A Few of My Favorite Things

Good morning and Happy Monday! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I had a nice laid back weekend with JC and Adrian. I even got some Halloween decor up (which I will share later this week!) Today I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for the Favorite Things Party. This is a monthly linky where you share 2 or three of your favorite things under $10. Fun right? Here we go.....

The meatballs at IKEA!! So YUM!! The meatballs are definitely my favorite part of going to IKEA and you really can't beat the $5.99 price for such yummy food!

Essie: Fall in Line Nail polish. Isn't this color amazing? It's part of the Fall 2014 collection and I haven't been able to find it in store so I am ordering it online this week! I really love it!

Pentel Slicci Metallic Gel Pens. I need these super fun, colorful, metallic gel pens in my life. My planner is so boring right now with just blue and black ink on it. It needs some pizzazz! Only problem: out of stock online and not found in stores. I am on the hunt so if you see them somewhere, please let me know! 

What are some of your favorite things under $10? 

Yay! It's Friday!!

Hello and Happy Friday!! I love Fridays because I know that come Friday, the week is over. No more work, no more rushing through traffic to make to make dinner, no arguing over homework with Adrian. No matter how stressful, the weekend is always better!! Now, since it's Friday, let's get to this week's favorites:

1. Fall has arrived. Most (amazing, do things on time) bloggers have had their homes decorated for weeks now. Not me! I went out and purchased a bunch of fall decor in August because come September, I was going to be ready. Then all of it sat in a corner in the dining room until Wednesday of this week when I grabbed some stuff and put it on our coffee table.

Yup, that's it. That's the extent of my fall decor. Some pumpkins and a couple of owls. It's sad! I'm just going to return the rest of the stuff I purchased and exchange it for Halloween items. Now that I will be ready for!

2. Halloween is probably my favorite holiday after the 4th of July and I will not be embarrassed by my decor this year. Last year, I was down in the dumps and didn't decorate much. Not this year! I am ready to DIY a wreath, a giant spider and get my home ready for Halloween! P.S. if you have any Halloween decorating posts, please leave a link in the comments. I need all the inspiration I can get.

3. Remember in this post where I talked about updating my master bedroom, well the saga continues. On Saturday, I will be heading to IKEA for storage solutions. I'm not sure exactly what I want, but whatever it is, I know I will find it at IKEA.

4. Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn has been on repeat in my house all week! It's a new show on Nickelodeon that Adrian is obsessed with. We have watched the pilot episode (on OnDemand) about 12 times this week. The show is about the lives of a set of quadruplets, three boys and a girl, and all the trouble they get themselves into. It seems like a cute show but please Nickelodeon, step it up with more episodes. I can only watch the pilot episode so many times!!!

Source: Nickelodeon

5. Do you like men with beards? I love them! I think a man with a nice beard (not ZZ top/Duck Dynasty beards) looks handsome and distinguished. Well, JC has grown out his beard and man does he look sexy! He says he is growing it out for "Movember" and then shaving it off but I have a feeling it's going to be around for a while.

What new shows are your kids watching? Does your husband rock a beard? What plans do you have for this weekend? Remember to please leave me a link to any Halloween DIY post you have!!

As always, I am linking up at:

                           

Thank you so much ladies for hosting these super fun linkys!!

TGIF Blog Hop & Instagram Link-Up!!

Announcement: There's something new on the blog! I am now a host of the super fun TGIF Hop! I am super excited about this opportunity to help grow mine and others blogs. Also, you guys know how much I love Instagram so hosting this hop is perfect for me! Now hurry and link up! Can't wait to check out your blogs and Instagrams!!

Welcome To The TGIF Hop!

Lets celebrate making it through another week by

 linking your blog and/ or your Instagram below. 
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3. Please leave a comment stating that you are following and where so we can follow you back and get to know you! Sometimes it can be hard to know which is a new follower and we don't want you to think we're rude.

4. Tweet the hop below to help us grow. It's greatly appreciated. 

5. Be social.  Meet new friends. 

*You do not need an Instagram account to link up.

