Giveaway: CitySlips

This giveaway is CLOSED.
Congrats to Rachel!

I swear...I normally would tell you I never win anything...

but it seems like I've been winning a bunch of these blog giveaway things lately!

I recently won a pair of CitySlips from another blog, and after contacting the company, they are graciously offering one of you a pair too!

CitySlips is a really cool idea.



Basically, a pair of super cute ballet flats that fold in half.

Why?

Because that way, you can carry them in their matching pouch in your purse or diaper bag...
...still wear your uber fab stillettos...

...and when your toes (inevitably) throb after a few hours, you can pull out your CitySlips, unzip the pouch to become a full size tote...


...pop your fab heels in the tote and keep right on going with your day in comfort!



I wore my CitySlips today, and they are SUPER comfy. And did I mention they are cute too?

I was worried that they would be flimsy (nope), that the folding sole would bug me (nope), or that the design of the rubber bottoms would feel weird (nope).

The only "thing" is that I should have ordered the size small...the sizing is Small: 5-6; Medium: 7-8; Large: 9-10. I wear a size 6.5/7, so I got the Medium...they're not huge or anything, just a note if you fall in between the size range go with the smaller end. FYI.

(Oh, and in case you were wondering, I got the gold ones.)

These would make GREAT bridesmaids gifts after a long night of dancing, perfect for leaving in the trunk for mamas on the go, or a place of refuge whenever your other shoes make you want to cry Uncle!



As usual, you have 5 ways to win:

1) Visit CitySlips and leave a comment telling me which color you would get if you win.
2) Follow me on Twitter.
3) Blog about this giveaway.
4) Facebook about this giveaway.
5) Tweet about this giveaway.

I will pick a winner first thing Friday, March 5th.

Good Luck!

Friday Favorites: KitchenAid Stand Mixer

I will admit that when someone tells me that they don't already own one of these things...

...I am shocked...and a bit appalled.

I mean, how can you *not* have a stand mixer???

How do you make it through LIFE????

You might think I'm being dramatic, but...um, I'm pretty serious.

"But Jeannett, my little handheld mixer works just fine..."

Sure it does honey.

Look, I can't exactly explain the amazingness of being able to WALK AWAY from your mixing job...

...or how *awesome* it is to be able to keep spooning ingredients in without having to set that silly hand mixer down....

...or how *efficient* it is to not have to turn it off and on and not spray brownie batter all over your cupboards because you forgot to wait for it to stop spinning before pulling it out of the bowl...oh wait, maybe that's just me...

The best way I can describe it for you is this:

For the better part of my life I lived in houses that did NOT have master bedrooms.

I never understood the fascination...I mean, really...how hard is it to walk 8 feet down a hallway to a bathroom, right?

UNTIL...we moved into an apartment that HAD a master bedroom.

And then...I understood.

You can certainly go your whole life without ever having a master bedroom and be perfectly fine.

You can certainly go your whole life without having a dishwasher too.

BUT WHY WOULD YOU????

Once you experience the convenience...it'd be mighty hard to go back.

And so it is with a stand mixer.

I still have a little handheld that I hold onto for some reason. But honestly, it has a layer of dust on it. I'm not even sure I know where both of the little whisk doo-hickies are.

As a side note, if you have a stand mixer already...do yourself a favor and get a second bowl and a second mixing blade. SO nice to not have to wash it all up when you are making more than one thing.

For Christmas, Andy got me this:


Rad. He knows the way to my heart.

Kitchen supplies.

I love my mixer. She makes me happy. (While I love my black one, I secretly covet this one. It has a GLASS bowl, people! How cool is that???!!!) Every once in a while I will look over at her sitting in the corner and think: "hmmm, it's been a couple of weeks since I used you...you look lonely...I should make something..."

Again, not kidding.

Clearly I have issues.

I'm good with it.

Do you have a mixer? What color is it?
Do you have a love affair with it like I do?


Lastly, the winner of the Figgy & Wink Giveaway is:

Lesli!!!!


