Teacher gifts

As room mom I'm in charge of the teacher gift for Miss C's first grade teacher. Her name starts with a P so I ordered a wire P from pottery barn teen and we created a giving P rather than giving tree! This allows each family to contribute as they see fit. I think it's turning out great. 

What do you think? 

What are some of your favorite teacher gifts to give or receive? 

Thanksgiving adventures!

Leg one of three is complete! 

We have made the drive from Austin to Corsacana, met my family and dropped the kids with no traffic and only one minor melt down by Rush over his Big Sisters iPad! Whoo! 

Now leg two, Corsacana to DFW. We are not fancy folk but occasionally we do fancy things. Amex has provided us with new cards that allow us access to the centurion longe. There are 2 in the US open, DFW & Las Vegas with 2 on the the way in San Fransisco & NYC La Guardia. Hope to be writing a post from this cozy little Amex perk in a hour or two! 

Leg Three, DFW to Las Vegas! This wil be my first time to Vegas during thanksgiving and I hear it's a great time to be there. 

If your wondering we did Thanksgiving with our kids and close friends on Sunday so I'm not feeling to terribly bad about jetting off! 

Five on Friday

{one}

 Iv been carb free all week so it's time for a free day! So fat kid Friday is back! Inspired by my favorite morning talk show on Cosmo radio wake up with Tay. I splurge and have some amazing dish. Back in the day we would try things like the McRib (yuck) now I'm more into local restaurants and trailer food, healthy comfort food & and just down right crazy food! Good thing I live in Austin!

Fried egg sandwitch from the always awesome counter cafe. Created and owned by my friend Ms.Debbie she sources everything local and organic. Two thumbs up it was delish

{two}

This bad boy is still afloat! I was appalled at the price of these giant balloons ($40!!!!) but I HAD to have it for my photo shoot this past Sunday. But it's now 7 days old! If you buy one make sure to get high float put in. If your in the Austin area Party Couture in the Hill Country Galleria actually has the best prices and the owner is super nice! 

See all the little people hand prints? 

{three} 

I'm trying to give up cokes. These are actually not horrible 

{four} 

Flying in for one show only in Vegas…  Sander van Dorn Think I need to go!!! OK I bought the tickets!

 (Surprise Honey)

{five}

ĆD release show for Jeremy O'Bannon! Congrats friend! I admire anyone that followes their dreams. Helps he is actually a great song writer! 

Happy Friday Ya'll 

~Amber 

November get healthy!

Iv already been asked if I'm crazy for starting a diet at the start of the holiday season. The modavation comes more from the thought of falling any further down the rabbit hole (a fat pudgy hole as a mater of fact) Fall in Austin is amazingly busy and fun. Football season, fundraiser a, election season, formula 1, ACL & the kids stuff! I had more candy brought home than I gave away! How did that happen! 

So I need to loose about 15 pounds. It's a crapy combo of post twins weight, a hypothyroid issue & poor diet. I very often eat with the kids and of course there is a lot of carbs involved. And more than anything else I have a huge coke addiction ( the kind in a can not from a crack head!) iv tried to quite in the past and it was so terrible! Since the babies are all in school I thought this would be a sorta kinda good time to have withdrawals. My headaches usually kick in about 10 am. 👹

So for this week I'm eating cleaner, cutting caffeine and reducing all carbs. 

Next week I'll try to emplament a formal diet. 

Any suggestion? 

4hr body, Adkins, Palio diet?????

As far as work out goes, 7 friends and I are doing a fall Barre3 social. I'm typing this from bed with a heating pad on my legs I'm already so sore! Thinking I should throw some cardo in the mix also. 

Is it happy hour yet? What no wine either? 

Will someone please hold me accountable? 

November get healthy!

Iv already been asked if I'm crazy for starting a diet at the start of the holiday season. The modavation comes more from the thought of falling any further down the rabbit hole (a fat pudgy hole as a mater of fact) Fall in Austin is amazingly busy and fun. Football season, fundraiser a, election season, formula 1, ACL & the kids stuff! I had more candy brought home than I gave away! How did that happen!

So I need to loose about 15 pounds. It's a crapy combo of post twins weight, a hypothyroid issue & poor diet. I very often eat with the kids and of course there is a lot of carbs involved. And more than anything else I have a huge coke addiction ( the kind in a can not from a crack head!) iv tried to quite in the past and it was so terrible! Since the babies are all in school I thought this would be a sorta kinda good time to have withdrawals. My headaches usually kick in about 10 am. 👹

So for this week I'm eating cleaner, cutting caffeine and reducing all carbs. 

Next week I'll try to emplament a formal diet. 

Any suggestion? 

4hr body, Adkins, Palio diet?????

As far as work out goes, 7 friends and I are doing a fall Barre3 social. I'm typing this from bed with a heating pad on my legs I'm already so sore! Thinking I should throw some cardo in the mix also.

Is it happy hour yet? What no wine either? 

Will someone please hold me accountable? 

Five on Friday

{one} 

Nixon had a great drop of a preschool today! She has been going since August and EVERY day except 3 she has sobbed terribly when I leave. Parents have actually patted me on the back and just said wow. So maybe just maybe she is believing me when I say "mommies always come back" 

{two} 

I'm sure you are seeing this mascara pop up all over Facebook. All my friends know I have a MLM sales, the parties, the pressure to buy, the crap products oh and my face when people actually think they are going to get rich. BUT this product is different! No parties (only online) and the mascara is awesome! My sales rep is also kinda hot and showed my some tricks to look like a vamp when I put this on! 

