For the past few days, we have been pummeled with rain, here in Richmond.

No one loves a dreary, rainy day more than me, however when it rains ALL day long, it's a mother's worst nightmare!

It goes with out saying, when it's sunny and nice my kids want to stay inside and watch movies, and when it's rainy, all they want to do is play outside, and rainy days breed an abundance of energy in my girls!

So, I was in need of an outlet.

Having 3 kids under 3 there are not many options for me.  I need somewhere safe, and not too big because my 3 kids love running in 3 different directions and I'm only 1 person.

Off to Romp n Roll!!!

We love going to the Y, but sometimes it's nice for a change.  Romp N Roll is great! They have open gym hours, where for 5 bucks a kid, you can get all your energy out. The whole gym is covered in soft flooring with lots of play mats and safe stuff for the kids to climb and explore. It's nice for me, because I don't have to hover over each kid, they really can't hurt themselves, besides the occasional stumble.

 We stayed for an hour and half, and probably would have stayed longer, but Dad surprised us by getting off from work early, so we headed to our favorite Chick-fil-et for dinner, you can read about my love for them, here.


This morning the sun was out! So we got some outside time in this morning, but not before snack....

 I know you've heard it before, but really, I literally turned my head for a second, a SECOND! That's applesauce folks....everywhere.

Word of warning, applesauce is deceptively hard to get out of hair! Good thing it's warm out, because I literally sprayed her head down in the kitchen sink, and then corralled everyone in the back yard!

In other news, my friend has become a Thirty One consultant, and I ordered a wallet and utility tote! I love the wallet (sorry I still have to take a pic of it) and am obsessed with the tote!

The quality of their products is impressive, I plan on using this bag for my trunk shows, but it's also going to get used as a pool/diaper bag as well, I love it! Check her site out and buy some products!

This past Sunday, I participated in the March of Dimes Walk in Richmond, VA.

It was a rainy, dreary, mess of a day, but that didn't keep the thousands down who showed up to walk for babies! My team was the RAMOM Early Birds ( my local mom of multiples organization).  Although we were soaked from head to toe by the end of our 5 mile walk, it was so worth it, and it was so inspiring to hear stories from other parents of premature babies.

Complications and high-risk come with the territory when you are dealing with a pregnancy that involves multiples, and being an active member in my mom's of mulitples club, I've heard a range of preemie stories.  At the walk Sunday, I heard even more.

March of Dimes isn't just for mom's of multiples of course, so it was touching to hear all the stories of hardships and extreme premature births that ended happily.  Of course, many were walking in memory of preemies who did not make it.  Sobering, to see and hear their stories, it certainly made me hug my own children more closely.

Our big girl was born a day before her due date, right on time, so I know how important those last few weeks in the womb matter during pregnancy.

On September 7, 2010 my twins were born 5 weeks prematurely.  5 weeks early, sounds pretty good considering I was carrying twins, but still early none the less.

 We faced many complications during the pregnancy, and from day 1, were told one of our girls would not survive the first trimester.  Well, she did, then we were told she wouldn't make it past 20 weeks, well she did. THEN, they said, there is no way I could carry them past 28 weeks....I DID. Again, before I had my c-section, they said, I probably wouldn't be able to see her, she would need to head to the NICU immediately.  Well, my 3lb. 14 oz. little girl was MUCH smaller than her twin sister who came in at a whopping 5lbs. 12 oz, she was small, but her lungs were mighty, and she screamed LOUDLY, letting everyone in the OR know she was just fine!  Because of her weight, she eventually was taken to the NICU, and originally we were told she wouldn't be released until her due date, but they were wrong again.  She was only in the NICU for 8 days total! She was born at 3lbs. 14 oz. and she came home weighing 3lbs. 15 oz.!!!

 She was a rockstar, and of course so was her sister! We were incredibly blessed. For the most part they hit their milestones right on target with the exception of sitting up (they didn't do that til about 8-9 months) but that was literally the only development milestone where they showed their prematurity....