Happy Friday!!!!

I Don't Know About the Rest of You...

...but mama needs her quiet time.

Every morning, I crawl out of bed at 6:00 a.m.

It's so much cozier in my warm bed, but I know that if I don't steal away now...I will not have another opportunity at quiet, uninterrupted time.

So, I wrap myself in my fluffy white robe...

...stuff my toes into my minky slippers...



...and pour myself a piping hot cup of coffee.

The house is dark.

Quiet.

Still.

You can hear the clock ticking.

But nothing else.

My cup warm between my palms.

Husband. Babies. Toddler. Dogs.

All in bed.

I wiggle the mouse and the computer screen comes to life....

...I squint, until my eyes adjust...

...and I check my email...read through my blog roll...check the Yahoo! news page...

...and savor.

The quiet, dark, still house.

The sun starts to come up...and rustling can be heard in the rooms.

Husband is getting into the shower...

...babies are stirring...

..."Mama, I'm awake!"...

The day, whether I like it or not, it about to begin.

And it won't be for another 23 hours that it will be this quiet and dark and still again.

The next 23 hours will be filled with diaper changes, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, nursing, crying, arguing, cajoling, negotiating, begging, pleading, laughing, playing, train track assembling, tickling craziness.

But no matter how tired I am...I find a way to crawl out of bed before the rest...

...because if I don't...

...I *feel* it.


(buy this print here)


What do you need to do to find your center?


(P.S. Notice how Bible time is glaringly missing? Working on it. Promise.)


(And don't forget, today is the last day to enter the Figgy & Wink Giveaway!!!)

Wishing Wednesday

Shey B Camera Strap Cover in Valentino

I am seriously in *love* with this camera strap cover...the only problem is that it does me no good...unless I have one of these...
Canon Rebel T1i


...and while snapping fabulous pictures with a fabulous camera hung around my neck by a fabulous camera strap, I would tote my laptop around in this...

Gussy Laptop Bag in Yellow and Damask

While wearing these fabulously high and turqouise shoes...Piperlime

...and then fall into this fabulously comfy bed at the end of my otherwise fabulous day.



Farmhouse Canopy Bed


It's unfortunate that I'm not rich.

What caught YOUR eye this week?

The Widening Gap

Oh, Lu Lu Belle...how you make me laugh...


...and how you terrify me with your craziness.

Lucy is on a developmental rampage.

She is crawling. Everywhere. It's still more of an army crawl, but she is FAST. And busy.


It's been interesting to see the relationship between her and Henry...since she's getting into his toys, messing up his perfectly lined up race cars, and otherwise giving him a run for his money. (For the record, "mine" is a bad word in our house. "Henry...you don't say MINE...it is the FAMILY'S toy...")

Lucy can also add her first...and I think her second...word to her list of achievements..."mama", I am happy to report, was her first. So far it's cute, but I'll let you know when it's not. I'm sure it won't be long. And, she's used "dada" a few times...specifically to her daddy. :)

If you hold her hands while she is standing...she tries to WALK. As in, she begins taking deliberate steps towards whatever item she has her sights on. She can't balance to save her life, but the fact that she knows how to move her chubby legs in a forward motion baffles me.

Oh, and she can sit unassisted too.

...and one of bottom teeth is poking through. Let the record show that this last development sends chills down my spine like no horror movie ever could. I see yelping and tears in my future.

In case you forgot, the girl is 7 months old. Seven.

***

The thing about Lucy's rapid development is that it widens the gap between her and Jill.

Sure, I could tell that Jill was behind before...but the average person couldn't, and I was her mom and hyper-aware of every movement.

Beforehand, babies...even those on track...don't do much. They just kinda lay there for the most part.

Now though...as Lucy scoots around like a maniac...my heart sinks as I see Jill still laying there quietly on a blanket. Barely even able to coordinate her movement enough to grab a rattle sitting next to her.


Don't get me wrong...Jill is progressing. Every. single. week. we see improvement. She is getting stronger and can do things a little better every week.

