MOTHER'S DAY PICNIC

Sometimes expectations of a delightful, carefree and easy Mother's Day can get in the way of enjoying what Mother's Day is all about. I will be the first to admit I have missed the joy of Mother's Day all together because I was busy checking off my to-do list. So, this Mother's Day we celebrated early with the help of Minute Maid. 

Instead of having brunch or dinner or even breakfast in bed, my kids prepared a picnic of yummy snacks with the help of my husband, Ryan. They washed fruit  and veggies and placed them on a platter with some baked ricotta cheese. It was simple and delightful. Watching then prepare everything made me realize all of the good I'm doing as a mom. 

Sadly, it's not often that I take a step back and realize that I'm doing a great job, so Minute Maid has started a campaign to help parents remember all of the good they are doing. I shared more about my experience over on the Minute Maid blog. You'll also find a delicious lemonade granita recipe you won't want to miss. 

If you're wondering what to do this Mother's Day or if you are even finding yourself stressing about it, try having a picnic outdoors or indoors with your kids. It's an easy no fuss way of celebrating.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer.

Real Talk Real Moms Morning Routine

Are you a morning or night person? Well, being a parent of small children you better be willing to be both, but especially a morning person. The second that sun comes up my kids are up, and so starts our morning routine. It has taken us four years to figure out what works for us with many arguments about who got more sleep or more time to get ready along the way, but now we have a system that works SOOOOO well (although Ryan's new job may throw a wrench in it, but that's besides the point), so I thought I would share it with as part of the Real Talk Real Mom Series.

1. Plan to both get up at the same time. This is a huge tip because getting up at the same time will eliminate any resentment as to who got more sleep than whom. Ryan and I wake up at the same time - 6:30am. I work out at 5am three times a week, so those mornings I'm up alone and I get less sleep. However, regardless of the day, both parents must be awake by 6:30 no matter what. 

Now, I know what you're thinking, "But, what if your kids get up before then?" Well, Levi and Elle both are awake by 6am, but we let Levi play in his bed and Elle waits for us to get her up. Just be consistent with the timing and they will get the hang of it.

2. Don't plan to tackle the kids at the same time. Take turns! One parent gets ready while the other makes the oatmeal, pours the cereal, changes the diapers and gets the kids dressed. Then we switch after 45 minutes. I will also say that this getting ready time is PRECIOUS for the parent upstairs. It's ALONE time. The kids are not allowed upstairs while Ryan or I are getting ready. This ensures that we can have a moment to center ourselves, go to the bathroom in peace and listen to NPR. You know, the important stuff. Haha! (The next day we switch who gets ready first and who does breakfast first).

3. Check in half way through the morning with each other. There is a changing of the guards at 7:15 so that the other parent can get dressed. By this time the kids have eaten and are dressed, so that means it's the other person's turn to tackle chores like packing lunches, emptying the dishwasher, taking out the trash bins, making sure everyone goes potty, teeth are brushed and diapers are changed. Before we switch though we always check in and tell one another any chores that didn't happen or any chores that did happen beyond our usual tasks.

4. Try to both take part in the send off. By 8:10 we are out the door. We both help carrying everyone out the door, buckle the kids in and give kisses. I love this part because it reunites us before we all go about our days. I wish we could lay around in our jams, drink coffee, eat breakfast together, etc., but not every day is a weekend. So, doing a joint send off gives me a touch of family fuzzies daily. Most mornings Ryan does drop off and I do pick-up. And, when everyone leaves, I take the next 20 minutes to drink my coffee, read, pray and breathe. By 8:30 I sit down to tackle work. Doing this everyone morning centers me and brings me peace. 

Everyone does their morning routine differently. Be sure to read the other timelines and advice from the moms participating in the Real Mom Series. The Effortless Chic, The Life Styled, Oh Lovely Day, Design Addict Mom, The Fresh Exchange, A Daily Something, Hey Mama Co, Freutcake, Parker Etc., Sacramento Street

WARM-WEATHER STYLES FOR KIDS

This post is sponsored by Bloomingdales.

Temperatures are rising here in Arizona. Our spring is almost over and summer is on the horizon with 90 degree temps already on record. That means it's time to shop for warm-weather clothes for the kids. I wish I had rapid growth spurts as an excuse to update my own wardrobe, but it's a blast to shop for them too, especially when Bloomingdale's has the cutest pieces for my littles.

I found this adorable outfit for Elle by Splendid online and it fits like it's made for her. I love that the top and bottom match, but that you can also wear the pieces as separates. It makes your dollars go farther for sure. Denim is my go-to for kid's clothes because it will always coordinate with any shoes, tops or bottoms. It's also machine washable, which is a necessity for mom life. 

