Holiday Hiatus

Wanted to take a quick moment to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season.  I will be gearing up again in New Year.

Amazon Deals

Right now you can get the Fisher Price Slim Doodle Pro for $9.99 (regularly $17.99) at Amazon

It has a large magnetic drawing screen and easy slide eraser.  It comes with 4 colorful different shaped stampers.
https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Slim-Doodle-Pro-Purple/dp/B00OZAI0KI/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1481503401&sr=1-1&keywords=fisher+price+slim+doodle+pro+purple

DC Wonder Women Action Doll for $4.24 (regularly $11.99)  the doll is 12" comes with a cape and hair accessory

https://www.amazon.com/Super-Girls-Training-Action-Wonder/dp/B01AWH01J0/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1481503872&sr=1-1&keywords=dc+superhero+girls+12+inch+training+action+wonder+woman+doll


***This post is not sponsored by Amazon or any of the items listed in the post.  The opinions are completely my own.

Blake's All Natural Foods Review

If you are a follower of this blog you know that I am not a fan of freezer foods.  I generally do not enjoy the taste of once frozen foods, especially that freezer after taste that sometimes accompanies foods.   Blake's foods gave me the opportunity to try their freezer meals.  They have lots of different varieties of foods as well as allergy friendly choices.  The meals are all natural: meat raised without antibiotics or hormones, cheese that is rBGH-free and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Chicken Pot Pie

Mac & Cheese

Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie

Shepherd's Pie

I tried the Chicken Pot Pie and there are 2 options to prepare the meal: Oven & Microwave.  I went for the oven preparation.  It was so good!!!  The crust was so flaky and wonderful.  The filling was fresh tasting and my 1 year old and I devoured it.  I highly recommend that you find these pot pies and try them.  I found them at Target and they were reasonably priced.  

***This post was in partnership with Mom's Meet and the product was provided in exchange for a review.  All the opinions are completely my own.  

My One Year Old

My little girl has turned one and I can barely believe it.  I am so excited that she is 1 but part of it is very bittersweet for me.  This, unless God intervenes, is going to be our last baby so this will be our last 1st birthday to celebrate and every milestone just feels very final.  I have been trying to appreciate the little moments not only can I not get them back but I miss the cuddle days with my 2 older boys now and they are still young.  Things are certainly hectic when they are little but so sweet and wonderful especially seeing all of their firsts.  Looking forward to all the fun that awaits us for this coming year.

Kids Run Wine & Food Race Weekend

My kids love to participate in races.  Perhaps it is the chance that they could be the first to cross the finish line or the medal at the end with the cheering and accomplishment.  Disney Run puts on many kids races throughout the year.  They are well organized and one of the few events that I feel that my kids are secure while racing and after when they are released to parents.

I went in advance to Wide World of Sports to pick up racing packets, bib, and shirt.  I always go in advance just in case they are too packed the morning of and we run out of time.  You just have to print out a wavier for each race your child is participating in and turn them in the main room.  Super easy process.  The biggest chore is walking from your car and back.  The race was on a Saturday and the first race didn't start till 11am which is a nice change from most kids races that start at the crack of dawn.  There are always activities and music to keep the kids busy until it is time to race.  For the smaller races 100, 200, and 400 they race in heats.  For the Mickey Mile which my 8 year old participated in for the first time this year everyone goes at once.  At the beginning of the race a child fell and 5 others fell with them.  All of the parents let out a collective gasp, thankfully no one was seriously hurt in the process.  The mile expands a lot of area and I with a 4 year old and wearing my 1 year old had a difficult getting to the end in time.  My 8 year old was hysterical by the time we arrived thinking I gave up looking for him.  The thought process of a child like I would give up.  The kids were overjoyed with their accomplishments and especially getting their medal.  The worst part was the exhausting walk back to our car.rundisney.com

My 4 year old after completing the 200M

 We all got exercise that day.  If you have the opportunity to participate with your kids for one of the races you should try it at least once.
***This post is not sponsored or affiliated with Disney or Disney Run.  No compensation was exchanged for this review.  

Boys Clothing

Since in the past I did an entire blog post on adorable girl brands, I thought it was fitting to highlight some great boys brands I have come across as well.


