Show Us Your Life - Clothes Shopping!

Don't forget to enter my Thirty-One giveaway! 

I'm linking up with Kelly's blog today to share where I get clothes for my kids - and get some good ideas about where I should be shopping!

I love dressing my kids - but I don't like to spend a lot of money doing it!  I LOVE Carter's clothes - I think that they're made well and they look cute, and they don't shrink in the wash or have a weird fit.  I used to think that going to the Carter's Outlet was a good way to save money - and then a store opened near us and I realized that the Outlet wasn't really that much less than buying here!  I get a coupon every time I walk in the store, and get a lot in the mail.  Sometimes it's better for me to ignore the coupons because I will spend money I don't need to spend!

I've never really been into longalls or smocked anything for boys, and I don't think Brian would let me dress them in those if I was! I really like Target's clothing section for kids clothes, especially shirts for the boys and pants and shorts for all of them (try not to be surprised by this). I usually scout out the things I like and then wait for them to go on clearance. Wyatt has a lot of Billabong and Volcom clothes, but those were purchased from local surf shops by my mom.  I love the way the clothes look on him (and he looks a lot like his Dad)!

I love Gymboree's clothes for all of them, but I don't ever, ever, ever pay full price for them.  Okay, that's a lie.  I totally do for their Christmas clothes.

Ha!  Why was this the only picture of her complete outfit from last Christmas (minus the slippers that were a present that she wanted on immediately)!

I LOVED this little dress and I'm so happy that she can wear it this year with black leggings!  Gymboree just came out with this year's holiday line though, and it is just not my style!  I'm cruising Etsy and Zulily now looking for cute things for Reese to wear for Christmas!  I'm also on the hunt for a cute shirt for Hudson's first birthday!  I love this one!

Source: etsy.com via Brittney on Pinterest

And I'm not going to lie, I totally think something like this would be adorable for Reese to wear to her baby brother's birthday party, too)!

Source: None via Brittney on Pinterest

Thirty-One Giveaway!

I am so excited to finally be giving away a Thirty-One Thermal Tote!  I became a Thirty-One consultant in June, and it is so rewarding and fun - and the bags are amazing.  I basically want everything in the catalog (and I'm slowly building my collection).

My thermal tote went everywhere with me this summer - the park, swimming lessons, my mom's house, and the beach!

(Back)

 It held enough food and drinks for the big kids, and I was able to keep my snacks in there too!

 (Front)

And the good news is that I'm GIVING ONE AWAY!

Do you want your own Thirty-One thermal tote?  Entering is super easy!  Here's how to do it (The first entry is mandatory, and the rest are all "bonuses"):

1. Become a public follower of my blog
2. Go to my Thirty-One site and check out the thermal totes and leave a comment saying which pattern you like best.
3. Like my page on Facebook.
4. Blog or tweet about this giveaway!

Just leave me one comment with your total number of entries!  I will announce a winner on Monday, October 4th!  Good luck, y'all!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I thought I would jump on the "What I'm Loving Wednesday" bandwaggon and share all the things that I am loving this week!

I am so in love with this candle!  It just smells like fall to me, and I am ready to take the kids to the pumpkin patch and get the house decorated for Halloween!

I am in love with  this color (Sherwin William' Quietude) on my bedroom walls!  The painter came last Wednesday and painted three rooms in one day - and this is by far my favorite. My room feels cozy and cottage-y and it is fabulous!

 This bag is amazing!  On Saturday my mom watched the kids so Brian and I could have a whole day together for our fifth anniversary, and I was so excited not to have a diaper bag.  This bag held everything I needed, including candy for the movies!

My Erin Condren Life Planner!  I ordered mine a few months ago (I put my order in the day her systems were hacked - augh), and it is amazing!  I realized when I was putting all my dates for October in that something was "off," and then I realized it was because I had an October 2012 calender where the 2011 one belonged.  I emailed the company and they overnighted me a new calender to insert. 

And finally, my Thirty-One Thermal Tote is on my love list!  It keeps everything cool, and is so perfect for picnics and toting snacks and drinks places. Especially if it's my snack or drink week at baseball or soccer!  If you're thinking that a thermal tote looks pretty cool, well, you're totally right!  And you should definitely check back tomorrow (hint, hint) to find out how you could WIN one!

How Things Change!

Last Sunday we took the kids to a birthday party, and then went over to Pete and Shannon's to watch football and have some pizza. I know I've said this before, but 5 years ago it would have just been the six adults - Pete, Shannon, Dave, Steph, Brian, and me.  In the last 5 years, 6 more people have been added to the mix - 6 little people!  Who have lots of toys.  And make lots of messes.  But they have a great time playing together.

Reese's "After Party" Pictures

After Reese's birthday party we went over to Mimi and Baba's house to spend time with Allison and Colin and Piper...and we took a lot of pictures! 

This little guy had a lot of fun!

 He really liked crawling around in the grass!

 I am kind of in love with this little face!

 Colin lost a tooth!

 The girls were silly!

 We practiced petting Tiki.