Sandals are, of course, the summer shoe of choice. In particular, these Steve Madden colorful ones with jewels and fringe look and feel like summer. We snagged them right away, and they are her favorite shoes to date.

Levi, on the other hand, has some hand-me-down items from friends, so I filled in some of his spring/summer wardrobe gaps by finding him light colored denim and white sneakers. Both are classic, modern wardrobe staples for boys of all ages. The pants, in particular, are Bardot Junior, and will be something he can wear year round (or at least until he grows out of them). I love that they came with suspenders and an adjustable waistband.

Finding t-shirts with prints on them that are cute is hard, but this little t from Sovereign Code was exceptionally adorable for summer. It has little sailboats and whales on it (melt my heart).

Levi is running around everywhere these days. He is so fast I can barely keep up. This outfit sure can, and it has all of the style to boot.

I don't know about you, but our summer days consist of a lot of swimming and trips to ice cream shops. One of our favorite places to go when it heats up is Paleta's Betty where they serve popsicles of all different flavors. If you ever have a chance to go give the arroz con leche a try. OMG! You won't be sorry. 

See below to get the looks for your kids.

NIGHTTIME ROUTINE

Many parents have a nighttime routine that consists of a bath, a story and maybe even prayers. We do all of those things too, but there's something special that we do each night with Elle that I wanted to share with you.

When Elle began to talk I quickly realized how special nighttime is for us as parents because, often, during the quiet moments of hugs, kisses and prayers we hear Elle's fears, the things she is most excited about and the things she looks forward to most. It's a moment when we can better discover who she is at the core of her being.

I don't remember when exactly this tradition of ours started, but one night she was a bit scared of the dark. So, to get her mind off of scary thoughts, I asked her to tell me an idea she had. I asked her to think about an off-the-wall crazy invention or something wild that we could do as a family. To help her along, I shared my own whacky idea of filling our pool full of pudding and floating on cookies. Then Ryan took a turn. He said he was going to build a rollercoaster from our house to school. Elle joined in, and shared her cute idea of building an Elsa car with seats for every family member. 

Now we end the night this way every time along with kisses and hugs and sips of water because it not only ends the day on a fun note, but she goes to sleep with big dreams, happy thoughts and validation from her parents that we enjoy her. It also stretches her imagination and our imaginations to places it normally doesn't go. These are things I think we lose along the way as we grow older, but they really should never be lost. I highly recommend trying this with your kids one night, and I would love to hear how it went for you. I would love to hear what you learn about your kids through doing this too.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

EASTER OUTFITS

This post is sponsored by Carter's; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Getting dressed up for Easter is a tradition I love, and the hunt for the perfect Easter outfit is almost as good as hunting for Easter eggs because I can find everything I need at Carter's. They always have adorable selection of Easter outfits for boys and girls from infants to big kids. I had the pleasure of teaming of up Carter's to show you how I'm dressing Elle and Levi for the most meaningful holiday to our family and be sure to grab the coupon below for amazing savings for your family.

Easter is the most meaningful holiday to us because of our Christian faith. It's the foundation on which our belief stands, so we love to dress up for Sunday church and then, like many families, have a big brunch afterwards with ham, scalloped corn and all of the fixins. Of course, there is a big easter egg hunt for the kids too.

It's pretty hot in Arizona by the time Easter rolls around, so shorts and sleeveless dresses are what I look for. A simple pastel pink button up shirt and seersucker shorts with chambray chukkas is what I selected for Levi. It's festive and dressy, but he can run and be a kid in this outfit. This year will be especially fun because Levi will get to join in on the Easter egg hunt now that he's walking and talking.

Now that Elle is four and a half she loves being a part of the Easter dress shopping process. When we visited our local Carter's store she loved every dress, but this white floral one caught her eye because of the twirl factor. It has a full skirt and a bow in the back, and those details won my girly, girl's heart. For shoes, I selected polkadot mary-janes with a rubber sole that are perfect for Easter as well as any other day at school. They allow her to run and be a kid without blisters or slipping. 

Our Easter wardrobe is complete thanks to Carter's. If you shop online or in their stores before April 9, 2017 you can earn 25% off your purchase of $40 or more with the coupon below and take care of your Easter shopping in one swoop. 

Have a wonderful Easter from our family to yours! Hoppy shopping! (wink)

Carter's partners with bloggers like me to help promote their spring baby fashion. As part of their program, I received products or gift cards. Carter's believes consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Carter's provided me with information on promotions and messaging concepts, but did not tell me what to purchase, what to write in my blog or what to say about the products I used.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer