Wine Glitter Glass Party #SATX

Today is the last day of the year, and thanks to fellow local blogger, Christina Coker, I have sparkling new wine glasses to ring in the new year!

The other day Christina threw a "Wine Glitter Glass Party" where we brought bottles of wine and chatted while we made our own DIY Glitter Glasses.

You can check out her Youtube Video Tutorial here:

We had tasty wraps from Fruit Frusion

And received awesome swag bags filled with samples from The Body Shop, Amazing Polish from LA Colors, and other goodies.

There was also some delicious cupcakes from Bird Bakery that my kids gulped down in a second.

I had such a blast with my local bloggers and left the party with some gorg glasses to bring in the New Year with my husband!

See Ya 2012, It's been fun!

Challenge: Parenting By Example

I've had plenty of posts here about different reviews and different goings ons, but looking back, I hardly have written anything personal or substantial. I have not written anything that proves I am a writer, and creative being. The reason for that, is I have had tendencies to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of deadlines, payments, and getting my blog to pay my bills, that I've put on the back burner any blog posts that I have felt had any deep meaning to me.

The holidays are coming to an end, and this morning I find myself in a place of quiet. I've turned on my computer and for some reason, came straight to my blog and just felt like.... writing. We've all had time to reflect on the year's past, spend time with our children, and be grateful for everything we have while looking forward to new things we will achieve in 2013.

As part of this process, I've reflected mainly on how I have been raising my daughters. I've blogged before about raising my daughters, and my husband and I are very proud of what we have accomplished with all of the children so far, but whenever I feel the need to improve myself, I always look at them first.

*Pic taken hiking with the girls*

I came across a lovely quote the other day before I went to the store, "To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself every once in a while." I thought it was funny, and long, and continued to get read and head to Target. Truly started running from aisle to aisle like any other 5 year old, when I asked her for the 28th time to walk by the cart. She was not paying attention to me, so I yelled at her and asked her,
"Why is it so hard to pay attention to me?!" She gave me the look of fear that only a kindergartner can have knowing Mom is losing patience and held on to the cart like an obedient child. This obedience is always short lived, but it is nice for the 5 minutes it lasts.

We continued to walk through the store when I got a call on my phone. I answered the phone and chatted with my sister as I maneuvered the cart through the tricky lanes of Target. Suddenly, as I was laughing with my sister about something she had said, CRACK I slammed right into a woman in a wheelchair.

"Why can't you just pay attention?!" The old woman scolded me. Turning red, I apologized immensely and she rolled away with her daughter staring at me.

I looked at Truly, and I could tell what was going to happen. In a second she starts bursting out laughing, grabbing her side, over reacting of course.

"Why is it so hard to pay attention mama?" She finally said, laughing some more. I gave her another look and she was back to being my obedient girl.

"Just kidding" she said, and put her arms around my waist as we walked to the counter.

We hear all the time about having to lead by example, children watch us more than they listen to us. Every part of that is true.

• How can we tell our children to go for their dreams, while we never finished that bachelor's degree? 
• How can they learn to respect others when we fight with the receptionist at the doctor's office? 
• How can they learn what love is, when you fight with your husband about something as simple as the dishes?

You need to be what you want your children to be. If you want your child to travel on a road of integrity, you must have been there to show them the way.

As a parent, I've learned things as an "on the go" basis, like every other parent in the world. It seems as though our children are teaching us what we should do.

Needless to say, the cell phone now stays in the car at the store.

Westin La Cantera Holidays - A 5 Year Old Review #WLCHolidays

Every Winter Season, the Westin at La Cantera breaks out their Hill Country Holidays events. This was our first year going with other San Antonio Bloggers and was excited to finally see the fun!

I'll let you watch the video to see how the Westin fared in the eyes of my 5 year old daughter!

Check Out The Events at Hill Country Holidays at The Westin!

• Ice Skating on Frost's Synthetic Rink
• The North Pole with activities for kids
• Check out the Pirate's Holiday: Bucaneers in Toyland performed by the Magik Theater
• Don't miss the Legendary Holidays walkthrough!

Go to http://www.WestinLaCantera.com for more information and times!

2 Year Old Singing Ke$ha's "Die Young"

Just a typical drive

Me driving and the Aunt filming

Got to keep it safe ;-)

Enjoy

#HolidaySmiles, A Christmas Gift From Addy

Addy is 2 years old and she loves to go shopping. Whenever we drive around to run errands, or get her older sister and brother from school, as soon as things start to get familiar as she knows we are almost home, she yells out, "Wait! I want to go shopping more!"

