Top Knot...Testing out a new hairstyle.

By: Alexandra Holmes

I am the queen of running out of time and giving up on my hair in the morning. I wear my hair either curly (think untamed lioness), in a low pony tail, or what I refer to as a bun but it is a very un"chic" sloppy mess so often that when I blow dry my hair people always ask if I got my hair cut or colored.

Today was another sloppy mess day and then I got an email from Elle Magazine with a how-to on the Top Knot hairstyle (pictured below). Check out the how-to here.

The style above involves teasing and spraying and sectioning and since I was sitting in my cubicle with no mirror I couldn't do any of that. Below is what I ended up with. Not bad...looks like I was trying to be chic rather than the "I slept in" look.

I will try the fancier version another day when I have time :)

Happy Monday!

Thanks for Reading,

Alex

My Summer Faves for Sunny Summer Toddlers

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By: Alexandra Holmes

Summer is my season! I love it and I wouldn't trade it for any other season any day. I have always enjoyed summer and even though I don't get to forget about my worries and hit the beach for a few months like I used to I still get giddy just thinking about my summer itinerary.  When I'm not working this summer is going to be full of backyard barbecues, days at the lake, and a trip to the beach. I can barely stay inside at all when the sun is out so I always make sure to properly gear up my little guys so that they can enjoy it as much as I do. I want to keep them safe, extend our outside play, and keep them entertained. To do this, I must reach deep into my mommy arsenal for some tried and true summer essentials.

1. Stride Rite Sand Dollar Shoes: Whether we are going to the beach or just to the grocery store, these shoes are our ultimate go-to summer shoes for our little guys. I was shocked to learn how sweaty and smelly little boy feet can get, these are supposed to be my sweet little cherubs and they smell like rowdy teenagers! These shoes keep there little tootsies cool and are easy to put on and off themselves. They are made of waterproof material and can go all day in and out of the water without rubbing blisters. Think of them as kicked up Crocs for your little ones. We have a pair of these for everyone and they are SO worth the splurge.

2. Sunglasses: This one took me a little while to catch on to...I'm like a vampire in the way that I can't walk outside two feet without sunglasses or my eyes will start shriveling out of my head but I never considered that the little guys might need them. Notice the picture above, Chris and I are happily smiling with our shades on while all four boys are squinting. It was during that trip last summer that it dawned on me to start protecting the boys' eyes. Most of the boys love wearing sunglasses and when someone decides they don't want to wear them that day then I put a ball cap on his head. These sunglasses are called "Babiators" and couldn't be any cooler. They come in all colors (for girls too!) but we think the lime green is our style.

3.Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids SPF 70 Sunscreen: Tell me the truth...how many times have you remembered the sunblock right as your kids run and jump into the pool? This sunblock is GREAT because not only is it completely waterproof, broad spectrum, long lasting sunblock but you can spray it on wet kids! This makes it so easy to reapply throughout the day without having to bum everyone out by making them stop what they are doing to dry off completely and then let the sunblock dry. You can spray it on wet skin and let them hop right back onto the slip'n'slide without worrying about coverage.

Not my kid 

4.Cute Summer Clothes: All kids look cute running around an open fire hydrant no matter what they are wearing, but MY kids look like a Gap summer commercial or a dream sequence from a summer blockbuster. Honestly, my boys are naked most of the time...I can't keep clothes on them when we are at our house. They strip down and run outside to play in the hose before I can do anything to stop them. But when we have to go out in public I have so much fun picking out cute summer outfits. Plaid shorts and cool tees are pretty much the uniform for our boys. Target has lots of great stuff and H&M has great prices on very trendy cool clothes for little tots. I think I like shopping for boys clothes more than my own now.

5.Board Shorts: Ok Mom...I'm going to do your boys' a favor right now... swim trunks with "weird" patterns, full elastic waistband, and poofy shorts are NOT COOL. Board shorts are where it's at and your little cutie will look so much better in these cool swimsuits. I don't know about you but I don't want my kids getting dissed at the juice box bar over his goofy shorts.

6.Backyard Entertainment: If you are like me and don't have a pool in your backyard then you have to have some entertainment back there. You could do horse shoes or croquet (boring) or you could fork over $15 for this awesome toddler sized pool. It is the perfect depth and size for little swimmers and also happens to fit Mommy in there pretty well too! It is a snap set pool available at Walmart. There are tons of other great inexpensive pools that will turn your plot of grass into a mini water park for your little tots. We have a pool and slip'n'slide and I just stick my lawn chair in the middle and enjoy!

There it is...kids are easy to entertain in the summer. The sun and fun is already outside waiting you just have to go out and get it. I hope you get to have tons of fun and make many summer memories this year.

Thanks for Reading,

Alex

Married with No kids! Two weeks without my boys.

