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organization2
09.12.11

Organized medicine/spice cupboard

I’m sick.  I have a cold.  Kole and Addison have had a cold for a few days and this morning when I woke up and my throat was on fire I knew it was my turn.  I went to my medicine/spice cupboard for a cough drop and this is what I found…

Yikes!  How did that get so out of control!?  Organizing my cupboard suddenly seemed much more appealing than taking a cough drop.  Not that I could have found one in there anyway.  
So that’s just what I did.  And seeing my cupboard look like this actually made my throat feel better.       
 True story.  
Random baking supplies on the top shelf. 

On the bottom shelf I put one of my recent Container Store purchases to good use.  I bought this little stacker to help corral my spices and make them easier to reach.  Not that I reach for them all that often… but still.  They appear easier to reach.  

And the middle cupboard holds medicine.  I got rid of a lot of stuff that had expired.  Then I placed our most often used items in the front.  Allergy meds and barbie band-aids for the littles.  Ibuprofen for me… because of the littles.

So the next time you’re sick, instead of taking some medicine, try organizing it instead.  It might be just what the doctor ordered.  Was for me.  :)
True story.    
xoxo, Erin
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fashion2
09.09.11

The lights went out

Hi friends!  You may have heard we had a major power outage yesterday in our neck of the woods.  The lights went out around 3:00 in the afternoon and stayed out for the rest of the night.  We felt pretty prepared – a radio, extra batteries, flashlights, lots of food and thanks to my love of decorating with candle holders….

{Valentine mantel}

{Spring decor}

we had plenty of light!  Once we knew everything was ok and the power would eventually be turned back on, it was actually kind of fun!  The kids loved going to bed with candlelight and the whole house felt so cozy.  Kenny and I ate ice cream for dinner.  So funny because there were several healthier options in our fridge that would have been better to eat but our thinking was “SAVE THE ICE CREAM!”   TV and Internet were down so we actually enjoyed a nice evening just visiting together.  Imagine that!  :)  Power came back on in the middle of the night but schools were already canceled so I’m home with all three kiddos right now and pretty sure that a trip to the park is in our near future.

The only bummer was that Kenny was SO excited for the first football game of the season last night and obviously had to miss it.  So for today’s rendition of Fashion Friday here we are modeling our Charger gear…

(Dedicated to you babe – we will be in full on football mode before you know it!)  For a little more fashion fun, you can also picture us in our pajamas since we seem to be in no hurry to get out of them this morning.    
Have a good weekend everyone!  I’m off to turn on my dishwasher.  I was fine with no TV, computer and lights, but not being able to turn on my dishwasher yesterday was driving me crazy!  I almost had to hand wash some dishes.  Oh the horror!   
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Ellie and Addison
09.08.11

A secret weapon and kiddo catch-up

I have a secret weapon.  A weapon I’ve used with all three of my babies/toddlers.  A weapon that ensures I’ll have at least one small moment of peace during each BUSY day.  A weapon that causes even my Kole (busiest of all babies) to STOP dead in his tracks.

EXHIBIT A (incredibly active baby stopped dead in his tracks):

EXHIBIT B (incredibly active baby still stopped dead in his tracks):

So without further delay I present my secret weapon…

Mommy & Me Playgroup favorites.  This little movie is worth all the gold in the world to me.  I got it free with a toy I bought for Ellie when she was 9 months old.  In a desperate attempt to cheer her up one day I turned it on and it was like MAGIC.  She froze, glued to the TV.  Before long she was smiling, clapping and dancing to the music.  It was her favorite little show and she loved it for years.  So did Addison. 
And now?  It is saving me with Kole.  It’s a really cheesy movie with bright colors and parents dancing with their babies.  If I turn it on when my girls are home, they are still glued to the TV!  And they are now 7 and 5.  I’m telling you – if you have a baby or toddler and are looking for 30 minutes of peace each day (or more since it has a “repeat play” option…not that I’ve ever used it…) this is what you need!  I’ve shown my toddlers Baby Einstein movies and a variety of others, but they haven’t enjoyed anything as much as this movie.  Buy it if you have a little one or know someone who does.  You will turn it on and think that I’m crazy.  But then you will witness your baby stop DEAD in his/her tracks and love the show and you will get a moment of peace and you will love me for it. You can order it here.  You are welcome.  And my favorite flowers are tulips.  
Moving along…
I took this picture of Addison last week on her way to Kindergarten and when I saw it on my computer it  looked so familiar!  Something about the way she crossed her legs tipped me off.  I searched through my picture folders back a couple of years and found this…
Isn’t that funny!  Ellie.  Second week of Kindergarten.

