Magnolia Mamas

Friday, May 6, 2016

Mother's Day Photo Card and Gift Print {Printables)

With Mother's Day only a few days away, the last minute scramble for gifts begins! Sometimes shopping for mom is hard, but as moms ourselves the gifts we tend to look forward to the most are those cute little handmade ones our little ones share with us.

Give me anything with those adorable little handprints, or containing pictures of those sweet faces and my heart melts!

We came up with this fun framable gift print to make your Mother's Day gifting easy this year. Use this custom print as a gift tag, a card or even as a gift itself with just a few easy steps.

We also came up with a simply adorable card version as well.

What mom doesn't love a cute card with her little ones face on it?

Attach a gift card or an adorable drawing and done!

To learn more and download the prints visit our post on Savvy Sassy Moms

HERE.

Happy Mother's Day weekend everyone!!!

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Cocktail Confessions: Champagne Margaritas

Happy Cinco de Mayo! A friend of mine recently told me that Cinco de Mayo was her favorite holiday after Christmas. I was surprised by that statement, but it got me thinking...cheese dip, salsa, guacamole, tacos, margaritas...what's not to love?!?!

A frozen margarita is my all-time favorite cocktail. Hands down! I love them year round, but they taste just like summer to me and since that is my favorite season maybe that is where my love for margaritas come from. I saw this on Pinterest a while back and it made me laugh out loud.

We set out to come up with a bubbly twist on the classic margarita recipe just in time for Cinco de Mayo and the results were quite delicious!

Adding champagne to the recipe gave it just a little something extra and made it taste oh so good! To see the full recipe visit Savvy Sassy Moms HERE.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Little Remedies for Sick Kids {Printables}

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

We've been very fortunate that our little ones are rarely sick. I can remember visiting the pediatrician for Cute's 3 year well visit, and she asked me "Can this be right, you haven't been here since his two year check up?".

It was accurate - not even a sniffle.

Now he more than made up for it at age three when we were in the E.R. more times than I would like to admit. This is the same year he honed in on all those boy skills, and flipping head first off the couch became a sport.

Little Cute's immune system seems just as strong, but she more so has had a few moments where she wasn't feeling her best. One such incident happened last week when her tummy seemed to be bothering her. She wasn't eating, and she just wasn't up to her normal self.

For L.C. to be relatively calm most of the day, not attempt at least three break-ins to the nail polish drawer, and not spend most of her day ~~torturing~~ snuggling with her furry best friend Max is a big deal. It was so sad to see her down and out.

After observing her for a day or so, and asking her at various times what was bothering her, I realized she might be constipated. Fortunately for us we live about two minutes away from a Target, and with the promise of a fresh nail polish color, L.C. perked up enough to make the trip.

After picking out a lovely new shade of purple nail polish, we made our way over to the digestive aisle to see what we could come up with. At only two and a half, I was a little nervous if there would be anything available to help her. I was so excited to see that I actually recognized one of the brands - Little Remedies®.

I remember giving Little Remedies® Gripe Water and Gas Drops to The Cutes occasionally when they were younger if they seemed to have gas or an upset tummy, and they always worked like a charm. Now, newly available is Little Remedies® Probiotic Plus Electrolytes for digestive health. After reading about that each serving contains vital nutrients for digestive health, and approximately 5 billion active cultures of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG - the probiotic that helps aide digestive balance and boost immunity - and doesn't contain any artificial flavors, dyes, or paragons, I knew we had found a winner.*

An added bonus to my find, was that I learned Target is currently running a great offer on Little Remedies® products. Anytime you buy a Little Remedies® product between now and May 14th, you receive a $5 Target gift card. I love those little gift cards. They always come in handy later. I made sure to stock up and grab all three products to have on hand.

The moment we returned home, I mixed L.C. some of the Little Remedies® Probiotic Plus Electrolytes. I knew she would love the delicious berry flavor, and the faster she could drink it the better her tummy would feel. I was also glad she would get the electrolytes she needed to help stay hydrated since that is one of the major danger signs of little ones being constipated.

