May 23, 2017

mom approved one-pieces

Summer break is quickly approaching and that crazy summer heat has been gracing our presence these last few weeks! Summer is my favorite because well that means pool and beach trips are coming our way! It also means I have to find myself a new swimsuit! 

The reality is, I am still not 100% comfortable with my body! Surprise surprise I am still carrying belly weight from my last pregnancy and I have stretch marks on my sides that I don't care for. I know I shouldn't care what other people think but truth be told I could careless what they think! However I still don't want some of my insecurities exposed. Not sure if that makes any sense. 

I started looking for one-pieces because I feel like they hold "Everything" in and I actually feel good about myself when I wear them. 

I hate saying "mom approved" because obviously anyone can wear one-pieces not just moms. But for the sack that I am a mom and I love all these suits makes it "mom approved"!

All of these suits have great details in their design that don't make them feel like those boring one-pieces from back in the day! 

I found these three from Forever 21 and they are all under $25!


These three are from Old Navy and they are all on sale today!


I love them all but honestly only need one! So the winner is the Old Navy swim suit with the ruffle!!!

Can't wait to head to the beach in this little number :)

xoxo
Jocelyn

May 15, 2017

Mother's Day

Today I welcome Monday with open arms and a list of chores a mile long. 
Yesterday I had the honor of being celebrated by the ones I love. Don't get me wrong my family always makes me feel special but yesterday was just the icing on the top!

The morning started out with a bang, my husband so graciously got up with Charlotte at the crack of dawn! 
And I pretended to be asleep so Cailee and Chris could sneak out and buy me flowers! Hearing her excitement to go off with daddy to get me something special is something I wish I had recored. 
So of course when they arrived back home I pretended to be sound asleep as she walked in and yelled "Surprise! Happy Mother's Day mommy".

Cailee made me the cutest card that read "I think you're Dandy and I'm not lion!!" she thought it was hilarious and I couldn't help but cry haha! At school they also made the cutest tote bag with their little hands as flowers!

No amount of gifts could ever come close to these special hand made gifts from the big girl!

The morning was off to a great start and what happened next just made it that much better!

I've been hinting to the hubs the last few years that I wanted to have a special tea time for Mother's Day and this was the year they made it happen!!!

We got dolled up in pretty floral dresses and got to experience our first tea time together as a family!



I am such a sucker for matching outfits and I am so glad I had picked these pretty dresses up at Target earlier in the week! On cartwheel they were 20% off so that was a no brainer! 

It worked out perfectly because they were so excited to wear flowery dresses just like mommy!


The girls got to try tea and they just loved the pretty tea cups and I obsessed over the lace linens!!

The tea was a fruity blend but my oldest hated it and my youngest absolutely loved it!


 We were started off with the best salad!
Then came those cute little sandwiches, delicious scones and the absolute best dessert!

I ate everything you would have thought I hadn't eaten in a week!


Pretty pink walls...need I say more?!?!


After tea time we headed on over to Color Me Mine.
I got to paint and the girls got to give my husband a mini stroke!!
Sadly no pictures were taken and for a good reason lol. Cailee painted her truck all the colors  from the rainbow and Charlotte mixed the colors my husband took 10 minutes to select.
Her turtle ended up being a hot mess but hey it was mothers day and I had a blast ;)

The rest of the day was spent visiting our families!

It really was the best day and my heart is full but so are my laundry baskets so now I must go  and mommy on!

I hope you all had a great weekend and an even better start to your week!

xoxo
Jocelyn

May 12, 2017

five on Friday

Happy Friday Everyone!

To all the mommies out there Happy Mother's Day weekend!
 I hope you get to spend it with the ones you love.