THIS IS GOOD.

But while Jill is moving forward...she is so. far. behind. It's *really* obvious now.

It's not just that she can't sit up yet...it's that she is nowhere NEAR ready to sit up yet.

Asking the therapist: "Do you think Jill will be able to sit up unassisted by her first birthday?"

"Um...let's make that our goal okay?!"

Not the answer I wanted.

VERY strange to think that my daughter may not be able to sit up at her first birthday party.

Particularly when her twin is likely to be running around like a banshee.

The conundrum for a mom is this:

As Lucy hits milestones, I find my reaction to be one of a sinking pit in my stomach...not the joyous celebration, hooping and hollering I did when Henry did these things.


Rather than being ecstatic for Lucy, I grieve for Jill.

And that's grossly unfair...to both of them.

I know that Lu is on the high end of the spectrum, Jill on the low. Put together, it's a big difference.

I just have to remember to celebrate each of the girls' development separately. Make it a conscious decision to not compare. (Easier said than done, no?)

Hoop and holler for each girl individually...and not as a unit.

Love my children for who they are.

Henry as Henry.



Lucy as Lucy.


Jill as Jill.

(Don't you just love Jill's bedhead?!)

Different but precious.

Made in His image.

Loved like no other.

Lucky, Lucky & A Bloggy Favor...

The girls have graduated to their big girl carseats now. I used the infant carriers up until this weekend, and while it was nice to be able to snap them right into the stroller (snap n go), I was constantly pulling something in my back trying to lift increasingly heavy baby and seat into and out of the car.

Today we went to Costco (Lu and Henry in the cart w/ Jill in the Ergo)...and when I got home and opened the car door, I couldn't resist but to run inside, grab my camera and share with you all how *stinking lucky* I am.

THIS is the beautiful view I have:



Six, big beautiful blue eyes and three grins...makes me feel like a rock star.
(ok...so Henry is doing the fake "CHEESE" smile, but I'll take what I can get...)

As for the favor...our dear friend Jon has gone off to Dartmouth University to get his MBA (clearly he is smarter than I can ever hope to be)...and is doing a project which requires the taking of a survey regarding Ocean Spray products. Obviously, the mommies reading my blog are the perfect audience...soooooo...if you wouldn't mind, would you please take a quick minute to do the survey and help Jon out??? (And really, it seriously took me like 30 seconds...it's short...)

Thanks everyone!

Giveaway: Figgy & Wink Wall Decals

This Giveaway is CLOSED.

CONGRATS TO LESLI!!!!

Remember the gorgeous wall decals in the girls' nursery?



I ordered them from Figgy & Wink. They were great, super easy to work with, and even willing to customize the decals for me a little.

I am *regularly* asked "Wow! Did you paint those names on???"

That's how good these decals look. They aren't all glossy and cheesy looking.

I'm dying...dying...to order this decal for Henry's room...

And guess what???

Figgy & Wink want to give you a decal too! They are offering these darling jelly fish in Lime.

They would look great in a kid's room...a kid's bathroom...and actually, how fun would it be to put them in your laundry room as an unexpected cheerful surprise in an otherwise icky room??? :)

OR...

How about decor for a under the sea party theme???!!! oooohhhh...

You have five ways to win:

1. Visit Figgy & Wink's shop and come back and tell me which decal is your favorite.
2. Follow me on Twitter.
3. Tweet this giveaway.
4. Facebook this giveaway.
5. Blog this giveaway.

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!!!

Winner will be chosen first thing Friday!

OPP: Other People's Posts

Ohhh, blogging on a Saturday??? Watch out folks!

Anyway, I try to be really disciplined about the blogs I read. There is so. much. talent out there...so many bloggers who have beautiful, funny and inspirational things to say...good, right? Well, except that if I allowed myself to click from one blog to the next, I would be buried deep in Blog Land...hours later...starving children...and eyes watering from staring at the computer screen.

NOT healthy.

With that said, every once in a while, I will stumble across a post that I. just. love.

And it makes me want to share it with my own readers.