Andy and Evan -I have found a lot of great dressy type clothes here and I have been really happy with the quality as well.  Most of the items I have I got a great deal on Amazon for them.

http://www.andyandevan.com

Peek- Have a lot of nice prints and unique clothing pieces.

http://peekkids.com

Crewcuts-  A J Crew division for children I have found lots of interesting clothing options for my boys.

https://www.jcrew.com/Girls.jsp

Mini Boden-  Boden was on my list for girls as well.  There are some adorable options for boys and girls.

http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/kids-mini-boden

***This post is not sponsored or affiliated with any of the brands listed in this post.  No compensation was exchanged for this review.  All opinions are completely my own.

StyleWe

I am going to start this with a simple fact:  I love to shop.  Many of you I am sure can relate with this statement.  Being a busy mom I rarely have the opportunity to go out shopping for myself and most of my shopping is done online.  My style is pretty quirky so when I do shop I try to not only find value for what I am buying but also find unique pieces to add to my collection.

Stylewe is a website and app that is filled with so many unique choices to enhance your wardrobe.  I downloaded the app for my IPhone because shopping is so much easier for me on the go when I am chasing after my little ones.  The app is laid out well and makes it easy to find whatever you are looking for.  The site has stylish and fashionable clothing that can suit any style.  There are many clothing choices made by independent fashion designers and there are so many beautiful and exciting choices.

https://www.stylewe.com/category/tunics-73_126

One of the many things I like about StyleWe is they have free shipping no matter how much you spend.  Right now they are offering 20% off your first order.  Stylewe offers a unique shopping experience that  is hard to find in other commerce websites.  An opportunity to get a beautiful piece of clothing that doesn't look like what everyone else has and supporting independent designers who work so hard on these gorgeous clothing options.  If you are interested in learning more about Stylewe you can visit their website at  https://www.stylewe.com/

You can also follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/stylewe/

***This post is a sponsored post by Stylewe.  All opinions are completely my own.

The Isolation of Motherhood

Somedays I feel pretty alone in my journey of motherhood.  Day after day of taking care of your kids needs with little to no adult interaction can make you feel like there is no one who understands truly what you are experiencing.  Sometimes my day feels like it is on a repeating loop.  Kids though can always find a way to break through the monotony.  I always try to put myself out there in various meetup playgroups and other mommy and me activities so I can have some adult interaction.  It is always reassuring to know that other mommies are supporting and understanding what you are experiencing.  I think especially in the beginning with a newborn I feel the most isolated.  I am sure the lack of sleep and round the clock exhausting feeding, play a big role in that.  Not to mention that when you are a new mommy, even though I hate to admit the myth, but many of your relationships with your friends who are without kids will change.  I don't know why or how it happens but from my experience I have felt some distance from my childless friends after we had our kids.  I wish many of the friends that I have grown apart from would have wanted to be a part of my life with the children included as well.  I guess when you become a mom as well some of things that were important to you before gets rearranged and it can be hard to relate to.  As time goes on you adapt to a new normal and eventually find others who you have more in common with.  But nothing can replace those friendships from before because they were built on some things deeper than relating to being moms or some shared hobbies/activities.

Hurricane Preparation

Living in Florida for the vast majority of my life I have experienced my fair share of hurricane season. The hysteria that evolves as time continues on and on the weather channel the pure look of excitement when they are reporting the status of a storm.  You can always tell the seasoned floridians from the newer transplants.  The seasoned Floridians don't freak out and take stock of their pantry and fill bottles of water from their water source at home.  Newer Floridians buy food that will last a month and buy as much bottled water as possible.  Fortunately this time the hurricane died down and wasn't nearly as bad as was reported for us.  Unfortunately, Haiti got the brunt of the hurricane.

Winners

We just had two giveaways that have come to a close


Congratulations to

MaryAnne C
the winner of the Amazon Gift Code

and to





Betty W the winner of the baby items giveaway.


Please claim your prize at peeingwithdooropenmommies@gmail.com

Fall Activities

Even though it doesn't seem like it in Florida fall is coming.  These are some activities that we enjoy in Central Florida this time of year.

