FIVE

It's been 5 years since I started this blog!  Crazy how much life has changed.  I had been thinking of starting a blog for months but kept talking myself out of it.  John had his friends over on a Friday night and I was bored and finally went for it.  I thought I'd have more sewing projects and more book reviews, but it's mostly just been outfits.  Nothing groundbreaking, although I am known to wear floral in the fall.  And the last couple years have been pretty weird since I stopped working and had all these babies.  Clothes have been a strange assortment of maternity and post-maternity and days I actually get dressed are rare, much less take pictures.  Sometimes I think about quitting all together,  but it's still a fun outlet for me when I find the time.  

I had been thinking I should do something fun for my blogiversary, but time just got away from me, as it does when small children run the household.  Anyway, happy 5th anniversary, blog!  It's been fun!  

Dress: Old Navy

Jacket: JCF
Shoes: Target

Day in the Life

Sometimes, when you are a stay-at-home-mom, people ask you what you do all day.  And most of the time, I have no idea.  So I decided I'd keep track of a day.  Obviously not all days are the same.  Sometimes the toddler goes rogue and refuses a nap.  Sometimes we actually leave the house (okay, most days we actually leave the house).  And the above picture is from a "go to church" day, which are completely crazy and have no schedule at all.  But this was a standard at home day.

6:30- both kids start stirring in their cribs.  I lay as still as possible and hope they will go back to sleep.  

7 - Toddler is officially up for the day.  Change diaper, play, say goodbye to John.  

8 - Baby wakes up.  Breakfast for everyone!  This involves gathering all of the food for myself and toddler, putting him in his high chair, and then settling in to feed baby while toddler and I eat.  

8:30 - put baby down for nap, clean up toddler and kitchen, read books with toddler

9:30 - baby wakes up.  He plays on the floor while toddler insists we read the Easter bunny book 10 times.  Just for the record, it's November.  Not Easter time.   

10 - fold laundry, talk to my sister on the phone, toddler watches neighbor tree get chopped down and helps sort socks.  He also helps unfold laundry that I have folded, but he really loves carrying it to his room to put away, and doesn't realize that he's messing it up.  

11 - make a few phone calls, trim everyone's nails

11:15 - baby takes second nap

11:18 - just kidding!  Wakes up and wants to eat.  

11:36 - nap two take two - success!

11:45 - lunch for toddler and me

12:30 - baby wakes up. 

12:35 - clean up toddler and kitchen

12:45 - FaceTime with niece

1:15 - toddler naptime

1:30 - start some laundry in the washer.  

1:45 - grumpy baby!  Snuggle him until he falls asleep.  I'm slightly worried he would wake up if I put him in the crib, and also just want baby snuggles, so I just hold him for this nap.  

3:15 - everyone is awake and crying and needs mommy right now!  Put baby down, go get toddler, situate everyone on the couch so I can feed baby and snuggle toddler.  

3:45 - read books and play

4 - put baby car seat back together after taking it all apart to wash.  (Note - realize I put the straps in wrong the next day when we are running late to go somewhere and I have to take the whole thing apart again)

4:30 - read a few more books, clean up a little bit

4:45 - baby needs to nap but doesn't want to! Naps get harder as the day goes on.  

5 - make dinner.  Baby in bouncy seat and toddler in high chair watch me.  Toddler desperately wants to help, but can't be trusted with a hot stove!  

6 - John gets home and everyone is happy.  He and toddler eat dinner.  I feed hungry sleepy grumpy baby.  

6:30 - I eat dinner while John plays with the kids. 

7:45 - baby falls asleep.  We are at that stage where we are not quite sure if this is a nap or bedtime.  

8 - toddler goes to sleep.  I go to take a shower.  

9 -  Baby wakes up!  Wants to eat and play for a little bit.

10 - Baby back to bed.  

Usually once both kids are in bed, we clean up the kitchen and the living room.  Sometimes we watch a show, but sometimes I'm just tired and it needs to be my bedtime, too!  It's pretty exhausting taking care of these guys, but I mostly love it!  I mean...