So, that's just what I'm doing.

So get cozy, grab a cup of coffee, and settle in. I hope you like these posts as much as I did.

***

I don't know Julie in real life, but I like to think that if we lived closer, we might be friends. But actually, if we met in real life, she would probably think I'm altogether too lame and I'd have to pretend we were friends....Either way, I love this chick. She cracks. me. up. Regularly. Here is one of my all-time favorite posts:

Freakcycle

***
I have no idea how I stumbled across this blog post... I don't know this girl, but I found myself nodding, laughing, "You Go Girl"-ing, and "AMEN!"-ing all over this post. She just says it all so well.

Mama's Had It

***

Jenny is my (in real life) friend Kate's sister. Jenny actually came by the hospital after the girls were born, but we are more of internet friends (is that lame???) since she lives in Kansas or Oklahoma or somewhere that is not California. She has a beautiful heart. This post made me cry. I can feel her pain and while different, I can relate in many ways. This may be one of my favorite, favorite, favorite posts of anything I've read in a long, long time.

Beautiful



Hope you enjoyed.

Happy Saturday!!!

Friday Favorites: Swiffer Vac

(Just to start, I want to say that I am in no way being compensated for this review. Bummer.)

Okay, so a lot of you seemed pretty shocked that I Swiffer my house every day.

See, when you have TWO long haired dogs...each of whom weigh over 80 pounds...well, it's not just my neurosis taking over.

The amount of hair is staggering.

I'm actually shocked that the dogs aren't bald by now.

I have no idea where it all comes from, but what I do know is that I find fluffy tumbleweeds of fur blowing across my wood floors.

Too often.

It's disgusting.

The Swiffer Vac is my BFF.

It sucks up those pesky hairs in an instant. And really, it only takes me about 10 minutes to do my entire first floor. Not to mention, that there is almost always a baby in the non-swiffering arm. Easy peasy.


I use the dry cloths for everyday use. And I have a tub of the wet cloths for times when I feel like the floor could use a little cleaning...but I'm too lazy to *actually* clean it with floor cleaner and a microfiber mop doohicky.

I buy the refills at Costco...SO much cheaper...but I think I might even cut up old rags to the right size and try that when I run out. With as often as I Swiffer (since when did that become a VERB???)...it might be a good way to save some money.

Cons?
It's a bit expensive. ($28 at Target...but you can get a $5 coupon at their website).
The refills can get pricey depending on how quickly you burn through them.
The rechargeable battery loses its umph after a while...in fact, this is my second Swiffer Vac...the first one lasted about 3.5 years before I had to toss it out and replace it. The battery just wouldn't hold the charge anymore. So sad.

Anyway, if you have wood floors, a regular Swiffer is lame. Buy the vacuum one.

And while you are at it, tell Swiffer to pay me for the glowing review.

Bums.

***

The Winner of the Material Gal Fabric Bundle is:

Liz!!!

Happy Friday!!!

ATTACK!

Not really.

That's just my completely psychotic dog Ryley eating Henry's bubbles.

Ryley is...well, dumber than a box of rocks.

She's a good dog.

But boy, is she dumb.

And lazy.

You're lucky if she'll even look up when you toss a ball for her.

Much less retrieve it.

Which is odd...being that she's a golden RETRIEVER.

Then again, what do I know?

BUT, for every ounce of dumb...she has 10 pounds of sweetness.

A sweeter, cuddlier, more loving dog does not exist in the universe.

She's always been great with Henry.

Now, she's moved on to doting on LuLu. (who, by the way, is crawling all. over. the. place.)

Ryley will regularly saunter over to Lu and plop her big, block head right in the baby's path...thereby turning into an overstuffed, furry jungle gym.

She lays there patiently, eating up all the baby love...

...sighing in sheer contentment from time to time...


...because Lucy is more than happy to dole out baby kisses to her doggie.

My dogs love my kids.

My kids love their dogs.

So patient and kind.

For as often as I proclaim that TODAY is the day they are being listed on Craigslist...

