Keep In Touch!!

So I've been reading that google reader is leaving- I really don't know how I will read all my favorite blogs anymore!?!?

But, I want to still keep in touch with you!! You can follow me through bloglovin or through facebook!

 

 Also, if there is a way I can follow your blog still, leave me a comment and let me know! I want to stay in touch. 

 And don't forget to enter my Giveaway from yesterday HERE!

Little English Review and Giveaway!!

I can't tell you how excited I am to be doing this post today! I was contact by Little English to review some of their clothes. I was able to choose a couple of outfits for the kids.

When I first visited their website, I was so excited because their clothes were so cute! I picked out the Peter Pan Yoke Dress- Bunnies for Maddie, and I chose the boat shorts for Gus.

When the package arrived, I was so pleased with the clothes! They looked even better than the pictures. The fabric was soft, and I couldn't wait to put them on the kids.

And here is how cute they were!

I know you are going to like their clothes just as I do! I hope to get more for the kids in the future. Lucky for you, my readers today can get an extra 15% off already reduced items!! Great Deal!

The code is: Fabulous15

And one of my readers will also win $50 to spend toward their Spring 2013 collection! Exciting right?!?!?

Just follow the directions below to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I had such a great time doing this review. I was given the clothes, but the opinions are completely my own. If you have something you would like me to review, please contact me! I'd love to work with you.

Weekend Away

We decided last minute last week that we needed some time away. Josh had a few days in a row off, so we took advantage of this opportunity! We are lucky to live not too far from the mountains which I LOVE, so Saturday morning bright and early we hit the road. For me, there is nothing as good as some mountain air and cool morning and evenings.

We took some back roads- we didn't know it was basically one lane. But we also had a bald eagle fly over our car- how amazing is that!?!

We got to town just in time for lunch at one of my favorite burger places. We discovered Gus likes onion rings!

Gus and Josh did a lot of exploring. Gus LOVED being outside and walking on trails with his Daddy.

 

We also enjoyed some time at a park. 

 

 

 

 We went to the grocery store. I had to let Gus push this cart- I used to do the same when I was little and visited this store!

Early one morning we all went for a hike. Maddie did not like it.... And after about 30 minutes Gus wanted to go back to the car. We tried another trail later and everyone enjoyed it.

5 Deer were on the side of the road one morning, and they were not scared of us at all!

We did a lot of relaxing and doing nothing while we were there. That's what a vacation is for right?!? We got to read, relax, spend time outside, and spend time together. We had a great time. 

My first GIVEAWAY will be this week, so be watching for it!

Maddie ~ 7 Months

Maddie, I feel like I just took pictures for your 6 month post! Wow!

You have had a big month. You are very close to sleeping from about 7 pm to between 6-7 am with only one bottle at 10pm. After 10 we don't visit you until morning.
 
Some nights you cry, some you don't. But it's so much better than before! 

This week alone has had lots of milestone. You pulled up to standing in your bed on Tuesday so it's been moved down. Yesterday you crawled! 

You are so much happier now that you can play and move around!
 
 I love seeing you happy. We have been playing with Gus a lot and that is your favorite.
 
You love to run with Gus and Daddy. You get so excited when Gus plays peekaboo with us! I can't wait until you can run around with him.

Gus loves you!

 

 I love you so so much! I love your cuddles, your sweet smile, and your giggles when I tickle you. I'm so happy you are my little girl :)

P.S. Notice Maddie's dress in the first picture??? I'm so excited to be doing my first GIVEAWAY and DISCOUNT for the cutest kids clothes. Be watching next week!

Gus- Oh my.....

Gus- he is such a character! He makes me laugh on a daily basis. He knows how to be cute to try to get his way. And sometimes he is just so hard to resist. All that said, the last few weeks have been pretty hard too. Gus is quite hard headed and has a little attitude lately, hopefully we will all survive this phase.

I wanted to share some pictures and videos of my favorite little guy. From the videos, you would think we only eat out or order food. This is one of my favorite things Gus does!! And he's using his mickey mouse IPhone :)

This first one is for "Chicken Fries" (what he gets at McDonald's)

Here is him ordering an enchilada (chi-li-las)

And finally you can't have an enchilada without rice and beans!

 

 Gus is hard to catch smiling on camera. So I had to work to get these!

Love this smile!!!

A Visit From Friends

Some of our best friends came to visit for one night. They have just started on an amazing adventure! They are moving to ALASKA! And they are DRIVING there from TEXAS. WOW right?!?! I'm so excited for them although I'm a little sad that our visits will be even less frequent than they have been over the last two years. Luckily Randi and I can still text daily and keep up with what is going on with our lives as mommies! 