Same outfit, same time of year, same spot by the front door, same little pose with legs crossed, same hair style with a white bow.  I couldn’t have planned it better if I had tried!  Looking at these pictures really made it seem surreal to me that Addison is now in Kindergarten and Ellie is in 2nd grade.  That picture I took of Ellie feels like last week.  She is getting so big.  The other day she came home and I asked her if she had a good day.  She said “in a word mom, yes…although there was a technical difficulty.“  In a word?  Technical difficulty?  Is this how 2nd graders talk!?  Turns out the “technical difficulty” was that she lost a flower off of her new pink shoes.  A little super glue to the rescue.

The next morning as the girls were leaving with Kenny for school Ellie yelled out the car window “thanks for fixing my shoe mom!” and then Addie yelled “and thanks for getting born with me mom!”  I had to laugh.  Addison says this to me all the time.  Her way of thanking me for bringing her into this world.
(Anytime Addison, anytime….)

We started dance up again this week.  Addison in tap/ballet and Ellie is trying out a hip-hop (perfect for each of their personalities as you can see by the poses I got when I said “show me some moves!”).  They loved their first class.  Which is a good thing because if they’re going to star in So You Think You Can Dance season 2022 we’ve got some work to do.

Oh and about Kole….don’t believe for a second that my little dude is sitting around watching movies all day.  He spends plenty of time on the go.

In fact, guess who finally started walking this week!!!??  
WOOT WOOT!  You go little man. 
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Holidays
09.07.11

Fall Inspiration

It’s that time of year again!  Fall.  I’m so ready!  I’m ready for new episodes of Modern Family and The Good Wife, an excuse to wear boots everyday, and this year, I’m even ready for a little Charger football (knowing that without a doubt come December I will be so over and done with Charger football).  I’m also ready to spruce up my house and add a few Fall touches.  Here is a collage I made last year of my Fall decor…

which looks nothing like what I am working on for this Fall.  But it still makes me excited about the upcoming season!  I’ve been thinking about my Fall to-do list (similar to last years’ list) and I’ve been going through magazines and my holiday Pinterest board for other Fall inspiration.  Here are a few of my favorite ideas for this beloved season!

I love this wreath.  Especially since it has an E – clearly meant to represent me.  ;)

If you’ve read my blog for a while now, you know I make Pretzel Hugs every year for friends for Christmas, but how fun are these for Halloween?  Same treat but with a candy corn instead of an m&m.

FUN art project for my girls.  We’ll be doing something similar to this for sure this year.

I love the way the pumpkin is used as a base for these branches/bats.  So clever!  I also love the white pumpkins underneath.

Source: countryliving.com via Erin on Pinterest
I think Fall leaves make such beautiful decor and I love the way they are placed in simple clear vases for this table centerpiece.

Another simple centerpiece with mini pumpkins and branches.  These mini pumpkins remind me of my girls.  They love it when I buy a few for them to play with each year.  Perfect size for Polly Pockets and My Little Ponies to party on.  :)

This “turkey sandwich” stole my heart.  And that’s coming from a girl who knows a good turkey sandwich when she sees one!

Source: bhg.com via Erin on Pinterest
Adorable and simple Halloween treat.  I’m thinking these friendly ghosts would be fun for my girls to take to classmates for their Halloween parties at school.

And speaking of friendly ghosts… I love this idea so much!  I’ve totally been saving our milk cartons so we can make something similar for the yard this year.  Crossing my fingers I’ll find the time to get around to this.  If not, we’ll have a nice set of empty milk cartons cluttering up the garage for another year.  And you know how I feel about clutter…

I love this idea of stacking Halloween candy in a clear vase.  Fun and simple for a teacher/friend gift.  I think I’m going to have to do this at Easter – for myself.  So that I can eat Easter candy all. year. long.  Will Cadbury Eggs stack?

