have one of their own and whatever doesn’t fit, will be donated. I’m hoping this will finally resolve our HUGE problem of toys scattered all over their bedroom floors.

No. 3 Wetbrush + Bumble and Bumble invisible oil spray

OMG, this one saves my life every day! You may think, oh three girls how fun to style and comb hair. Um, no. I mean I want to love it but it’s a struggle. Are there any other girl moms out there? A Wetbrush and using Bumble and Bumble saved my life! Both of these have cut down on whining and crying over tangles down to almost nothing. Bumble and Bumble can be a bit pricey but I use on three girls plus myself and a little goes a long way too.

No. 4 Ok, and as for me personally, loving Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield from Colorscience SPF 50 and their Brush-On SPF 50. We walk every day to school twice a day and it’s hot, the sun’s out 24/7 and this protects my skin. I also have sensitive skin and this goes on so nice, its’ not greasy, no smell and I love that it is SPF 50!

No. 5 The last item on my list is a favorite for baby. I mentioned it’s hot and Phoenix heat can last clear to November! Since we walk to and fro to school every day I found this really helps keep Holland nice and cool in her stroller. I found this on Amazon and it is such a lifesaver! You can use as a heating pad in the winter too.

Do you have a list of favorite back to school items? I would love to hear what you find helpful, leave me a comment.

 

HAPPY WEEKEND!

xx, Nicole

 

 

Flower family fun at Great Wolf Lodge!

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We just got back from our family vacation at Great Wolf Lodge and it was a blast!

Do you live in water in the summer? From about May to the beginning of September, we live in our pool! Well, this summer we thought we would kick it up a notch and head to Great Wolf Lodge!

OMG you guys, if you love water and family fun, this place is for you! There is literally something for everyone too. If you were following our stories then you know we went as a family of four. My mom graciously offered to watch Holland for us and it was such a blessing. Our flight to Colorado Springs was delayed by almost two hours sitting on the tarmac and I know it would have been a struggle with a baby.

However, Clara and Luci were so excited they didn’t seem to mind our delay. Plus, our room was ready well before check-in so everything worked out perfectly. Since we were originally planning on going as a family of four we chose the Royal Wolf Suite instead of a room with bunk beds. The room was great for us because it gave mommy and daddy a separate, private, spaced apart from the girls. There was also a mini fridge and microwave in our room too.

My camera died shortly after snapping a few pics so bear with me. I thought I could get by without packing my camera battery charger and well I was wrong. Lesson learned I will not make that mistake again!

Ok, so onto the water park, we went for the next four days! The water park at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs is completely indoor. I only missed the sun occasionally to warm up but it was really nice not having to worry about sunscreen!

Clara is probably the bravest out of all of us. Let’s just put it this way, she went down the Wolf Tail first! Whereas I lost sleep contemplating it for three days, lol! Everything about this ride is intimidating. Maybe it is the height, or the chamber you walk into, or the fact the floor drops from under your feet? Oh, and there is also a heartbeat sound effect too. On the very last day, I went down and I was so proud of myself. Guess what? It is a total blast and it put the biggest smile on my face! Be sure to check out my video! 😂

Besides an awesome water park, we enjoyed the food, drinks, arcade, nightly dance parties! There is even an adorable Kid spa, called Scooops! The girls got their toes done while wearing princess sashes and tiaras along with a scoop of their choice from Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. I mean I was jealous!

If I were to rate our experience I would give it five stars, seriously. For a family trip, it met all of our needs and then some. The only thing I would change is offering separate conditioner in the bathrooms no 2-1 stuff and a retractable clothing line to hang wet suits. We ended up using skirt hangers and hanging them on our balcony to dry. Totally worked by the way too.

The best part of our summer took place at Great Wolf Lodge and we can’t wait to go back! There is buzz they are building one in Scottsdale and it will be so fun to take Holland on our next adventure!

One more tip, take your family pic on the first day! The girls were sad to go home!

