Men's Gift Guide

When it comes to shopping for Jeremy, I dread it! Not because I don't love shopping for him, it is because he makes it SO hard! When he wants something he just buys it, so when I need to find him a gift I have THE hardest time! 

I rounded up a few items if some of you are in the same boat as me when it comes to buying the man in your life a gift (or a few!)

Men's gift guide by meganlawless 

What is on your list for the man in your life?

Holiday Shopping

I have been ON A ROLL this holiday season! We got ALL of our holiday shopping done online! No waiting in lines, no whiney babies and  in the comfort of our own home!

FIRST OFF, I HIGHLY recommend that you sign up for Ebates if you plan to do ANY online shopping. I thought it was a scam at first but then I heard Kelly, Becky, Erin and others using it so I figured I would try it out and am I GLAD I did! It is the real deal! Basically you go to the website, search for the store you want to shop at and then click the link. You get a percentage back and a lot of the time they have coupon codes, codes for free shipping and right now because of the holidays, the pay outs are even bigger! Check it out, if you are an avid online shopper like me, you will thank me! :)

TARGET

Target has had some AWESOME deals online! If you are shopping in the store, make sure you have the cartwheel app as well as sign up for the texts! You can also print off coupons online! Last week, our store ran a promo if you spent $75 or more you got a 20% pass to use on a shopping trip. I earned that pass buying diapers, formula and sippy cups that I was already there for so that was awesome! haha Check your ads and online for more deals!

KOHLS

I LOVE this time of year at Kohls! We have been earning our weight in Kohls cash thanks to Liv's Frozen obsession! Jeremy's closet is bursting at the seems with Olaf and Elsa dolls, stuffed animals, night gowns, etc. They have been running SO many promos on the frozen stuff online! You can also use your pass! Sign up for their coupon texts and you can use the code in the store AND online! Also free shipping through ebates! (at least it was last week!)

Bath & Body Works

I LOVE the BIG candles, they last forever! They make the perfect gift and are on promo now 2 for $22! Also LOVE the wall flowers which are on promo 4 for $20 or 6 for $24! There is also a coupon I got in the mail recently that when you spend $30 you can take off $10!

Ulta

I LOVE Ulta! Make sure you are signed up for their rewards card! I earn so many points on that thing and then use my rewards towards more expensive items like my favorite blow drying brushes! They have a few coupon codes out right now that can be found on ebates or on the ulta website!

Old Navy

Old Navy ALWAYS has deal but around the holidays they are awesome! Right now they have a sweater promo going on and I am doing everything I can to NOT fill up my online cart to the brim! haha

MINTED

Also, we FINALLY ordered our holiday cards! I went with minted again this year. I just LOVE the qualty, service and there are so many cute options to choose from! Right now they are running a promotion, If you join now, Minted will give you $25 toward your first purchase of $50 or more! That is AWESOME!! This will be our third year using Minted, I have been VERY happy with them!

What are some deals you have all found lately? Share them in the comments!

I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts/opinions are my own.  Referral/affiliate links were used in this post

Trendy Tot Tuesday {Twinkle, Twinkle}

While I was pregnant with Ava, I really had no idea I was having a girl until the last month, maybe 2 months. I just had this image in my head of Olivia having a little sister. So when she was born, while I didn't REALLY know, I was still so surprised, but in the BEST way possible!

Olivia has always loved to sing, and I would find myself after Olivia had fallen asleep, slipping  away to go to sit in the glider in the nursery alone. It was "my" time, whether it was for 5 mins to just put my feet up or for an hour. I would imagine the baby that would be sleeping in that nursery, would that baby be a boy or a girl? what would their personality be like? etc. I would also sing to that baby in my belly (no I do not have the greatest singing voice, ha!) and that song I would sing was twinkle, twinkle little star. 

The theme kinda came on its own, we still sing that song, but now together. 

Little Miss Ava, I know your sister may steal the show on a daily basis, but for your day, it will be ALL about you. This theme couldn't suit your sweet personality more and this song has so much meaning.  

I may not have to "wonder" about you anymore but I love learning more and more about you each and every day! :)

Twinkle, Twinkle by meganlawless on Polyvore

It saddens me to think how quickly this year has been passing, but I feel so blessed to have this baby to watch grow up next to her sister. I didn't think we would get to do this again. It has been AMAZING getting a second chance and getting to experience parenthood with Ava. 

• Trendy Tot Tuesday is a chance to talk about kid's style, and pretty much anything goes.  Pictures of your cutie, talking about their style (that you buy and dress them in, ahem!), a Polyvore board, linking to the new kid's line at the Gap - anything!  All ages welcome, from you sweet pregnant mamas stocking up a closet to the teenagers that probably pick all their own stuff out now  

• This is a hop-style link up - please follow your hosts (Myself & Kelly)- we are in spots 1 & 2.  Also, jump around to meet other bloggers!  We hope everyone gains some new followers from this link up and finds some fabulous new blogs!