There is not a doubt that she is related to me.

We love the holidays, and I think the Holiday Shopping Bug has also bitten my darling toddler. As I trot around from Sale to Sale, she isn't far behind me with bags of her own.

In addition to secret presents from Santa, we also get to buy things for each other. So we started the day, bright and early, to head to Walmart for some items from the Little Sister. All I had to do to wake her was ask her, "You want to go shopping for presents?"

In an instant she was already at the door in her pink cowgirl boots.

We enlisted the help of my sister Michelle, and set out to grab some goodies.

After being distracted by one thing

And another

And trying to convince Addy that Santa will bring this or that item to the house on Christmas

We came across an awesome stocking stuffer. I'm definitely one of the lucky ones whose kids love to brush their teeth. Sure, they need to be reminded, but there is always a fight over who get to brush their teeth first. I think what drives them is the fact that they all hate the dentist, so if brushing their teeth creates fewer visits to the dentist, they are on board.

We have always used Colgate products in our home, even as a child. My mother always bought  Colgate Total, and I have followed suit. You can check out all of their products at their website at http://www.Colgate.com.

Addy helped pick out her favorites for her brother and sister, and in the cart it went. She was super excited making her first purchases of the day, and after a long day of shopping at Walmart then the mall, she knocked out for her nap, ready to do it all again the next day!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Colgate. #CBias #HolidaySmiles #SocialFabric

Time To #ShareTheSoft And Get Over This Cold!

My little Addy and I have been sick for the past couple of days. Headaches, congestion, and a horrible cough has plagued myself and my youngest child. She has was sick first, but since I am her number 1 snuggle bear, I caught the bug too. With our colds, comes lots of coughing, sneezing, and mucus.

Addy and I head to Walmart to go pick out some #Kleenex. I remember as a child, my grandma adding Eucalyptus and Peppermint essential oils to the box of Kleenex, making them smell great and help us with our breathing.

Addy is very picky when it comes to her tissues though, she needs to have her own box, within her own reach. So stocking up is what we did!

Also, Kleenex has specially marked boxes with a coupon for Vudu.com. Vudu is this amazing new service streaming videos, and instead of paying a monthly subscription, you just pay for what you want to watch.

The sign up is easy, go to http://www.walmart.com/kleenex and beging the process.

We were able to stream our movie on the TV, watching Brave, and spend a night relaxing... along with our coughs!

Be sure to check out the rest of my shopping trip on Google+.

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kleenex® Brand Tissues  #CBias #SocialFabric

A Busy Blogger's Thanksgiving Weekend

I love the holidays! My favorite all time will always be Christmas, but the week of Thanksgiving is a close second. The reason why I love the entire weekend of Thanksgiving versus just the fantastic meal itself, is because after Thanksgiving is the amazing fun of Black Friday Shopping and Christmas decorating over the weekend.


The girls are used to waking up at 5am on Black Friday, being carted around in a stroller for most of the morning, then chowing down on breakfast with Grandma. They are seriously naturally born shoppers like the rest of the women in the family :)

And what am I most thankful for? The girls and their love for music!

The thing about the holiday seasons though is that it adds more stuff to your to-do list, on a to-do list, that itself has more than enough things to do.

Thankfully I've been able to use Time Dog for all of my holiday planning, (and planning yet to come!)

Here are a couple of ways I have used Time Dog to help get ready for my pre-holiday lists:

• Finding Good ol' fashioned Thanksgiving sides to bring to my mother in law's house for Thanksgiving Dinner.
• Sending me a list of fishing spots to take the kids fishing while they are home from school for the week.
• Getting Ready for Black Friday sales

I'm super excited for tomorrow and am looking forward to relaxing this weekend and making wonderful memories with the family!

Are you ready?

I am a Champion Blogger for Time Dog . The links above are affiliate links. If you are interested in joining Time Dog as an exclusive Star Affiliate, feel free to contact me!

Cypher Kids Club Reality Cards #CypherKidsClub

My kids love getting stuff in the mail. What I love about the kids getting stuff in the mail, is when it is stuff that they can actually learn from!

I was given the opportunity to review the awesome Cypher Kids Club Reality Cards. What these cards to, is bring learning up close and personal with your kids.

I was given 3 different packs, Animals, ABC's, and Numbers. Our kids' personal favorite were the animals. Why? Because with The Cypher Kids Cards, they turn learning into 3 Dimensional Fun!

Using your iPhone and the downloaded free app from the Appstore, you are able to view each card by scanning it, and the image comes to life before you!