1.  Bake an apple pie
2.  Enjoy everything that is pumpkin
3.  Make S'mores
4.  Go to a Pumpkin Patch and Maze-  We go to Long & Scott's Farm http://www.longandscottfarms.com/scott-s-maze-adventures.html

5.  Go on a hayride

6.  Carve a Pumpkin

7.  Jump into a pile of leaves

8.  Eat a caramel apple

9.  Drink cider

10. Build a scarecrow

Hope you are able to enjoy some fall activities this year.

Am I Making A Difference?

As moms we worry about a lot of things.  Are our kids eating enough?  Learning quickly enough?  Keeping up with other kids? (that's a big one).  The questions can be endless.  The second guessing we as parents put ourselves through can be pretty torturous.   After all none of us are expert parents and learning kind of as we go.

In the parenting game, I often wonder if I am making a difference in my child's life with my lessons in moral character and attitudes.  I constantly feel as if I am trying to instill things in them but are they really getting it or are they listening to me at all sometimes.  Then when you feel like your child never listens to you they go and surprise you with something that floors you with their maturity and insight.  Then you think, maybe I am not doing so bad after all at this parenting thing.

What are some ways your child have showed you in an unexpected way that they are listening to you?

Overextended

With the start of the new school year comes the new year of activities available to your child.  My boy has been in Karate for a few years and really enjoys it.  He also started Cub Scouts last year and even though he was the only kid in his group and grade he stuck it out.  Fortunately this year there are a lot more kids in his group to experience it with.   Surprisingly, my non sports boy decided last year that he wanted to take up soccer.  I told him we had to wait for the new season to start to sign up and I also wanted to give him time to change his mind if it was a fleeting request.  When the new season was about to begin he asked again about soccer so we signed him up.  Now my 8 year old has Karate, Cub Scouts, and Soccer to attend and I am feeling very busy and quite possibly a little overwhelmed. When I add all this activities to all the things I am participating in, it is a extremely packed schedule.  It makes me think how am I going to integrate my 4 year old's interests into our schedule as well?  Hopefully they will have some of the same interests.  At least I won't be hearing the dreaded "I'm Bored" anytime soon.

Baby Items Giveaway

I have been frequenting some local Mommy conferences in my area and have amassed a collection of baby products.  So I am doing a giveaway for all of these items to one lucky winner.  The prize has the following items:

-Evenflo Advanced Milk Storage Adapters

-Pink Munchkin Basket

- Aleva Naturals Pacifier & Toy Wipes

- Aleva Naturals Tooth & Gum Wipes

- Aleva Naturals Hand & Face Wipes

- Sage Spoonfuls Container

- Mam Anti Colic Bottle 4.5 oz

-Phillips Avent Bottle

- Fresh Wave Odor Removing Spray

- Kinde Breast Milk Collection and Storage Kit

- Bans UV Bucket Hat

- Maya & Max Hat

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***This giveaway is not sponsored by any of the product brands listed in the giveaway.  Winner has one week to claim their prize through peeingwithdooropenmommies@gmail.com with valid address.  Winner will be randomly chosen by Rafflecopter.

Update of My Life with 3 Kids

Our family dynamic has been pretty hectic lately.  We are less than a month into the school year and I feel, maybe naively, that we have some semblance of a schedule in place.  Fortunately, the wake ups have gotten easier and less painful to endure.  Homework, although it is not looked forward to, is greeted with a more positive attitude than in past.  Inwardly though I am probably the one most in need of an attitude improvement.  Juggling an 8 year old with at least an hour of homework requirements and keeping him focused is challenging.  My 4 year old who is a preschooler has been receiving homework as well so getting him into a positive groove is definitely a priority.  My school days are pretty hectic with drop-offs and pick ups.  My 10 month old has been going with the flow thankfully not that she has any choice in the matter.  Finding the time to take care of everyones needs exactly when the have them is my biggest challenge.

Fall Giveaway Time

Time for one lucky person to win a $25 Amazon Gift Code.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***This post and giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated with Amazon.  The winner will be randomly selected through Rafflecopter and has 1 week to claim their prize.  Winners actions will be verified to legitimize eligibility.

