Fashion Fun: Is she Five or Fifteen?

This week, I'm participating in the Blogtober Fest Challenge sponsored by Arkansas Women Bloggers. Today's topic is Fall Fashion and Decorating. 

When I saw the topic for the first day's challenge, I will admit that I was a little stumped.  Fashion is not really something that I stay in tune with.  I wear what I have, what's clean and what fits; and the "clean" part is negotiable. So, then I thought about focusing on the "decorating" part of the topic. Hmmm....well sure, I have a few pins of great looking projects that I'll never get to.  I have some decent fall decor ideas, but with two little grabbers in the house, that will have to wait a few more years. Right now my fall decor includes Matchbox cars, baby dolls, coloring books and random shoes strategically strewn around the floor.  Top it off with a plastic pumpkin, and we're good to go.

I finally settled on Fall Fashion featuring Big Sis, the sassy 5-year-old in my house.  I talked it over with her and she was more than willing to help out.  At least if I can't be a fashionista, then my kid can.  

Above:  Check out this green corduroy jumper that I found last week at the Goodwill store, of all places.  I went in to look for Halloween costume pieces, and found this sweet GAP dress in perfect condition for three bucks.  Score!  Below:  Something we threw together from her closet. We actually bought the super cute knee socks from the LittleMissMatched store in Orlando way back in May, and have been waiting oh-so-patiently for fall weather to wear them.  Yay!

And, finally....my favorite of them all.  I never, EVER buy the girl expensive clothing.  Mainly, because she is still pretty clumsy, messy and generally rough on clothing. When I saw this sale online for Vintage Couture way back in the summer, I jumped! Y'all, this dress cost me TEN BUCKS (I think reg price was $70)!!  Oh, how I've waited for the weather to be right for her to wear it.  And I can't find brown tights anywhere, wouldn't you know.  Nonetheless, it suits her perfectly and we love it!

Obviously, nobody will ever turn to me for fashion tips. But I appreciate this challenge because it caused me to think outside the box....and have a GREAT time with my little girl, who won't be this eager to help for long.

Kids on Wheels

Last weekend, we had our very first family outing to the skating rink.  I've taken Big Sis by herself a few times, and for birthday parties, but this was the first time for the littles and Dad to join us.  So fun!!  It won't be long before Big Sis can do it on her own....in fact, she did it this time in small bits. 

 

 

Getting laced up, with help from Dad.

 

Look out, here comes trouble!



The twins hopped right into their skates without any hesitation. We took a couple of laps around the rink, with Dad and me wearing our shoes and holding their hands.  Girl Twin decided she wasn't crazy about it, and would rather walk.  I went to take her skates off, and when I turned around, little dude had grabbed "the helper thing" and was GONE!  So much for holding mom's hand!  He had a blast and never slowed down.  Can't you just see how hard he's concentrating?

 



So sorry we didn't get any pics of Girl Twin before the skates came off.  Well, there was one, but it was very blurry.  I do see lots more skating in our future, so there will be plenty of time for more pictures.

Fun in the Kitchen

As I've said before, we do a lot of cooking--it's just easier and arguably less expensive for a family of five.  The downside to cooking dinner most nights is that you will eventually find yourself in a dinner rut.  We are there now.  It's also no secret that I'm not very adventurous with my eating, so I'm probably not doing a very good job of getting my kids to experiment either.  I am trying to work on that, though.  I promise.  I know it will be helpful now that I've made some new food bloggy friends like Amy at Our Everyday Dinners and Debbie at Dining with Debbie to give me some fresh ideas.

Here is a little something that I whipped up one night last week. It was very easy and quick for a school night.  I will call it Pizza Bites, since I don't have a real name for it.  I also don't have a real recipe; it was just something the gals at work were talking about one day.  We discussed a few different variations, but I decided on this one.

I used canned biscuits, flattened out for the crust.  Next I put one slice of pepperoni down, stacked on a slice of a mozzarella cheese stick and topped with another slice of pepperoni.  Then I folded up the dough over the toppings and pinched it together to close.  Last, I gave it a couple of sprays of butter and sprinkled on some Italian seasoning.  They baked in the oven on 400 for about 10 minutes, until they turned a toasty brown.  Served with marinara sauce on the side for dipping.  It was a hit!

Hint:  I was tipped off not to use shredded mozzarella with this recipe. Apparently, the shredded kind will be too thin or cook into the dough.  The cheese stick worked well because 1) I already had some in the fridge and 2) it didn't melt very much, but still tasted good.

Note: I am not a food photographer, which you can probably tell by these pictures. But, hey, I did remember to actually take photos before we ate the dinner!

BLOGtober Fest Challenge

Check in every day next week to see what's going on here.  I'm going to participate in a blogging challenge, issued by my Arkansas Women Bloggers friends.  That means I'll be posting on a new (assigned) topic every day next week.  This should be a real challenge, as finding the time to blog everyday is difficult.  But I am up for the challenge, and I want to do it!  I'll also give links to the other participants so you can see what ideas they have to share.  Happy Fall, Y'all!

