Getting Cutesy with Erin Condren: March

I knew April was going to be a little, shall we say nuts for me, but I don't think I actually let it sink in that March AND April were going to be completely nuts for me. I'm still blaming Leap Day for throwing me off the month of March. And pneumonia. I can get away with that, right?

I'm back with my second (super, duper, probably slightly embarrassingly late) Erin Condren Life Planner month review. To recap: I absolutely love my planner but have been, previously, terrible at using the month view and am trying to get cutesy with stickers. As part of my non-resolutions for the New Year, I am trying to take time at the beginning of every month to plan out what goes where. I'm also taking the opportunity to look back at the month I just finished—hoping this helps me reach and set attainable goals.

It was a busy March. Not as busy as I thought it was going to be from the start, but busy all the same. I fell off the sticker wagon. This was the month of the flu and pneumonia so the fact that I even wrote ish down makes me feel like I accomplished something. AND I did use the cute little do-it-all dot for my dentist appointment #winning

April, which I am going to pretend like it isn't Apr. 25th and act like I have the whole month ahead of me here, is going to be an absolute blur with a weeklong trip to Atlanta for a conference my company produces, plus some charity meetings and exciting things like a Magic Moments reveal and a baby shower. Maybe this week I will really give it my all and start stickering the hell out of my planner.

Right. There's always the idea you can start fresh when summer comes.

Getting Cutesy With Erin Condren: February

Leap Day is throwing me off, majorly. I conceptually knew Super Tuesday was March 1st, but in my mind I kept thinking it was already the middle of March. Then, I completely spaced on March entirely and wrote a check with Feb. 27th as the date. I swear if I'm not late, I'm early. I'm never on time.

I wish I could blame that on my current "season of life" but I've never been a particularly punctual person.

I've had an Erin Condren Life Planner for a few years now and I love them. I hate the nearly obscene turnaround time (and the accompanying nearly obscene cost) but they work really well for my schedule and me.

What I haven't been good about with the planner is using the full month view, or getting cutesy with stickers—mainly because I have giant handwriting and nothing ever fits in the damn squares. Plus, I have a lot of stuff going on during a given day/week/month that I don’t always stop to write everything down. Or find some cute sticker to tell me I need to get my brows waxed in three weeks at 3:30.

As part of my non-resolutions for the New Year, I am trying to take time at the beginning of every month to plan out what goes where. I'm also taking the opportunity to look back at the month I just finished. I've got some lofty goals for 2016 (500 Pure Barre classes being one) so hopefully this new system will help me attain them. 

Previously, when a month was finished I would rip out all the pages and recycle them responsibly—toting around a year's worth of paper when you already had that meeting six months ago got annoying. Now I am getting rid of just the weekly pages, and hanging on to my month view. Hoping this will also help me track goals better and have a realistic look at my year come December 31st. Paper clips on the front side of the monthly view help me keep little notes and invites I want to save to remember how fun and special things were.

I also keep a copy of Dr. Jonathan Meisel's card as well as Alex's hospital bracelet on the inside front cover to remind me that no matter what fills these pages, there's something a few someones much more important. Because life is all about perspective.

 

I set a goal of 20 PB classes for February and that went out the dang window. I had a week long trip to Memphis and Atlanta I wasn't planning on, plus a stomach bug. Despite writing my niece's birthday in my calendar (and purchasing the gift) I still mailed it late. It was a busy February and that's exactly how I like it!!

March looks to be just as ridiculous with three work trips to three different states in three weeks—plus St. Patrick's Day events and Easter. Can't forget the 20 Pure Barre classes in 31 days challenge I stupidly signed up for, in addition to three full length feature stories to write and one complete magazine to put together. Good thing we get more daylight, I sure could use more time…

Surviving The First Year: Infant Toys We Love

Infant Toys We Love by jmjohnson4 on Polyvore

Infantino Pat Play Water Mat Infantino / Exersaucer Doorway Jumper Bumbly ExerSaucer / Little Tikes® Discover & Learn Activity Center™ | ToysRUs / Infantino Go GaGa 12-Piece Block Set / Infantino Go GaGa Textured Ball 10-Piece Set : Target

Full disclosure: I'm not a perfect mother—far from it in fact. Hard to believe, right? Someone on the internet admitting their faults? HA! Sometimes I really am on the ball and we are a well-oiled machine of love and grace and baby laughs. Sometimes we are just decidedly not. Like last week when I forgot to send food in the babies' bag for daycare and they had to eat back up baby food. Thank God in Heaven for their daycare director, she is my personal angel.

But, as we are about to enter into the 10th month of doing this life with twins thing, I think I have a pretty fair handle on what's worked for us and what hasn't, product-wise. After their first few months I posted the newborn products we couldn't live without, and if I am being totally honest, we still can't live without most of them. Long live the MamaRoos!! & the Baby Keurig, for realsies.