My 5 year old was the one who really loved it, as she has been maneuvering my iPhone for the past 3 years. Addy, just liked to watch her sister and tell her which cards to put on the phone next. 

I think though that this is a great idea for all ages. Not only is it a learning tool for school aged children, but a great way to be creative with younger children and have them amazed at new things.

Not only do you get to see moving animals, number, and letters, but you learn too! 

For example:

With the Animal Cards, you can choose to view the animals in their natural habitat, while a speaker talks about the tendencies of the animal, where it lives, hunt and so on.

With the Number and Alphabet cards, 3 dimensional characters hop around the card while you learn the sound, shape, and songs of each letter or number.

My daughters are completely sucked into the #CypherKidsClub!

To get some near you, check out your Local Target Store or order them online at http://www.cypherkidsclub.com/.

To stay updated with new products and ideas, don't forget to follow them on Twitter and Like Their Facebook Page!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and  Cypher Kids Club #CBias #SocialFabric While we loved the products all opinions are my own.

3 Time Saving Tricks for Mom Bloggers

I have been a blogging mom for almost 6 years now. During that time, I've started (and sold) several websites, created online courses, ebooks, and have found many places to write across the world wide web. While I have grown to speak at events and write about blogging and social media for businesses, I still find a home blogging about my family, and connecting with other mom bloggers.

Being a mom blogger though, there are different responsibilities we have. From brand ambassadors, or campaigns, to maintaining our homes, we need to find better ways to make our life smooth and care free. 

The best thing about the blogoshepere is the support of everyone online, but sometimes life goes very fast and you need to keep up with everything. Here are some easy ways you can save time in your daily life:

1. Eliminate The Unnecessary

The first thing you should always do when you are looking for more time to add to your life, is to cut out the time wasters in your day to day. Do you have an extra blog that you are keeping, but you don't really have the passion for it anymore? Hit delete. Are you spending 3 days a week volunteering at your kids school? Cut it down to 2. Too many TV shows interrupting your day to day? Hit record and catch up after the kids go to bed.

2. Write Down What You Are Doing

On days where I just "wing it" and turn on the computer and figure out what I am going to do for the day, as I go along, I find I am a mess. Not only are my thoughts all over the place, but my writing and reviews are also all over the place. Then, when it comes to dinner time, we are left ordering a pizza. Take the time to write down what needs to be done today, group projects, and eliminate the unnecessary again. This way, you are on track and know what needs to be done. There are great apps to use from Producteev, Wunderlist, and ToDo lists to stay on top of everything.

3. Asking For Help 

I am a Champion for Time Dog . Time Dog is an amazing service for busy women, and especially busy mom bloggers. The truth is, you want to do everything for your family, but you really are just one person. Time Dog helps fill that gap. 

They act as your personal assistant and help with things from: 

Making Appointments and Reservations

Finding Directions

Gathering Recipes and Creating Grocery lists (My favorite)

Finding Coupons

Comparing Dishwashers and Costs

Get Info on Daughter's Ballet Class (Love)

The best thing is that Time Dog is super affordable and they have a Free account you can create. Check out the video below.

To get your Free account click on TimeDog!

As a mom blogger you may easily take on more than you really should, so always be sure to put your family first, and your blog second. We have amazing opportunities at our hands, literally, but if we do not know how to manage ourselves and our lives, everything can quickly fall apart.

Try to apply these 3 things in your life and you'll see a huge difference and more time on your clock.

I am a Champion Blogger for Time Dog . The links above are affiliate links. If you are interested in joining Time Dog as an exclusive Star Affiliate, feel free to contact me!

Get The 2nd Edition of The Blog Bank For Free

I am in the process of updating my favorite ebook, The Blog Bank. It's been a little over a year since I wrote the original one, and while the main principles stay true, I feel like a lot has happened: From Pinterest to Instagram and more! So I have been super busy adding text, deleting, re-formatting and more. What I will do this time is add a support group page with the purchase of The Blog Bank, that way we can all connect and figure out how to get your blog to pay your bills.

I'll will also release 2 new ebooks before the year is over, so keep an eye on that!

If you want to be on the early release mailing list and get access to the 2nd Edition of The Blog Bank and Support Group FOR FREE, be sure to get on our mailing list here:

Subscribe to our mailing list

How Can We Raise Confident Girls?

I am the daughter of a mother, and sister to two teenage girls. I have always considered myself lucky. I truly believe my mother and stepfather did an amazing job raising us, and I'm not just saying that in a way of "they did their best," but in a way as even as a child I appreciated everything. My mother constantly put our needs in front of hers, and instilled that family was our number one priority.

