Showing posts with label with. Show all posts
Showing posts with label with. Show all posts
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Weekend with Nana Duke
another weekend, another road trip! this time we headed south to visit my mom and dad for a long weekend. my mom works for a large hotel company, so we bank on our hotel stay anytime we visit. we arrived Thursday afternoon and headed straight to the pool! the temps have been hitting the 90's but the water is still freezing so while the girls and their dad took their first official dip of the summer season, I hung out in the chairs with my mom and Brady.
its no secret that I'm obsessed with all things kortni jeane! mama+mini high waisted suits for the win! I also cannot get over how amazing this off the shoulder top is- I was pleasantly surprised when I put it on and it offered so much support! I'm also loving the tie up front bottoms.. the wrap+knot combo covers the "c section shelf" you can clearly see through my bathing suit. it is much worse after my third csection- hoping some cardio will tighten it up a bit! until then.. I'll be wrapping it up as best I can:)
babes!! Baker was having the best time!
we went back to my parent's house and my mom made spaghetti, which I am still thinking about TODAY, and then pigged out on homemade chocolate chip cookies! Jolie always dives nose first into my mom's collection of stuffed animals and Parker helps herself to the cat toys while said cat hides for the three days we visit.
f r i d a y
Friday morning my mom and I took the big girls to get pedicures. growing up, my mom and I went to the nail salon often.. one of the only "mother-daughter" things we ever did. I have been taking the twins since they were Baker's age and they always have the BEST time! this was the first time all four of us have gone and my mom was dying at the cuteness.
we left the nail salon and spent another afternoon at the pool.
and another KJ swimmer! the styles of the top and bottom are still available, but I got them back in March and I am not sure if the pattern/color is an option still.
Brady has been living in these sleeveless onesies from golden hill designs- Baker was my first summer baby and basically wore a different color everyday! my favorite is the urban brown- goes with everything!
ALSO.. check out my sunnies from diff eyewear! how adorable for summer and I just cannot get enough!
use code AMBER25 for a special 25% discount on your entire purchase!
uncle pat made the trip as well and got there late afternoon:)
Parker + Jolie's swim suits HERE
when we have visited, the big girls always stay with my parents while Jordan and I (Baker and now Brady, too) stay at the hotel just a short drive away. I don't know why I didn't notice it before, but when I was kissing the girls goodnight I realized that the bed the girls sleep in at my parent's house is the same bed I slept in at my grandparent's house at their age.
Saturday came and brought the rain. we hung out at my parents house the entire day and my dad ended up pulling out old family photos. we drank coffee and snacked on my mom's chocolate chip cookies.. took naps and just didn't do a thing all day until we all went our for Mexican food on Saturday night.
NOW we all know where my kids get their cheeks from!
..and can we just talk about how much this picture of me looks like Brady??! I was shocked.. and how in the world did I not know I had so much hair when I was a babe?
s u n d a y
saturday night Jolie started running a fever, so we took all the kiddos back to the hotel with us and made due with all these babies in one hotel suite. thankfully Jolie's fever was short lived but it was actually a lot less chaotic and so much more fun than I thought it would be!
Brady snoozed the entire weekend in his dockatot and slept just as he did if we were home- yas!
we also have been using the nested bean swaddle and OHMUHGOSH its amazing. I cannot speak enough great things about this swaddle! I plan to do a full review very soon, but we love them!
Brady's tank top HERE + leggings HERE
find my diaper bag HERE + my favorite weekender HERE!
we grabbed coffee with my brothers just before we hit to road. I've got 13 years on Sam (on the left) and about 6 years on Patrick.. but they're not that little these days.
you can find my tee HERE + postpartum leggings HERE and my FAVorite sneakers HERE
making the road for home we stopped for dinner and to stretch our legs.
pancakes + coffee (and a cheeseburger for Jo) on a Sunday night with my sweet crew of favorite people.
second weekend in a row to be out of town and we are all thankful to be home for a bit to settle into summer! this week marks the last week of preschool for those big girls and we have many things planned for this summer- hoping we can fit it all in!
can't wait for many more memories made with these kids and my hubby beside me.
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Stop with the est
If you have ever played a board game with me, you might have picked up on some subtle clues to my competitive spirit. Ok, maybe on a lot of clues. . . I am really competitive in games. I like to win!
Outside the world of board games, however, I am trying to overcome my sense of unnecessary competition. I wrote another post a few weeks ago on the same topic. Read it here.
Today, the theme of unnecessary competition is on my mind, but I wanted to describe how it can affect your children. To start, think of all the words that end with the letters -est. How many of these types of words do you say to your children each day?
