Hello 2014

Hello Beauties!
Due to the holidays and a busy start to 2014, I haven't been able to sit down and enjoy reading any blogs let alone manage my own! I've really missed the blogging world!
Thankfully life is calming down a bit now that we are 17 days into the new year and I'm ready to start blogging again!

So what's new for the Adams in 2014!!

**Me**
- My daycare is officially up and running! In addition to Ruby (6 months), I added two siblings! Kinsley (12 weeks) and Carter (3). I'm absolutely adoring EVERY minute of it! Kal and Carter are the best of friends and play so well together. And little miss Kins..... She makes this mama ready for baby #3 ;)  We have so much fun playing and learning! This week we are learning "All About Me" We have a schedule that we follow daily and every week is a new theme:)
Thanks to facebook, I have had another 3 families reach out to me who are looking for care as well! All though I sadly can not take all of them, it is nice to know that the demand is there and that I have love and support from friends and family around me!
- Itty Bitty Diva is doing good! I just learned how to make bottle caps and am really enjoying it! Next stop on the bow making train is an etsy shop! I can't wait for it to be finished! Until then you can see all my bows on IG at #ittybittydiva or on facebook at Itty Bitty Diva
- Im determined to make an awesome year with lia sophia! I just got back from rally and saw the sneak peek of the new line! Absolutely gorgeous!! I can't wait for it to debut in the end of Jan!

DayCare Friends 

**Brynn (18 Months)**
- Is talking. Not full English, but it is absolutely adorable when she tries to say words! Her new word is BOW!!! and she points to her head ;) Mama's girl!!!!
- Her new favorite game is to pull out her clothes from her dresser and bring me what she wants to change into. Seriously? Diva! Who needs an outfit change at 1!
- She is also into shoes! Doesn't matter what kind or whose it is! She has to have something on her feet!
- I may be thinking about potty training ;)

**Kal**
- Enjoyed his winter break!!! He wasn't ready to go back to school! It was even extended another 2 days because of EXTREME WI weather!! WE had two days in the -50's!!
- New favorite movie is Disney's FROZEN! We saw it in the theater 3 times!!!!! and now, I'm so excited to find out that you can watch the full version online! I guess that will have to hold us over until it comes out in the theater!

 **Alan**
- Same ol' Same ol! He works nights, works out at the gym in the early am, comes home to shower and sleep and repeats it all the next day!! He's a hard working dada who provides for his family! I do love that I get to spend time with him in the afternoons before I have to go to work (I'm still working Mon, Tues, & Weds nights at the pool) and of course our weekends are our family time :)

2014 is off to a great start and we are very much looking ahead to this next year!

Hope you and yours are enjoying the new year too!

X's & O's
Jenn

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A Weekend full of Christmas

Wow , what a weekend! Can't believe that it is Monday already! Here's a sneak peek of our weekend :)

Friday - Well its official. The contract is signed, and I have enrolled my first two children into my in home daycare. Ruby & Brynn will have two other kiddos join us. A 3.5 year old boy and a 8 week old little girl! Today is the day that I go tell the swim school that I will be cutting down my hours drastically. Whew! I'm nervous. The kiddos will start on January 6th :) I'm so excited!!

Saturday - Was our first Christmas party. With Alan's Dad & Step Mom's family. This is a smaller gathering! About 10 of us! The food was of course yummy, and seeing everyone was nice. Sadly I made a very costly mistake ;) I accidentally placed the gift card that was meant for his dad and & step mom into his grandma's gift bag, Needless to say she opened up the $50 gift card and was so excited. That we couldn't take it back. Opps :/ Well someone had a little bit merrier Christmas! 

That evening we spent watching Christmas movies and visiting. 

1) Brynn enjoyed eating her First Christmas dinner! She is such a good eater!
2) Kal holding his and sissy's letters from Santa! Details coming on tomorrows post ;)
3) Kal pulling Sissy on their new sled from Grandma

1) Bedtime Cuddles! This is her new "Cheeeeeeeese" face! So silly!
2) Enjoying Christmas movies!! Every (dino) needed a seat! 

