A Gym Snooze, Painting, Verbal Antics & Purchases

Things have continued to be non-stop lately and I found myself multi-tasking to a ridiculous level (kinda the way the title of this blog post sounds, ha) the other day so I'm trying to tone it down and focus on one job at a time. Obviously parenting comes at the top of that priority list, so there's that. And then I took a 45-minute nap today, which kept me from being a zombie the rest of the evening, so giving myself props for slowing it down long enough to rest. Because a bed (or couch) is a way better place to snooze then the gym!

I was in my Body Pump class the other day lifting weights while the quads ran out some of their endless energy at the kid's club. My arms were burning and I was laying on the step bench on my back, so I lowered my weighted bar onto my stomach and closed my eyes to catch a breath. I kid you not that I flat out konked out for a couple seconds and completely went to sleep!!! My eyelids jerked open and I side-eyed the room to see if anyone noticed and then realized they were still finishing out their set of chest presses so obviously I hadn't been checked out for too long. I got moving pretty quick and finished out my own presses before I accidentally passed out again, ha! So you can see why I made time for a nap today.

We're also firmly in the phase of "kids say the funniest and most random stuff." The quads have been cracking the husband and me up quite a lot lately. And then also just interjecting their blatant observations whenever they feel so compelled. Like this evening when I went to pick up the kids from my mom's house—Kailey asked me to pick her up, so I did. Then she proceeded to pull the top of my shirt out wide, look down inside and casually say, "Those are your boobies."

Yup, that they are. Thank you for reminding me where I put them. Oh, and hi there Aunt Deanie and my younger brother, Ben. So nice to see you!

my younger brother, ben, and my aunt deanie 

myself and ben

my grandma, ben and my mom

Kids! They don't care who is there or where you have. If they've got something to say, it's gonna be said! And they'll wear necklaces. Logan put on seven of them this morning in preparation for going to her meemaw's (my mom's) house and I managed to bargain with her and cut it down to two. It was an intense negotiation there for a minute.

In between trips to the gym or visiting the grandparents, we've passed a lot of time at home reading, coloring and, more recently, water color painting. Logan is such a little artiste and takes it all very seriously, sometimes coloring or painting for over an hour.

Anyway, over the past two weeks I've had the chance to run a couple errands and even discover some good finds that I'm loving, like these darling floral PJ's. Both sets came together at Ross for only $8!

A trip to Bath & Body Works yielded the perfectly matched candle holder to my wine-themed kitchen and some deliciously-smelling coconut lotion. I'm a sucker for coconut every time.

Then another trip to Ross this week (while looking for a cheap stool) resulted in scoring a most comfortable pair of Steve Madden black heels for $21.99. Done and done.

Lastly, I couldn't resist this sweet Carter's outfit for a friend's upcoming baby shower. Those leggings are too much.

In other news, aside from shopping or my kid's verbal antics, I just recently launched my new blog series, The Professionals, where I'm sharing insightful advice and Q&A's from some of my good friends who are very talented in their respective fields and professions. It's gonna be a a fun series and I kicked it off with my long-time friend and synchro teammate Christine who is handing off her top tips for teaching kids how to read and enjoy literacy! Check back for part dos coming next...

What's in Our Summer Splash Pad Bag

Within the past few weeks, we've made multiple visits to our local splash pad and the kids are loving it! I'm loving it, too—I get to work on my tan and soak up some much needed vitamin D, plus it wears the kiddos out and they end up taking awesome naps when we get home. Makes it worth every effort! We've pretty much got our splash pad routine down and have our set of go-to supplies that make every trip with us, so I thought I'd share them here...

(This is not a sponsored post and all items are products we truly love! Some affiliate links are included.)

There's nothing better than soaking up some rays while watching your kids laugh and play in the water! And the splash pad is great because the only standing water is the little "river," pictured above, which isn't deep at all so I don't have to worry about the kids capsizing in a pool. Whew.

sistema tupperware | jute tote bag (similar) | Vita Coco Kids flavored coconut water | Walgreens After Sun Lotion and Aloe Vera Cooling Gel | Banana Boat dry oil | kid's beach towel (similar) | Aveeno Baby sunscreen | Frozen and TMNT buckets (from Dollar Store, similar) | chevron cooler bag (similar) | girls sunglasses (from Dollar Spot at Target) and boys Planes aviators | plastic table cloth (similar)

I tried to list links to comparable items for some of the things I couldn't find online, like my trusty chevron striped cooler bag. That thing is awesome! It's the perfect size to hold our lunch without having to lug a big, bulky bag and I just cram it with some frozen ice packs to keep everything cool until it's time to eat. The Sistema tupperware have really come in handy since they're small and divided, which makes it easy to toss in lunch meat and cheese on one side and maybe nuts or chips on the other. I also make quesadillas, pita pizzas and other easy lunches to eat picnic-style. The kids have been loving Vita Coco's flavored coconut waters, which are a great way to help keep them hydrated as well. The buckets were a great little find at our local Dollar General store, and the kids fill and dump them hundreds of times while we're at the splash pad. I usually stock up on several at the beginning of each summer to use for water, sand and play in general. My cute jute tote has plenty of space after towels, sunglasses and everything else, so I'll toss in some extra solo cups or cheap plastic measuring caps for them to play with as well. 

