Boho Braid Crown

 What is there to do but hair right now?   No one can go to the salon we are all looking a little shaggy right about now.  So, let's have fun with your hair!  You will need a lot of patience, a few kid-appropriate expletives, I say Crimony a lot, skittles to bribe a child into being still,  and don't forget the hair supplies!  We had some fun with this super fun go-to braid crown.  I like this hairstyle because as the bangs grow out you can just add them into the braid across the front to keep them off the eyes!

A 5-pose yoga routine for busy Moms

 A perfect sequence of 5 yoga poses you can do even if you're a super busy Mom.
Guest Post by Nicola Smith

When you're a busy Mom, fitting in a workout every day can feel like an ambitious goal. And while you may hear that you, 'need to fill up your own cup first,' when life gets busy, looking after your own health can quickly be forgotten. Enter, yoga — a workout for your mind, body and soul. Yoga is perfect for calming the nervous system and strengthening and stretching all the muscles in your body.

Mom Fashion Moment

Sometimes, I look in the mirror and see a mom who once took a little pride in how they look. Outfit used to be on point, make-up painstakingly applied, bag and shoes matching, all of it assembled with the ease that the time a person has sans kids.  Now, most days, its messy buns/rats-nest shoved into a rubber band, socks and shoes of the slip on variety (which may not be matching because who really has time to search for matching pairs), yoga pants, and one of my husbands old shirts that, with luck, doesn't have a hole in an odd spot. Let's face it, as a mom, most days are the roll out of bed and go type of days.

Trick or Treat bag!

 Each year we end up getting new Halloween buckets.  Last years end up lost, broken because they are cheap, or somehow as decorations for the house.  So, why not make your own that can be used year after year?

Pregnancy side effects: Varicose Veins

Their are so many things about pregnancy that no one tells you about.  It can be shocking to experience when you are expecting to have this perfect "glow" while you are creating this perfect little creature and you will eat pounds of ice cream without gaining a pound past the ones that go directly to this perfect little being.  The realities can be very different for some, including me.

Ladybug Clip Review

My little one is teething and tends to lose his teethers left and right.  I've found that freezing or chilling some pacifiers can work while I'm disinfecting the teethers.  I have some great teething necklaces, but when I'm not holding him the teethers tend to get lost.  Still teether, chilled pacifier they all seem to drop and then I'm either searching his seat for them or trying to figure out where he lost them on his crawling expedition around the house.  It is such a pain!  

Francois et Mimi 700 Thread Cotton Luxury Sateen Egyptian Cotton Sheets King Size

Sleep is something that I practically ran from when I was younger.  I now I wish I could go back to my younger self and shake them into getting more sleep.  Mainly because, as a mom, sleep isn't something that I get the chance to take advantage of often.  So, the bed has become a place that I wouldn't mind having a stay-cation in!

Cranberry Baby Diaper Bag

One of the most used items a mom will ever get or need is a baby bag.  It will be where you turn when things get messy, busy, sticky, or half a dozen other situations.  The more kids you have, the more moments that need something from the bag you will have.  I have 3 kids, so I'd better have a big bag!

UniqueCoolYou Coupon Codes!

As a mom I feel like I live in comfortable clothing!  It can be hard to keep a personal style when all you wear is sweats, yoga pants, and leggings.  UniqueCoolYou has some awesome leggings for everyone's style and I got my hands on some coupon codes for you to use!  Check out these Codes and don't forget to use them while your shopping!

Diapers.com Coupon codes!

Check out some great coupon codes that I found for Diapers.com!  I know more than one of you probably shop at this online store and so I figure I'd share some of the codes I found to help you save a few bucks!  You just go to Diapers.com by clicking here: http://sharedwithlove.com/l/4j4lbdcd9ro4 and enter in one of these codes to get the deal!

Adorable and Affordable Nursery Cuteness

So, I have a little of my own, plus I'm going to be an Auntie soon!  So naturally, I'm looking for some baby cuteness for my sister and myself.  I found some serious cuteness going on at Baby Bedding Town, you can find them here: http://sharedwithlove.com/l/2x2vh173ho4, and the prices were pretty good when compared to some of the brick and mortar places I've looked through.  They had some seriously expensive items for those of you with large wallets plus some items for those of us a little more wallet consious that didn't lack in the cuteness factor!  If you are looking for yourself or someone you know check them out!  Get some adorable stuff to finish the nest up with and have it delivered, save yourself the drag of waddling through the store pregnant!

Lil Rhino Travel Diaper Changing Station

I run a home daycare so in the past I haven't needed much as far as diapering on the go.  That said, I'm now on my third child and the other two have classes that keep our schedule busy.  Mix that with our enjoyment of hiking and I've found my need for diapering on the go supplies increase.

