A Surprise Road Trip to The Oregon Zoo

Y'all know I love a good family fun day out. I especially love it when I do not have to plan said fun. Saturday my husband surprised us with a trip to the zoo in Portland, Oregon and I am so glad he did.

Our Saturday started out like any other. After we had breakfast I got everyone dressed because I had an errand to run. After my errand instead of driving home my husband headed South on the Interstate and told us all to enjoy the ride.

All of the kids slept for the entire two hour and thirty minute car ride. The scenic drive was beautiful. We saw livestock wading in a river at one point. This place keeps getting more magical by the weekend.

Once we arrived at the zoo we were all famished. The omelettes that I made for breakfast had worn off and we needed to eat asap. Luckily, there was a restaurant just on the other side of the ticket counter of the zoo.

Cascade Grill had your normal amusement park/zoo offerings but everything was so fresh. I treated myself to a bacon cheeseburger. It was delicious going in but my clean eating body did not like this treat. I will save you the details.

My two Mikes, I swear they were happy and excited. This is what it looks like when you've just had an amazing burger. You're just caught in a daze.

We got rolling shortly after lunch to see all the sights. Mikey and Savannah talked about every single animal they saw.

The Polar Bear exhibit was pretty cool. Everyone was measuring themselves against the bears.

I thought it was neat that the zoo offered beer and wine. The Oregon Zoo also has a Summer Concert series and opportunities to camp out. People were there pitching their tents and Savannah was really intrigued by the whole "spend the night at the zoo" thing. She may want to do that.

I'll have to plan that for her and her Dad.

There were plenty of misting stations to keep everyone cool. I also noticed that the zoo provided lots of water refill stations at no cost.

We headed home just before the zoo closed. The kids talked their way into some nice souvenirs before we loaded up for the ride back home.

I am so glad that we are getting to explore so much before school starts in a couple weeks. It is so unlike my husband to plan a full day for the family and I really appreciate that he stepped out of his comfort zone. It was good to be able to just ride and not worry about anything.

Hopefully, this is the first of many trips to Portland for us. How was your weekend?

Einstein Bros. Bagels Helping Kids in Need

I love Sundays. Sundays tend to feel so much different than any other day of the week. We'll be trying out a new church next weekend and I'm pretty excited about that. This Sunday we recovered from a surprise road trip that my husband planned and I ran out and grabbed us breakfast on base at Einstein Bros.

Einstein Bros. Bagels will kick off its national No Kid Hungry partnership on Tuesday (8/16/16) with a FREE day featuring the new gourmet Fresh Cracked Egg sandwiches. For each sandwich given away on August 16th, one meal will be donated to a kid in need. Their goal is donate 1 million meals!

The new gourmet Fresh Cracked Egg sandwiches come in three different flavors. The Farmhouse featuring Applewood Bacon, Smoked Ham, Country Pepper Shmear and Cheddar Cheese on a Cheesy Hash Brown Gourmet Bagel. The Chorizo Sunrise made with Chorizo, Avocado, Jalapeño Salsa Shmear and Pepper Jack Cheese on a Fresh-Baked Green Chile Gourmet Bagel. The French Toast Egg Sandwich with Applewood Bacon, Maple Shmear and Cheddar Cheese on a Fresh-Baked French Toast Bagel.

I tried coffee again today. You guys, I just don't think I'm a coffee person. After a few sips I'm done. The flavor of the vanilla hazelnut coffee I had with my Southwestern Egg White sandwich was pretty amazing though.

On Tuesday I plan to go back to and #GetEgged by using my voucher for a free sandwich.  Download your free voucher at einsteinbros.com and help spread the word on social media using the hashtag #GetEgged and be sure to tag @einsteinbros. Let's help those in need. You never know who may be suffering silently.

I was provided compensation for my participation in the Einstein Bros. Bagels No Kid Hungry campaign. All opinions are my own.

Teething Kept Me Up All Night...

How cute is Moses?! I mean, just take his cuteness in for a bit. I do it all day. He ceases to be this cute at 2am when I want to sleep. Just keeping it all the way real around here...

Last night Moses fell asleep at his regular time but woke up about an hour later and he never went back to sleep. I was sitting there as the hours passed thinking, "This can't be life right now..." What happened to my baby that slept all night long? I need him to come back as soon possible.