Now being a mother of two little girls myself, I'm facing a world that constantly puts down women and girls, facing a world where I am still trying to instill confidence in myself. How can I instill confidence in my girls? Why do they even need me to do it? Because I will be the first, and no one else will. They do have their father and I believe that the father also has his role, but I believe it is my job as their mother to be an example and show them true confidence that they already have in themselves.

1. You Can Become Anything

One thing I learned from my mother, and still do today, is that you can do anything. Teach your girls that anything truly is possible. I wanted to play piano, my parents came home with a piano. I wasn't sure if I could sing in front of a crowd, my mother signed me up for the school talent show. It's not a question of just telling these girls that they can do anything they want, it's also about giving them the tools to make their dreams a reality. Truly and I were watching the Disney Channel where a little boy was an amazing soccer player.

She looked at me and said, "I bet I can run faster than him."

"I'm sure you could if you practiced, it's hard work" I told her.

The next day we bought her a $5 soccer ball and went to work.

Tell your daughters the world is theirs, but give it to them too.

2. Don't Let Another Person's Negativity Affect You

Like every other girl growing up, we dealt with bullies or people who were just plain mean for no reason. The truth is, your daughter is going to meet these people too. Even if they seem like they love school, love their friends, love their lives, you need to make sure they are ready for when those group of people want to gang up on your darling girl.

Take the time to let your daughter know how beautiful she is, smart she is, and friendly she is. Get to know her friends, her teacher, and her classroom. Tell her how much her friends love her, her siblings love her, and how much God loves her. Let her know that when someone isn't nice to her or doesn't like her, that that is okay, because this long list of people that do love her, is the one that counts.

Teach her that being mean back won't make her feel better and that stooping down to their level just makes you like them. Teach her to go get help if she feels attacked and bullied.

Most importantly, instill in your daughter that laughing off remarks about her is a great weapon, because that girl in the mirror is amazing.

3. Extracurricular Activities 

The main thing I like about getting girls involved in sports, dance, and other activities is not only do they learn how to be a team player, but they can also learn how to be a leader. The last thing I want to do is spend my afternoons driving around the kids to all their different practices and games, but I do believe that being in an environment where you can meet new friends and have fun, is great for building confidence. The way you find balance is in putting them in activities only they are truly interested in, and that you have time for. No more than 2 activities at a time, and nothing that makes you miss dinner at the table.

Truly started school this year. She has been in ballet class for the past 3 years, since she was 2, but in addition to that we added cheerleading and soccer. Cheerleading is great because it is at her school, right after school in the gym, and with Soccer, it's a real low maintenance team with the YMCA. Trying to talk her out of any one of these was impossible.

One of the most important things though, is don't just be a spectator, get involved! Become an assistant coach, jump in with the girls during their practice laps, or help the teacher pass out flyers. These girls need to see that you want to be involved and invested in what they want to do.

Some other tips:

• Use bedtime as a way to ask your daughter Who she looks up to, What makes her special, What is she afraid of, and What to do if she is bullied
• Volunteer once a week or once a month in her school 
• Spend at least 15 minutes everyday doing something she wants to do: manicures, painting, woodcarving :)
• Use plenty of praise words: That was very smart of you! I couldn't have done that with out you!

I am just getting started with the process of raising confident girls, but I was lucky enough to see it first hand. I know I have my work cut out for me, but I welcome the challenge of molding my daughters' confidence into something powerful for them.

Where will you be 5 years from today? #Inspiring

My mother gave me this book today. Apparently she bought it and was going to try and give it to me for Christmas, but I came across it in her room. Looking through it, I can't wait to get started. It's a book about how you can make a difference now and still take hold of your life, and create the life you want, not the one you are settling for now.

Just flipping through the book, I already came across something I loved:

At 83, architect Frank Lloyd Wright was asked 

which of his masterpieces was the best, "My next one," he said.

Your choices now can impact your future, and it's not too late. Never.

I can't wait to get started! I'll update you as I learn myself!

Have you read this book? Where do you picture yourself in 5 years?

The #Blogalicious12 Speaking Experience Thanks to #DrSmiths

I am finally waking up in my own bed. Vegas sure was good to me, but there is no place like home!

Blogalicious 2012 was an amazing experience, and while I don't have all the amazing pictures from the conference like I should have, (I spent way to much time taking notes and chatting with all the fun women) I'll update this with more pictures as they pop up here and there on the beautiful world wide

Want Me To Teach You? #Blogalicious12

An hour away until our session starts at #Blogalicious12!