They are 19 months now, and you would NEVER know how far they've come! They keep up just fine, considering the start they had in this world!

Chick-fil-et, I heart you

Have you heard of Mom's Valet???

Well, the Chick-fil-et by our house just starting offering it, and all I can say is...THANK YOU!!!!!!

It's a genius idea, and a saving grace if you have young kids!

I have 3 under 3, and getting everyone out of the car, into a restaurant, ordering food, and eating should qualify for an olympic event.  

Well this evening, the kids were stir crazy, so the hubs and I decided to take them out for dinner, Chick-fil-et is already a favorite for families with kids, but we were anxious to try out the Mom's Valet.

All you do, is go through the drive thru, tell them you're doing the Mom's Valet, order and pay ( in our case we also told them we needed 3 highchairs) you park, unload your brood, and by the time you get in, they have your table and food all ready to go!

It seriously was AWESOME!

The sweet lady who took care of us, had the high chairs already pulled up to the table, and the food set out! How is that for service???

Eating out with young children is rarely an enjoyable experience for the parents, but it was so nice to walk in, and have the food ready...anyone with small children knows,  the wait-time on food, makes or breaks your outing!

The kids had a blast, and this mom, was more than thankful that an already accommodating fast food chain is still looking to go the extra mile for families!

Thanks Chick-fil-et.....

we will definitely be back! 

Pork Chops!

I made this for dinner last night!

They were delicious, and super easy....everyone say crock pot!

I got the recipe from pinterest. It also has a recipe for parmesean mashed potatoes to accompany it, but I didn't have time for that...I just used some Bob Evans instant potatoes and broiled some asparagus with salt and pepper and olive oil.

For the pork chops...

throw 6 in the crock pot ( I only did 4, so if you have less than 6 that is obviously fine)

1 can cream of chicken

1 pack dry ranch seasoning

cook for 4 hours

Thats it!

The pork is so tender, it literally falls apart!

The kids LOVE this, so it's a recipe that I will definitely be making again!

I try to do at least 2 crock pot meals a week on the nights my husband works late because it's impossible to cook if there isn't another person around to occupy the kids!

Tonight's crock pot meal is chicken pasta!

I'll let you know how it turns out :)

Get Ready for Summer....

With new jewelry!!!

Stella and Dot's summer capsule collection is out, and it is HOT! I'll be placing my sample orders tonight, but wanted to share some of my favorites with all of you!

If you haven't heard or seen Stella and Dot jewelry, you're missing out!

I fell in love with their jewelry so much, I became an independent stylist!

You're not going to find another jewelry line like ours that is more on point with current fashion trends, but MOST importantly....this is REAL jewelry, and it's well-made! Most of our line is under $50, but we still offer those amazing splurge/statement pieces that make everyone swoon!

We're celebrity favorites, and you can see our jewelry on the Kardashians, KLG and Hoda, Lara Spencer, Natalie Morales, Giuliana Rancic, Kelly Ripa, and most recently Katharine Heigl.

Below, our some of my FAVORITE pieces from the summer line :)

This is the Cameron Pendant. $79, obviously it's inspiration is coral...perfect for summer!

The Palamino! This is one of my all-time favs, and I can't wait to have it in my hands! $138, this will seriously look good with anything! The color will make any outfit pop, and you'd be surprised how light it is, the last thing you want when your wearing a summer dress, are heavy accessories, this necklace ROCKS!

The Calliah, $158. I'm a pisces, so I'm naturally drawn to this color, all I can do is sigh. Totally gorgeous!

Did you know that the majority of our line is under 50 bucks?? I wanted to share with you my favorite under 50 steals!

The Callie Bracelet! $49, again, I'm drawn to this color, I love the style, very boho-chic

The Capri Chandelier Earrings! $49 and they are a staple for anyone's summer wardrobe. They are also available in turquoise!

