New Instagram!!

Good morning blog world! I've started a new Instagram for the blog! It'll be more tailored to the content on here, but will also allow you to follow my day-to-day via my camera roll. :)

Follow me and the blog @beautyandthebalance

Thanks, loves and enjoy your Saturday!

Life Lately with the Little Ones

It has been a busy few weeks in my household! Vinny is learning how to read (more than just his sight words!), he's starting baseball, he's learning addition and subtraction, and he's preparing for graduation in the summer and kindergarten in the fall! Jakey is talking more. A LOT more. He's always been chatty, but he's trying to say more words now. One of the things he's gotten better at is saying his prayers. He says, "God bless Mommy, Daddy, Kuya (Big brother), and me! Amen!" I melt.

Meanwhile, I'm working on Easter crafts for the kids, baskets/gifts, baby showers and dinner parties, and Vinny's 5th birthday party!! It's gonna be a busy (and expensive) next few months. But planning is what I love, so hopefully it'll all pay off! Oh. And did I mention Robbie had strep? Yup. I've been taking care of three babies this week. --Are all men babies when they're sick? :)

On another note, let me take a few steps back to the baby. His attitude is something else! I'm excited that he is talking more, but I'm also afraid of what he might say! Lol...I've never had this problem with Vinny. Jacob is very aggressive and is definitely exercising his independence anyway he can. He's becoming more and more picky with his food too. I'm guessing that's part of his attempt to claim his independence? Idk. He is also standing up for himself more (against Vinny), which is good, but at the same time, he tries to do that with Robbie and I too. I wouldn't say it's become unbearable, but it's definitely taken a lot of extra effort to keep Jakey in line! I think I'm gonna have to revisit my "How to deal with a bossy toddler...Like a Boss" post soon! Gotta keep that post on hand. ;)

Anyway, I can say there's one thing that keeps my baby satisfied...Chick-fil-a milkshakes. Lol! Jakey experienced his first Chick-fil-a milkshake tonight (by stealing Vinny's!!):

How could I stay mad at that face?!

Til next time. Wish me luck with these little monsters! :)

Layers on Layers

One of my favorite ways to dress in the fall and early spring is to pile on the layers! It's so easy and effortless, and (almost) always comfortable! I dress the kids in layers a lot too, especially during the not-too-cold, but not-so-hot days. Here in MD, the weather and temperature fluctuates so much, you kinda always have to have an extra sweater or jacket on you, so this is easily one of my frequent go-to outfits...aside from t-shirts and sweatpants of course. ;)

I have to say...I am gonna miss boot season. Oversized sweaters and boots are such an easy way to camouflage the fat!! Guess it's time to start doing two-a-days at the gym!.....Maybe.

On another note, can we talk about how gah-orrrr-geous my photographer is?!! I'm hoping to have her as a guest blogger on here soon. :) Way to go, Kimbo.

 

10 Things I Want to Teach My Sons About Life

I know you've heard this a million times before, but being a parent really is the hardest job in the world. Here you are one day, having to worry about nobody but yourself, and within a few seconds, you're tasked with bringing another human being in this world and are immediately responsible for them and all their physical and emotional needs, day in and day out. You're responsible for their upbringing, teaching them, leading them--your world really does change forever.

Raising Vinny and Jacob--there are so many things that I want to teach them. There's so much that I can teach them, but there's also so much that they'll have to learn on their own. This is NOT by any means my entire list, or even my "top ten." These are just some of the most important things (on the top of my mind) that I want to teach my sons about life.