So my house is more quiet now then it ever is during the day.

All four of my sweet little guys are with my mom at her house. This is a little bittersweet because I have never been away from the trips for more than one night and even Aidan has never been gone that long. I only left them a few hours ago and I am already missing them so much. They are going to have a blast, my parents have totally redecorated their guest bedroom with trains and hot-wheels and have their backyard set-up with bats, balls, toys, and a kiddie pool. I may have trouble getting them to come home to our house where there is not very much fun stuff.

This isn't just a vacation, Chris and I have a big to-do list during this rare time. Our life and our house are pretty much running on survival mode right now with just the bare minimum getting done. So these two weeks are a chance for us to catch up with life. We are redoing the floors in our kitchen and two bathrooms and putting in new baseboards in the whole house. I have to get our bills in order because right now I rely on the built in reminder system that most services offer...they will turn it off. It works every time to remind me that I haven't paid the water bill in two months. We are having a garage sale next Sunday so I am spending the evenings this week cleaning out closets and the garage so that we can purge some of our stuff that we have amassed over the last three years of total chaos. We are leaving for a family vacation with the boys the day we pick them up so I have to pack and get us ready for that and figure out what to do with all of my plants and dogs.

In addition to all of that stuff that has to get done, Chris is also on the hunt for a job that will allow us to put the kids in daycare and hopefully have some additional income. It is about $600 a week for the boys to be in school but I feel like if we can manage to pull it off that it will be best for them. These two weeks are a chance for him to get out and search for a job while he doesn't have the boys at home. Chris works on the weekend, and has his fire fighter certification but getting a job as a fire fighter has been more difficult then we originally thought.

Finally, while we have the kids out of the house, we HAVE to take some time to hang out alone and do things that we can't do when we have the kids. We are going to go to dinner alone, see a movie, grocery shop together, and SLEEP! All things that sound pretty normal or even boring but they are a big deal and very rare for us.

There is a lot of pressure on these two weeks of freedom to be very productive...we shall see how this goes.

Now I am off to start chipping away at the to-do list...was making an ice cream sundae on it?

I will be following up in a little bit with something more fun and interesting to read. ;)

Thanks For Reading,

Alex

--I just got reminded that my 24th birthday is this week! I really forgot, Chris' aunt just called to wish me a happy early birthday and I didn't know what she was talking about. You see what kids can do to you?!

Quote for the Day...Go experience life and find peace.

You cannot find peace by avoiding life. -- Virginia Woolf

Bathing Suit Season...Oh Joy!

By: Alexandra Holmes

Have you heard the new trend? Turns out the new hot summer bathing suit trend is to wear a mu mu to cover your post triplet belly AND they have officially put it into law that all men must be attracted to stretch marks!

No? Oh I guess I made that up...

Well anyway... It's summer in Texas which means 100 plus degree weather, less clothes, more skin, and more opportunities to spin myself into a self conscious panic and end up curled in the fetal position in the bathroom rather than out in the sun with my kids. My husband and I are taking our kids home to Galveston for 4th of July and will have to be beach ready. Over the last few summers I have gotten pretty good at shopping for bathing suits that cover up and conceal parts that I don't want to show off. This year should be much better because I have recently lost quite a bit of weight (40+ lbs.) and I am still working on my super buff beach babe body. I'm not there yet but maybe by NEXT summer.

Before I would dare to search for bathing suits this year I had to do at least a little something about my stretch marks. As other multi-moms definitely know and singlet moms too, stretchies can look pretty gruesome and there isn't much you can do for about them short of getting them removed in a tummy tuck. (Which I plan on doing eventually...maybe). I did however find something this year that I have been VERY pleased with. It is a stretch mark cream that I got from BirchBox which is a site that I absolutely love that sends out beauty samples every month for $10 like a magazine subscription. I have discovered so many products and brands that I never would have known about before and the best part is that you can get points for reviewing products and referring friends and use the points to buy full size products. So, this miracle cream...it's called Apothoderm Stretch Mark Cream, it is about $80 which is cheaper than other more popular (and less effective, I promise) competitor brands out there. I used it immediately when I got it (Seriously, I was still in my car) and it actually worked in minutes to reduce the appearance of the stretch marks by filling or smoothing them and has continued to reduce the appearance of them over the few months that I have been using it. I took a picture in a bikini to show my mom the results and I might get brave enough to put it on here later...we shall see. Anyway, I definitely recommend checking that product out if you have an issue with stretch marks...other stretchy moms tell me to wear them with pride and that they are beautiful but while I am proud that I successfully carried triplets I don't feel the need to show off my stretch marks like a badge of honor...I breastfed too but you don't see me proudly walking around with no top ;)

So, now that I am feeling a little better about the stretch marks and a little less "hefty" then I was last summer I am ready to start swimsuit shopping. I still have some problem areas to address but suits are so well designed that it is easier than ever to get a suit you feel great in as long as you know what to look for.