Mikey and Savannah never struggled with teething. I honestly don't remember Savannah teething and because of that I think it's safe to say she handled it fine. Mikey started teething at around four months and he had lots of teeth before he even started walking. Nursing him was interesting...

Now we have sweet baby Moses who seems to need a bit of help. Well, I'm not sure if he really needs it but I need him to sleep so we will be trying some different teething aids to soothe his sore little mouth.

I will admit that the only thing I researched before heading to the store was baby teething ointment and the amber necklaces. I have decided that while I am too much of a nervous wreck for the necklace I am totally comfortable with anything over the counter.

So I basically went into the store and threw everything teething related in my cart. I know, I know... judge if you must. These are unchartered waters for me and I just need to find something that works.

So here is what we'll be trying...

If your baby had a hard time teething please tell me what you did to soothe them. I need all the suggestions. All of them. ALL. OF. THEM. Thank you!

32 Things to do Before 33: 6 Month Check-In

Today during our visit with the hematologist I realized that February is six months away. When she told us we didn't have to come back for six months (yay!) I counted out the months and it was FEBRUARY!

My birthday month! I'm not one of those people that celebrates my birthday for an extended period of time but I do believe that birthday are our own personal new years. So every year I try to start fresh and use what I learned from the year before to be a better me.

Dinner in Vegas at Prime overlooking the Bellagio Fountains on my 30th birthday

I started out my thirties with a trip to Vegas and I am determined to continue riding that high for the rest of this decade. So if you remember I made my list of 32 things to do before turning 33 a while back. To be honest, I have actually completed some of these items but since they weren't documented here we'll all agree that it doesn't count.

The young people say it didn't really happen if it wasn't shared on the world wide web so I guess we'll apply that rule here.

Is there something that you want to do before your next birthday or the New Year? It's not too late to set some new goals and dream some new dreams! 

My goal for the upcoming week is to start waking up early enough to have morning bible study, journal and workout. Those are a few things off my list that I would love to start making time for daily. Wish me luck!

Back to School Mix & Match Style with H&M

H&M is one of my favorite places to shop for the kids, especially Savannah. Sav loves wearing dresses to school and H&M has the perfect solution for a dress lover like my little lady.

When your daughter pretty much demands to wear a dress everyday you have to come up with ways to please her but also make sure she dressed appropriately for the days events. Searching for cute dresses on a budget is how I found these steals at H&M.

Each dress is priced anywhere between $4.99 and $9.99. A steal! H&M offers these cute little numbers in a tank top style and long sleeve. That's not the best part though - the best part is that you can also snag matching leggings for the dresses too!

Moms of little girls know how important a matching legging is. It's your circle time and playground must-have. They are also perfect for layering when the weather gets cooler.

When Fall and Winter roll around I layer Sav's dresses with cardigans, denim jackets, long sleeve shirts and cute pull-over sweaters. Having mix and match pieces on hand makes it easy for my big girl to dress herself.

I'm still on the hunt for some cardigans and she lost her denim jacket during a day out in Seattle so I'll need to grab her a new one. Other than that all she needs for back to school is new shoes!

To get a better idea of the dresses I'm talking about check out our latest YouTube video.



H&M's clothes wash and wear over and over again very well. Be sure to follow the instructions on the tags to properly care for your little one's garments. What's your child's favorite thing to wear?

Back to School Shopping Tips

It's August and that can only mean one thing, Back To School. The Summer hit me like a freight train but it's sailing out of here like a cruise for retired folk. I'm not even mad. Bye, Summer.

Don't get me wrong I will miss Savannah while she's in school but I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. I'm ready for the routine that the school year brings.

Part of going back to school involves back to school shopping. Shopping for clothes is something that Savannah and I truly enjoy. Shocking, I know. Today I'm going to share with you how I keep my baby girl (and the boys too) cute on a budget.

So how can you outfit your kid for school without spending a trillion dollars? Follow these steps:

TAKE INVENTORY

Go into your child's room and take inventory. What do they have? What have they outgrown? Get rid of anything that is too small for them, even socks.

MAKE A LIST & BUDGET

Now that you can see what they have, what's missing? What do they need?  Write it down. After I took inventory of Savannah's closet I was able to make a list detailing exactly what she needs including a few things that I want her to have if the budget permits.

