Easter is such a happy day. The weather was beautiful, our church service was wonderful, the food was outstanding, and as usual, my mom and mother-in-law really outdid themselves. Because we live near both of our families, we always get double the holiday fun. It can be hectic, but it is so much fun and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We enjoyed two fabulous meals, two egg hunts and lots of pictures. I tried to pick and choose just a few to share with you so you don’t have a Hampton overload, although he was pretty cute! 🙂

How was your Easter? Did you do anything Special?

Springtime is officially here and in full swing! The weather has been so beautiful and WARM (finally!!!) this week! Warm weather makes me want to do two things: swim and go on a picnic! Hampton and I went on a picnic last week and had so much fun, but this time we included Ryan! We had the perfect afternoon snack-time picnic yesterday, and really enjoyed being together. Of course, savings at Publix (more on these savings later) and Klondike Ice Cream Bars added to that enjoyment! Ryan actually got me hooked on these after I met him. What a bad influence he is! haha They are definitely one of my guilty pleasures.

For healthier snack alternatives, we  also pack:
-Yoplait
-Fiber One Chewy Bars
-Nature Valley Breakfast Biscuits
-Fruit

Publix is hosting a Snack Share and Save Event where you will save $5 on your purchase of $25 or more on participating snack items when you share with your friends! Find out more details here.

Giveaway Time!! Enter to win $15 paypal cash by entering in the rafflecopter below! I will choose a winner on April 23rd. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S. Check out my post on How To Have The Perfect Picnic!

What do you like to take on your picnics? Don’t forget to check out these great savings at Publix!

First off, Happy April Fools day! Do you play pranks and jokes on people for April fools? I’ve never really gotten into it like a lot of people do. I’m not really sure why…

Have you seen the new Cinderella movie? If not, you definitely should. Like, now. It is the cutest movie I’ve seen in a long time! Cinderella was one of my favorite childhood movies, so going to see this one made me feel like a little girl again.

While I was perusing Khols the other day, I discovered that Lauren Conrad has a Cinderella collection. No, I am not kidding! I am so in love with this dress. How pretty is it? It is perfect for all of these upcoming spring and summer weddings as well as church. I’ve always loved LC and her line at Khols, but now I love her even more!

What was your favorite movie as a child?

There are so many stages of pregnancy. First you’re sick and don’t want to eat anything, then you’re craving everything in site, and then you are sick and so big and full with baby that you don’t want to eat very much again. While I am definitely in the later stage, I do still have an occasional craving for something sweet. So, why not these delicious Easter treats?

During my second trimester, I was still able to run a little bit and I allowed myself a few splurges here and there. One thing I figured out was that if I ate one bite of ice cream to get that craving fix, I found myself always wanting more. I decided to try Kozy Shack Simply Well Pudding because it is actually  rice pudding in disguise. My mind and taste buds think I’m eating that sugary goodness of pudding, but my body isn’t getting an overload of sugar and is getting a much healthier alternative. Did I mention these are only 90 calories and gluten free? I can’t get over it! That’s less calories than the yogurt I usually eat. But it’s pudding. Mind blown.

Yesterday, I decided to spice up mine and Hampton’s snack time by adding a few things into our pudding to make it fun and festive for Easter! Needless to say, Hampton loved it! He giggled and thought I was crazy for letting him eat this for his snack. What he doesn’t know if that I’m totally okay with this snack for him. I try to feed him healthy foods only (of course we splurge every now and then) and this snack did not compromise his healthy diet.

The additives aren’t the most healthy of choices, but with Easter coming up this weekend, I thought it was okay to give Hampton a fun treat.

Giveaway Time! So that you can experience Kozy Shack Rice Pudding for yourself, they are giving away 2 VIP coupons worth up to $4.99 each! Just stop by here and leave me a comment telling me a fun fact you learned from visiting Kozy Shack!

* Giveaway is for US residents only. Coupons are not valid for redemption in California.

