Our favorite things:

Our Girl

In-N-Out Burger

Eli’s Lids

(in that order)

(pic taken July 2009)

Mondays I like to share something I got. We all like to share a good deal, splurge, unique find or fun activity. If you got something awesome (or lame) recently and blogged about it, be sure to leave me a link to the post in the comments!

We headed up to Arrowhead Lake last weekend. You know the weekend it snowed 2 feet?!!

Awesome!

Anyway, before we left we realized we has no snow clothes.

Nothing.

We be-bopped over to Sears. I haven’t been in Sears forever. Nothing against Sears, there just isn’t one super close to us and I think of Wal-mart and other stores as being cheaper. Um… I was wrong! Sears is my new favorite store. REALLY! (You know I don’t get paid by any stores/brands for what I write, right??) There were markdowns everywhere. We got Eli’s snow jacket for $12! TWELVE DOLLARS!!! The tag said it was regular $90. It’s two jackets in one – they snap together. Super great quality, thick, pockets galore, lined with fleece with a zip on hood. 

Cora’s jacket was $9. NINE DOLLARS!! It’s adorable with fur around the hood, super thick, lined with fleece, velcro around the wrists, and with sparkly flowers on the sleeve.

I can’t talk enough about what a great deal these were. We were just giddy with the great buy. They most definitely kept the kiddos warm. See…

There was TONS of other stuff on sale as well. I asked the cashier if there was a special sale going on and she said they are always having great clearances. I’m now pretty sold on Sears. I’m sure we’ll be going there again soon because Eli is quickly outgrowing all the older kiddos we get hand-me-downs from. He’s a giant.

We REALLY do wear our Lids all the time around here, and of course I’m always snapping pictures. Somehow they just don’t make it to the blog… till now! We’ve added Lid-Tastic Tuesday! Every Tuesday we’ll do a flashback post of pictures I never got to put on the blog.

Flashing back to August 2009!!

Cora was just 1 1/2 and she was a brunette! Here hair bleached out later that Summer… strange, huh?

She was on a Go Dog Go obsession. I LOVE this book! It’s timeless. My mom even remembers reading it to her little sister. The copyright is 1966… wow!  

When I read books to the kiddos I always read the author and illustrator on the cover page. They ask for “Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman” it’s adorable!

I think it’s so cute that Cora likes to play dress up in Lids. She put this one on herself… in case you couldn’t tell!

See the funny story behind the her cute dress here!

Did you know there is an aquarium next to LEGOLAND?

I didn’t!

It’s called SEA LIFE and it’s perfect for lil’ guys and gals.

Let me tell you all about it…

(Hot Hubby took that picture… isn’t it awesome!)

First you should forget your stroller (poor 3rd baby) and rent one. It was only $9 and was a great for hauling all our stuff. Then you have to be sure you’re wearing a pirate ship tee… it is the aquarium!!

The very first exhibit, Gold Rush River, has a slide. Which was great! We hung out for quite some time while the kiddos got their wiggles out. Perfect after our drive to Carlsbad. Then the kiddos were ready too look at all all the other awesome exhibits. We loved that some were open air, some were behind glass and some were touchable…

Of course there was a LEGO building break…

The highlight for us was the Lost City Of Atlantis. It’s a giant tank in the middle of the aquarium with sharks, sting rays and other undersea awesomness!

We loved the parts that looked like a pirate ship. Complete with a cannon!

Going through the whole aquarium took us an hour and a half. If the kiddos were older (or if the day was a one-on-one kiddo day) I think it could take quite a bit longer because SEA LIFE has lots of interactive exhibits with questions, games and such.

On our way out Cy was making the most adorable faces. Once again securing his place as favorite.

Randomly, my kiddos had a fit over the stickers and some little paper thing SEA LIFE handed out. It resembled a scratcher and I’m pretty sure it was for a Q & A game inside the aquarium. Eli and Cora loved the scratchers so much they slept with them for 3 days.

Random.

Or maybe an indicator they will be addicted to gambling???

Check out SEA LIFE soon!

You know I love date night with the Hubby. But I also love a good family date! Family Date Night doesn’t have to be extravagant it just has to be intentional and with the family. Simple. We try to do it once a week and our kiddos really look forward to that special time with us.

This time we went to Ruby’s Diner on the Huntington Beach Pier. So fun! The walk to the restaurant was an adventure to the kiddos. I had the strangest feeling one of the kiddos would fall off. Do you ever have those irrational moments? When you plan out the whole “what if” scenario? It didn’t help that Eli was a crazy maniac climbing on all the pillars… very uncharacteristic of our cautious first born.   

