tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36472702647206192682024-03-08T14:20:38.820-05:00I Love You More Than CarrotsAshley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.comBlogger1349125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-22582586773230824992023-10-24T13:20:00.003-04:002023-10-24T13:29:29.179-04:00We didn’t know how good we had it. <center><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 31px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px;">Back in the day I relied heavily on my circle of blog friends to slog with me through the trenches of early motherhood. I maintain that I may not have actually survived the chaos of raising 3 boys, 3 and under, if it wasn’t for some of the most amazing women I’d ever meet, yet, unbelievably, never in real life. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Try explaining that to your teenager while also telling them, that under no circumstance, are they allowed to chat on Discord with strangers. I think we’d say that’s the “pot calling the kettle black?” </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">My boys would probably say, “that’s cap.”</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">My boys. Wow. How time flies. They’re 13, 11 and 9 now. It’s been a while since I’ve come back to this space. </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEa_gMEYGMWVVhaIAM2lrG0sCPQe5jbXk4WsLcC985K-Tw3-ol6YHxNLEITmkOKVZ7bXPoBdikHNyPzpTyBoGc417wU4tQQ_QrSQFvAtolRD7q15fEsR0Nv7cEJv9nSKFNDZIJRWeasY-8sJUcZ0rSYoaGdE6cOnqzzWC0PmSN0YxVu_q3YRSEQF9sZi1/s1280/image0%20(10).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="754" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEa_gMEYGMWVVhaIAM2lrG0sCPQe5jbXk4WsLcC985K-Tw3-ol6YHxNLEITmkOKVZ7bXPoBdikHNyPzpTyBoGc417wU4tQQ_QrSQFvAtolRD7q15fEsR0Nv7cEJv9nSKFNDZIJRWeasY-8sJUcZ0rSYoaGdE6cOnqzzWC0PmSN0YxVu_q3YRSEQF9sZi1/s320/image0%20(10).jpeg" width="189" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">The days of sleepless nights swaying with a baby on a hip or crammed in a bed with two toddlers sprawled out between my husband and I are long gone. Nobody asks for a bedtime story or twelve, everyone can make their own lunches (and even a dinner or two) without assistance and I can actually leave all three of them home alone for hours at a time. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re wondering, why yes, that is precisely what freedom sounds like. The light at the end of the tunnel that so many of us yearned for in the early days of motherhood.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I’ve arrived.</i></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">But ask any mom of a teenager (or two) or one of us smack dab in “middle motherhood” and we would tell you without skipping a beat that we’d go back in time if we could. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">Because as much as I hate those, “just wait until” moms… just. wait. until. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">Mothering big(er) kids comes with bigger worries. Bigger problems. Bigger hurdles. The wins are huge! But so are the hurts. What’s worse is that these hurts can’t be soothed with a pack of fruit snacks and a paw patrol bandaid. Believe me, I’ve tried.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">And oh the attitudes. Give me angsty toddler sass 18 hours a day, I’d roll around in it. Bathe in it, even. It’s the “I’m 13 and know better than you” that makes my head spin. And if I hear, “nah, bro! that’s cap” one more time? I’m going to scream. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">Not like anyone would hear me though. They’re too busy wearing AirPods all over the house. </span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>We didn’t know how good we had it.</b> </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">It’s the blows to their self confidence while you sit idly by and wish to absorb as much of their hurt as you can while your own heart is breaking in two- watching them steel themselves, pick themselves up off the proverbial ground and try, try again that, I think, stings the most. Letting them fail is one of the hardest lessons of all, even to learn as a mom, especially to teach as a mom.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">Take me back to the long days spent pushing a double stroller around the park, packing more snacks and bribery treats than that weird middle aisle of Walgreens. The constant juggle of multiple schedules, dinners eaten in the car and on sidelines and in bleachers and email exchanges with my husband updating calendars while we sit side by side on the couch… all in an effort to raise well-rounded miniature adults…. is almost too much.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: inherit;">Is it too much to ask? </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 24px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">Take me back to the Paper Crown Years. </span><span class="s3">❤️</span></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: inherit;">Coming soon, friends. 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<center><div class="pf_ads" id="pf_14004"><script src="http://load.passionfruitads.com/a/11cd663cdfc378ad935ef443b18c524e19053df6.js"></script></div></center>Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-44029940721033814932019-07-27T11:06:00.002-04:002019-07-27T13:18:49.390-04:00More Cheese, Please! - Tillamook and #MeltyFest come to Baltimore!<center style="text-align: right;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>This post is in partnership with Tillamook. All opinions expressed are my own.</i></span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you follow along on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lvdmorethncrrts/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, it's no secret that I recently had the chance to attend the menu takeover at The Food Market to celebrate Tillamook coming to Baltimore. It was my first time at The Food Market, much less the "secret" private dining room in the basement. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Owner and head chef Chad Gauss treated us to an incredible menu full of smoky, savory, cheese-y goodness. In fact, my mouth is starting to water at the thought of the delicious meals he created. Not one to keep anything to myself, you too, will have the chance to sample these amazing meals THIS WEEK at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/475146776579401" target="_blank">The Food Market, Baltimore</a> as well as try out some of Tillamook's world famous ice cream at several of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/423605645160291/" target="_blank">Baltimore Ceremony Coffee Roasters</a> locations. Not sure where to find Tillamook?<a href="https://www.tillamook.com/where-to-buy.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Balt-events" target="_blank"> Click here</a> to see where it's carried in your local grocer!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Back to the good stuff...<br /><br />Chef Chad is a pretty cool guy. Super chill and down to earth, really appreciates hospitality and making people happy through food. It's no wonder he's so good at what he does. His plan for our intimate Tillamook dinner was to "make food to make the cheese pop rather than the other way around. It's almost a sin to manipulate Tillamook in a way, the cheese is just that good."</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With my glass full of expertly paired Boordy Vineyard wines, I was more than ready to begin this extraordinary food journey. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">It all started with our own personal serving of Habanero Crab Dip. If you know anything about us Marylanders, you know we sure do love our crab. Prepared with Tillamook's Extra Sharp White Cheddar, this dish was the perfect balance of creamy and spicy. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We then moved on to my absolute favorite course of the night, the Reuben Charred Salad. Growing up in New Jersey, the best place to get a Reuben is the local diner. There are so many emotions tied to this one simple sandwich for me. Eating at the diner with my Dad on Saturday mornings, bringing my Nanny there on special holidays and gathering there after every school mixer, formal and social event. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Chef Chad's spin on this traditional staple was to die for. The charred cabbage lent a smoky element that complimented the melty swiss cheese and corned beef perfectly.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh but wait. Then came the scallops and if you know anything about me, you know that if there are scallops on the menu, I'm ordering them. These scallops arrived over a bed of the creamiest, savoriest risotto prepared with Tillamook white cheddar, tomato butter and charred zucchini. If I wasn't so sure I'd ruin the scallops on my own, this would most definitely be a dish that I try to recreate at home. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Chef Chad's take on grilled cheese "steak" was nothing like I've ever had before. Wagu beef over a grilled slice of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar was simply amazing. Straight forward and with a side of vinegar shoe string fries, much of the table enjoyed this course the most. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Whether it's savory or sweet that you desire, Baltimore's Melty Fest has something for everyone. You can find these meals at The Food Market or if it's ice cream you're after, Ceremony Coffee Roasters will be dishing out delicious nitro ice cream floats. Bring your girlfriends, bring your family, it's something everyone can enjoy!</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Looking for a way to bring Tillamook cheese into your home? Here's Chef Chad's famous recipe for Beer Cheese Fondue, typically served with their house made Amish soft pretzels: </span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-89645195974322652722019-06-04T20:39:00.000-04:002019-06-04T20:39:31.536-04:00Because Feeding Your Kids Dessert for Dinner Doesn't Count in the Summer... Right?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Thank you <a _blank="" href="https://clvr.li/TICSandwiches" rel="nofollow">Tillamook</a> for sponsoring this post. Visit your local Costco today to bring Tillamook Ice Cream Sandwiches home to your family this summer!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Out here in Maryland we're closing in on the final days of the school year. It was touch and go for a while- having lived through a terrible case of "May-cember" </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">buried under last minute field trip slips, Sign Up Genius party supply lists and</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> lost library books. I know it's a touch dramatic but there were times I wasn't sure we'd make it out alive. Now that it's June though and the last day of school marked by a giant red heart can be found at the end of this week's calendar row, I'm happy to report that summer is so close we can almost taste it.</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These last couple weeks haven't been without struggle though and I know fellow parents will feel me on this one. Bedtime is near impossible to enforce when the sun's rays are beating down through my kids' windows at 7:30pm, heavier than the beats dropped by the Jonas Brothers on their new single. When the kids are out in the yard playing nicely together for, what feels like the first time in 2 years, you can't bear to call them inside even though it's so late they'll have to go to bed without showers <i>(that's what all those leftover baby wipes are for when they get older, right?) </i>And God help me if one more kid tells me they can't find their uniform shirt, I swear I'm sending them to school half naked. (Wouldn't that be a fun phone call to home?) It's bad enough we're already down to a rotation of two presentable shirts (and two that look like they've been drug through the streets of Baltimore by a rabid dog), <i>we've just got to make it through Friday.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But like I was saying. Friday is right around the corner and just like the Little Engine That Could, "I think I can," "I think I can," make it to then. Summer is so close we can taste it and if it tastes anything like these <a href="https://clvr.li/TICSandwiches" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ice cream sandwiches</a> I fed my kids for dinner last night? It's going to be the bomb. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Wait, did you think I was kidding? I really have waved the white flag. My kids are going to bed later, dirtier and occasionally having sometimes eaten ice cream for dinner. I feel pretty good about myself those nights considering these </span><a href="https://clvr.li/TICSandwiches" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Tillamook ice cream sandwiches</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> are made from only the highest quality ingredients. There's no high fructose corn syrup in them and the milk comes from dairy cows who haven't been treated with artificial</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> growth hormones. It doesn't get much better than that! But, oh it does. The cookies they use to make the sandwiches are made with REAL butter and brown sugar. You know sometimes how the ice cream sandwiches taste a little bit like the wrappers they're packaged in? Not these babies. They're absolutely indulgent from start to finish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I'm not feeding my kids <a href="https://clvr.li/TICSandwiches" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dessert for dinner</a>, I can promise you they'll be a staple at our house this summer. We're constantly getting together with our neighbors for impromptu BBQ's and while they're almost too good to share with the kids, I'll be sure to head to Costco to pick up an extra box (or two, or twelve) to have on hand for when they arrive en masse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until Friday though, this box is for me. </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After all, nothing goes with a side of lost library books like a fine Pinot and an ice cream sandwich.</i></div>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-44217706382110132212018-02-26T08:09:00.000-05:002018-02-26T08:10:12.368-05:00Becoming a More Mindful Mama... Impossible or No?<center style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm about to share with you something I really suck at. (I like how that sentence makes it sound like I only suck at one thing... wouldn't that be nice?) But really though, I'm about to let you in on a secret. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I suck at being present. Whether it's when I'm with my kids or while I'm in the grocery store or even while I'm at the gym, I'm constantly running through various To-Do lists in my head thinking about what needs to be done or what I've already failed to do. It's a constant battle trying to remain present in the moments of Motherhood without getting overwhelmed by busyness. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is where the practice of mindfulness comes in. We all have the capacity to be present. It doesn't require any fancy tools or apparatus. All we really have to do is look within ourselves to cultivate innate qualities of peace and presence. <i>Sounds easy, right?</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The practice of being mindful encourages moms to let go to of the notion of perfect parenting and all of the areas of motherhood that this spills over into. Mindfulness as a mom means learning to stay patient in the presence of meltdowns, finding ways to better manage stress, choosing ways to stay present with your family so you don't miss every day moments and prioritizing play over productivity. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the start of the new year, I decided that "mindful" was going to be my word of 2018 and I wanted to share with you today a few ways that I've been incorporating the practice of mindfulness into my day to day life. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On my best days, I'm up before the sun and most importantly, I'm up before my three boys. Some days this looks like the 4am hour and others I can squeak by until 6am. On the mornings I'm fumbling around in the dark for my exercise clothes, I'm mindful that these quiet hours are a gift and to choose wisely how I spend them. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's been a little over one month now that I've been consistently going to the gym at 5am each week and in that time I have learned to love the dark and the quiet that comes with the early wake up. It's typically the only time of the day that I am not constantly needed or being pulled in numerous directions. The post-workout endorphin rush is another bonus to this newly adopted self-care practice.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Being mindful also means slowing down to enjoy the process of things. I wholly admit that I am not the best at this but I am trying each day to find peace in ordinary moments. For instance, when I return home to the gym and have to make school lunches, a task that I typically loathe with every fiber of my being, I try to stop and remind myself what a blessing it is to have three boys to pack lunch for and to belong to a school community that I truly love and appreciate. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Recognizing what I'm putting into and on my body has also become a part of my own personal mindful practice. Adopting habits of clean eating and cleaner living have already benefited my family in so many ways. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last month I introduced you to <a href="https://www.prana.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">prAna</a>, a clothing company dedicated to inspiring healthy, active, living through the use of their sustainable fabrics. <a href="https://www.prana.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">prAna</a> is incredibly mindful of the way they source their materials and use them to create pieces that are designed to be worn in all aspects of life, from fitness activities to every day living. They recently sent me two pieces that have become comfortable reminders of my newly adopted practice of mindfulness. </span></center>
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<i><a href="https://www.prana.com/getup-sweater.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Getup Sweater</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> // </span><a href="https://www.prana.com/shala-pant.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Shala Pant</a></i></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am a work in progress but I am also happy with the small changes I've made so far to become a more mindful mother. </span></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My friends at prAna asked that I share the following code with you. It's good for 15% off of all things regularly priced: </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">MPAPS18</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. The discount code is active through March 20th. </span></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy Shopping!</span></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">#mindfulprAna #prAnaSpring18</span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-7038527115869221272018-02-22T08:41:00.003-05:002018-02-23T10:39:14.692-05:00Mom Hacks: In The Kitchen: 3 Tips to Appreciate The Dinner Witching Hour<center style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of PERDUE®; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chances are, if you’re a parent, you can’t remember the last time you actually enjoyed cooking dinner for your family. If your house is anything like mine, the evening rush hour is a circle of Hell that Dante forgot to write about. Perhaps during this time dinner prep is taking longer than expected, maybe you forgot an ingredient and in between raiding the pantry for snacks and singing an acapella version of “I’m So Booooooored,” your kids are beating the veritable stuffing out of each other. In fact, if your house is anything like mine, by 5:00pm you’re one “I’m-so-bored/hungry-he-won’t-keep-his-hands-off-me,” away from an unexpected visit to the Emergency Room. </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like you actually have time for that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ever since the first of the year I’ve become acutely aware of how much I loathe the evening rush hour, how much more I raise my voice during that time and how much less time is actually spent enjoying my family. I’m sure it has everything to do with the fact that my days are consumed with errands, gym sessions, pick-up’s, drop-off’s and orchestrating swim lessons and music lessons. That as soon as we’re home and our feet hit the floor, it’s a crazy, chaotic dance of homework, reading logs and balancing the attention-seeking needs of little boys clamoring for just a bit of their mama’s undivided attention. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meanwhile, dinner ain’t gonna cook itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m learning that with a little forethought and some pretty awesome mom hacks, I can kick the chaos to the curb and focus on what really matters during those early evening hours- being present with my family. That’s why I’m sharing with you today just 3 simple hacks to be used in the kitchen to help you hate the dinner witching hour just a little bit less. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simplify the Meal Plan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I used to think that I had to cook up these grand meals with fancy ingredients because that’s what stay-at-home moms did. After all, they were home all day! They have all the time in world! Very quickly I learned that’s incredibly untrue and when those fancy meals were made, someone always complained, refused to eat them and spent most of dinner time kicking and screaming on the kitchen floor. Stick with what you know and what your family loves. If that means you have the same 12 meals on rotation for the month, so be it. K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple, Superstar!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Less is More</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Less time spent prepping means more time spent with your family. PERDUE® understands this with their new line of </span><a href="https://www.perdue.com/products/perdue-fresh-cuts/?utm_source=Influencer&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Fresh-Cuts-Launch" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PERDUE® FRESH CUTS</span><span style="color: #0563c1; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">TM</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Available in diced, strips or thin sliced, PERDUE® FRESH CUTS</span><span style="vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">TM</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">chicken helps busy parents skip the hassle of cleaning and cutting up chicken and later having to scrub cutting boards, counter tops and their hands over and over again. It might not seem like much but eliminating just those activities alone has saved me up to 30 minutes in the kitchen of prep and cleanup time per meal! Not to mention, I don’t have to touch any gross, slimy chicken parts. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stop What You’re Doing and Dance</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You probably rolled your eyes just now but a good kitchen dance party has saved my sanity on more than one occasion and now that I’ve shaved up to 30 minutes from my normal dinner routine by using </span><a href="https://www.perdue.com/products/perdue-fresh-cuts/?utm_source=Influencer&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Fresh-Cuts-Launch" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PERDUE® FRESH CUTS</span><span style="color: #0563c1; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">TM</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">chicken, I have more time for family fun! Stop what you’re doing, turn on Alexa, your phone, the music station on TV and get your kids into the kitchen and dance. You’ll be giving them the undivided attention they so badly crave while letting loose and being silly. Two songs and ten minutes later, you won’t believe how much less your kids will resent you when you tell them you have to get back to cooking. Trust me on this!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the most popular (and easy) dishes in our house to whip up are these Buffalo Chicken Flatbreads. I put this together in less than thirty minutes on Super Bowl Sunday. Served with fresh veggies and a side salad, it made for the perfect pre-game meal. With the extra time I saved by not having to handle or prep the chicken, I was able to spend more time getting my fame face on with my boys!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Serves a family of 5 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We all know that busy moms need real, simple meal ideas that work. Creativity and quickness included, </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PERDUE® FRESH CUTS</span><span style="vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">TM</span><span style="vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">chicken allows busy parents less time to prepare a meal and more time to enjoy it. Just look at how much more relaxed this Mom looks once she ditches her regular chicken routine for </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PERDUE® FRESH CUTS</span><span style="vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">TM</span><span style="vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">chicken!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For additional </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">P</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PERDUE® FRESH CUTS</span><span style="vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">TM</span><span style="vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">chicken recipes, head </span><a href="https://www.perdue.com/recipes/search/?keyword=&preparation=all&lifestyle=65&course=all&cuisine=all&cooktime=all&dietary=all&utm_source=Influencer&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Fresh-Cuts-Launch" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The best part is that PERDUE</span><span style="vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">®</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> chicken comes with a “No Antiobiotics Ever” promise, so you can feel confident that you are feeding you family responsibly, and saving time doing so.