STICK TO YOUR LIST

I do allow myself to purchase one or two impromptu items but for the most part I stick to my list. The list has everything that she absolutely needs on it. Sticker shock and buyer's remorse comes from impromptu pick-ups. If I feel like she's not going to get more than five wears out of something during the season I put it back. Before you know it, your kid will outgrow that fur vest you thought she had to have and your money will be wasted.

LOOK FOR SALES

This one is a no brainer but shop the sales. Take advantage of tax-free weekend if your state offers that. My favorite places to get good deals on school clothes are H&M and Old Navy. Both stores have great prices. If Old Navy is running a sale you can get tons of stuff for very little. If you're military don't forget to use your military discount at Old Navy! H&M is a great store but I recommend shopping them online. You'll get great deals and you won't have to worry about searching for items in-store. Their stores tend to be a bit messy and not all that stroller friendly.

SHOP EARLY

Try to avoid the crowds. Outlet malls and malls in general tend to be zoos this time of year. Online shopping is great but I must admit that you do find great deals in the store. Be prepared for lines and crowds.

REVIEW YOUR HAUL

Once your home have your kid try on everything to make sure it fits. You can always do exchanges and refunds once school is back in session. This is also when I style Sav's outfits. I show her what goes with what. This allows her to "pick out her own clothes" in the morning before school.

I'll share a YouTube video of our H&M haul soon!

You're ready to shop! And you know what? These tips work for you too! This is the process I used when I did a wardrobe overhaul. I'm still rebuilding my wardrobe but it feels good to know exactly what I have and exactly what I need.

Have you gone back to school shopping yet? When does school start in your area?

Operation Snap Back™: 21 Day Fix Extreme FINAL Results

Yesterday was the last day of my 21 Day Fix Extreme challenge. For 21 days I worked out, ate clean and ran 25 miles with the girls from Operation Snap Back™. I completed all of my challenges and I'm still alive.

Not gonna lie, this past week was hard. I was tired. Mikey caught a cold. Moses started crawling. The laundry piles got higher and higher but we all made it. 

To say that I am amazed at my results would be an understatement. I honestly can not believe I went from not even being able to suck in my stomach to not having to suck in my stomach at all. What a difference 21 days can make.

I'm even mentally in a better place as far as food is concerned. I still crave all my favorite things but moving forward my goal is to enjoy them in moderation. Let me be clear - I still plan to eat all the things I love. But from here on out I'll be eating clean more and indulging myself less.

I'm going to practice some restraint and keep moving toward my goal of maybe one day having an ab or two.

BEFORE PHOTO - JULY 11, 2016

AFTER PHOTO - JULY 31, 2016

Here are the most important lessons I learned during the past 21 days:

- Giving myself 30 minutes a day to workout isn't going to make this family fall apart.

- I will never like burpees.

-A life without french fries is not worth living.

- Eating clean is much easier than I thought it would be.

- I may need to give up certain dairy products for good.

- Waking up early to workout is worth it.

My next 21 day challenge starts today. This time around I will be alternating my workouts between 21 Day Fix Extreme and Cize. I will be keeping my same meal plan. My goal is to eat clean for another 21 days and on the 21st day I will eat whatever I want for dinner. I like to celebrate with a treat meal.

Here are my measurements from start to finish:

July 11, 2016               July 18, 2016                    July 24, 2016                July 31, 2016

Chest - 33.5                  Chest - 33                        Chest - 32.5                 Chest - 32

Left Arm - 12               Left Arm - 12                  Left Arm - 12              Left Arm - 11.5

Right Arm - 12            Right Arm - 11         Right Arm - 11.5 (muscle?) Right Arm - 11.5

Waist - 32                    Waist - 30                        Waist - 29                     Waist - 28

Hips - 40                      Hips - 39                          Hips - 39                      Hips - 38.5

Left Thigh -24             Left Thigh - 22.5             Left Thigh - 22.5          Left Thigh - 22.5

Right Thigh - 23.5      Right Thigh - 22.5           Right Thigh - 22.5        Right Thigh - 22

I lost a total of 11 inches. During August my goal is to continue to tone up. I really don't want to lose any more inches. If you have any questions about what I'm doing feel free to ask. Visit the Operation Snap Back™ Facebook page to join the next fitness challenge and be motivated through your own journey.