1. Be careful who you surround yourself with. Influence is one of the most powerful things in this world. Even when you don't feel like you're being influenced, you may be. Be careful who you keep close to you. You don't get to choose everyone who gets to be in your life (like your family), but you do get to choose some people (like your friends). Not everyone will have your best interests at heart. Ask God for the wisdom and clarity to see who belongs in your life and who doesn't, and when you know, protect your heart from those who don't.
2. Not everyone will show you appreciation. There may be many times where you will do great things and never be recognized for it. That's okay. Learn to be humble, and remember there's a greater power that sees everything you do. Do not let yourself become dependent on appreciation from other people. Learn to strengthen your inner voice and know that simply just doing good is enough, even if nobody tells you. Furthermore, not hearing appreciation from someone should not stop you from showing appreciation to those that do right by you. Show yours when you can. People will remember that about you.
3. Always try to bring something to the table. Whether it's "putting food on the table" for your family, or interviewing for a job, or meeting with a friend...bring value. If you have a family, take care of them. Not just your kids, but your wife as well. Make sure their physical and emotional needs are met, just like how you were raised as a kid. If you're interviewing for a job, know what makes you stand out and learn how to communicate that. If you're meeting with someone--your manager, an old friend, a new friend, a business partner, your girlfriend's parents--be there, be on time, and be present. Learn how to hold a good conversation. Learn a few good jokes. Share a good idea, or your opinions on something. You have so much personality and drive already (yes, I can see it in my 1 and 4 year olds!), don't hide it.
4. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. There's a lot of things that you will be able to do. Don't do them all. PLEASE don't do them all!! You're going to be curious, but remember--sometimes your "need to know" is really a "WANT to know." I'm all for letting you explore--be a kid, be a teenager, be a young adult in college. Go do your thing...but know your limits and boundaries and know when and what you shouldn't do. This goes for the way you treat people as well. You may end up being a really wealthy and powerful CEO one day! It doesn't matter how high on the totem pole you end up at. Never abuse your power. Always treat people with respect, and you will be respected. And at the end of the day, just do what's right. Trust me, you'll sleep better at night.
5. Perception is reality. People don't always receive your message in the way that you thought you were communicating it. Your intentions may be good, but your messaging may not make them look that way. Always, always, always remember that not everyone thinks the same as you. Learn people. Especially the ones that you want to keep close to you. Learn what makes them happy and what makes them tick. Learn how they understand things. Keep in mind that their perception of what you said IS their reality. That way, you'll know how to communicate with them clearly and effectively.
6. Be good to others, but also be good to yourself. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Be nice, be helpful, be humble. But also be tough. Don't let anyone take advantage of you and your niceness. Sometimes the people who hurt you most are the closest ones to you. I can only hope and pray you'll be able to see through all the bad people in your life, but unfortunately, that's something you'll have to learn on your own. You may have to get burned a few times before you can see the truth about some people. And that's okay. Learn from those situations, and learn to let those kind of people go. And more importantly, learn to defend yourself. There are ways to tell people how they have done you wrong. With some, hearing it from someone important to them may actually help them change and make your relationship with them even more valuable. Do what you can.
7. Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. One of my all time favorite quotes from Maya Angelou. This one explains itself. 
8. Only focus on what you can control. My good friend Kim taught me this and it's dramatically changed the way I've thought about and reacted to things. You can't change a person or situation. You can influence them and share your opinions, but you ultimately cannot change anyone. Don't let it stress you out. Sometimes, when you really care about someone, you're going to do all you can to make it work. At least I hope you do. But when that person isn't willing to change themselves or their situation, don't carry their burdens for them. ONLY think about the things you can do to make things better and do just that. In any kind of relationship--whether it's love or friendship--it takes two to make it work. Do your part, and allow them to do theirs. That may require some patience. Which brings me to my next point...
9. Be patient. Your dreams and desires won't come knocking on your front door. You'll have to work very hard for them. And let's say you live in some perfect world and they actually do come knocking on your front door...you'll likely have to work very hard to maintain them. Nothing in life comes easy. And honestly, good things feel better when they're earned anyway. Learn patience. But don't slack off. Keep at it, stay with good people, and you'll eventually get to where you want to be.
10. Don't focus on finding the right woman. Focus on being a good man...and the right woman will be easy to find or will even find you! Love and relationships are likely going to be a big part of your life. We humans like that stuff. I'm a firm believer that there's a somebody for everybody. Live your life with strong values, do good in school, be good to people, fulfill your dreams, stay close to your family, stay close to God...and when the right woman comes your way, you'll know. And your mommy will know too. ;)

 XOXO,

Baby Boy Style: Playtime Plaid

The kids and I went to dinner with my parents last night. Jakey had also just got a fresh haircut (his first!) and I had just unpacked and washed a whole big box of 18 month clothes for him. So of course I had to play dress up! I will do this until my kids don't want me picking out their outfits anymore. HA! Here's what he wore:

Those eyes get me every time!!

And one more of baby boy's fresh first hair cut! (drumroll please)

You can see it good in this picture. We went to Sport Clips. Good service, very fast, and very patient with both my kids and me! I kept circling the barber taking pictures since it was his very first haircut. ;p A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do!

Red Plaid Shirt || Nautica

Vest || Children's Place

Jeans || Polo (It was a gift from Macy's I think?)

Beanie || Urban Outfitters (Adult-sized beanie)

Shoes || Jordans (from Nordstrom Rack)

40 Things to Do on a Snow Day

It's snowing!! ....And it will be all day....nonstop.....yayyyy.

Okay, okay. I admit it. I love snow days just as much as the next kid. No, it's not because I get to work from home and get to play with my kids in the snow during my lunch break, then come in for hot chocolate, warm fuzzy socks, and work from my laptop while I'm under my cozy comforters watching TV marathons and movies for the rest of the day. . . . okay, yeah it is. :)

One of the best things about living in the mid/north east coast is that you get to enjoy every season (for at least 3 months at a time). But as much as I love being snowed in with my fam, a big part of me surely hopes that this is the LAST snow storm of the season! The back breaking shoveling and scraping ice off your car will end the fun for ya, that's for sure.

