Fashionista: Grown Up Version with Fresh Produce

Disclosure: I received a product for an honest review. I was not required to post a positive review- all opinions are my own. 

I was contacted by Fresh Produce Clothes about trying out their clothing just in time for fall. I was so excited. However, the day I received the package, I went into labor with my little girl. I finally got to wear my beautiful Vintage Slub Cardigan in Pinstripe.

This is the perfect cardigan for summer nights and fall. It is thin enough that you don't feel like a heater, yet thick enough to keep the cool air away. Its also great for hiding post baby flab. haha.

The colors are absolutely gorgeous and it comes in aquamarine, black, desert, eggplant, natural, peri, stardust, south beach blue, truffle, turquoise, and twilight. The one I have is desert. The same style even comes in solid colors.

The cut is perfect and is casual and elegant depending on the accompanying clothing. It may look a little long, but keep in mind that I am not even 5 foot. I will definitely have more of these in my closet.

This cardigan is very versatile in how it is worn as well. it can be open, clipped shut (with a piece of jewelry or pin), worn with a belt, and even tied.

How adorable would this be with some crisp skinny jeans, a white t, and some cowboy boots? I will have to make that pair soon!

The Vintage Slub Cardigan is 100% cotton, made in the USA, and can even be washed in cold water in the machine!!! 

I have to say that I love Fresh Produce Clothes- I will definitely buy from them in the future. Look for more items to be featured in my holiday gift guide coming up. 

New to Multiple Kids: Organizing Problems

I am a very organized person- to the point of annoying those around me. It took me until I was about 25 to perfect my organizational system, then at 26 I got married and my son was born- that set me back and I had to figure out how to organize myself, my husband, and my son. I had finally pretty much figured out how to organize the three of us. The system wasn't perfect, but it was okay for now.

Well, now with my daughter added to the mix, I am all out of organizational sorts again. Although a newborn is its own kind of chaos, add a 3 year old to the mix and you have total anarchy! I have identified the issues, and next I will find the solution to the problems. I will share today the problems.

Keeping appointments/ due dates straight: Between keeping up with my husband's appointments, work meetings, his classes, his cryptid events and everything else he can throw at me, I've decided he needs an assistant. Then, I have my appointments, work meetings, my important CSPRI dates, my work due dates, blog due dates. Add to this all the appointments, events, and important dates for both kids, I have my hands full. That isn't even counting family events, family appointments, bills, and other important dates I have to keep up with. I used to use colored stickers (like for pricing yard sale items) but now my calendar is getting out of order. Not only is our schedule getting out of hand, but remember which appointment is for who gets really confusing. I have to completely rethink my planner strategy.

My Purse has gotten entirely too out of hand. I can't handle it any longer. It is the catch all for the whole family and I can never find anything I want in it. I tried to put my planner in it the other day- that's not going to happen. I have to reclaim and reorganize my purse.

Do I need that many bags? Any time I leave the house with the whole family, I feel like I'm going on vacation. I have my purse, diaper bag, my son's backpack, and random things my husband needs stuffed into my purse. I still always feel like I'm forgetting something after scrambling to grab last minute things so the entire day is not a whine fest. Should it really feel like getting ready for vacation just to go to the grocery store?

Other things that need attention in the organizational area of my life are chores, menu planning, down time, school, well really any and every aspect of our lives need reorganized. I will be spending time on this process and sharing my successes and failures with you. First up- finding a planner to suit my needs. Maybe I need to make my own.

What are your problems with organizing your family- what solutions have you found?

Fall Foods to Make in Your Slow Cooker

When Katie from Hefty contacted me about writing a guest post for The Palmetto Queen, I was quite excited. I was even more excited when she sent me the article because this is something busy moms can never get too much of.

The best fall dishes have a few things in common: fall comfort foods tend to be hearty, full of rich seasonal flavors and perfect for warming you up fast on a cool autumn day. You’ve probably made basic slow cooker recipes like soup, chili and stew, but there are dozens of other ways to use this great kitchen appliance.
Leave your slow cooker comfort zone this fall and experiment with all kinds of slow cooker recipes, from breakfast treats to sweet desserts and everything in between. Get your heavy duty paper plates ready for the following hearty fall slow cooker food ideas that can help get you started:

Oatmeal

Forget those packets of instant oatmeal and make yourself a homemade version instead. Oatmeal is the perfect way to start off your day since it’s filling, healthy and great for chilly mornings. Make a batch of slow cooker oatmeal overnight and wake up to a hot breakfast.

Dips

Fall is football season, meaning it’s time to whip up your favorite cheesy dips and other appetizers. To keep your bean, spinach artichoke, queso or buffalo chicken dip warm and bubbly throughout the entire football game, make it in the slow cooker; slow cooked dips are wonderful ways to feed a crowd of hungry football fans.

Cider

Don’t just make food in your slow cooker—make drinks too! Hot spiced cider is the perfect fall drink to warm you up after a cold day outside. It’s also great to serve at parties or holidays since it’ll stay warm for hours. Once it starts to get snowy, make a slow cooker full of hot chocolate for an extra special treat.

Lasagna

Most slow cooker lasagna recipes don’t even require you to cook the noodles, which will save you lots of time in the kitchen. Lasagna also freezes well, so keep leftovers in plastic food containers for nights when you don’t have time to make dinner.

Bread

You don’t need a fancy bread machine to enjoy delicious homemade bread. There are lots of bread recipes that you can make in your slow cooker, from crusty sourdough to cornbread pudding. Not only will you have something yummy to snack on, but homemade bread will make your house smell amazing, too.