I think I must be obsessed with clothespins lately because I LOVE this.  I have the clothespins, now I just need to find some Fall leaves.  Think there will be any along the beach this year?  
And a few more Fall pictures that are some of my all time favorites.  My boy at the Patch last October…

I have a feeling this years’ photo shoot won’t go over quite as well….  :)
Love this time of year!
xoxo, Erin
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organization2
09.05.11

Organized linen closet

Popping in today to share my organized linen closet!  You may remember during the summer when I posted a peek at the sad story that was my hallway linen closet.  It was getting out of control and was driving me crazy every time I opened the doors to grab or put away a towel.  Time for a makeover!  
 {BEFORE}
{DURING}

{AFTER!}

Feeling much better now!  The problem with this closet was that there wasn’t a set place for anything.  It was a free for all mess of sheets, towels and cleaning rags.  

The first thing I did was obvious – a lot of folding!  I placed our most used towels on the main eye level shelf.  
The shelf below that I filled with beach towels and towels that we just use once in a while.  Below that are all of the extra bed linens and I filled the floor with baby blankets I can’t part with.  This closet is an odd shape (the shelves are a triangle shape and corner in the back) so I was able to fit a lot more blankets on the floor by turning them sideways.  Gotta work with what you’ve got!

Next I rounded up a couple of organizers I already owned and filled one with cleaning rags…

And the other with cleaning supplies.  While most of my cleaning supplies are downstairs, I like to keep a few things upstairs in this closet.  Easy access when the kids are in the tub and I want to quickly scrub a sink or dust a dresser!  (**You can read about my cleaning routine and supplies I like here and see how I organize most of my cleaning supplies here.)
To label the organizers I stuck on a clothespin with a glue dot.  (Saw the clothespin idea somewhere on pinterest!)   Then I cut some fun scrapbook paper with my circle punch to create the label.  (Same paper I used to decorate my decor binder.)  Pinterest, scrapbook supplies and my decor binder – all loves in my life!  
Another love?  That now my cleaning supplies are in a central, easy to reach location right next to all of my cleaning rags. I also love that the cleaning rags are separated from the washrags which was not the case before.  I also love sauteed mushrooms.  And driving fast and outdoor malls.  But that’s beside the point.  
A side view…

and a front view…

and now you’re wondering just how many pictures did she take of this linen closet?  Well here’s one more.  More blankets stored on top!  This space was making me so happy that I could have taken pictures of it all day.  Who knows…maybe tomorrow I will.  

:)

Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day weekend everyone!  
xoxo, Erin
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fashion2
09.02.11

Fashion Friday

 Three day weekend baby!  Bring it!!!  I’m in such a good mood!  Mostly because it’s almost the weekend and Kenny doesn’t have to work Monday.  We were going to go to Palm Springs and then I thought about the reality of a trip like that with Kole and decided I maybe wasn’t in the mood.  Plenty of time for Palm Springs when my boy will actually swim in a swimming pool – instead of trying to just climb in and out of it all day.  But we do have some fun plans around home this weekend!  Including a sure to be fabulous date night that I’ve planned in an attempt to redeem myself from Kenny’s birthday gone bad.  I’m also in a good mood because I had some nice alone time in my car.  We had Back to School night tonight and after I took my babysitter home I turned up my music so loud (Dynamite by Taio Cruz- to be exact) and jammed all the way home.  Anyone else ever do that?  Dance and sing in your car when you’re by yourself?  It’s my favorite.  Since I’ve become a mom I’m rarely alone in my car so when I am I suddenly feel like I’m 16 again!  On my way to a high school dance with my girl friends.  Hoping that cute Senior who has been looking my way lately will be there….  I turn my music up so loud and just let loose!  Alone time in my car always makes me happy.  Anyone else???  No?  Feeling stupid now and moving on….

Fashion Friday!  Let’s get this party started!

Wore my favorite jacket last weekend.  San Diego evenings on the coast are always a bit cool and this yellow trench from Gap makes me happy every time I put it on.  Forgot to photograph my tan wedges, but they match my jacket buttons.  Favorite summer earrings from this post.  