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be sure to enter the PERDUE® #30MinuteMeTime </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/253883387664/posts/10155034737222665?utm_source=Influencer&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Fresh-Cuts-Launch" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">social media contest</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for a chance to win a $100 gift card to SpaFinder, Fandango or Amazon. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited and outside US. Must be legal US resident 18+ (19+ in AL and NE; 21+ in MS). For full rules, see </span><a href="https://www.perdue.com/pdfs/30-Minute-Me-Time-Rules.pdf?utm_source=Influencer&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Fresh-Cuts-Launch&utm_content=Rules" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here.</span></a></span></div>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-18056193464924554942018-01-29T12:07:00.002-05:002018-01-29T12:07:31.503-05:00Our 10th Anniversary Trip Recap - Grand Cayman<center style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm pretty sure we started looking forward to our 10th anniversary trip back around year 7. We all know how difficult it is to get away once you have kids, much less 3 kids in 4 years and this adults-only vacation was long overdue and so very much anticipated. While it took an impressive amount of planning to take this 5 day, 4 night trip, it was worth every stressful, worry-filled moment. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Make no mistake, that stress and worry melted right away with the first glass of champagne handed over to me on the airplane. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our boys survived the long weekend without us without a single issue, (that anyone informed us about), which made it much easier to immediately start planning our next kid-free tip! It truly takes a village and we are so thankful for ours who stepped in and made this trip possible. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While it wasn't our first choice, I'm so glad we ended up choosing Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman islands, as our celebratory destination for our 10th wedding anniversary. I should say, the only reason Grand Cayman wasn't among our top choices was because I'd already been to the island in the late 90's on a family vacation. Typically we like to vacation to places neither of us had ever visited before but due to last year's hurricane devastation, we had a change of plans. Needless to say, my experience of Grand Cayman this time around was vastly different as an adult traveling with my husband. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Grand Cayman is a true gem of an island. First and foremost it is very safe and can be traversed on foot. There is no worry leaving your resort property and trust me, it is encouraged you do so as the island has so much to offer! Pristine powdery beaches, crystal clear water, tantamount snorkeling and scuba diving as well as local culture and history worth experiencing. Oh and the local cuisine is beyond worthy. Grand Cayman is truly something</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> special. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You'll notice we did a lot of walking to and from our hotel. That's one of the best things about Grand Cayman. The island itself is very safe to walk around, even at night. If you aren't up for walking, the bus is an excellent option and at just $2/person, it's affordable and convenient. To catch a bus, you basically just need to waive your hand out and one will stop. When we weren't walking the island, we took a taxi to and from the further restaurant destinations as well as to the marina for our chartered boat excursion.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It should also be noted that nothing is open on Sundays, outside of your resort. To account for this, naturally we picked up some local rum and snacks from the market and hunkered down on our lounge chairs for the day. It made for an absolutely perfect Sunday. </span></center>
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<a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/gcmgc-grand-cayman-marriott-beach-resort/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">The Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> - With this being our anniversary trip, we struggled with where to stay. Initially were set on staying at the Ritz property, however after hearing some less than savory things about the property layout and sky-high room rates, I'm so glad we ultimately chose the Marriott. The Marriott resort is located less than 2 miles from the town of George town making it an easy walk to and from the town when desired (something we took advantage of almost nightly!). </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The property is located right along the famous Seven Mile Beach and boasts tons of amenities. With a large outdoor pool, full-service spa and 2 on-site dining destinations, there's plenty to do right from the comforts of the hotel. The resort also offers activities such as beach yoga, jet ski rentals, SUP rentals, snorkeling along a man-made reef, sailing and more. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unfortunately, due to recent hurricane erosion, there wasn't much beach to be had. This certainly did not make or break our stay, in fact, we never experienced any issues reserving lounge chairs. Of course if you're going to wait until 11am to wander out onto the beach, you may run into more of an issue!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Several years ago, the hotel underwent major renovations. The decor is nicely updated, the lobby is beautiful (and a little hipster-y) and the courtyard boasts a relaxing atmosphere with string lights and water features. Overall, the property is clean, well-maintained and the staff is supremely helpful and friendly. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Would we go back?</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Absolutely. While we would have no problem returning to the Marriott, when we do return, we plan to book our own private condo at a property just several miles down the beach for a different, more intimate island experience.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Where we ate:</b></span></center>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.cimboco.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cimboco</a> ($): </b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hands down, the BEST brunch on the island. It's within walking distance from the Marriott and everything on the menu is worthy of trying. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="http://www.wharf.ky/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wharf </a>($$$): </b>Excellent outdoor seating, most famous for it's Feeding of the Tarpon which are large 50lb. fish that swim right up to the dock where your dining table is located. Reservations are ideal and the menu is on the pricier side. Our meal was delicious and it was a fun experience. A short taxi ride from the hotel.</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.agua.ky/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Agua</a> ($$): </b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Voted one of the best restaurants</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> on the island, we decided to try it out. It wasn't my most favorite meal, however the ceviche starters we ordered were some of the best we'd had on the island. Also located in a strip mall down towards the Ritz, it can be easy to miss. We also walked to this restaurant from the Marriott. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="http://www.calypsogrillcayman.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br /></a></b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="http://www.calypsogrillcayman.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Calypso Grill</a> ($$$): </b>The best dinner we had on the island, hands down. We both agreed we would recommend anything off of the menu and you wouldn't be disappointed, especially the Sticky Toffee Pudding. While it was suggested that we book a table right on the water, it rained on and off this evening and we went with a table just inside the deck (but all doors are open to the outside, so it's definitely a fun, quirky, island-y vibe). The cocktails were also on point!</span></center>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pepper's Bar and Grill: </b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Located right along Seven Mile Beach, this bar and grill was essentially located right across the street from our hotel. Having noticed how packed it was the night we arrived, we knew we had to try it out. The jerk chicken and ribs were AMAZING and the atmosphere is loud, local and fun. We were treated to a live band and it was just. so. fun. Definitely recommend for lunch or dinner.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Chicken Chicken:</b> Located in a nearby strip mall, it's easy to miss however it's a definitely MUST HAVE while visiting the island. It serves the best island chicken and was a nice break from all the seafood we'd been eating at nearly every other meal. Also within walking distance from the Marriott.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.margaritavilleresortgrandcayman.com/drinks-dining/yara/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yara</a>: </b>Yara is a bar and restaurant located inside of the Margaritaville resort. We ended up here after dinner one evening for drinks and dessert and it was awesome! The handcrafted cocktails were absolutely divine. While the Sticky Toffee Pudding wasn't AS good here as it was at the Calypso Grill, it's definitely worth checking out. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If I could suggest one thing to do while visiting Grand Cayman, it would be to privately charter a boat to take you through the most popular island destinations. It doesn't cost too much more than booking an excursion through your hotel but being able to do it without tons of strangers aboard your boat is worth every penny. We chartered our boat through <a href="http://www.fatfishadventures.com/private-boat-charters/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FatFishAdventures</a> and it was the most fun. We packed a cooler and enjoyed four and a half hours out on the water with two local guides. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why a private charter? First, you aren't stuck aboard a boat with tons of strangers. Second, you aren't at all rushed through these attractions. While boats would come and go at each of the excursion destinations, we could leisurely take our time at each one without having to make room for the next tourist boat. It was essentially getting a private tour of the best parts of the island and totally worth it.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you visit Grand Cayman, one of the most popular attractions is Stingray City and sandbar. It's essentially several sandbars along the Northern sound of Grand Cayman where hundreds of stingrays flock to interact with tourists. If I haven't already mentioned it, the water here is crystal clear. Some of the most beautiful turquoise waters I have ever seen. Not only was it fun to swim with the stingrays but snorkeling along the reef here was incredible.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After visiting Stingray City and Starfish Point, we enjoyed cocktails and appetizers at <a href="https://www.kaibo.ky/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kaibo</a>, a super trendy, super fun beach bar and restaurant that is best visited by boat. It's located on a different part of the island that is much quieter than where most of the hotels are located.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While we didn't visit the Turtle Farm, the town of Hell of take a cruise on the Pirate Ship this trip, these were a few island activities I took part in during my first trip to the island in the late 90's. I would definitely recommend these excursions, however this was just not something we wanted to incorporate during our short anniversary getaway!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Worth noting, Caymana Bay is a mall and residential area that offers unique dining options and boutique shopping experiences. There is also a movie theater here which is ideal for families if the weather is ever subpar. It also offers a small beach front area and tons of fountains popular for splashing in (kids, naturally). We ventured here to do a little tax-free shopping as well as grab lunch at a tasty Indian restaurant, Pani. It was nice and it gave us something to do in between lounging on the rafts at the hotel and happily indulging away our vacation savings with fine food and crafty cocktails. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been asked several times if 5 days is a sufficient stay on the island and while we would have loved to stay an additional day or two just to soak up the sun and quiet solitude away from our noisy bunch back home, I do think 5 days is just enough time to get a real feel for what the island has to offer. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Will we return? YES! As I mentioned earlier, we will absolutely return to Grand Cayman. Friends of ours who vacation here yearly graciously offered us insider tips on where to eat and what to do and while there were several recommendations on their list that we didn't get to (Guy Harvey's Restaurant, Luca, Eden Rock) we are already planning our return trip with friends to cross more of Caymanian culture and cuisine off our bucket list. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I know I've said this before and I can't say it enough. If you have the ability to take some time away from your kids, do it. Looking back, I wish we hadn't waited so long but that was our reality. We had three kids in four years and it took me a long time to feel comfortable leaving our boys for that much time (but that's a whole other post in and of itself). We will forever be indebted to our friends and family who assumed the immense responsibility of caring for and loving our boys in our absence. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This trip was the perfect reminder that everything we have acheived these last 10 years started with the two of us and it's so important to continue to cultivate that foundation. Crystal clear water and bottomless rum drinks served as the perfect backdrop to celebrate Us! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cheers to 10 years! </span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-5438363738440234902018-01-23T00:06:00.001-05:002018-01-23T00:06:17.921-05:00Storytelling, Under Eye Bags and Why Everyone Should Have That Kind of Babysitter<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I recently got a new laptop that uses face recognition to unlock the home screen. I love this laptop for many reasons but mostly because it does not judge me when I stand before it wearing the same black leggings I've worn three days in a row. Bonus points, it even recognizes me before I've put on makeup and am still wearing yesterday's mascara that has settled so far beneath my eyes that it's actually accentuating the dark circles that have become permanent fixtures on my face regardless of how many hours of sleep I get or how much I spend on magic eye creams.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, uhh, where did we leave off?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The end of 2017 brought with it several milestones. Most notably, my husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in October. If I have one piece of advice for new-ish parents, it's to find a really, really great babysitter. Someone who isn't family but whom you love and trust like family. Find that person and never, ever share their number with any of your friends. Hide them away like the treasure they are and pay them really, really well. Spend weeks putting together a compulsive family binder and plan a trip away with your spouse. If you can, don't wait 7 years. Trust me on this, I speak from experience. We celebrated our 10th anniversary with an island vacation and it was just the absolute greatest. It should be noted that getting these weekends away with your spouse are addicting. We were barely home from the vacation it took us 7 years to take before we booked the next one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I spent most of December focused on keeping my family healthy, doling out magic tinctures, diffusing all of the oils, handing out supplements like candy, desperate to not have a single person spend Christmas sick- only to have none other than myself fall victim to what I'm affectionately calling The Plague, the night before Christmas. For those keeping score, this would be the second Christmas in a row that I would spend confined to my bedroom. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sometime during December it was brought to my attention, by several congratulatory messages on LinkedIn no less, that I was celebrating my 9th year writing in this space. I want to say that I had some huge, wonderful revelation about what this space means to me and what it will look like in the coming year but the truth is, it left me questioning what do I really have to offer you, my dear readers, any more?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And the answer is, I've got my story. I've got my real and honest take on motherhood and what it feels like standing at the precipice of no longer raising babies and stepping into the vast unknown of raising big kids, three boys no less. Some days I feel like I've really hit my stride in parenting (finally!!) And others, I feel like a total dweeb newbie with no idea how to solve common core math problems and certainly no patience when it comes to helping not one but two kids with nightly homework. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And oh, the eye rolling. Why doesn't anyone warn you about the 7-year-old's eye rolling?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, here's to story telling the best way I know how. Without the pressure of fitting into a niche or a pretty little perfect square. I'm sure as hell not hiring a photographer to follow me around and we'll all have to settle for a few Instagram-worthy shots taken by my Instagram husband whom I likely bribed with sexual favors to do so. I still maintain the promises made that I will never make you "like to know it," and I will never, ever try and sell you something (but I'll sure as heck continue to support those who do). <i>I'm not giving up yet.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Most people begin the new year with one word. They choose something, a behavior, a habit, a vice- a less-than-savory-something that has perhaps plagued them for years that they suddenly can no longer go even a single day embracing. They then narrow that list of imperfections down into a single word, one that will hopefully bring them to a better version of their former self. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't have a word, but I do have a short list of things I want to be better at doing this year than last. Starting with washing my face before bed each night. I want to be better at taking care of myself and of those around me. I want to write more. I want to read more. I want to care less about the bullshit, find contentment in the present and spend more time on an island with my husband. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2018, let's do this.</span></div>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-10385103788998107332017-12-08T10:51:00.004-05:002017-12-08T10:51:50.406-05:00Sustainable and Stylish Gift Ideas for Women from prAna <center style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week I wore a <a href="http://www.prana.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">new sweater</a> out to meet up with some of my girlfriends for dinner. What they didn't know was that this was the third time that week I was wearing the sweater. (It's seriously that comfortable!) As soon as one of them asked where it was from, they were shocked to hear "prAna!" </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think there's a misconception out there that prAna sells "just yoga clothes." Yes, they do have an amazing line of clothing dedicated to all the yogis out there but they also carry so much more than that. </span></center>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From <a href="http://www.prana.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">prAna</a>, "<span style="letter-spacing: 0.385px;">When you reach into your closet, there should be something there that reflects who you are, how you feel, and what you value most. There should be something that you can put on in the morning and confidently wear all day long. Something you can throw in your bag and know will work for whatever your journey brings."</span></span></span></center>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.385px;">I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty awesome to me. Before I had kids, my husband and I were pretty adventurous. We traveled frequently and spent many weekends hiking and rock climbing local trails. Adventure looks a bit different these days but while I wish I had known about prAna back then, I can appreciate that while my adventurous side has taken a bit of a back seat to raising children, I can still find sustainable, stylish pieces that complement where I'm at in this season of life. </span></span></span></center>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;">(For 15% off of your order, now through December 20th, use code "</span><b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;">CMLC17</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;">)</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;">The folks at prAna were kind enough to send me two pieces from their Fall collection to try out and I'm pleased to report that I love them both! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.385px;">First up, this sweater is a must-have. It's the <a href="http://www.prana.com/deedra-sweater-tunic.html?color=auburn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deedra Sweater</a> and I''m wearing it below in coal. I love it so much that I'm thinking of getting it in white as well. It's forgiving and cozy and versatile. It can be worn with yoga pants and UGGS (my favorite combo) or denim and flats. For a cozier, more tunic-like feel, I sized up and went with a medium. </span></span></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;">Speaking of denim, these are the </span><a href="http://www.prana.com/kara-jean.html?color=sepia" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;" target="_blank">Kara Jean</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;"> in Stretch Denim. What I love most about these pants is the rise. It comes up high enough to keep you tucked in but not too high that it feels like you're wearing granny pants. These jeans are also so easy and comfortable to move in. I can wear them all day long, running errands, playing chauffeur and chasing after my kids which isn't like most of my jeans where by midday I'm contemplating ripping them off and setting them on fire. </span></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;"><i>They are, however, unusually long and I recommend wearing them cuffed or getting them hemmed. I have a 33.5" inseam and these pants are long even for me!</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.385px;">No matter your build, your hobbies or your enthusiasm for nature, there's something at prAna for everyone. Below are some of my favorite picks this season, items that would make great gifts for the women in your life! </span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.385px;"><a href="http://www.prana.com/orla-infinity-scarf.html?colors=charcoalheather" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Orla Infinity Scarf</a> - $45 / </span></span><a href="http://www.prana.com/tamyra-beanie.html?colors=lacqueredrose" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;" target="_blank">Tamyra Beanie</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;"> - $39 / </span><a href="http://www.prana.com/moto-legging.html?colors=darkolive" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;" target="_blank">Moto Legging</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;"> - $79</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.385px;"><a href="http://www.prana.com/moto-legging.html?colors=darkolive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unity Pant</a> (Joggers) - $89 / </span></span><a href="http://www.prana.com/archer-dress.html?colors=redumber" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;" target="_blank">Archer Sweater Dress</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.385px;">- $99</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.385px;"><a href="http://www.prana.com/bridget-lined-pj-pant.html?colors=deepbalsam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lined PJ Pant</a> - $59</span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.385px;">For 15% off of your order, now through December 20th, use code "<b>CMLC17</b>."</span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.385px;"><i>I received these items for free in exchange for my honest option, </i></span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.385px;"><i>as expressed above. No additional financial compensation was given. </i></span></span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-16328133044918803782017-11-17T12:03:00.003-05:002017-11-17T12:10:37.384-05:00Our 2017 Family Photography Session + Custom Holiday Cards with Mpix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's that time of year again. The time when moms everywhere spend weeks preparing their families for the much un-anticipated Holiday Card Family Photo Session. What often takes thirty minutes to execute, has us moms stressing out, sweating and swearing over coordinating outfits, the perfect location and tantrum-y threenagers for weeks all while our families merely sit back and roll their eyes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I get it. It seems silly to the outsider and truth be told, to many of our husbands. Why spend so much time trying to achieve that flawless <a href="https://www.mpix.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">holiday photo</a> when in reality your baby hasn't worn pants in weeks and your 5 year old still has Sharpie on his face from that time, maybe a month ago, when he wanted to be a tiger?