It's Twin Tuesday!

*Goofing around the other day. I'm sure someone was just about to stick a finger into the outlet. Because, as you can see, one outlet is not covered.  Again, Mother of the Year.  

Here's a fact:  Boy Twin and Girl Twin have both been testing my patience lately. And my sanity. (The 5-year-old is doing her share, too...but that's for another post). They are always on the move--mostly running--and they are becoming increasingly more demanding. What can be more demanding than two infants simultaneously crying for a bottle and a diaper change, you ask?

Answer: two toddlers constantly saying, "I want a drink, I need a snack, hold me, s/he hit me,...." and so on.  Oh, and they fight--A LOT. Unless there is hair pulling or biting, we usually let them fight it out. In fact, the other night I found myself sitting on the couch yelling, "Push him back!" I know, right now you are thinking about what a great mom I am.

Girl Twin has become a very bossy bird.  When she's really feeling sassy, she calls her brother by his full name before shouting out her demand.  Really, it's quite funny.

Boy Twin has been super dramatic this week.  He's throwing fits and screaming in a very annoying, high-pitched tone.  Need an example?  I opened the fridge to put in his half-empty cup of milk.  As I shut the door, he got really agitated, threw himself onto the floor and cried, "My do it!"  When I finally figured out what he wanted, I had to open the fridge back up just so he could close the door himself!

Ahh, twins.  A pair of two-year-olds.  Some days they make me laugh and some days they make me cry.  But every day I wonder if this will be the day I lose it.

Have I told you lately?

Have I told you lately that.....I will be doing a sweet giveaway for FREE BOOTS from Country Outfitter?  I know it's been a while since I mentioned it here on the blog, but if you've been on Facebook at all over the last month, you have seen a flurry of links to giveaways out there in internet world. 

As you may remember, I got my free pair of boots when I attended the Arkansas Women Bloggers conference at the end of August.  Because Country Outfitter is such a progressive company, in touch with how we communicate in new media, they are also providing the bloggers with a $150 gift card to give away on our own blogs.  

 

No, it's not time for my giveaway. Sorry to be a tease, but I just wanted to show them off to everyone.  And, for all those who keep asking me, you can all get the same answer at once.

 

 

Check out the fantastic boots that I chose.  They are made by Ariat.  I. love. them.

Seriously, I've never owned cowboy boots before, so I didn't know what to expect.  I've worn them several times already, and I swear I'm not lying, they are very comfortable--and pretty!  "These are the tennis shoes of cowboy boots," said Evolved Mommy, when I picked up the boots at the Country Outfitter warehouse.  She was right!  I wore them on my recent trip to Nashville.  Right? I had to wear them to Nashville!  Even hustling through airports, the boots did not slow me down.  And I'm pretty sure I saw people admiring their awesomeness more than once.  Or maybe I had toilet paper hanging out my pants? I'll assume it was the boots. 

As you can see, even Big Sis and Fergie approve.  I'm sure the next pair I get will have to be in Mini Me's size 10 1/2.  Keep watching here for info on the big giveaway.  Hint:  it will be the perfect time to score a great Christmas gift for yourself or someone on your list.  I won't let you miss it!!

It's Twin Tuesday!

As I've been watching the kids lately, it's made me do a lot of thinking.  I mainly think about how different life is now compared to when they were babies.  People ask me all the time, "Is it getting easier?" My reply is always the same: "Not really easier, but just a different hard."  That probably sounds silly to most people, but it's the best way to explain our crazy life.  Hard is trying to simultaneously bottle feed two babies who can't sit up.  Hard is traveling alone with a toddler who needs to go potty, while also having to haul two infant carriers into the stall because you can't leave them in the car.  Hard is going through 2,400 diapers in six months.  Hard is paying for all those diapers and bottles.

Having gone from one child to three, I often stop to wonder what is really most overwhelming to me---having two kids the same age, or just having three kids, period.  Is everyone who has three kids this tired, or this busy or this stressed out?  Or am I just a wimp?  I used to have a clean house, we never left dirty dishes in the sink and always had time to watch TV at night.  Now, I'm lucky to even sit down between coming home from work and falling into bed way too late.  I'd be embarrassed for any guests to come over and see my messy house, if I wasn't too tired to care.  Any free time I have is spent playing outside, taking the kids for walks and reading lots of board books.  Is it easier?  No, it's just different.

Really, I'm different.  I know the short few hours I spend with the kids at night are so special.  I know that, even when they are being brats, they love me and they sure don't care if the dishes are washed.  And I'm OK with that.  The people in my office totally know what's up when I wear a dress three days in a row because that's all the clean clothes I have.  I know that there is sometimes work that I need to bring home from the office; but I also know that sometimes I just need to leave work at work and focus on being mommy at home.  At the end of the day, the diaper changing, butt wiping and breaking up fights is my number-one job.  It may not pay me with money, but I have a bank full of love.

Oh, and I'm glad that Lee hasn't gotten his fill of crazy and headed for the hills. Not yet, anyway.