 

xx, Nicole

 

 

Life made easier with my Lily and Jade bag

Leave a Comment LIFE, Motherhood

This post is sponsored by Lily and Jade, but as always all opinions are 100% my own.

If you know me, you know I love a great bag. Mom life is hard but a perfect diaper bag can make it so much easier!

As a third-time girl mom, I have had my share of different diaper bags, but my new Lily and Jade bag is my absolute favorite! I love everything from the soft leather to the beautiful shade of green to all the amazing compartments inside and outside of the bag.

Now with the girls out of school for the summer having a bag like this is essential.

Packing up for a day of fun is a cinch because there is plenty of room for everything we need. The Madeline in Magnolia can be worn as a cross body, over the shoulder, or as a backpack. Wearing it like a backpack with three girls is the easiest for me and it doesn’t wear me down, it’s perfect!

Speaking of summer and packing up for a day of fun, one of our favorite places is the library. Almost every Wednesday we head over to take Holland to baby-time. Holland loves to interact with other babies her age and Clara and Luci enjoy the computer lab.

Today I was watching all three of them and thinking about how special it is all three have enjoyed the same library. All three have gone to the same baby-time and I think it is so special. Makes this mama heart so happy too.

I know I said computer lab but we do sign up for summer reading. The girls try to read for twenty minutes each day and thank goodness for the library because they do such a great job making it fun with prizes to earn.

Of course, any outing isn’t complete without a good snack. Every mom knows you can’t go anywhere with several in tow!

What are some of your favorite spots in the summer? Do you need more ideas or maybe a better schedule for you and your kiddos? Be sure to check out my previous post for some simple ideas.😊

 

xx, Nicole

 

 

 

 

 

Summer fun schedule + Discovering Learning

Leave a Comment LIFE, Motherhood

Summer is upon us once again and we are super excited!

One thing I have learned to ensure a sweet summer for everyone is to have and keep a simple schedule. This means I have one for them and one for myself, resulting in a nice plan for all of us. Happy mom, happy kids!

Otherwise, my girls would be constantly asking to use their iPad and Nintendo along with tearing up the house, fighting, etc! No beuno for this mama and you probably feel the same way too, right?

The week before school let out I made up our simple summer schedule and since this is our first week of summer nothing is quite set in stone yet. However, my girls are eight, six, and fifteen months and this is our third summer break. For the most part, this is what works the best for us.

Each day of the week offers a little something special along with our normal routine. Of course things will come up and we may not get to all or any of it due to sickness or a vacation but for the most part, we will stick to our plan. Extras also include gymnastics camp, piano lessons, VBS, and out of town vacations.

If you notice we are starting the week with Math Mondays. Something new for us this summer, thank you to our friends at Discovering Learning. Discovering Learning is a monthly math subscription geared for elementary school ages 4 to 12. 

My girls each have their own workbooks for their level in math too.

Each workbook has forty-three pages so our goal is to do about three pages a day. Along with their workbooks, they each have a scorebook to correct their own mistakes too. I really love this approach because it is giving them the power to see and correct their mistakes rather than just me.

Discovering Learning also offers these great tools. They are always available to assist with questions or if your child tests lower than an 80% after the self-test, they can help identify the problem your child might be having.

I hope this helps inspire your summer. Please feel free to pin or print out our daily and summer fun schedules!

Happy summer!

xx, Nicole

Three birth stories and three natural births

Leave a Comment Motherhood

All moms have a birth story to tell and these three are mine.

Clara

Already I am feeling emotional! This first birth story is about Clara. Let me first give you a brief backstory on her. I was 29, married eight years and we were at the point of wondering if we were meant to be parents? Yes, this is true. I knew I would find and marry my soul mate without a shred of a doubt but not so sure about parenthood? So, we started to pray about it and just simply asked God. We felt the green light fairly quickly and began trying. I became pregnant a month later and we were so excited!

