Tag: kids

Weekend Check-in ~ Dang Neighbor Dog Edition

Weekend Check-In
For the second Saturday in a row, the neighbor dog had me up at 5am.  It’s beyond the point of annoying and frustrating.  I actually went out and got video of it at the half hour and 55 minute mark just in case talking with them doesn’t resolve the problem. It ultimately went on until about 6:15am. That alone would have been bad enough but add to that I didn’t Leah settled into bed until close to 1am and I’m a zombie. Combine that with Leah having trouble going to bed every night for the past week and I hope you’ll say some prayers for anyone in my presence today!!

Speaking of the week, it was a tricky week. Leah’s reluctance to sleep at a decent hour too all my nighttime prep time and I found myself in a chaos state much more than I like. Some I can take but it was just too much.

It was also Leah’s first week at a new (to her) daycare. You never know what kind of transition that can be on a kiddo. Yesterday was a tough drop off for both of us but overall she seems to be doing well with it. Its’ helped us tremendously that she is now attending the center that Brooke went to and thrived. It’s just a matter of new routine and I’m confident it will all be running smoother again soon. That said, I have missed seeing the teachers and kiddos from her old daycare and hope to visit next week. After a year of them loving on my baby, I can’t help but have a special place in my heart for them and plan to keep in touch with them as much as possible.

Then work has really started to pick up. Traditionally, July 1st is a big effective date for new groups to come on board. I was pleasantly surprised when the workload of new cases was actually quite manageable. Well, apparently, that was because 8/1 and 9/1 were going to be crazy instead!! I think everyone is back in work mode now that summer is winding down. While I’m sure that’s awesome for the company’s bottom line, its not so great for my inbox and sanity!!

Individually and together, these girls have just been too much for me today. #blessedmomma #lifewithleah #beautifulbrooke #sistersareawesome It’s a home game day for the Vols so the girls and I are on are own for a good part of the day. Right now is actually my favorite part of the week. After breakfast, the girls and I find ourselves in the playroom. They do their thing while I read, stuff diapers, fold laundry or maybe ramble on in a blog post!! Brooke is building a castle out of Legos and Leah is moving from baby dolls to play kitchen to blocks to her sports center.

Ha! She actually just suckered Brooke into coloring with her at the art table. Which of course Brooke is doing willingly because she’s so stinkin’ sweet and such a good sister. Those two just are just so awesome together I can hardly stand it.

According to my Facebook feed, today is National Read a Book Day. So with that in mind, I close with what I’m reading now and what I’m planning to read next.

Currently reading:


Brooke will be turning 6 this month and in my opinion, that’s the point when a real foundation is laid for how to handle money. So I’m getting some insights from Dave Ramsey and his daughter, Rachel Cruze. There’s not a whole lot of new information that you won’t hear in his radio show but its nice to have all the kid-related material condensed in one book.


I’ve got The Road to Mercy on my Kindle for when I’ve got a few minutes here or there. I kinda pride myself on being able to see what’s going to happen or at least what the main conflict is going to be early one. I’m at around the 20% mark and I’m still confused but in a good way. I’m intrigued and keep reading to see what’s going to happen.

Up Next:
I’m getting my Kindle ready for the Ultimate Healthy Living 2014 Bundle! There is going to be so much great reading and I can’t wait for it to be released next week! If you still haven’t signed up for the email list, check out my post that tells you how you can get it for free by referring your friends to the signup list too! Just buy signing up for an email!!

I’m looking forward to the real food cookbooks, books on natural cleaning products and the Fit2be eCourse!!

Alrighty, time to make some lunch and watch some Vol Football!! Then I’ve promised to take a video of Brooke doing a Lego tutorial while Leah naps. That could get interesting!!

I hope you enjoy your weekend!! What are you up to? And what do you think I should do about that yappy neighbor dog???

Tired Mommy Approved – Pony Royale

This post is sponsored by Pony Royale. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Excited to start playing!!

The weekend before the Princess Ponies arrived at our house, Brooke had been taken on her very first horseback ride by her Grandpa & Grandma Marshall. Suffice it to say, she had horses on the brain. So when I let her open up the box without giving her any idea what was inside, she was stoked to see that inside were TWO pretty ponies to play with.

Brooke loves her Princess Ponies!

Once we got the horses out of the packages (oh the packaging!), Brooke was totally in love with them. There were so many different ways to dress them up! Each pony comes with two manes and two tails and their saddles, tiaras & mane decoration (there is probably a technical term for that) that you can mix and match. When you add in more ponies, the options grow.

There are 12 Princess Ponies in the collection and each has its own birthstone and comes from a different Kingdom in the land of Pony Royale: Air, Earth, Fire or Water. The ponies we were sent were Harmony, an Earth pony and Sky, and Air pony. Brooke thought it was really cool that one of the ponies from the Water Kingdom was named Brooke too!

For more of the story behind the Princess Ponies of the Land of Pony Royale, check out this video.

At first, Brooke had a little trouble getting the manes on but after she took her time and let me show her, she was having no problem at all. She and I sat for a long time swapping pieces back and forth and seeing the different combinations we could make.

For as independent as Brooke is, playing alone is not one of her strong suits. But if I suggested playing with her new ponies, she’d be off and running and soon I could hear her hilarious dialogue and pretend play between the two ponies. She even had a dance party with them one afternoon!

Which Princess Pony would you like to play with? I think Rosie is my favorite!

Visit the Pony Royale website for more information. The Pony Royale collection will be available at Toys R Us in late July and in select Target stores in August. Meanwhile, be sure to check out Pony Royale’s Facebook page and follow them on Twitter!

Pigtails & Ponytails

We are still letting Brooke’s hair grow and its getting so long!!  She looks so cute with her pigtails & ponytails.  I’ve even started braiding her pigtails sometimes.  *swoon*

Taking out her braids so she could "wash her hair"

I trim her bangs most of the time but everyonce in awhile, I like to have it done by a professional to fix the damage I’ve done.  When its time for the real deal, we’ve always gone to Snip-Its.

This place is just Kid-Central.  From the crazy fun stuff in the waiting area to the Dum Dums & personal TVs to watch while in the chair, its just made to keep kiddos happy. 

Well, some kiddos…
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We’ve been going to the Pearland location but there is a new Snip-Its location coming to Rice Village!! It will be nice to have one a little closer. They also have a Groupon deal available for a $9 regular kids cut!!

$9 for a Regular Kids’ Haircut at Snip-its ($17.99 Value)