It took L.C. a few days to bounce back completely, but without getting into too many unnecessary (and super icky) details - we saw an improvement in her mood after a few Little Remedies® Probiotic Plus Electrolytes cocktails, some added hydration, and lots of fiber to her diet . During the recovery period though, we had to leave her with a babysitter a few times due to some year end meetings and commitments we couldn't back out of. This is out of the norm for us, so I decided to design this handy Sick Day Chart to share with her caregivers so that we could keep track of her health.

With the use of the Sick Day Chart and the use of Little Remedies® Probiotic Plus Electrolytes, I felt like I was able to confidently leave our babysitters with all necessary supplies and instructions to help us get L.C. back on track and her tummy feeling at least a little better.

I am able to look at the chart, see if anything looks out of the ordinary, keep track of when the last time medicine might have been administered, and see any special notes of things I might not have picked up on prior to my leaving. I love that I can quickly be informed on anything I might have missed and that anyone who might be watching her can be on the same page.

It's also nice to quickly be able to share the Sick Day Chart with The Cutes pediatrician if needed. Lord knows that a visit to the pediatrician's office with three little ones in tow is tough enough - my brain is usually so full that I might not accurately be able to say what she ate last, or answer when exactly did she last go to the potty.

Luckily, L.C. is now back to her full smiley, bouncy, nail polish loving self again and those digestive issues are a thing of the past, and the Little Remedies® Probiotic Plus Electrolytes was definitely a helpful tool in keeping her hydrated and giving her valuable nutrients in her her diet on the days she otherwise didn't want to consume much. Even after a week she still asks for her "special juice" because she loved the taste that much. I've found her more than once sneaking into the cabinet to try to figure out how to open the little packets with her water cup sitting beside her. Thank goodness because I would much rather see my mischievous little girl with her big infectious smile any day of the week, than witness any more pitiful days not feeling well on the couch.

Our furry dog friend Max - not sure he shares in my enthusiasm.

If you would like to use the Sick Day Chart for you or your little one's caregiver(s) download for free HERE.

To learn more about Little Remedies®, and their quest for promoting health in young children, visit HERE.

What remedies do you have when your little ones aren't feeling their best?

*This statement has not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Queso. Tacos. MARGARITAS!
What's not to love about Cinco de Mayo?
It's like a holiday celebrating some of my favorite things all rolled into one!

We wrote the following post for The Avenue, but thought we would share it here too.
Celebrating Cinco can be just as fun at home as it is at your favorite Mexican restaurant, and you save yourself the Uber fee. ;)

HOW TO CELEBRATE CINCO AT HOME

Nothing is more fun than having a reason to celebrate - and what holiday is more fun that one that gives reason to eat copious amounts of guacamole and indulge in frosty margaritas? Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, and while we would all love to spend the entire day enjoying Cheeky’s gorgeous patio and divine Mexican inspired fares sometimes logistically it is just not possible. Have no fear - planning your own spectacular Cinco de Mayo celebration is easy in just a few simple steps.

Flavors of the Fiesta

The magic of Cinco de Mayo lies in the food. Delicious tacos, creamy queso, and sizzling fajitas give inspiration to an easy themed menu. With little effort you can create a meal your family or guests will be swooning over. If you need a little more inspiration to create your party meal try out one of these Mexican cuisine cookbooks. Traditional, gluten-free, and even slow cooker options are available - yum!

Hello crockpot! ;)

Set the Table

One of our favorite things about Cinco de Mayo are all the bright festive colors that are often paired with the cultural decor. You can easily set the tone for your celebration by creating a festive table for your guests. These Spanish inspired dishes from Bed Bath & Beyond are so colorful and fun. We also love these coordinating traditional margarita glasses, or for a unique twist these hammered copper ones.

Craft a Cocktail

Cinco de Mayo is all about the margarita. Surprise your guests and create a fun twist on the classic cocktail, or pick up one of the yummy pre-made mixes available from Williams-Sonoma. The Mango-Passion Fruit and Strawberry-Watermelon flavors are not ones to miss!

Make it Fun

At home celebrations always lend to more flexibility than celebrations at a public place. Use that freedom to your advantage to add a special twist to your party. Create a game, throw on some mariachi music and dance, or go with a timeless classic - the piñata. We love this festive one from Michaels.

