Friday Favorites: Guilty Pleasures

Happy first day of spring!! Y'all it could not have gotten here fast enough!!! 

Today we are linking up with Momfessionals for Friday Favorites, and sharing a few fun guilty pleasures. 

Reality TV

It is no secret that I enjoy a reality television show or two. I love plopping down on the couch at the end of the day and just watch mindless television. Sometimes mama just needs to shut her brain down.  

The Real Housewives series is always a night time favorite, and I don't even need to record it as Bravo tends to run them often. I usually cozy up on the couch, click to the correct channel and settle myself in for a nice drama filled hour brain dump. Recently, however, I stumbled upon this little gem called Southern Charm.

The season premier was this week and it did not disappoint. It is filmed in one of my favorite southern cities (Charleston, SC), and is an hour filled southern sass, drama, Lilly Pulitzer galore and beautiful antebellum homes. What more could you ask for? 

And if that wasn't fabulous enough to make you watch, meet Patricia, the mother of cast member Whitney. 

And her home. 

And her butler. :)

I'm hooked and I already am looking forward to next week's episode. 

Nautical Theme Wear

I have a major way over the top slight obsession with nautical theme wear. I wasn't raised in a coastal town, but you would never know that if you saw me on a day to day basis. When I choose to put on non-yoga inspired clothes I usually have something nautical on. Lilly, seersucker, boats, anchors, anchors, and more anchors.

Sweater | Watch | Bracelet | Shoes

 I am almost to the point that my family and friends might stage and intervention. I've usually manage to ward them off by buying them a cute nautical themed gift. Sharing in the crazy is caring right?

I should feel guilty about that part, but I don't. That part is most pleasurable. The guilty part comes in when I purchase something that I/we really don't need, but I just can't leave an anchor behind. Pillows seem to be the biggest culprit. Rumor has it that Target has a whole new line of anchor themed home goods rolling out in their stores as I type. As if Target wasn't dangerous enough! And it's pink. PINK!!

I was at J. Crew recently making a return and it was anchored out! It took everything I had in me to resist purchasing the whole store, but I did manage to bring home a goodie or two (possibly six.) Here were my favorites.
(P.S. - 30% off right now. No code necessary.)

Chambray Anchor Button Down | Anchor Layering Tank | Anchor Embroidered Sweater

The fun didn't stop there. A little trip to Nordstrom also proved to me that fashion gods just want me to have a nautically themed wardrobe. Why else would they insist these lovely items greet me a top the escalator? It's just meant to be. 

| Anchor Tank | Watch |

And how fun are these diapers from The Honest Company?!?

 Adorable!! I've got it pretty bad if even our diapers are anchor themed.

Girl Scout Cookies
Oh my, have I been on a girl scout binge eating kick. Thank goodness I have been blessed with a fast metabolism because I can't tell you how many of these cookies I have eaten over the last month. Just trust that it's a lot. If I was calorie counting my FitBit would have blown up on me weeks ago.

Every night I wait until the kids go to bed and then I make my way over to the pantry to retrieve the boxes from my secret hiding spot, and enjoy in quiet bliss. That's right, I don't even share them. I hide them deep in the pantry in a bag hidden behind the canned vegetables. Where I can assure you no one in this house will venture for a snack on their own.

I should feel a little bit guilty that I am withholding the deliciousness that is a Girl Scout cookie from my own flesh and blood, but I don't. Not. One. Bit. 

Well there you have it. Some of my guilty pleasures. What are some of yours?

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P.S. - A quick note about two fun giveaways our friends over at Savvy Sassy Moms are hosting right now. Their March Baby Bundle Giveaway and their Spring Essentials Giveaway contain some of our favorite products and would be excellent prizes to win. Hop over for details and to enter. Good luck! 

Random Ramblings

Happy Friday! This week was our Winter Break at school, and boy did winter makes it's presence known. 

Last Saturday, forecasters were predicting that our area would be getting a snow/ice storm that would be impacting the entire metro Atlanta area. With last year's great snow debacle still fresh in everyone's minds, businesses and school systems (that weren't already on break) preemptively canceled operations for Monday. Fast forward to Monday and we have nothing. 