My first pregnancy was considered high risk due to her size and slow growth for her gestational age. Our doctor prescribed lots of baths and I will never forget this, sitting in a pool in the month of February! Luckily, I was able to use a friend’s heated pool! Sitting in water is really good for maintaining amniotic fluid and I used it to relax, bond with her, and man did I pray!

There were lots of long office visits and monitoring and even an overnight hospital stay at 32 weeks! The overnight hospital stay did scare me because it felt very unexpected. I was very frightened and cried and cried. What happened to all my prayers? My hubby and my mother-in-law were there for me and for us and it made all the difference and I knew God was there and getting me through.

Her growth was still an issue after leaving the hospital and my doctor feared she would have to induce me at 37 weeks. At this point, it didn’t matter what the doctor thought because I had an overwhelming feeling of peace. God knew my needs and my desires and that was enough for me. Gosh, if I could just feel this way about other things!

Guess what, God is good and totally has a sense of humor because I went into labor at 36 ½ weeks! The natural birth we had been planning fell into place. I woke up about 2 am on a Saturday morning and knew it was happening. We called the doctor and learned she was not on call too. So, a good friend of mine, also a nurse, came to the house and quickly became our Doula.

When we got to the hospital things were starting to get hard, labor was starting to pick up. Triage was really quick. I did need an IV due to testing positive for Strep B too.

My first labor experience was definitely the hardest. I was hoping to labor in the tub but they were out of hot water that day! The best position for me was laying in bed and gripping the arm rails. I even bit Kevin’s hand!

Fast forward and eight hours later, Clara was born! She was 4lbs 15oz and about 18” long. She was perfect and now I should mention this was also the first time we were finding out if she was a boy or girl. All along though I knew she was a girl.

Luci

Nineteen months after Clara was born we had Luci. This time we were planning on changing doctors. Mind you, the doctor I had for Clara is exceptional but was not the right doctor for us. Our good friend who also was our unplanned Doula suggested using her Midwife. All of a sudden going to the doctor was a completely different experience.

I was never there for long visits or for constant ultrasounds and monitoring. Baby and I could relax. There were a few ultrasounds but probably only three total versus the countless ones I had with Clara. Kevin and I really thought we were going to have a boy this time and were pretty surprised to learn we were having another girl!

Again we were planning to have a hospitalized natural birth and again practicing the Bradley Method. At 37 ½ weeks labor woke me up around the same time about 2 am and we were off to the hospital. Different doctor and a different hospital and this time I had hot water, yay, and it made all the difference!

However, we were 2 for 2 on doctors not being on call! My midwife did see me at triage but that was it until after Luci was born! Kevin and I are a great team but we left alone for the most part and it got to the point I needed my good friend again. She came on a Wednesday morning at 6 am without complaint too! Thank God for good friends who are also nurses!

Labor was so much better than my first and laboring in a bath was the best! I finally could relax my entire body and didn’t fight my contractions like I did with my first.

When it came time to push I got out and onto the bed and the urge to push started. About 15-20 minutes later, Luci was born. Total labor was about 6 hours. She was 6lbs 12oz and 18 ½” long.

Holland

Then came Holland. God listened to the hidden desire of my heart to have a third baby. I will always remember finding out I was pregnant with her the day before Mother’s day and it will forever be a treasured memory.

Here I was pregnant for the third time and most likely my last, I knew I wanted another midwife and a water birth! Omg, the birth center we picked was amazing! Every visit was like going to a spa, I’m not even kidding. If you are considering a natural birth I highly recommend going to a birth center.

I was pregnant the longest with Holland going clear to 39 weeks! I had Braxton Hicks most of my last trimester and was in a lot of discomfort.

On New Year’s Eve, I lost my mucus plug and mind you I never had with my other pregnancies. So, I proudly put on a disposable, adult, diaper! Then just after midnight and right before my head had a chance to hit the pillow, my water broke! Again, this was a first. When we got to the birth center I knew I wanted to get into the beautiful, jetted, whirlpool, tub with lights and pool noodles and Holland was born in the water.