• Please link back to (at least!) one of us, and feel free to steal our Trendy Tot Tuesday badge if you'd like.  If you're a tweeter or instagram-er, use #trendytot

• Interested in co-hosting?  Please let me know if you think you'd like to be a  co-host!! You can leave me a comment or email me!! :)
• Interested in sponsoring or hosting a giveaway? You can leave me a comment or email me!

Don't forget to link-up below! In the comments post a link to your post! :)

Hey, remember me?

Hello Blog Friends!

It has been a while! 

I have missed you all and this space!

My blog break was unintentional, but life has been BUSY! With Liv in Preschool, Working beyond full time, working an opposite schedule from Jer (most days) and it seems like every night and/or weekend is filled with activities! 

Olivia started ballet in the fall and has her FIRST dance recital this saturday! She is LOVING preschool and has become a teenager over night! haha Her personality is SO fun, funny, silly and she can also just be too much SOMETIMES! #Threenager We are also FINALLY potty trained, I never thought I would see the day! There was really no "training" she literally decided one day that she was done with diapers. The last thing holding her back as my baby, I was sad at first until I didn't have to change a three year olds diapers anymore...

Little Miss Ava is not so little anymore! :( She is 8.5 months now! Eating most meals in her highchair, every day trying to be more and more independent and be like her big sister! She is crawling at the speed of lightening, pulling up and trying to climb on everything, standing and Jeremy thinks she will be walking by Christmas...we shall see! She is talking and loves listening to us sing music, I would assume her favorites include her sister singing frozen songs! haha

The girls are SO sweet together! Olivia has taken on her role as big sister and is doing a great job! Don't get me wrong, she gets jealous sometimes and sometimes forgets about sharing and we don't poke our sister in the eye, but really she loves her SO much! 

So while I may have been absent here, you can follow along on Instagram! You can find me posting pics and videos almost daily!

I plan to post through out the week! Tomorrow I am going to host the Trendy Tot Tuesday link-up where I plan to share Ava's first birthday party theme! I can't believe I am already starting to plan her first birthday!!!! :(

Trendy Tot Tuesday {Sparkle Baby}

I know it isn't even Halloween yet, but I can't help but get excited to plan the girls (coordinating) holiday outfits! I seriously can't decide what to put them in! I wish I had more events to go to so I could buy multiple coordinating outfits (although Jeremy disagrees!) 

While I LOVE the super bright and bold patterns, I am thinking I want to stick with something more classic and not super trendy. Olivia is VERY opinionated so I know her dress will involve a tutu and sparkle! haha She already has her eye on a few dresses and I may or may not have (DID!) get it for her so she will be VERY excited!

Having two girls to dress up is WAY too fun!

Sparkle Baby by meganlawless-1 on Polyvore

Have any of you started browing for the holidays yet? I would love for you to link below!! :)

• Trendy Tot Tuesday is a chance to talk about kid's style, and pretty much anything goes.  Pictures of your cutie, talking about their style (that you buy and dress them in, ahem!), a Polyvore board, linking to the new kid's line at the Gap - anything!  All ages welcome, from you sweet pregnant mamas stocking up a closet to the teenagers that probably pick all their own stuff out now  

• This is a hop-style link up - please follow your hosts (Myself & Kelly)- we are in spots 1 & 2.  Also, jump around to meet other bloggers!  We hope everyone gains some new followers from this link up and finds some fabulous new blogs!

• Please link back to (at least!) one of us, and feel free to steal our Trendy Tot Tuesday badge if you'd like.  If you're a tweeter or instagram-er, use #trendytot

• Interested in co-hosting?  Please let me know if you think you'd like to be a  co-host!! You can leave me a comment or email me!! :)
• Interested in sponsoring or hosting a giveaway? You can leave me a comment or email me!

My Breastfeeding experience, the second time around...

Today Ava turns 29 weeks old, one week shy of 7 months! I found this post in my drafts:

"I'm 8 weeks in and will have to start pumping when I go back to work and am so stressed out just thinking about it! Will I make enough? Will she still want to nurse? My goal is to

Make it to at least 6m. With Olivia we couldn't breastfeed so I pumped and after 4m my supply was so low it wasn't worth pumping anymore. (The time spent pumping just wasn't worth the amount I was getting) I felt awful having to give my baby formula but now I know that formula isn't bad. It is very empowering knowing that the milk your body produces is what helps your baby grow!"

The day after Ava turned 6 months she had her first bottle made with formula. I was not the one who gave it to her, one of my best friends watched her for me while Liv and I were at a wedding. Ava sucked that formula bottle down and had no tummy troubles and was still her happy little self!

