April In The Burbs

This Halloween was probably the best I've had in YEARS. The Bogus Family - Halloween 2015 All of our costumes were homemade. Except for Johnny, who wouldn't wear the costume he wore for his preschool Halloween party. He wore his replacement costume (his dinosaur raincoat) approximately twice the whole night.  Dino Johnny What can I say, toddlers. At least he was in a great mood all night, despite having only one 20 minute nap in the car during us running errands earlier.  Perfect In Every Way - Miss Dottie Mae - Ballerina Thankfully, Nana was able to accompany us to dinner and even hit up a few houses with us on the way home. These are the things I'll remember when my babies are grown and no longer interested in trick-or-treating and embarrassed by their mom dressing up as a giant black cat.  Can't Scare Nana  Mama Cat Hogwarts Student - House Ravenclaw  I think it's too late for Johnny and he may already be embarr...

You know when you find a product and you say to yourself "This is a really cool idea, how come no one thought of this before?" That's exactly what I thought of when I came across Dick and Jane Educational Snacks . Here is Johnny showing you his Mississippi snack. And Dottie learning her numbers in Spanish. Dick and Jane are a couple that met in college and got married. They're raising a family and also own a baking company that makes these yummy snacks.  Educational Snacks are delicious and come in the vanilla flavor, but the best part is that you can learn about  Presidents , States and Capitals , even English and Spanish from each cookie-like snack! Even this mama has learned a thing or two, I have to admit. Hey, everyone needs a refresher once in a while!  You can find Dick and Jane Educational Snacks at retailers like Krogers, Whole Foods, they're even on the menu in NYC Public Schools and you can find it on Amazo...

These few weeks before Halloween everyone in the house is been sick on and off.  Not only that, but it rained for three straight days here in Texas the weekend before Halloween, so my plans of taking the whole family to the pumpkin patch kind of got the kibosh.  Let Operation Bring Pumpkin Patch Home being!  This included a trip to Walmart, and my little helper who was all too happy to tag along.  We decorated some of the pumpkins with paint and glitter as a sensory craft last night.  And the results.  Sailor even got in on the pumpkin patch action!  What are some of your Halloween traditions?

Dream Tiny Home, I mean. When I was 22, I was living with my parents and working 40 hours a week making decent money. I knew I wanted to get out on my own, but the idea of an apartment on my own didn't seem quite what I wanted.  I had the idea of purchasing my own new RV and living in it with my small dog, Lady. At the time I had no idea this was called having a Tiny Home. Something just seemed so cozy about the idea of sharing my own little space with my own little dog.  Hey - I'm no artist!  Fast-forward to 10 years later, and this idea is still with me. Add a husband, two babies and a different dog to the mix - and maybe I'm crazy, but it still seems possible.  To me, there are many advantages to downsizing, or shall we call it tinysizing my/our lives. Among these, are a manageable mortgage, fewer possessions, and less stress. It's also very important to me that we teach our kids that possessions don't make you happy - people need far less than t...

Us parents know - there's nothing worse than having a sick kiddo. Stuffy nose, sneezing, runny nose & fever. It's just no fun!  I took Johnny to the pediatrician on Saturday (yay for weekend hours!) with a 103.7 fever, super runny nose and slight cough.  This is where one of my favorite baby products comes in, Boogie Wipes ! Boogie Wipes was created in 2007 by two moms - who better to know what other moms need!?  I love that they're made with Saline , not alcohol, so they prevent baby's & toddler's noses from drying out.  They offer Fresh Scent, Grape Scent & Simply Unscented for delicate baby and adult noses.  Personally, every time I've ever been sick and had a runny nose, I've had a dry and cracked and itchy nose as a result. Since being introduced by my mom to Boogie Wipes with my first born Johnny, who's 2.5 now, I will never go back to a sore nose when I'm sick.  Thankfully my sweet babies will never...

My mom, Nana Kathy, Dorothy and myself visited the Leander Flea Market on Saturday.  What I thought was cool, is that there are about 12 different shops. Some offer antiques, while others have more of a resale type of feel.  My personal favorite shop was called Red Door Lane . They have about 5 different vendors under one roof, with everything from shabby chic to vintage goods and antiques.  Another shop I liked a lot, because they had SO many cool little antiques was Lefty's Antiques . I could literally decorate my kids room with all of their vintage toys and decorations.  What're some of your favorite things to shop for at antique malls or flea markets?       

My birthday was this past Sunday, which means it was mommy's night out! OK well it was more like my Saturday night out with my best friend Andrea – but we had an absolute blast! I thought I'd post a few choice pictures from that night in chronological order, see you guys get a good idea of what all went down :-) Getting ready to go out.  My birthday gift from Andre.  Looking cute at dinner!  Drinks.  Drinks,drinks!  Restaurant #2 getting sung to and humiliated.  Andrea joins in the fun.  Pool time!  Just me being pool fierce.  Underwater selfies! Traditional birthday tattoo, only this year I did it myself!  Truly one of my best birthdays yet!