The storm system still looked like it was going to hit and every one decided school and businesses would shut down again on Tuesday. 

On Tuesday and this was our view...

Poor kids (and to be honest, parents)...they were so hyped for snow and it didn't look like it was in going to happen. It was cold and rainy and there wasn't a snow flake in sight. North of us, in more mountainous areas, they received ice, which is never any fun, but overall...whomp whomp. 

The Cutes and I enjoyed relaxing, snuggling up for movie time, and simply relished in the fact that we had no where to be. Little Cute, seemed to relapse from the bug she had last week, and luckily since we didn't have to worry about treacherous icy roads we were able to visit the pediatrician and get her something to finally kick it. 

Perfect timing too because on Wednesday everyone was back to normal business and around lunch time this is what it looked like outside...

Snow! 

I think I squealed in delight so loud I scared The Cutes. In true southern fashion, it lasted about five minutes and melted the moment it hit the ground, but for those few moments it was so fun to see The Cutes' faces light up. 

Speaking of the lingering stomach bug, I would be remiss if I didn't share with you guys my new favorite product. We've owned this Bissell Spot Clean for a few years, but never really had to use it. This being our first experience with the stomach bug, it definitely paid for itself this last week. It is easy, quick, and small. All a necessity when running around like a crazy person trying to clean any "accidents" before the next one occurred. 

Little Cute finally seemed to kick whatever she had, and was back to all smiles. To celebrate we did another snuggle all day pj day. No one was complaining. 

During all this cold weather, we were craving warm comfort food. I was a cooking and baking (and eating) machine. I had seen a Baked Potato Soup recipe on one of our favorite blogs and finally decided to try it. You guys, you have got to try it. It is sooooo good! Find the recipe HERE. 

By Thursday, temperatures were in the single digits and our little crew was going a little stir crazy. We must not have been the only ones because I received a text from Bestie L asking if we wanted to break out of the house and find somewhere to play. 

We let the kids pick and of course, Chuck E Cheese was the first thing out of their sweet little mouths.

The cold temperatures must have momentarily frozen our functioning brain cells because we agreed. But it was so much fun!! 

The kids always have a blast there, but it's usually a little chaotic keeping up with them all. However, today it was completely empty. Empty as in we were the only ones in the entire facility. Bestie L and I could relax at Chuckee. Wrap your brain around that phenomenon. 

 The kids LOVED it, and were spoiled rotten by the managers because they were given some extra tokens and a million extra tickets. The Cutes and friends couldn't have been more excited if they had gone to Disney. It was a win for all!

And thank goodness for that little outing because today forecasters are predicting more snow and ice to arrive later on today. Boo! As much as I love snuggling and lounging around the house with my little family, the Mamas have a fun girls night out planned this weekend and I do not want to miss it. There have even been rumors of throwing a shopping trip into the mix. Double boo!

I think I can collectively speak for most of America...bring on spring!! 

Hope everyone has a great start to their weekend! Anything fun going on? Cold/snow/ice (really just rain) party? 

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P.S. - I realized this week that the Ringling Brothers Legends show that we attended on Valentine's Day will be in Atlanta at a different venue starting Sunday for an entire week. If interested in going, I found a ticket discount available HERE. Enjoy!

Random Ramblings

Happy Friday!!! I'm so happy today is Friday and I'm super excited about the weekend ahead.  What's not to love about Friday?!?!  Today I have a lot of random ramblings for y'all.  Just a little of this, a little of that, and a lot of what's been going on with my life lately!

I got my Boo-Boo a new pair of shoes last week and according to him, they were the fastest shoes he's ever owned.  He then told me that I also had fast shoes and that we could be on the fast team together.  How sweet...I just love my little guy.

For Christmas I asked my Mother-in-law for an ice cream maker. I've always thought it would be fun to have one and she gave us THIS wooden bucket 4 quart one.  I bought all of the ingredients and we attempted our first batch after church a a few weeks ago.  Needless to say the results were amazing and there is something about that homemade ice cream that brought me back to my childhood. My mom used to always make it and I so vividly remember summers on the porch eating it when I was little.  I'm excited to try some new recipes and different flavors, although the vanilla was pretty darn good.  My kids ate it up and said it was WAY better than ice cream from the store!

