Kitchen Happiness via shelf liners and Martha Stewart

So now that we have decided to hurry up and get this house "on the market" ready, it makes me a little sad. And angry.

Because why, Andrea, why have we waited so long to get our home looking all pretty?

While Anth has been working on a long list of "to do's", I have been in charge of the inside. Which means I have been spending useless time doing things such as lining shelves and putting holes in our walls.

But I like to think someone will appreciate it down the road.

These are a couple of things in the kitchen that have been making me super happy these days. Because, you know, I am adult and things like shelf liners make me happy.

We don't have a huge pantry in our kitchen, just a small one built into our cabinets. I came across this shelf liner on Amazon (they also sell it at Marshalls/TJ Maxx) and I immediately fell in love.

This was also my idea of an exciting Saturday morning.

Cute, right?!

I though I would completely hate the process, but it was super easy and super fast.

Now it makes me happy when I open this puppy 78 times a day because I have no control in the snack department.

Thanks to Jen I saw that Martha Stewart came out with a line of wall organizers. Because I am obsessed with both Staples and Martha, I knew I had to have it. We had a dry erase wall calendar on this wall before, but I knew I needed something more. I love paying my bills the good old fashioned way....by mail. Don't ask me why, my mom loved doing it and so do I. I am also too cheap to pay the $5.00 fee that comes along with all of our payments. 

So this was the perfect solution! It is totally customizable as far as what you can do with it. Each "square" is separate so you can create your own little board as big or as small as you want it. 

I am so in love. 

I plan on covering the cork with pretty fabric sometime soon, which probably means I will get round to it sometime next year.

Just a few cute updates that my husband totally doesn't care about, but make me so very happy. 

My Oldest | Dear Quinn

Dear Quinn,

Oh my.

I cannot explain how much I have enjoyed you since your sister arrived. The fears of being able to handle two kids at home are long gone. You make life so easy for your mama. And you will never know how grateful I am for that!

While I can see the sassy 3's coming, you are SUCH A GOOD KID. I don't know what I did in life to deserve you, but I am so glad you are mine. 

And since you've become a big sister? Well, my love for you, my little nugget, has grown in ways I never thought were possible. You are quite simply the best big sister to Harper. You have never once been resentful, destructive or a pain to her. You have showed her nothing but love and kisses since the day she came along.

You are my mommy's little helper and best friend. We fight, because we are both stubborn, but we love even harder. My goodness, being a mother to you is such a joy. Even the "bad" parts. 

I love you so much little stinker. Even thought I tell you that 7,928 times a day, you will never quite understand it, I guess until you become a mama yourself. (TEARS!)

But a good mama you will be, that is for sure.

Love,

Mommy

My Perfect Mother's Day

No presents, no flowers, and I secretly loved every second. Just don't tell my husband that :)

Being that I am not returning to work anytime in the immediate future, I am a bit more strict with money that my adorable husband. Why? Because he loves to spoil.

Lucky girl problems, right?

I got greeted by my oldest nugget showing me all of the cards her and daddy bought for me. To which she only showed me the drawings she had made and when I asked to read them, she replied "That's ok there aren't any words."

Smarty.

I spent the day relaxing on the couch, Dunkin Donuts, and having my hubby hang and fix various things around the house. It was heavenly.

We had plans to have a picnic at a nearby park, but it was insanely windy and didn't want to take Harper out to be miserable and trying to eat a cute meal as all of our food blew away.

Anth grilled us some amazing steaks to go along with our mashed potatoes and corn on the cob and then we attempted to take as many pictures as we could.

When it was all over? I realized I didn't get any pictures of just me and the girls. I know. Story of my life.

It was a great day filled with lots of hugs because "Mommy, is it still Mother's Day?" obviously means she wasn't allowed to say no to me!

MINE.

You would have thought it was Father's Day!

I did realize I didn't get any pictures of me and the girls, so Anth quickly took about 30 in 10 seconds. Later to realize that there was no memory card in the camera. 

On another note, I am also the unluckiest person on this planet. 

Hope all of the mamas out there had an amazing Mother's Day filled with lots of hugs and kisses! 