 This is another top I seem to reach for often.  It’s simple, but has some fun ruffles on the sleeves and neck.  It’s from Forever 21 and I have worn it A LOT this summer.

 I usually just wear it with my True Religion shorts and yellow shoes.  Silver jewelry.  Nothing too exciting, but a good staple.

 Kole seemed especially happy about this particular ensemble.  
 LOVE the yellow wedges mom!

 K – now I’m over the wedges and just want to be held.  Photo shoot is officially over.

Here’s another top I love that I wore this week.  It’s from The Limited.

Same necklace I wear with my grey cardigan.  
(Also from The Limited — can you tell I shop there a lot!?)
A few pics with the outfit on.  I usually wear it with my dark Joe’s skinny jeans and grey boots.

I wore it to dinner with my two adorable friends.  Had SO much fun – as we always do.  We get together and could talk all night.  Seems the waiter is always ready to kick us out because we stay so long gabbing.  {p.s.  Happy B-day Ann and Shari!  Shari – you were missed.  It was hard eating the mushroom pizza without you, but I took one for the team and somehow managed to do it… ;) }

 Another favorite staple of mine this summer.  I bought this casual dress at The Limited for our trip to Maui and have worn it so much since then!  It is SO comfortable.  Seriously feels like I have pajamas on.  I forgot to take a picture this week, but here are some pics of me wearing it with my cute mom and dad…

Of course I always have the perfect shoes to accompany each of my outfits thanks to my shoe sorter.  :)

Enjoy the long weekend everyone!  Turn on Dynamite (on my sidebar) and take a little ride alone in your car.  You know you want to…  :) 

**Linking up at The Pleated Poppy!

xoxo, Erin
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Ramblings
09.01.11

Random ramblings

Just a few random pics/thoughts tonight.  I shouldn’t even be blogging since I am KNEE DEEP in the girls’ back to school forms.  But I decided I deserved a little break.  :)


See this plant?  I’ve had this plant for NINE years!  Nine years ago this month we moved to San Diego and into this house.  I didn’t have much to decorate the place with (this house felt huge when it was just me and Kenny!) so I bought three plants like this for my kitchen to make things feel less empty until we could afford some decor/furniture.  The other two plants were dead within the first six months (typical life span for a plant in my hands).  But this little baby!?  Just kept on keeping on.  Not much maintenance.  I water it about every three weeks.  And there it sits.  Looking so healthy and happy.  Nine years I’ve had this!!!  I don’t want it in my kitchen anymore.  Decor wise, I’m ready to move on.  But do you think I can get rid of this?  Every time I try, something stops me.  Seems I’m rather attached to my little plant.  And a bit curious to see just how long this plant can keep on keeping on.

 K – I’m obsessed with two things lately and this is one of them.  Pretzel Crisps.  Ever had them?  I love pretzels and I love chips and these my friends, are a combination of my favorites which makes them THE BOMB.  I love them with a little cheese, some peppered turkey (my lunch staple), or a slice of an apple.  So good.  Try them if you haven’t yet.

My other obsession is HGTV.  Anyone watching this season of Design Star?  Also THE BOMB.  I’m also recording Dear Genevieve, Curb Appeal: The Block and  House Hunters.  I especially like to watch House Hunters to torture myself with the amazing homes people can buy around the country for the price of a 200 square foot hut in Southern California.  San Diego home prices are ridiculous and every time I watch House Hunters I’m reminded of just how crazy I am to live here.  Right up until I step outside and enjoy this city.  Then I decide 200 square foot huts have a charm all their own.  :)

 So this is what my kitchen table looked like this afternoon.  You can tell my girls are back in school!  Ellie had her first homework assignment tonight…

a little “all about me” page.  I have to say that being into scrapbooking sure comes in handy for kids’ school stuff.  Seems like we always need pictures for projects and I love that I have them in albums ready to go.  Then the next time I develop some I can just replace the ones I used.  **A tip that has come in handy for me – next time you get family pictures or order Christmas cards, order 20 extra!  I can’t believe how many times I’ve needed a family picture for something for the kids.