 Cousin love!

pinnable me: Hudson's First Birthday Inspiration

I'm linking up with Stefanie's blog for Pinnable Me Friday again today!  I am so excited to start planning my little guy's first birthday party.  The idea and theme of the party has been floating around in my head for a few months, but I finally ran the idea for the party by Brian last night and he loved it.  For Wyatt's first birthday party we had a baseball party, and we had a game on in the background (you know, for the grown ups).  For Hudson's birthday party we're going to have Football themed party and we'll have the party on a Sunday afternoon while the games are on!  For his party I'm striving for a more "home made" party, and I think that these idea are fantastic!

This ticket invitation is really fun and cute!  I like the idea of having a brown and green party!

Source: peartreegreetings.com via Brittney on Pinterest

This shirt is absolutely adorable!

Source: etsy.com via Brittney on Pinterest

This cake would be a really great smash cake for Mr. H.

Source: cutiepiecakes.net via Brittney on Pinterest

This little touch is a really fun idea.  We aren't Packers fans (well, Brian isn't.  Wyatt is actually shaping up to be a Packers fan in his own right), but the idea is still cute!  I think Brian would prefer if I used orange as coordinating color because he's a Dolphins fan!

Source: amandaparkerandfamily.blogspot.com via Brittney on Pinterest

Having a football themed party makes the foods pretty easy!  Dips, pigs in a blanket, meatballs - sounds yummy.  Brian is a seven layer dip afficianado - he likes to make it and "decorate" it for the holidays.  Usually he just spells out something with the tomatoes - like "Noel" on Christmas.  This might be challenge for him!

Source: google.com via Brittney on Pinterest

I think something like this would be a great way to show off Hudson's monthly pictures - what a fun way to see how much he's grown in the last year!  And pretty simple to make if I find a cheap frame at the thrift store!

Source: flickr.com via Brittney on Pinterest

I was also thinking about inviting Coach Taylor to fully incorporate the theme!  Side note:  How awesome is it that he won the Emmy on Sunday?  As someone who has watched Friday Night Lights since the day it aired, I was so happy that he was finally nominated and won! 

Source: igossip.com via Brittney on Pinterest

And since I'm such a big fan - I should probably get this to wear to the party (and yes, Panthers because I never loved East Dillion the way I loved the Dillon Panthers!)

Source: skreened.com via Brittney on Pinterest

I am so excited about planning this party!  Now I just have to actually get things done!

(It's Been Really Random Lately, but) Weekly iPurge

The last week has been CRAZY!  Between school and sports and activities we are always busy.  And now that Brian is home on the weekends we've been trying to make up for all the time he was gone during the summer!  I was on such a blogging roll through July and August, and I want to get back on track.  I have a few posts coming down the pike and one REALLY fun one, so stay tuned.  This should serve as a pretty good catch up!

 Hudson trying to steal the camera from Daddy at Mimi and Baba's house (a separate post)!

 This little guy is creeping everywhere!  I don't know if you can tell, but he has his first shiner.  He was creeping and he grabbed my sunglasses off the entertainment center.  When I went to get them, he fell down on them and poked his cheek, just below his eye.  Poor guy was more scared than anything, and I was too!

 I don't know why I was so proud of this, but I LOVED how nicely these grilled cheeses "grilled."  Wyatt's sandwich is just a grilled cheese (so picky), but Hudson and Reese had a "grilled monte cristo." I got the idea from an Abs Diet cook book years ago.  It has Raspberry jam, ham and colby cheese and it's so good!  I used to be obsessed with Bennigan's Monte Cristo sandwiches back in the day (before I had kids and had the metabolism of a 20 year old).  I was also kind of in love with my Pumpkin Spice candle.

 This is "Hudson's path of destruction."  He literally goes through the playroom and throws everything that he can on the floor.

 Reese had her first soccer game this week. She is one of the kids that won't run onto the field when she's called and has no interest in playing.  But that's another blog post!  I love her shirt!

 We had a patch of fall weather last weekend, it was so chilly that I had to take out the fall and winter clothes!  We took the big kids to see The Lion King (not in 3D) on Saturday.  They love the movie anyway, and they did a great job at the movie theater!

 Reese didn't want to stand in front of the sign, she wanted to sit so we still see Baby Simba and the silly monkey.

Excuse the mess in the background, but the painters came yesterday to paint the living room/foyer/playroom, our room, and Wyatt's room.  It was a little crazy in the house, and Wyatt decided to distract himself by watching a Foo Fighters' concert and being Dave Grohl.  He took my curtains off the rod and found the Guitar Hero guitar (that hasn't been used in 4 years) to complete his transformation.  I think the painters were happy to get a break from the cartoons that were on!

And now I'm off because we DVR'd about 5 hours of TV last night and the only thing we made it through was Modern Family.  We still need to watch Survivor and The X Factor, but Grey's Anatomy premieres tonight, and seriously, I can't put that off.  I'm kind of obsessed.  Unless Patrick Dempsey leaves this year and then I'm just done!