OTHER FIESTA WORTHY POSTS

Cinco de Mayo Dips

3 Ingredient Fiesta Chicken

Apricot Pork Tenderloin Tacos

Chicken Tortilla Soup

How do you plan on celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

Monday, May 2, 2016

Write it down

Happy Monday friends. Can you all believe it is May?!?!? With May comes Mother's Day next weekend and a time that we all reflect on being mothers and what really matters...being moms to our sweet kiddos! One thing I just love is sitting down and looking back on pictures and stories about the kids from when they were younger. One thing I've realized is that you think you will remember all of those special milestones or funny things kids say, but the truth is you won't. Your life gets busy, you start in on a new stage of life with your kids and you just forget those sweet little details that were so important at the time.

Here is the real answer to remembering it all - WRITE IT DOWN! Sounds simple, I know. However, in our busy day-to-day lives, so many of us don't take the time to document and write down special little tidbits of information about our kids. Maybe something funny they said, maybe the first time they rode their bike or learned to read.

There are lots of different journals that are made for just this reason and we share some of our favorites on Savvy Sassy Moms. You can read all about them HERE.

A few other ways to document and write things down are popular sites that turn your Instagram and Facebook posts into books. A quick internet search will provide tons of options. Social media is such a big part of our lives and we do often post there so this provides a way to put all of those posts and pictures into print form.

Another way I like to document are through photo books on popular sites like Shutterfly. Just having pictures that are off of your phone and in some sort of hard copy is better than nothing at all and adding quick captions are super easy!

My personal favorite is blogging. No surprise there. :-) Anyone can create a free blog and it is so simple to do. I've had a personal blog since Little Mama was a baby. For my family, it serves as sort of an online scrapbook and each year I turn it into a hardbound book.

I treasure these blog books so much. They hold so many memories and information about my kids' childhoods. We all love looking through them and as a mom I love reminiscing about my babies when they were just babies!

I used to use Blurb.com to make these books, but they no longer do it so I'm looking for another company. I've heard of Blog2book.com, but I'm open to others so if anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears!

No matter how you document your kids' lives and your journey as a mother, I urge you all to simple find a way to write it down! You and your kids will thank you years from now!

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Book Club: May

Welcome to another book club day! All this fabulous warm weather has us dreaming of the days we can finally relax on the porch with a good book instead of scrambling from one final end of the year activity to the next - the end is so close we can taste it!

And those fruity cocktails we like to drink on said porch reading said book during the summer. ;)

JEN

I was able to get three books in last month! All those late night nursing sessions keep adding up! I realized there was a common theme amongst the three too - family! Crazy, chaotic, and sometimes downright dysfunctional families that made me thankful that my own family is a slightly toned down version of crazy in comparison.
#weallhaveourcrazies

The Nest was up first, and it was one of those I couldn't put down. The whole story follows a family who is expecting to get a large inheritance called "The Nest"; however, things don't go as well as they planned. You follow along with each person in "The Nest" to see what life choices they made based off their probable inheritance. It was highly entertaining to follow along and make a guess as to what the ultimate outcome would be. And then I hugged my own family because again...toned down version of crazy.

Next up was Dear Carolina by Kristy Woodson Harvey. I loved this book! We love reading fun southern authors and this one did not disappoint. It was such a fun and sweet story about a southern family that just made you smile. It was one of those books that made you feel good coming away from reading it, and you see how sometimes family comes together in a unique, delightful and sometimes unorthodox way. Harvey just came out with a new book called Lies and Other Acts of Love, and I already look forward to reading that one as well.

The last book I read the month was Eligible. I love love loved this book! It's based on the classic Pride and Prejudice, but with a modern twist. I remember reading the original in high school and loving it, so I was curious of how the author would tie in new themes like The Bachelor to it. It is a little long, which can be intimidating, but I never felt like it was too much story at all. I couldn't put it down and I absolutely loved the updated story. If you have to put one book on your reading pile this month I would do this one!

Now to Discuss: What did you read? Anything we should put on our list? Steer away from? Share what you read in April below!

MAY'S SELECTION
With Mother's Day just around the corner we decided to pick a funny parenting book as May's theme.
See our pick below or share one with us that we should read.

I Want My Epidural Back: Adventures in Mediocre Parenting by Karen Alpert

From the Back Cover:

Now that I’m a mom, I know the most painful part isn’t getting something giant through your hooha. It’s having a real live child.