Linking up with Toddle Alone Tuesday!

My Baby Must Haves | Baby no.2 Edition

1// Halo Sleep Sack 2//Petunia Picklbottom Abundance Boxy Backpack

3//Aiden and Anais Blankets 4// Moby 5// Little Lamb Swing

6//Boppy 7// Baby Bjorn 8// Tommee Tippee Travel Bottle Warmer

I know a lot of people have these lists and most of the same things are always on them, but these are my MUST HAVES. And by must haves, I mean on any given day that I do not have one of these, I will cry.

I like to make my life as easy as possible. Hence a bouncy chair on every level of my house. Also? I forgot to include bouncy chair.

1. The Halo sleep sack. The holy grail of baby sleepy gear. I love these things. I love them because they are sleeveless. We have a ton of sleep sacks with the long fleece arms and they are a pain in the ass to get little pajama arms to not get all bunched up. 

2. Ok. I was one of those mamas who swore I would never have a backpack for a diaper bag. Or a minivan. Now I want both. But seriously, this bag has been a LIFESAVER. The first time I took the girls out by myself I still had this diaper bag. It was great for one child. No one mentioned how badly you would need both hands when trying to get 2 kids, a double stroller, a bag and everything else together when you have a diaper bag hanging on your hip or shoulder getting in your ever god loving way. Two of my besties have these and swear by them and OH.MY.GOSH. I waited too long. Ordered the biggest one I could find.

3. These blankets are soft and amazing. Enough said about that.

4. This thing has saved my life. When Anthony and my mom both went back to work leaving me all alone with 2 babies (I know, right?!) I was petrified about how I was going to get both girls dressed and ready and downstairs by myself. I don't know why it scared me so much, but it did. And this? Made my life so much easier. I use it daily and Harper LOVES it. 

5. Harper takes her morning nap in this. And lots of other naps too. Loves it just as much as her sister does. 

6. The Boppy. Oh the Boppy. What can this thing not do? Makes feeding the nugget a breeze, she loves to sit in it and you may occasionally find me snuggling with it. Ok, all the time. Every night. 

7. Same as the Moby, but much easier and faster if I am out and about. Usually if I go somewhere with no shopping carts or small ones (i.e.: TJ Maxx, Marshall's) I will just throw Harper in there and Quinn just tags along next to me. 

8. I never had this with Quinn, but it definitely would have made my life a hell of a lot easier. It's basically a thermos with a big cup attached to it and you put hot water in the thermos and whenever I need to warm up a bottle you just pour the hot water into the big cut and the bottle fits perfectly inside. Literally takes me 2 minutes to get a bottle ready. 

Anyone else have similar baby must haves? Or am I the only one that needs every baby item in Babies R Us?

Also, check out Tessa's list of baby must haves!

Baby Memories

If only I was able to keep them this little:

Ugh. That makes my heart hurt. Even if Harper is only 2 1/2 months old!

When Quinn was born I threw her hospital shirt and hat into a shadowbox with promises to make it pretty. Almost 3 years later after her sister came along, I finally got to it. 

#highfive

This is what lived in our bedroom when Quinn was our only little stinker. 

I know. Fancy, right?

Well, one purchase of fabric later, I transformed this and a matching one for Harper. And I added some cute little additions, like their hospital bracelets and footprints.

I AM IN LOVE.

I love love love it and I stare at it all the time. Especially Quinn's because I simply cannot believe that she once fit into that tiny little shirt. 

Once I had finished Harper's I couldn't wait to get done with Quinny's. 

And here they are all up on our wall. I know they aren't perfect, but they are a bitch to undo in the back, so that's how they will stay! 

The shadowboxes are from Michaels and both were purchased with a 40% off coupon. The fabric is from Spoonflower and only required one yard for both. 

Now both my girls little-ness is captured forever in that little box :) Hope they still have this fabric by the time #3 comes! Which will not be for quite some time :)

Wordless Wednesday | My Blue Eyed Baby

Never thought you'd hear a brown hair/brown eyed Peruvian girl say those words did you?

Me neither.