So I’ve got about six different projects going on around here!  I started so many things over the summer and then never had a minute to finish them.  I’ve been awful that way.  I keep starting new projects instead of finishing others.  I was so overwhelmed today with what to work on that I just pulled out all of my fall decor instead!  HA!  Why not add more mess to the mayhem!  I lit my pumpkin spice candle and when Addison came home she said, “Mom!  Is it Thanksgiving!?”  Not quite…but I am a bit anxious for Fall.  Hopefully I’ll have a few things wrapped up around here before it’s time to carve the turkey.  :)

Have a good Thursday everyone!  I’m off to eat some Pretzel Crisps (even though it’s late and I shouldn’t), watch a little HGTV and finish filling out school forms.

xoxo, Erin
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Birthdays
08.31.11

First day and a birthday

Back to school!  First day was a success!  My girls were both so excited.  Couldn’t wait to see their teachers and friends. I hardly took any pictures!  Can you believe that?  I can’t.  But we were so rushed in the morning so I figured I’d take some at the school and then of course the school was a zoo!  I’m going to have to take some throughout the week for my school pages in their scrapbooks.

Ellie was all over the place hugging friends and socializing.  I couldn’t get her to stand still for two seconds.  And truth be told, maybe I was a little busy socializing too.  It was fun to see so many familiar faces again!

Kenny took Ellie to her class and I took Addison.  My little Kindergartner was so brave!  We did our usual hug/kiss routine (with Addison there is a routine for everything) and then she walked over to her little desk, sat down, and started coloring.  I walked out of the room feeling so happy for her and I wish I would have just kept on walking.  But instead, I stopped outside the window and stood there for a while looking in.  And I watched her thinking how did this happen?  When did she get so big and become so independent?  And then the tears started flowing and I couldn’t get them to stop.  I turned a few minutes later to face Kenny (who was patiently waiting with Kole in the stroller) and he looked at me like really?  Are you kidding me?  And then my neighbors walked by, saw me sobbing and said “really Erin?  Are you kidding me?”  They thought I was crazy to be crying – especially since I still have a baby at home – and especially since I’ve probably been more excited than anyone for child #2 to start Kindergarten.    And I AM excited she started Kindergarten.  But what can I say.  I cried.  I’m a cryer.  Is that even a word?   Kindergarten is a big step.  Especially for this sappy/sentimental mom.

I came home and the house felt so strange and quiet without the girls.  It made me sad and lonely for about ten minutes and then Kole and I started cleaning and I quickly got over being sad and was loving how much I was able to get done with only one “helper” in the house.  I seriously scrubbed my house from top to bottom.
I especially attacked the playroom with a vengeance!  (Quick shout out for The Wiggles who kept my little one entertained while I worked.  Greg, Murry, Anthony, Jeff – you are my heros and I love you.)  I was so anxious to resume some order in my house after having very little control all summer long.  

My girls were all smiles at the end of the day and couldn’t wait to tell me about everything that happened.  Just as soon as they changed into pajamas and checked on their ponies of course (who had been patiently waiting for them all day).  Addison was excited because her boots made her the tallest kid in class (an observation she made in the lunch line).  Ellie was pumped about their class behavior system, although she only got “good” instead of “fantastic” for the day because she may have talked to a few friends in class…  Mmmm hmmm.  Sounds like we picked up right where we left off last year with daughter #1.

Last weekend we celebrated Kenny’s birthday.  I felt bad because this was NOT my best year as far as planning goes.  In past years I have written posts about 33 things I love about him (the age he was turning), thrown surprise parties with friends, and have given him little surprises all week leading up to the big day.  This year?  I couldn’t even get a babysitter so we could go out!  I think I called over ten girls – all busy.  Plus the week before was so busy with back to school shopping and I had all three kids at home so his gifts were less than stellar.  His birthday came and went and was for the most part like a typical Sunday.  (I’m totally linking to past birthday posts in hopes that Kenny will read this and remember that I actually am a good wife, just one who is having an off year…)

I did manage to put together this bulletin board for the kids to give him.  He has been saying he’d like some of the kids’ artwork to hang in his office and I thought this would look better than random drawings all over the place.

**Happy Birthday babe!  Sorry your day was so lame.  The good news is that #1 – I still love you the most and #2 – after the birthday you had this year, things can only go up.  ;)

xoxo, Erin
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Ellie and Addison
08.29.11

Summer Wrap-up

One last post to wrap up summer!

