3 Consignment sale prep tips & a giveaway

This post is sponsored by JBF Fort Worth, but all opinions are 100% honest and mine alone!

1. Go through your kids closet. Take note of what they are needing now and what they will need for the fall/winter months! I feel like my kids are always tearing their shorts or outgrowing clothes faster than I can buy them. So, even if I think they are good on clothes right now, I still take a look to make sure I’m right since I know I will be getting clothes for great prices!

2. Make a list and use a different color pen for each of your little ones. Once you have looked at their clothes, if you have more than one little one, I recommend writing down what each of them needs in different color pens. Doing that helps me keep track of which little one needs what and what sizes I’m needing to look at. Having a plan in place ahead of time helps keeps me focused and helps keep me on track for the stuff I NEED and then once I get what I need, I can get stuff I want for them. 😉

3. Plan a good time to go. One thing is for sure, you are more than likely going to be there awhile; shopping, shopping, shopping, and standing in line. I definitely wouldn’t take your little ones with you if you don’t have to since little kids can get impatient and bored quickly. Try to shop alone if you can. If you can’t, go at a time when you know your kids are normally in a good mood; after nap time, after lunch, right after breakfast, etc.

*Bonus tip* Have fun!! Seriously, there is nothing I love more than a good sale and finding items for a good price!! It can be such a fun experience, especially if you plan ahead of time for it!

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Photo credit: JBF Facebook Page

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Photo credit: JBF Facebook Page

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Photo credit: JBF Facebook Page

I’ll be shopping at Just Between Friends this week and I am soooo excited!! Just Between Friends Fort Worth is Texas’ LARGEST children’s and maternity consignment sale, which means, I might just spend wayyyy too much money! 😉 lol If you are in Fort Worth and are wanting to hit this awesome sale, JBF Fort Worth will be open to the public Thursday, September 3rd 2015 – Saturday, September 13th 2015. You can view the full schedule here. Also, first time parents and grandparents can sign-up to shop early (registration for the First Time Parent Sale ends on September 3), as well as volunteering & consigning will get you an early pre-sale pass! You can get more information about that here!

Now for the giveaway! One lucky winner will win a $15 Fort Worth Just Between Friends gift certificate to spend! Use the rafflecopter below to enter! The giveaway is a 24 hour flash giveaway and will end 8/31 @ 7pm!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Web Coupon FtWorth Fall 2015_Hghr_res

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Cherry Red Tequila Recipe

After a long hard week, there is nothing I love more than making my favorite alcolohoic drink after the kids have gone to bed and either, letting my fingers type away on the keyboard as a sip on my drink, or curling up on the couch with a good book and just letting myself relax. One evening, I decided to make a mixed drink and the ingredients for this drink were what I had on hand. I thought, “why the hell not” and went for it. It turned out to be hands down, my new favorite drink. It is the perfect combination of sweet with a little bit of twang. The cerries taste delicious afterwards since they’ve been soaked in this combination! You will NOT regret trying this! So, on that evening, Cherry Red Tequila was born!

This recipe is so easy and so yummy! You will need:
– Tequila {duh!}
– Red bull
– 4 to 5 cherries
– A wine glass

Directions:

1. Pour enough red bull into your wine glass to where it is filled just a little under halfway full.

2. Pour the cherry juice into the glass until the liquid starts to turn a bold red.

3. Add about a cap-full of tequila {or two if you like}!

4. Stir together with a spoon to get everything nice and mixed it.

5. Add 4 to 5 cherries.

6. ENJOY!!

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Eyeshadow Love

{This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through these links, it helps support my family and my blog.}

I’ve started sharing my beauty collection with y’all and I’ve loved sharing it, getting feedback, and seeing what y’all recommend I add to my collection! {You can view them here} I thought I would share a few of my favorite eyeshadows this time. I mainly use a couple of eyeshadow palettes that I have that are filled with so many fun colors, but I love using these eyeshadows that I’m about to show y’all! They are gorgeous and they stay on perfectly! I think I’m going to do an eyeshadow makeup tutorial soon to show y’all a couple of different ways that I love doing my eyes!

e.l.f. Long-Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow, Soiree, 0.11 Ounce // e.l.f. Long-Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow, Festivity, 0.11 Ounce // Bella Pierre Shimmer Powder, Celebration, 2.35-Gram

I love how soft and spongy the E.L.F long lasting lustrous eyeshadow’s are and they are such gorgeous colors! I’m not really a fan of purple, but the Festivity one is a dream of a color and Soiree is my absolute favorite. They aren’t sticky on your eyelids like other eyeshadows like this that I have used and I love how long-lasting they are! The Celebration eyeshadow is a dreamy color that truly does wonders for your eyes! It goes well with so many different outfits!