To be honest, my body only wants to labor in water and preferably moving water. There is something about being in water that is relaxing and helps to take the pain and pressure your body experiences during contractions.

My labor was about 6 hours and pushing Holland out in the water was much different. I had a hard time getting my bearings in a tub versus in a hospital bed. Luckily, pushing is always a matter of minutes for me though, whew! For a baby to be born in water, they must stay completely submerged until they are fully past the birthing canal too. Midwives are so good at what they do and mine took such good care of us.

Holland was born 6lbs 6oz and 18 ½” long and beautiful just like her two older sisters and she will always be our baby New Year!

 

H A P P Y  M O T H E R’ S  D A Y!

xx, Nicole

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flower family photo shoot with TheoandBelle

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My dream of a family photo shoot finally happened! 

Yay, it was finally happening, our very first professional, family, photo shoot! My dream of a beautiful, sunset, family photoshoot was finally coming to fruition! 

A very good friend of mine sent me an ad for a complimentary photo shoot session. I know right? Oh my Gawd, really? Every mom, woman, mom blogger’s dream come true.

I am so happy we found Maria and TheoandBelle too. She is a fabulous photographer and I love we live in the same community and attend the same church! Such a small world we live in, seriously!

So, if you happen upon a photographer offering free sessions definitely take them up on it. I promise you will not regret it. Maybe you are wondering why it was free? Offering a select few mini sessions often helps a photographer build their brand and portfolio. Another thing I really liked about Maria and TheoandBelle is her photography style matched mine. Winner, winner, chicken dinner I’ll say!

Are you ready for the back story behind this little family photo shoot of ours? Let me just start by saying I was amply prepared! I’m talking wardrobe, hair appointments, you get the idea? All to have to cancel the shoot at the last minute!

Yep, and all of this went down on the luckiest day of the year too, St. Patrick’s day! I can tell you I wasn’t feeling very lucky though! The morning of I went to my hair appointment and everything was great until I left. As I’m leaving, with my beautiful done-up hair, I feel a pain in my gut. I knew something wasn’t right. Well, my mama instinct was right and our eldest was not feeling well. Like stomach hurting, throw-up kinda, not feeling well!!

I was so bummed because I literally had everything in place and now to cancel felt terrible. Although, Maria, was so sweet and understanding and she said, “let me know if you change your mind. My kiddos are already at the in-laws for the rest of the day.”

Suddenly, instantly, I felt better because of her response. She gets it because she is also a mom!

Guess what? We made it AND, on time! Can you believe it? After all of that and our daughter was fine. Nothing short of a mommy miracle I tell ya!

Since my girlies are used to me snapping a gazillion pictures we certainly fell into place. Although, our littlest Flower, won’t name any names, Holly, is our lose canon at the moment. She is only fourteen months though to give her credit and it was the dreaded witching hour, five o’clock!

Honestly, I didn’t even care because my dream of a beautiful, sunset, family photoshoot was finally coming to fruition. At this point, the only thing concerning was my dress. Though it is stunning, the straps kept sliding off almost revealing my ta-tas! Plus, I did not account for holding a baby. Take it from me this can really kill the moment during a shoot.

All in all, I am really happy with how this all turned out and I should mention Maria’s husband is a fabulous assistant! He reminds me a lot of Kevin and kindly watched the girls while Maria snapped a few of just the two of us.

If you happen to live in Phoenix, I highly recommend TheoandBelle for an amazing photoshoot experience. If you live elsewhere, check out alternative photography spots near you!

xx, Nicole

Living your best life with Home DNA

Leave a Comment Health + Beauty

This post is sponsored by Home DNA and as always all opinions are 100% my own.

What if you could unlock your personal DNA?

Do you want to know if you are living your best life in regards to how your body responds to diet and exercise?

Even though I make conscious efforts to eat healthily and exercise on a regular basis, I am getting older and if there is something I can do to improve my lifestyle, I am definitely interested. Plus, learning about your makeup and specific genes is something I find really fascinating!