Carobella hoops, $29 inspired by coral branches!

Again, coral inspiration....the Valen Pendant, $39

and the Jules Ring, $49. Cocktail rings are so much fun!

Hope you guys enjoyed previewing the jewelry!

You can shop 24/7 at my e-boutique! If you are local to Richmond, VA and would like to get some of the jewelry featured here for FREE, please contact me through my e-boutique. If you're not local to me, but LOVE this jewelry, please visit stella and dot, to find a stylist local to you!

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EASTER!!!!

So, as I said in my last post....our Easter weekend was full of A LOT of activity!

Saturday, we hit up my mom's Church Easter Egg Hung...

Isn't that hat hysterical!!! My mom got all the girls those bunny hats, the big girl was obsessed :)

That's my dad on the left....check out the basket FULL of eggs! The girls seriously cleaned up...the eggs were filled with candy, so we came home with all kinds of loot! That's me and my mom on the right....can you tell I'm oozing enthusiasm here?!?!

After the egg hunt, we headed to lunch, and then had some friends over for a cook out. It was fun, but in retrospect, I would have been MUCH better rested for all the responsibilities that involve hosting Easter dinner the next day if we hadn't cooked out the night before....sigh.

Remember my "steal" I got off amazon?? Well it was delivered Saturday....hello? That's super fast! I was hoping the hubster could get it put together and we could have it set out as an easter surprise, but apparently it's like 85 pieces ( I didn't see that mentioned in any of the reviews) so alas, it is still in the shed, waiting to be assembled.

Easter morning came, and the kids were so happy to see that the Easter Bunny came through!

All the girls got the same thing in their baskets, so here is a close up of the big girl's basket, so you can get an idea of what was in there (I'll have a break down at the end of the post)

Aren't the stuffed bunny's cute??? I know, I know....I could kick myself for bringing MORE stuffed animals into my house...they are seriously taking over, but they were too cute to pass up!

little bunnies!!!

Who's ready for the beach?? She wore this bathing suit all morning long!

I'm mad I didn't get any pictures of our food table, but I was so busy getting every thing together, it was insane.

In the insanity, we also forgot to take a family Easter picture (insert sad face)

Breakdown of Easter Basket Goodies-

The cute stuffed bunnies - Target $2.99 x 3 kids

Bathing Suits - Target $12.99 x 3

bunny ears- Target $1 bin x 3

sunglasses- Target $1 bin x 3

Pack of 3 butterfly glasses- Target $1 bin x 3

Peeps x 3

Goldfish x 3

bunny shaped sippy cups- Target I think they were 3.99 x 3

Easter plates- Target, I think they were 4.99 x 3

Neat light-up Egg shaped wands- Target 3.99 x 3

Books from Barnes and Noble-

Where Are Baby's Easter Eggs by Karen Katz - 7.99

Easter Bunny Touch and feel book by Roger Priddy -8.99

Baby loves Spring by Karen Katz-6.29

The Story of Easter by Patricia A. Pingry- 4.29

( I just divided the books, up, I didn't buy 3 of each, that would be crazy)!

We used our baskets from last year....

Grand Total approximately $125.00

Keep in mind these are things I've been picking up here and there for the past 2 months! That breaks down to about 40 bucks per kid.

I don't think I did too bad :)

Hope everyone had a great Easter! What did the Easter Bunny bring you????

Recipes and Easter Baskets

Easter was...

hectic

but, wonderful!

I'll do a bigger post on our Easter festivities tomorrow. I really want to pass these recipes on though...

My favorite Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I love this recipe, because this is a cold dip. Most of the time when you think of spinach and artichoke, you think of a hot dip, but this is totally delicious and totally easy to make!

This makes a pretty nice batch, plenty for a party....