I wasn’t able to find these online, but they are my amazing so if you ever come across them, snag some! I love mixing the yellow eyeshadow with blue and creating a fun and soft, yet beautiful eyeshadow. The pinkish purple one is so fun. It goes on so soft and shimmers perfectly. I adore the light pink one because it adds the perfect touch of glitter to your eyes and the tanish brown one is perfect when you are wanting to tone down your makeup, but still add that fun shimmer to it!

COVERGIRL Bombshell Shine Shadow Copper Fling 325 0.18 Fl Oz, 0.180-Fluid Ounce
This has got to be, hands down, the most gorgeous copper eyeshadow I have ever seen and worn. The color is flawless. It is a nice smooth creamy texture without being sticky! When I don’t have time to do my makeup, but I want my eyes to stand out, this is the one I grab for because I know it will do just that!

Which one are you loving? What is an eyeshadow that you recommend?

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The last day of summer & the first day of school

The last day of summer vacation was Sunday! This summer went by so fast and before we knew it, it was time to get ready for the first day of school! The boys spent Friday and Saturday at my mom’s house with their cousin H-Man. They are all best buddies and now that school is starting, they aren’t going to be able to see each other as much so, we decided to let them spend the weekend together! It gave me time on Saturday to do some last minute school supply shopping! I didn’t plan on doing school shopping last minute, but life doesn’t always go as planned. I was in and out of the house on Saturday and Sunday and in and out of stores. Since I didn’t plan on spending an arm and a leg this year on school supplies, especially having two in school this year, I did the bulk of the shopping on Saturday. I didn’t want to pick out their backpacks & lunchboxes, I wanted that to be something we did together since those are things they will be using everyday, all year, and I wanted them to be able to pick out what they wanted! On Sunday, after I picked them up from my mom’s house, we headed to staples to get a few folders and construction paper that I didn’t get on Saturday. We got there about 15 minutes before they opened so we had some fun being silly in the car. After we left staples, we headed to the madhouse that was Walmart so they could pick out their backpacks & lunchboxes! They wound up with really awesome looking batman and spiderman backpacks, avengers and ninja turtle lunchboxes, and paw patrol and minion water bottles. =D Does anyone else love letting their kids pick out their own stuff? I love seeing what they choose without my guidance and the mixture always winds up being what they love and so cute!

Afterwards we came home and I sorted through all their supplies, got laundry and cleaning done, and then we spent the remainder of the day laughing, giggling, playing board games; hungry hippo, don’t spill the beans, and a Simon swipe game. It was so relaxing after all the running I’d done those two days and our house was filled with so much laughter. The babies were even super good and happy!

The first day of school went great! I was so happy that I was able to go in late to work that way I could walk the boys to their classes on their first day. I was SO worried I was going to have to let them down and that I was going to have to miss that sweet time! They were so excited to go to school, they didn’t even complain about waking up early! We will see how long that non-complaining lasts! Ha! They had a wonderful first day of school! They chatted my ear off when I got home from work about what they did, their teachers, and new friends they made. I’m so happy that they both had a great day! I hope the rest of the week is awesome as well! I thought I was going to have a little trouble leaving Kage in his class because he always wants me to stay with him/near him when he is going somewhere new and he doesn’t know anyone, but he didn’t even bat an eye when I told him it was time for me to leave. I’m so proud of them both!

How did your little one{s} do on their first day of school? Were there tears or were they all smiles?

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5 ways I Raise ’em up

Have you heard that song by Keith Urban? If not, I would definitely give it a listen. It’s an excellent song and it really makes you think about raising your kids right. One of my favorite parts of the song is…

“Raise em’ up
Trophy high
Raise em’ up
To the sky
Raise em’ up
Show everybody that new born smile
Raise em’ up
Tall and strong
Raise em’ up
Right from wrong
Raise em’ up so damn high they can hear God singing along”