I'll tell you why. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because nobody wants to hang a picture of reality from their kitchen cabinets. Nobody wants last night's soaked Pull-up on the coffee table on their fridge. Because nobody wants to string up your pants-less 3 year old on their mantel alongside twinkly garland and mercury glass ornaments.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoImt_9EvQF98zNezF17yMtoIebKSdYFJc7gFPO9Wl3AAGcC6fN0mCOG79moxIfFyapZRCmjlg7O-1zIpw36FcFSBJmxRNp23uMae76u8AIHA0R63leTZLd3eaX3jSsZKwZNQaco8zozeQ/s1600/1021mini-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1127" data-original-width="1600" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoImt_9EvQF98zNezF17yMtoIebKSdYFJc7gFPO9Wl3AAGcC6fN0mCOG79moxIfFyapZRCmjlg7O-1zIpw36FcFSBJmxRNp23uMae76u8AIHA0R63leTZLd3eaX3jSsZKwZNQaco8zozeQ/s640/1021mini-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And maybe, just maybe, when I look back on this season of our lives, the exhausting shuffle of raising small people and trying our hardest not to ruin them, I want to see all of it, all of the chaos, with just a shiny coat of glitter on it. One that makes the bags under my eyes smaller, the 7 year old's attitude a little less existent, the crazy seem a little less maddening and a bit more beautiful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can't remember the last time I wore a dress and spun in a field, if ever, with my children running circles around me but in spite of that, in spite of the heavy-handed make-up and false eyelashes and "hard pants" and itchy sweaters I forced my boys into... This is us.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTnwqtRMaXcPuLKBcYpO4Tvt_-HKBzz79aRl50ukt1W0y5TK9rIYbV0qHEdBWkgLZV29MHv3haS_shetiPco4jKh1A3TmxLTKyq3Og6IKNoWpeBJdnX7yImhrvvJnYENnz6bdD1bO-S3m/s1600/mini-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTnwqtRMaXcPuLKBcYpO4Tvt_-HKBzz79aRl50ukt1W0y5TK9rIYbV0qHEdBWkgLZV29MHv3haS_shetiPco4jKh1A3TmxLTKyq3Og6IKNoWpeBJdnX7yImhrvvJnYENnz6bdD1bO-S3m/s640/mini-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What you can't hear in these pictures is the fart jokes, the sugary bribes for "just one good smile," my husband issuing warnings for little ears that wouldn't listen. The laughter that echoed throughout the field as three little brothers chased each other through tall grasses and sticker bushes only to tackle one another, pinning each other down in a blur of tickles and giggles. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a mom, I am constantly second guessing myself. Did I do enough for my children today? Did I teach them enough? Did I talk to them enough? Most importantly, did they feel loved? I ask myself these questions at the end of almost every single day- it's easy to feel like you're failing at everything when the balls you've so carefully been suspending in air begin to fall. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W8bCWfB8BYG_cZODsCJmRAK62w2QHpJT8wMvhNc2OLR7jCTgB9bVyfqcURb-VM4k6rGasZxJIXYkcJ0TIAE8rEDADEVisk7sSky_qUy93O7tP6ol4ZaI8W1MgryICocsykMYv_5ePjax/s1600/mini-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W8bCWfB8BYG_cZODsCJmRAK62w2QHpJT8wMvhNc2OLR7jCTgB9bVyfqcURb-VM4k6rGasZxJIXYkcJ0TIAE8rEDADEVisk7sSky_qUy93O7tP6ol4ZaI8W1MgryICocsykMYv_5ePjax/s640/mini-27.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But when I see the smiles on their faces in these pictures, when I hear them use their manners when talking to the photographer, when I see how hard they love each other, I know without a doubt that I am doing something right. That all this worry isn't in vain. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And these pictures will forever serve as tangible evidence that while I may not have had it all together all of the time, that together we have it all. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just when I thought the hard part was over, however, I realized it was only half the battle! Once I received our gallery from the super talented Amanda Allgood of <a href="https://amandaallgoodphoto.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amanda Allgood Photography</a>, I then had to narrow down my favorites <i>and</i> choose a Christmas card.</span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For years I have trusted <a href="https://www.mpix.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mpix</a> with all of my personal and professional printing needs. When clients would ask where to print their images from our session together, I would immediately refer them to Mpix. After all, how could I recommend anything other than what I use to print the pictures that line the walls of my own home?</span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's why it was no question when it came time to select our holiday cards this year. With quality premium paper options, beautiful foil pressed fonts and prompt 1-2 days shipping, I had this year's family Christmas card not only chosen but on our doorstep in record time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mpix has more than just holiday cards, too! They're a one-stop shopping destination for for quality prints, memory books, home accessories, gifts and so much more. You can check out my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/ilymtctheblog/christmas-decorcraftsentertaining/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">holiday board</a> on Pinterest where I pinned some of my favorite card designs from this season! </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.mpix.com/cards/christmas/holiday/wonderful-season-groove" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="Wonderful Season Groove" src="https://images.mpix.com/ver/m2.5.0/520x520/templates/cards/2016/jul/WonderfulSeason-7x5FlatCard-FrontGroove_noshadow.mpng" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: right;">To help take some of the stress and panic out of your holiday season, my friends at Mpix have offered one lucky ILYMTC reader a $50 credit to be used on any product/products on their site except E-gift cards. Entry is easy, just use the rafflecopter widget below! Good luck to all those who enter and Happy Holidays! </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Our Christmas cards are c/o Mpix, a company that I have trusted for years with both my personal and professional printing needs. The opinions shared are honest and my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that continue to make this blog a successful space for family advice, support and encouragement!</i></span></span></div>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-25917224103468540342017-11-01T07:00:00.000-04:002017-11-02T03:41:01.117-04:00'Tis The Season... For Germs.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post is sponsored by Zoono USA. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's every Mother's favorite time of year (and I'm not talking about class party season- that's a whole new post for another day). I'm talking about Cold and Flu Season- dun, dun, daaaaaaaaah. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you told me that wrapping myself in seaweed and throwing glitter around my house while hopping on one foot would prevent my kids from getting sick every other week during cold and flu season, I would totally do it. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Each school year I dread the months between October and April for this very reason. While the rest of the North East is excited about pumpkin lattes, Fall foliage and flannel shirts, I'm over here vacillating between the fetal position and stockpiling things like elderberry vitamins, grape juice and essential oils.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's inevitable, I get it. Germs are ev-er-y-where and kids are major germ magnets. A few weeks ago, on a busy Saturday morning, I decided I'd pay closer attention to what my kids' hands touched and by lunch time I decided to call it quits because I was entirely too grossed out by it all. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Studies have shown time and again that </span><span style="background-color: white;">shopping carts are crawling with <i>E. Coli </i></span><span style="background-color: white;">and fecal related bacteria- think about that the next time you're leisurely strolling the aisles of Target with a latte in hand! Not to mention that doorknobs, cell phones and kitchen sponges are other veritable hot beds of diseases.</span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The most I can do for our family to stay germ-free is the obvious- meticulous hand washing, up to date vaccines, plenty of rest and healthy meals. For my own sanity, however, I like to throw in extra vitamins during cold and flu season as well as arm all three of my boys with enough <a href="http://zoonousa.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hand sanitizer</a> to disinfect the state of Maryland. </span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Unlike traditional alcohol-based sanitizers that leave skin feeling chapped, chaffed and flaking, </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://zoonousa.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zoono GermFree24® Hand Sanitizer</a> is an FDA-compliant, water-based hand sanitizer that kills 99.99% of germs on contact and keeps killing them for up to 24 hours. </span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Yes, you read that correctly- TWENTY FOUR HOUR PROTECTION. Zoono GermFree 24 bonds to skin's surface and sets up a type of "glove-like covering" that physically impales and destroys germs on contact. It has been proven to provide long-lasting protection against a wide range of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses (such as influenza), fungi and mold.</span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Traditional hand sanitizers only work while they are wet and quickly evaporate from the skin's surface. GermFree24 does not rub off and will remain active on the skin's surface even with hand washing or sweating.</span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This stuff is the like the overachiever of hand sanitizers and I couldn't be more grateful to have it in our arsenal against germs! My oldest son loves it because at the first sight of winter his hands begin to chafe and crack just like his Dad's and this hand sanitizer doesn't sting his hands or burn his skin at all. </span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Zoono GermFree24® is available on Amazon in a <a href="http://amzn.to/2gZY2Sz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">50ml Foaming Hand Sanitizer</a> as well as a backpack-friendly <a href="http://amzn.to/2y3KMA6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">9ml. Spray</a>. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You can learn more about Zoono GermFree24® at </span><a href="https://zoonousa.com/" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">zoonousa.com</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and be sure to follow them on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/zoonousa" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and </span><a href="https://twitter.com/ZoonomanUSA" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> to stay up-to-date on new products releases. </span></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Leave a comment below for your chance to win a $25 virtual Visa gift card, (1) Zoono GermFree24® 50ml Foam Hand Sanitizer and (1) 9ml Spray Hand Sanitizer! </b></span></span></center>
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">How do you prepare for cold and flu season?</b></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-16680152047509975352017-10-09T06:30:00.000-04:002017-10-09T06:30:01.999-04:00What To Do With All Those Apples You Picked + Halloween T's Your Kids Can Wear All Month Long!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hMPrsedOHbWGE9H8CvNaT4VM4ImudhqebT3GricYclomPSQhwfny2n25b6eL5w91tLQTDyLW2hNmFyDg_2nAwEY5T_pRm0s5X97CI10c-B5mrTS1Bjsp4n_SBKH9uat01gujkM0ce07d/s1600/Halloween_Boys_Clothes-7621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hMPrsedOHbWGE9H8CvNaT4VM4ImudhqebT3GricYclomPSQhwfny2n25b6eL5w91tLQTDyLW2hNmFyDg_2nAwEY5T_pRm0s5X97CI10c-B5mrTS1Bjsp4n_SBKH9uat01gujkM0ce07d/s640/Halloween_Boys_Clothes-7621.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />When my first son was born I went crazy buying up all of the adorable <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/magazine/features/halloween-outfits.htm?cm_mmc=PSC-_-Blogger-_-Halloween-_-carrots" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">holiday-themed kids clothes</a>, as if 10 different shirts for a single holiday was necessary. I quickly learned what a waste of money that was as I refused to put my child in the clothes on any day of the month other than the ones surrounding the actual holiday.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With my second and third sons, not only did I have a fantastic selection of hand-me-downs to choose from but also, I wised up. I began only investing in holiday-wear that wasn't overtly <i>holiday-ish</i> and could be worn all month long.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's one of the reasons I love <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/magazine/features/halloween-outfits.htm?cm_mmc=PSC-_-Blogger-_-Halloween-_-carrots" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mini Boden's</a> spirited line of kid's wear this Halloween season. The t-shirts are uniquely festive without being acutely Halloween-y, meaning everything isn't shockingly orange and black. This makes it ultra easy to incorporate these tees into your kid's wardrobe all month long, not just around the holiday! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We recently took the boys apple picking and they had a blast running through the apple orchards with ease, unimpeded by stiff, starchy clothing. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mini Boden makes it easy to get into the spooky Halloween spirit with their </span><a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/magazine/features/halloween-outfits.htm?cm_mmc=PSC-_-Blogger-_-Halloween-_-carrots" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">glow-in-the-dark T-shirts</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> for little boys, not to mention that creeping's never been more comfortable when everything is 100% cotton. The bright bold colors and ability to mix-and-match just about all of their pieces makes this line of clothes one of our favorites. </span></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwm46DwJ3OowLxWZBweSCoukbqcnTI8M1QwkE440R70Ghl78ZIL8xd7vyQM8dV0miAc_BLUgZLmIXvI5QWWwkrlucRJhZ-i2U-zk1tLagVwTLlxKGgAHHv8sEkMUz3gwXk6oBFGyiawhE/s1600/Halloween_Boys_Clothes-7497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwm46DwJ3OowLxWZBweSCoukbqcnTI8M1QwkE440R70Ghl78ZIL8xd7vyQM8dV0miAc_BLUgZLmIXvI5QWWwkrlucRJhZ-i2U-zk1tLagVwTLlxKGgAHHv8sEkMUz3gwXk6oBFGyiawhE/s640/Halloween_Boys_Clothes-7497.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Carter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-shirts/b0077/boys-hotchpotch-oxford-shirt?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">oxford</a> / <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-tops-t-shirts/long-sleeved-tops/b0129/boys-spooky-glow-t-shirt?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">skeleton tee</a> / <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-pants-jeans/jeans/b0133/boys-coloured-skinny-jeans?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">coloured skinny jean</a> / <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-accessories/socks/c0050/boys-7-pack-sock-box?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">socks</a> / <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-shoes-boots/boots/c0022/boys-leather-chelsea-boots?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">boots</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mac</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-tops-t-shirts/long-sleeved-tops/b0129/boys-spooky-glow-t-shirt?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">glow-in-the-dark spider web tee</a> / <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-pants-jeans/jeans/b0021/boys-slim-cord-jeans?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">slim cord jeans</a> / <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-shoes-boots/boots/c0022/boys-leather-chelsea-boots?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">boots</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Collins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-tops-t-shirts/long-sleeved-tops/b0020/boys-raglan-t-shirt?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">raglan tee</a> / <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-pants-jeans/jeans/b0021/boys-slim-cord-jeans?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">slim cord jeans</a> / <a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/boys-shoes-boots/boots/c0022/boys-leather-chelsea-boots?searchtype=SKU_JUMP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">boots</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In case you thought it was actually easy taking pictures with my mini man crew, take a look at Maclane's face in the below photo. His face is essentially how I felt trying to get the boys to all stand in a straight line and smile for "just one nice picture with mommy." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the next photo, Collins is one "don't make me count to five" away from turning into a rag doll. Thankfully, we were all able to pull it together for the unicorn of photos, one with everyone looking and smiling, less like little serial killers and more like sweet little boys, right at the camera. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDN6vnEwBJYxRxhZPIrmOvWRVSgYqyvZrkhhejZQIgI-GYqLAigCeUYgZlJI6Zs4ntyln8_Bp_-F2I7B7juKD-hNxiGRI-g_wpZgGpWpIFsrKtFuUVCODIa2x4aHddhJeCHvryjggNFcx/s1600/Halloween_Boys_Clothes-7638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDN6vnEwBJYxRxhZPIrmOvWRVSgYqyvZrkhhejZQIgI-GYqLAigCeUYgZlJI6Zs4ntyln8_Bp_-F2I7B7juKD-hNxiGRI-g_wpZgGpWpIFsrKtFuUVCODIa2x4aHddhJeCHvryjggNFcx/s640/Halloween_Boys_Clothes-7638.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, what is one to do with approximately 47lbs. of apples picked fresh from the farm? Aside from feeding one to every child at just about every meal, we decided to whip up one of our favorite after-dinner treats, <a href="http://amzn.to/2z0Fd61" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mini apple crisps </a>with whipping cream! While half of this recipe comes straight from a box, don't let it's corner-cutting fool you! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What this dessert lacks in preparation, it makes up for in Fall-y deliciousness. The recipe can be found on the <a href="http://amzn.to/2z0Fd61" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">back of the box</a> and it's as easy as 1-2-3! All you need is the topping mix, 4 medium-sized apples and 5 tablespoons of butter.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80aGQkn94kyvU4jZ5q7ypz84pBldUECTTshBVLbgYQpPrUbrT5rUZqizguQaSQxOu9WKJl6BkzBMjFfhyphenhyphentca-LptYQugvbJ-phb_mWwYDnRzgcLQHsiuzdezuQ6iA9hBm8cMjfqhIi1ia/s1600/Mini_Apple_Crisp-8088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80aGQkn94kyvU4jZ5q7ypz84pBldUECTTshBVLbgYQpPrUbrT5rUZqizguQaSQxOu9WKJl6BkzBMjFfhyphenhyphentca-LptYQugvbJ-phb_mWwYDnRzgcLQHsiuzdezuQ6iA9hBm8cMjfqhIi1ia/s640/Mini_Apple_Crisp-8088.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjospkl1mMQwsJZS1fWOvryrSVkcZeCknvmzK57-2NO79i-O8BTlGbcPtLnop0l2YsO9RznFEfwM_G0T6yI5Au4-mQ4qC2OTh6WmjViAMxo62WlC1yvHDPO0Dit-N3se58sKYWyY7WLiqZK/s1600/Mini_Apple_Crisp-8108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjospkl1mMQwsJZS1fWOvryrSVkcZeCknvmzK57-2NO79i-O8BTlGbcPtLnop0l2YsO9RznFEfwM_G0T6yI5Au4-mQ4qC2OTh6WmjViAMxo62WlC1yvHDPO0Dit-N3se58sKYWyY7WLiqZK/s640/Mini_Apple_Crisp-8108.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Many thanks to Boden for providing us with these pieces to fancy </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">up our festive Halloween wardrobe! No additional compensation was received </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">for this post, </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">all thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own.</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpkS3ae62MlUPiKPwU3o8Tb-iAWjWNtjaHd7LoJ09UUfmV1EzW-sOYRM7_FLE7_sj-qrWvsoVzuVhfo3ydayamDDzZlE-sws1fTsMrNnbFZ3aq39xqthlbhZ5kTxr-2udskiusmLglHSd/s1600/2+cans+refrigerated+biscuits2+cans+Luck%2527s+Fried+Apples1%25252F2+stick+of+butter%252C+melted2+tbs.+sugar2+tbs.+cinnamonextra+cinnamon+for+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpkS3ae62MlUPiKPwU3o8Tb-iAWjWNtjaHd7LoJ09UUfmV1EzW-sOYRM7_FLE7_sj-qrWvsoVzuVhfo3ydayamDDzZlE-sws1fTsMrNnbFZ3aq39xqthlbhZ5kTxr-2udskiusmLglHSd/s640/2+cans+refrigerated+biscuits2+cans+Luck%2527s+Fried+Apples1%25252F2+stick+of+butter%252C+melted2+tbs.+sugar2+tbs.+cinnamonextra+cinnamon+for+%25282%2529.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few of our friends are sharing some frightfully good fun on their blogs along with more Mini Boden Halloween styles. <a href="http://thechirpingmoms.com/">The Chirping Moms</a> have Spooky Ghosts made from paper plates and toilet paper plus easy costume ideas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Head to <a href="http://southernmamaguide.com/">The Southern Mama Guide</a> for Non Candy Treat Bags for Preschoolers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You must see how <a href="https://thelovedesignedlife.com/">The Love Designed Life</a> has created Goldilocks and the Three Bears costumes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For more cute costumes, see what <a href="http://www.hellobabybrown.com/">Hello Baby Brown</a> created. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you loved the Mini Boden Halloween pajamas, be sure to check out <a href="http://www.momfessionals.com/">Momfessionals Sweet and Spooky Halloween book suggestions</a> to read at bedtime this Halloween season. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Trick or treat!
