Weekend Wrap-Up

Happy Monday!

 

 

And just like that, the weekend is over! 

 

We had a pretty low key weekend over here, which was great!  I was at the pediatrician with AJ last Wednesday and he had strep, so he was home from school Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, always the worst when your kids are sick!  On Friday he woke up definitely feeling more like himself, but I kept him home just for an extra day of rest!

 

Since he was finally feeling better, he was definitely itching to get out of the house for a bit.  I had a few errands to run and then we hit up Chick-Fil-A for lunch...it is so rare that I get one-on-one time with my kids, so I really do treasure it when I do.  After that we came home and hung out on the couch and watched some TV until the other kids came home from school.

 

Mark didn't land until late Friday night, so my mom came over and we ordered Chinese food and it was a perfect way to spend the night!  I am so glad that my mom lives close by!

 

10:45pm and eating hot cinnamon rolls...it seemed like a great way to kill time as we waited for Mark to get back home!

 

I had picked this up earlier in the week, and I couldn't wait to give it to Mark!

 

Saturday morning we slept in, which was so nice!  After my coffee I headed straight to the washing machine to start on all the dirty clothes Mark brought home!  Fun times!

 

After the kids got up and ate breakfast, Mark took the little boys out to race go-karts and play mini golf, and then run some errands, and I took Olivia to run a few errands and out to lunch.

 

Jack taking some practice shots before they left

 

The boys playing some golf..they had so much fun!

Olivia just loves those kid menus!

Entertaining herself on the floor at Nordstrom while I check out!

 

We all got home a bit before dinner, Mark broke out the deep fryer and we ate all things fried for dinner, and it was so good!

 

And of course we finished off with fried donuts and lots of sugar!

 

There is just something so cute about feetie pajamas!

 

There is 13 years between Harrison and Olivia, but I absolutely love these moments when he will sit and play with her!  Such a great big brother!

 

Sunday morning we slept in a bit, I got my coffee and headed to my desk to meal plan and fill out our schedule for the week!  Then I hit the grocery store!

 

We spent a lot of time Sunday doing card tricks...my boys could do this for HOURS!

 

It was absolutely beautiful here Sunday, like 70 degrees beautiful, so Olivia spent most of the day outside playing, and Mark took all 3 boys to the driving range to hit golf balls (yup these guys love golf over here!)

 

Other than that it was pretty low key and a lot of the normal stuff like laundry and getting things ready for the week!

 

Hope you all had a great weekend!  Be sure to check back tomorrow, I am sharing some more of my favorite crock-pot recipes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Friday Favorites

Happy Friday Girls!  This lady is so ready for the weekend!

Today I am linking up with Andrea , Erika and Narci and sharing my Friday Favorites!  Be sure to grab the graphic and link up too!

ONE

This guy gets back into town tonight and we cannot wait!  The hubs coming back after being gone for a week...definitely a favorite this week!

TWO

I was at the mall last weekend, and picked up this candle, and I absolutely LOVE it!  It smells super fabulous!!!  Candles are always a favorite of mine!

THREE

Why did I wait until just now to get this !!!  I have been on the fence and decided to order it over the weekend...it came yesterday and I just love it!  The great skin I am going to have is definitely a favorite for me!

FOUR

I know I have posted fresh flowers before as a Friday Favorite, but I seriously love love love fresh flowers.  I love I can grab them every week from the grocery store for so inexpensive!  Flowers are always a favorite!

FIVE

Y'all....I love me some rice pudding!  I tried one time to make it homemade and it was an epic fail!  Kozy Shack is my very favorite rice pudding!  YUM!

 

SIX

First grade had their little "art fair" last night, and she couldn't wait to show me this picture, she said "Mommy this is me and you because we are best friends"....I love this sweet little girl so much, I am so glad I get to be her mommy!  Kiddos artwork is always a favorite of mine!

 

So there are my Friday Favorites!  Can't wait to read everyone's this week!

Have a GREAT weekend!  Be sure to check back Monday!!!

Thursday Thoughts...Allowance or No Allowance

Happy Thursday Ladies!  You know we are excited over here because tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!

I am not sure why but I saw this and just started laughing out loud!

 The topic of allowance has been spoken about a lot lately over here from Jack and AJ!  Jack is about to turn 13 next month and AJ just turned 11 and they are really looking to make some money these days.  I am pretty torn when it comes to allowance!  I have tried in the past, especially with my older two to get one of those "chore charts" and hang it on the fridge and mark off all that they did during the week and then give them some money on Friday, but I found after about a week or so they majorly slacked on their chores and still expected to get paid!

Million dollar question over here!!

The boys will constantly say things like, "hey mom if we keep our room clean can we get paid?", or "if I clear the table can I get paid?"......Where I am torn, is that a part of me does want to reward them for doing things around the house, but the other part of me feels that I should not have to pay or reward them for merely picking up after themselves or helping out around the house!  Any other moms out there feel my pain??? 