Here is the link if your interested. https://www.youniqueproducts.com/DanielleMichelleJohns/party/709953/view

{three} 

My Lucy Loo now sleeps under her own heating pad. 

{four} 

One of these bad boys is waiting on me in my fridge! Lemmon meringue! It's what we call #frontyardfridays and I'll share this with my favorite mommie pals while the kids play and we drink wine 

{five} 

I'm room mom for Miss C's 1st grade class this year. Iv been room mom before but this school really takes it up a level. You have to be on you A game! So I'm loving the site Rallyhood. 

Here is a screen shot of the app on my phone 

I'm going to do a whole post full of room mom tips soon! 

My kid is rocking Shania Twain

Every have a situation when you sound like your mother saying "in my time..." 

Feeling hip and cool as I came home from 3 days awesome music filled days at ACL with Calvin Hartis still stuck in my head, I headed to my tub for a soak. Truth, my mind felt hip and cool but my body was aching! On the counter I found this 

I have not owned a CD player in 7 years. First thoughts were humm guess the sitter was planning a relaxing night?!?! By the CD collection it was clear there was not sexy time going on! 

Next morning Miss C came in to inform me of the awesome CD player she brought home from great grandma's. I gave her the "oh that's from the old days" spill but she insists it's the coolest thing ever. 

I now get to listen to the Shania Twain Up! Album on repeat. Oh goodie 

Back to school 2014

Miss C started 1st grade! This was a huge change for our family. It's our first time in public school! After being in private school it feels very out of controll. Lots of rules, attendance police, tardy policy, dress code, 6am wake up, 7:10 buss,  paper work and buraucry. All the same stuff I complained about as a teacher! Wish me Luck!


Here are our first day of school pictures!

Miss C and Miss P bff's

One day these backpacks will not look so huge! 

Our neighborhood bus stop

And best of all…..

Muffins, Mimosa & Mommies! 

yep we could not get those kids on the bus fast enough! 

Twins turn 2!

The more kids you have the faster time flies! August 7th was my littles birthday. We played it off and did not do anything out of the ordinary seeing as it was a school day and they were not adjusting well to school. We saved all the sugar and fun for their party the following weekend. 

I wanted to travel to one of our local family friendly resorts but I was out voted by Mr. T & Miss C. Miss C wanted a water slide AGAIN and Mr. T wanted what ever was cheeper. I wanted to keep it simple and easy so we just invited a few close friends and neighbors over. 

We had a afternoon of water sliding, pizza and lots of cake! 

And when your guest are gone...skinny dipping! 

Twins start school!

Big Day Here Friends! 

The twins started school today! There were tears. Mine, theirs and Miss Campbell's. Miss C cried and said they are just growing up so fast. She is 6 going on 40, such an old soul! I cried because they cried but my overall feeling was one of joy. Education is my passion and I'm a huge believer in early childhood education (I'll save that soapbox for another post). They went to two trial days last week for two hours each day. That went well, today drop off was a little ruff. The twins especially need to get out of the house and make new friends. Of course part of me is selfishly thinking about how much I can get done in a few alone hours! Miss C is still home till late August but just having Miss C is a cake walk after having all 3 home for the last 3 months! 

I keep getting the question "what will you do with all your free time?" To which I respond watch soaps, eat Bon bons & take bubble baths. After that most people realize that their question comes off rather rude and I then say that I'm going to catch up on everything iv fell behind on over the last two years. I'm maybe not going to live in "survival mode" and I might get back to enjoying being a full time mom. Being honest it has really been wearing me out the last 6 weeks. Two toddlers & a 6 year old that need to be fed 3 meals, 4 snacks,constant entertainment and 5000 other things on my to-do list is a lot for this gal. 

We are excited about having a few weeks of just mommy & Campbell time!

Happy Fathers day 2014

Happy Father's Day Mr T! 

2008

2011

Some things never change! 

2014

Thanks for being the leader of our wolf pack! Your look of sheer panic is subsiding! Sort of

cheap and easy keep'um busy

It's summer time and the "I'm board" is already starting! I thought if share one of our favorite, and cheapest, activities that's good for mixed age groups. 

Supplies: 

1 old school can of shave cream

1 set of food coloring

inflatable pool

water hose

While at the store I picked up the cheapest shaving cream I could find. The old fashioned cream not the gel. $1.35 woop woop so I got three! This activity is easy to bust out in a pinch so I keep spare shaving cream on hand.

I got out our trusty inflatable pool that stays blown up in my garage and boy has it been worth every penny. 

Then I did a little refresher lesson on primary colors and mixing colors with Miss C. Then I let her fill a muffin pan with shaving cream and begin to expirment with food coloring drops to make different colors. 

That's about as long as I could hold the twins off from getting involved so I made them their own pans of colored cream and stripped them down to diapers 

After mixing I let all three kids just go crazy in the inflatable pool! 

I have seen this as a DIY for bath tub paints on interest. I can not advise this one bit! The food coloring does stain the skin a little so I can only imagine what it would do to grout, towels, shower curtains, ect. The best part of this is the water hose bath everyone gets at the end! And they all smell really nice! 

For around $5 we will do this 3 different times, maybe invite the neighbor kids over!
Sorry in advance neighbors for the blue naked babies in my yard!!