I know they'll probably change, but for now I am enjoying my blue eyed little beauty. With her skin as albino as her fathers.

Sorry about that boob shot. But hey, might as well document them while they exist, amiright?

My little squishy. Love you more than words.

Five Tips for a Stress Free Family Vacation!

From our Disney trip last year!

We love to travel. Love it. Sure we don't travel that much, well, because it costs money. And we all know that doesn't grow on trees. Kendra recently reached out to me about sharing her tips for having a stress free family vacation. She is a mother of 3, and a former Orbitz employee with lots of experience in this department. (I am also a little jealous of all the traveling she's done!) Here are her 5 tips! Enjoy!

Five Tips for a Stress Free Family Vacation

Summer is the perfect time for a family vacation. After juggling everyone's schedules during the busy school year, every mom needs the chance to get away from reality and the daily grind to spend quality time with her family. But no matter how much you're looking forward to this getaway, at least a small part of you is probably stressing about it too. Vacations can be a lot of work for mom, especially when the kids are grumpy from jet lag or that long car ride. But no need to worry any longer! Just follow these five tips and you'll soon be on your way to a vacation that's enjoyable for the whole family.

Make a List

Packing can be very stressful when you're trying to remember what everyone needs. As soon as you plan your trip, start a list of items you need to pack. This will help prevent a trip to the local Walmart to buy something you meant to bring from home. If you have the space, place your suitcase in the corner where you can access it easily. As you think of items to take that you don't need at home, such as sunscreen and bathing suits, you can toss them in the bag so they're all ready to go.  If you have a smartphone, apps like Packing Pro can come in handy to ensure you don’t leave anything behind you’ll need later.

Plan, plan, plan!

The first step to a successful vacation is planning. The best place to start your planning is online. Want a hotel with a pool, continental breakfast, and free wifi? Travel websites make it easy to find the perfect hotel to meet your family's needs. Reading other traveler's reviews can help prevent disappointment upon arrival. When my family traveled to Hawaii together, we were able to find a great family friendly resort just by reading some real reviews of Honolulu’s top hotels.  Research the local tourist spots and make a plan for what you will do each day. This will keep your family from wasting time wondering "What should we do now?" or leaving without visiting something you really wanted to see. Many restaurants have menus online, so you can select restaurants that will satisfy your kids' picky taste buds.

However, you also don't want to over plan. It takes the fun out of vacation if everyone feels as though you're rushing around on a tight schedule. Allow yourself time to enjoy the local treasures you won't discover until you're actually there. You shouldn't be afraid to deviate from your plans if your family finds something different they'd rather experience.

Prepare Your Electronic Devices

Traveling with children has never been easier since the invention of the iPad, tablets, and portable dvd players. Load your device with videos and apps that will easily entertain your child for hours. On long car rides I give each of my children their turn with the tablet to watch their favorite show or movie – this decreases the disagreements about what will be shown next.  It's also best to select a mixture of old favorites as well as new games that will hold their attention for longer. Don't forget to bring headphones, batteries and chargers! 

Stick to Your Schedule

When you're trying to see everything in a limited amount of time, it's tempting to skip nap time and keep on sight seeing. Do not deviate from your child's normal schedule any more than is absolutely necessary. Travelling and sleeping in an unfamiliar bed is a big disruption already. You will lose more time and fun due to a grumpy, tired child than you will taking a short break.  If you’re changing time zones, try adjusting their sleep schedule in the few weeks leading up to the trip.  When you arrive, it is crucial to get them on their new schedule as fast as possible.  Although this may result in some grumpy attitudes for the first day or so, it is much better than having your 5 year old wide awake in the middle of the night.

Grown Up Time

Sure you're going on a family vacation, but that doesn't mean that mom and dad shouldn't have fun too. Consider trading off - one day dad takes the kids fishing while mom visits the local spa. The next day mom takes the kids shopping while dad plays a round of golf. You can also hire a babysitter to watch the kids so mom and dad can enjoy a much needed date night.

The key to making your family vacation unforgettable is planning. Follow these five tips so that your trip will be enjoyable and hassle free!

Thanks so much, Kendra for sharing!