Sunday - We enjoyed opening up Christmas presents from them! I kiddos are spoiled! Brynn really enjoyed her new dolls, stroller and baby pack and play. She also received new snow pants, boots, scarf and hat knitted with love from grandma. Kal loved his new race track that attaches to the wall! (I'm not sure if that is cool, or if I'm scared for my walls when it comes down. good thing I'm married to a painter, haha) Kal also got a truck and camper play set and some snow pants and boots also! 

Alan and I also received some gifts! I enjoyed new infinity scarves (Love) bow making supplies (super stoked) some new jammie pants. and then together we got a popcorn maker :) So excited to make yummy popcorn!

Top 2 - littles opening their new gifts! 

Bottom L - Kids in their new outfits

Bottom R - Silly kids crawled into the new dolly pack & play! Good thing it is sturdy ;)

Sunday afternoon I took my grandma out to do her Christmas shopping! We also enjoyed a dinner out and saw the local holiday lights! I love making memories with her! I'm so blessed to be so close with my grandparents!

How was your weekend?

X's & O's 

Jenn

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Ive been RACK'd

Last night at work, a sweet little girl (and her sister) gave me this bag full of yummy treats! 

Attached to it with a sign that says 

"You have been RACK'd"

"We're counting down the days till Christmas with 

24 days of Random Acts of Christmas Kindness

Hope your day is Merry & Bright! 

How inspirational. What a fun way for kids to learn how to be kind! How to bring a smile to someones face and warm their heart!
That is why I have decided that this is my new tradition!
And it's never to late to start!

So here's whats on my list!

* Wrap a box of chocolate to set in the mail box for our mail-lady
* Bake cookies for the Bus driver and her assistant
* Leave spare change on the vending machine
* Send a gift card to a child in need
* Make a bow for a pretty little girl
* Buy hot coco for a bell ringer
* Leave a treat in the teachers lounge
* leave a pack of popcorn on a movie machine for the next person
* leave some diapers and wipes at the changing station for the next person
* leave $1 bills in the toy section of the dollar store
* hand out fruit snacks to kids at the mall play area
* carry someones groceries for them
* return a cart
* let someone go before me in line

Now it's time to make it happen! Look for a follow up post after Christmas about all the wonderful Acts of Christmas Kindness we completed!

Id also love to hear any suggestions!

X's & O's
Jenn

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It's Ok, that life is about to change!

Wow! Hello there! Man does it feel weird to be back to blogging!
What a perfect day to be back to the blogging world as I link up with Kera for It's Okay Series!

It's Ok.... 
that I have taken a hiatus, as much as I thought about the blog and what posts I wanted to write. Life has just been crazy and I needed the break!

It's Ok.... 
to hate winter! I hate it! Not ready for it! I hate being cold. I hate everything about the snow.
It's Ok.... 
to wish that the roads and driveways were heated and that snow only stuck to the trees and grass. MAYBE just maybe then I would like snow! It is so pretty. But to many cons over take it's beauty.
and no i will not up root my life and move. Although I would LOVE to. I enjoy being near all of my family (95% of them live in state and within a 3 hour distance) I would never leave all that.
(I'll just complain instead)


It's Ok.... 
that my house isn't decorated yet. we have a tree. random other things, that's about it...
that the Halloween decor is still up outside and NOW there is friggen snow on it (UGH)

It's Ok....
that I've found myself becoming very addicted to instagram! (its such an easier way to see into a person daily life and be able to communicate with them) Ive become close to so many bloggy friends thanks to it!

It's Ok....
that i haven't thought about Christmas gifts besides my kiddos

It's Ok....
that i spent WAY more then I wanted to on black Friday! They were great deals!!! and my kids are ALMOST done! just a feel little fillers!

