Logan Can – Page 67 – A Lifestyle Blog about Marriage, Parenting, Fashion and Fitness

Catching Up

October 7, 2015

This past week, I have felt myself falling so far behind – behind on my blog, behind on sleep, behind on my reading, behind on my social life and the list goes on. I have been trying to do so many things and throw myself into so much. My husband loves to stay busy. He thrives off of having “stuff” to do. I’m just not wired that way. I don’t mind staying home all day cleaning up and playing with the kids. I don’t feel like I have to be on the go all the time. In fact, when I do stay really busy for a period of time, I start to get really stressed out and tend to check out completely.

Luckily, this time I caught myself. I have felt like my head is spinning trying to keep up with my family and our daily to-dos and running on very little sleep right now is not helping at all. I haven’t been as patient, I’ve steered clear of messy situations instead of making myself available to help and I did not even exercise at all last week. It’s just not me. So, maybe I feel like by writing this out for all to see, I will be held accountable. Maybe I’m hoping this will wake me up or my sister will call me and give me a love pat and tell me to just relax for a day or two and turn it all off.

Our 4th anniversary is tomorrow! In some ways, I feel like we have been married much longer than that. Two kids will do that to you. Other days, it feels like we just started dating. It’s amazing how fast time flies and I really can’t believe we have accomplished so much in so little time. It has taken a lot of patience and a lot of hard work, but we are finally in a place where we feel totally content. For that, I am so thankful. Our home is full of love and the good Lord knows, I have needed that lately.

Ryan has seen that I needed to slow up and take a break for a little while now. Because he is awesome, he is taking me to Birmingham this weekend to celebrate our anniversary and my in-laws are even keeping our babies for us! I am beyond excited to have a little fun and spend some alone time with my hubby!

Jeans: Target // Tank: Old Navy (Similar) // Boots: Target

I’ll be documenting on Snapchat username: LoganCan and Instagram @logan_can!

Do you ever feel like you need to slow down and check out for a minute to catch your breath?

Read our “Journey to I Do” – fun fact: this was my first EVER blog post!

10 Ways To Enjoy “Me Time”

October 6, 2015

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, Sara Lee®, and Hershey’s® but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #SweetTreatDessert http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

If you’ve snooped around my blog for a while, you know that I am a big fan of sweet treats and all things chocolate. Have a new dessert idea? I want to hear about it! Ice cream? Candy? Pound cake? Give me all the desserts! One of my absolute favorite ways to spend my very special alone time is to sit down with a sweet treat in hand and book or remote in the other! Here are five ideas on how to spend your oh, so rare “me time.”

1. Sip a cup of coffee and start a fire.

2. Indulge in your latest novel.

3. Enjoy a Sweet Treat. Last weekend, I ran out to Publix for some milk and came back with Sara Lee® Frozen Desserts pound cake and Hershey’s® chocolate syrup! It was one of the better choices I’ve made lately. So delicious and not one ounce of regret.

4. Take this time to spend reading your bible and do a devotional. This is my favorite way to enjoy some quiet time in the mornings because it makes you focus on what’s important and refreshes your spirit.

5. Watch a movie and grab some popcorn.

6. Binge watch you latest Netflix obsession.

7. Go for a walk: bonus points if you grab your camera and take it with you.

8. Take a nap.

9. Write in a journal. I used to do this all the time, but I haven’t done it as much recently. It can be so much fun to just sit down and write. You never know what you will learn about yourself in just a few moments of free writing.

10. Head out to the mall or your favorite store and buy splurge of a gift for someone (or yourself). You could make somebody’s day!

Receive a FREE 17-24oz Hershey’s® Syrup when you buy any ONE (1) Sara Lee® Frozen Dessert item now thru 10/09/15 while supplies last.

How do you enjoy your “me time?”