Land Before Time Party

My boy who is turning 4 requested a Land Before Time Party.  Now for those of you who aren't aware Land Before Time hasn't been a popular movie in a long time.  This fact alone makes the party super challenging.  What resulted is a mixture of lots of Dinosaur items along with a score of 2 Land Before time party packs that I scored on eBay and spent far too much on.

I also was lucky enough to find some Jurrassic World party hats and noise makers on clearance.  At the dollar store I was able to find some dinosaurs large and small for the party. The smaller ones I decided to use in our Dino Dig

I found a Dino themed pool at Walmart for $10 and no I did not blow it up.  Not to say I didn't try.  My husband hooked it up to our car pump and a few minutes later it was ready.  Then I purchased a bag of play sand for $2.50.  We used some beach shovels and tools for the digging.  All together the activity cost about $20 and kids had a great time.

At the entrance of the door I cut out some Dino footprints

For the goody bags I used plain white bags and with a free hand drawling and green card stock I cut out dinosaurs and glued them on the loot bags.

Overall, it was a pretty easy party to piece together and my boy was very happy with the result.

1st Day of School

This year I am sending 2 kids off to school.  My oldest is going into 2nd grade and overall is generally looking forward to it minus the homework. My 3 year old is starting preschool and I am feeling a mixture of emotions. I am a tad concerned for him since he is so young starting.  My oldest was 4 almost 5 when he started preschool and my 3 year old just seems so young.  I am hopeful everything will be ok.  He was also a little slower with his speech development but let me tell you he has made huge improvements in this area in a relatively short time-so thankful.  I am emotional because at one point I was feeling pretty hopeless about my boy talking and after therapy evaluations with no suggestions for help.    So when I drop in off to school for the first time although I will try not to cry but I probably will.  Not because I am sad but because I am in awe of all the progress he has accomplished and so happy that he overcame all the problems he had.

So the first day of school despite some apprehension on my 2nd grader's part went well for him.  I was a little teary eyed when my preschooler was dropped off but so excited for him and the adventure he is going to have.  Hopefully the excitement for school will last awhile and make it easier to get through the school year.

Back to School Giveaway

A winner has been chosen for the $25 Amazon Giveaway through Rafflecopter.

Congratulations to






















Lidiya B.  Please contact me at peeingwithdooropenmommies@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Mini Legoland Getaway

My husband has been really busy with work so we aren't able to take a vacation right now.  Fortunately, we live in Orlando where there are so many fun touristy things to do.  We currently have Legoland annual passes so we would thought we would brave the Florida heat and have so fun.  It was an overcast day when we got to Legoland with some lightening in the area which meant they couldn't run some of the rides.  We had really bad luck and would get in line for a ride and right before it was our turn they would close the ride.  In the afternoon the showers and lightening disappeared and so did a lot of the crowd so we were able to do a lot of rides in a short period of time.

Anticipating the possibility of rain we decided to stay overnight at the Legoland hotel.  At the hotel it was all about the kids.  There were so many cool activities and fun details.  When you book a room, you choice which kind of themed room you want... Pirates, Adventurers, Lego Friends, and Kingdom.
We chose Pirates and the room was great with a kids themed area with a bunk bed and an adult themed area.  There was a treasure chest that we had to figure out the combination to and when we did there were all manner of Lego surprises inside.  The elevator in the hotel was essentially a dance elevator with a disco ball.  Everything my boys when inside they would bust a move.  At the hotel, they had lots of kid activities.  My 7 year old did the Master Builder's Class which you can sign up for at a Kiosk in the lobby.  At 8 pm there was a Pajama Dance Party which my kids had so much fun at.  There were also in the daytime so Lego characters to see and take pictures with. For dinner we are at the Bricks restaurant which is a buffet with lots of different options.  It was $19.99 for adult, 7 and up tween $10.99, and 3-6 $5.99.  The breakfast is complimentary and had everything you can possibly imagine for breakfast.  We had such a great getaway at Legoland Hotel and I know you will enjoy it too.
https://www.legoland.com
***This review post is not affiliated with Legoland or Legoland Hotel.  The opinions shared in this post are completely my own.