Feelin' 32

My birthday was a few weeks ago, and this is what I wore for family dinner and celebration.  We just went to my favorite restaurant, and then back to our house for cake and presents.  The toddler refused to nap that day, but fell asleep in the car and took a little nap on my lap at the restaurant.  He's so busy these days, it was kind of the perfect birthday present to get some snuggles.  I'm such a mom now.

Cardigan & Skirt: Old Navy
Top: Gap factory
Shoes: JCrew Factory

Timey Wimey

Halloween happened this week!  We aren't really Halloween people, and the boys don't have any idea what is going on, so I didn't think we'd do anything.  But then we got invited to our friends' annual Halloween party, which we've missed the last 2 years.  Family costume brainstorming followed and we decided to be as nerdy as possible.  John and the toddler both went as the 11th doctor.  He's my favorite, and also the easiest to dress as.  Baby had it easy and went as Alfie Owens (aka Stormageddon), and I was completely ridiculous and sewed myself a Tardis dress.  You know, since I have a lot of free time with 2 babies!  

The dress took more time and effort than I originally expected, but I think it turned out okay.  I thought we looked pretty good as a family costume, but then several people asked if the toddler was a Shriner.  Nope.  

So now we have about a year to come up with something clever for 2017!

October Shopping

Hey, I actually bought some stuff in October.  I really just needed some things that fit and I feel good in, so I bought more this month than I have in awhile, but mostly used gift cards!

J.Crew Factory emails me every day about sales, and I often put things in my cart and then forget about them.  I finally took the plunge on these 4 tops, which I have almost bought a few times.  The good news is I used a gift card for these.  The bad news is the floral top doesn't quite fit.  Oops!  Hopefully if I can start losing some of this baby weight, it will fit soon!

JCF Plaid popover: $15
JCF Floral blouse: $15
JCF eyelet henley: $12
JCF Striped tank: $15

Then I ordered a few things online from Old Navy.  I almost bought the striped skirt in store, but realized it was much cheaper online, and then I found a few other things to pick up!

ON Black stripe skirt: $8
ON Maroon skirt: $14
ON Orange dress: $11
ON Black shirt: $11

And then I bought a few tops at Target, also with a gift card.

Gray tank: $9
White tee: $10
Striped tee: $12
Off-white top: $9


So the total out of my budget is just $44 this month.  And I'm going to try to keep track better and link up with Budgeting Bloggers again each month.  We shall see!

Family Birthday

This is what I wore for our family celebration of John's birthday.  I love this dress, even though it's maternity.  I'll probably just keep wearing it anyway, okay?  Cool.

I think we had a pretty good time for the birthday.  We went to dinner, and then came back to our house for presents and dessert.

We have this problem when getting dressed to go places.  I dressed myself and the baby.  John dressed himself and the toddler.  And we accidentally matched each other.  I don't want to be one of those obnoxiously matchy families, but it just happens sometimes.

Cardigan: Limited
Dress: Loft
Shoes: Target

Date Night

John's birthday was a couple weeks ago, and we finally had a kid-free date night!  It's been a few months, since before Baby2 showed up, so it was nice to have some time away from the babies.  I was slightly nervous leaving them, but once we got to dinner, I wasn't too distracted.  We had a fun, low-key evening.  Just ate dinner, hung out at Barnes and Noble for a bit, and then went to a movie.  Bookstores were one of our favorite places to go on dates before we had kids, so it was fun to just wander around and look at things.  We found this book and basically read the whole thing.  It's funny, I promise.  And the author has a blog, which you should probably read, too.  

Anyway, I also learned an important and difficult lesson.  Maltesers might look like Whoppers, but are actually gross.  That's $4 I won't get back.  

If we look a little tired, it's because I forgot to take pictures until after the movie.  So it was past midnight, which is way past my bedtime.  

Top: Old Navy

Cardi and Jeans: Gap factory

Shoes: JCF