Cake

Don’t forget dessert! Slow cookers are just as good for sweet dishes as they are for savory ones. Making a cake in the slow cooker is usually as simple as mixing ingredients together and pouring in your batter. Make the batter ahead of time for even more hands-off desserts.

Branch out and see what other out-of-the-box slow cooker ideas you can come up with this season. You’ll save time on meal prep, cooking and clean up, but still get to enjoy lots of tasty fall dishes. If you have other uncommon slow cooker ideas, feel free to share them below!

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Katie F. on behalf of Hefty®. Visit www.hefty.com for more meal ideas and products like paper plates that will help simplify serving.

From Cari: 

I don't really have a lot of experience with a slow cooker, but I'm excited to try these uses for one- especially the lasagna. One thing that I have made a lot is a dip. I have made this dip a lot for family and work functions. In fact, I made it probably 10 times before I ever got a chance to taste it because it would all be eaten. Its really simple.

Just put 1 can of cheez wiz, 1 can of refried beans, and 1 jar of salsa in the slow cooker. Heat it until it is hot and can be stirred together. Serve with corn chips for an amazing dip to wow all of the guests.

Bye Bye September... Hello My Favorite Time of The Year

Today is October 2nd. We really are into October and the little princess is one month old today.

September was a wonderfully exciting month, but we have huge plans for October. Not only do we love Halloween, but we look forward to preparing for Thanksgiving. We have a lot of adventures planned- Mac is very excited. I will share things as October moves along, but first- here are some highlights from September.

Our little Ninja Princess was born - what a surprise!

Beyond The Shadows was released

Mac (Our little prince) turned 3

Our family at Mac's birthday

Mac is explaining the woods- The Princess' first walk in the woods!

Vtech Cody The Smart Cub (Plus a Giveaway!)

Disclaimer: I was provided a product for review and giveaway as well as compensation for my posting. I was not required to write a positive review- all opinions are my own (and Mac's)! 

Around my castle, we love anything that teaches. We embrace books, games, and even educational toys. Actually, especially educational toys! I love that he doesn't know he is learning and I can give him an educational toy and that will keep him busy while I get work done (or school planning done), without feeling guilty because he is still learning.

When Vtech contacted me about reviewing a new toy, I was ecstatic because I LOVE Vtech. I don't think I could count the Vtech toys my little ones have. When I found that I would be reviewing Cody- the smart cub, I was ecstatic because it teaches things that he does not have other things to teach him.

VTech’s latest addition to its line of infant and preschool toys, Cody the Smart Cub™ introduces children to early learning skills and helps establish a lifetime love of learning.

Not only does Cody teach some of the body parts and give little ones something to snuggle, but helps to establish timeline and routines. Cody teaches daily routines, emotions, first words, and even holidays. Cody is designed especially for children from 6- 36 months, and can even be customized! 

Cody knows exactly what time it is and children will grow and learn with their smart cub every day through daily morning greetings, bedtime music, and holiday and birthday wishes.

Parents can share in the developmental journey online through VTech’s app store, the Learning Lodge™, and personalize the smart cub with their child’s name, favorite stories, and more.

Right out of the box, Cody includes 40 phrases, four sing-along songs, two stories and 30 melodies. Plus, parents can easily download 130 melodies, 20 stories and many more activities via VTech’s Learning Lodge™. 

Ages 6-36 months, MSRP: $19.99

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As I'm sure you can tell from the pictures, Mac loves Cody- he is his best friend. He loves that Cody knows his name and what time of day it is. He even knows to tell Mac Happy Birthday!!! 

I like that I can switch up the phrases and songs he sings so that He doesn't get bored with him. I can also choose songs and phrases that go along with his school theme for the week. I love hearing Mac and Cody talk while I am working. 

Now with his little sister here, Mac likes to teach her things with Cody. He says "don't cry, Cody will sing to you!" Isn't that just sweeter than tea!?!

Cody will be a great friend in our house for many years to come (Cora may come along soon- she's Pink!) 

Thanks to Vtech, one of my lucky readers gets a Cody of their own! Just comment and tell me what your favorite Vtech toy is- the winner will be selected at random. 

A Miracle, A Deal, and All Kinds of Head Spinning: I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant Edition!

I've been missing lately and here's why:



I really had not felt too great lately and my to do list was growing daily. Stress was really setting in, so I thought stress was the culprit of the feeling yucky and tired. At 3 am on Tuesday, September 2nd, I went to the emergency room. I didn’t know what was wrong, but I was scared. The ER doctors thought I had an ulcer, fibroid tumors, and kidney stones. It turns out that I was pregnant. They still thought I had kidney stones and that was the cause of the pain. A little after 8 that morning, they sent me to ultrasound to make sure the baby was okay and I wasn’t a miscarriage. What a shock I was to get there, I was in active labor and didn’t even know I was pregnant. Needless to say, my world started spinning and I was grasping to hold on for my husband to get there (he had been home with our little boy) and remember to tell the surgery team everything they needed to know about me. After a long cesarean, I had a beautiful baby girl who was 37 weeks along. Dakota Lee George is amazing an 100 percent healthy.



Our world is still spinning out of control and we are grasping for normalcy and trying to get caught up with preparing for baby.

To celebrate the birth of our amazing daughter, our little boy becoming the best big brother ever, and my husband urging me to get back to work (he says it keeps me sane), I am running a once in a life time special.

I have some other great things lined up for The Palmetto Queen including more details, great posts, and even some giveaways!