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-8786116484130826612017-10-05T07:00:00.000-04:002017-10-05T07:00:24.072-04:00Moms Do Fall Fashion :: The (Affordable) Duster Cardigan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You may remember last year's </span><a href="http://www.iloveyoumorethancarrots.com/2016/09/mad-for-plaid-moms-do-fall-fashion.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Moms Do Fall Fashion</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> collaboration where I teamed up with several fun and fashionable mamas to share how I styled one of my favorite Fall wardrobe staples, the plaid shirt. While you can't get much more basic than a puffer vest and plaid flannel shirt, versatility</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and comfort win out over any worry of blending into the crowd.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was such a popular collaboration that I'm back this year sharing my love for one of my newest and most recent additions to my Fall closet, the <a href="http://amzn.to/2xQzUb3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">duster cardigan</a>! Nothing screams "Fall!" to me more than layering up with a cozy cardigan sweater and what better way to give my old, traditional cardigans a break than trying out the duster length! </span></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpM6Tw9uBDxEaCiYeHOow-Onj9HHi10axVAqJVZRWZ67BHuHXnU3u2-1FBy_fE2yS1YsxDHxftJ_MVVRfPAKEuUxFLXpmFLxdCFCAPD5FmTz9uYcRFzF9foVWWTKxqYOmNMXixPIqQboc6/s1600/Halloween_Boys_Clothes-7559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpM6Tw9uBDxEaCiYeHOow-Onj9HHi10axVAqJVZRWZ67BHuHXnU3u2-1FBy_fE2yS1YsxDHxftJ_MVVRfPAKEuUxFLXpmFLxdCFCAPD5FmTz9uYcRFzF9foVWWTKxqYOmNMXixPIqQboc6/s640/Halloween_Boys_Clothes-7559.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When choosing a duster cardigan, it's a good idea to stick with a neutral color over any desire for a fun print or pattern. Variations of gray, cream and blush are great starter colors and will wear well with a variety of color palettes and prints. The added length of a duster cardigan is supposed to give a much more elongated appearance so it's best worn over pieces that aren't too bulky and with a shoe or boot with a slight heel.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love that this cardigan serves as a great transition piece during the weeks when the weather here in Maryland vacillates between straggly sweltering summer temperatures and the cooler, crisp mornings of the -ber months. I picked this particular <a href="https://www.nordstromrack.com/shop/product/2197902?cm_mmc=feeds-_-adlucent-_-google-_-pla&utm_source=adlucent&utm_medium=feeds&utm_content=google&utm_campaign=pla&sid=545650&aid=%5BADL%5D%20%5BPLA%5D%20%5BShopping%5D%20-%20Categories%20-%20Audiences%5BDesktop%5D&kwid=productads-adid%5E171290786093-device%5Ec-plaid%5E186680040997-sku%5E13035127-adType%5EPLA&color=NATURAL%20COMBO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">duster</a> up from Nordstrom rack for under $35 and I can't wait to style it differently in the coming months! It does run a bit big so make sure and size down if necessary. <i>For reference, I'm 5'7" and wearing a size small.</i> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-align: center;"> </span></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsa5I-yoLSBAnTcQ7Q1RRyrk9SbljD1d-KJrnTVM0GbtRS9iLeh2bDWKrio_VC5Yag8yRMHaLVZK4tIJpDtkfLcfjGiB9L-XFjC0BlhYZrmGeucmr1qn9-hm1BKnskbG4hltl2wne5NKn/s1600/Halloween_Boys_Clothes-7632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsa5I-yoLSBAnTcQ7Q1RRyrk9SbljD1d-KJrnTVM0GbtRS9iLeh2bDWKrio_VC5Yag8yRMHaLVZK4tIJpDtkfLcfjGiB9L-XFjC0BlhYZrmGeucmr1qn9-hm1BKnskbG4hltl2wne5NKn/s640/Halloween_Boys_Clothes-7632.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? My boys don't always cooperate for pictures! Bribery is always involved.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm still learning how to wear this look and I think going forward I'll be wearing this cardigan with a skinnier, more form-fitting pant leg so as not to create the overwhelming, bulky look that I notice in some of these pictures. I love, love, love the black, raw hem destroyed FRAME denim I'm wearing in this outfit but decidedly, they may not be the best silhouette for this length sweater. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I mentioned earlier, with a duster cardigan you're trying to achieve a more dazzling coat-igan, less bathrobe-in-the-wild appearance and admittedly, I'm still working on that! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>And while I ditched the duster an hour into our apple picking excursion last weekend, I just love this picture of me and my mini man crew and had to share it here: </i></span></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, what do you think of the duster cardi trend? Tried it? Hate it? I’d love to see how you're working the lengthened sweater look in every day living!</span></span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Leave a link to your photo in the comments here or over on my <a href="http://www.thefacebook.com/lvdmorethncrrts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>!</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lastly, I’ve also teamed up with the girls of Take Time for Style, as part of their Moms Do Fall Fashion collaboration to give away a </span><a href="http://www.taketimeforstyle.com/?p=46264&preview=true" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153); background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none; transition: background-color, color 0.2s linear;" target="_blank">$150 Nordstrom Gift Card</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. Head on over to their site for more fall fashion ideas & enter to win!</span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-11175821969694982742017-10-02T07:00:00.000-04:002017-10-12T08:08:43.696-04:00It’s Fall Ya’ll: Baking Homemade Apple Hand Pies and Brown Sugar Peach Cobbler<img alt="Tracking Pixel" src="https://pixel.massivesway.com/tracker.php?pixel=828c2747-1c99-49c4-b469-7cabc3bfc7ec" />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-bcca3f94-d984-ae47-c880-7a46bfd39180"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "merriweather sans"; font-size: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Luck’s.</i></span></span></center>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I almost can’t believe that it’s the beginning of Fall. Fall has always been my favorite season. There’s something magical about the crispness of the air, the crunchiness of the leaves underfoot and the slowness with which summer seems to melt away. From my cozy Fall wardrobe to bundling up on the front porch beneath a blanket, sipping hot apple cider, watching the leaves turn, Fall feels like a breath of fresh air after a sweltering, sweaty summer. </span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here in Maryland Mother Nature hasn’t quite gotten the memo yet. With temperatures hanging tough in the high 80’s, there isn’t much Fall to be felt just yet. Until the temperature dips and the colors start to fade, however, I plan to find other ways to usher in the warmth heady aromas of my favorite season.</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I think about filling my house with Fall-y goodness, my mind immediately turns to cobblers, crisps and pies. Be it apple, peach or pumpkin, rarely can you go wrong and with new neighbors moving in right next door as I write this, I figure what better time to head to the kitchen and bake up a warm, Fall-inspired welcome.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What I appreciate most about the following two recipes is that they revolve around </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2fTg73W" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">canned fruit</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, an easy and convenient way to make delicious-tasting meals and desserts. Canned fruit has the added benefit of ease of prep without having to spend heaps of time peeling and slicing. With 3 little boys around, I’ll cut as many corners as I can if it means faster food without sacrificing taste! These Fried Apples and Peaches from </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2fTg73W" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luck’s</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are a pantry staple in our home and luckily, neither of these recipes are labor-intensive! With culinary roots in the South, Luck’s brings that signature southern taste to </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2vL9Yws" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">every dish it meets</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Welcoming new neighbors with the warm comfort of these Homemade Spiced Apple Hand Pies is one of the warmest welcomes you could ever bless someone with. With canned biscuit dough as their shell, these hand pies are super easy to make from start to finish. For a special Southern twist, sub </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2idKTFp" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luck’s Peaches</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in with an extra pinch of cinnamon sugar for Southern Peach Hand Pies instead of the apples. </span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This Brown Sugar Peach Cobbler is amazing for a myriad of reasons, number one being that it can pull double duty not only as a dessert but also the perfect companion to a warm cup of coffee first thing in the morning. Who wouldn’t want to start their day with this?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you can see, Fall is here and I couldn’t be happier. While I may have to wait a bit before it starts to </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">feel</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> like Fall outside, that won’t stop me from getting cozy and baking up a Fall-inspired storm inside. After all, isn’t desserts the point of Fall anyway?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To help you get a jump start on your Fall baking, check out this </span><a href="http://lucksfoods.com/coupons/?utm_source=sway_group_influencers&utm_medium=influencers&utm_campaign=fall17&utm_term=influencers" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">coupon</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for Luck’s products, as featured here in this post. </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pardon me, but I’ve got some sweet neighbors to welcome to the cul de sac before these baked goods get cold! Enjoy and be sure to pin these recipes for later! </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Luck’s. </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>All thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.</i></span></span></span><br />
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-3096268018454943742017-09-25T07:30:00.000-04:002017-09-25T07:30:01.837-04:00How to Mix High End and Low End Home Decor And Make It Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8IcjNKzRClDnnv3UCN1KhuPUUiX3G5pDIwZbSmX46PaX39pJZ9q1ciZzufMT2Njh577pi-RjL3PgpFkGOkAk6E6JbV0mZGULTj6y5Lc7hCxwg0jbLwp-4g4kAgrRmLUUcP0b8aPI249r/s1600/how.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8IcjNKzRClDnnv3UCN1KhuPUUiX3G5pDIwZbSmX46PaX39pJZ9q1ciZzufMT2Njh577pi-RjL3PgpFkGOkAk6E6JbV0mZGULTj6y5Lc7hCxwg0jbLwp-4g4kAgrRmLUUcP0b8aPI249r/s640/how.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Budgets are a tricky thing. On one hand, it's super easy to open up an excel spreadsheet, jot some numbers down and come up with a sum that seems reasonable for the task at hand be it grocery shopping, home renovations or managing a household. On the other, however, sometimes making those numbers into tangible things can seem overwhelming and impossible. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Take for instance home decor. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As you know we moved into our new home a little over 9 months ago. While on paper my budget for interior decorating appeared reasonable, once I set about trying to find specific pieces for each room that I loved within that budget I quickly realized that this process was going to take much longer than I anticipated. </span></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXmSKRBBIoMGDHpE8mxWr4dX0NuxJPNBYKXxKkxGnQlybWfrX74mv1ln4PKwB5kGnC_Q_ke4nPvVw5OaUZ4_n_gK18lt0FlGhesc0bU-QndokCFaPkOCPxiqKp4u9IdlyAwfwrpu-5lAt/s1600/Home+Decor-7400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXmSKRBBIoMGDHpE8mxWr4dX0NuxJPNBYKXxKkxGnQlybWfrX74mv1ln4PKwB5kGnC_Q_ke4nPvVw5OaUZ4_n_gK18lt0FlGhesc0bU-QndokCFaPkOCPxiqKp4u9IdlyAwfwrpu-5lAt/s640/Home+Decor-7400.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80Vr8gwB_8DOQnLzFAz6Ddios2s_Ku-Zxhlh0R2N_vLSrmtEDD9U6NU-1jAUafWTyEz9ZErhW80CpN3qruZewPMrVXR8gKMTTxxP047rInvoeevCQRjzybEbZO4Jk5UFAILQ71kZxJBQz/s1600/Home+Decor-7384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80Vr8gwB_8DOQnLzFAz6Ddios2s_Ku-Zxhlh0R2N_vLSrmtEDD9U6NU-1jAUafWTyEz9ZErhW80CpN3qruZewPMrVXR8gKMTTxxP047rInvoeevCQRjzybEbZO4Jk5UFAILQ71kZxJBQz/s640/Home+Decor-7384.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpkvIHFngd7LACl6_YWWDgTSNNPktScoC1gh5bN7V1ut7YOJAwQzo8DBlDEKVCZr-hcbyBNLjMvsPFTNe6Votr25oyJkq5g6yOv9YXuETLvC3uijQ3NOA_9Yke7x5ep4HokdRU1PokQ-p/s1600/Home+Decor-7404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpkvIHFngd7LACl6_YWWDgTSNNPktScoC1gh5bN7V1ut7YOJAwQzo8DBlDEKVCZr-hcbyBNLjMvsPFTNe6Votr25oyJkq5g6yOv9YXuETLvC3uijQ3NOA_9Yke7x5ep4HokdRU1PokQ-p/s640/Home+Decor-7404.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Don't be fooled, friends. Home decor bloggers and HGTV make home decorating look easy and like something that happens perfectly overnight, but the reality is that that is not normal AT ALL. If you have all the money in the world to decorate exactly how you wish? By all means, go on and out and spend that money but if you're like the rest of us, sit back, relax and get ready for long and slow ride.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">During one of the very first conversations I had with an interior designer friend, she mentioned that on average the amount of money people spend to decorate a dining room is around $11,000. Friend, this is just one room we're talking about. Crazy, right? But look at how this breaks down: That budget includes a table, 6 chairs, a sideboard, chandelier, rug and miscellaneous wall decor. Of course, the size of your space plays a huge roll in the size and amount of furniture needed to furnish it which she reminded me was important to keep in mind.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Naturally I laughed and said something along the lines of, "what's above average?" That's when my jaw hit the floor. She said that those wanting a more high end luxury spin on their decor often spend upwards of $45,000 on their dining room furnishings. <i>Holy smokes.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Right then and there I knew I had to shop smart and with patience. If I've learned anything from decorating a home it's that it's an incredibly slow process, one that's as enjoyable as it is frustrating. But by finding the right pieces, filling your home with items you absolutely love, you're decorating in a way that is both meaningful and authentic to you. In a way that creates a space welcoming, inviting and inspiring.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After 9 months of living here, I can say that of all the rooms in my home, roughly 2 of them are about 85% complete. The rest? Well, they're a work in progress, a process I'm learning to love and appreciate. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here are a few tips I've learned along the way on how to mix high end and low end home decor and make it work. </span></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIGc1wDimtc-1hNctKCMnzNJ3L1LX7UaPFffMS6dDWJXpE-PnmDaO3eOPaLFq-v-b21_Pc6cwMJR-vh1RRmdE-EWIlUZft6-rT46VBOyhdROlVSsArjDzk9yYox-dMjSuBVzoPLSdL56M/s1600/Texture%252C+Texture%252C+Texture.+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="576" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIGc1wDimtc-1hNctKCMnzNJ3L1LX7UaPFffMS6dDWJXpE-PnmDaO3eOPaLFq-v-b21_Pc6cwMJR-vh1RRmdE-EWIlUZft6-rT46VBOyhdROlVSsArjDzk9yYox-dMjSuBVzoPLSdL56M/s400/Texture%252C+Texture%252C+Texture.+%25281%2529.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXmSKRBBIoMGDHpE8mxWr4dX0NuxJPNBYKXxKkxGnQlybWfrX74mv1ln4PKwB5kGnC_Q_ke4nPvVw5OaUZ4_n_gK18lt0FlGhesc0bU-QndokCFaPkOCPxiqKp4u9IdlyAwfwrpu-5lAt/s1600/Home+Decor-7400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXmSKRBBIoMGDHpE8mxWr4dX0NuxJPNBYKXxKkxGnQlybWfrX74mv1ln4PKwB5kGnC_Q_ke4nPvVw5OaUZ4_n_gK18lt0FlGhesc0bU-QndokCFaPkOCPxiqKp4u9IdlyAwfwrpu-5lAt/s640/Home+Decor-7400.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Do not be afraid to invest in what will become the focal point of your room. Typically this piece of furniture will be the largest in the space. While you may be drawn to what's currently on trend, my suggestion is that you aim for something that is more timeless, something that will grow with you but is both stylish and functional. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For our morning room, we chose this </span><a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-7-or-more-piece-set/7-piece-table-and-chair-set/1549741269" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">concrete top dining table</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> from </span><a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Gardiner Wolf Furniture</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. Not only did I fall in love with the clean lines and craftsmanship</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> of this table but I could immediately picture my family gathered around it for years to come which made it's heftier price tag perfectly acceptable in my book.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is where mixing high end and low end items comes into play. Sometimes spending more money on your wall decor and room accessories can elevate the space enough to make your budget furniture finds appear more luxury. When I chose the table and chairs for our morning room, yes, it would've been much easier to choose a set that was already grouped together however deep down, I knew that wasn't my style. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In an attempt to stay authentic to my tastes, ultimately I ended up choosing pieces from 3 different vendors at varying price points to bring my vision to fruition. Our </span><a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-side-chairs/dining-room-side-chair/1621919202" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">x-back side chairs</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> are basic in both design and price but you'd never guess just by looking at them that they cost little more than $100!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mixing materials, furnishings and finishes can often make a room appear more luxurious than it really is. This is why I chose to decorate with natural elements in our morning room. By choosing pieces that incorporated concrete, wood, upholstery and greenery, I was able to create a layered look without everything being overly matchy-matchy. I absolutely love my demi-wing upholstered side chairs from <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-side-chairs/demi-wing-upholstered-side-chair/1547860206" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Magnolia Home</a> and at a middle of the road price point, they bring the perfect touch of casual elegance to this space. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can do this! Have patience, choose authentically and meaningfully. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Welcome pieces into your home that speak to you. </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Got it.</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But where do you start when trying to find the perfect piece for your space? </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Shop local! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Gardiner Wolf Furniture is a <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/stores" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">local retailer</a> with brick and mortar locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. When shopping for furniture I think it's so important to get your hands on the pieces you'll be bringing into your home. These brick and mortar locations allow you to do just that and with friendly, helpful sales people and an incredibly knowledgeable design team, I can't imagine shopping for furnishings anywhere else. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For a <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/promotions/ashley-paige" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">discount</a> on your next online or in-store purchase, my friends at Gardiner Wolf have to put together this amazing <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/promotions/ashley-paige" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">promotion</a> for all I Love You More Than Carrots readers! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy shopping!</span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-11766129209881156892017-09-13T19:32:00.003-04:002017-09-13T19:32:45.425-04:00What's New / Let's Catch Up / Real Mom, Real Style.<center style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Tap, tap tap. Is this thing still on? </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Shoo! I never intended to step away from this space as much as I have over the last several months. I don't even have a good enough reason for my absence other than it was summer and we were busy! I have <i>so</i> many things I want to write about here, things like my feelings on this <a href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/work-sleep-family-fitness-or-friends-pick-3.html?cid=sf01002&sr_share=facebook" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">article</a>, what life is like basking in the light at the end of the tunnel of raising tiny, needy humans (spoiler alert: it's freaking fantastic), <a href="http://www.iloveyoumorethancarrots.com/2016/11/on-saying-goodbye-to-our-first-house.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">new house updates</a> and really, just getting back to the basics of why I started this blog in the first place.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">School is back in full swing now and the boys are gearing up to finish their first full week since starting right after Labor Day. It's an adjustment for everyone and I've essentially renamed September "The Month of Grace" because there's no way we're all getting through it without a healthy dose of patience, understanding and candy corn pumpkins in excess.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The boys love school though which is the most I can ask for- Collins, the youngest, wishes he could go every day and isn't that the funniest thing? I'm certain that if given the opportunity, my oldest would stay at home with me forever but it's those third babies that are so ready to grow up that they don't even think twice about leaving the nest! He just wants to be big like his brothers and do what they do. <i>Bless it!</i> </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A few weeks ago on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/lvdmorethncrrts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> I put some feelers out about what you might want to see more of from me. Surprisingly, the answer was a resounding "what do you wear because you always look so cute?" (which made me laugh because are we both watching the same snaps?) with some of you wanting to see more of the house and most of you wanting to just hear more about what life looks like now with the boys many of you have watched grow up over the last 7 years. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now that I have some time to myself during the week, I think I can make that happen! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Having all of the boys in school each week is incredible. Keep in mind that Collins is currently in school for 8 hours each week so it's really only 8 hours that I'm kid-free but what a difference those 8 hours makes in terms of self-care. Mac also transitioned from 5 half-days to full day Kindergarten this year and while I miss his guts like crazy, I can get my hair done, schedule doctor and dentist appointments for myself, make it to the gym, shower, DO MY HAIR, get dressed and meet my girlfriends for lunch TWO DAYS A WEEK all without worrying about the littlest one and who I'm going to get to watch him and how that's all going to factor into everyone's schedule and how will I ever make it back for half-day pick up? </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This new routine of ours has done wonders for my general well-being but more on that in a post for another day. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I figured I'd start off here with a peek into my closet mostly because this is probably the most I've gotten dressed up in a week since 2010. Before I proceed, however, h</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">ere's what you won't see in this post: expertly staged and styled photographs, affiliate links to where you can shop my look or any type of dressing room photo. I'm all about the collective "you" doing "you" but I'll be honest, I'm just not that committed. Plus, dressing room photos, while adorable, always make me laugh because most of the bloggers I follow who do this are as big as my pinky and nothing I buy will look the same on me as it does them. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That said, I will gladly share where I found most of the clothes I'm wearing but I also kind of feel like that's why Google and SHOPSTYLE were invented. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While I started off strong, there's a good chance that not every week will look like this but it's certainly been fun playing the roll of "Mom With Her Sh*t Together" versus my usual typecast "Leader of the Hot Mess Express."</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Next time I do this, I promise I'll wipe down the mirror first but don't those tiny handprint smudges add a little <span style="background-color: white;">je ne sais quoi to the over all aesthetic? The weather here in Maryland has been all over the board lately- while we've had some incredible Fall-ish days in the 60's, the next 7-10 days are shaping up to be some hot ones! I just want to commit to putting away all of my summer clothes and close the chapter on shorts and sundresses, I won't lie! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">As you can see, I've got a pretty good thing going with the raw hem denim. The last three pairs of jeans I've added to my closet all have that and torn knees in common and the nice thing about it is that if you're not feel particularly committed to the hem on any given day, you can just pin roll the bottoms and voila! Bye-bye frayed edge. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The black pair seen above are by FRAME, the blue pair below are Democracy Denim and the pair seen in the last photo are Treasure & Bond, all purchased at Nordstrom or The Rack.<br /><br />I also tried out a pair of the Yummie brand high-waisted leggings and I can't say that I hate them! I love being able to throw them on with a sweater and not have to worry about whether or not they're too opaque (they're actually rather thick which will be great once it gets colder!) I wish I had gotten a better picture of the <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/treasure-bond-asymmetrical-cold-shoulder-sweater/4551860" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Treasure & Bond sweater</a>- it has an asymmetrical cold shoulder and I really kind of love it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">My printed top is one of the infamous LUSH tunics and they're truly a staple in my closet. Over the years I've purchased them in several solid colors and prints and I wear them all the time. Super comfortable and can be dressed up or dressed down.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This top is one of my favorites, given to me by my aunt from a local boutique. I love the feminine and flowy details of it and it's actually one of the few warm weather pieces I keep in my closet all year long. When the cooler months hit, I pair it with a cropped leather moto jacket which buys my an extra season of wear!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love a good t-shirt and jeans get up. More times than not, that's usually what I'm wearing if I'm not in work-out clothes! While you can't see it in the above photo, it's always a v-neck t-shirt! This one is from the new Target line <a href="https://www.target.com/c/a-new-day/-/N-q296b" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"A New Day"</a> that replaced the old Mossimo brand. They recently had a Buy Two for $14 sale and I stocked up on navy and gray! I have no idea how well they wash or wear and while my hopes aren't too high, I'm all about cheap closet staples that can be worn on repeat, especially things that can be layered for extra wear. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You may not think this is very exciting but coming from someone who has worn more breathable spandex in the last five years than anything else, it's a pretty big deal. Even my husband has noticed the lack of athletic-attire and while I never thought about it affecting my mood, getting dressed in "real clothes" each day does wonders for a mom's sanity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think I can get down with this whole raising Big Kids things. <i>We all just might be okay after all. Now, let's see if I can keep this blogging thing going... </i></span></div>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-82825948044437620332017-08-22T17:32:00.000-04:002017-08-22T17:32:00.981-04:00Camping With Kids | Our Trip To Jellystone Park, Maryland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoYZhDe2DpbM0RKiVA6gzwOqpCSEjDBvRR0lb3BoNRI8Ru9TACTgIrZo9ct0W0CwuZe-LSxiUPILWEN07teOlDJtytWfJbWzb575pStKYoWDJ43x566PlvvXcTKyY1u_dhn46L3h-Z-Z1/s1600/Get+the+bestB%2526B+experience.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="945" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoYZhDe2DpbM0RKiVA6gzwOqpCSEjDBvRR0lb3BoNRI8Ru9TACTgIrZo9ct0W0CwuZe-LSxiUPILWEN07teOlDJtytWfJbWzb575pStKYoWDJ43x566PlvvXcTKyY1u_dhn46L3h-Z-Z1/s640/Get+the+bestB%2526B+experience.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A special thanks to Jellystone Maryland for hosting our stay and providing</i></center>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>us with a lifetime's worth of memories from our very first family camping trip.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few weeks ago I reached out to our readers on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/iloveyoumorethancarrots/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and asked them to hit me with their best tips for family camping. We were gearing up to take our three boys, ages 3, 5 and 7, cabin camping for the first time at </span><a href="http://jellystonemaryland.com/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Jellystone Park</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> in Hagerstown, Maryland and while I initially thought I was fully prepared for the adventure, once the tips and tricks started rolling in, I realized I had a lot to learn about executing a successful camping trip!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After spending 4 days and 3 nights "roughing it," in a three room cabin out in Western Maryland, I think the greatest piece of advice I can offer is just to <b>keep it simple.</b> I'm so glad we chose Jellystone as the location for our foray into camping. I think it's unanimous that we as a family are no where near ready to live off the grid which is why our rustic accommodations that boasted running water and a small kitchenette were just perfect for this family of first-timers. Not to mention the hoards of exciting kid's activities that greeted us around every turn. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Jellystone is a great place to visit with your family for a fun-filled weekend of camping and with a variety of ways to stay and enjoy the park, including cabins, campsites, RV hook-ups and even unique </span><a href="http://jellystonemaryland.com/tinyhomes/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;" target="_blank">tiny houses</a><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">, there's definitely something for everyone! To learn more about the numerous packages available when booking your stay, </span><a href="http://jellystonemaryland.com/packages/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;" target="_blank">head here</a><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Each day of your stay begins with the salutation of the flag and fun, energizing exercise regime with Yogi and Boo-Boo. At check-in you are provided with that week's custom itinerary which includes tons of both free and add-on activities available to you throughout the day. The staff on-site do an excellent job of involving the kids and interacting with them during activities. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I would say roughly 75% of the kid-friendly activities are free to enjoy at no additional cost of the camper. These free activities include meet and greets with the characters, guided nature hikes, wagon rides, miniature golf, sunset movie shows, bouncy pillow fun, Gaga ball pits, horseshoes, basketball and volleyball courts as well as several awesome and well-maintained playgrounds throughout the park. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For an additional nominal fee, campers can enjoy add-on a la carte activities such as zip-lining, gem mining, laser tag, ice cream social events with the characters, an arcade full of games and prizes, arts and crafts as well as a ninja warrior course. Whether you choose to partake in these activities is solely a personal decision but I will say that my boys loved (L O V E D) the zip line, gem mining, ninja warrior course and our special invitation to enjoy an ice cream sundae with Boo-Boo bear.</span></center>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Accommodations</span></span></b></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our <a href="http://jellystonemaryland.com/cabin/luxury-cabins/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">luxury cabin</a> was the perfect amount of "roughing it" and "glamping" combined. It comfortably slept our family of five with its full size bed and two sets of twin size bunk beds. Personally I don't think we would've survived without the full bathroom, toilet and shower included. While I'm all for the belief that a swim in the pool doubles as a bath, it was nice to throw the boys into a warm shower after a particularly sweaty day at camp. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The cabin also included a gas fireplace, small kitchenette, dinette, loveseat, fire ring, picnic table and charcoal grill. As I mentioned earlier, part of keeping it simple meant no extravagant meals. For 4 days our family subsisted on hot dogs, grilled barbecue drumsticks, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, boxed macaroni and cheese, cereal, pop tarts, s'mores, pancakes, grilled pizza, fresh fruits and veggies. This no-frills approach to cooking meals that we knew everyone would enjoy made for happy campers and full bellies at every meal. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Stay and Play</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></center>
<center style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There truly wasn't a single dull moment during our camping adventure and truth be told, our daily routine didn't stray much from what we're used to doing each day at home. The boys would wake up between 7 and 7:30am and while we encouraged them to play outside the cabin (jumping rocks, going on scavenger hunts, safely exploring the woods behind our cabin) my husband and I would cook breakfast in peace. After enjoying our meal together on our porch or picnic table, it was back inside to check out the itinerary and make plans for the day. Most activities started between the 8 and 9am hours and continued long into the evening, often culminating with an outdoor movie at 9pm. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When a little down time was needed between activities, we would venture back to the cabin for a little quiet time that included drawing, reading, a board game or two and yes, even some television. (Even we as parents needed a little peace and quiet, too!) Don't forget the S'mores making each night!)</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tips For Your Next Visit</b></span></center>
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<li style="line-height: 2.1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is a Starbucks and an Olive Garden within a 10 minute ride from camp, just in case things get dire. </span></li>
<li style="line-height: 2.1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is also a camp store on site where you can buy a hot cup of coffee, groceries, RV supplies, wood, charcoal, snacks, souvenirs and more! This is great for moments when you might have forgotten to pack the graham crackers for S'mores!</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 2.1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">No matter where you stay, bring a cheap floor mat for right inside your accommodations. While we pretty quickly got into the habit of leaving our shoes right outside the door of our cabin, I wish we'd brought a cheap, small door mat for directly inside our front door. This way dirty, damp, muddy feet wouldn't traipse throughout the cabin!</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 2.1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Golf Cart rentals are completely worth it. Our cabin was located at the far side of the campground which meant we would've had quite the trek to enjoy most of activities. Little kids and tons of walking don't always go hand in hand so it was nice to be able to conveniently zip from one part of the park to the other. </span></li>
