Christmas Recap

I think this picture below prefaces my next 18 plus years of photos. Neither one of my boys are looking at the camera and one is giving me a half smirk/smile while the other looks plain pissed off. So, here is to Christmas in 20-13!

Colby was enamoured with our tree this year. Luckily only one ornament was broken from tree up to tree down. His scooter was by far his favorite Santa gift. He rides that thing everywhere and when I mean everywhere, from the bathroom to go pee pee to his bed to go to sleep. He would sleep with the darn thing if I would let him.

Santa was a success. No tears shed but alcohol would have been nice. After a TWO AND A HALF HOUR wait line to see Santa the hubs and I were at our whits end. But hey, here is our Santa pic. And are we the only family that thinks paying $21.00 for a Santa pic is downright price gouging?! Why is something not done about this? I need a Groupon for a Santa pic next year. Please work on this someone.

Thank goodness for the snow globe while waiting for Santa. Since we live in Florida this will be the closest thing to snow we get. He was obsessed. Now how many kids actually touched this snow and all the germs on it is another story but you will do anything to keep your kid entertained in a two and half hour wait line. The germ infested snotty nosed mall playground even sounded good. And yes, we rode the elevator and escalator no less than a two dozen times each.

When the hubs and I were getting ready to go to bed we do our nightly checks on the kids and found Colby like this. He was exhausted after all the Santa fun. Me too kid...me too.

Now that the Enlow's have checked Christmas off their lists we are ready for the New Year! Bring it on 2014! We are more than ready!

So What

 Hey! So what it's only Wednesday?! Yep, so what! Shannon from Life After I Dew said that it's ok to complain and you know what. I'll take you right up on Shannon.

- That Christmas is exactly one week away. Ahhhh I still have so much to do. I have all my shopping to do but NOTHING is wrapped and I don't have my menu planned out.

- Every year I have a theme for my gift wrap. This year is snowman and stripes. I still need to stock up on some ribbon though. My packages have to have big bows on them. They say the bigger the better right? Oh and glitter and sparkles. Big sparkly bows make a package IMO.

-I don't have enough time in the day to get everything I need to get done done and still get my required 9 hours of sleep in. This imposes a problem for me. I must get my sleep.

-I needed my maternity leave extended another month. I like to think if I had this extension then everything would already be completed and I would not be this stressed out. Doubtful but a girl can dream that her wish list was all checked off right?

-Being back at work. Sucks. That is all on that subject.

- If I got my Macbook last year for Christmas and am still pretty clueless on how to use this thing. Any tips on a good site to go to to learn some simple tips and tricks?

-That I have been indulging in Hot Chocolate in the afternoons even though it is 80 degrees here.

-That I hate the cold. Christmas in Florida requires it to be no colder than 70 degrees. That is my mind of Christmas. Who needs the cold? Not this girl!

Did the words "glitter and sparkle" help deter you from all my complaining? I personally love those words. They make me happy, SO WHAT!

Best of Pinterest Crock Pot Recipes

It was difficult but someone had to do it. I have crock potted and crock potted to bring you the best of Pinterest crock pot recipes. I have personally made all SEVEN of these recipes and continue to make them as my family keeps begging to make all of these. 

All of these recipes are ranked by my personal favorites.

{ONE}

Chicken Taco Soup

This yummy soup by Shugary Sweets makes number one on my list. It is better than our local Mexican taco soup if you ask me. We top it with some avocado, sour cream and scoops tostitos. It makes the best left overs and you will not be disappointed if you are a soup lover, or even Mexican connoisseur. 

{TWO}

Sante Fe Chicken

If you like Mexican flair than you will like this. The cilantro rice is what makes this dish. If you are looking for a healthy and easy recipe that will for sure be a winner with everyone (who loves cilantro that is, if you don't like cilantro you wont like this dish) this is it. 

{THREE}

Honey Garlic Chicken

This recipe right here is restaurant quality and the best part is it doesn't have the restaurant price. My girl Kelly (just kidding I don't know her but would love to be her friend, she can cook the hell out of some food) at Just A Taste really did it with this recipe! It has such a rich flavor and goes perfectly with a 10 Minute Success Rice. 

{FOUR}

Kansas City Sue's Chicken

If you like saucy dishes and BBQ, than this one is for you. Enough said.

{FIVE}

Cilantro Lime Chicken

This is another one of those recipes, either you like cilantro or you don't. If you don't, skip over this one. There are only a few ingredients and either you can eat it by itself or with some rice and vegetables.  Thank you Pip & Ebby for this perfect hectic weekday recipe. Easy, easy, easy 

{SIX}

Pot Roast

Oh Martha, we love you and all that you do (well except for your little jail stunt) and your Pot Roast is no exception. Throw in a roast, some carrots, onions and maybe even some red potatoes for something extra. 

{SEVEN}

Lasagna

Lasagna in the crock pot you ask?! Yep! Its genius and look, only a couple of ingredients. It serves a lot and is perfect for a dinner of 4 plus. My only tip on this one is coat the bottom of the pot with a lot of cooking spray so that the noodles don't stick and ENJOY! 

