Four?!?!?

How did she already turn four?

I feel like that cold and super snowy January of 2010 was only a month ago, not four years.

The past few days have been dedicated to our Shiny baby. My ballerina girl and the Sunshine of our lives.

She's celebrated with her Grammies at Sweet & Sassy, then it was brownies and juice boxes at her preschool. Throw in a Brave theme birthday party on Saturday - update to come. She has been lauded to the point of confusion. Asking, is my birthday tomorrow too?

Any way we look at it, she's FOUR!

I love this crazy kid!

Week-end End

This week we were asked to concentrate on 10 Things to do on the weekend.

Instead I will twist this topic on its side a bit, and share 10 things I am known to do on a Saturday or Sunday.

1. Jump in the car for an impromptu trip down the shore for a day of body surfing, sand castle building, and of course some frozen treats from the fudgy wudgy man.
For all you non-Philadelphia area readers, this means we pack up the car and drive the hour and a half to the beach. 

2. Thrown an over the top party to celebrate the birthday of one of my daughters.

3. Hit up the Farmers market. We'll sample some fresh apple cider, buy all kinds of tomatoes, corn, fruit and the occasional loaf of crusty bread. We'll end the morning with freshly squeezed orange juice, waffles for the girls, and devour the most delicious bacon, tomato, corn, & cheese quesadillas.

4. Church - Me plus the older two.

5. Break out the soccer gear, wrangle all three children, and head to our seats at the Philadelphia Union.

6. I try to make my hair appointments for early Saturday morning. This way I'm good for the rest of the day. That is when I remember to make the appointments.

7. From September to November, early Saturday mornings are spent watching my two soccer girls, while attempting to contain my future soccer girl.

8. Saturday night before kids would have been date night. Now, if I'm lucky it can be again! However, instead of heading out at 10, we're in around then.

9. Head to Sesame Place.
Though I usual abstain from Sesame Place in the summer, in the spring & fall, Sesame Place often has special guests headlining. We have seen the Fresh Beat Band and Jack Hanna - animal expert here.

10. Swim Lessons and dinner at Chipotle. This is now our usual Sunday mid-afternoon, and seriously I could eat Chipotle daily.


What about you? What's your typical weekend? Are you lucky enough to sleep? I have memories of that, but alas, three kids in under five years, sleep is just a dream.

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10

This week an open list. We were asked for a list of ten, anything we so desire.

And so I post,  my list of ten topics in which I should never write. Never will I write about the following:

1. Ten simple strategies to add color to your make up routine.

2. Ten ways to get your body in shape just like me! (love handles and stretch marks free of charge).

3. Ten vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian/paleo recipes

4. Ten tips to bring out your child's inner Honey Boo Boo.

5. Ten places you must visit in snowshoes.

6. The ten ways to score a free drink at a club.

7. Ten secret tips to scale down your grocery bill.

8. Ten ways to organize your closets.

9. Ten alternatives to throwing your child a big birthday party.

10. Ten ways to earn money blogging.


What would you never write about?

Brand Spanking New

This week in Listicle land, we are instructed to make a list of ten things we love that are new. As is the new year, I'll just dive into it.

1. Newly Cleaned Sheets

Ah, that moment you climb into a freshly made bed is heaven.

2. New Car Smell

Yes they make those little car fresheners that attempt to mimic this smell, but this is not even close to that smell of a new car.

3. New Baby

A new baby is placed in your arms and suddenly the world goes away. It doesn't necessarily even need to be your own, but that feeling of getting lost in this new being, nothing comes close that feeling.

4. New Heels

Especially when they're paired with a....

5. New Bag

6. New season at the beach

This one is kind of a stretch, but that first day we head to the beach on Easter. The quiet sand and surf before the crazy chaos of the summer months.

7. New Restaurant

I love when we're seated, at a new restaurant and the waiter places the menu in my hands. Perusing the guide, debating the choices, and ultimately making a selection is a favorite hobby.

8. New Recipe Success

I never considered myself much of a cook, however my confidence in the kitchen is slowly improving. I'll even go so far as say I enjoy making dinner now, most days.

9. New Year

I'm not talking the calendar year, I'm thinking more my year. I have never been one to hide my age. Thirty five has been quite fabulous so far, and with each birthday I celebrate another new year.