As Fitz and Alex have grown, changed and matured, I've noticed that a great deal of the "active infant" entertainment stuff hasn't really worked for us. What has? The old fashioned methods: Rubber balls, a few other baby toys and the middle of their room. They will entertain themselves for hours just broing out.

I wish I was kidding.

And then there's the Pat & Play Water Mat. It was one of the only toys I registered for and I ended up buying it for myself, months before the twins arrived. I absolutely love it and so do they. I swear, I've seen them almost fight over who gets to whack at it play with it, during tummy time. It makes me so happy to see a toy I loved in store bring them so much joy. 

We've got a set of door jumpers we love, the boys especially love jumping in them in the front door; as well as a set of activity centers, which if I'm being honest I don't totally love, but the boys seem to like them fine. Otherwise, we're not fancy.

I'm sure other folks like their high chairs with bells and whistles, but these IKEA chairs work great and are extremely easy to clean. When you're talking about dried baby food and mashed puffs and spilled juice and baby funk, hard plastic that can be hosed down with 409 really is the ticket.

The boys aren't crawling yet, though they certainly haven't let that stop themselves from being mobile, so I'm sure I'll have to invest in some walkers in the future. I honestly haven't even looked into them. What else do I need to keep my eye out for on Babies R Us?

Day in the Life

For this week's currently, I thought I might change it up a little bit. Yesterday at Church, and Thursday at Pure Barre, and Saturday when my Momma visited, I was asked the same question, "How do you do it all in a day?"

So I figured again, more for my own record keeping sake, I might as well write down what the week days look like around here. Now, there's always wiggle room, like last week when I had two receptions after work, or this morning when I didn't quite spring out of bed on time. But, basically, this is what a typical work day looks like for this girl.

Typical Work Day

Between 5:15-6am–Wake up, This varies on the day but I am usually up no later than 6:15am every morning to straighten up the house, get a load of dishes going, sometimes a load of laundry and prepare the twins' stuff for school, laying out their clothes, making their breakfast.

7am—Babies and Mark are up, and they get snack bottles and some veggies with cereal. I'm usually still messing around getting things in place and getting dressed for work. Mark is responsible for feeding and dressing the babies.

Between 7:50-8:05—This is the ideal time we are out of the house and en route to school. Doesn't always happen this way, but that's the goal.

Between 8:20-8:30—Drop off at school, check in with Miss Renae, head to the office.

Between 8:45-9:00 (hopefully earlier but this is the more realistic window)—Arrive at work and pretend not to be late.

9-11:45—Work

Noon—Lunch, on Fridays (and sometimes M/W) this means quick Pure Barre class.

1-5–Work, though sometimes I will duck out for 4:15 Pure Barre class.

5:30—My preferred Pure Barre class time, I go almost every single week day and greatly prefer the after work class with my #PBBFF Effie and our group of ladies. Sometimes this is replaced with receptions, fundraisers, meetings or Junior League stuff.

6:45—Begin getting things together for babies' baths. Baths start no later than 7.

7-7:45—Babies are bathed, "greased" (lotioned and powdered) and receive a large Mylicon filled bottle. We try to feed a little bit of veggies or fruits here, but usually they just want bottles.

By 8pm—Babies are in their cribs, unswaddled, lights out. After prayer time, they are usually snoozing.

8:15—Mark and I eat dinner, and watch a few episodes of something. Lately, it's been Sons of Anarchy, but thankfully, we just finished the series this past weekend. I try not to work on homework or freelance projects during this time, saving them for Sundays after Church.

10pm—Bedtime, I'll straight up our room a bit if it needs it, pick out work clothes for the next day, take a shower and get into bed. I usually am asleep no later than 11.

Between 4:30 and 5am—Sometimes Alex will wake up overnight hungry and sometimes he won't. Since he's still very small, and struggles with gaining weight, we will feed him. Fitz will sleep through the night.

_____________________

Laid out like this, it doesn't seem like a lot....Maybe I should try to squeeze something else in. I've clearly got a little time left over. Hahahahahahahaha, pardon me, I need another cup of coffee and a cupcake.

Surviving The First Year: Newborn Products We Love

Products We Can't Live Without by jmjohnson4 on Polyvore

A lot of people ask me what my day looks like—how exactly we handle having two babies at once. And to be honest, I have no idea how we handle it. I'm not sure I've got it all figured out; in fact I know I don't have it all figured out. Some days it's like nothing has changed and we are a seamless unit. Other days, we're firmly on the struggle bus. Like last Wednesday for example.

The biggest thing I tell people that ask questions about this whole shebang called having newborn twins is that I don't know any different. Yes, it's hard for other mothers of singletons to relate, because you only know what it's like to feed one child in the middle of the night or maneuver one infant carrier through a doorframe. I've never done just one. Don't bless my heart when you see me rolling through a door with my double snap'n'go (lifesaver by the way). I don't need it. This is my normal.