Having sisters and lots of brother + sister in laws who all have kids. I’ve learned that we all have a different parenting style. Even though there are similarities in the way we raise our kids, there are also difference. I’ve had many long chats with all my sisters and even my brothers about parenting, motherhood, and seeing the similar and different way my BILs and husbands raise their kids. Having a big family taught me quickly that not every one parents the same, but it doesn’t make the things you don’t agree with wrong. I think we all do the best we can through this crazy parenting journey. We are all learning as we go and we are all doing what we feel is best for our children. I’m often curious about how others raise their kids. Maybe I’ll learn something new from having a chat about parenthood with a family member, friend, or even another mom I don’t personally know. Maybe I’ll find that the way I’m doing things, is absolutely perfect for our family. Maybe I’ll find myself questioning why another parent isn’t doing something that they probably should be. When momma’s come to me for advice or I’m offering up advice in the mom group I’m in, I always try to be gentle with my response to whatever their asking, especially if it differs from the way I parent. I know what it’s like to have people not agree with some parts of how we parents so, I always try and give my advice by offering what I do or would do in a situation, without sounding like I know it all or without trying to make another mom feel bad. I know most mom’s are doing the best they can for their family and situation. With all that being said, I thought it would be a great idea to share a few things I believe in when it comes to raising up my children.

1. I believing in loving them through the rough patches. If you have little ones than you know what I mean by this. The teething, the sleep regressions, the terrible twos, the terrifying threes, the tears when they don’t get their way, etc. I’ve seen so many parents say they don’t like their kid or they hate motherhood or some version of that. I get it, motherhood is hard, it’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever do because it tests every part of you, but one thing you’ll never hear me say is that I don’t like my children. When they are going through these rough patches or chapters, that is all it is, is a small chapter, and what they need is to be loved through it. If you think kids can’t tell when someone doesn’t like them, you are sadly mistaken. Kids need to know they are loved always, even during the not so fun times. They don’t need to feel like the person who is supposed to love them, doesn’t like them.

2. I believe in discipline. Maybe that sounds weird after what I just said in number one, but I believe part of loving your children through the hard parts, is disciplining them. I believe teaching them right from wrong and little ones having consequences for their bad behavior, is so beneficial. I’ve seen the repercussions of no discipline and it’s not pretty. I love my kids enough to teach them while they are young, that no, you can’t get away with whatever you want. I believe in age appropriate punishment and your kids will thank you for that later in life. I’m glad I was raised that way, I’m glad I was not raised entitled or believing that I could do whatever I wanted and not get in trouble for it. It’s a valuable lesson that I think too many parents these days aren’t willing to teach their kids.

3. I believe in letting my kids express their emotions. I’ve never really understood why parents don’t allow this. I mean, when kids are happy they are allowed to express that right? Smiles, giggles, and laughter. So, why do they have to shut down the other ones? If my kids are sad, my shoulder is there and they know it’s okay to cry. If they are mad, we teach them that they can be mad, but their is a healthy way to be mad. Throwing a temper tantrum is not a good way, but I give them a voice and allow them to express to me their anger and why they are mad. It’s the same with any of their emotions. I’m not a person who is afraid to hide their emotions, I’ve always been pretty emotional. I didn’t always control certain emotions very well and I want to teach my kids that their are healthy ways to let certain feelings out and that mommy is always willing to listen. I may not tolerate screaming or throwing a fit, but when they having calmed down and are ready to vent, I’m here.

4. I believe in having a good balance of being a parent and being their friend. I know people who want to be their kids best friend over being their parent. They don’t want their little kids to ever be mad at them, they don’t ever want to upset them, be to strict, etc. The list goes on and on. When they are little, it’s obvious that you won’t to be your babies first best friend and that’s how it should be. It should be fun and tons of fun memories should be made. It’s also a time when you need to be the parent too though. I like being their friend and their parent, they know mommy is their bestie, but they also know they have to listen.

5. I believe in raising strong boys because one day, they will become strong men. I want to raise kids who know who they are and what they stand for. I want them to embrace who they are and embrace their flaws. I don’t want them to say, I want to be like so-so. No, I want them to be strong and sure of themselves. If I had daughters, I’d be raising strong daughters. I believe the world needs more people who know who they are, who stand for something that way they don’t fall for everything.

Those are four of my top ones. Maybe I’ll share some of my other ones later on and maybe I’ll share some of the things I don’t believe in, as well as things I struggle with in parenthood! So, tell me. Do you believe in any of the four? What is one of your top things you believe in when it comes to raising ’em up right? I would love to know!