We've stayed sunburn-free so far thanks to my trusty Aveeno Baby sunscreen. I prefer to use Aveeno products since Harrison has sensitive skin and it has worked very well for us. Since I put sunscreen on the kids long before we leave for the splash pad, my own sunscreen is usually an afterthought. I don't like heavy coverage and usually prefer tanning sprays, but I've been liking Banana Boat's dry oil spray. I'll even spray some in my hands to rub on my face and the SPF 15 has proven enough to prevent any burning. When it comes to anything coconut-scented, I'm a fan so when I smelled the after sun lotion at Walgreen's I had to bring some home. It smells and feels great and was only $2! So was the aloe vera cooling gel, which the husband already had to use since he forgot to apply his sunscreen during our splash pad trip over the 4th of July weekend. 

And that's what goes in our splash pad bag for summer! 

What are your water-side go to products?

My Sanity Thanks Our Teachers

I remember ushering four kids down the hall, two or three of them holding tightly onto various fingers of my hand as they nervously shuffled their feet along. It was their first day at Mother's Day Out, a sort of pre-cursor to pre-school, if you will. I had to peel a few of them off of me in order to get them through the door of their class room and could still hear their wails as I made my way back to the front doors. But! Within two to three visits to their Monday class, they were loving it. And I was loving it! Alone time to accomplish things, clean house, run errands or simply be by myself is invaluable. -slow clapping for all the moms reading this- 

Thanks to two wonderful teachers, Miss Jean and her daughter Miss MacKenzie, my little quad squad has grown to love their school experience. They've met new friends, learned soooo many new things, they get out of the house and under someone else's care for a day, someone that I trust and respect and admire for teaching my kids so well and we all love this experience! What's better, is that the school is at our home church and the Christian-based teaching is so important and valuable to us.

We've now ended the school year and will resume with summer camp in a few weeks—which can't come soon enough!—but I made sure to grab some cute teacher gifts before their last day in class to let those special ladies know how much we appreciate their efforts!

It's not unusual for me to do all my shopping at Target. I can find any excuse to go to Target and we pretty much only frequent a specific Target store where the clerks, clinic nurse and store manager recognize us in the aisles—especially since Trystan's scary seizure when I was mid-checkout one afternoon. I just feel better shopping in a place that I know has everything I need in the case of an emergency! Besides, where else does it feel perfectly normal to buy bananas, spring wedge shoes and a cute striped toddler shirt all in one shopping trip? Don't forget the mascara and shampoo restock.

But I digress. I wanted to put together a cute summery teacher gift and managed to find everything I needed in my one-stop-shop. There's a fun note pad, perfectly scented summer-time candle, plastic stemless wine glass, pineapple-infused face mask, summer fruit flavored Eos chapstick and an adorable nautical basket (for $3!).

What childcare experience has saved your sanity? And what's your favorite teacher gift? I'll be needing many, many more in all the coming years!! :)

Five Things

You know how you get so excited when you find a new product or outfit or beauty tip that literally makes your day? And then you love it so much you use it or eat it or wear it for, like, a month straight?! That's how I feel about these Five Things in my life right now, which I'm sharing below in no particular order. Except maybe the cookies. ;)

1. Sugar Coma Cookies. So I have this gal pal that I've known since we were tiny little kids. She and her twin sister and I used to pal around while our moms spent time together, as they've been long time friends, too. We both grew apart as we got into the adult years then reconnected when she was pregnant with triplets and I was pregnant with quadruplets. I mean, what are the odds, right?! Mary is super creative and highly talented, not just in motherhood, but in just about everything she sets out to do. Thus it's been no shocker that she started decorating sugar cookies one day and literally one year later, her sweet treats are the hot commodity! She created some beautiful cookies for my second annual QMBFF—short for "quad mom best friends forever"—trip and we just about died over them. So delicious and perfect to look at. (And more on that trip very soon, as it's one of the reasons I've been MIA lately!) The hearts represent my three girls and one boy, and she also made us QMBFF ones, too. Love, love, love this girl, her kiddos and her cookies!

2. Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. I've probably blogged about these before, but they are the bomb.com! Easy to apply, lasts 10 days to two weeks and look like you spent hours on your nails! The geo-pattern I'm wearing above is the one I sported during my quad momma getaway. ;)

3. Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in Dewy + Smooth. This fab stuff is my new go-to for the face. I was tired of dried out skin and not looking fresh, but this foundation literally makes my face look dewy and moisturized without being greasy or shiny. And it lasts all day! Tip: This looks extra good when I wear it with my fresh, peachy Milani blush in Luminoso. 

4. Signature Soy Island Coconut Candle. If you've been following my blog for a decent length of time, you'll no doubt be completely aware that I'm unashamedly (and immediately) in love with all things coconut! One of my quad mommas—who was hosting us during our trip in California—gifted us with bags full of goodies, including this awesome candle. I will be replacing it immediately after I have burned it all up! It makes my house smell like a fresh, beachy, coconut-laden haven. (Psssst: the Red Velvet Cupcake scent is another winner, and is one of my go-to gifts paired with a bottle of Cupcake Red Velvet wine.)

5. Printed Knit Palazzo Pant in Vintage Black. If you've checked out any of the links I've provided for all this stuff, you'll notice the Target trend I've got going on right now. Seriously, several of my cute new clothing items for summer are from Target and who doesn't find 458,453,940 things you don't need when you browse the aisles slow enough to admire everything!? These pants are soft knit, thin material so they're warm weather-appropriate, and have small pockets. I wore the vintage black patterned ones on the plane and loved them so much I bought a solid black pair, too, so I can pair it with turquoise or pink tops. Comfy, stylish and stretchy waist banded!

What's one of your most favorite things right now!?

Five Things - New Beauty Buys!

It's been awhile since I've done a Five Things post and I realized I'd gotten several new beauty items that I'm loving so here's my scoop on what's new on my bathroom counter!

1. Have you heard of the Wet Brush before? It's truly a miracle brush. My hair gets soooo tangled after I wash it. Every time. Doesn't matter what type of conditioner I use, if I comb it through while in the shower or not. But by combining a wonderful detangling spray (see #3) and this Wet Brush in a cool chevron print, it's a far less painful process to work out the knots and not pull my hair out in the process. This brush works so well on dry hair and even when my hair is curly, too, and it's been pretty much all I've used lately.

2. I'd run out of my daily face lotion that I use in the morning (I opt for coconut oil at night before bed—there's so many uses for that stuff!), so I was in the market for a refill. I was about to go for my usual when I spotted Neutrogena's new Hydro Boost Water Gel and threw it into my cart. Because of our super cold weather, I'd had two dry spots on my face for a couple weeks that I just couldn't get rid of and less than 48 hours with this new gel they were gone. So, needless to say, this is my new fav lotion for muh face.

3. As I mentioned, tangled hair is my nemesis post-shower and this stuff is amazing for beating the knots. And it doesn't make my hair oily or greasy looking after everything's dried.

4. I'm not a big-time essential oil user, but I do have a couple in my arsenal that get a regular rotation. I took a small spray bottle from the $1 bins at Target's beauty section and filled it with about 36 drops of lavender oil and then water for a bedtime pillow spray. Smells divine and truly helps me relax after lights out. I also take a few drops to my face when my allergies are killing me (above eyebrows, down the nose bone and across each cheek). This stuff also works great in a wax warmer, as would any scent of oil. I add one tablespoon of coconut oil—the high heat oil lasts very well in the warmer—and 8-10 drops of essential oil and my house smells amazing. 

5. Last but not least, every gal is always in search of the perfect deodorant, am I right? I use coconut oil a lot but for the days I'm getting in a serious workout or I'm literally running my ass off chasing after the kids, I need something that's not gonna fail me. I snatched up one of Degree's new spray-ons and love it already. 

And now that I've solved all your face lotion and deodorant choosing problems, you're free to enjoy your weekend ;)

Solitary Retail Therapy

Last night, the husband and I stayed up well past midnight binge watching the first season of Madam Secretary. That show is so much better than I was even expecting it to be and we are totally hooked! A bag of popcorn and a slightly frozen Coke were the perfect TV accessories. I cracked a window in the living room to get some fresh, very cold air in so we could snuggle under extra blankets. Temps have been in the mid-30s for much of the week and promise to stay chilly over the weekend. Two days of rain have only added to the need to stay warm and comfortable, hence the giant crock pot of turkey chili I let slow cook all day yesterday for our dinner.

But before the watery weather hit and post-Christmas buzz, I got the chance to enjoy some alone time shopping when the husband offered to take over things at the house. My first stop was H&M since I'd seen some cute things through the window recently and wanted to further investigate. I snagged a bra for $7 (ahem, not pictured!), some cute flowy tops that'll be perfect with leggings and boots and an adorable set of hair bows for the girls.