Dr. Smiths Diaper Ointment is sponsoring my trip to #Blogalicous as I will be speaking about Unconventional Ways to Earn Money Outside Your Blog. Check them out today at http://www.DoctorSmiths.com, on Twitter and on Facebook!

Can I Leave My Children? #Blogalicious

This is the question that has been on my mind for the past week as I am getting ready to leave for Blogalicious in 2 days. Am I nervous about the flight? Nope. How about the fear of meeting a bunch of people I've never met before? Nah. Ok, so your not scared of doing Vegas baby! Not even close. But, I am super nervous that I will be leaving my children!

Even though they will be in the best place possible (I mean who doesn't love grandma's house), this is the first time we all would have been apart for a couple of days. Truly specifically is my dramatic daughter. "But I'm going to miss you" she says with her tears-on-demand already strolling down her cheek. In all reality, she won't really miss me.

What she is most upset about is that I am going to Vegas without HER. We went last summer and stayed at the Circus Circus and boy did she love it!

I'll be speaking about Expanding Revenue Outside of Your Blog. I will be pulling out highlights from my book The Blog Bank, Getting Your Blog to Pay Your Bills. So I've been super busy trying to arrange this topic perfectly to give attendees the best information possible.

While I am still nervous about leaving my children, I have come to terms that it's just a part of life, and some space for all of us is bound to be a wonderful thing!

Dr. Smiths Diaper Ointment is sponsoring my trip to #Blogalicous as I will be speaking about Unconventional Ways to Earn Money Outside Your Blog. Check them out today at http://www.DoctorSmiths.com, on Twitter and on Facebook!

Are You Using Your Skills The Way You Want To?

Working Out, Lipstick Stolen, #Blogalicious is Next Weekend!!

Good Morning!!!!

Addy and I decided to do a quick RVOD, (Random Video Of the Day) after I did a quick qorkout that I found on Blogilates, realized Addy had stolen my make up, and trying to spend more time with kids before I leave for Blogalicious for 3 days!

Check Check it out! *Warning* Did this video literally right after I worked out, we dropped to the floor and did a video. So that meaaansss...no make up!! :)

Dr. Smiths Diaper Ointment is sponsoring my trip to #Blogalicous as I will be speaking about Unconventional Ways to Earn Money Outside Your Blog. Check them out today at http://www.DoctorSmiths.com, on Twitter and on Facebook!

6 Things To Do The Night Before For An Easy Morning

It's been 2 weeks since my kids started school. This school year is a completely new experience for me. For the last 2 years, my husband has been taking my stepson to school while he is with us for half the week, while I was able to sleep in with the 2 little girls. I didn't have any stressful mornings and pretty much had an easy start to the day.

Now things are completely different. With one of the girls starting Kinder {and being quite demanding if you ask me}, my morning consists of lunch boxes, school clothes, laundry, waking up the older ones, waking up the younger ones, signing papers, breakfast, and more. {If you can believe it}

While I've had a ton of trail and error over the past 2 weeks, it took me a while to figure out a system that didn't have me scrambling in the morning, or to exhausted the night before to even wake up.

1. Check The School Folder/Back Pack

There were many times were I had forgotten something because I didn't check it the night before. We are scrambling in the car to go through papers, when we should have done it the night before. This way, you have time to add items to your calendar, sign important forms, and get rid of the junk paperwork.

2. Get Lunch {And Breakfast} Ready

My stepson usually eats lunch at school, but sometimes he also likes me to pack him a lunch. Truly on the other hand, wants only a packed lunch. I'm fine with that since I can pick things that I know she will actually eat, and I know that she wont be hungry when the school bell rings. Every night we get her lunch ready, put it in ziplock bags and stick it in the fridge. Now it is ready to just grab and go in the morning!

For Breakfast, set the cereal out in the morning, make a week's worth of granola on Monday, and set out all your ingredients and utensils ready for pancakes.

3. Pick Out Clothes

For the first week of school, there was at least a 10 minute lag in picking out what they wanted to wear. "Is it PE today? Is this dress appropriate? {Yes Truly really asks that} Have I worn this already?" If picking out clothes the night before saves you 10 minutes of deciding, that's 10 minutes extra everyone can sleep in!

4. Get Those Kids To Help You!

There's been many a time, even before school, where I've woken up in the morning greeted to piles of toys, clothes, and more toys around the house and rooms. Then as we try to get our day started, I'm left to clean up, while the kids try to get ready, tripping around our junk. Getting your kids to clean up their rooms, put every toy away, as a night time ritual will not only make things clean for you in the morning, but teach them how to be responsible.