Here was my plan…

If one of the kiddos fell in, I couldn’t jump in because I would kill myself and then the remaining kiddos would be siblingless and motherless. Brad could maybe do it. But I wasn’t about to actually ask him at that moment because then it would only confirm he married a psycho nut who plans extensively for off-the-wall situations. Anyway, lets say he did jump in because he’s totally a save the day type guy. Then I would run screaming down the pier that a child fell off and hope a local beach guy/gal would jump in to help out. I mean, have you been in that Ruby’s?? I would bet half the staff has jumped off the pier on a dare. They are all young and beachy looking. I was just glad that no one did fall in… mostly because my plan totally stunk! 

Cora walked to Ruby’s with her hands on her Lid because she didn’t want it to fall off. (In case you’re wondering, the Lid won’t fall off. It’s cozy cotton/lycra blend keeps it snug on lil’ heads!)

Cy was just chillin’ in his blazer. I forgot his jacket (poor 3rd baby) and luckily we found it hiding under a seat in the minivan. At least I had Lids!

Prayer…

Lid hair…

Ruby’s is such a great place for kiddos. The décor is super fun, the staff is awesome and if you’re lucky Rambo will come by and make your little pirate a pirate sword. Rambo was the name on his nametag but I’m having a hard time believing his mom always dreamed of having a lil’ Rambo around the house…

Cora Jane asked for a My Little Pony but Rambo didn’t know how to make a horse.  Her second choice was a pink pirate sword. Of course.

On our walk back to the car we were chatting with another family. I shared with the mom about my irrational fear of one of them falling off the pier. She told me they canceled a cruise because she had a dream one of her kiddos would fall off the ship.

That made me feel better.

I’m a mom.

And I’m a little crazy.

That’s cool.

Because we are all a little crazy.

Happy Family Date night! Tonight we are going to Farrells in Mission Viejo!!

We REALLY do wear our Lids all the time around here, and of course I’m always snapping pictures. Somehow they just don’t make it to the blog… till now! We’ve added Lid-Tastic Tuesday! Every Tuesday we’ll do a flashback post of pictures I never got to put on the blog.

I like sleep.

Like a lot.

Hot Hubby knows this and will often take the kiddos out for a breakfast date of Starbucks and donuts on Saturday morning so I can snooze the morning away.

It’s awesome.

Like REALLY awesome!

Today’s flashback takes us to February of last year…

The kiddos get smoothies and Hot Hubby gets some crazy custom drink I’m too embarrassed to order for him when I go in…

Cora Jane had just turned 2 and we thought she was getting so big. What an amazing little gal she has become now that she’s 3!!

Thanks for flashing back with us!

Mondays I like to share something I got. We all like to share a good deal, splurge, unique find or fun activity. If you got something awesome (or lame) recently and blogged about it, be sure to leave me a link to the post in the comments!

You may be wondering where I have been… I haven’t blogged in a week.

Eeek!!

Everything is awesome but I have been too exhausted to blog. I started Fit Body Boot Camp 4 weeks ago and I’ve been going full throttle 4-5 days a week.  My weight loss to date is 4lbs but I have noticed I’m firmer all around.

See these pictures…

The first one was taken 2 days before I started (at SEA LIFE aquarium) and the second one was taken at the end of week 3 of boot camp (Elmo’s birthday party at the Discovery science center). The camera angles are a bit different but I think it’s pretty evident I’m getting smaller. My hubby says my rump is getting firmer… but he may just be looking for excuses for a butt tap… 

I’ll keep you posted!

Mondays I like to share something I got. We all like to share a good deal, splurge, unique find or fun activity. If you got something awesome (or lame) recently and blogged about it, be sure to leave me a link to the post in the comments!

I needed a diaper bag but I just couldn’t fall in love with anything out there. I firmly believe you should adore your diaper bag because you tow it everywhere everyday. It’s faithful like an old friend – always there and always has your back (with extra clothes, snacks and emergency toys).

I did fall in love with this lil’ beauty, but after I realized I could feed, clothe and educate a child for a YEAR with the cost of that bag, I opted out. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to find another bag until I fell into the etsy vortex, discovered and bought this in CINDYMARS7’s shop…

My hubby even wears it. (as seen here stealing balloons from Elmo’s birthday party at the Discovery Science Center)

It’s a great bag! REALLY well made and durable. I know, because the first day I used it, Cy’s bottle leaked 8 oz of formula all over in the inside. I washed it on delicate, then promptly forgot about the load in the washer so it turned sour. Having more laundry to do, I washed it AGAIN in a regular wash with other clothes. The bag survived and still looks perfect. How many diaper bags can you toss in the washer?? I do wish it had a few more deeper pockets but please don’t let that deter you from getting a bag from her shop. The only problem you’ll have it picking just one you like.

Here is Cy contently playing next to the bag so you can see the scale…

Or he’s having a raging fit because I replaced his blocks with the diaper bag…