Anywho, this snow day has inspired me to think up a long list of things that you can do while you're snowed in (or...when you're bored.). Enjoy!!

1. Cook up a dish using a recipe that you've been wanting to try but never had the time to do.
2. Clean your house. Better yet. Deep clean your house.
3. Read that book that's been sitting by your bed waiting to be picked up. Oh wait--is that just me?
4. Go outside and build a snowman. (Queue song from "Frozen": "Do You Want to Build a Snowmaaan?" )
5. Plan a vacation. To someplace warm!!
6. Organize your closet.
7. Sell some clothes. Why wait for "spring cleaning?" You're stuck in your house. Go make some money!
8. Start watching a show from Season 1, Episode 1, and don't stop until you're all caught up.
9. Paint a picture.
10. Shop online. Be careful, this can get dangerous.
11. Make a short film! My uncle used to do this with me and my cousins when we were kids. Soo much fun and soo funny!!
12. Play a board game.
13. SLEEP.
14. Learn a magic trick.
15. Call at least 5 people that you haven't spoken to in the last 3-6 months.
16. Do the things that have been sitting on your to-do list. Or your honey-do list. ;)
17. Paint your nails and try your hand at nail art.
18. Clean out your car.
19. Meal prep. For the next whole week!
20. Work out.
21. Take a bubble bath. Simply because you have the time!
22. Go outside and take some creative pictures.
23. Try to copy Chick-Fil-A's fried chicken batter recipe.
24. Go to a friend or family member's house and get snowed in with them!
25. Teach your dog a new trick. If you don't have a dog, teach your kid a new trick something new. If you don't have a kid, teach yourself!
26. Mix up a new drink.
27. Do your taxes.
28. Scrapbooking!
29. Learn how to play chess.
30. Become better at poker. (Queue song: "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga)
31. Play Charades. Ever played the iPhone Charades app? Funniest. Game. Ever.
32. Paint in the snow with food coloring! I got that idea from another blog. The idea is to put food coloring and water into squirt bottles and have at it! Great idea for the kids.
33. Pick a room then rearrange it.
34. Offer to shovel one of your neighbors driveways. Cuter if the kids do it. But if you're an adult and you do it, don't charge anything. C'mon, pay it forward.
35. Learn how to dribble between your legs. LOL okay this is just something I tried to learn to do today. But thought I'd share in case anyone else thinks it's a great idea. Ha! :p
36. Sing karaoke!
37. Learn to play an instrument.
38. Dance!
39. Watch all videos of R. Kelly's Trapped In The Closet series. Or any other movie series for that matter.
40. Play dress up with your kids!

Or better yet--ready every post in my blog! :) For those of you that are snowed in like me, I hope you're enjoying your snow day and staying warm. Don't forget the number one rule of playing in the snow: Don't eat yellow snow!!

Race Car Birthday Party - with Free Printables!

Since he was born, Vinny has always been obsessed with cars! Finally, for his 3rd Birthday, he asked for a Race Car Birthday Party. At that time, I had just started in a new role at my company, and I was also early into my pregnancy with Jacob, so I didn't have a lot of time to dedicate to planning Vinny's birthday party that year. So I kept it simple. Well, my kinda simple. :) See the pics below!

People walked in on a "raceway" made out from black pastic table cloth and white duck tape. It started at the front door and led to the candy/favor table set up in the middle of the foyer. The food was served in the dining room, undecorated. I wanted to do more with it but I couldn't find the time. I've listed the additional ideas I had at the end of this post (just for you!). The details and print outs are below.

• Candy Jars - I purchased the jars from Ikea and I topped them with the R, A, C, and E medallions that I made.
• Red and Yellow Buckets - The kids were able to fill these buckets with goodies from the candy/favor table. They were $1 each from Party City!
• Green Baskets - $1 from Target! I looove the Target dollar section for party/event supplies. I got green to shake up the red and yellow theme I had going on. I figured the colors of the stoplight were appropriate for a race party as well. :)
• Red Backdrop - Red plastic table cloth hung from the ceiling.
• FREE PRINTABLES!! (Click to download)
• "Pit Crew Tools" Napkin Wraps
• Water Bottle Labels
• Happy Birthday Banner
• R-A-C-E Medallions (used for the candy jars, but you can use them for anything you'd like!)

Other ideas for a race car party:

• Fun with food!
• Use the "wheel" shaped noodles for mac n' cheese or pasta
• Serve a pile of mini chocolate donuts and put a sign on top of them labeled, "Spare Tires"
• Create a road/raceway as a table runner, then glue a salt shaker and pepper shaker to the top of two race cars, so when people ask to "pass the salt," you can roll it down the raceway to them!
• Label a bowl of trail mix "Nuts & Bolts"
• Sign for the food table: "Pit Stop"
• Sign for the drink station: "Fuel Up"

Enjoy!