Jen and I met at Chick-fil-a last Thursday for lunch and to let the boys play on the playground.  Then we decided to pop in Old Navy real quick to check out their compression leggings for running/working out.  Jen blogged about them last week HERE and ever since I've been wanting to try them.  Well, just as we were looking at them I turned around and saw this:

I was cracking up and had to snap a quick picture.  It doesn't matter where we are...these two little boys turn anywhere into a playground or a game a of hide-and-seek.  After this Jen and I quickly grabbed a pair of THESE compression leggings and made a mad dash for the checkout line before the boys caused any real damage in the store.

Later that day my family left for a little weekend getaway and while on our long drive I was checking out Facebook and came across this graphic.  It made my heart stop and was the perfect reminder to savor every single day with little ones.

Image Source

We made the rounds in FL over the weekend on our trip, but ended up in Orlando visiting some of our wonderful friends there.

Kathy and I taught together many years ago and had an instant bond.  We've stayed super close and our families always get together at least twice a year!

This year when we visited them we joined in with some of their friends to go to Monster Jam...the Monster Truck show.  Oh my goodness! It was so much fun and I enjoyed even more than I thought I would.  I really didn't know what to expect, but it was loud, exciting and very entertaining.

The girls loved it, but Hudson had the most fun of all.  He officially declared it the best night ever!!!

 We got home on Sunday evening and were very excited to see our puppy, Walker. He was obviously happy to see us, too and was happy sticking close by our sides the rest of the night.

I hope every has a wonderful Friday and an awesome weekend ahead!!!  

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Ramblings

TGIF! This week has been all about getting back into our routine. I, for one, am very excited about the weekend.This week has had its highs and lows, and I am looking forward to some relaxing family snuggle time on the couch with maybe a glass of wine or two.

Monday kicked off with a great start...the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale! Made Monday's cold early start just a little more bearable. While I found some great deals for little Cute and I, let's hope I can pay the Amex bill before the Hubs sees it. Even though the sale was great fun, I think I was more excited about the bigger news that was announced on Tuesday. It was made public that Lilly would be partnering with Target this April. What?!?! Now that is something to celebrate! Bring on Spring!

Monday night was just as fun with the premiere of the new season of The Bachelor.  My neighborhood girlfriends and I love viewing the crazy show together, and it is always so much fun. I hosted the final of last season's Bachelorette, and had a little fun with it.

When you entered my house...

Roses and candles for days...

Themed treats...

And Farmer Chris even made an appearance...

It is always so much fun, and this time was no exception. Neighbor C hosted in her new basement (which is fabulous by the way!), and we had tons of laughs. She even made this super fun Bachelor Bingo game. 

We died laughing as we played, because they really do say some of the phrases repetitively each season. I can't wait for next week, and it looks like the show is mixing it up a bit this year, which will be a great change. 

Speaking of reality TV, over the break I began to read The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year. I finished up this week, and it was interesting.

Andy Cohen used to be an Executive for Bravo, and produces the Housewives series, as well as a few other popular shows (Top Chef). I like to read biographies and I picked up the book on a whim. It is  a behind the scenes peek at a year of his life mixed in with some fun tidbits about casts from various shows and well as on his late night talk show. Some of his best friends are mentioned through out the book as well (Kelly Ripa, Anderson Cooper, Sarah Jessica Parker to name a few), and you get to fall in love with his cute dog Wacca. It's a quick read, and if you watch any of his shows might be fun.

At mention of really cute pups, let's just say I won't be surprised if the vet has a talking to with me about Bella's weight at her annual next month. Someone's been sneaking a few extra meals these days. This is totally Little Cute promoted. She lures you in with dimples and promises of yummy toddler snacks. 

And if we are going to venture onto the subject of health, let's talk about one of the Christmas gifts we received. My parents bought the Hubs and I matching Fitbits.