Here is my shopping guide for suits below based on my experience shopping for myself through different body shapes and helping others shop.

If you have a hotty little body then stop reading and go buy a teency bikini...you're making me hate you just being here. (Ok, not really...you can stay)

If you have a not so abtastic belly that you want to camouflage a bit then I recommend something that looks like a tankini with some ruching or texture but has built in mesh support. These suits do a better job of concealing bellies then a regular one piece and look more stylish too. Spanx has some great slimming swimwear and their prices have really gone down since they started making swimsuits. If you can't or don't want to spend the extra on a "support" swimsuit than look for tankinis with a longer top so that you don't get that dreaded muffin top at the pool.

I love modern swimdresses, I discovered them when I was heavier but still love them now to cover up my hiny a little bit. I'm not talking about the one Grandma wears that goes up to your neck and down to your knees. I have a black Kenneth Cole halter top swimdress with a mesh support underneath that I got for a trip to Mexico 4 months after I had Aidan and I felt great in it and was comfortable enough to wear all day and into the night with my sarong and sandals.

Here is a picture of me on the beach in it.....

Ok...it's not me...

I also have a Jantzen bandeau swimdress that always makes me want to wear a big hat and shades and have hot foreign men serve me drinks with umbrellas.

 This picture really is me...

Geez...You are hard to fool....

I always read that if you have a pooch that you should get high waisted bottoms but they always make me feel like an old lady and I get hot so I would rather cover from the top than the bottom. Even though I don't particularly like them, I have seen some ladies work it and look really retro and cool like Alana in the picture below.

Fellow Galvestonian Alana Anderson winning a retro swimsuit competition.

One thing that I almost always have to consider when picking my wardrobe and especially a bathing suit is the fact that I will not just be glamorously sun bathing by the water. I will be chasing kids, having my bathing suit pulled on, bending over to kiss boo boos, and who knows what else. I like to get versatile suits that are going to stay put. I am from Galveston Island and I have always liked the look of bikini tops and board shorts, so I really like this slightly more adult version of that look by Land's End. It is cool and summery with the surfer print but the sturdy halter top and cute board shorts are sure to cover up and stay put when your doing the mom obstacle course at the beach. A good family friend, whose four boys I grew up with, always wore these types of suits and looked so cute washing the car, out on the boat, or headed to the beach.

 In addition to the bathing suit, I have to have the whole ensemble to feel my best whether I am in my backyard or at the beach. I try and do my hair up so it is cute and out of the way, now that my hair is getting longer I like doing loose side braids so that my hat fits on and I don't mess up my hair laying back in a chair. I also HAVE to have a glam hat and glasses! Don't forget jewelry, I don't mean diamonds and pearls but some shell earrings or a beachy necklace always makes my beach outfit feel a little more chic.

Final Touch

My last accessory for any bathing suit is the most important for me...SUNSCREEN....I love being outside during the summer and I don't want to have to quit anytime soon so I spray SPF 30 on my body before I go out and keep 15 on the whole time. I wear at least 30 on my face in addition to the SPF 20 that is in my tinted moisturizer that I wear everyday. I like to use face specific sunblock that has special add ins like broad spectrum, anti-aging, or something else. I have been lucky enough to find samples of different face sunblock at charity walks/runs, drugstores, etc.

So now we have a great suit, great hair, beachy accessories, confidence, and preferably a Pina Colada! We are ready to hit the beach (or the kiddy pool in my case.)

Final Product....

This one really is me :)

I am proud to be a momma to my four boys but I don't want to feel like everyone is thinking "Well, she has four kids" when they see me in my bathing suit so I try to feel confident, sexy, and glamorous when I am stripping down to my suit. I think that investing in a quality suit that fits great and makes you feel even better is SO worth it because you can buy tons of cheap unflattering suits but if they make you feel like a whale then you shouldn't waste your money.

I look forward to buying some new suits this year and I hope this helps you pick out something you feel great in too.

Thanks for Reading,

--Alex

The picture at the top came from a blog called Kiss My Gumbo that I found while writing this and she is from  Louisiana so no wonder another Gulf Coast girl had something so cute!

Quote for the Day...Get Up and Do something!

"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it." --Margaret Thatcher

Avocado Fries with Garlic Lime Chili Aioli - The Daily Dish Recipes

Check out this link to The Daily Dish.

Avocado Fries with Garlic Lime Chili Aioli - The Daily Dish Recipes

This recipe looks absolutely delicious, I can't wait to try it and other recipes on this site. This was a great find.

--Alex