5 Ways to Help Your Child Be Independent

October 5, 2015

This post is sponsored by Huggies but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

My son is almost 2 years old. It is so hard to believe. Time truly does fly when you’re raising kids. This whole parenting thing does not get any easier, either. He is running around all over the place and has more energy than I can keep up with most days. My daughter has also started rolling all over. She is still a month or two away from crawling, but she doesn’t let that stop her from getting to where she needs to be. In a few more months, I am going to be exhausted chasing after these two.

As I raise my babies, I am trying to keep in mind the importance of their independence. While it is so scary to think about, I know that the only way they will learn is through experience. I want them to feel confident enough to be independent people, try new things and be responsible adults one day. Teaching them early on is a great way to ensure their independence in the future. Obviously, they are still very young so they are still limited, but here are a few tips on how to help your child be independent :

1. Create a Safe Environment – childproof your house so that you and your baby can be confident in their exploration.

2. Be okay with Leaving Them Every Now and Then – this is the one I struggle with the most. I love my babies and I hate missing out on their lives. I love and need breaks often, but I have a hard time saying goodbye too much. In my mind, I feel bad pushing my kids off on someone else, but I’m learning that that’s not the way other’s see it. My trying to be responsible for my kids can result in Ryan and I not getting very much time away from them and that can be just as harmful for them as it is to our relationship. It’s healthy to be away from them sometimes. The tough part is learning to balance that time. Some parents send their kids off too much and others (me) have a hard time sending them away at all.

3. Set Them Up for Success – Choosing the right diaper for your baby once they start to really move around is key. For Hampton, that choice was easy. Huggies Little Movers have been an excellent choice for him because they move with him. I feel like it is a diaper that really keeps up with him.

4. Teach Your Child- Teaching your child right from wrong and what is and isn’t acceptable is so important. Teaching them will help them learn their boundaries and will help guide them in the right direction and give them a firm foundation to making wise decisions.

5. Let Your Child Help You – I love to let Hampton “help” me with laundry. He is totally infatuated with the dryer, so I always let him help me put the wet clothes into the dryer and push the big “start” button. He loves it and he is learning a great life skill.

Share photos of your baby on social media and use hashtag #SetBabyFree for a chance to be featured on the Huggies website!

How do you teach your child independence? Have you tried Huggies Little Movers?

Halloween Trunk or Treat Tutorial

October 2, 2015

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

Halloween is a big holiday for my family. We usually throw a big Halloween party and it is always so much fun. I love seeing all of the creative costumes everyone comes up with. Halloween has always been associated with fall – my favorite season with fun memories. Between Trunk or Treat, picking out the perfect costume and the best Halloween candy in the store, I love every part of the hooplah!

Since my nephew was born, my family has attended our church’s trunk or treat! It has become a fun little family tradition that was made all the more special when my son was born. We took him to his first trunk or treat last Halloween and now this year, we will take our daughter as well! I’ve been planning their costumes since before SR was born and I am so excited about this particular year. While you will have to wait for their costumes, I will reveal how I prepare for our Trunk or Treat.

Trunk or Treat Tutorial:

1. Choose a theme.

2. Buy your candy! I ran out to Walmart to grab 2 large variety Hershey candy bags. I love having an assortment so that the kids can choose which kind of candy they want. My personal favorite? Milk chocolate Hershey’s bars and Reese’s! I love these bags because they are so festive with ghosts, jack-o-lanterns and dracula.

3. Find something to put candy in. Get creative with your candy display, after all, my candy brings all the kids to the trunk, right?

4. Decorate your trunk! Get as creative and festive as you want. Our church members go all out. Some people decorate the beds of their trucks, some bring haunting music, others keep it very simple and traditional. Sky’s the limit!

As you can see, I used a lot of fall decor as well as Halloween. I love witches and skeletons and knew that I wanted to use them. The hanging ghosts and orange lights were a bonus. The ribbon garland is actually the garland I used for Hampton’s first birthday party last year. I mostly used things I already had plus a lot of my mom’s decor. She is a decorator and has more Halloween themed decorations than I do.

