Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Our One Year Anniversary!

Jeff and I recently celebrated our one year anniversary together! I can't believe that a year has gone by already since this amazing, beautiful, respectful, incredible man came into my life!

This was the first photo we ever took together almost a year ago:


Since then, we have shared so many experiences together and have begun an amazing, beautiful life together. Several months ago I saw that Bryan Adams was coming near us for his 30th anniversary tour. I surprised Jeff with tickets, since the concert was 2 days before our anniversary. That was last weekend, and it was such a blast!

We began the weekend with driving to Jeff's mom's house in Plainfield, New Hampshire since she was going to be watching the kiddos for us for the night while we were gone to the concert. We spent the day at the local playground there and enjoying each other before we said goodbye to the babies to head out for some rare but nice alone grown up time. 










The first thing we did before the concert was get checked in and settled into our motel room/mini apartment suite that Jeff's mom had paid for and surprised us with. It was right on the lake and a walking distance from the concert, which was great for avoiding the awful traffic later that night leaving the show!


We went to the concert venue a couple of hours before the show was set to begin. It was at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, formerly known as Meadowbrook. It us such a fun, relaxing atmosphere there! It was my first time being there and Jeff's second, so he knew what to expect but it was all new for me. I loved it! There were things to walk around and check out, various food vendors to choose from, some games to play, drinks to be had, and a band playing as we waited. We walked around, enjoyed some drinks, and had a bite to eat before the show began. 



Before we knew it, the concert was starting. It was such a great show!




Jeff and I basically grew up on Bryan Adam's music, so we knew most of his songs and had a great time singing and dancing alone, and just enjoying the show in general. We had a quiet relaxing rest of the night after the show back at our motel room and spent the next day shopping before heading back to get the kids from Jeff's mom and eventually head back home to Vermont.

The next was our actual anniversary and we spent a quiet morning at home, where Jeff surprised me with a sweet little gift:


I love it! :) He knows just what I like and never ceases to amaze me! We spent the afternoon visiting a friend of ours and her new baby and then picked the kids up from their dad's house and had a nice evening together. 

I have loved every single second of this past year with Jeff and absolutely cannot wait to see what the next year and many many more has in store for us as a couple and us as a family!






Monday, June 15, 2015

Renuzit Pearl Scents Giveaway WINNERS!

Donna Cheatle, Jennifer Camley, and David were the random winners chosen by Giveaway Tools for the FREE Renuzit Pearl Scents. All winners have been notified via email and have 48 hours to reply to my email to claim their prize or I will be forced to choose a different winner.

Thank you to ALL who entered and to everyone for following my blog!



***Disclaimer*** Winners are chosen completely at RANDOM and done automatically through Giveaway Tools, once the contest is closed. I have NO CONTROL over choosing winners unless winners do not reply to my winning email to claim their prize in the time specified.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Kendall Turns 2!

My youngest baby officially turned 2 over the weekend. Can you believe it?! I can't either.



It seems like only yesterday she came screaming and flying (almost literally) into this crazy world and our crazy life. I wouldn't trade one second of the last two years with this precious angel for anything else in this world.

Sunday morning the girls all slept in which was unusual for them, but they must have been pooped out from the late night bed time the night before! (The boys were having a sleep over at a friend's house). The birthday girl woke up and munched on some watermelon and strawberries for breakfast. 


THAT FACE!! (She understood it was her birthday) ;-)

The rest of the morning was full of setting up tables and chairs, mama picking up the bounce house and getting all of the food prepped and set out, and waiting for our guests to arrive!

In true birthday girl fashion, Kendall was the first to get to enter the bounce house and have a little fun in it by herself. 




All of the kids jumped and played in the bounce house while everyone had some munchies and mingled a bit before it was time for our Tootie to dig in to her gifts!








She scored with presents. She got a tricycle, a balance bike, two new babies, a diaper bag with supplies for her baby, a Frozen book, a puzzle, a new bathing suit, her very own beach towel, sand and beach toys, a penguin backpack (she's obsessed with ducks and this is the closest we could find),  and a new ride along/push car that she absolutely loves.






We had a super cute pink camo/hunting/country girl themed cake. The lady I have make our cakes is soooo amazing at what she does and has some super reasonable prices. I personally feel that the cake is the centerpiece of the party, so that is the one area I tend to "splurge" a little on. It has just been "my thing" since the twins were very young. 