So far this is simultaneously one of my most favorite and most hated gifts I received. I love the information that you gain from it about your daily health, and it definitely keeps you accountable and helps track certain goals. It's hated only because I realize that when presented with a challenge I don't know how not to be a perfectionist/competitive with myself at it. It gives me a daily goal of steps needed to take, caloric intake and tracks my sleep (or lack there of). I've become obsessed with making sure I beat the goals set on my little wrist band before I lay my head down on my pillow each night...which I guess is the whole point behind it, but my guess is most people aren't speed walking around their house while pounding bottles of water before the stroke of midnight just to make sure they get their step badge and fill up their little person.

The only exception to my obsessiveness is the food tracker portion of it. Rarely am I allotted over 1100 calories to maintain my weight. In the two weeks I have owned the Fitbit, I have hit that goal...never. By lunch I have usually sailed way over, and by dinner 1100 is a distant distant memory. I'm guessing my OCD tendencies are taxed by the time I log this section of the Fitbit in because this bothers me none. I have no desire to try to throw down a challenge to beat this section, or even attempt. Why such the juxtaposition of my relationship with this fancy pedometer? I shall ponder this thought later over my nightly Talenti...

Thanks for following me through my random thoughts today! Happy weekend everyone!

P.S. - Don't forget to enter our White House | Black Market giveaway! Only a few more days, and winner will be announced Monday. Enter HERE!

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Ramblings {and a WINNER!}

This past week fall arrived! And so did winter and then summer again. Last weekend we had one chilly morning on the soccer field. With that little taste of cold, the moment it warmed back up we took our little crews outside to enjoy the all of the warm sunshine we could! We met at a local park for a picnic this week and everyone had a blast! The boys enjoyed playing football and racing cars down the slides, Little Cute ate her snacks and chased after Walker, and Carrie Beth spent her time entertaining strangers  drawn to her newest addition. It was a good time by all!

Side note...if you are single or want to make a lot of new friends, borrow a cute puppy and visit a local park. It will get you A LOT of attention. :)

Notice I said Little Cute was chasing around Walker? Yup, she's walking! Last week we met Carrie Beth and Boo-Boo for lunch, and while the boys were burning off some energy on the playground, a blur of orange caught our eye. That blur was Little Cute taking her first steps. And those first steps...right to a stranger. Multiple tries. Multiple trips back to same stranger. It was cracking us up. This week she has made it her mission to walk everywhere, and while still a little cautious she is doing great. One more little piece of the baby stage leaving. :(

While most Friday night plans consist of Mexi dinner with the family and unwinding with the Hubs on the couch, last week I changed it up a bit. My sweet neighbor girlfriend planned a fun girls night out for our little group and it was a blast. We attended the Home By Dark concert series at Chukkar Farms. It was a fun atmosphere and a beautiful setting (think rustic barn with beautiful chandeliers). You were able to reserve a table and bring your own dinner and cocktails to enjoy while listening to the wonderful music. There are a few more dates left on their calendar for the year, and I would definitely check it out if you can.

I experienced a new milestone in this crazy adventure we call mommyhood this week. I volunteered to be mystery reader for Cute's class. I was way more excited about it than one person should be, and was so thrilled to see his little face light up when he saw that it was me who walked through their classroom door. He was so excited to show me everything in his classroom, and introduce me to all of his friends. It was so much fun! And I am pretty sure the kids loved my interpretation of the story. Donuts and juice will win every time! 

That is all that has been going on in my little world, and now it is time to announce a winner to our statement necklace contest!

It was so fun all week hearing everyone get excited about this. My friend H sent me a text in excitement saying that she found the necklaces, loved them, and was even more excited to find the ones priced at $5. Wait, what?? I did not see those. Maybe that is a good thing. ;)

One of my best friends L also made a trip to Walmart to check them out, and sent me this pic of what landed in her cart. Gorgeous!

And we are super excited to say that now this winner gets to strut around in her gorgeous statement necklace too!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations!! Contact us at themagnoliamamas@gmail.com with your shipping info, and we will send you your prize! Thank you to all who participated!