<li style="line-height: 2.1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tons of families brought their kids' bikes to camp! While there isn't a ton of paved access-ways (most paths are rocky gravel), we watched tons of families travel to and fro on bicycles. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Will We Return?</b></span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Absolutely! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in our luxury cabin. The amenities were top notch, our campsite was beautifully secluded and well-maintained and the boys really enjoyed all that the park had to offer. Even with their varying ages, all three of them found things to entertain themselves at every turn. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We've already started looking into a Fall weekend getaway with some of our friends! While this was a far cry from our typical family vacation, it was the perfect way to unplug and spend some time with the boys before school starts back up. We all woke up each morning eager and excited to explore and try activities that I never thought in a million years the boys, specifically, would entertain the thought of doing. I think I'm most proud of the big boys for the incredibly big leap they took, both figuratively and literally, as they jumped from the platform of the zip-line. It was so fun to watch our youngest bust out some pretty amazing ninja warrior moves during Boo-Boo's Bootcamp and above all else, there are just no words to describe how much it meant to our family to make these memories that will undoubtedly last a lifetime! </span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-75866467885172077022017-08-18T09:00:00.000-04:002017-08-18T09:00:21.548-04:00Family Matters: You're Never Too Busy To Eat Together.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Let's face it, we're all pretty busy people. Busy parents, busy kids, sometimes being busy together, but mostly being busy with our own self-serving schedules. We as parents are dialed-in, over-worked, volunteered-out; dedicated to making sure we raise well-rounded, contributing members of society, a society that, to no surprise, glorifies busy, too often making it feel as if our worth is measured by our level of "busyness." </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The truth is, no matter how busy we </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">think</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> we are, we </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">all</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> have time for things that are important to us. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Growing up my family always ate dinner together. <i>Always.</i> Which in retrospect, makes me wonder how my mother ever did it. How she managed to be the class parent, the school board volunteer, the chauffeur between sports practices, the cheerleader at all our games and the maker of a delicious dinner on the table <i>every single night</i>. While I swear she had super human parent powers, she too clearly realized how important sharing a meal together was and so she made it a priority each night where the four of us came together and connected as whole. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. I say it's where my heart gathers. Although we may not make it to the table every night for dinner together as a family, we have, as a family, made it a priority to eat at least one meal together each day. Some days it's during the breakfast hour that we gather around the table as a whole- on nights that we aren't juggling a sports practice (or three), it's dinner that brings us together. No matter when we come together, while it's rarely Pinterest-perfect- </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">juice is spilled, pancakes are burned and someone always has something less than savory to say about the menu-</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> it's always deeply savored. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Why? Because there is so much beauty in this mess. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Conversation is unpredictable. Tiny, raspy morning voices clamor to tell jokes, recant dreams and fight over the last cinnamon roll. Sometimes at the end of a long day we need an icebreaker to get the stories rolling but once we do, it's even more difficult to get our boys to stop talking long enough to take a bite of food.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's our hope as parents that by sharing family meals, our boys understand that the kitchen table is safe space for them to open up and share their feelings. In a busy world with super schedules and the bombardment of technology at our fingertips, this screen-free zone allows us to come together as a whole, power down to connect and invest in ourselves as a family unit.<br /><br />While I'm not saying a casserole has the powers to transform a family dynamic <i>(wouldn't that be amazing?)</i>, it's the interpersonal moments shared among us over a meal that will hopefully create stronger connections between our family away from the table. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-7-or-more-piece-set/7-piece-table-and-chair-set/1549741269" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dinner tables</a> have always been the focal point of kitchens and ours is certainly no different. I have such fond memories of our kitchen table growing up- whether we gathered around it for family dinners, family game night or at the last minute to complete a school project the night before it was due, that table became synonymous with my childhood. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I want <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-7-or-more-piece-set/7-piece-table-and-chair-set/1549741269" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our table</a> to be that same safe, remarkable space for our boys. I want it to be a place where they gather around to tell me about their school day. Their winning goals. Their science fair failures. I want them to bring their friends over, littering that table with pizza boxes and candy wrappers and one day, inviting their very first girlfriends over to join us for dinner at that table.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I know one day too soon I will miss this beautiful mess. The spilled juice, the food on the floor, the incessant reminders to use manners and clear plates but it's these moments and all of the small moments in between that I am truly, deeply grateful for and it's with gratitude and hope that I look forward to many shared family meals around our table to come.</span></center>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dining Table Furnishings c/o <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wolf Furniture</a>. </i></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Sources: </i></span><a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-7-or-more-piece-set/7-piece-table-and-chair-set/1549741269" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Concrete Table</a> | <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-side-chairs/dining-room-side-chair/1621919202" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">X-Back Chairs</a> | <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-side-chairs/demi-wing-upholstered-side-chair/1547860206" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Upholstered Side Chairs</a></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Runner, Candlesticks: HomeGoods</span><br /><i><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Shop Local</span></i></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Gardiner Wolf Furniture is a </span><a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/stores" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; outline: none;" target="_blank"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">local retailer</span></a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> with brick and mortar locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">For a </span><a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/promotions/ashley-paige" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; outline: none;" target="_blank"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">discount</span></a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> on your next online or in-store purchase, my friends at Gardiner Wolf have to put together this amazing </span><a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/promotions/ashley-paige" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; outline: none;" target="_blank"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">promotion</span></a><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> for all I Love You More Than Carrots readers! </span></span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-72734178711157733172017-08-17T07:00:00.000-04:002017-08-17T07:00:13.074-04:00Get Back To School Ready with Kohl's!<img src="http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTM2MzAtS29obHNCYWNrVG9TY2hvb2wtNzEwOC1DLTE" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>This post is sponsored by Kohl's. </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>I received the included back to school clothes and essentials as compensation.</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The year was 1990. Two weeks after going <a href="https://www.kohls.com/sale-event/kids-clothing.jsp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">back to school shopping</a>, picking out hoards of pretty, playful dresses, I walked into the kitchen and politely stated, to the complete shock of my mother, "I'm not wearing dresses any more." While I hadn't given my mother a reason just then (spoiler alert: the boys had taken an interest in looking up the girls' dresses while on the monkey bars), she quickly replaced all of those brand new dresses with stirrup pants, over-sized t-shirts and all of the slouchy Wigwam socks my 8 year old heart desired.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I imagine her surprise that day felt a lot like several weeks ago when my oldest informed me that he's only going to wear "shirts and pants that are Under Armour," naturally prompting our middle little to follow suit as he exclaimed, "Yeah Mom! I'm only wearing soft shorts forever!" </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While knowingly I should embrace their self expression and desire to choose their own attire, admittedly there's a small part of me that already misses the days of matching brother sets in varying shades of seersucker and gingham. I totally get it though- it would be a case of the pot calling the kettle black if I didn't admit to spending nearly 95% of my days dressed in some sort of mesh athleisure-wear. <i>Comfort above all else, am I right?</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Since August is filling up with last minute travel plans and summer bucket list add-on's, I wanted to get a jump on back to school shopping. Shopping for three kids is no joke but with </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">the help of <a href="https://www.kohls.com/sale-event/school.jsp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kohl's</a> department store, I was able to find everything the boys will need to start the new school year in style, especially super cool athletic gear.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of course there's always new sneakers to be purchased, backpacks to select and lunchboxes to coordinate and while </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">all three of our boys will be attending private school in the Fall and wearing uniforms most days, they still needed a few basics to get them through the first few months of dress down days, sports practices and after school play.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Don't tell the boys' school this but let me let you in on a little secret: Kohl's <a href="https://www.kohls.com/search/clothing.jsp?CN=Department:Clothing&search=boys%20chaps&S=1&WS=0&PPP=60&pfm=search%20refine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chaps</a> line boasts the perfect khaki uniform short and pant dupe for the more expensive line peddled by another brand that works in partnership with our school). [<i>Insert all of the praise hands emojis!]</i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While the boys many not get to express themselves in their every day school attire, there are many other ways in which they can express their personal style, starting with their backpacks and lunch totes. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Picking out a backpack is a big deal at any age and my oldest's love for Under Armour runs deep. I don't even think the previous school year had ended when he told me that he really wanted an UA backpack for 1st grade and you can imagine my surprise when I started researching sizes and styles! </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hello sticker shock!</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I'm so thankful Kohl's recently picked up the Under Armour line- as if we didn't shop there enough already I now have hundreds of reasons to keep going back. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While Kohl's provided me with a generous gift card to complete our back to school shopping, I also applied more than $50 in previously earned Kohl's cash to my order, essentially getting my oldest's beloved backpack for free! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">|| On Carter: <a href="https://www.kohls.com/search.jsp?submit-search=web-regular&search=boys+4-7+under+armour+top" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Top</a> (Similar) <a href="https://www.kohls.com/search.jsp?submit-search=web-regular&search=long+sleeve+under+armour+boys&S=1&PPP=60" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Long Sleeve</a> (Similar) / <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2856428/boys-4-7-under-armour-logo-zinger-shorts.jsp?skuId=61904784&om_mid=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic&om_etid=108338489&utm_source=TRA&utm_medium=ET&utm_term=108338489&utm_content=273734&utm_campaign=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shorts</a> / <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2861829/boys-under-armour-6-pack-quarter-crew-socks.jsp?skuId=52834466&om_mid=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic&om_etid=108338489&utm_source=TRA&utm_medium=ET&utm_term=108338489&utm_content=273734&utm_campaign=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Socks</a> / <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2727909/nike-downshifter-7-preschool-boys-shoes.jsp?skuId=33663381&om_mid=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic&om_etid=108338489&utm_source=TRA&utm_medium=ET&utm_term=108338489&utm_content=273734&utm_campaign=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sneakers</a> || </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">c/o Kohl's</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">|| On Mac: <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2874778/boys-4-7-under-armour-i-run-this-game-tee.jsp?skuId=77396226&om_mid=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic&om_etid=108338489&utm_source=TRA&utm_medium=ET&utm_term=108338489&utm_content=273734&utm_campaign=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Top</a> / <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2856428/boys-4-7-under-armour-logo-zinger-shorts.jsp?skuId=79359540&om_mid=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic&om_etid=108338489&utm_source=TRA&utm_medium=ET&utm_term=108338489&utm_content=273734&utm_campaign=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shorts</a> / <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2861829/boys-under-armour-6-pack-quarter-crew-socks.jsp?skuId=52834466&om_mid=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic&om_etid=108338489&utm_source=TRA&utm_medium=ET&utm_term=108338489&utm_content=273734&utm_campaign=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Socks</a> || </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">c/o Kohl's</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">|| <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2789632/under-armour-scrimmage-laptop-backpack.jsp?skuId=74031245&om_mid=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic&om_etid=108338489&utm_source=TRA&utm_medium=ET&utm_term=108338489&utm_content=273734&utm_campaign=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Backpack</a> <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-693632/olive-kids-vehicles-backpack-kids.jsp?pfm=rrrecs-pdp-gtab1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Backpack</a> & <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1039905/nike-insulated-lunch-tote.jsp?skuId=94014149&om_mid=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic&om_etid=108338489&utm_source=TRA&utm_medium=ET&utm_term=108338489&utm_content=273734&utm_campaign=_Order_Confirmation_Responsive_Dynamic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lunchbox</a> || </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">c/o Kohl's</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The best part about shopping Kohl's for all of our back to school needs? </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">More Kohl's cash </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">earned! </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Get ready to save because the best time to get your shopping </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">done is during the Kohl's Friends and Family event! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>From August 17th-20th, take 20% off your purchase with code "SAVER." </b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Additionally between 8/4 and 8/20, you can get $10 of $50 of kid's clothes including Junior's, Young Men's, Footwear, Character Backpacks and Junior's Accessories! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Promo code: BTS10</b></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.kohls.com/sale-event/coupons-deals.jsp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kohl's Coupons</a></b></span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-90955539592730554222017-08-02T12:44:00.002-04:002017-08-02T12:44:31.981-04:00Camping with Kids - Yay or Nay?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We bit the bullet. Or rather I got bit by the camping bug. Later this month we'll be taking the boys camping at a very family-friendly campground and I can. not. wait. Am I crazy for wanting to take my three young children out into the wilderness for three nights of "roughing it" cabin-style? My husband thinks so. In fact, I'm almost positive that I'll be dragging him kicking and screaming all the way out to the campground in just a few weeks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you can't yet tell, I am so excited for our upcoming trip. I've wanted to take the boys camping for years and while in previous years the thought of camping with a child under 2 sent shivers down my spine, I can say without a doubt that at 3, 5 and 7 I think we're set to have a blast out in the wilderness. Not to mention that everyone is officially peeing and pooping on the potty! Nary a diaper in sight around these parts and I think it's high time to celebrate by making everyone sleep outside. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On a more serious note, my husband is kind of making me feel like I'm going to regret this. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Where's his sense of adventure? What could possibly go wrong? It's one step above tent camping and we have our own bathroom en suite. The more I think about it, can this even be called <i>camping?</i> All this coming from a guy who made me sleep in a two-person tent without even a mat on the ground while we geared up for a day's worth of white water rafting in our pre-children days. <i>What gives?