Now to my Five on Friday...

| one |

I know my mom is far to busy this weekend to catch up on her blog reads so I am in the clear to share! I wanted to get my mom something she could get great use out of and really enjoy! Back in March I decided to give the Scentsy bars a try over the regular candles I buy at Target! Boy am I glad I did! For one I was supporting a fellow friend in her business venture. Second the Scentsy bars fragrances worked way better than any candles I've ever bought! I just knew my mom would love the fragrances and getting her a pretty warmer was just the right gift for Mother's Day! There were so many warmers to choose from but I went with the top left(in the picture below). I got her the avocado sea salt fragrance and I bought it for myself too! I swear it makes your house smell like a spa, making for the most relaxing atmosphere ever!


| two |

I've been breaking out on my face lately, which sucks considering I am almost thirty! The other day on a Target run I came across some face masks! I figure hell why not try something new and see if it works! The masks range from $1.99 to $2.99! I am so excited to try them and the girls are excited to see me with funny stuff on my face win and win!



| three |

I have been using Hello Fresh for the last couple of weeks and am loving it! I hate figuring out what to make for dinner each night! With Hello Fresh I don't have to decide what to make and I don't have to go shopping for the ingredients. We have been able to try new things and I have actually enjoyed cooking the meals. Following the recipe and pictures makes me feel like a chef! The biggest draw back for me is that my kids really don't like the meals we have gotten, so I've needed to make them things separately. Regardless its been great for the hubby and I to enjoy new meals together without having to go out for it! 
If you are interested in trying Hello Fresh I can give out 3 freebie meals to people that have not tried it before! Leave your email in the comments below and I'll send it your way!
*I don't make a commission on the Hello Fresh "freebie" meals I get to send out*



| four |

My 30th birthday is quickly approaching and I have decided to throw myself a Harry Potter themed party! To say I am excited is an understatement! I have already started working on my invitations and ordered custom cookies! I am still figuring out decor but am getting tons of inspiration from Kara's Party Ideas! Sharing a few of my favorites...


| five |

In the spirit of Mother's Day I leave you with a few things I've seen this past week that have made me giggle!


Have a great weekend everyone! And make sure to link up with some of my favorite bloggers for Five on Friday!


xoxo
Jocelyn


May 9, 2017

a family that Disney's together

I have been lucky to have a Disneyland annual pass for the last 13 plus years! The girls and I to the park at the very least once a month. We love it and despite the many times we have gone, the girls never tire of the magical place!

For my husbands birthday this past February we surprised him with a pass of his own! Since than we have already had quite the fun and random trips to the park! 

I love going to the parks dress in our Disney gear because where else would I wear my mouse gear!

Disney gear can add up for a family! So I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to find all of us gear at H&M and it didn't hurt my wallet one bit!

Donald shirt for Dad for $17.99 (sold in stores)
 Vintage Minnie shirt for Mom for $12.99
Minnie shirt for the Girls sold in a two pack for $14.99



Mickey t-shirt for the little guys sold in a two pack for $9.99 (on sale now)


In the next couple days I will be sharing what I take with me to the parks! So stay tuned :)

xoxo
Jocelyn

May 8, 2017

Trader Joe's must haves update

Our Trader Joe's love still runs very deep!

I love the food and the girls love searching for Casey and Chloe! Win and Win!
Two kiddos at the grocery store isn't the most easiest task to accomplish but having the girls so excited to find those bears, has been a major game changer for us! 

On our most recent trip I decided to give some new products a shot!

The day we ventured into the store they were giving samples of this ravioli and despite that it was sprinkled with tomato and basil, my kids literally inhaled it! It definitely made its way into our cart and has been a fan favorite! Drizzle a little olive oil, diced tomato and basil and omg its delicious!

I have been on the search for a new cooking oil and came across this sunflower oil! I've tried cooking with coconut oil but the girls can't stand it and I don't blame them. This oil has been a great substitute for my normal go to olive oil!  

My daughter goes to a "peanut free" school so this sunflower seed spread has made it possible for her to have her much needed pb&j lunch time sandwich!


My kids and my husband are "snackers". I am asked for snacks to many times to count! When we stumbled upon these snacks I had a feeling they would be well received.

The cinnamon apple snack sticks taste just like churros!!!
The roasted plantain chips are an amazing substitute for those chip cravings!
The cranberries are nothing mind blowing but hey they are organic so there ya go ;)



I think the thing I really like about Trader Joe's is that every trip I find something new! It allows me to switch things up and yet is super affordable!

To see some of my old Trader Joe's must haves click here!

xoxo
Jocelyn