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Mommy Guilt

Images and memories flash through my head of the fun things I got to do with Jay and his class in Kindergarten and first grade. The laughter, the joy on his face every time I showed up for a fun event or to each lunch with him, the talks we had walking to the car each day after school about how his day was; they fly through my head, one image after the next. Tears pool in my eyes as each memory flashes through my head, giving me a taste of what I’ll miss this year. I was able to make two years worth of school memories with Jay. Memories he still talks about and memories I cherish. The mommy guilt is crushing me as I think I won’t get a third year of school memories like before with him because I’m now a working momma. The mommy guilt nearly suffocates me as I think about Kage started Kindergarten and all the things I did with Jay, I won’t be able to do with him.

It’s hard enough that two of my boys are going to be in school this year. Two of them are going to be learning, making friends, needing lunches, having homework, and doing reading; on top of working and taking care of twins, a home, and a blog. But none of that stresses me out more than knowing I’m letting him down. Kage knows I had lunch with Jay as often as I could, there were times he was even there, and I won’t be able to do that with him. He knows that I went to Jay’s school events that were during the day, as well as the ones in the evenings, and I won’t be able to go to those daytime ones with him. I don’t want to see the disappoint on his face when they ask me to eat lunch with them and I have to say no. I don’t want to see it when there is a class party, a fun run, or whatever else is going on, and I have to tell them I won’t be able to make it.

For some parents, these things aren’t that big of a deal to them, and that’s totally fine. Everyone has things in motherhood that they do and don’t do, that they like and don’t like; this is no different. I’m one of those parents though that really loved these type of things. I loved attending class parties, helping out in the class, surprising Jay with lunch. I know that these things are only for a short time because they are only this little once and just knowing I can’t experience that with Kage his first year of school is breaking me. Knowing I’ll have to let Jay down, hurts so damn bad.

I can only hope one day they’ll understand that I would give anything to be making those memories again this year. That it hurts mommy more than it upsets them that I’m not going to be able to be there. That I’m going to have to miss more than I ever wanted to. I know they will be upset not and they won’t really understand because they’re kids, but I hope one day they realize the sacrifice I made for them. I would do this all over again if I have to because I will always do what is best for my family and I don’t regret for one second stepping up when I was needed most, but I hope they know that I wish so much that things were different and that I wouldn’t have to be letting them down, that I wouldn’t have to be missing out this year, and most of all, that I wish things were different and I could be making memories with them this year.

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A day in our life

This post is sponsored by Huggies but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a day in our life post. The last one I did was right before I went into labor with twins! So, I thought it was time to do another one. Our week life looks a bit different than our weekend life and it’s really going to look different when both boys start school, but I wanted to document a day in our life on the weekend this time! I cherish our weekend so much, especially our Sundays, they are nice and relaxing! A day meant to do whatever we want and spend lots of time together! Here is what a day looks like in our life on Sunday!

On Sunday’s we normally start our day between 7-8am and then we just kind of let it flow from there. One or both of the babies is what normally starts our day, they wake up and get a changed + a bottle, then the boys wake up, I get them breakfast, and while they’re eating breakfast. I feed the babies!

I love that I found these Huggies Triple Clean Layer wipes when I ran to the store! Not only our the perfect for cleaning little bums, they are perfect for cleaning up that adorable baby food mess you see up there! Because of the amazing triple layers, you only need a couple of these and they are nice, clean, and ready to play some more!  Huggies® Wipes are best because of their TripleCleanâ„¢ technology that no other wipe has been able to do when it comes to cleaning up my babies! Babies making messes is just adorable, but I definitely want them to be clean in-between those fun mess making times and these wipes did the trick perfectly!

While all the boys play, I get some cleaning done around the house. Then it’s usually nap time for the babies and I run any errands that need to be ran. Afterwards, we spend the rest of the day playing, coloring, eating lunch, dinner, etc.

Once it’s time to settle down; it’s showers, stories, blogging, vacuuming, and spending time with my man after all the kids are down for the night!

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Happy National Rum Day Roundup

Happy National Rum Day!! With this obviously being one of my favorite days, I wanted to roundup 12 delicious Rum drink recipes and share them with y’all! I hope you get to enjoy one or two… or five 😉 of these yummy drinks today!

These three yummy drinks are from Frugal Foodie Mama!

1. Frozen Lemonade Colada
2. Blueberry Ginger Mojitos
3. Whipped Captain

These three delicious and gorgeous looks drinks are from Hairspray and High Heels!

4. Blackberry Citrus Rum Punch.
5. Raspberry Rum Punch.
6. Malibu Sunrise Cocktail.

These next three are from the super talented Simply {Darr}ling!