We didn’t do everything on our list.  Didn’t make it to the Zoo or Seaworld.  Didn’t go camping.  Scrapbooking didn’t happen.  And we definitely didn’t get a puppy!  Quite a few of our normal summer activities didn’t happen because of complications.  And by complications I mean Kole.  :)  His stage of life tends to make certain activities…hmmm… how should I say it… not fun.  But we did have fun this summer!  And we did check quite a few things off our list!

For instance…

Baseball game with fireworks

Movie parties
Picnics and Pretending

Swimming
Organizing

Time at the Park.  We spent LOTS of time at the park.

And the BEACH!

Even on a cloudy day the beach is fun.  
And now my kids are asleep, outfits are laid out, lunches are pre-packed and the camera is charged.  
First day of school is hours away.  
Good-bye summer!  Looking forward to seeing you again next year.  
xoxo, Erin
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fashion2
08.26.11

Fashion Friday

“It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday….”  
Sorry.  I couldn’t resist a little Rebecca Black love.  
Weekend is upon us everyone!  Last week of summer is over baby!  So happy I survived and am still around to blog about it.  :)
I wanted to quickly answer a few random questions I never answered.  I finally set things up so that my blog comments go straight to my e-mail (should have done that FORever ago) so from now on it will be so much easier for me to answer your questions.  Sorry if you’ve asked me something and I never got back to you!  I always blame my inability to stay on top of my e-mails/comments on baby #3, however, baby #3 is looking less and less like a baby lately so I figure it’s time to either come up with a better excuse or get on the ball!   
Several of you asked where my mom bought the princess bedding when I shared the girls’ rooms at my mom’s house.  I believe she bought it at Target.  Gotta love Target.  She bought it several years ago though so I don’t know if they still carry it.  I know the princess castle shower curtain was from Target and the bead board bookshelf in the room with the bunk beds was from a specialty furniture store in her area.  I think that store has since gone out of business though.  (bummer too because it was a cute store..)
Here’s a Fashion Friday question…
“I love Fashion Friday!  Got any maternity ideas to share?  I know you’re past that now and probably blocked it from your mind forever…”
Loved this.  Yes.  Definitely blocked all things pertaining to maternity clothes from my mind forever! ;)  Seriously I was such a beast this last pregnancy!  My “annoying” post summed it up.  Everything bugged me.  I really don’t know how Kenny survived.  
But the clothes!  I actually think maternity clothes can be fun!  This was my strategy with maternity clothes this last time around.  First I wore my regular clothes for as long as I possibly could (which wasn’t that long).  
Then I invested in two really good pairs of maternity jeans.  Some boot cut Joe jeans with a lighter wash and then some dark skinny jeans from the Gap.  I wore those two pairs of jeans everywhere with everything.  They cost a bit more than I really wanted to spend on maternity clothes, but good fitting jeans make such a difference in the way you feel about yourself (at least for me) so that’s where I chose to spend a little more.  Then I just bought inexpensive tops that were comfortable that I could wear again and again.  I bought most of my shirts at Gap Maternity.  
Here’s some of my best pregnancy fashion advice — accessorize!  If you’re pregnant in the Fall, wear your Fall boots.  Add funky jewelry/headbands – anything you can do to avoid looking like you don’t care anymore.  (I know – it’s easy to not care anymore when you’re gaining weight at the speed of light.) Don’t over do it, obviously, but a fun pair of shoes or a great necklace can make those plain maternity clothes appear super stylish.  

 (32 weeks)
Especially play it up during the second trimester.  That’s when you feel good and look cute pregnant.  As opposed to first trimester when you just look fat, not pregnant and third trimester when you look miserable pregnant.  Because you are.  (Totally speaking from my own experience here.)  The second trimester is a fun time to dress cute and show off your belly.  
(Extremely close to due date.  Butt was as big as my stomach.)
(baby shower with my cute friends)

When I hit the third trimester, I tired to avoid sweats when I was out and about (as tempting as it was) and I wore a lot of dresses.  I bought a few dresses that covered everything and then some and I lived in them.  My other best piece of advice — notice the tie at the top of my stomach in the grey dress above?  It’s always more flattering to buy something like this that makes it appear as though you have some sort of shape left.  I found that fitted clothes were a lot more flattering than buying huge clothes that covered everything.  Clothes like that just make you look even bigger.  Look for clothes that pull in fitted above your belly. 

