PAW Patrol 5th Birthday

Handmade sigh saying "Welcome to Junior's 5th Birthday PAW-ty!"

My oldest LOVES Paw Patrol! Obviously that was the theme he decided on for his 5th birthday. In our group of friends we are the only ones with older kids, so we didn't do any games seeing as it would just be my kids playing. But I did all of the decorations or modified the store-bought ones to create something new. 

Turned store bought banner into 2 vertical banners for either side of our bay window 

Decor by the stairs and our PAW Patrol kids table

Marshall is our son's favorite, could you tell?

Our living room all decked out with hanging streamers

My son has a lot of Paw Patrol toys so we utilized what we had instead of buying centerpieces and stuff, I took his toy cars and place them around the house as party decorations and it worked out great.

Pups and trucks as party decor

More pups

Decor above the stairs

From the living room to the kitchen

Kitchen decor

Super Pups reminding everyone to Be a Hero, Wipe your Paws

I made sure the all the party food was properly named in proportion to the theme and it turned out great! He loved it!

Food labels made from construction paper and stickers

The party table

Used the Paw Patrol bus to hold the plates, napkins and forks. 

Pup-proni Pizza

Dessert! Pup-cakes!

When serving chips and dip, use a wine glass for the dip and put that in the bowl of chips 👌

Not really water from the toilet! I mixed together Crystal Lite Lemonade with Kool Aid Blue Raspberry Lemonade (with 1 cup sugar as per the Kool Aid packet) and filled up the jar with water! So Good and easy!

As a party favor for a puppy party and the fact that we had babies, we gave them teething toys and gave the parents small tissue packs with the Paw Patrol on them.

Party Favors!

Also big hit when we've got the Paw Patrol crew to call him through the Nick Jr. Club! Such an awesome thing, he was so excited - definitely made his special day more special! The best thing was at bedtime he hugged me and thanked me for his Paw Patrol birthday party 🤗👍 

Happy Birthday Big boy!

Both boys eating party snacks

Baby boy dressed up for brother's party, complete with a PAW Patrol cup!

OH SH!T Baby Shower Gift: The best thing to give a new mommy!

So we've all been there: out & about with the 

family having a great time and then it happens...the oldest throws a fit (he's still under 5) and spills his entire water bottle on himself and the youngest pees through his diaper...yet again 😒

One of the best things I have ever Pinned on Pinterest was the "OH CRAP BAG". Sadly the website is not longer working but the lady was a genius! Another lady made her own version of the "Oh Crap" bag but although her way is cute too, I liked the first one I saw that no longer works. Both ladies are very smart and here is the newer version: http://www.diaperswappers.com/diaper-blog/the-oh-crap-bag-and-why-its-a-perfect-baby-shower-gift

So the idea behind the bag was to have those items for your baby, kids and yourself  in your car in the event that you might need them. Items like a few extra diapers, a thing of wipes, change of clothes, etc. As a shower gift, she would place a few diapers of a certain size in a gallon size plastic bag with an outfit in a certain size, seal it and write on the bag the sizes of both diapers and clothes. Simple and easy to see in those moments you need a diaper or clothes and do not have them in your diaper bag or you have used up your back ups. This bag is your back-ups back up 👍

Inside the Oh Sh!t bag

I did diaper sizes 2 to 5, along with clothing sizes 0-3 Months, 3 Months, 6-9 Months and 12 Months. Each bag is clearly labeled for the new mommy to find what it is she needs.

Label on each bag: Diaper size and Clothing size

0-3 bodysuit with size 2 diapers

0-3 sleeper

First bag done!

3 month body suit with size 3 diapers

3 month sleeper

Second bag done!

6-9 bodysuit with size 4 diapers

6 month sleeper

12 month bodysuit with size 5 diapers

All 4 bags done! Now of course a baby in size 6 month clothing won't be in size 4 diapers but the point of this bag is to help the mom be prepared for the worst. I have a bag like this myself and I have used it so many times!

I also included some extras she may need: a pad (hey it's always a good idea to have a back up in the car!), a small First Aid kit, lotion, Clorox wipes, Germ X, lint roller, tissues, chap-stick and two pacifiers.

Everything all ready to be packed!