I know that they are a vital part of our crazy family.

(even if it means that I have to vacuum and swiffer every.single.day.)

(every.single.day.)

(every)

(single)

(day)

ugh.

Don't forget: today is the last day to enter the Material Gal Fabric Bundle Giveaway!!!!

Wishing Wednesday

Yes, I made this up.

But hey, it gives me an easy post idea.

So every Wednesday I'll be posting random things I come across that I love on.

Ready?

Palm Necklace with Starfish Necklace from Stella & Dot. I'd wear this with my yoga pants and t-shirts at the grocery store. I'd be hot.

If I could sew without punching my machine, I would whip me up my own Ollie Elephant by Heather Bailey.


Pretty much anything from Williams Sonoma. Anything at all.



Cupcake apron from Flirty Aprons. I'm pretty sure I'd make gourmet meals effortlessly if I had this apron. No, I know it. Yeah, totally.


Okay, that's it for this week. If you are feeling generous, feel free to email me and I'll happily provide my mailing address. You know, since my birthday is only 8 months away.

Jill-Jill

I really don't have much to say today.

But, I will update you on Miss Jill.

I took her in for a weight check yesterday morning.

She gained 14 ounces in 21 days!!!

WOOP WOOP!

(this is in comparison to not gaining a SINGLE ounce in over two *months*)

I'm still nursing her like usual, and then feeding her a bottle of formula.

So, after all of that, she is now all of 11 pounds, 5 ounces. :)

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Giveaway: Material Gal Fabric Bundle

This giveaway is closed. Please check back for more soon!!!

Get the perfect mix of Olivia's Holiday by Tina Givens in this adorable bundle!

You will receive the 5 half yards pictured:

Winks in Ivory
Friendship in Blue
Sugardrop in Pink
Hydrandrea in Pink
Chandelier in Pink

100% quilting weight cotton
44" wide

Material Gal carries some of the greatest designer fabrics, and at fan.tas.tic prices. Better yet, I don't know about the shops near you, but none of my local fabric stores will cut fat quarters in my own hand selected fabrics.

Stephanie comes to the rescue with the ability to custom make your own bundles.

Love. it.

Wanna win some candy colored happy?

1. Check out Material Gal's shop and come back and tell me what your favorite fabric bundle is.
1. Follow me on Twitter.
2. Blog about this giveaway (btw, it doesn't have to be an entire dedicated post...you can just link to it)
3. Tweet about this giveaway.
4. Facebook about this giveaway.

Be sure to leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry.

Good luck all!

Friday Favorites: Best {ever} Sugar Cookies

I'm a sugar cookie snob.

It must be sugary and sweet.

It must be crispy...but only on the edges.

It must be soft...but only in the center.

BEHOLD!

My all-time fave sugar cookie recipe:

Before you begin, it is of *utmost* importance that you have the right sous-chefs. Sugar cookie making is tricky business without the right help.



2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flour, baking powder & salt.
2. Cream butter and sugar using an electric or stand mixer. (and if you don't have a stand mixer by now...we. need. to. talk.)
3. Add egg & vanilla. Add dry ingredients from step 1.
4. Roll dough into little balls. Roll the balls in the extra sugar you have set aside (a cereal bowl works well).
5. Place your sugared balls (ok, kids...keep the jokes clean) on a baking sheet. Squish them down with the bottom of a glass cup. You may need to dip the bottom of the cup in sugar to keep it from sticking to the dough.
6. ***SPRINKLES***


7. Bake 10-11 minutes until golden brown.
8. Lick the dough right off the mixer blade...even if you know that your mother-in-law is having an ab.so.lute. COW right now...can you hear it???..."that's how you get salmonella!!!" :)


9. Eat in horrifying amounts.

Especially good dunked in hot coffee.

Yeah, for breakfast...before the kids get up of course. :)

(oh, and these are too sticky for cutting shapes with cookie cutters so don't try it.)

The winner of the Less Ordinary Designs Giveaway is:

Erin S.!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!