I chose the pink camo design from a cake I found online, suggested a couple subtle changes to it, and Jeff's idea was the deer antlers placed around it (being the country boy hunter he is!). It turned out so great and we decided to use her nickname she has had since she was a baby, Tootie, rather than Kendall. So cute, right?! Kendall had been practicing blowing out her candles for days leading up to her party, and she did it all by herself when the big moment came! 




A bit after the cake was served, guests slowly began leaving. The only people that stayed around for a while afterwards were my best friend Jenn and her three little ones, and Jeff's mom, who had come up from New Hampshire the night before and spent the night with us to help us set up for the party. The birthday girl desperately needed to get a little nap in as she was slowly starting to melt down so while she caught up on some beauty sleep, we set up the sprinkler and let all of the other kids have some water fun in the hot sun for the rest of the afternoon.




Before we knew it, it was time for the kiddos to go to their dad's for the night as usual on Sundays. It was such a fun filled day with good friends and family, celebrating our precious angel Tootie. I can't believe that we really celebrated her 2nd birthday, it feels so surreal to me. Now we can take a little break from birthdays for a while though, and just enjoy the summer and all that we have planned! Concerts, hikes, beach trips, bike rides, amusement parks, and so much more! This will no doubt be one our busiest but best summers yet!









Friday, June 5, 2015

First Response Pregnancy Test and New Pregnancy Technology Review!


“I participated in a Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for First Response. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”


As a mother of 4, it's not secret I have taken my fair share of pregnancy tests. Throughout my trying to conceive and pregnancy journey, I always relied on First Response pregnancy tests for reliability, ease of use, and quality in general. In fact, even when I am not actively trying to conceive, First Response pregnancy tests are always a staple in my own personal bathroom.


I have to say, I am so thankful to be living in a time where there have been so many technological advances in so many areas of society today. Pregnancy testing and family planning is no different. Pregnancy tests have evolved from analog to digital tests, and instead of only detecting pregnancy after your missed period, most tests on the market today can now test before your missed period. First Response pregnancy tests, for example, are the ONLY brand pregnancy tests that can detect pregnancy up to 6 days sooner than your missed period. If you are like me, that two week wait in the period after ovulation and before your missed period are torture. Being able to test a little bit sooner is a God send! 

I first took a First Response pregnancy test about 6 or 7 years ago, when I was actively trying to get pregnant with my twins. I knew the reliability of First Response pregnancy tests was very good and at that time, First Response products came highly recommended. Today, it is no different. First Response pregnancy tests come even more highly recommended, and with the advancements in technology and pregnancy testing being better than even 6 years ago, it's no surprise why First Response is the number one leader in pregnancy test detection and family planning!

This was the very first First Response pregnancy test I took, the morning I found out I was pregnant with our twins! (Though, I didn't know it was twins just yet!):


When I thought I was pregnant for the second time with our third baby, I once again turned to First Response for a reliable, quick, easy, and cost effective detection of pregnancy:


When baby number 4 decided to grace my womb, there was no question what brand I would turn to yet again for pregnancy testing:


For my review, I received a box of two First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests to try out and share with all of my readers! I was pleasantly surprised when I first opened the box and saw the new design! 



The new sleek design features a cutting edge curved shape perfectly designed to fit a woman's hand, along with a longer handle to make actually taking the test easier and more comfortable. Along with that, the new design also boats a 50% wider absorbent tip!



Even with the new technology and design, First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests are FDA Approved, and perfectly designed to detect all relevant forms of hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, throughout all of pregnancy. First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests also contain a very easy to read result within 3 minutes, and an overall accuracy rate of 99%. One of the best things about First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test is that it can be used at any time of day, so no more having to wait to test with only first morning urine! Of course, two pink lines mean a positive result, regardless if one line is lighter or darker than the other, and only one line is a negative result. First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests and other First Response products are available at all major drugstores, mass, and grocery stores, and range in price from $8.99 - $15.99.

Though I am not actively trying to conceive right this moment, I had to take one of these tests so I could truly test out the new design and functionality of them!


I LOVED it! The new design truly is easier to hold and use, and I know the results say by 3 minutes, but I honestly think it was even quicker than that before mine was fully done and ready to read! I love the new sleek design and have remained a fan of First Response tests and all other First Response family planning tools, and will continue to swear by them and use them for my current and future family planning and pregnancy testing needs!





Oh, and by the way....

We're not pregnant.


YET! ;-)