I put it in a cheap reusable Walmart bag but you can use any bag you like to keep everything in the car. 

Tried making the bag look cute by adding a bow in the same shade of blue

Now other items for her to add to it are things like her kids favorite snacks (non perishable, duh), extra underwear for her toddler, sunscreen, a sippy cup for her toddler, a blanket, etc. Honestly the list can go on and on depending on the needs and wants for her family.

I also made her a crochet baby blanket and put it all together in a plain blue gift bag decorated with baby stickers to make it stand out.

Chevron pattern made from Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Soft Navy, Heather Grey and Macaw

Hidden behind everything there in the back

Mommy to be opening it up.

She loved it! I was so nervous she wouldn't like it but it got a great response! It is the best thing for any mom or dad, you can never be too prepared when it comes to kids. 

Airplane Busy Bag for a 7 Year Old

One of my favorite parts about traveling when I was a child was the bag full of surprises my mom packed for me! Whether it was a flight to Texas or Virginia (from California) for a family reunion, a road trip business trip with mom a few hours away or a trip to Disneyland - my mom always had goodies, non tablet or DVD goodies, for us.
My friend's stepson was visiting for a few weeks this summer and I decided to make him a Busy Bag for his direct, 2 hour flight from Tennessee to Missouri so he wasn't hungry or bored. Older kids are easier than toddlers and babies when it comes to traveling; they don't need things like diapers, wipes, baby formula or baby food. But even though they are easily entertained by their fidget spinners (seriously, what is that all about?!) I took it upon myself to create an inexpensive, yet entertaining Older Kid Busy Bag.

The bag itself is from Wal-Mart, they had a few backpacks on the sales rack at $2.50 - just perfect for this! Then we went to the clearance section (always need to!) and we found a Spider Man puzzle and then my oldest picked out a Hot Wheel car for him. And they had some school supplies already out and on sale, so we picked up some color crayons.
Next we went to the Dollar Store to find some snacks and toys. We got a magnet doodle thing, a coloring book, Silly Putty, one of those dollar grab n pack character coloring packs in Sponge-Bob, then some of his favorite snacks and the lollipops are from my pantry.
The whole thing cost me less than $20 and I made the kid's airplane ride better. Simple, inexpensive and effective 👍

Surviving Eating Out with 2 Under 5

My hubby and I love going out to eat! We enjoy it but...not with our kids with the ages they are right now (18 months & almost 5). They get impatient, they don't want to sit at the table, they're distracted by everything going on around them and the other people other tables. They each have a Kids Tablet & I have a Kids Mode on my phone (such a lifesaver!) But they tend to get loud and messy, and then once it's time to eat they don't want to turn off the games, so we try to avoid using Electronics and save them as a very last resort.
I'm a huge follower on Pinterest of all things "Mommy Hacks" and both my mother and myself are huge into Organization. A lot of Pins come up when you type in "restaurant busy bags". I think it's a great idea to have a bag in your car that is filled with items to help keep your kids happy in a restaurant or anywhere that you're really waiting for a long time. We even used this bag when we were buying my husband's second car at the dealership because it took like 3 hours for us to sign all the papers and these little toys really came in handy. 

So this is my version of a restaurant kit for my kids:

Okay first and foremost this is the newest item for my restaurant kit; it stays in the car and I use it so much more than I initially thought I would when I purchased it off Amazon. It is a walking harness, a portable high chair, and a cart harness for when the straps in the shopping carts are broken. It's a Lucky Baby/ Yochi Yochi brand 3 in 1 baby/toddler safety harness. 

I absolutely love this and I have used it at least 4 times a week in the past 3 weeks. We went to the zoo before we purchased this harness and my youngest screamed his head off when it was time to eat lunch! He didn't want to sit in the highchair, he didn't want to sit in his stroller, he just wanted to sit on my lap and try to get my food from my hands as I was trying to eat it. I placed him in the chair next to me but he kept moving and I was afraid he would fall off of it, so my meal was not enjoyable.  

This harness has a permanent place in my car! I went to my friend's house the other night for dinner and used it as a high chair! Absolutely love this product! A must have for moms! It lives in my Thirty-One Utility Tote in the trunk of my car along with a Deluxe Utility Tote with my other must have car items (for another blog) and a laundry basket for groceries. 

Okay time for the bag part of the restaurant bag. The bag I use was gifted to me for my oldest when he was about 2 years old. It's a usable type bag with short handles with Cars characters on it so it's really rather perfect for this kit. 

Inside I have a sketch book with stickers, A felt Travel Busy Book from the dollar bins from Target (it has a road with cars & signs, a map of the US with puzzle pieces, and Tic Tac Toe), Color Changing Markers, Spot It Jr. Card game, Disney Eye Found It Card Game, Fruit snacks, Melissa & Doug blocks, Gerber Place-mat, 2 sippy cups, and wipes. 

(Inside the Gerber Place-mat I always have utensils and a disposable bib)

Here's my youngest sitting at the restaurant, in his portable high chair, eating from his place-mat. We decided to go to Buffalo Wild Wings because of the TVs and the noise level is already louder than at normal restaurants so if the kids got a little loud, it would be okay. Our youngest stayed in his seat and played; our oldest went thru the toys fairly quickly but eventually settled down and played with the stickers until our food came.

Another way we personally survive eating out is we bring food for our kids so we don't waste money on new foods they will either throw a fit not to eat or just completely ignore altogether. Our oldest is extremely picky when it comes to food and our youngest is going through a phase of trying new foods, some he loves and some he throws on the floor; so we brought with us pasta for the oldest, cheese sticks and fruit snacks for both, and Gerber yogurt, cereal bar and Gerber Grabber for the youngest. When our food came, we asked for carrot sticks along with our wings so they could have a veggie with dinner too. 

Both kids did a great job behaving! Definitely planning on eating out more often with the help of this kit to make it less stressful and embarrassing for us, as well as less boring for our kids.  

Taking 2 Under 5 to the Movies

So it's summer, my kids are stuck in the house because of the summer heat. My hubby is home for the weekend which sometimes is good, and sometimes we are at each other's throats. There's the way of marriage sometimes. So we had a movie gift card and decided to use it to take them to see Cars 3.

My youngest is only 18 months; we waited til our oldest was 3 before attempting to take him to the movies. We were worried about the youngest screaming, running around, getting scared from the loud movie or crying the whole time.

So we decided to go regardless of our worries because as parents you got it keep on going. In preparation for the movies I went shopping for snacks (I mean, who doesn't save money by buying their snacks at the store versus actually at the Movies!). 

I had already purchased these Nuby brand Snack N Sip cups  (2 pack from Wal-Mart) for my boys when we go to the zoo and walking with the youngest because it's a cup & snack bowl in one! 9 ounces of drink go in the bottom, and it's leak proof! And then 4 ounces of snack goes in the top & it clicks close. These cups are amazing for my two boys! 

Next I took a Pinterest hack with buying a caddy for the kids in the car so they can eat Drive Thru Kids Meals in the caddy versus putting all the food on their laps. So I went to the Dollar store to find some, they had these tiny ones which was perfect for my boys! I brought snacks too. 

 So when the big day came we got the diaper bag all packed with the snacks  (shh!) Put the youngest in his stroller & found the perfect spot to sit. We decided to sit the the front section, next to the wheelchair seats; at our Movies there was a tiny row next to the wheelchair seats that was a step down but only had 6 seats in the row. We put the stroller with the youngest in the step down part next to me, left a seat open for the youngest just in case he wanted out of the stroller, then our oldest, and then my hubby. We left enough room in case the youngest wanted to walk or one of us needed to take a kid out for potty breaks or crying fits. 

The youngest did awesome! He stayed in his stroller the majority of the time. As soon as we sat down, my hubby & oldest went to get popcorn (I mean you have to have popcorn at the movies!) And I got to work dividing the snacks into my kids food caddies. Then the next step was pouring the juice into their cups. I brought my youngest Wuby with a pacifier attached (he loves a little dinosaur; although we don't take a pacifier out with us anymore. Breaking him of it except for naps) his blanket (because movie theaters get cold) and his favorite toy stuffed animal a tiny, TY baby fox.

So with both kids having their snacks ready, we were good to go! 