Did you know? The Human Genome Project has estimated that humans have between 20,000 and 25,000 genes. Every person has two copies of each gene, one inherited from each parent. Most genes are the same in all people, but a small number of genes (less than 1 percent of the total) are slightly different between people. – *Copyright National Institutes of Health*

Recently, I took a Home DNA test and I am really excited to tell you all about it! This is also the first time I have done genetic testing. Home DNA makes it super simple too. You can pick up one of their kits at a local drugstore like CVS, RiteAid or even online. A kit like this usually will cost $119 along with a $99 lab fee.

First, I registered my lab kit online, (this allows you to read your test results) once they are in. Then, I swabbed the inside of my cheek and mailed in their provided envelope to DNA Diagnostics Center. Mind you, the DDC is one of the world’s largest private DNA testing companies with offices in Ohio and England. They have handled over 10 million DNA samples from 168 countries offering a wide array of results. You can visit www.DNACenter.com to learn more.

Since my report is about 70 pages long I am not going to bore you with every detail. Instead, I think its best to share the things that stood out to me and how I have implemented better eating habits and how it has improved my life.

My results:

 

The very first thing on my report suggests my ability to lose weight is low! I’m not gonna lie I kind of laughed because I have been a healthy weight most of my adult life. Then I learned just because I have this set of genes does not mean my body cannot be or maintain a healthy weight.

My word of advice would be to think of this as another tool to help you live your best life. Since I can always improve my diet and in particular what I eat for lunch because let’s face it, as a mom, a baby usually comes first. Sometimes I just forget and then it’s 2 pm and I wonder why I’m starving! Home DNA curated a specific meal plan just for me and it felt good to actually eat a good lunch!

My three favorites were:

  • Spinach salad with sliced mushrooms, cucumbers, sweet, bell peppers, lentils, olives and an olive oil lemon dressing.

  • Veggie burgers with a baked sweet potato and a spinach salad with avocado, tomato, and mushrooms.

  • Spinach salad with tuna, black beans, olives, tomato, feta and a simple olive oil dressing with salt.

There were also breakfast and dinner options as well as healthy snacks. I mostly sampled breakfast and lunch because we typically eat a good dinner as a family.

Finally, we all know besides eating well we also need to exercise right? I workout at best twice a week and right now it is truly the best I can do. If I were seeking to lose weight and have certain fitness goals I would have given the custom exercise regimen a go but I am happy where I am right now.

Now I have several new, healthy, lunch options and I feel so much better. I hope this gave you a pretty good idea of what Home DNA is all about and how it can help you improve a certain area of your life too.

 

xx, Nicole

 

 

 

 

 

An American Girl doll birthday celebration!

Leave a Comment LIFE

Do you remember the days of getting lost in an American Girl doll book? Gosh, I do. My favorite was Samantha and to imagine having her to hold and play with would have been a dream!

Clara just turned eight this month and her dream was to invite a few of her closest girlfriends to dine at the American Girl doll Bistro! So, I guess you can say my little girl came out a bit too and it was a blast!

If you have never been to an American Girl store, let me tell you all about it! To dine at the Bistro you need to call their 1-800 number to book your party. From the moment I called to make our reservation to the day of the party was exceptional. They are so caring and kind and everything about planning this event was seamless!

They even provide a special Evite to make sending out invites a breeze! I really enjoy making birthdays special for all of my daughters but it was nice knowing I didn’t have to be hostess this time. Our hostesses were so sweet and made sure everyone was having a good time.

The Bistro has made a slight change this year and that is less kitchen space to make more room for more of an experience. Honestly, cake, ice cream, and drinks were just perfect for an afternoon party. There is an option to order pizza from a local restaurant too.

Our experience included: A hairstyle for each of the girl’s dolls. I really love the fact you don’t have to own an American doll too. They will style any doll with hair, you just have to sign a quick waiver. They can also loan one of their dolls for a guest too!

I mentioned we had cake and ice cream and then each guest received a goody bag. Let me just say, “best goody bag ever”!

The only thing I wish would have been different for our group of girls was the craft. When I think of a craft I think of materials and glue. The craft was not really a craft but more of a coloring page, a cute coloring page but to me a little lackluster. However, the girls did not seem to mind and were having fun giggling and roaming the awesome store!

The party lasts ninety minutes and it was just perfect! Clara later told me, “best day ever, mom”!

She is growing up so fast!

 

xx, Nicole

Buying made easy online with Wikibuy

Leave a Comment LIFE

This post is sponsored by Wikibuy, as always all opinions are 100% my own.

Do you love to shop online? Let me tell you why I do.

I am a big fan of online shopping because I can shop from home, take advantage of online-only deals and who doesn’t love free shipping? Am I right?

For years I have been doing the online thing whether it’s Amazon Prime or Walmart ship to store option. Heck, we even grocery shop online now! Mostly, we love the time it saves us from running from store to store and filling up less at the gas pump!

Honestly, I do not enjoy shopping with my three little ones either. It’s quite the circus act and something I try not to perform on a regular basis lol! 🙃

Another thing I like to do is shop for the best price. This is what I love so much about Wikibuy because it does just that. Rather than trying to find the best price on an item searching countless sites, Wikibuy does it for me! Easy peasy!

Sometimes I wonder how many diapers we have gone through with three little girls? Well, I’m no math wiz but I know it’s a lot. Thankfully we have gotten by mostly with generic brand diapers until recently we switched to Huggies. As a mom, I pride myself on what works. If I can save a little it’s a bonus.

Signing up with Wikibuy is easy and free. I sign in with my Facebook account to make it even easier. You can search countless items from countless stores. Here is a screenshot of the diapers I just received.

 

You can see all the different stores along with their prices for the same package of diapers. So quick and easy, a mom lifesaver!

No surprise Walmart came out on top with the best price. Everything is shipped right to your door too. My girls love a big box to play in and I just knew they would ask me if they could have it. These three just melt my heart and keep me on my toes.

Cheers to the weekend!

 

xx, Nicole

 

 

Family room remix with Lorena Canals rugs

Leave a Comment CASA

Our family room is literally where we live as a family!

You can find us huddled in the morning drinking coffee, snuggling limb to limb or just watching late night TV after the girls go to bed.

This is our first home and it’s going on thirteen years!! Can you believe that? I mean this is probably our third time changing furniture and almost everything including paint and flooring.

So, what did we do? Yep, we changed things up again!

We recently updated our main living space with a new, custom, couch, new art and to anchor it all, a beautiful Lorena Canals rug. When I first saw their Bereber beige I knew it was perfect for us and our space.

Besides how beautiful it is and versatile, can you believe it is machine washable too? Yes, you heard that right. You can pick it up and wash it in your wash machine! It literally is genius and perfect in every way! Everything is made all natural and regular cleaning cuts down on dirt and allergens.

If you are new here, well hello. We have three little girls and I am convinced they are just as messy as little boys! I love that we can live and be messy and with a quick wash all is right with the world once again! Everyone needs a rug like this in their life.

The couch is a local, family run Leather furniture store and it was worth the eight weeks it took them to make for us. For a family of five, it is the perfect perch for all of us! Our walls are a greige (combination of beige and gray) I am keeping our palette very neutral with brown, gray and even black and white. Kevin and I both agree Holland needs to be a little older before we add a coffee table. This one is so pretty from Article and it fits our comfortable style too. Here’s hoping we can add this in soon.

Isn’t she cute? She just started walking three weeks after her first birthday. She is all about playing right here where her little tush meets soft landing!

What do you think of our space? You can shop our look below.

This post is sponsored by Lorena Canals rugs, as always all opinions expressed are 100% my own!

Thanks for stopping by.

 

xx, Nicole