Every first Friday of the month we will be hosting a lovely GIVEAWAY!

:: Three Sisters and us ::Mice In The Kitchen :: Second Chances Girl ::CompleteBliss Blog :: My Silly Little Gang ::

Welcome our new hosts that have joined the TGIF hop (link-up)! 

Mice In The Kitchen:

Mice in the Kitchen is my corner of the internet where I talk about the craziness that is my life...4 kids and tons of pets....did I mention my husband is not a pet guy?!  I am a newbie at being a small business owner and navigating that has been eye opening to say the least. On any given day on my blog you might find a funny story, join a link up, enter a contest or learn about a new product. I would love for you to stop by and say hi!  I love to get to know my readers and connect with other bloggers.

Second Chances Girl:

I'm a mom of one, step-mom of two from MIami, Fl. I blog our life as a blended family of five, along with sharing some recipes and a little style!!

Meet TGIF's Weekly Cohost!
Want to be our next cohost and be featured? Click here!!

                                                                                                                                                       

This Weeks Feature

From the blog of: Three Sisters and Us

Be sure to check her blog out here.

Pallet Wood-Center Piece

 tweet about this HOP by clicking "tweet" below!!

Co-hosting the Bloglovin' Blog Hop #89!

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Step 2 Lifestyle Marketplace Kitchen Sweepstakes!!

Step2 Lifestyle Marketplace Play Kitchen #Sweepstakes

• Event Dates: 9/24 - 10/16 at 11:59pm CST
• Organized by Holyjeans & My Favorite Things
• Co-Hosted by: Joyful Gifts by Julie, Second Chances Girl, Golden State Mom, Heartbeats Soul Stains, and The Breezy Mama

Hello everyone and welcome to this much anticipated Step2 Lifestyle Marketplace Play Kitchen #Giveaway.  I don't know of one little one who wouldn't fall in love with this amazing play kitchen.  You can read Amy's review here.  This has everything you need for imaginative play from cooking, cleaning, even has a bakery and market to sell foods with the working cash register. Second Chances Girl is so excited to have teamed up with several other great bloggers to bring you this fun opportunity to try and win this exact play kitchen valued at approx $240.  Entering is easy, simply complete the first mandatory entry to be entered into the sweepstakes, and then continue doing as many optional entries as you like.  Some of the entries are daily, so be sure to come back every day and do those for even more chance to win!

GOOD LUCK!

Entry-Form

Participating bloggers were not compensated for this post.  Giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or any other social media sites.  All entries will be verified.  Winner will be notified via e-mail and have 48 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is chosen.  Holyjeans & My Favorite Things is responsible for prize fulfillment.  Direct any questions to Amy at pnppowell09@mail.com.

Coconut Grove Pumpkin Patch & a Giveaway!!!

Calling all my fellow Miamians!! It's back! The Coconut Grove Pumpkin Patch is back again this year at Peacock Park on October 4-October 5, 2014!

We love this pumpkin patch and make sure to go every year. It's so much fun for the kids, we get our obligatory pumpkin patch pics and spend a nice afternoon together as a family!

The festival features a variety of fun activities for the whole family, including a true pumpkin patch with 5,000 pumpkins to pick from! Included in the entrance fee are unlimited kiddie carnival rides for children, a hay & cornstalk maze, a dress-your-own scarecrow village, hay ride, and on-going shows & activities on our main stage!

Adults will be thrilled with all the activities planned, including the opportunity to decorate your pumpkins right on-site, as well as the Pumpkin Food Court offering savory & sweet pumpkin delights (and delicious fair food)!  Plus, this year adults can enjoy a “cold one” in our Pumpkin Beer Garden!

For more information about this event, please check our Facebook page, or visit our website at www.coconutgrovepumpkinpatch.com

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Enter below for your chance to win a WonderFALL family four pack (2 adults and 2 children) to the Coconut Grove Pumpkin Patch! Giveaway runs from 09/24/2014 to 10/1/2014. Winner will be notified via email!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Second Chances Girl is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Winner will be notified via email and winner information will be forward to the company running the event. They will forward prize to the winner. 