7. Pineapple Rum Punch.
8. The New Captain Morgan Flavored Rums.
9. Marvelous Mango Mojito.

Last but not least, two delicious drinks from Optimistic Mommy and one from Budget Fairy tale.

10. From Dusk ‘Til Daiquiri.
11. The Shark Puncher.
12. Blueberry Lemonade Rum Spritzer.

Enjoy!!

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7 of my favorite daily essentials

I was provided the Jord Watch in this post in exchange for a review. All opinions are mine and 100% honest.

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted things I use on the daily and since life has changed, so has my daily essentials! These are things I definitely use Monday-Friday and refuse to go without! It’s still surreal to me to be a working momma, but over the weeks, I’ve learned what I need daily and what helps me get through the day without going stir crazy!

1. My planner! Which is that cute three ring binder. I created my own planner that is perfect for me. I have a section for Blogging, Life, and work. I’ll be adding school to it soon since school is starting back up and both boys will be in school this year! I don’t know where I would be without my planner!

2. Cute eyeshadow, pretty lipstick, and mascara! No, seriously. Doing my makeup everyday now, absolutely requires all three of these. Of course I use more than just three products, but if I’m running late and I can only throw on three things, those would be it!

3. Post-it tabs! I use them in my planner and for blogging. In my planner, for each section, if it’s something important, it gets a certain color tab. If I’m working on a campaign, I always print it out and I put the tabs on them; from needs to be done asap to ones that can take a little time.

4. My journal. Even though I’m working now. I still have stories and poems running through my head during the day that I want to jot down and having this with me, helps a ton because I never want to forget a potential scene or the perfect poem.

5. A cute pair of earrings. Even if I don’t throw on a bracelet or necklace, I always make sure to have a cute pair of earrings on.

6. Sharpie Pens. I pretty much hate all other pens besides sharpie pens. They are just so cute and they are perfection! I have a set that I keep at home and I’ll be buying a set that I keep at work because the regular pens I bought for work, I’m not feelin.

7. Last, but not least. My new favorite essential. This beautiful Jord Watch! It is absolutely stunning! The pictures on their website really don’t do their watches justice. I have a love for wood, {climbing trees, building things from wood, painting wood projects, etc.} so I knew I would adore a wood watch, but I didn’t know how much until it arrived. If there was ever a watch that was complete perfection, it’s this one. I love the light rose gold face of the watch and the wood is so smooth. They made it to my size so it’s a perfect fit! This is definitely apart of my daily things now!

Wood Watch Review

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S’mores Ice Cream + A s’mores roundup

Happy national S’mores day!! I thought I would share a delicious treat that my kids devoured and my husband and I both enjoyed. It’s truly a treat for the whole family! After I share my recipe! I have rounded up some more delicious S’mores recipes! So this post is filled with deliciousness!

 

 

S'mores Ice Cream
Serves 4
A delicious mix of S'mores an ice cream that will make your kids happy and make you earn cool mom points! This S'mores ice cream is amazing and I can't wait to make it again. Your kids will be begging for more.
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Ingredients
  1. Vanilla Ice Cream
  2. Marshmallows
  3. Hot Fudge
  4. Graham Crackers
Instructions
  1. Scoop a pretty big amount of vanilla ice cream into a medium sized bowl.
  2. Crush four graham crackers over the vanilla ice cream.
  3. Mix it together with a spoon.
  4. Add two handfuls of marshmallows. Mix it together again.
  5. Pour the hot fudge over the mixture. Mix it together.
  6. Scoop the S'mores ice cream mix into ice cream bowls.
  7. Top with a couple more marshmallows and more hot fudge.
  8. Mix it together in the in the ice cream bowls.
  9. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. I made this for myself, my husband, and my two kids who can eat ice cream and this made the perfect amount. You can double it or make less. It's delicious though so, you might want to make enough for seconds. ;)
Beauty and The Boys http://beautyandtheboysblog.com/

Now that I’ve shared my s’mores recipe, here’s some more delicious recipes that I rounded up! Enjoy!

A simple pantry

Naptime is my time // Naptime is my time // Sunny with a chance of sprinkles

Frugal foodie mama // Frugal foodie mama // Frugal foodie mama

Simply Darrling – How to host an amazing S’more bar // The pearl blog // Whimsy & Hope

Blushing Noir // Hi it’s Jilly – S’more chocolate pudding // Mom’s messy miracles

Mama mommy mom // Mama mommy mom // Mama mommy mom

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