Back to School

Is it really August already??  The summer has seriously flown by.  I will have a 2nd grader and a preschooler this year.  I can barely believe either one of these.  Back to schedules and earlier bedtimes to prepare for early morning wake ups.  Completing supply lists, clothing shopping, and new haircuts.  I just found out about my children's meet the teacher events before school starts and was surprised to discover that my future 2nd graders' meet the teacher is at 8:30 am.  My preschooler's is 10 am which is reasonable but 8:30 am that is crazy.  It is going to be a busy morning.    The first day back to school is going to emotional for me since my 3 year old (soon to be 4) will be starting preschool.  If you have been following the blog you will know the concerns I have had about his speech development.  He has come a long way and I am so proud of the progress he has had.  A year ago I was not feeling confident about his ability to start school this year but happily and surprisingly he has proved us all wrong.  Both of my boys are ready and able to excel in school and I am more than thankful for this.

Once my boys are in school, it is just going to be my little girl and I which is going to be a huge adjustment. Especially with a busy summer keeping all 3 of my kids busy and entertained.  I am sure we will get used to it but initially it is going to feel a little sad.  I know a lot of parents are more than ready for the school year to start but I am going to miss the extra time with all my kids.  But I am excited for them because I know that the school year will bring new friends and new experiences that I couldn't provide for them.  In the past I have toyed with the idea of home schooling but we ultimately discovered that going to school is the best decision for my boys.  We are fortunate to live in an area with a wonderful school and my kids are super social kids.  They flourish is a busy social environment.  Just love how school and learning opens up the world to kids and expands the way they relate to the world and others.

Lunch Ideas

I always have the best intentions before a new school year.  I start getting inspired by different things and ideas to make the year easier.  Besides the understanding that my inspiration will last about a month, I am going to ignore this fact and forge ahead.  I have mentioned before that my boys are very picky eaters so packing a good, healthy, and satisfying lunch is extremely challenging.  In hopes of giving some of you some ideas for lunches for the new school year, I thought I would share some ideas and tips I have come across in my searches lately.

(Pick one)

Macaroni & Cheese

Chicken Nuggets

Mini Burgers

Make Your Own Lunchable: Pizza, sandwich, crackers & meat

Kabob: meat, cheese, tomatoes I don't know why but my boys are more interested in food when I put it on a stick

Chicken Drumsticks

Cheese Quesadilla

Waffles

Pancakes

Cereal & Milk

Pizza

Pinwheels

Tacos 

When I make things my kids are very picky about it siting together so sandwiches, tacos, Lunchable make a likes I keep everything separate to be assembled at lunch time. 

(Pick two)

Rainbow fruit (Strawberrries, Peaches/Orange, Pineapple, Grapes/Kiwi, Blueberries, Blackberries)

Apples and Peanut Butter

Fruit snack

Cheese 

Egg

Rice

Humus and pita chips

Carrot Sticks with dip

Salsa & Chips or Guacamole

Chips

Graham crackers

Apple Sauce

Yogurt Raisins

Yogurt 

Some ways to make lunches fun:  

Bento boxes

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Bento-Lunch-Box-Set/dp/B00YFTH8WU/ref=lp_2457292011_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1469846666&sr=1-7

Plastic character toothpicks

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Torune-EYE-FOOD-PICKS-10-Pcs-Japanese-Bento-Lunch-Box-Accessories-Cocktail-/291826660164?hash=item43f2397344:g:78oAAOSwiwVWTb3R

Cookie cutters for sandwiches

***This post is not sponsored or affiliated with any of the posts or links listed in this post.  

Engaged Kids

 I don't know about you but at our house we are struggling with having meaningful family time together and keeping my kids engaged.  My oldest would prefer to either play games or when he does play he is sometimes in his own little world.  My 3 year is always ready to play and is desperate for his older brother to have playtime with him.  Although I am no expert and I am still figuring things out I wanted to share some of my ideas.

1. Board Games- We have just really discovered the fun of board games recently since my 3 year old has been requesting to play.  When we used to play games he didn't follow the rules but now he can play games the right way.  When we play I notice my kids are fully involved and lots of fun interaction is had by everyone.