Quick re-cap:
1)  Invest in a good pair of jeans (when I was pregnant with Ellie and teaching school I invested in a couple of good pairs of slacks).  Straight legged pants are more flattering than baggy ones.  
2)  Accessorize (focus on the shoes and jewelry) 
3)  Don’t hide your belly under baggy clothes, show it off with slim, fitted shirts.  
4)  Especially enjoy the second trimester.  It’s your time to shine!
5)  Eat as much as possible and enjoy it!!!  You can work it off later!!!  (Not really good advice but something I lived by with each of my three pregnancies.)
Hope that helps all of you cute pregnant ladies!  May the force be with you.    
Since we’re heading back to school next week I thought I’d share a few cute things I picked up for my girls…

All of these were from the Gap.  My girls have a lot to wear already (too much really) so I just picked up some cute, casual tops.  Purple seems to be the color for Fall!  My girls love leggings and they love being comfortable so the above items seemed like a good way to go.  Plus all of the tops were cheaper if you bought two of the same style and since I’m always buying two of everything I love deals like that!

I couldn’t decide which of these two cute headbands to get to go with their new purple tops so I just bought one of each and they can share.  Aren’t they fun!?

New shoes are a must.  They have to be closed toed (a school rule) and comfortable for all of that playground action!  Addison is still working on the shoe tying so we opted for velcro for her.  Every minute counts in the morning when we are rushing to get out the door!

I also found these darling flats for Ellie at Children’s Place.  So cute for skirt days!  I was really bummed they didn’t have Addie’s size.  Also bummed they didn’t have my size.   :)

Happy back to school everyone!!!
xoxo, Erin
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Ellie and Addison
08.25.11

Summer Camps

I really can’t believe our summer is coming to an end!  We’re ready.  The kids are ready (whether they know it or not) and I am VERY ready.  But I have to say that even though there have been moments of insanity (multiple moments each day) overall, we have had a good summer.  A great summer actually.  I spent some time planning out our summer before it started by signing the girls up for several camps and creating a bit of a schedule for us and that was HUGE in our success.  The girls had a chance to develop new skills and new friendships, the kids and I spent lots of time playing together, and Kole enjoyed a three hour nap each day.  Win win for everyone.  
Here is a mini wrap up of the fun my girls had at their camps this summer…
First up was Ellie’s Junior Lifeguard camp.  Two weeks of afternoons spent on the beach learning about ocean safety/life, playing games, doing exercises, snorkeling, and just having fun in the water.  It was her favorite camp by far and a new summer tradition for sure.  Addison can’t wait until she is old enough to join her sister in the waves.    

For the month of July I signed Ellie up for a variety of camps that went from 9-12 each morning.  She took ‘art explorers’ from a local artist and came home with some pretty cool stuff.  She also came home with some pretty messy clothes.  A small price to pay for the lessons learned by my budding Picasso.

Another favorite of Ellie’s was ‘Clay Creations’ where she created clay masterpieces each day.  She was so excited to bring home everything she made and give it all away to our family.  She had made special pieces for each one of us.  A bird for grandma (who was visiting at the time) a strawberry for Addison, a shark for daddy.  Cause well, what would look cooler in daddy’s office than a slightly jagged blue shark?  Not much I tell ya.  
  

She only made one thing for herself – a dog of course.  Which is good since that’s the closest thing she’s getting to a real dog for a very long time.  And she made a turtle for mommy with green feet.  Because mommy loves turtles and the color green.  That I do.  :)
While Ellie was busy sculpting and painting, Addison spent a month in a Kindergarten prep camp.  Aside from having a blast, she got such a great glimpse into life as a Kindergartner by singing, painting, playing, learning to listen and raise her hand.  She almost learned everything too well and started raising her hand at the dinner table each evening when she wanted to say something.  I loved it.  The school teacher in me busted out and I almost instigated a new “raise your hand at the table” policy.  Kole unfortunately ended that idea before it started.  