It's Ok.... 
THAT I'M ABOUT TO MAKE A LIFE CHANGING DECISION! 
As most of you know I'm a deck supervisor at a local pool. I help kids get in and out of the water. Give them ribbons when they can complete a task in that level. Help parents enroll their kids, change levels, schedule makeup and oversee the pool! Ive been with this awesome company for 3 years! I love my co-workers, love the families that swim with us, and adore all the little kids.
Ive also shared with you all that it is my dream to open up an inhome daycare. I went to school for it, have the perfect basement set up for one, its always been something that I wanted to do! To be able to stay home full time with my littles and teach littles (two passions combined into one)
The long term plan was to work at the swim school until this August. This summer I was going to train my replacement, so that I would gradually work my out, and they would work there way in. It would be a smooth transition for the kids & parents! I also planned to enroll kids this summer for my daycare that would be opening in Sept!
WELL opportunity came knocking. One of Alan's friends heard that I watched Ruby and is looking for full time care for his two kids. After I crunched numbers, I found out that I would be making $500 MORE then what I make now a month. And then the feelings of guilt and sadness overtook me. This is my dream knocking on my door. But now, I have to tell my "job" the place that I love to be at that it's my time to leave.
My meeting with the family is Friday to go over paperwork and discuss all the details. Next week I tell the swim school. Cross your fingers for me. Dreams are coming true!
Construction will start in my basement in January and the actual daycare will be ready to go in March. (until then we will play on the first floor of my home) I'm excited to see everything come together. I just wish that I could have had more time to say goodbye to the swim school!

The Joys of life!

X's & O's
Jenn

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Poppin Treats, Cake Pops!

Cake Pops, Cake Pops, We all SCREAM for Cake Pops! 

Or at least I do! Who's with me?

I'm so excited to tell you about my opportunity to review Poppin Treats

baked by the talented Jasmine

I was so excited to receive my package of yummy-ness. Maybe a little too excited, I may have even snuck them into the house and into my bedside table so that the littles & hubby didn't get a peek of my treats. 

After all, these were for testing purposes, I needed to make sure I had enough to write an awesome write up for you all! 

The package was wrapped very carefully to make sure that they would transfer safely and included 12 yummy treats (sorry 3 were harmed in the process of eating before I could take a picture) 

It also included a handwritten Thank You card, talk about good customer service!

My box included 3 different colored cake pops, each individually wrapped. 

I enjoyed THREE different flavors! 

Chocolate (my fav)

 Red Velvet (yummy)

& Strawberry (which I was so nervous for because I'm not a strawberry fan. It was good) 

And all of them were topped with a Turtle Crunch! 

Chocolate, Carmel and Nuts 

Talk about a little piece of heaven in your mouth! 

They were So Moist!!

They were also bigger then I expected, each cake pop was about 3/4 bites of delish-ishness!  

With the holidays among us. These are perfect to bring to party's (talk about cute, & you don't have to worry about the mess of making them)

They also make perfect gifts!! (I know I wouldn't mind some) 

Jasmine also included a 15% discount code for my awesome readers. Just use COTLBLOG at checkout! 

Check out her etsy shop to place your order & make sure you like her facebook page for the latest styles and discounts!

I can't wait to hear what you think! 

X's & O's

Jenn

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Elf on the Shelf a LinkUp

Im way to excited to announce the

Elf on the Shelf 

A Holiday Link Up with ME!!!





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<a href="http://coloringoutsidethelines2012.blogspot.com" title="Coloring Outside the Lines"><img src="http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj500/lifeasayoungmom/elfontheshelfbutton_zpsf1c95668.png" alt="Coloring Outside the Lines" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

(Shoutout to Jaz for my cute button)

Here's how it works

(it's simple)

Every Sunday in December (except for the 1st) 

Write a post about the nice or naughty adventures your elf has been up to! 

Rules:

1) Follow your host (that's me)

2) Link up you Elf on the Shelf post

(Sunday the 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th)

3) Bounce around and see what mischief other elves have been up to around the world!

Get Inspired. Meet NEW Friends & Have Fun! 

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Itty Bitty Diva's first GIVEAWAY

Itty Bitty Diva is taking part in their first giveaway!

Win this "Mommy & Me" bow set inspired by one of my favorite children's books

Guess How Much I Love You

Head over to our IttyBittyDiva Instagram page to enter for your chance to 

win this beautiful prize package!

Don't have a little girl to enjoy the package with? 

These would make perfect christmas gifts for special littles in your life! 

Good Luck to all who enter 

X's & O's

Jenn

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