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While we aren't set to leave for our trip just yet, I've already taken the liberty of printing out several packing lists, making sure not to forget a single necessity while we're busy being one with nature. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Here's where you come in. Have you taken your kids camping before? I'd love to hear all about any tips or tricks you have for a successful night under the stars. What did you wish you had brought with you but forgotten or didn't think of? What would you have done differently? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've already started packing one of those giant Tupperware bins with all of the linens we will need, including extra pillows, bath and pool towels as well as blankets. You know the Hershey's S'mores kit already made its way into my Amazon cart too! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Spill it. I'd love to hear from you! </span></div>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-54943364418944030822017-07-29T15:26:00.002-04:002017-08-04T08:22:59.623-04:00Gettin' Crafty with Disney Junior: Celebrating Friendship, Bracelets Inspired by Sofia the First<img alt="Tracking Pixel" src="https://pixel.massivesway.com/tracker.php?pixel=358c6334-10ac-4ec4-9bfb-62a3c1c6b703" />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Created for kids ages 2-5 and their families, </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2rkjqp3" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sofia the First</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> focuses on creative story lines centered around positive messages and life lessons. Sofia is a little girl whose ordinary life is turned extraordinary when she suddenly becomes a princess overnight. While she lives in a fairy tale world of magic amulets, castles and flying horses, she remains a relatable, down-to-earth role model who experiences many of the same social situations as young children often do. These situations include making new friends, mastering new skills and learning how to fit in.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My boys are still very young and at the ages of 7, 5 and 3 I try to promote kindness and friendship above all else. Along with such positive behaviors, we spend a lot of time focusing on patience, listening and sharing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">new episode on August 4th titled, "The Mare of the Mist," Sofia finds herself in a sticky situation where she thinks she must choose between her old friend Minimus and her new friend Skye. Along her journey, complications arise as her friends compete for Sofia's affection. Ultimately Sofia learns that by being true of heart and making space in her life for both her old friend and new, she can complete her mission and everyone wins.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Similarly, when my two older boys started at their small private school last year they worried about what would happen to their lifelong friends who would be starting over at the public school in our town. It was my job to reassure them that while they may not see their "old" friends every day, it didn't mean they would no longer be a part of their lives. I also explained to them that they have so much room in their hearts for old friends and new that nothing should stop them from making as many new friends at school as they desired. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Best of all, because they are such sweet and kind boys, I emphasized that there would be no problem getting everyone together and having everyone get along! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Inspired by Sofia's quest for friends both old and new, the boys decided they wanted to make friendship bracelets for a few of their close friends. Having recently had a stretch of rainy days, I knew this activity would be a good one to keep not only their hands busy but their minds, too, while we waited for the rain to pass. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Together they crafted bracelets inspired by some of their favorite </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2rkjqp3" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sofia the First</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> characters. Can you tell which bracelets are inspired by Sofia? James? Sir Bartleby?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="383" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SYfZrObHMhJ9q9oMdZai9SCRGqf-OzDN4oLyLTy7OYfW7Y8HhepvbsX4HB5Ms-gAiFFH0f-smYpFWDPW6I49oDMQ7yvkaLeLRV2SCrWVnFPs-Mh-3jOs1mepU4a_Y4pR6RJMDoqhNIrUvNoxTg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="576" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As with any type of arts and craft, it's best to do so under close supervision of an adult, especially if the craft includes small beads as this one does. Not only is this a fun activity for a rainy day but it's also an excellent exercise in pattern recognition and fine motor skills!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- All you will need to complete this craft is bracelet-making elastic and beads of your choosing. We used a variety of wood beads purchased online. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- To begin, I had each of the boys choose their favorite Sofia the First character and separate out the corresponding colored beads. While they were sorting, I snipped the elastic to fit their wrists and anchored each piece of elastic with a large wooden bead. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Once they were ready to start stringing, I encouraged them to do so in whatever pattern their little hearts desired. Once they were complete I finished the bracelets by tying them off and adding a loop at the other end for the anchor bead to pull through. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The boys loved making these bracelets so much that every day they ask if they can "do some beading" again! They cannot wait to package these bracelets up and surprise their friends with them! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perhaps I see a future junior entrepreneurial endeavor? ;)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Be sure to tune into new episodes of Disney Junior's Sofia the First Friday mornings on Disney Channel all summer long #DisneyJuniorFRiYAY fun!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This is a sponsored post brought to you in partnership with Disney Junior. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All opinions expressed above are honest and my own!</span></span></div>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-69842513897432352692017-07-11T09:34:00.001-04:002017-07-11T09:46:39.806-04:00Amazon Prime Day: What To Buy and Where to Find the Best Deals<center style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="IMG" height="68" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/PDguide/X2" width="400" /></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you aren't using <a href="http://amazon.com/primeday?tag=TRACKINGIDHERE-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Prime</a> we need to have a serious discussion. While it seems as if Amazon is taking over the world... oh, wait.. they kind of are... I guarantee you that you can find at least 90% of whatever it is you're looking to purchase on Amazon. In the last year I have purchased everything from home decor to women's fashion clothing to vitamins and my kids' lunch boxes on Amazon. Isn't that wild? </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In fact, before I check any other website I always head to Amazon first to see if they have what I need and better yet, can get it to me in 1-2 shipping days. Amazon has truly revolutionized the way consumers shop online and as they gear up for their annual Prime Day sales, I wanted to share with you some of the best things I've ever purchased from Amazon, especially since I'm an affiliate for the brand. <i>(Aff links are included in this post). </i></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, what is <a href="http://amazon.com/primeday?tag=TRACKINGIDHERE-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prime day</a>? Well, it's the third annual online sale of literally hundreds of thousands of items used in every day living. Not only is it discounted items but they also run great promotions on things like the Amazon Baby Registry! For instance, all registrants who add a </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">participating</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2tibSDh" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">CYBEX Aton 2 infant car seat</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> between July 5th and July 19th and purchase it by March 31, 2018 receive a $120 credit back to their Amazon account, equivalent to 40% off!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2tNIqWp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="Prime Day: Early voice shopping deals" height="128" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/Gateway/Events/2017/PrimeDay/LeadUp/Desktop/PD17_US_GW_Hero_1500x300_voice_0705._CB506404023_.jpg" width="640" /></a> </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On July 10th, 2017 the official launch of Prime Day 2017 begins. In order to take advantage of the sales you must be a <a href="http://amazon.com/primeday?tag=TRACKINGIDHERE-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prime Membership</a> holder. This costs roughly $100/year. Should you sign up for a membership? Here's what I think: </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We signed up for Prime to get free two-day shipping on hundreds of thousands of items that we use every day. Let's say you place roughly 15-20 orders on Amazon within one year and upgrade your shipping to two-day for the sake of last minute Linda's like myself. The cost of a Prime membership is definitely worth it in this scenario. It's even more worth it if you use some of the add-ons such as Amazon's video and music streaming services or their Kindle e-reader like we do.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Customers shopping with a gadget equipped with Amazon's virtual assistant </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2tKcx1E" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;" target="_blank">Alexa</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> will get access to Prime Day deals two hours before anyone else. These voice shoppers will also get access to more than 100 exclusive pre-Prime Day offers beginning yesterday, July 5th.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If people shopping with <a href="http://amzn.to/2tKcx1E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alexa</a> place an order for one of the deals before July 9th, they can also get a $10 Amazon credit, if it's the first time they've placed an order via Alexa. Note, too, that Amazon will run two types of deals on Prime Day: traditional deals that last all day and lightening deals that will expire after a set amount of time or when stock runs out.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Get a $10 credit, when you order an Alexa Deal" height="183" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/VANS/PrimeDay2017/NeverActives/Never_Actives_10_Desktop_1500x430_v2.png" width="640" /></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, what sorts of things should you keep an eye out for during Prime Day sales? Here's just a few things to check out. In the coming days, I will be updating this post with more and more amazing deals as they are released to me. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Click <a href="http://amzn.to/2sLbUkA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> to see all of Amazon's <a href="http://amzn.to/2sLbUkA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prime Day Deals for Baby and Kids</a>. There are some great buys on everything from diapers to video monitors, strollers and bottle kits!</span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-22280159190076179902017-07-06T18:06:00.001-04:002017-07-06T18:32:46.130-04:00Chores for Kids :: How We Encourage and Reward Our Kids To Help Around the House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPlKkeEWddJrh5oskroB_2dle1BdQwGdFqSqSRPmmhdUjLCnx7taBoAr0RX2FzqS4mfnrL-cJs-AbNTFlZSaZOlHdCZgXDwlByg4hbzHlBEtJthpmQvCddZvaS3aVUf02W-doMVqzRGZF/s1600/Age+Appropriate+Chores+for+Kids+3-7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPlKkeEWddJrh5oskroB_2dle1BdQwGdFqSqSRPmmhdUjLCnx7taBoAr0RX2FzqS4mfnrL-cJs-AbNTFlZSaZOlHdCZgXDwlByg4hbzHlBEtJthpmQvCddZvaS3aVUf02W-doMVqzRGZF/s400/Age+Appropriate+Chores+for+Kids+3-7.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I feel like we started off summer real strong. Activities aplenty, supplementary workbook pages completed (and enjoyed!!) left and right and we even managed to cross off two of the three book reports on my oldest son's summer reading list long before their September deadline.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eventually, however, the momentum waned and recently I'd begun to notice the boys were slacking off not only on some school work but also their expected chores. I'll take some of the blame, after all, I'd definitely stopped encouraging them first thing in the morning in favor of a few extra minutes of shut-eye and once my feet hit the floor, we'd be off and running through the various days' events. Their responsibilities around the house took on the lazy-days-of-summer attitude that we all quickly adopted...</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In order to kick this lazy spell to the curb, I decided a refresh was in order for the boys' chore charts which are conveniently located in our mudroom. A face lift in the form of a snazzy free printable off Pinterest and a few new packs of stickers later, their enthusiasm to do their household duties was reignited. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's not to say there won't be some teeth gnashing and whining in the coming weeks when reminded to complete their chores but for now I'm going to bask in this new found excitement for as long as humanly possible. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I recently shared a glimpse of their chore charts over on my <a href="http://instagram.com/lvdmorethncrrts" target="_blank">Instastories</a> and received quite a few questions about age-appropriate chores, our personal expectations and the reward system we currently have going in our home. The easiest way for me to tackle these questions, of course, is a blog post! I'll be sure to link all resources below! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/133771051414928441/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free Chore Chart Printable</a> c/o <a href="http://www.leahremilletblog.com/printable-chore-chart/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leah Remillet</a></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2sv7UEu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clipboards, Pack of 5</a></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We initiated "chores" when my oldest turned 4. Now, by "chores" I really mean fun things that he already enjoyed doing around the house that when drawn onto a sheet of paper and taped to the wall boosted his excitement ten-fold to complete them, earning himself a sticker which he then got to plop on his chart. These "chores" included brushing his teeth, watering the garden, feeding the dog and cleaning up his toys. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As the boys age, so do our expectations of them which you can clearly note in the various chores listed on each of their charts. For reference Carter is almost 7, Mac is 5 and Collins is 3. Obviously Collins and Mac require a little extra direction when it comes to marking up their charts due to their inability to read ;) While I easily could've printed off picture versions of their chores, I prefer to keep everything as uniform as possible. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After downloading the free printable to my computer I used a free online PDF conversion tool to convert the file from .pdf to .jpg. I then uploaded the file to Canva, a free digital design service in which I was able to customize the chart with their name and age-appropriate activities. To get a head start on the coming weeks I then printed 10 copies of each chart and secured them to the corresponding clipboard. (Don't forget to save each copy to your computer for quick retrieval when the time comes!) </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As for our reward system, for the most part, we don't really reward the boys with anything other than heaps of praise. Both my husband and I are of the mindset that being part of a family means you chip in and help do your part to keep the household running successfully. In today's society of entitlement and immediate gratification, we try every day to ensure we're teaching our boys the value of hard work. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That said, when we do witness the boys going above and beyond their typical chores they are absolutely rewarded with a little extra money for their piggy banks. While the two little boys are satisfied with handfuls of loose change, we've started to tackle the power of money and the importance of saving with our oldest and in order to differentiate his abilities from the little boys, he is often given a dollar or two at the end of the week should he put in a little extra elbow work around the house or act exponentially kind towards his brothers. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As for the satisfaction of an immediate "job well done!" the boys may choose a sticker from the sticker basket and use it to mark up their completed tasks. If the boys willingly completed most of their chores without too much nagging from either my husband or myself, often times we'll take them out for ice cream or a similar treat at the end of a long week.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I would love to hear how you tackle chores and responsibilities in your home! I'm always learning from my fellow parents and truly appreciate all the tips and tricks we can share. Please leave them in the comment section below or over on my <a href="http://facebook.com/iloveyoumorethancarrots" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>!</span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-63615826677622359292017-07-05T17:06:00.001-04:002017-07-13T11:06:52.782-04:00It's Almost FRiYAY! Celebrate with DIY Animal Finders and a Badger Ball Toss Inspired by Disney Junior's The Lion Guard<img alt="Tracking Pixel" src="https://pixel.massivesway.com/tracker.php?pixel=09fefd66-a561-4849-abe6-afde47edaced" /><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Disney Junior. Our love of all things Disney is all our own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you're like me, a child of the 80's, you grew up watching great Disney classics on VHS. In fact, when they talk about releasing movies from "the vault," I'm pretty sure what they're really talking about is my parent's basement back home in New Jersey where you can find just about every Disney movie ever made on tape. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hands down, one of my top three favorite Disney classics of all time is </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Lion King</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and no, it wasn't because it meant I could hang a giant poster of 90's heart throb Jonathan Taylor Thomas on my wall (although that was pretty sweet, too). Rather, it had one of the greatest musical scores, in my opinion, in the history of Disney movies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once I became a mom, I couldn't wait to share the magic and nostalgia of </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Lion King</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> with my boys and as soon as I thought they were old enough, we all sat down with popcorn in laps to watch the magic unfold. Unfortunately I jumped the gun a little too early on that one and between Mufasa's untimely death and the scarier-than-I-remember hyenas, we ended up turning the movie off before it was through. Chalk that one up to a major Mom-Fail, am I right? I should've taken the hint when my then-4-year-old was wagging his finger at the screen, whimpering "No Scar Mama. No Scar, pwease!