Every afternoon when I went to pick Addison up she had the biggest smile on her face.  Patiently waiting on the rug to show me everything she had done that day.  She brought home so many fun projects that I still haven’t had time to sort through.  For now, I’ve just tossed everything in this basket.  (BTW – I bought several of these beauties at Target and am loving them!)

I’m anxious to go through all of her creations to decide what will go in her scrapbook, what will be displayed somewhere in the house and what to toss. 

Ellie also took a singing and dancing class and at the end of it they performed their routines for the parents and some other children.  Ellie was so excited that the “bear group” was coming to see her dance since that was Addison’s class.  The singing was delightful and the dancing was hip.  Kenny and I quite enjoyed the show.

And so did little brother.  
The show was captivating enough to keep this little guy strapped in the entire time.  
That is saying A LOT.  

One last camp before we call it a summer!  Last week my girls finished up a gymnastic camp at the center they take gymnastics each week.

I was amazed at all they learned in one short week.  They have improved so much and really love this sport.  I love vicariously living through them and remembering the day when I too could do a trick or two.  Of course the gymnasts put on a great show at the end of the week.

And Kole had a front row seat with the beverage of his choice.   

I took this picture about a year ago when Addison started taking gymnastics with Ellie and I can’t believe how far they’ve come since then.  Not just in gymnastics, but in everything they’ve done.  They are growing into such beautiful girls – inside and out – and I felt so proud this summer to claim them as my own.  The two of them really shined during their camps in their own special ways.  They worked hard, played hard, and were kind and respectful to friends and teachers.  Then they came home and helped me by entertaining their little brother.

**Ellie and Addison – I love the two of you so much!  I know that you will soar next year in Kindergarten and Second Grade.  I’m so excited to see what else is in store for the two of you!  Great things for sure.

xoxo, mom

xoxo, Erin
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Kole
08.23.11

Tuesday Tidbits

Just popping in for a quick hello today! 
Our last week of summer is off to a good start!  We’ve been on the go so much this summer that a week of lounging and catching up at home is just what the doctor ordered.  Ellie is still on her dog kick so the girls have watched Lady and the Tramp a time or twenty.  
Kole is into as much trouble as ever.  To say this little guy keeps me on my toes is an understatement.  
In the beginning my house was simply “baby proofed,” but we’ve taken it up a notch and I’m happy to say that my house is now officially “Kole proofed.” We did take down the stair gates yesterday however, since he has mastered going up and down the stairs on his own in about a nano second.  I LOVE having those gates gone!  Feels like I can breathe in my house again.  

He is teething like crazy and chewing on everything.  This morning I caught him right before he digested a purple crayon.  He broke his right front tooth a couple of weeks ago.  His sisters were in the tub so he pulled himself up to the side of the tub to say hello.  The only problem was that the side of the tub was wet so back down he went, chipping his tooth off along the way.  I swear he has aged me ten years in the last few months.

Aside from being quite the stunt man, my boy is also such a flirt!  You’d never know the mischief he’s up to if you met him at the grocery store or when we’re out and about.  He sits and smiles coyly at anyone who will glance his way and he especially knows how to work it with the ladies.  He is becoming more of his daddy’s boy every day.  

Go ahead buddy!  Toss that dinner all over the place.  You and I both know that your irresistible tooth-chipped smile is your ‘get out of jail free’ card.

I started a little project yesterday.  Actually a big project.  I’m completely re-arranging my girls closets and how I organize their clothes.  We’re still house hunting, but are busting out of space in our current house so we’ve decided it’s time to rent a storage shed.

I’m moving everything that was in our guest room closet (old formals, dance costumes, Halloween costumes, etc.) into boxes and moving all of Ellie’s clothes in.  My girls need their own closet space so badly.  Especially since we also use their closet to hold/store toys.

Kenny went upstairs last night to read to the girls when he got home from work and gave me quite the look when he saw the mess I’d made.  I smiled and said “it always gets worse before it gets better!”   :)
So, without further delay, I’m off to organize!   

p.s.  My kitchen shelf re-do was featured….twice!!  I am so excited and honored that these fun bloggers included my shelf in their list of favorites out of the hundreds who linked up.  You can check it out at Tidy Mom and Tip Junkie and also see some other fun projects they featured.

Have a great Tuesday everyone!
xoxo, Erin
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