Reese's Birthday Party Links!

So I got most of my ideas for Reese's birthday party from Pinterest.  There were so many great ideas that I would have used if I'd had the party here, but there was no reason to go completely crazy since we weren't having the party at home!

I did use a few of the ideas, though, so I thought I would share the links!

Source: ericasweettooth.com via Brittney on Pinterest

I made these cupcakes for the party!  I used a recipe that I found here, and then just used store bought frosting and obviously, some oreos.  I think adding a pink ribbon would be cute, but I found pink cupcake liners at Wal Mart and used those to "Minnie-fy" the cupcakes!

Source: etsy.com via Brittney on Pinterest

I thought this invitation was precious, so I ordered it in pink!  It was so easy, too!  She created it and then emailed me the file so that I could have it printed (or print it myself).  Super cute!

Source: kateparkerweddings.com via Brittney on Pinterest

I used this "idea" for favors, and then went in a little bit of a different direction.  I used the clear cello bags and then filled them up with small paints, granola bars, fruit snacks and silly bands.  To be honest - I hate party favors.  They're always full of little choking hazards and junk.  I usually sneak them away and throw the stuff out before the kids get attached to a bouncy ball or something.  Can't all moms just make a pact to stop giving stuff out?!

Source: etsy.com via Brittney on Pinterest

 

And last but not least, her shirt.  I just absolutely LOVE it!  It looks great on her, and it came really quickly! 

 

I am really looking forward to planning Hudson's birthday party!  I think that I know what the theme is, but I guess I need to run it by Daddy (although I doubt that he'll have a problem with it)!

First Fall Ball Game!..and Soccer, Too!

My little slugger had his first Fall Ball game on Saturday morning.  He was so excited to get to the game - which was good because he had to be there for pictures at 8:30!

 He was really excited to try out his new bat!

 He also got to pitch this game!  Here is "pitching" the ball.  Except, he doesn't throw a ball.  I think he's been channeling CC Sabbathia!

 He had a lot of fun, and definitely played hard the entire game.  And then he had to go to soccer!

I forgot the camera for soccer!  Bad Mommy!  Wyatt got there after the game started and only played three quarters - and scored 9 goals!  I had two people stop me on the way to the field (the younger kids and I got there late because we had to drop Reese's birthday party supplies off at TLG) to tell me that my son was a great soccer player.  That's a little crazy for a four year old! 

We have another baseball game this week, and we have the week off from soccer (a little break, yes)!  He really just has so much fun playing all these sports, but he definitely can not go on like this forever!

Reese's Third Birthday Party!

We finally had Reese's birthday party on Sunday!  It was initially scheduled for August 29th - but then I rescheduled because we weren't completely sure what Hurricane Irene was doing.  When I rescheduled it (before the storm, and before they decided to cancel all parties that weekend) the next available date was September11th.  While not the ideal date for a party, I also didn't want to wait until the end of September to schedule her August birthday! I'm glad that I was the first to call - otherwise I know her party would have been later!

 Do you get birthday anxiety?  I absolutely do. When we have parties at our house, I spend the whole week cleaning, and then something inevitably happens the day of the party.  Wyatt's first and second birthday parties were both on rainy days, so we had a bunch of little kids stuck inside.  Reese's first birthday party was on a beautiful day, but had the worst ant attack EVER in our kitchen that morning.  Those situations just turn me into a ball of stress, and I hate being like that on their birthdays!  So this year we had Wyatt's party at the zoo, and Reese's party at the Little Gym.  It's so nice not to have to worry about everything leading up to the party - I just had to show up (and make cupcakes and hang out on Etsy and Pinterest). Hudson will still have a nice, small family birthday party at home, though!

 Everyone that was at her party came to give her a High 5.  Including her baby brother.  Not including her big brother, who was too busy hanging on the bars to come over and participate.

 Hudson had fun crawling (when it was safe), shaking maracas, and hanging out!

 Girls and their bubbles!  Reese, Mady, Natalie and Ryan loved these!

 The group shot.  Reese wanted to lay down in front of all of her friends.  Colin did a great job holding his little cousin!

After they played in the gym for an hour and did LOTS of activities, we moved into the party room for pizza and cupcakes.  I meant to get Minnie Mouse tablecoths, but it completely slipped my mind until we were at Wyatt's baseball game at 10:30 on Saturday.  Which is also when I realized that I needed to get everything that I did buy to The Little Gym by noon!

 I love the way Natalie, Reese and Gavin are looking at that cupcake!

Trying to blow out her candle.  Right after this she actually reached out to try to touch the flame - yikes!

I'll do a link up later with the info about her invites, her shirt and the cupcakes!  We had such a good time!  Brian was pretty far out of the loop on the specifics of her party - he knew where it was and when it was and that it was Minnie Mouse.  He can't stand being so detached, but with everything at work he was just too busy.  I was so happy when we were in the car after the party and he said that everything went well and he was really happy with how it all turned out!  I love to take some stress off of him (and me) - and this party was just fabulous!