A striped tunic top from JC Penney...

...and some super cute stuff for the kiddos, thanks to a thoughtful gift card given to them for Christmas. The plush princess dolls are awesome, even I think they're cute. Trystan found the pink Rapunzel one at church one Sunday and she carries it around the whole time she's there each week. Her teacher even told me how much that sweet girl loved it and was tempted to buy one for her! I had already received the gift card for the quads and knew just what I was going to be getting! I got the Cars slippers for Harrison on clearance for only $6.99, which was perfect since the girls got some super cute reindeer slippers from their cousins. The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse figurines have also been a big hit.

I pretty much can never walk by Victoria Secret without going in. I just love that store and everything in it—especially things that fit. I believe one can never have too many comfortable sweatshirts. Or turquoise.

this is the back of the same shirt, with a unique cut out - nice air flow for exercise??

I also dropped in at Carter's to use a bit of yet another awesome gift card the kids received from a dear friend. I was thrilled to find a set of tunic tops for the girls, some cute jeans and a sherpa vest for Harrison. It looks so charming over his button-up shirts! I'm excited to have still saved a good chunk of their gift card for the spring to invest in some cute warm weather pieces when Carter's starts bringing out new stuff. That store is such an addiction for me. Who knew I would love shopping for baby and toddler clothes so much!?

Last but not least, during my grocery stop at Super Target (a different one from where Trystan had her awful seizure this past Tuesday) I picked up a bottle of Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz by Boots Botanics at Target—it was recommended by a cute fellow blogger I read regularly—and a new Rimmel Natural Bronzer. Only $3.99 and I love the stuff. Kailey dropped my old one on my bathroom floor and it broke into a million pieces, so I figured I could invest in a new one at that rate.

It felt good to find some nice budget-friendly purchases and slowly sip a Starbucks iced tea while I meandered through the mall at a leisurely pace. So often these days I feel the pressure of sticking to a schedule or having at least four (little) people needing my assistance every other second, making time for myself a very treasured thing.

Happy weekend!

An Afternoon in Boston

Hi, I'm in Boston! The weath-ah here is gaw-gus and my ears perked up as soon as we arrived at our hotel and started overhearing that distinct accent.

"Welcome ta Bah-stun!"

It's a work-and-pleasure combo trip, so while the husband put in some valuable face time at his corporate office today, I've been walking my boots off all over town. I found Newbury Street where there's plenty of shops from Louis Vuitton and Valentino to Urban Outfitters and Ann Taylor Loft. I went into the latter and found some really cute stuff for 50% during a special sale they were having.

pants | top | sweater (similar style)

I headed back toward the hotel by way of a park in the middle of town and stopped to snap a few more photos. The weather here was originally supposed to entail loads of rain all weekend, but instead it's resulted in beautiful blue skies and mild temps. Today was around 72F, I think.

Just as I was about to turn onto our hotel's street, I remembered I'd spotted a TJ Maxx nearby and found some more great buys. Don't you love it when you find such wonderful things without even trying? Sometimes I think I shop better when I'm not in search of something particular. The two tops below are Michael Kors and I got them for $29 and $25, plus a bright blue bag that just looked like fun! I wanted to some more color in my wardrobe aaaannd I think that'll do it. Also snagged a cool Nautica tie for the husband, some acai berry face wipes for me and under-eye cream from Bliss (my fav spa).

Yesterday in the wee hours of the morning, the husband and I each loaded a suitcase and carry-on bag into the truck and headed toward the airport in the quiet of a not-yet-completely-awake Thursday morning. My parents had spent the night and both they and the babies were still sound asleep when we made our departure, and by the time they were awake we were boarding our flight to Boston!

| bag - sold out at Target (similar) |

shirt | leopard-print flats

It turned out to a busy day since we dropped our bags at the hotel room and freshened up then headed over to the husband's company corporate office and did a meet-and-greet with everyone. It was nice to put faces with names! After that, two of the guys from the office and their lovely wives drove us all out to the Patriots vs. Jets game at Gillette Stadium and we had a blast! The Pats won in the final seconds of the game and we met some really cool people around us in the crowd, like a local fireman who has three daughters. One of them is a police officer and was working stadium security that night, and his older daughter was sitting with him. He wore a patriotic red, white and blue custom-painted fireman's hat, which he said was his original fireman's hat that he had painted after 9/11 to commemorate the tragic event and our country. He wears it to every game! 

I've been enjoying a break from miles of walking this afternoon at Starbucks with my trusty green tea, but now it's time to get ready for dinner. Both the husband and I can't wait to get some really good lobster bisque—one of our favorite soups—so we might be heading over to The Boston Chowda Co. And I am also booking tickets for a duck tour tomorrow to get a true feel for the city.

Happy weekend!