Your trunk can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be. The main points to focus on are coming up with a theme and making a great candy display to show off everyone’s favorite part of the holiday!

I’ve shared how I incorporate Hershey’s candy into my Halloween. What is your favorite Hershey’s candy? What theme would you choose for your trunk?

The Baby Shower Gift Every New Mother Will Want: Pacidoodle® + Starbucks Giveaway

October 1, 2015

As a mother, germs are are like cumulonimbus clouds hanging over my children’s heads at all times. Especially during cold and flu season. I try to keep our house as clean as possible, but when we go grocery shopping, to the zoo or a friend’s house, there is only so much I can do about the pesky germs.

Both of my babies take/took pacifiers. We are currently in the process of breaking Hampton from his, but Sophie-Rae is following in her brother’s footsteps as far as paci dependence goes. It serves as her security blanket. I am extremely thankful for pacifiers, but there is nothing worse than when that paci hits the floor of a supermarket, or even worse – a gas station floor. Paci clips are a must for my kids. I definitely learned the hard way.

A couple of weeks ago at church, I sat down next to Lorri. I had just recently learned from a friend that she is the genius behind Pacidoodle®! If you haven’t heard of Pacidoodles® yet, you need to stop what you are doing and click on over. These personalized pacifiers are the cutest! You can choose from a variety of colors and styles. Hampton had some of them and now Sophie-Rae does, too! They are great quality because the name doesn’t rub off. Look at how Hampton’s has held up over nearly two years of dishwashing cycles and everyday wear and tear!

Lorri created the Paci Clip and Keep and was telling me that she had just finished the process of getting it U.S. patent protected! After she described it to me, I knew I had to try it for Sophie! The Paci Clip and Keep is not only a paci clip, it holds the pacifier or Pacidoodle® in the Keep which is made of antimicrobial technology that doesn’t allow bacteria to grow. It is the only paci clip out there with this kind of technology. Sophie is constantly spitting her paci out everywhere. After using the Paci Clip and Keep for the last week now, I can honestly say it is wonderful and I don’t know what I ever did without it! Not only is it adorable, it keeps her Pacidoodle® and other pacifiers perfectly clean. I admire that the product name comes from Psalm 139. It has a beautiful meaning and I love supporting Christian based businesses.

I got Hampton’s Pacidoodles® at my baby shower and it was one of my favorite gifts. I had not seen a personalized paci like this before and they have held up so well. The Paci Clip and Keep has given me such a peace of mind and it is incredibly easy to clip it to Sophie-Rae whenever we leave the house. She loves it, too! She grabs it and cuddles with her little Keep all the time. It is precious. My favorite part about this is that it not only fit Pacidoodles®, but also our other pacifiers. It is so convenient and I don’t ever have to worry about her Pacidoodles® falling on the floor. These would make an awesome baby gift as well. I remember how excited I was when I received Hampton’s!

I’m so excited to be giving away a Pacidoodle® of choice, Paci Clip and Keep and a $25 Starbucks Gift Card today! What new mother wouldn’t want this incredible baby gift and the gift of free Starbucks coffee? Enter in the Rafflecopter below:

Giveaway is for U.S. Residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out Pacidoodle® on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter!

Hello October: Trick-or-Treat Paypal Cash Giveaway

October 1, 2015

I can’t believe it is finally October! My favorite month of the entire year! Why? Well, October is a big month for my family. Ryan and I celebrate our Anniversary on the 8th, Ryan’s birthday is on the 15th (I ‘m looking at you, thirty-year-old) and my baby, Hampton, is turning two on the 24th. Not to mention, Halloween is my favorite holiday! Free candy, dressing up in fun costumes, trunk-or-treat, Halloween parties, Hocus Pocus, pumpkins – why wouldn’t it be my favorite? To make this holiday a little more special for you, I’ve teamed up with a few other bloggers to give away $1000 Paypal Cash! There will be two winners who will receive $500 each. Enter below:

The giveaway will start September 30th at 12:00 AM EST and will end on October 30th @ 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be chosen on October 31st via Random.org and will contacted via email. This giveaway is open World Wide, void where prohibited. All mandatory entries must be completed to be entered to win. There will be two winners for two (2) $500 PayPal cash prizes.

Trick-Or-Treat $1000 Cash Giveaway

Mommy’s Middle of the Night Survival Kit

September 30, 2015

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

My son had colic when he was 2 months old. It lasted for two months. I will never forget it. It was truly one of the hardest things we have been through as a family. He cried and screamed from 5pm to 2am every single night. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. You could watch the clock and literally at 5pm it would start. People thought we were exaggerating, that is, until some family members witnessed it themselves. It was frustrating, upsetting, irritating and tiring. I even remember going to Target really late one night to purchase the new Advanced Colic Relief Drops from Little Remedies® because we were so desperate.

As a mother our instincts are to fix what is wrong with our baby. Normally we figure out the issue by process of elimination. Check the diaper, see if the baby is hungry, etc. With a colic baby, you do all of these things but nothing stops them from screaming. During those 2 long months, I cried and cried right along with him. I was exhausted because we weren’t getting any sleep. He wasn’t sleeping. It broke my heart when he cried that much and that long and there was nothing I could do about it. His pediatrician told us we would have to “wait it out.” That wasn’t a good enough answer for me.

When we finally went to Target one night and saw the Little Remedies® Advanced Colic Relief on the baby aisle, I was so excited! We bought it and immediately gave it to him that night when the screaming started. While it wasn’t the cure-all, it did help tremendously. He began to take breaks to eat and eventually the screaming and crying intervals lessened and lessened. We were finally able to get a little relief until it passed altogether.

When my daughter was born in May, I was determined to be prepared for colic episodes. I went into it thinking she would do this. Thank goodness, she has made it almost 5 months without being colic. She does, however have extreme acid reflux. This has caused many issues with her weight gain and one of the symptoms is gas. I have been using Little Remedies® Gas drops every time she starts feeling gassy and starts fussing. They have helped her so much.

I put together a Mommy’s Middle of the Night Survival Kit to keep next to the bed in case of emergencies so that I will have everything I need right on hand. I have a few close friends that are pregnant and think that this would make an awesome gift for them!

Items I included in the Mommy’s Middle of the Night Survival Kit:

Thermometer

Diapers

Wipes

Suction

Little Remedies® Advanced Colic Relief

Little Remedies® Gas Drops
Pacifier
Diaper Rash Cream

These are the items I use most during the night. It is so nice to have them right at my fingertips when our daughter wakes up during the night.

When you use the Target Cartwheel app, you can get the Advanced Colic Relief Drops 20% off! You can also buy 2 of the Gripe Water and Colic Drops and receive a $5 Target Gift Card! These products are available on the digestive aisle.

If you tweet or mention @LittleRemedies on Facebook using hashtag “#LittleRescue”. Little Remedies® will respond with tips from pediatricians and nutrition experts on how to soothe your baby, as well as special offers and product samples. For desperate moms in need of some extra relief, they will also send a real life rescue team to the homes of a few lucky moms to deliver relief, including Little Remedies® Gas Relief Drops, Gripe Water and the new Advanced Colic Relief Drops.

Will you stop by Little Remedies® to watch a video and grab some free samples? A few lucky moms will even win an in person rescue from Little Remedies® Rescue Team!