But my normal is GREATLY aided by some key products. In fact, there are a few things that I believe 10000% are worth the larger price tag they carry. We are fortunate that I have a large family and two moms that threw me baby showers, so we got a large number of the things I registered for.

One notable thing we didn't get, and had to purchase ourselves was the Baby Brezza Bottle Maker. Y'all. This thing is a gamechanger. Think of it as a formula Keurig: place bottle in slot, push button, have prepared bottle in minutes. I used a coupon and purchased it when Target had a rebate available so that helped shave off some of the sting, but honestly, even if you can't get it on discount, purchase this item. Especially if you have twins. I make at least 12 bottles a day. 12. Mind you, that's with both sleeping through the night. Using the Baby Brezza, I can make all my bottles when I need them, no reheating, mixing or keeping track of anything.

Besides the Baby Keurig, the two other biggest keys to my sanity have been 4moms products: the infant tub and the MamaRoo. 4moms infant tub is more expensive than others, but it has a thermostat build in as well as two drains in the main basin, allowing water to flow out of the tub during the bath. No more sitting in dirty bath water. When you are bathing two babies back to back, that kind of feature is awesome. So worth the $50 price tag, in my opinion.

The MamaRoo is the top product in our home right now. Because, I could make it without the baby Keurig, not that I would want to but I could, and I could just use the sink. I could not survive without the MamaRoo. This spaceship looking contraption is a swing on steroids. It's got like five different patterns it moves in with adjustable speeds as well. Putting my kids in their MamaRoos is like giving me a glass bottle of wine and a box of fluffy puppies after a tough day. It's just incredibly soothing. Two babies means two MamaRoos, and at $250 a piece that's not exactly budget friendly. Luckily, we got ours as a gift from Grandpop Ditz and MarMar, but I have seen MamaRoos at consignment sales and listed on Craigslist, so there are other options. I can't stop gushing about this thing and have steered multiple well meaning grandparents at a metro Atlanta Babies R Us towards this as a gift for their daughter/daughter in law.

Even though my kids are strong and I am lazy, I fully believe in the healing power of a snug swaddle. Enter Summer Infant Velcro SwaddleMe Sack Thing. The three pack is what you need to buy every preggo you know that you are going to her shower and don't want to spend more than $30. The tabs are easy to use and the swaddle stays snug all night long, helping that angel babe of yours stay asleep longer.

We use Dr. Brown's bottles, and have no complaints. Pretty much everyone, including our pediatrician, recommended them to us and I have to say, I like them. They are a total pain in the ass to wash by hand SO.MANY.PIECES. But, we have, knock on wood, not battled colic and the gas seems to be under control.

Same goes for my bib of choice, Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature—recommended to us but more personal choice than anything. I think the rolled neck cuts down on a lot of the would be neck cheese, but otherwise, it's just a drool and spat up milk catcher.

I like the Carter's three-piece sets because boy clothes are surprisingly cuter than I thought they would be. Same goes for jammies, the zippers are so easy! I HATE buying the ones with snaps now.

So that's what I've found works for us nearly four months in. What do you think I missed? What do I need for the next three months?

Currently (Vol. I)

One of my favorite things about getting back into blogging is discovering new blogs to follow, which is how I came upon the Currently. linkup, and I love the idea.

 

I want to be better about documenting daily life around here, as every day is never the same. Well, except my standing 5:30pm date with Pure Barre Montgomery, and that Grace continues to wake up at 6:30am every day, barking with a passion to go outside, to then bark at a tree in the backyard.

Currently.
Thinking about: How badly I want to finish redecorating our house. I started with the bathroom and bedroom when I first moved in, but over the last two weeks I’ve been working on the front yard and patio. I never seem to have enough hours in the day (or money in the bank) to get everything exactly how I want it. I do know that I want to get our house basically decorated by August 1^st. Currently, our house looks like a mash of someone having just moved in, the lobby of a fifty-year-old Republican’s law office and a twenty something threw her shoes all around. Super cute y’all! (eyeroll)

Reading: Yesterday I finished Summer Blowout by Claire Cook and L-O-V-E-D it—not sure what to start next. I’m on the waiting list at the library for some suggestions I got from friends, but it looks like it will be another random off the shelf selection for this week. I’ve also got a stack of magazines I need to make my way through.

Listening to: Georgia country! I finally got my alternative rock-loving curmudgeon to listen to some Georgia country and he liked it! It helped that over the weekend, while celebrating his birthday in the beautiful mountain town of Blue Ridge, Ga., the restaurant we chose for dinner Saturday night had a really great Georgia country guitarist.

Watching: Daily fix of Criminal Minds during lunch never gets old. God bless you A&E for that 12-2 block of some of my favorite crime fighters.

Thankful for: My momma, who on a very stressful Monday morning gave me the advice I needed, and has taught me so much by example, I might actually make a decent grown up one day.