Not just my boys, but all the kids, are not super quick to help each other out.  Any of them can see something laying on the ground that needs to be picked up, simply because it is not theirs, or they didn't put it there, they will walk over or past it a million times.  That is probably the one thing that drives me the most crazy...I mean seriously, I wash dishes that I didn't use, clean clothes I didn't wear, pick up toys that I didn't play with...get my drift here!!!  I understand that I am the mom and it is part of my "job", but I feel they are plenty old enough to at the very least make darn sure they are picking up after themselves!!!  There is nothing more annoying than me asking someone to do something, and listening to them sit and bicker for an hour (that's how long it feels like:) 10 minutes "it's not mine, so you do it"!!  It's at that point I lose my cool just a bit and do it myself! 

On the other hand, I do want to teach them some responsibility, especially when it comes to money. 

They are getting to that age where they are going to do more things with their friends, like going for pizza, ice cream, movies, etc...and I certainly don't want them thinking I will just be handing them over $20 every time they ask!  Obviously they are young, so we do support the bulk of their social life, but I don't think it is such a bad idea to teach them to save some of their money and use it for things like this either.  Jack is pretty good and very responsible, AJ on the other hand, if he has money it is burning a hole in his pocket, the second he gets $1 he wants to run to Walgreens and buy candy!  Ha!!! (he is SO my son!)

I would love to hear from you guys about what you do...do you give allowance?  Do you use a chore chart?  Do you reward for doing certain things around the house?  I know I need to implement some type of system with the 3 littles, just not sure what yet...so any advice, tips, or tricks is much appreciated!

And I found these ecards and thought they were hilarious and so spot on...so sorry in advance for the ecard overload you are about to experience!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to check back tomorrow for Friday Favorites!

Have the BEST day!

What We Wore Wednesday....A Few Good Deals Editions

Happy Wednesday Girls!

Ready for the weekend!!!!!

I am so ready for this week to be over and for my hubby to get back home!!!  The kids have been good for me so far this week, but it is no doubt hard doing it all alone!  

I have been major slacking on taking pictures of what I have been wearing, so today instead of showing you what I have been wearing, I will be sharing with you some great deals I have been seeing.  I always love shopping this time of year...with all the spring and summer clothing coming out there are some killer deals going on right now!  I definitely shop a head for my kids if I can get a really good deal!

Living in the south we don't get crazy winters that last months and months, but that being said we definitely do get some pretty cold days...I have been needing a winter coat, I got rid of mine 9 years ago when I moved here and never got a new one.  Well, I happened to be online Friday and saw Nordstorm had some great deals on outer wear!

I had been eyeing this coat for a few months, but really wasn't looking to spend $220.00...well I was able to score this on Friday for $140.00....I ordered the black, and I checked back a few hours later and all colors were sold out!  Check out here for all the North Face on sale!  My coat is scheduled to be delivered today and I cannot wait to get it!

You guys already know how much I love pajamas, and when you can get a great pair on sale...even better.  These are on sale right now for under $40!

I have been really trying to get to the gym at least 3x per week , and a few weeks back I ordered these and I absolutely love them.  I have since ordered two more pair...I started with these because they were on sale and thought it was a good way to try them!  LOVE them.

I love a chambray shirt...and right now this one at Old Navy is under $15!!!!  Total steal!  I love Old Navy!  Check here for all the great things on sale at Old Navy!

I picked up this dress for Olivia...under $10!  She loves wearing stuff like this with leggings...it's super comfy for her and she looks adorable!

I love scarves...such a fun way to spruce up an outfit.  How about this one for under $8.00!

I love the color on this one!

So there you have it...some great deals on a few things!  

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Have the BEST day today

Show & Tell Tuesday...A Day to Repeat

Happy Tuesday Girls!

 

Today I am linking up once again with Andrea for "Show & Tell Tuesdays"...grab the graphic and link up too!

 

Today it's all about picking a day that we could repeat!  I had to think hard about this one, there have so many great days throughout the course of my life, how could I pick just one?  I mean obviously if I could go back, I would go back to the 5 days that my children were born, I mean I can't really think of anything quite as wonderful as those 5 days!  You know how there are some things that we do, and after we do them one time, we just don't get that same "rush" when we do them again???  I am sure all the other mamas out there would agree with me that having a baby, no matter how many times you do it, never gets old, and is just as exciting as the very first time! 

 

After some long hard thought on this topic, I knew what the day would be that I would want to go back and repeat....July 2013, when I made a surprise visit back home and saw my grandparents!  When we moved away from NJ, as excited as I was for our new life, it was very hard leaving behind my family, especially my grandparents.  I was so fortunate to have both my grandmother and my grandfather in my life until I was 40 years old.  My grandfather, who had turned 95 last April, and my grandmother, who turned 90 last July, both passed away in 2014, just months apart from each other.  We all knew my grandfather's health was failing, so we were prepared for his passing, but my grandmother's passing was a complete and total shock to our entire family.  Heartbroken doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when I got that call from my mother.  My grandparents were married for 69 years, and I truly believe my grandma died of a broken heart, and it truly does give me comfort knowing they are both together again!