Unstoppable Moms!

I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour for The Motherhood on behalf of the makers of Children's MOTRIN® and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Are you an unstoppable mom? Of course you are! Moms do it all! I know personally, I feel like I just don't have enough time in the day to do all I want and/or need to do. My children come first and sometimes I feel like a browser with 300 tabs open simultaneously. Being a mother is definitely a job that I was not ready for, I thought I was but I have needed help along the way. Who better to get this help from than my own unstoppable mom!

My mom is a mom to four and grandmother to 3! She is a strong, opinionated woman. If you ask her what her greatest achievement has been in life she will tell you "being a mother." She always put us above anything and everything else. She raised us right and continues to this day. She is old-school and doesn't play around but is as nurturing as can be to her grandkids. In 2006 when I gave birth to Adrian, she did everything she needed to do to show me how to be a mother to my child. To this day, she is my rock and the person I go to for advice. Sometimes we don't see eye to eye but it's what makes our relationship grow. We learn from each other. We support each other and love each other so much. I am so grateful for her and so lucky she is my mom! She is the true definition of an Unstoppable Mom!!

Have you heard of the Unstoppable Moms campaign? It's this amazing campaign where the makers of Children’s MOTRIN^® are asking Moms to post their tips and tricks to the MOTRIN^® Facebook page under each week’s Kelly Ripa question video and for every post, Children’s MOTRIN^® will donate $1 to Safe Kids Worldwide, a global nonprofit that provides moms with the tips they need to help keep their children safe.  Moms could even win weekly giveaways of $100 gift cards just for posting.*

• *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY, OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES & D.C., 18 AND OLDER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Promotion ends 11:59p.m. ET 12/28/14.  Sponsor will donate $1 for each approved Submission made as part of the promotion, with a minimum donation of $30,000 and a maximum donation of $50,000.  For Official Rules, and complete details, visit www.unstoppablemoms.com. Sponsor: McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc.  To learn more about Safe Kids Worldwide visit safekids.org.

Celebrate Fall with a FREE Printable!!

Happy First day of Fall!!!! I'm having my first pumpkin spice latte (I couldn't do it before it was officially Fall!) and it's a rainy day here in South Florida. I love the fall season and I actually start making an effort to step up my decorating game! This year, I'm going to include this super cute printable in my decor and I want to share it with you!

Click on picture for .jpeg file!

Click here to download the .pdf!

Goodbye Summer!!

Happy Monday everyone. Since the Fall season officially begins this week, we took this weekend to say "goodbye!" to summer. I put it in quotes because since we live in South Florida, we can pretty much count on sunshine and pool weather until December.

We were in the pool all day on Saturday. It rained but since it there wasn't thunder or lightning, we stayed in the water. The kids love it when I let them do that. They think it's the coolest thing ever to swim in the pool while it's raining.

I was brave enough to use my Galaxy S5 in the pool this weekend. Even though the phone is waterproof, I have been terrified to use it and mess it up so I purchased a Lifeproof cover for it. I had been wanting to take underwater pictures for a while now so I just went for it this weekend. Sadly though, this was the only picture I could get underwater since my phone doesn't have a side button to take pictures. The tap feature doesn't work underwater. Sigh!

I was so bummed and started searching online to see what I could do. Then I read that you can take videos underwater since you can start filming by tapping the screen and then bring the phone underwater. My excitement started building up again and the kids were more than willing to participate!

I posted more videos on our Youtube channel, click here to watch!!

It's so nice to be able to bring the phone into the pool to take pictures. I don't have to worry about the phone getting splashed or anything!

All in all we had a great time. We will continue going to the pool but I promise not to post too many pics. I know it's not fair to those of you that have to deal with the cold! After the pool fun, we did start decorating for fall. Just because we don't get cooler weather doesn't mean we don't decorate!!