2 bags frozen chopped spinach

2 cans artichoke hearts

3 red peppers

3 bunches of scallions

1.5 cups parmesean cheese

1/2- 1 cup mayo (depends on how much you want, I prefer 1/2 cup)

dice red peppers and cook until tender

drain artichokes and pull them apart

thaw spinach and drain excess liquid

cut scallions as small as you can

throw it all in a bowl with your cheese and mayo and voila! Refrigerate and serve!

it's seriously sooooo good!

The undisputed best French Toast

I made this Easter morning, and Oh. My. God.

This recipe rocks because you make it the night before, in the morning all you do is put it in the oven....EASY!

Loaf of french bread -1 in. thick

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1.5 cup of milk

combine sugar and butter in pan and heat until it's the consistency of syrup

poor in a 9x13 pyrex pan

push the sliced bread into the mixture

combine eggs, milk, and vanilla and wisk

pour the eggs mixture over the bread that is on top of the syrup and refrigerate over night

Next morning heat oven to 350 and cook for 45 min. serve with powdered sugar, syrup, fresh fruit, whatever your heart desires...

So, last year, I was THAT mom. You know the one, who was out the night before Easter finding baskets and things to put in them.

This year I vowed, not me, no way!

So, I've been picking up things here and there for the last 2 months.....

Who went overboard???? That's the problem with thinking ahead....you tend to forget what you have already gotten.

I was a little concerned all of their stuff wouldn't fit...but alas

It all worked out!

Don't you love the dogs in the pictures! hahah

Everything I got was from Target with the exception of the books, which were Barnes and Nobles...I'm going to post my basket stuffers in my Easter post tomorrow for you guys....

until then, here's a picture of the big girl at the petting zoo that was set up at our local mall...

Happy Spring!!!

Steal of the Day.....

So, I've been in the market for a nice table and chairs set for my little ladies.
After we recently we went to a 'tea party' birthday party, the big girl has been obsessed with tea time. So, my search became amplified.

I've found most sets only come with 2 chairs, and that obviously doesn't work for me since I have 3 kids.

I LOVE this set from Pottery Barn Kids. All there stuff is so stinking cute

However, sometimes their prices are a bit outrageous! This table is $159. not terrible, but that doesn't include the chairs, which are $139 for a set of 2!

Hello???

I'm sorry, I just can't spend $450 smackers on a kids table and chairs....not doing it.
I found a cute set at walmart that was $99 with 4 chairs, but I read the reviews and apparently it's not so durable.

On to my favorite site...AMAZON.

I found this cute set...the brand is coaster

The reviews were fantastic for it, and one reviewer even said "I bought this instead of the Pottery Barn Kids version, and couldn't be happier"

So, I hit the "add to cart" button
After shipping and handling my grand total came to $177.25

I'll take that over $450 any day of the week :)

Can't wait for it to arrive and get it all put together to show you guys!

I won't blame you if you're scared...

Do you know how hard it is to find a non-creepy/scary looking raggedy ann doll????

okay, the one above isn't too bad....but trust me, in my search I have come across some pretty frightening images.

Firstly, I'm shocked at how expensive some of these dolls are....they are rag dolls! All because of nostalgia they have become over-priced collectors pieces. I just want a cute, soft raggedy ann doll my girls can love on!

Secondly, why do they all have to be huge! I want a smaller sized one, and the only "semi-cute" ones I can find are like 18 in.! Too much raggedy for me!

ANNOYING

I'm probably over-analyzing (as I have a tendency to do). I had a raggedy ann doll when I was little, and judging from my internet search, most of the raggedy's from the 80's.....are pretty creepy looking! So, chances are, mine was creepy as well, but I still loved her just the same!

well, the search will continue I guess.....

I'm currently in full-on plan mode. I'm hosting Easter dinner this year (seriously, what was I thinking)?

It's just family, nothing too outrageous, but planning and executing with 3 little rascals around won't exactly be the easiest thing I've done, I always seem to pull things off at the last second though, so we shall see :)