 

Here is my granny last July, celebrating her 90th Birthday...I mean she is the best looking 90 year old person I have ever seen!

 

Now onto the day to repeat....my mom had planned a trip back home, my kids were spending the week with their dad, and Mark and I had planned on going to spend the week with his children.  About two days before we were going to leave I told Mark that I really thought I needed to go with my mom and see my family back home, my grandfather's health had been declining, and I just needed to go and see them, I always took for granted that they would just always be there.  We decided not to tell my grandmother that I was coming...I mean who doesn't love a GREAT surprise!  We pulled in the driveway and I kinda hid behind the bushes, my mom knocked on the door, my grandmother came to the door, after she hugged the heck out of my mom, I peered from around the corner...I will NEVER EVER EVER forget the look on my grandmother's face when she saw me!  At that very moment I knew I had made the right decision to back out of the trip to see my step-children and go back home and see my family.  It was so wonderful to see her and my grandfather, and she was just so happy that I was there.  I was nervous about seeing my grandfather, he was suffering from dementia and wasn't sure if he would remember who I was...well he did...and I know he knew who I was because my entire family has always called me Kimberly...every single one of them...no one ever called me Kimm except for my gramps...I am so glad I was able to hear him call me that one last time. 

 

I had the absolute best time visiting with them...it was so good to not only see them and be back home, but to see my aunts and uncles as well!  My kids happened to be up in NJ that week visiting their dad, and he brought all the kids over to see my grandparents...seeing great-grandchildren always made my granny happy!

 

This picture means everything to me...that last time I saw my grandparents.  I cannot even put into words what it means to me that all 5 of my children got to know their great-grandparents.

 

Hands down, next to the birth of my children, visiting with my grandparents would absolutely be the day to repeat.  These were two of the BEST people I have ever known...their life was full of love, and because of them our family unit was one of the strongest I have ever seen. 

 

Now don't forget to link up...can't wait to read everyone elses day to repeat!

 

Have a great day and be sure to check back tomorrow to see what we have been wearing!

 

 

 





Weekend Wrap-Up...The Circus and The Super Bowl

Hello Ladies!  And just like that the weekend flew by, and it's Monday already!

Isn't that the truth!

And as if it's not bad enough it's Monday, my husband left this morning for a vacation work trip in Las Vegas for the week!  So me and the kiddos will be flying solo this week...thank god for wine!

We had a GREAT weekend!  Friday I pretty much ran errands all day long...bank, post office, Target run, grocery store, oil change...ya know all that glamorous stuff us moms do!  Then I came home and did load after load of laundry...it is seriously never ending over here!

 

Olivia made sure I had some company while I was out running around!

 

 

Happiness is Pizza Hut in Target!  Breadsticks and Pepsi for the win!

 

Friday night after dinner we just hung home and watched some TV with the kids.  Low key, just how we like it.

 

Well, a little bit of crazy Olivia thrown in!

Saturday was a day Olivia had been looking forward to all week long...her first time going to the circus, and she was pretty excited!  The little boys didn't really express an interest in going!  We met up with Mark's sister, his mom and nephew (he is 6 and him and Liv get along GREAT) and had some circus fun!  I hadn't been to the circus since I was a little girl, so I was also really looking forward to going!

 

Lunch before the circus...fried pickles are my FAVE!

 

I love these two so much!

 

A little word search before the food came.

 

Looking extra cute!

 

I don't know why, but the elephants are my favorite!

This girl was excited!

Two sweet cousins!

We had a great time, and so did Olivia.  We just love getting to spend time with each kid, such a super fun way to spend our Saturday.

Sunday, this day is pretty much our favorite day of the year....SUPER BOWL!!!  Even though none of "our" teams made it, we still love to watch it.  I am sure one year before I die my JETS will not only go to the super bowl, but win it!  I know lots of people have big super bowl parties, and they are super fun, but for us, we stay home, every single year.  One time, maybe 20 years ago we went to a Super Bowl party, and though it was fun, I would have much rather watched the game at home.  I really love football...I don't want to sit around and talk to people, I just want to watch the game!  I feel that I have done a good job in raising my children, because they all love football just as much as I do, so on this day, Super Bowl Sunday, they are allowed to stay up late and watch the game.  We are definitely a football loving family, we yell and scream at the TV, sometimes get a bit carried away, but we just can't help ourselves.  Every year we seem to get invited somewhere to watch the big game, but we always decline, we love just hanging home with the kids watching it.  We have our own little super bowl party and we love it!  I get fun paper products for us to use, we don't eat dinner, we just eat lots of snacks and finger foods during the course of the game, and of course some fun desserts too!

 

I love that he still likes hanging out with us!

Every bit of food on this plate was delicious

YUM!

 

I could eat wings for days.....

We LOVE cookie cake over here...I thought this was one so cute..but we like the game way better than the commercials!

 

I am always so sad when football season is over, there is nothing I love more than being in my sweats, on my couch all day long on a Sunday just watching the games!

All in all a pretty perfect weekend in my book...lots of food, football and family!  

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for "Show & Tell Tuesday"

 

Have a great day!