For some reason I had some guilt about giving her formula, even though it didn't bother her and she was still happy.

Around the time Ava turned 5 months, my body started slowing down how I had been producing. I was SO SO heart broken! Luckily, I had started pumping pretty early on to grow my freezer supply so when I pumped a little short at work, I knew we could pull from that supply. At the most, I had stock piled about 300 oz. It was made with love and devotion! Pumping is no fun task, let me tell you! For you mamas that exclusively pump, I applaud you!

The week Ava turned 6 months, I decided to visit my trusty stock piled deep freezer, and what I saw brought me to tears. I will never, ever shake that feeling. I felt sick to my stomach. That stock pile that once filled half my freezer was no more. I was down to maybe 50 oz! I couldn't believe it. Ava had been taking 4 6oz bottles while I would be at work, and what I didn't realize was Jeremy had been taking out 1-2 feedings almost every day. Within just one month my freezer supply dwindled like that! POOF!

Jeremy was SO supportive! He understood my tears and he was so heartfelt with telling me how proud he was of me. All of the sleepless nights to feed our daughter, all of the lonely lunch breaks at my desk so I could take breaks through out the day to pump. I was the reason she was so big and strong. I was the reason she had a full belly and smiles every day. All the delicious rolls all over her body, I created those. Even with his hugs, kisses and sweet words, I felt heart broken. I wasn't ready to stop nursing.

We made a deal. He told me I needed to get my life back. I needed my lunch breaks back. He wanted to start supplementing with formula for during the day while I was at work and for some late night feedings so that I could start catching back up on sleep. He told me it was my decision, but my body had already made the decision for me. I was exhausted from constantly pumping/nursing and my body wasn't producing like it had been. I took Jeremy up on his deal and I bought a can of formula.

So here we are, we have been supplementing with formula for 3 weeks. she gets 3 bottles a day of formula and the rest of the time I nurse or give her milk that I have pumped. I now pump at least once a day at work. I don't stress myself out about how many ounces I make and I still get to nurse her when I am home! While I am SO SO proud to have made it to 6 months of EXCLUSIVELY giving Ava breast milk, I am not ready to give it up entirely. Giving her formula has definitely relieved some stress and she loves it. Her little happy self has not changed at all.

Yesterday I got to enjoy my lunch break. I got to come home, eat my lunch in the comfort of my own home and roll around on the floor with my favorite 6 month old in the world! (We missed Liv, she was at preschool!) It was the best lunch break EVER! :)

Here is my post about my experience pumping this time around

*This post is my opinion on nursing/pumping. Please do not post any hateful comments. I am not talking negatively about formula fed babies. Olivia was a formula fed baby. I am choosing to speak on this topic as a mother who had wanted to nurse but couldn't. I want other moms to know it is OKAY to feed your baby however YOU feel comfortable. I also want moms to know that every experience is different and it is OKAY to change your mind/opinion or change what you feel is "Best." *

CMU Homecoming 2014

This past weekend was Central Michigan University's Homecoming. The weather was typical October MI weather, but we still had a GREAT time!

I am part of the Young Alumni Association so on Friday night Jeremy and I attended a cocktail party and the Homecoming Grand Marshall, Andrew Dost, from the band Fun was there! Such a down to earth, super nice guy! It was super cool to meet him and I TOTALLY redeemed myself from when I met Bruce Jenner in Vegas (or as Jeremy likes to refer to as when I "choked" aka froze and did not say one. word. lol) We enjoyed a couple drinks and some yummy food.

The of course when I got home I was in the "Maroon and gold" spirit and gave the girls there hats and accessories for the next day, Liv insisted they "try them on" and I did not oblige...

On Saturday we had a "family day." So while all of the "youngins" were still dreaming sweet dreams, we were getting packed up and ready for a fun filled day! 

We started the morning with breakfast at Olivia's preschool. They had some fun goody bags for the kids and had the outdoor play area open. After, we headed to the alumni breakfast where we got our pics by the seal and grabbed some donuts! 

Then we grabbed a spot to watch the parade. Ava of course slept through the whole thing, even the police sirens!! 

As the last float went by it started raining/sleeting so we got into the car. Both girls had already been in the stroller so luckily neither of them got wet and I had an umbrella for Jer & I. We headed home for an hour to wait out the weather and then headed to tailgate. (we live very close) We didn't plan to stay long, just wanted to hit the alumni tents for our free swag and free food haha. Ava of course, slept the whole time again! haha

There was no drinking involved and we had a GREAT time!! We want to plan a Homecoming where a lot of our friends come back and we get a babysitter for the girls (so we can drink, if we want!) but I do love bringing them to stuff like this! :)