About 90 minutes in the youngest tried pulling his cup up out of the stroller cup holder & hit himself in the nose (poor baby!) So I got him out of the stroller, put my purse in the stroller (so it didn't tip backward for the diaper bag) and put my youngest in his seat. He loved moving the seat up and down (although I was worried he'd fall through the opening!) And then when he wanted daddy, he walked over to daddy. He did get a little loud but it was nothing some candy & mommy couldn't cure 😊

The oldest was glued to the movie til his snacks & daddy's popcorn ran out but thank goodness the movie was 10 minutes from being over & once again candy came to the rescue so the oldest didn't start crying! 

All in all, it was a great family outing! 

Heart - Break Healing

I always seem to be giving my friends relationship advice. Like I've been in a relationship any longer than any of them. My husband and I have been together this year 7 years in December, four years and married this month. And before him I had one serious relationship that lasted 14 months and two little fling that lasted about a month each so I'm not the biggest expert on relationships because I haven't had a lot of them. But here is my relationship advice when your significant other screws up and you don't think you can ever forgive them. And nothing too crazy like cheat on you with a stripper or get another girl pregnant or fall in love with your best friend. And by no means in any abuse ever ok - physical,  mental, emotional, sexual - none of it is ever ok get out ASAP if any of that is happening to you or if one of your friends! That being said here are my top 3 things in forgiving your partner and having a healthy, loving marriage.

#1: Understand that they are only human- they will make mistakes every single day of their life! Don't let the small things get in the way of the big picture. Arguments will happen, you will fight, you will get pissed off at each other - he will leave his underwear all over the floor and never clean up after himself and never make the bed. Or as my husband says it I always leave my hairs stuff all over the bathroom counter, I am always a stickler for wanting things neat and straight, I multitask too much and burn the food and never make the same dish twice, my temper flares up. Truth be told neither one of us is perfect and we try our best not to let that get in the way of our relationship which it does on a daily basis and that is totally okay. A relationship without fights or a relationship with nothing but fights is no relationship at all. Like everything in life - moderation is key.

#2: There is a photo on Facebook that states marriage in the best possible way. It says, "Marriage is not 50-50. Divorce is 50-50. Marriage is 100-100 every single moment of every single day." I might have paraphrased a bit but it's true. If one person is giving it their all, putting all their energy in their marriage while the other does not - their marriage is doomed. I know first hand: there was a time that I did all the household chores, cooking, errand running, laundry...heck I even set out my husband's outfits, complete with shoes and socks! It was after we moved and I found myself stuck at home all day and bored out of my mind. My husband loved me going above and beyond the normal housewife work and when he didn't help out, I became resentful. I stopped doing all the extra and my husband didn't understand why I was so upset with him. I shouldn't have been doing so much and expecting him to do the same for me.

#3: Intimacy is very, very important! Not just sex, but that is important as all, but touching, talking, inside-jokes, cuddling. There are so many articles trying to help us understand that touch each other a little through out the day leads to a healthy marriage. Kissing each other good-bye and hello, hugging randomly during the day - heck even the occasional smack on a butt cheek like my husband loves doing to me - makes us closer each day. (Although most of the time it totally irratites me, I need to remember that is his way of showing his affection for me.) So the next time you're driving together, out shopping, or watching a movie - move closer, brush your hand against theirs and chances are as soon as you touch them, they will touch you right back.

I wish you all the best in your relationships. Remember to love first and that they are only human. Forgive and always remember why you fall in with them in the first place 💞

New Job...New Me!

My husband and I went through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace workshop a few years ago and we were cruising along just great until we decided to get a second car and started living above our means. So my husband said unless I didn't want to drive home for Christmas (Fat Chance!) then I needed to go out and rejoin the work force. I was upset because I was perfectly happy being at home with my son all day. I was filling out job applications online when my husband told me he might be deploying again. That raises his income and I wouldn't have to get a job! We were very happy, for about 2 days when the whole deployment was called off. A few of my friends were babysitting other people's kids and I decided to give it a shot and applied for some. One lady didn't want me bringing along my son because she worked from home and needed quiet. Another one was for a grade-school child and an elderly lady. Then there was one that no one had responded to, a job 3pm to also midnight with three kids. Sounded long but promising. I got it and I love it! The kids are great and the mom is so sweet!

Lesson Learned: Go for it, even if you have some doubts! Try it down anyways!