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

Ramblings

 This past week has been a whirlwind of adventures. Some of those adventures good, some bad, but all were entertaining. :)

Last weekend kicked off the start of our soccer season. After school, I took Cute to the store and let him pick out his own soccer gear. I directed him to the correct sections, but this was all his choosing. I had to bite my tongue on the fact that nothing really coordinates. Or the fact that the #SWAG shirt wasn't really what I was picturing as appropriate soccer practice attire for an almost four year old. But who am I to stand in between a boy and "the best soccer shirt ever seen!!!"? I control all of his daily wardrobe choices still with out a peep from him, so I was happy to let him pick whatever he wanted. Besides, they don't make seersucker Umbros. Do they?

He was so excited to start soccer that the morning of he woke us up bright and early. Seriously early. Like 4:45a.m. early. It didn't start until 10a.m.

Once we got there he was even more excited they let him pick out his very own ball. With a quick hi-five to the check in lady who gave him his ball, Cute was off and he became a man on a mission. A mission to score goals. It was adorable.

My husband and I stood back taking a million pictures of all that adorableness.

Then the coaches and helpers called us over and informed us that the first part of the session is parent lead, and we will have to help them run drills. Holy moly. I will tell you what was un-adorable. This mama running drills along her super fast four year, while carrying her ten month old daughter (who consistently hits the 98 percentile for height and weight), during the hottest weekend of the summer. Trust me, there will be no sharing of that adorableness.

He had a blast though, and we couldn't have asked for more than that. Well, maybe for that and a huge bucket of ice water.

Our weekend fun didn't stop there. We headed to the Atlanta Zoo for members only night. It was a great event, and The Cutes were so amazed with all the animals and special exhibits that we let them stay up waaaaaaay past bedtime to enjoy as much of it as they could.

Hubs and I enjoyed it too. The Rhino exhibit was my favorite. Mommy Rhino was trying to enjoy her last snack of the day before lights out, and Baby Boy Rhino was just running around getting his energy out. It became all too real when Baby Boy Rhino decided he was bored and started poking at Mommy Rhino when he wanted a playmate. She was making it known that she wanted five minutes to herself to finish her meal. Baby Rhino did not want to be patient and responded with that by sticking his Rhino horn where no Rhino horn should go. Oh man.

I looked around and locked eyes with a few other mommies watching the same scene. We all collectively knew what that would get you. That my little Baby Boy Rhino will get you an automatic time out. And then some.

Monday rolled around and we started our weekly grind again. We all seemed a little sluggish from the weekends activities, but after nap Little Cute felt extremely warm. I took her temp and called our pediatrician. We did a few tricks and watched it for a few hours and nothing changed. Her temp stayed around 104 degrees and it was concerning so we headed to the ER. This would make ER visit number four for this family in two weeks. Our insurance company loves us. 

We must have hit Children's at its busiest. We waited about three or so hours to be called and another two or so to be seen/diagnosed. Little Cute was a trouper and was happy to sit in my lap the whole time and wave at everyone around her. I didn't mind too much either especially when we saw how many super sick little ones kept walking through the door (or sadly, not walking).  

Final diagnosis was just a fever. I will take it. I hate seeing little ones so pitiful. 

With all that time spent in ER waiting rooms, I got caught up on some reading. This week I was able to finish Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies.  It was a great fast paced read, and I would highly recommend. I am definitely looking forward to reading more by Moriarty.  

Here is a synopsis for you from Kindle:

Sometimes it’s the little lies that turn out to be the most lethal. . . .

A murder… . . . a tragic accident… . . . or just parents behaving badly?
What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.
But who did what?

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive. 

To close out my week, I had a most fun breakfast and shopping date with my now healthy girl this morning. She fell just as much in love with Panera's pumpkin muffins as her mommy has. Yum!!

And by the way people, that's not just a Fall love. Pumpkin muffins at Panera are a year round love. Yet one more reason I should be taking that C25K a little more seriously.

Isn't she just adorable?? Bad cell phone camera lighting and all. Swoon.

Now we are off to go pick up Cute from school and celebrate the beginning of Fall Break right. With Chickfila milkshakes. 

I should totally run more.