5. Get Everything By The Door

The night before, get your kids to make sure everything is in their backpack, and for them to put them by the front door, or garage door, whichever one you use to exit. You, Mom, do the same. Put your purse by the door, your to do list, and anything else you would take with you in the morning when leaving.

6. The List

Whether you have a paper to do list, or you use an app on your phone, before you get in bed, list all the things you have to do for the next day. This is also a good time to eliminate things you maybe don't have to do and shorten your list.

By following these things, our nights have actually been more calmer, and the kids have learned their "good night" system. The 6 things usually take us about 15 - 20 minutes, if even that, but saves us at least an hour of craziness in the morning.

Sometimes a mom just needs to hit snooze every once in a while!

#Blogalicious Countdown with @DoctorSmiths

I am so excited to announce my sponsor for the Blogalicious Weekend Blogging Conference, 

Dr. Smiths Ointment!

What I love most about the Dr. Smith's company is, not only have I used and loved their products for my children, but they are based right here in my city of San Antonio!

2 years ago, I started working with them on their team of Premium Parent bloggers. They gave us a tour of their factory, got to meet the wonderful team of leaders, had a wonderful catered lunch, and had a great kick off to the program. They definitely got it right when it came to working with bloggers, and we all know the horror stories of companies who get it totally wrong!

Shortly after that, I took a break from blogging due to my newborn and toddler being more than I could handle at the moment. I've kept up with their progress though, and following the fellow bloggers posts and ideas. Heloise from Hints with Heloise as a contributor to their blog.

When it came time for trying to find a sponsor for Blogalicious, my contacts Dr. Smiths, responded to a Facebook post I had put out, and was glad to work with me again! Not only am I grateful for this opportunity itself, but also the idea of partnering with a company and making connections for the long run. That is the exact quality people look for in people and in businesses.

So as someone who has changed many a diaper year after year, used all the different top brands of ointment, I've always found Dr. Smiths to heal, protect, and soothe the best.

I mean, who else has 5 stars on Amazon?!

What makes Dr. Smiths different?

• A premium blend of ingredients
• No unpleasant odor
• Goes on like a cream. Protects like an ointment
• Treats diaper rash fast
• Easy to apply and wash off

Be sure to check out their website, and specifically their blog, where they features posts on parenting, cleaning, and more!

Stay on the lookout for more information about a giveaway too!

Stay updated with all that is going on with Dr. Smiths, by visiting there Facebook and Twitter pages. Be sure to introduce yourself, and say I sent you! They love meeting new people!

See you soon!!!

Dr. Smiths is sponsoring my trip to #Blogalicious this year as I will be speaking at this event. While they will cover my expenses and compensate me for my time working for them, all opinions are entirely my own.

3 Ways to Own Breastfeeding {The Luvs Commercial}

I breastfed Truly until she was a little over 2 years old. It was more of a comfort thing for her, and since we were also co-sleeping, she kind of just "did it" on her own. She only stopped because I became pregnant, and well, she just stopped!

Addy, I bottle fed. I was on the fence with the decision, but it was something my husband really wanted to do, as he missed out on the bonding time with feeding Truly. I'll admit, I got A LOT more sleep, mommy time, and more time with the other kids, since more people were able to pitch in and spend time with the baby.

Either way, when I stumbled upon the Luvs commercial on Mean Baby's writer's facebook, I thought it was the coolest thing! What I found funny was how they compared a "First Kid" mom to a "Second Kid" mom.

The "First Mom" is nervous, hiding behind a tree, and struggling with her cover up. The "Second Mom" oozed confidence, jokes with the waiter, and nonchalantly sits at the table to feed her baby.

While I was both at times, either feeding my daughter in a fitting room, or at the playground, I can soo relate.

So are you a breastfeeding mom who needs a little more "Second Mom" in ya?:

1. Do What Makes You {And Your Baby} Comfortable

If you want to hide in a fitting room like how I did because you enjoy the privacy with your child, then do it! No one says you have to be bold, you just need to be comfortable. If you don't feel like you need to go to the bathroom to feed you child and you want to sit at the park and enjoy the sunlight while watching your 5 year old use the slide? Then whip that bad boy out and feed your baby!

2. Have A Sense Of Humour

People are going to say something, and that is okay. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, just like you are. While breastfeeding is perfectly natural and may make other people uncomfortable, the best thing you can do is smile, make a joke about it, and love the decisions you have made for you and your child. Why say something negative or let their misunderstanding cloud your day? Exactly. Humour always wins.