"You're the smartest kid in your class."
"You're the prettiest little girl at church."
"You're the best dancer in the entire auditorium!"
"That was great! You were the best piano player in the whole concert."
Are there other phrases that come to mind?
You may think I'm crazy to assert that these phrases will not help your child in the long run. How could such supportive comments ever be detrimental to your child's emotional stability? It is because the "-est" comments rest on the assumption that other people are inferior. If Bobby is the smartest, than Sally must be less intelligent. If Tina's piano playing the the best, then Richard's skill is less important. Comments that use "-est" words subconsciously send the message that self-esteem is related to putting others down a notch.
Now, I am not advocating that we stop complimenting our children. Our love and support is a major boost to our their emotional well-being. Studies show that supportive parents can even help their children attain a higher standard of living someday. What I am suggesting is that we change the way we compliment our children.
Examples could include:
Examples could include:
"You look beautiful today! I like the way you styled your hair."
"You worked really hard on your science project. I am so proud of your grit and determination."
"Your dance moves in the ballet recital left me speechless."
"I love hearing you play the piano. It is so calming, and you play so expertly."
In these examples, the parent still congratulates and compliments the child, plus no one else is thrown under the bus. The compliments are also more personal and unique. Instead of encouraging unnecessary competition, the child is given sincere praise that highlights their individual attributes and talents.
Think of the effect these phrases will have on a child's self-esteem. The unconscious message of "You are special, just the way you are" will be consistently reinforced, rather than an idea that their worth is dependent on out-doing some other person. A child will learn that his or her efforts are good enough, worthy, desirable, acceptable, and noticed.
As a new mom with my oldest child, I sometimes let my competitive nature get in the way of my friendships with other moms. Instead of being fully present with my son's abilities, I wanted him to excel above all the other babies his age. Simon was the first to roll over and the first to crawl out of his play-date friends, but he was then the last to talk and the last to walk. Humility slowly developed in my heart as time went on. I learned that being "the best" was unnecessary competition. I eventually came to the conclusion that all successes are worth celebrating! So what if the little girl at church learned to walk before Simon; it didn't make him any less special. And it didn't make me an inferior mother. It was liberating to let go of competition! I felt happier and less stressed about how other people view me and my children.
How can you remove unnecessary competition from your own life?
Monday, June 19, 2017
Potty training a boy with sensory processing disorder
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Monday, April 24, 2017
choosing the right carseat with baby cubby
we are definitely in a stage of transition when it comes to carseats. we made the big switch from infant carrier to convertible carseat when the twins were about 14 months old, and while Baker still fits comfortably in her carrier (we have the Chicco Keyfit 30; same seat we used for the twins) it wont be long before we are ready to make the switch. the big girls have been in the Britax Marathon for the last two years and are really starting to get tight in them- it is definitely time to make the switch from the convertible seat to the 5-point harness to booster seat. we had plans to make the switch for the twins and then let Baker use one of their convertible seats (carseats have a 6 year expiration date), just like we did with the infant carseat, but their seats are pretty worn.
they've been covered in goldfish, cheerios, french fries, m&m's..
they've been puked in.
they've been peed in.
they've been slept in and they've been drooled on.
..and spilled on by everything from chocolate milk to watermelon slushy.
..and in turn through the wash about 1400 times, no less.
Baker needs a new one. for sure.
but where do I start?! at first thought I really wanted to go with what I know and stick to the Britax. but the options and styles and designs that have changed over the last couple years is impressive and I am so unsure where to start! I've heard amazing things about the Nuna RAVA, and I'm always faithful to Chicco because I have used several components of that brand and have been really pleased every time .. and the Maxi Cosi is new to me, but hello - it looks like my baby is sitting in a cloud! plus the reviews on that one is 5 stars all the way.
outside of how a seat looks + feels, does the seat fit my chid comfortably? height and weight limits go up pretty significantly with the transition to the convertible car seat, which makes it easier to spend a little more for quality because your babe will be spending a lot of time strapped into these things! and does it fit into my car? we have a third row bench in my car (I drive a GMC Acadia) and captain chairs in the second row. so, while the big sisters are in the way back, Baker sits in one of the captain chairs. rear facing a convertible seat in this row gives me more leeway and space; especially because the captain chairs move forward and backward. I know not all cars have this capability, which is why its important to measure ever possible scenario. because while that carseat looks amazing with all the bells and whistles, does it even fit?! you do want to drive the car, right? for this reason we put the carseat behind the passenger side because Jordan isn't a small guy and he would prefer not to drive with his knees in the dash.
choosing the right car seat when the market is inundated with baby gear can be stressful. I was introduced to baby cubby's car seat guide and it was SO helpful! after browsing a little further to see what baby cubby was all about, I was pretty impressed and kind of relieved to see these recommendations coming from professionals and parents passionate about encouraging, inspiring, and reminding parents how amazing they are and how important their role is. they have made shopping for the best and safest baby gear fun rather than stressful.