Hot Milk Review

Having a baby is just the start of the circus that your life has now become.  You will find yourself to be an expert juggler.  Speaking of things you will be juggling you will find that a little assistance may be needed to juggle a few things that developed after having the baby.  That's right I'm talking about the milk jugs you now carry around with you all day long.  They can be a little uncomfortable and support is a welcome relief!

First week of Fitness program is over! Shoot me now!

So, we are on day 9 of my push-up a day plus one New Year Resolution challenge that I've assigned myself.  For the past 3 days I have failed to get past 7.  It sucks, but was expected.  I knew my challenge was potentially unattainable, but that isn't going to stop me in trying to get their.  I may plateau at 7, but eventually that will lead to another climb in numbers.  So, while I'm behind the year isn't over, even if my arms are feeling like they may be over the push-up challenge.
I've also been doing the Bikini Body Mommy 90 day work out and have stayed committed to this weeks video's.  Some days I've literally taken the entire day to do a video, stopping between each exercise to do something with the kids.  Some days I have not even done the work out until 10 or 11pm, but even with the exhaustion and late hour I wouldn't let myself fail and miss a day.
My body is screaming at me.  My jiggles are developing jiggles, which is a good sign that its working and loosening that fat up!  I also had a huge set back in my numbers or "scores".  I realized about 2 days in that I was pushing my body to just do the motions and not to do them correctly.  I was dropping my chest in squats, hunching over between touching the floor, raising my bottom during plank or other exercises involving the plank position and worst of all I was abusing my yoga form during stretches.  Shifting weight to compensate or appear to have a deeper stretch, not listening to the order of stretches my body was asking for, and generally allowing it to cheat to get comfortable and not healthy were all abuse of the yoga form I once had.  So, I've done less reps, felt more discomfort (pain is bad, discomfort is normal for me), and altered the cool down to go chaturanga to cobra, or bhujangasana, back to down dog repeat, then put the childs pose where she does the downward dog later in the cool down sequence.  My body was feeling uneven and with the lack of proper form I was feeling it in my back so I listen and straightened myself up.  I still did all the moves and only changed the cool down sequence to match my needs using her poses.  So, I'm put up less scores, but I'm competing with myself and for me it's about getting back to healthy form, not having the highest score.
We have the weekend off, well as much as we can have it off with kids running about and the home remodel still going on, DIY unit!  I'm sure my body won't notice we have 2 days without the program and will make sure to scream at me each day, but I'm going to let it scream.  It isn't the healthy me's body that is screaming, its the bad habit out of shape me that is screaming, the fat on my body is screaming at my muscles freaking them out because the fat knows it's days are numbered and what my muscles don't yet know is that this is their big come back year!  So, I'm going to let it scream a little and I'm going to learn to love the sound of that scream as I find the fit me once again!
I hope your sticking to your plan for the year, adjusting where you see the need, and not letting yourself excuse away your goals.  Its not easy, this week has had a lot of crappy feelings come to surface and times where I just wanted to give up or slide back, but I've pushed through.  It won't be the last week that sucks, but it will lead me to more good weeks when it is over than I would have if I don't do this for myself.
PS. Something that I need to remind myself is that I need to eat more banana's, my body will probably scream less if I do!

Tree of Growth Autumn fun!

Kids grow up so fast!  Each season it seems like they have already changed so much that the moments I just had are already being replaced with new moments.  Trying to capture those moments can be hard, but with some kid powered imagination it can also be a lot of fun!

Babo Botanicals Coupon Code

Check out these great products for babies, new moms, kids, and the whole family!  Organic for your sanity with a great coupon code for your wallet!  Check out this great coupon code!  

Skinnaturals Review

I hate shopping for skin products, there are so many choices.  Then, having to find something natural means standing in the skin section reading labels forever, and I just don't have that kind of time. Probably why I look for these things online.

WEXY Snack Bags

My kids are the worst eaters sometimes.  My  son is better than my daughter, but he sometimes follows her picky eater lead.  I'm always looking for ways to help encourage them to eat.  From hiding things in food to making the food look like a spider or other fun thing, a mom has to bring out all the stops to encourage good eating for your kids.

Beauty Box Review

We all need a little pick me up.  Something to brighten our day, remind us that we aren't just mom's but woman.  A little pamper box is just perfect for a five minute lift!

Bath Path Lavender Bath Salts Giveaway!

Bath Path Lavender Bath Salts Giveaway

All these holiday coming up and I am in mommy mode overload!  So, I need that coveted mommy bath break!  I'm sure many of you do as well and so I was excited to team up for this awesome giveaway to help you relax and de-stress this season!