Good luck and don’t forget to check out Kozy Shack Simply Well!

ONE.
Hampton and I went on 2 playdates this week. It has been so nice to get out and enjoy the weather. We go on walks almost every day, but it was fun to do something different. Tuesday we went to the zoo and Wednesday we had a picnic at the park. Did you catch my toddler playdate ideas I shared yesterday? Get out and enjoy the weather!

TWO.
I am giving away a pair of Ralph Lauren Sunglasses from Sunglasses Shop! Be sure to stop by and enter. Everyone needs a new pair of sunnies for the summer!

THREE.
My baby turned 17 months old earlier this week. I can’t believe how grown he is. He is talking so much more and acting so much older. He is still very into Thomas the train and I am so excited to surprise him with tickets to ride Thomas and meet Sir Topham Hatt next month.

FOUR.
I will be 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow. What? I literally can’t believe it. It feels like yesterday that I told Ryan I was 30 weeks and we only had 10 more to go. Now, we are down to 5 weeks. I still have so much to buy. I don’t know if it’s the 2nd child or what, but I have not been as prepared this time. PLEASE help me out and list all of your baby gear you couldn’t live without! Specifically for a baby girl. Any Etsy shop recommendations? Must have items? 


FIVE.

SC Johnson is holding a sweepstakes where you can win a $200 Visa Gift Card, Bose System and Tons of cleaning supplies. All you have to do is take this quick quiz! You also get free coupons at the end of the quiz! It’s definitely worth checking out! Click here to take the quiz!

I hope you all have a great weekend! Don’t forget to tell me what your favorite baby gear and shops are in the comments!

Linking up here and here.

Ralph Lauren Sunglasses: c/o Sunglasses Shop // Chambray: Old Navy // Tank: TJ Maxx // Shorts: Motherhood

Usually, we have crazy weather during the spring months. There is no such thing as “nice” “cool” or “warm” weather in Alabama. It is either extremely hot and humid or extremely cold. For the last couple of weeks, the weather has been back and forth per usual, but the last couple of days we have been able to enjoy much needed sunny days. There is something about the sun coming out after a few rainy days that makes you feel so energized and happy. I am loving the warmth on my skin and being able to play outside with Hampton without freezing.

With all of these sunny days ahead, I desperately needed a new pair of sunglasses. I wanted a good quality pair of designer sunglasses that were affordable. Sounds crazy, yes? But, Sunglasses Shop offers great designer sunglasses from Versace to Ray-Bans for great prices!

I am loving my new sunnies and you can count on seeing them around these parts for the rest of the year. They are the perfect fit and style that I was looking for. Plus, how can you go wrong with Ralph Lauren? A good pair of sunglasses is a must for everyone. It is definitely a staple item in my collection of accessories.

Giveaway time!! Sunglasses Shop is giving away a free pair of Ralph Lauren Sunglasses from this collection to one of my lucky readers! Enter in the rafflecopter below and I will email the winner on Monday (March 30th). Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you been out enjoying the warmer weather?

I received product and compensation from Gerber and Mom Select, however, all experiences and opinions are 100% my own.

Saturday was one of those days. You know the ones I’m talking about? Where nothing seems to be going right? You think you have it all together and then all of a sudden, you realize how far behind you are? I had that moment on Saturday afternoon. I saw Hampton’s Easter basket, and while I have all of these wonderful Easter basket ideas for him, the only thing I have actually purchased is his Big Brother shirt. That’s it. Poor baby. So this is what his basket looked like at this moment:

Kind of sad. I also realized after he woke up from his nap that he had no snacks. He was completely out of snacks and I really really needed to go grocery shopping. So, what did I do? I loaded a fussy hungry toddler into the car and we drove to Target because Target is the cure-all.