AND!
they price match everyday.
(even amazon)
how many times have I been standing in the check out line trying to convince someone to help a mother out and price match that highchair.. stroller.. pack and play..
in fact.. I was reading one of my favorite style and sale blogs and she posted about amazon's amazing deal on the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 convertible seat. WELL. baby cubby already price matched it.
Whats even better? Use code themasseyspot10 for an extra 10% off your order! I don't know about you, but obligatory purchases with heavy price points like these, I am always looking for a deal! and $20-$40 off helps a TON! which makes that Maxi Cosi seat a steal of a deal.. and I might have just used my own discount code- ha!
now. you go do the same.
thank you to baby cubby to their support in helping make my shopping experience amazing! you can read a little bit more about what they are passionate about and why they do what they do on their about us page here - HERE
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Topic Potty training with pull ups
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Monday, March 20, 2017
The Vacation that began ended with Barf
Last Thursday, I packed up the car & loaded up the kids and headed to Tahoe for 5 days.
I call this a "vacation" with quotes because really? A vacation with kids isn't a vacation.
Vacations are relaxing. Traveling with kids is work. Hard work.
It's a trip. It's a going to a destination.
Vacation? No. Trip? Yes.
Kevin stayed behind to work & finish up a work project that had a pressing deadline.
It was my first roadtrip all by myself.
Everything was going great until 2 hours in when Kate told me that she was getting carsick.
I told her to stop reading her book and close her eyes.
I handed her a plastic bag...just in case.
Good thing I did, she barfed a few minutes later.
Quick 5 minute pit stop to get rid of the bag & then we were off again.
You can either laugh or cry when things like this happen.
I chose to laugh. And drink wine.
(But not while driving, don't worry. I wait until I get to my destination.)
I knew she was just car sick because she had been reading her books on windy mountain roads.
And, an hour later when we stopped at In-n-Out, she ate an entire hamburger & thing of fries.
Whenever Kate gets the stomach bug, she doesn't have an appetite for days.
This was just getting car sick.
We were in the clear. Phew.
Luke gets 5 stars for traveling. He is so chill & easy.
Tahoe is my happy place. I love the quiet, the smell of pine trees and the beauty.
AlCheck out the back of my car (also a Tahoe)
All that stuff for just 5 days. Gotta love traveling with a baby. They need so much stuff.
One of my favorite things is coffee in the morning on the back deck.
This was much needed since my kids sleep horribly in Tahoe.
The altitude? The excitement of being there? Sharing a room? It's a combo of all of it.
I love you, Tahoe. And coffee. I love you, too.
I was excited to take Luke to the lake for the first time.
He loved the sand. Loved it.
He kept kicking his feet in the sand. Loved the sand between his toes. So cute.
My parents & sisters came up also. Brother cousins at the lake, Jack was not impressed.
Friday night Pizza night in Tahoe. All kids asleep by 7pm. Peace & Quiet. Wine. Just me & my younger sister. My favorite hour of the entire trip.
One of my least favorite parts? This nasty spider I found in our bathroom sink.
#Gross
Saturday was more lake time.
Iced coffee time at my favorite Tahoe coffee shop.
My brother in law did the Tougher Mudder on Saturday & really hurt his ankle. Ouch.
Yes, my sister married a Dodger fan. Ugh. Conincidence that he hurt the ankle with the Dodgers tatoo? I think not. :)
Remember making pot holders as a kid? Weaving Loom!
Remember making pot holders as a kid? Weaving Loom!
Found a new beach spot on Lake Tahoe.
After 5 days, it was time to head home.
It was a tiring (and fun) 5 days.
Luke was a champ, slept great and loved the lake.
The girls slept horrible & where up several times each night.
We got home and I was exhausted. Ready to sleep in my own bed.
The first night we were home, Kate woke up at 11:30 and barfed.
Then, proceeded to get sick EVERY HOUR after that until 8:30 in the morning.
Turns out my brother in law & sister had also gotten sick the day before.
Kate was sick for 24 hours & then Claire woke up the next night with it.
Kevin stayed home from work yesterday feeling nauseous.
#miserable
Hope I don't get it and Praying that Luke doesn't get it.
Gotta love "vacations"
Especially ones that start and end with barf.
Tahoe is still my happy place.
Hoping our next family trip in a few weeks is barf free.
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