If you are the kind of mom who shapes your kiddo’s organic quinoa into reproductions of the Mona Lisa, do not read this book. If you stayed up past midnight to create posters for your PTO presidential campaign, do not read this book. If you look down your nose at parents who have Domino’s pizza on speed dial, do not read this book.

But if you are the kind of parent who accidentally goes ballistic on your rugrats every morning because they won’t put their shoes on and then you feel super guilty about it all day so you take them to McDonald’s for a special treat but really it’s because you opened up your freezer and panicked because you forgot to buy more frozen pizzas, then absolutely read this book.

I Want My Epidural Back is a celebration of mediocre parents and how awesome they are and how their kids love them just as much as children with perfect parents. Karen Alpert’s honest but hilarious observations, stories, quips and pictures will have you nodding your head and peeing in your pants. Or on the toilet if you’re smart and read it there.

BOOK CLUB 2016

Happy Reading!

Friday, April 29, 2016

Friday Favorites: Just the Mom Life Edition

Hurray! Hurray! It's Friday!!

It was a fun and beautiful week, and it looks like the weekend ahead is going to follow suit. We have some of our favorite friends coming to visit from out of town, and we have a fun trip to the zoo planned for tomorrow - the kids are beyond excited!

We just can't wait to get this party started, and since this weekend also includes the start of May, let the countdown to the end of school begin!!!

Now for some Friday Favorites with some of our favorite bloggers, and to share with you what's got us all excited this week.

ONE

After waiting almost ten long weeks to begin exercising, I finally got the all clear from my doctor to "tread lightly". After not being able to exercise for that long (and during most of my pregnancy) I couldn't wait to throw on my favorite sneakers, and take off.

Well, no one told me that Double Bob would weigh so much with two children, a million snacks, waters, books, etc. Whew!! You definitely couldn't miss me in all neon looking like I was ~~going to pass out~~ struggling up those hills.

For round two, I decided to tone it down a notch (or five), and go solo on the treadmill. I was so excited though because apparently some of my favorite mindless television is back on.

I love me some Real Housewives and New York is my favorite!!

TWO

I know we are a few months into our year, but I just picked up this devotional a few weeks ago, and I absolutely love it. Savor by Shauna Niequist has been a great way to start my day.

I love how Niequist has mixed in stories of herself as well as yummy recipes into her writing. Definitely one to grab.

THREE

Chicken Alfredo will always be one of my absolutely favorite meals. I can't even remember the last time I had it, but when I was grocery shopping this week, I spotted this Alfredo kit.

Let me just say - YUM!

It was so tasty and waaaaaay better than I was expecting. Even my picky children ate it.

And asked for seconds!

They had no clue what they were eating wasn't real cheese.

Having to worry about food allergies is never fun, and I am so thankful that some companies have invented some allergy free products that actually taste great. It was a rough go five years ago when I had to do this, but now it seems almost effortless. Almost.

I still miss cheese dip.

Can someone work on that?

FOUR

I love going to Cute's school and helping any chance I can get. It's a little tougher with the two girls in tow, but some events they can help me with too.

This week, I was the surprise mystery reader. I loved it! Cute had no clue it was me, and he was doubly excited because he was also the mystery bag holder for the day. It was better than a birthday in his mind.

I wowed the class with If You Give a Pig a Pancake, Super Hungry Dinosaur, and The Duck Gets a Cookie. Apparently my hungry dinosaur voice is on point because they asked for that one a second time, and Cute told me that was his favorite.

FIVE

Mother's Day is next week and we had a fun Pinterest party with some of our favorite blog friends to brainstorm some great gift ideas. The Mother's Day Gifts board is fabulous, and I love seeing what moms want for their special day. Everything from a card, to crafts, to sparkling jewels - everything all you rockin' moms totally deserve.

Check it out...

SIX

One of my favorite moments this week was writing our Cocktail Confessions post.

I loved reminiscing about this trip and how the blog began - mostly because it's a hilarious memory for us, and we had so much fun on that trip with all our little ones in tow.

The taste testing wasn't such a bad part of the week either.
Yum!

That wraps up my favorites for the week. What were some of your favorites?

From us to you - have a fabulous weekend!!!