How to Spend More Time With Your Family During the Busy School Year

September 29, 2015

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, Birds Eye®, and Farm Rich® but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #FullnRichFlavor http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Now that kids are back to school and heading back to soccer practice or dance classes, it is difficult to schedule that quality family time that is so important. Growing up, dinner time was our family time. A lot of that has changed in today’s culture because everyone is so busy and constantly on the go. No one takes the time to sit down every night for dinner anymore. My husband and I are trying to establish dinner time as our family time at a young age for our children. I want them to grow up knowing that dinner time is sacred. It is a time when we come together as a family to pray, enjoy a wonderful meal and discuss our lives with one another.

During the busy back-to-school time, it can be difficult to get into a routine of making dinner and still having time to spend with your family. Cooking a full meal takes a lot of time and energy. Why waste all of that time and effort when you can opt in for an easy dinner recipe that is still just as delicious and doesn’t sacrifice nutrition or flavorful taste?

Growing up in the south, BBQ was something we did every time our church came together for a big meal, or our entire family got together to celebrate an occasion. BBQ was what everyone wanted. I love that I can carry on this southern tradition with Farm Rich® Smokehouse BBQ Pulled Pork. It is so easy to make and really quick. When paired with Birds Eye Flavor Full Vegetables, it is the perfect meal. While shopping at Walmart the other day, I grabbed these products because I was running short on time and desperate for a quick and easy dinner. It is really important to me that our meals not just taste good, but be healthy as well. That is exactly what these products offered me. I saw the Birds Eye Teriyaki Broccoli and was immediately intrigued. My son and my husband are not broccoli fans, so I thought that the Teriyaki flavor would get them to eat their vegetables, and it was a success! I guess kids and husbands will eat anything when it is smothered in Teriyaki sauce!

Here are some ideas for spending more time with your family during the busy school year:

– Save time on dinner by using quick and healthy dinner recipes from Farm Rich® Smokehouse and Birds Eye!

– Lay the kid’s clothes out for the entire week on Sunday.

– Schedule time for homework and keep it all very organized. Work with your kids on their homework. They will appreciate the help and you will be spending time with them.

– Plan something fun for the entire family on Saturday mornings like going to the farmer’s market together or going to the pumpkin patch this fall.

If you enjoy saving money and you use Ibotta, you can earn $0.75 on Birds Eye Vegetables and unlock $1.00 off one Farm Rich® Smokehouse product for a limited time while supplies last.

If you haven’t used Ibotta, all you have to do is:
-Download the app available on iOS and Android.
-Unlock the rebates for both Birds Eye Vegetables and Farm Rich® Smokehouse.
-Buy the products that you’ve unlocked at major retailers.
-Verify your purchase by scanning your bar codes and submitting a photo of your receipt!

How do you schedule time to send with your family? Have you tried Farm Rich® Smokehouse and Birds Eye Vegetables?

Book Review: The Lake House by Kate Morton

September 28, 2015

The Lake House by Kate Morton

Atria Books October 22, 2015

Pages: 400

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: The beguiling new novel from Kate Morton; the number one bestselling author of The House at Riverton and The Secret Keeper.

An abandoned house…

After a particularly troubling case, Sadie Sparrow is sent on an enforced break from her job with the Metropolitan Police and retreats to her beloved grandfather’s cottage in Cornwall. There she finds herself at a loose end, until one day she stumbles upon an abandoned house surrounded by overgrown gardens and dense woods, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace.

A missing child…

June 1933, and the Edevane family’s country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. For Eleanor, the annual party has always been one of her treasured traditions, but her middle daughter, Alice, sixteen years old and with literary ambitions, is especially excited. Not only has Alice worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she’s also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn’t. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night sky, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great they leave Loeanneth and never return.

An unsolved mystery…

Seventy years later, in the attic writing room of her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. Until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family’s past and seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life trying to escape…

My Thoughts: As expected, this novel was nothing short of amazing. I have anticipated it all year and was so honored to have the opportunity to review it before it’s release next month. If you read one book this fall, make it this one. In true Kate Morton fashion, this story gripped me from the beginning. I couldn’t set the book down. I just had to know what happened. Every time I thought I had figured out the mystery, the book took a turn and threw me for another loop.