Merry Christmas You Little Name Brand Snob

It's time, that time of the year, the happiest time of the year.

Ha!
Gift giving is my most stressful time.

I can't be the only who deals with this scenario every Christmas...

You are scouring the Internet for THAT perfect gift.

You can't find it, so you decide to hop in over to your favorite site.
Just for a quick second.

Before you know it you have a cart full of items that catch your eye.

But they are all for YOURSELF.

Well that is a big, big, problem 

because you are supposed to be buying presents for others, not yourself.

So, what else do you do?

Either you...

A) click the purchase button because YOU need a Christmas gift too.
You have been a good girl all year.

B) leave hints for your husband to buy them for you

C) decide to buy a piece from your wish list every month

I personally would go with a mixture of all three.

How beautiful would your closet be if some Valentinos 
and a new pair of Tory's graced your shoe rack?
And a girl can never have too much jewelry, that Michele watch
and Yurman ring would make the perfect additions.
The sunglasses are a no brainer, they make the perfect statement to an already perfected outfit and cover up your hungover smokey eye from the previous night of partying.
Oh, and the Galaxy Note needs a home.
Which is obviously Kate Spade's newest "it" bag.
Even though all of these pretties are on the expensive side,
any girl deserves them after the year you have had, whether it be good or bad.
You deserve it.

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So What!

It's Wednesday, and you know what that means....I'm dishing on my "So Whats" for the week with Life After I Dew.

- if my maternity leave has been extended another two weeks. Along and frustrating story with lots of sicknesses. But hey, I'm not going to complain. I need the extra time. It actually comes at the perfect time since Christmas is sneaking up on us.

- that I'm done with my Christmas shopping. Don't be jealous! Now I just need to wrap and ship off.

- Even though I'm officially done with my shopping I still haven't finished decorating the house. Guess I should probably do that since Christmas is only a couple of weeks away.

-if I think I have the cutest kids in the Holly Jolly Pj Party link up. Go see them here.

- if I am enjoying some hot chocolate as my afternoon delight when its 80 degrees out. I love hot chocolate this time of the year.

- if our new couch that we just got is my favorite piece of furniture in the house solely because it has cup holders. And cup holders that will hold my wine glass perfectly.

Come swing by next week to see what I'm saying So What to next week.

Party It Up

We take Holidays very seriously around here. So, on the 8th day of Christmas we decided to have a Christmas PJ party! In attendance was Mommy (not pictured) Colby, Austin and Sunshine the Elf.

Yep, C named his Elf Sunshine. As if the little magical elf isn't creepy enough, his name is now Sunshine. Yikes. 

We all got in our Christmas jammies, listened to Christmas carols, had a Christmas-y breakfast and watched Mickey's Very Merry Christmas. Breakfast consisted of snow donuts (powder sugar) and some hot chocolate with extra marshmallows to keep us warm.

The boys loved getting all snuggly in their Santa jams that Sunshine brought them for being good boys. 

This Christmas is really going to be extra special. C actually seems to get what Christmas is all about (in a kids eyes).  He talks about Santa all the time and thinks twice about his actions and what flies out of that little mouth of his. He doesn't want Sunshine to give Santa a bad report. 

I could really get used to this good behavior. I think for each holiday I'm going to make up my own little festive figure and tell him that he is being watched. I guess this is where parents really start lying to their children. Telling them that little stuffed animals are watching them...so bizarre. 

It's Friday!

It's Friday!

 I made it through the week. 

Not sure how that happened. It must have been my "afternoon delights" I have been enjoying. 

Sit back, relax and go grab your favorite delight and enjoy some of my highlits of the week.

Mail day, mail day!

This week was an awesome mail day.

Old Navy was having another one of their amazing, must stock up on stuff I dont really even need sales and I picked up two of these bags. One black and one brown. Can't go wrong if you ask me. 

I feel like I am becoming more practical, I hate the thought of carrying around my designer bags to work with me when its packed full of kids junk, snacks, and whatever else I can shove in there. These were very inexpensive and will get the job done all while looking chic and stylish. 

Colby has gotten ahold of my glasses one to many times so its time that I got some new frames. 

Since I am kinda time crunched these days I wanted to find a way to try my glasses on at home, get a feel for them and then decide. I came across Warby Parker glasses and they did just that.

They sent me these five glasses.

I did a little "fashion" show for my brother and husband and I picked....

theses....do you like?

They are totally different than the ones I currently have as they are much smaller on my face. 

But they say the bigger the better right?!

This is my "afternoon delight".

Venti Vanilla Iced Coffee with one Splenda and light cream

and don't forget the cake pop.

I am digging the Thanksgiving blend. Its a bit bolder than I normally like 

but a nice change to my routine coffee picks. 

I think I need to have these Kate Spade earrings.

They would add the perfect touch to my everyday and work look. 

Simple and classic.