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thankfully, a little over a year ago </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2rkjqp3" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disney Junior</span></a><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> brought to life The Lion Guard, a new series that follows Simba and Nala's son, (prince) Kion, around the African Savannah as he and his animal friends protect the Pride Lands and the Circle of Life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's Kion's friends, Bunga the honey badger, Beshte the hippopotamus, Fuli the cheetah and Ono the egret who make up the Lion Guard. Using their many unique talents, they work together to tackle whatever misadventure may came their way. Without being overly educational, The Lion Guard oozes educational undertones, and many episodes shed light on actual facts about animals of the Serengeti and their habitat. Peppered with lots of age-appropriate jokes and even more great music, it's no secret why my boys, ages 3, 5 and 7 really like this show! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was kind of neat to draw the correlation between the two productions; whereas I grew up and started a family of my own, so did Simba and Nala of the original Lion King and better yet, my own children get to share in the magic and fun of the very same Lion King family I fell in love with more than 20 years ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starting </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">July 7th at 8am</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, you and your family will have the chance to tune into the Disney Junior's FRiYAY line-up to catch Kion and his friends during The Lion Guard's newest episode, "Babysitter Bunga." You might think a honey badger is a terrible candidate to babysit some of the Pride Land's most nearest and dearest offspring but fear not, Bunga has a few tricks up his sleeve and his abilities may shock you! </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf35bi8nO8SWOniL1ECwIDy6fhWicOqlB2MW9giH2pqcVgqjj459FtFas-nK90jHzJvHlp1vvceUWpuo1g496-JDjc-DffOsTBGQN0Tm53qvaFOjSat2P9iyL9QwRya202EEDgSp2inQbO/s640/IMG_5645.jpg"><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf35bi8nO8SWOniL1ECwIDy6fhWicOqlB2MW9giH2pqcVgqjj459FtFas-nK90jHzJvHlp1vvceUWpuo1g496-JDjc-DffOsTBGQN0Tm53qvaFOjSat2P9iyL9QwRya202EEDgSp2inQbO/s640/IMG_5645.jpg" height="426" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xMpOyWCa_a4Watqb2KJGJox5I_NBf3e53m9j4nq61xI-bZD5dduqTR98-_mRa6OmQL7YNAXRDxYwKlvhfNRsLwT29KcHchpS28KB0r7lkCmCby3BMQl_YaIPpiOpm0uWIqQu65e0S0taycWXEA" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Inspired by this season of The Lion Guard, the boys and I put together two simple activities that we'd like to share with you today! First up is an incredibly easy and inexpensive craft, DIY Animal Finders! Every good member of the Lion Guard needs to keep careful watch over the Pride Lands and what better way to do so than with a pair of binoculars? </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlA_r5H-9I4MxSJhfzx0dut5E11CnjFkkjSrKFZzdPebyMU3cxvO1IJ1CvVADuWtC-tI3MRxv6EeKn-KVFNTDJa9G-zzFSf2tg53j6fNWt7Z9rIN0jUvcqPk7f806SZGs3Ef6K51pdTwoz/s640/Logo3.jpg"><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlA_r5H-9I4MxSJhfzx0dut5E11CnjFkkjSrKFZzdPebyMU3cxvO1IJ1CvVADuWtC-tI3MRxv6EeKn-KVFNTDJa9G-zzFSf2tg53j6fNWt7Z9rIN0jUvcqPk7f806SZGs3Ef6K51pdTwoz/s640/Logo3.jpg" height="426" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/PZi6FVkP_NdL8V4O0XXYIVzEn8Xeo557wNUnBO9eBoIhneXYsZLGINRM93AZvTu25KTzY32Yh-Xyaw-xYtI0Vinh7NQsioOgW-rtkqBKSAvlPR5_WXaTw0rw670fKOYkPoWH3V2vMx1dAn7Czw" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instructions: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 Empty Toilet Paper Rolls</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stapler</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Washi Tape, Markers, Crayons, Stickers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hole Punch</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Using markers, paint, or tape, decorate the outside of the toilet paper rolls. Once dry, staple them together to form the barrels of your binoculars. Punch holes in either side and feed the ribbon through, careful to tie off a knot at either end. Before you know it, your kids will be ready to head off and scope out some new animal species right in their own backyard! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next up is a fun game that focuses on hand-eye coordination and throwing tiny ping pong balls through poster board. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We like to call this one, The Bunga Ball Toss! </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DV7Roth7MsWYaixND6X2f6A7mirlqzCV_r3WUf-_LhHj2AThwkH5gi6xUI42FMc8imNes9BzUuImEfz5isaEcrlIO2z8O4b3WpZZ-uVWRaaUqZJF9ndoLHyesmjKK4hwp4Pj_uUFQ4Z-/s640/IMG_5660.jpg" height="426" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/P3Ged9tSCkYpYXXZQHkUIGZQ5bx3ah78egvZW2SHYfS9Xn79P4G0xcf52IvtVOORBJZTNikLirtThWiAzGrMMHc85YBVlc81UC8pe924VVvbOg5v6h3AI9tke9f1nr1dD8TECq9u9P5hwvV5yg" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_zW0IRioQCCFnpJyGq7LZilDqj5bfl6CE0Hy10jEGFUyyHfCqJvO-R82CbRW8KsTIVicACtJNZ3NhYyi4xsv_9SQb2VaZql_rIX9N1RzE7Q6qKX2afxDQ_PsviJj6Ya9PP0Ri0h1z8xJ/s640/IMG_5669.jpg" height="426" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/IV-44P636n6Tpk5u_NggSxImhmYBEKK2YO44xnCwFcMzWL1Gp1bMhjtWO4m2hxF39Xxw73UzNWMYAGp1P_866tKmlitVgCcBaYdP6-Y1SuqGOgy52B7JKvjUrL6_jpdurvOhnKDedAQyAmN6ow" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzZx2hAZbPZD81m8a1Sr-wSP4KtHj5_YUyX2SPMhUj0ykktKT5s_RQUmCXeR71ynU_Km32BqpoNRP6bL-FWCm6WxQn76c3lUWg4Arb7x_g-ESc_GVxVgC-2TQ3vO9sIXC-5-P06p8NS7c/s640/IMG_5656.jpg" height="426" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/W8rlTdN0VKp24ofuby0m9Q13758-oALgVGSgDCtEGN_QbbyDNxz_ytdQhCMYEouoJh62z2d4z46oRok-aekd9rglQXcE8KgvPLcBfiMNVWYcYHbbVuU1AqNMzsizdKSSsMHbXLrgywbnwZRcig" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instructions: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 large piece of poster board</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crayons and Markers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">X-Acto Knife</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Freehand your favorite Lion Guard member and let everyone have a hand in coloring him or her in. Using an X-acto knife or scissors, trim a hole in your poster board large enough for a ping pong ball to easily pass through. We chose Bunga's big mouth! Have your kids stand behind a marked line and see how many balls they can toss through the hole! We ended up stringing our poster board up in a doorway which gave the boys ample room to toss their ping pong balls! This was a huge summer activity success in our book!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'd love to hear if you give either of these activities a whirl! Be sure to tune into Disney Junior’s The Lion Guard all summer long for all-new episodes with #DisneyJuniorFRiYAY fun! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Disney Junior</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-86208107053503016712017-06-30T11:06:00.000-04:002017-06-30T19:02:20.549-04:00Home Tour: Our Morning Room :: How to Decorate Your Home With Natural Materials<center style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When we purchased our new home back in December, I couldn't wait to begin decorating it. In order to do so, however, I quickly realized that I needed to decide exactly what kind of style best expressed our family and the vibe I wanted to create inside our home. While my immediate thought was "farmhouse chic," I knew that the French Provencal architecture of our expansive home wouldn't always lend itself to that design. Was I more industrial than bohemian? Perhaps a little folk-y, too?</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Above all else I knew that I wanted our home to be a direct reflection of how we live. No matter what style I chose, it needed to create an environment that was comfortable, visually appealing and inviting. I wanted our home to be a place where friends and family wanted to be, a place where they felt comfortable tucking their feet up on our couch and catching up or gathering around the kitchen table to share a meal.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Curious as to what style I ultimately chose? A few different ones, as a matter of fact! I'm not a very cut and dry person, there's a lot of layers to my personality and similarly there's a lot of different rooms in my house that each give off a different vibe. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over the next few months, I'm thrilled to be working with local home furnishing retailer <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gardiner Wolf</a> to share one of my most favorite rooms in our home, the morning room located at the back of our house off of the kitchen. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With its floor-to-ceiling windows and abundance of natural sunlight, it has quickly become one of my favorite rooms, not to mention one in which we spend a great deal of our time together as a family. Inspired by the sunlight that floods this room each morning, I</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> chose to bring the outdoors in with furnishings that mimicked nature. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-7-or-more-piece-set/7-piece-table-and-chair-set/1549741269" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">concrete top dining table</a> boasts subtle, clean lines in conjunction with beautifully crafted turned wood legs in a toasted pecan finish. I struggled a bit when choosing chairs and couldn't decide between slat and cross-back styles. Ultimately I chose these <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-side-chairs/dining-room-side-chair/1621919202" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wood cross-back chairs</a> to compliment the natural wood legs and I couldn't be happier!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finally I knew I wanted to add a bit more texture to the space with an upholstered end chair and jute rug. While it wasn't the most logical of choices with three small boys running around our home, I immediately fell in love with these<a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/dining-side-chairs/demi-wing-upholstered-side-chair/1547860206" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Magnolia Home demi-wing upholstered side chairs</a> and knew that I had to have them. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gardiner Wolf offers a wide variety of </span><a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/search?term=concrete" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">concrete pieces</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> to fit any design taste. I'm so beyond thrilled with how this room came together and that table, the focal point of our morning room, couldn't be more perfect.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Why Natural Elements?</span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The organic appeal of natural elements not only creates an inviting space but one that is soothing, calming and full of warmth.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Concrete has been extremely popular over the last few years when it comes to home decor. Not only is it raw, variable and industrial but when used in conjunction with warmer natural elements, it can create a sophisticated, luxurious furnishing. While concrete has typically been used in outdoor settings, recent design trends have it in places all throughout the interior of a home. Whether it's flooring, counter tops, table tops or just peppered throughout the home in accessories, concrete has certainly found it's own seat at the proverbial design table. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">How To Choose Organic Home Decor</span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's easier than you think to avoid choosing synthetic materials. Wood, organically shaped stone or concrete and woven baskets are just three elements to help you start integrating natural materials into your home. Earthy tones such as fresh greenery and brown wood immediately transform spaces such as table tops, servers and even as wall decor.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It used to be that people only used artificial greenery in their homes. These days, however, people are bringing nature inside in both real and natural states in the form of potted plants, succulents, hanging vines and flowers. If it's maintenance that overwhelms you, start with potted succulents, or other low maintenance plants. It wont be long before you notice how cheery and inviting the addition of just one or two plants to a space can be!</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Shop Local</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I mentioned earlier, Gardiner Wolf Furniture is a <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/stores" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">local retailer</a> with brick and mortar locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. When shopping for furniture I think it's so important to get your hands on the pieces you'll be bringing into your home. To feel them, to sit on them, to truly get an idea of the texture of a piece of furniture. These brick and mortar locations allow you to do just that and with friendly, helpful sales people and an incredibly knowledgeable design team, I can't imagine shopping for furnishings anywhere else. </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">For a <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/promotions/ashley-paige" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">discount</a> on your next online or in-store purchase, my friends at Gardiner Wolf have to put together this amazing <a href="https://www.wolffurniture.com/promotions/ashley-paige" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">promotion</a> for all I Love You More Than Carrots readers! </span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I look forward to sharing more about this space with you and this great home furnishing company in the coming months! Stay tuned...</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">All opinions expressed above are honest and my own. This sponsored post is brought to you</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">by my working relationship with furniture retailer Wolf Furniture.</span></center>
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Ashley Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704815842567582229noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3647270264720619268.post-17937392133703539442017-06-28T17:51:00.005-04:002017-06-28T17:51:50.361-04:0030 Summer Boredom Busters for Kids, Indoor and Outdoor Fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Two weeks into summer vacation it was apparent we weren't going to survive with my <span style="background-color: white;">laissez-faire approach to making our own fun. How quickly I'd forgotten how much my kids like schedules, how much they thrive on plans and how their behavior is much less mommy-is-hiding-in-the-bathroom when they have something fun to look forward to each day. </span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In order to save my sanity and make the rest of our summer vacation enjoyable for everyone, I quickly put on my cruise director hat, grabbed a pen and paper and sat down with the boys asking each of them to rattle off some things they like to see and do before heading back to school in the fall. While suggestions such as "build a rocket and fly to the moon" didn't necessarily make the cut, the four of us were able to come up with a pretty rockin' list of things to do and we hope that by sharing them you may spend less time hiding from your kids in the bathroom too. The best part? Most of these activities are very affordable, if not free to do! </span></span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Most recently, all three of the boys were able to cross "try paddle-boarding" from their summer boredom buster lists. Being the slightly over-protective mother that I am, I was super hesitant to let our almost-seven-year-old hop on a board all by himself but both my husband and my son reassured me that everything would be okay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You want to know what happened?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He had the absolute best time of his life and requested to paddle board every chance he got during our weekend away at the beach. He listened so intently to my husband as he explained to him the mechanics of climbing onto the board, maintaining a kneeling position until he was centered and ready to stand up and how to keep his balance by engaging his core, head and shoulders as well as how to use his paddle strokes to propel himself through the water in varying directions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While our other two boys weren't quite at the level of SUP independence that our oldest is at, they, too, enjoyed a ride around the canal on their dad's paddle board. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm always on the lookout for a rugged waterproof shoe to accompany the boys on their many summer adventures and these <a href="https://www.mapshoes.com/shop/emmons-black-1117.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fisherman sandals</a> by M.A.P Footwear are the perfect lightweight yet durable sandal to tackle whatever excursion comes their way. With quick-dry technology, these stylish sport sandals can take the kids from beach to mountain top and all of the wild and wettest places in between. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If indoor fun is more your speed, here's our list of indoor summer boredom busters guaranteed to keep your kids entertained for at least 15 minutes. As for the other 11 or so waking hours of the day? Well, that's on your hands. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the month of June comes to a close, we've tackled 10 items on our summer boredom busters list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strike>learn a new card game</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strike>host a family movie night</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strike>eat hot dogs</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strike>travel to a new state</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strike>fly a kite</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strike>go to the beach</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strike>catch crabs off the dock</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strike>go to a baseball game</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strike>plan a water balloon fight</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strike>try paddle boarding</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Curious as to what's up next for us? Boredom busters number 29 and 30 include attending a neighborhood cookout and making s'mores! Shortly after that we'll be heading to our very first bonfire back at the beach! While I wasn't planning on making any lists this summer outside of grocery lists, I'm so glad the four of us worked together to come up with a fun list of things to keep us entertained, engaged and having fun as a family all summer long! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What are some of the things on YOUR family's boredom buster list this summer?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>I received two pairs of M.A.P footwear in exchange for my honest thoughts </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>as expressed above. No additional compensation was given.</i></span></div>
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