Now for the happy part of the story. I had a win-win moment standing in the middle of Target. I went straight to the baby section to find all of his favorite Gerber Graduates snacks and hit the mother load. He was literally cheering as I picked out his favorite snacks. Happy baby, happy mommy. Then it hit me, I bought extra snacks to fill his Easter basket with! Genius! Now, he has lots of snacks that will get us through at least a couple of weeks and he also has more snacks that he will get in his Easter basket and be super excited about. I even bought a couple of their little entrees to keep around for lunch on the go when we are at play dates or grandma’s house!

Guess what? Gerber is giving away a free gift set when you purchase 10 Gerber Graduates products and upload your receipt to their site! How awesome is that? I uploaded my receipt and can’t wait to receive Hampton’s goodies! It doesn’t get any sweeter than free food and baby products for your little one.

Thank you, Gerber, for saving the day and Easter and for giving this weary mother her win-win moment of the week!

Have you had a win-win moment recently?

Lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of the little things. Hampton’s sleepy smile when he first wakes up in the mornings. The way he watches everything we do with such intent and interest. The fact that there is peanut butter on my window sills and spilled milk on my floor should bother me, right? But I love it! I love all of the evidence of my child learning, touching everything, exploring and playing. It makes me so happy when I see him discover something new. In the last couple of weeks he has started playing peekaboo – legit peekaboo, not the baby version of the game. He runs from me when I call him. He hides from me when he has done something wrong. He lays his head on my shoulder when I tell him “no” for whatever thing he has done in apology. He is growing up and changing so quickly. Most days I want him to still be my baby boy, but others, I realize how lucky I am that he is healthy enough to run, play, spill things, eat Pippa’s food, throw (and break) my bathroom scale, make messes and laugh. He is growing up, and while it breaks my heart in some ways, it makes me smile.

A couple of weeks ago, he came up to me holding a frame with a picture of a baby in it. He pointed and said “baby, baby” over and over. It made me smile, and cry a little (blame the hormones). It was comforting to know that just maybe he does understand more than we think he does. I know he has got this. He is going to be a great big brother to our little girl and I can’t wait!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ChangingPrepaid #CollectiveBias

At the beginning of the year, Ryan and I discussed our budget and decided we really wanted to save more money. With a new baby on the way and all of the added expenses, we have had a hard time saving as much as we wanted. Last week, we looked over our budget again to see where we could cut costs. One thing we were both surprised about was how high our cell phone bill has been with our current network plan. 

We recently heard about the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid™ Plan. They claimed they offered unlimited data, talk and text for only $40 a month. Unlimited for $40? I pay way more than that for a set amount of minutes on my current plan. There is no way. I laughed and thought, yeah right. The only pre-paid plans I had ever heard of always had very spotty networks, second rate phones, and data speeds slower than a tortoise. But, Ryan had researched it and said that wasn’t the case with Simply Prepaid™. They offer 4G LTE data speeds on the T-Mobile network. So, unlimited talk, text, and data, plus 4G LTE speeds. All of that without having to worry about overages, credit checks or annual service contracts? Off to Walmart we went! 

I purchased the Samsung Galaxy Avant and activated my new phone. I have been so happy with the coverage in my area thanks to T-Mobile’s Nationwide 4G LTE Network and high speed data. This is going to save us over $100 a month, and I couldn’t be more thankful. We discovered the Simply Prepaid™ plan just in time before we are slapped with a nice bill at the hospital. 

I love that it offers unlimited data because for the last few months, Hampton has started using a couple of apps that have been very handy when we are out in public. I don’t know what we would do without them sometimes. It definitely makes my life a lot less stressful while grocery shopping. T-Mobile Simply Prepaid™ has definitely changed the way I think about wireless and prepaid plans.


Other Ways We Have Saved Money This Month:


-Turn off all lights when they aren’t being used.
-Shop bargains and use coupons (especially for groceries)
-Eating at home for most of our meals.
-Saving loose change
-Planning our errands so we don’t waste excess gas.


I’m so thankful for the money we have saved this month and will continue to save by making this simple switch. Why didn’t we do this sooner? 


Now that I’ve shared my money saving tips with you, what do you do to save money? Have you cut back this year?