3. Clear Your Mind, And De-Stress

Try not to let worry take over your life, in any situation. Worry should definitely have no place in your mind especially when it comes to breastfeeding. Feeding your child is a great way to bond with your child, but why do it if all you are going to do is worry about what the person beside you is going to think. Clear your mind, and focus on what is important. Then you will see your confidence shine through and realize that nothing else around you even matters.

I'm not one of those crazy BREAST ONLY mothers, obviously I did both, but the message that this commercial gives is a great reminder for breastfeeding moms to stand their ground, and take the negativity with a grain of salt.

When Your Daughter Goes Off To School...

On Monday, my sweet Truly went off to school as a Kindergartner. She has had a mix of feelings for the past month.

1) She's been super excited to make more friends. She has stayed home with me, and never been to a daycare, so the thought of hanging out with other kids all day sounded fun for her.

2) She didn't want to be gone all day and said she'd miss me and all the fun things we do everyday.

Me on the other hand, I had only one feeling.

1) DON'T GO!!!!!!!!

Children, Yours Forever, But 'Kids' Only A Short Time

I love pictures. 

I have my fair share of video laying around and on Youtube, but my iPhoto is full of pictures taken on my phone and on cameras. I thought it was about that time to do a photo update of the kiddos!

Ponies Are A Girls Best Friend #CleverPonyRoyale

 

 This post is sponsored by Pony Royale. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Truly has been obsessed with ponies ever since I can remember. That's not too long ago being she is only 5 years old! :) Her little sister Addy always seems to follow suit. For their past birthday parties, they even had pony rides come to the house!

Eden Fantasys | Bath & Body Collection

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The Point Park and Eats at #satx #foodiemamas

My sister and I have been trying to get to this place for the past several weeks since we discovered it. This place is off Boerne Stage Road, down the street from where we live. We finally were able to convince our mom to take the trip with us. We noticed they had a wine tasting and dinner event that evening, so we wanted to try and make it there earlier to just check it out without having to be obligated to join in :)

We Have Not Left The House In 2 Days!

We are going on day 2 of not leaving the house. It's not planned, but boy are we being lazy! I am enjoying our summer days of just relaxing at home and really not doing a thing! My Truly bear will start Kinder next month, and although we do a lot of activities around town, it's nice to just relax, watch TV all day, and eat ice cream in bed.

Notice our unbrushed hair, peeling nail polish, missing make up, and sunken in bed.

How are you enjoying the last month of summer?

Pressures of Being A Perfect Parent Due to Social Media (TV Interviews!!)

I don't know why it took me so long to post this! A couple of weeks ago, myself and other local mommy bloggers were chosen to come on the San Antonio Living Show to talk about how social media has been giving mother's a new place to feel pressure to be perfect. I can totally realate to this. Seeing other mother's blogs about how perfect their lives are, the different activities they do, and so on, make it hard to compare yourself to them. Now with Pinterest in the picture as well, things get even more complicated for the moms' psyches!

Check out our segment below! And be sure to check out the other fabulous mom blogs who I had the pleasure of meeting!!!

#BiotrueChallenge, It's Been An Awesome 2 Months!

It's been almost 2 months of using BioTrue solution for my monthly contact lenses and the change has been great! My biggest challenge was the discomfort I felt at the end of the day, along with practically poking out my eyeballs from the dryness!

Needless to say, Biotrue has really held up their end of the deal. From going to Warped Tour from morning until sun down, at an open air concert in 100+ degree weather, I was able to put on my shades, not worry about sunglasses, and have my eyes feeling fine until we got home.

From Teen Mom to Work At Home Mom (Video)

If you didn't already know, I am currently enrolled in college online through Full Sail University in an amazing Internet Marketing program. I never finished my degree (blame baby number 1) and one day on Problogger.net I saw an ad for this school, checked it out, and fell in love!

With one of my classes this week, Digital Storytelling, one of our assignments was to use iMovie to create a story. This story could be about anything and a lot of my classmates were making it about themselves. So here is my project, From Teen Mom to Work At Home Mom! Enjoy this 2 minute little video of silliness and enjoy my story!

Your Smile, Your Identity #InvisalignSATX #spon

When you think of braces and straight teeth, I automatically think back to my middle school and high school days as a teenager and how much you were defined by your smile. Your smile is your way of letting people know that your approachable, that your happy, and that your easy to talk to. If you are self conscious about opening up your mouth to a beautiful smile, well that shows as well. Your insecurities will shine just as bright as your happiness would.