We ate our traditional Mexican food that we've been eating together for the last 7 years. Our boys played together. We stayed up late talking, taking advantage of our precious time together. 

And its still hard to believe that we have gone from this in December of 2010:

To this in June 2013:

So blessed by my friendship with our precious friends! Can't wait to follow their adventures in Alaska!!

Big Weekend Part 2

I'm now going to finish blogging about the trip we took last week. 

After visiting Josh's parents, we headed to my sister's house. My sister has a home on some land, and my parents just built a house on the land next to hers. My sister has a horse, cow, chickens, turkeys, and a bunch of dogs- everything exciting to a little boy! My dad also has a horse and some longhorn cows. One of the most exciting things for Gus was Big Daddy's tractor!!!! Within about 20 minutes of us getting to my sister's, Gus was on the tractor with Big Daddy. 

 

 

Maddie enjoyed her cousin's swing. 

My grandparents came to visit too, and we enjoyed catching up with them. 

Gus, Maddie, and their cousin had fun playing together. I know it is just the start of many more years of fun. 

 

Family Travel Tips

As I'm in the middle of blogging about our last family trip, I wanted to share a guest post from a fellow mom about traveling with your family this summer! I hope you enjoy the tips!

Make Traveling with the Family Fun This Summer!

The sun is out, the beaches are bustling, and you're ready to get out and enjoy the summer with your family. Well, before you grab your flip-flops and hit the pavement make sure to take the time to plan your great vacation. Taking some extra time to implement a few traveling tips is a sure way of making this a summer vacation worth remembering.

1. Deciding Where to Stay

Want to plan the ultimate kid-friendly trip that will still allow you to relax?  Look into family friendly resorts!  These can be skiing trips or tropical paradises.  There are a variety of indoor waterparks at hotels now.  Try a serene resort in the mountains with horseback riding or explore a stay at a family dude ranch.  These places specialize in fun for every member of the family and will offer kids clubs and day excursions as well as golf and spa treatments for mom and dad.  My family’s trip to Hawaii provided every member of my troop with a variety of age appropriate fun while continuing to be ranked as a top Honolulu hotel.  At a minimum, make sure your hotel offers a fridge for storing healthy snacks and bottles.

2. Getting Everything Ready to Go, and Ready to Return

Take time to pack everything a couple of days before the trip. Waiting until the last minute will add a lot of extra stress. When you're preparing to leave, also make preparations for your return home. Bringing extra plastic or reusable bags in your suitcase can come in handy for your trip home. Extra bags can help separate clean and dirty clothes, keep toiletries contained and hold a wet swimsuit when you just can't resist a last-minute dip in the water. 

3. Travel Comfortably With Your Baby

You want to make sure that your baby is comfortable during travel, and that you're comfortable with the trip as well. Portable cribs are a great option if you're traveling with a baby. Baby Bjorn’s Travel Crib is a great option as it is super lightweight and highly recommended by the mothers with young ones. A crib that you and your baby are used to will give you both piece of mind and make bedtime away from home a lot smoother.

4. Keep Them Occupied on the Trip

Technology does a great job of keeping kids occupied while traveling. It will also make traveling more peaceful for you as well. Download some audio books onto one of your electronic devices -- this allows your child to listen/"read" their favorite books while traveling. Many public libraries offer a variety of audio books for adults and children, for free.  Make sure they have headphones so it won't be disturbing other people on the plane, train, or in the car. It will make the time fly by for them, and will keep them from asking, "How much longer?" every few minutes.

 

5. Traveling on 4th of July?

Firework displays are large travel attractions for many families this summer, particularly for the 4th of July. You will find many opportunities to watch a fireworks show, or even put on a show yourself.  While enjoying these spectacular shows from your beach balcony or our Nation's capital, make sure to keep your children safe by keeping them at an appropriate distance.  Another 4th of July favorite while on vacations are sparklers.  But did you know that these can heat up to 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals? A safe vacation is a good vacation.

Whether you're traveling by plane or car this summer, you can use these tips to make sure that you have a great time with your family.

Bio: Kendra Thornton: Travel advocate, TV spokesperson, PR businesswoman, proud wife and mama of 3. I am a long time travel expert who has been packing my bags and traveling the world since I was 3 months old! I've found my utmost desire in life is right here in my own home. I have taken my excitement for travel and brought it to you with some of my favorite travel tips and tricks. Enjoy!