My favorite part about reading novels by Kate Morton is that she goes back and forth between the present and the past. We get a glimpse at what was happening while the case is being solved. This novel affected me more than her others because it involved a little boy around my son’s age. This book had suspense and shock. I really did not see the end coming. It took a turn that made me cry happy tears. It was such an incredible story that I didn’t know how Morton could have dreamed up such a twisting, surprising, unreal story. This author’s imagination is nothing short of fascinating and that is why she continues to be one of my favorites. I have always harped on The Forgotten Garden, but I must say, this one gave it a run for it’s money. I think her books get better with each page published.

In my opinion, fall is the perfect time of year for a good mystery. If you want to read a book this season that you can completely indulge in and hardly put down – one that will grip you and leave you thinking about it days later, you need to read this one. Out of all the books I’ve read – and there have been many – this was definitely one of my favorites.

The Lake House comes out October 22nd and I highly recommend it to all women. If you were a Nancy Drew girl, this one’s for you. I gave this book 5 stars.

Fall Mantel Makeover with American Home™ by Yankee Candle® Brand

September 25, 2015

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

Growing up, my mother always went all out decorating for every holiday, birthday and season. She loves to decorate and is so creative. I like to think I got a tiny bit of her talent, although I think my sister inherited most of it. When I think back on my childhood, I immediately think about the holidays. They have always been so special. I come from a big family. All of my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents get together for holidays/birthdays and other times throughout the year. We are so blessed to all have close relationships. This time of year makes me so nostalgic and all I can think is, I want my kids to have that.

I am determined to carry on the tradition of baking holiday treats, making crafts and decorating the house for the seasons. I want my children to have just as special childhood as I had. I want them to remember how much fun we have during the holidays and I want us to create traditions together. One tradition I grew up with was decorating the mantel. While my mother does the majority of the decorating, I always enjoyed “helping” – even if that meant handing her the scissors or holding the ladder. I love seeing several pieces come together to make a beautiful focal point. The end presentation is always so perfect, not because we have top of the line decorations, but because we created it together.

This past week, I decided it was time for my big fall mantel makeover. I went to Walmart and purchased a small pumpkin and American Home™ by Yankee Candle® brand in “Shades of Fall,” “Fresh Apple” and “Pumpkin.” I loved the traditional fall colors of these candles, but most of all I loved their fragrances. They are heavenly. I have been burning them round the clock in our home.

I also grabbed a few other decorations from around the house that I thought would be a good fit for my fall mantel. I grabbed an old window that I bought at a flea market a few years ago for $10, a DIY fall wreath that I made two years ago (and is still holding up great), a leafy candle ring, vase, a fall sign, a leaf banner that I scored on the dollar rack at a local department store and my new candles and pumpkin!

I always like to play around with the heights. My mom taught me that having differing heights throughout your decor really helps the aesthetic and layout. Here is how I created my mantel:

1. I put my window in the center of the mantel and attached the leaf banner to the top of it.

2. I placed my wreath off to one side of my window because I liked the way it looked more than when it was centered. It was almost too perfect that way. You can play around with it and see what suits you.

3. I placed two shorter objects off of the window – my pumpkin on one side and my American Home™ by Yankee Candle® brand with the leafy candle ring around it.

4. On the ends, I put taller items to keep with the differing heights. I put a vase I had laying around on one side with flowers and my fall sign on the other. If you don’t have a fall sign, think about printing a Fall print out and putting it in an 8×10 frame.

It was very simple but I love the way it looks in our home and my son is obsessed with the little pumpkin. I’m thinking the holidays are going to be really fun with him this year! I am so happy that my home is now holiday-ready for all of our entertaining and family.

I shared how I made over my mantel with American Home™ by Yankee Candle® brand from Walmart. Now tell me how you prepare your home for Fall!

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11 Day New England Itinerary

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