2. Cooking Together-  I really like to get the kids involved with meal prep when I can this especially helps my overly picky kids to be invested in the meal.

3. Arts and Crafts-  It doesn't have to be anything major just something fun

4. Science Project- My oldest boy is really interested in science.  Especially projects that have an effect ex. Volcano.  This really helps us to come together and not only dare I say learn but have fun as well.

5. Get out of the house- Go for a walk.  A change of scenery does wonders for my boys and their attention span.

My 7 Year Old's Post

I like RPG games and Roblox.  I like my skin in Robloks because it is cool.  I have some Angry Bird headphones and a Sonic shirt.You can build your own world, create your character the way you want, and play other people's courses.  Everything is free and fun.  Robucks cost money and you can get cool extra stuff but you don't need Robucks to play.  Maybe you have a kid who would like to play it.

I am not looking forward to school starting and I like being home.  The only thing I am excited about is being in 2nd grade.  My mom has been taking me out to lots of fun places this summer.  It is way too hot outside so we aren't outside a lot.  I like playing with my friends.


*This post is not sponsored or affiliated with Robloxs.  The opinions expressed in this blog are completely my son's own.

Pulling Up

I can barely believe how quickly things are going.  My little girl is meeting lots of milestones lately and her newest one is pulling up on everything.  How is this happening already?  I am really trying to live in the moment with all of her accomplishments since this is going to be my last baby.  Girls definitely do things different than boys.  In my experience my girl does a lot of things sooner than my 2 boys did.  One thing that my boys did first was getting their first tooth which happened around 7 months.  My girl is almost 9 months and her tooth hasn't appeared yet.  But other than that everything else she has done first...so far.  It is amazing to see how naturally a little one learns and the process it takes to get there.  Humans really are awesome.😉

The Summer Blues

We are in the midst of summer vacation and my kids have gotten more difficult to get out of the house.  My oldest just doesn't want to leave but once we are out he is fine.  I think the heat is really influencing the decision. We in Florida are getting a lot of feels like 105 days which is way too hot for me and the kids.  How we used to survive without AC is beyond me.  The heat is serious.   If I am really honest I would rather stay in for the most part as well. To get all the kids ready and motivated to get out the house is exhausting. But, I know my kids and I (for my sanity) need to get out of the house and have some fun.  It blows my mind that the summer is already half way over.  Also, trying to find something fun to do inside that doesn't cost an arm and a leg is challenging as well.  Hoping to have a good rest of the summer and lots of fun.  What are you doing to interrupt the boredom and have fun?  Suggestions welcome and needed.

Back to School Giveaway

Soon the summer vacation will come to a close and all of our little ones will be heading back to school.  I am in shock how quickly the summer is flying by.  I can't believe I will have a 2nd grader and my 3 year old will be starting preschool.  To get ready for the new school year we will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Code.




a Rafflecopter giveaway
***This giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated with Amazon.  The winner will be randomly selected through Rafflecopter at the completion of the contest ending.   Winner has 2 weeks to claim their prize through contacting at peeingwithdooropenmommies@gmail.com

Happy Baby Teethers

My little girl loves to be in control when she is eating.  From grabbing the spoon to holding the food she wants it and wants it now.  So when I came across Happy Baby Teethers, I was excited to give them a try.  They are an organic wafer that quickly dissolves in your child's mouth.  They have Blueberry & Carrot (Purple)

and Banana & Sweet Potato.

 One of the many things I love about these are even if she is super messy they don't present any issues when cleaning her after eating.  Also, they are easy to get out of clothing as well.  My older boys even like them.  They are designed to be used with sitting babies and there are 12 individually wrapped snacks with 2 in a package.  My little girl loves these and the control that she has to feed herself easily.  I don't have to worry when she has these since they dissolve so quickly.  If you are looking for an easy to handle snack for your young child who is sitting this is the perfect solution.  To learn more http://happyfamilybrands.com

***This post is not sponsored or affiliated with Happy Baby.  No compensation was received in exchange for this review and the opinions expressed are completely my own.

Happy 4th