I even have a coupon code for Kate Spade, shall I pull the trigger?!

How cool is this?!

I know that if I was a toddler I would have thought this was so cool.

Im totally going to try this with Colby.

And hopefully he thinks im the coolest mom ever for getting him to talk to Santa.

I also can't wait to start up Mr. Elf's antics this year.

You can check out some of my ideas that I whipped up last year here.

2014 is right around the corner.

And you know what that means?!

This overly organized boy mom needs a new planner in her life. 

And did I mention it needs to be affordable?

Well, it does.

I ran across these planners at Target from Sugar Paper and arent they gorgeous!!

With the price of one high end planner I can probably buy this whole line and wont feel guilty about it when one of my boys spills coffee all over it. 

A Case Of The...

On about week 5 of my maternity leave, I thought I was getting the hang of this whole parenting thing. Parenting with two was suddenly becoming a bit easier.
Dumb thought.
Ever heard of Murphy’s Law?
Once you think you have mastered this lovely thing called Parenting, it comes and slaps you in the face. Why haven’t I learned this by now?
I like to call Week 5, “The Shit Fest”.
The shits hit our house like a volcano spewing lava.
You get the picture.
We were no longer The Enlow’s, we were the ShitLow’s.
On and off the potty, the bathroom became a revolving door.
Our house wafted with the smells of poo, like we lived in a sewer.
And the best part of Shit Fest was I was flying solo. Daddy was out of town for work.
I was armed in my hazmat suit, soap, hand sanitizer, Pull Ups, Pedialite, and enough encouraging words and hugs to go around to a small town.
My poor C felt like junk and I just wanted to make him feel better.
Luckily my baby boss did not catch it so I could try to focus on his smelly brother.
My Life Planner was filled with bullet points which included errands and chores to be done, the house was a wreck since technically I was not given “the go” from the doctors to do any heavy lifting or vacuuming just yet but this week I was going to do it all, I had to, my OCD was kicking in.
Little did I know Week 5, that you would come at me so hard and smelly. I did not get a single thing done on my list.
What we did get done, we all still standing, or well maybe sitting, on the potty that is.
The whole house may have smelled like butt and Austin’s diaper genie was filled with brown Pull Ups,  and my hands were raw from all the hand washing, but we were alive and medicated.

After my experience with dealing with the poops for a couple of days I do have some tips for ya.

• Keep Pedialite stocked in your house. You never know when you will need it and be stranded in your house unable to get to the store. Same goes for Tylenol.
• Even if your child is potty trained have some Pull Ups handy. This poop-capades was rather runny and you just can't hold it in. You will be constantly washing underpants so might as well have something you can throw away.
• Keep your child hydrated. Very important. Probably the most important tip to remember. 
• Have patience with your child. They can't help it and are completely miserable.
• Bring your phone or something to do with you. You will be in the bathroom for a while.
• Disinfect, disinfect, disinfect. I went through a whole huge container of the Lysol wipes in a week. I even wiped the bathroom down after he seemed to be done having the poops because you never know when germs are lingering. 
• Again, even if your child doesn't use sippy cups anyone it may be a good idea to keep one as a back up. C was grounded to the couch and all he wanted to do was watch TV and lay down with his blanket so a cup was not really going to work out if I wanted to keep him hydrated. A sippy cup was his best friend this whole experience and one less mess that I had to clean up.

So here is to you Week 5. You kicked my ass. You won. Now please let me enjoy the rest of my maternity leave Shit free.


 

Four

Our family is now complete.
Just the four of us.
My heart and house is busting at the seams.
With two boys and a husband, I am out numbered and I simply love it.
The addition of Austin Thomas has made our family oh so sweet.
To put into words how much joy Colby has put into our lives is indescribable.
The laughter that has filled our house and the life lessons I have learned from my first baby boy in just three short years is mind blowing.
When Austin was born I knew that God had placed him with our family for a reason. To make our family complete.
To open my heart. To love even more than I ever thought was possible. To care and protect another precious life. To guide and teach him to follow the Lord, love his Wife and take marriage seriously, not take your children for granted because you never know when God has a bigger plan, so be in the moment.
I am in charge of growing my children’s minds and sculpting them into men. I want my two boys to be the ones that all the parents talk about, and for the good reasons. That they are respectful, handsome, funny and strong Christian men, those are the Enlow boys.

I knew I would become a mother one day but never knew God had this life planned out for me.
This life I live with these three boys in my life makes me so happy.
I think back on the sweet memories of Colby and how he has made me a Mom.
He was my first, my love, my everything.
He exercised my heart to hold unmeasurable amounts of love, he has taught me what real patience is, how to be a strong woman and smile and be silly when you don't want to, Colby has taught me what life is all about.
I believe Colby has shown me my purpose to life here in earth.
So now when I gaze into Austin's eyes I know he has life lessons cut out for me that I cant wait to experience Whether these experiences are good, bad or ugly, I'm ready. I am ready for God to work through my precious boys and make me a better person.