What did you do this weekend? Do you have an underwater camera you can recommend? I still want some underwater pictures!!

Photo Books, How I Love Thee!!

I love photo books! They are such an easy way to keep all my pictures together, in one place! I make one at the beginning of each year to remember our previous year as a family! We have two so far and we look through theme very once in a while. It's great to see how much the kids have grown or remember something cool we did! Now, I am terrible at scrap-booking and I never remember to print out any pictures to put in an album, so photo books are a perfect solution for me.

I also love to give photo books as gifts. They are the perfect gift for grandparents, we all know how much they love showing off their grandbabies!  I know there are many sites to create photo books, but I personally use Collage.com.

Create a professional photo book with a single click using Collage.com's One-Click Photo Book. Select photos of any size from Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, or your computer and they will instantly suggest a clean, professional layout that you can further customize.

DEAL: Use this link for 51% off a 20-page 11.5"x8" Hardcover Photo Book From Collage.com: http://bit.ly/collagepbdeal

Disclosure: I received compensation for this post. However, all opinions are my own!

Style Saturday: Super Fun Rain Gear

Hello and Happy Saturday! Back with another Style Saturday post for you! This week is all about rain gear! We are in the middle of the rainy season here in Florida. It rains almost every day. The rain will continue for a couple more months and since I like to see the bright side of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, I make sure to have cute rain gear to get us through the rainy days!! Let's face it, kids and rain boots (or wellies, whatever you call them) are super adorable!!

So here we go, cute and affordable (under$50!) rain gear for you and your littles!!

First up: Moms! My favorite thing about rain boots is how much fun you can have with them. They don't have to be plain, stand out on a dreary day! I want every single one of these!

Cute Women's Rain Boots under $50 by scggirl featuring tall boots

Rubber boots / Tall boots / Yeswalker rubber boots / Tall boots / Rubber boots / Charlotte Russe rubber boots

Next: For all the little girls! Little girls have their pick from Barbie to Minnie to polka-dots and light ups! I have always let the kids choose the rain boots they want. Every season is different and since they aren't expensive, it doesn't hurt my wallet so badly every time they grow out of them!

Little Girls Rain Boots under $50! by scggirl featuring wellies boots

Realtree wellies boots / Skechers S Lights Light-Up Waterspout Rain Boots Toddler Girls / Mattel Barbie Girls Toddler Light-Up Rain Boot / Sperry Top-Sider Pelican Rain Boot / Girls' Minnie Bow Rain Boot / Girl's Novel Dot Rain Boots

Last but not least: Boys!! Boys can have lots of fun with rain boots also! Whether he wants to be a fireman or a superhero, all themes are covered in rain boots! Adrian has Spiderman ones now and I'm sure the dinosaur ones in the middle will be next!

Little Boys rain boots!! by scggirl on Polyvore

Western Chief Firechief 2 Boys Toddler & Youth Rain Boot / DC Comics Batman Boys Toddler Light-Up Rain Boot / Western Chief Frog Boys Toddler & Youth Rain Boot / Western Chief Cool Fossil Boys Toddler & Youth Rain Boot / Boy's Ulmar Rain Boot Green

Let's not forget umbrellas! I like two types of umbrellas: big and clear! JC got me a clear, bubble one for Christmas last year (similar to the one below) and I always get complemented when I use it. You are in this little bubble, where the wind isn't blowing water on you and you can see through it! Perfect. When we need the big family umbrella, I love polka-dots! Always bringing on the fun!

Super Cute Umbrellas under $40 by scggirl featuring a clear umbrella

Lulu Guinness shoulder bag / Vera Bradley umbrella / Clear umbrella / ShedRain umbrella / Travel umbrella

Now we cover our feet and we cover our heads but we don't wear raincoats! I know we should but it's too much and it's so hot here!

Do you wear rain boots? How about a raincoat? How do you cheer up a dreary rainy day or week?

Co-Hosting the Bloglovin Blog Hop #88!

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A Few Rules:

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3. Visit a few other blogs in the link, follow, and say "hi".
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