I remember being insecure about my smile as a teenager, and even now as a mom as I meet new people in my childrens' life. I want my first impression to impress everyone around me, and the biggest part of that is my smile.

It's the #BioTrueChallenge, My Journey Of Being Glasses Free

My entire family has had glasses. I was the lucky one rocking 20/20 vision through my childhood and going into college. Sure I thought the glasses made you look cooler now and then, but when I watched my younger sisters poke their eyes putting their contact lenses in, *yikes*, not for me.

Then I got pregnant. From there, my eye sight went downhill. I don't know the science behind it, but from what I've been told, your vision can get worse when you are pregnant. That's what happened to me. I never thought about getting contacts and went straight for the glasses.
I love my glasses. They are perfect for when I don't want to put make up on, and even better for when I want to look super smart.

It's Summertime For The Water Kids! #OldNavySwim

I love so many things about living in Texas, the BBQ, the horses, and the affordable shopping! Then there are the things that I don't love as much, and that is the hot, hot, summers! Thank goodness that our town makes up for it with pools around every corner. A huge plus is that we live right around the corner from Six Flags, and Sea World is also just 15 minutes down the highway. This makes for very lucky kids.

#SmashingShoes, It Runs In The Family

I think God knew I had to have little girls!

Follow me on Instagram for all my random photos through the day!

3 Cheese Pork Tenderloin Spaghetti - Surprise! I Can Cook

I can cook. I never usually post different things that I cook here only because I don't find the time to take pictures while I'm speeding through cooking. I always wait til the last minute to cook, and by then, my family is starving! The kids love it when I cook because they know we can sit at the table and enjoy each other's company. Yes, my children love it! :)

Puppies Suck Your Creative Time

I love my daughter's dog. I really do. Or at least I'm trying to convince myself I really do. Truth is, she is a lot of work. Princess is an adorable malti-poo puppy Truly got as an early birthday present, and since we already have a lab Matthew, we though "Eh, no big deal, it won't be that hard."

Beating Allergies & Looking Fab #ClearBeauty

I've always suffered from seasonal allergies. Whenever my family wants to go out (which is all day long) during the spring season, I am usually a sneezy, teary-eyed mess. I remember one time I went running without taking any allergy medicine, and by the time I got home, my eyes were literally swelling our of my eye sockets! Plus, with allergies, it is nearly impossible to wear make up, and look my usually perfect self, when I can't stop sneezing!

My 5 Year Old Is My Photographer

I'll give you more information later, but I am working on a new blog/website to combine all of my websites together. For this new website, I am working on branding myself. This means, Photoshoot! And who better to take pictures of me, than Truly!

Here are a couple of photos she took!

So Time Magazine Got Me Thinking......

Raising Children To Be Entrepreneurs #LemonadeDay

For today's blog post I am doing a vlog about an easy way to teach children how to be Entrepreneurs by starting a lemonade stand as part of Lemonade Day. Visit http://www.LemonadeDay.org to see if it's going on in your city!

Truly is super excited!

Business Owners Can't Own Homes

My husband and I are in a sticky situation when it comes to home ownership. Currently we are renting a house, but our lease it up in September, and from what we understand, the owners are wanting to move back in. So that leaves us, well out. In a couple of months.

The Birthday Party Dreams Are Made Of

We always had the best birthdays growing up. I'll also tell you that we weren't rich either. Just a mom and dad who worked hard and liked to live life with their kids. We had moon bounces, clowns, magicians, face paintings, ponies, petting zoos, etc. Our house was the one going crazy with it's own little circus come birthday party time.

Moving Truck Birthday Cake

Today is my husbands birthday, the day right before our daughter's, and this year I decided that I was going to make everyone's birthday cake. This is kind of a big deal, because even though I make little dinky cakes here and there, I've never made like a real birthday cake. I've always gone out to the grocery store, bought some cake that I think tastes gross anyway, and ta da, $50 down the drain.

So for Hubby's birthday, I made him this cake...

How To Be A Write At Home Mom (Tip 1 of 10)

I love writing. Being a freelance writer not only allows me to stay at home with my children, but gives me a chance to get my voice out in the world, published, and seen by an endless amount of people. I've also been working on a novel for the past year, and seeing it come together has been something beyond amazing.

Bad Breathe Morning

I've co-slept with my daughters since they were born. It was just easier on me, the first one being brestfed and the second one using a bottle, they were both easier. Plus I have always been a worry wart and would  spend the night traveling back and forth from crib to bed.