10. New Friends

This year, as my two older girls have made new friends in their respective Kindergarten and preschool. They are both flourishing in their classes. I am surprised, however, that along the way I too have made some new friends. How lucky are we?

So what do you like new? Link up with Stasha!

Rewind, Pause, Save.

It's a rainy Sunday morning in New Jersey.

Sofia is speaking to a mermaid, Maeve sits mesmorized, while Mo's fingers slide photos on the new family Ipad of the year that has passed.

This year, the year 2013, the year our family became a fearless fivesome has made some fabulous memories. This moment right now gives me a much needed minute to stop, to look back, and to see what the hell we did this year, because I must confess, frankly it's been a blur.

So, I'll steer clear of my usual flow and overly wordy prose, and instead let the pictures tell the story.

A Year In Photos 2013

 What a fun filled year!

One

It had been told to me when I had Margo, that time would seem to go faster.  I was warned that the year of babyhood would speed by, quicker it would seem than the first years of her sisters.

I laughed, as I held that new fresh bundle for the first time that December morning.

The sleepless nights to come, the what seemed like endless nursing sessions, and the spit up, oh the spit up! How could this possibly go too fast, I wondered, in the middle of the night?

But alas, before I had time to savor it, we were somehow back to December, planning a first birthday party. 

We had survived, all be it with a lot less sleep, this first year.

Somehow, someway, she grew and she grew and she grew and alas, she became this perfect little person. 

This perfect little person that I get to mama.  

Happy Birthday to our Stinkerella, our Margo Baby!

Party On!

Last year, while pregnant with Margo, I craved all things avocado.

I was addicted to that delicious green fruit mashed with a little salt, pepper, onion powder, & garlic powder that I was seriously worried she would be born with a green hue. It was during the end of my pregnancy when I won a House Party sponsored by Avocados from Mexico. We had a fabulous play date, children running around as the grown ups gorged themselves on various guacamole, sandwiches, and other avocado filled foods.

I didn't think things could get any better!

When nearly a year to the date, I was rewarded yet again with another House Party selection. This time Maeve & Moira are the benefactors as House Party chose us to host a Lego Duplo Party.



I began by finding inspiration and creating a Duplo Lego Party board on  Pinterest. This site combined with our own love of Disney's Planes & Jake and the Neverland Pirates, helped to set the tone for our Lego Duplo Playdate.

Numerous friends, both young and old, joined us on Thursday, November 14 for a lunchtime play date.

 Planes Posters & Goody Bags 

So Many Ways to Play Napkins made an adorable banner

Mo's depiction of Planes & Jake and the Neverland Pirates

The children bedecked in party crowns, began the event by coloring pages of their favorites from Planes & Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

After finishing  lunch, it was time to open the boxes. Dilligently, one group worked to create the airport hangar & flight decks associated with the Planes set, while another group of children were swept away to Neverland as they made the Jolly Roger and searched for gold with Cubby, Izzy, Jake, and Captain Hook.

Surprisingly, there was little friction, as more then 10 children played together with the various Lego Duplo sets for close to an hour.

The Last Two Standing

As the time wore on, popcorn was popped as the children found comfortable spots in the living room for a viewing of the Jake & the Neverland Pirates.

The ending of the movie made for a natural ending for our fun filled play date.


As for the details, House Party & Lego Duplo provided us with six kits:

Three from the Planes collection and three from the Jake & the Neverland Pirates Collections

Each box contained very visually appealing photos, provided easy to understand directions, and were simple for a parent and a child to create together. While fans of the series would enjoy finding their favorite characters in Lego Duplo form, it is not a prerequisite for play. These sets did not discriminate, as both boys and girls enjoyed creating and playing. Furthermore, the set provided equal entertainment value to our younger guests under age two, as well as those older ones closer to six years old.

As I understand is the norm with legos, having multiple sets out at the same time lead to a great deal of confusion and frustration among the children and parents alike as we attempted to take apart and put back together the sets. Pieces were mistaken and taken from set to set. The side of each box does illustrate and gives numbers for each amount, however in the midst of play this is becomes difficult to maintain.

Overall, these sets were a hit for our guests, and some ten days later, are still in heavy play rotation in our household.

Are you interested in hosting a House Party? Check out the site here.

While these products were received complimentary through House Party, my review was not compensated or sponsored by Lego Duplo or Disney.