Trippy Toddlers

Do y’all ever have those days when the toddler is screaming about literally everything, the baby is super congested and you bleached your own hair two days ago and finally styled it and realized it looked like you let said toddler color on your scalp with high liters and a sharpie? Just me? Cool.

Toddlers are HARD, man. They are miniature adults with attitudes bigger than life and a scream that can shatter every pane of glass in the Empire State Building. They act like they rule the roost and if we’re being honest, they kind of do. Entire days are planned around their schedule and you no longer have the freedom to run in and out of stores without at least one tantrum due to lack of a nap or not getting a toy or an apple juice at Target.

One second they’re having a mental breakdown over the fact that it’s raining and they can’t play outside and the next second, they’re laughing hysterically at the face you’re making because you can either make a funny face or have your own mental breakdown and you CANNOT let that little terrorist see you have a moment of weakness.

One week they want cheese for every meal and the next, they hate it. They can kick and scream because “I don’t like baths!” But when you tell them it’s time to get out of the tub, all hell breaks loose and suddenly they love baths.

Toddlers can make a mess and have absolutely no issues bringing forth 1,000 toys from the bowels of their toy box but mark my words, if you ask them to clean them up, their arms will suddenly be broken and their legs just can’t seem to hold up their tiny upper body anymore. They manage to somehow leave the most painful little toys ONLY in the walkways and when you step on them, because you’re bound to step on them, they cry because you hurt their toy (who cares about your foot, right?).

If a man acted the way my toddler acts, I would have him committed. My toddler can literally make me want to rip my hair out because he is having a fit about not being able to have a brownie for breakfast and I STILL miss him when he’s in bed. Those little boogers have a way of wrapping us around their chubby, dirty little fingers. Hudson can be the biggest psychopath one minute, and the next he is telling me “I sorry for being mean, mommy” and I almost forget the devil that was unleashed in my child earlier.

The love they have for us is unconditional, just like our love for them. Hudson doesn’t see me as the stressed, overtired, slightly overweight Mom. He sees me as his best friend, his snuggle buddy and his biggest fan. The way he says “I love you so much, mama” just completely makes me forget (momentarily) about how rough our day was. When I wear a dress, though rare, Hudson never fails to tell me I look like a princess. He’s so cute.

Toddlers have the sweetest little voices (when they’re being nice) and the best personalities (when they’re being nice). Their laughs are one of the best sounds in the world and their cries are one of the worst. There is almost nothing better than taking your toddler to do something fun and having them tell you they’re so excited and they’re having so much fun… usually there is a meltdown had before, or during the aforementioned fun thing but it’s okay, because they’re having fun now.

Parenting a toddler is a job in and of itself and it’s quite possibly one of the hardest. You get angry or upset with them for misbehaving but then you get upset with yourself for being upset with them because they are only a few years old and tantrums are their way of communicating their feelings. These few years of toddler time is literally a revolving cycle of them having bipolar moments and you having mental breakdowns while hoping you’re not the only one going through this and it’s basically just one big emotional rollercoaster that we hope we get a good photo out of, at least.

If y’all are in the same boat, good luck and I hope we make it out alive with only a few grey hairs!

Xx

Liv

Bargains for the Babes

I figured for my first official post, I’d give the mamas what they want. If you’re not a mom, don’t worry. Every post isn’t going to be about kids. Most will, though. Sorry. Anyway, one of the topics I am asked often about is my kids clothes! Usually women, and especially bloggers, are asked about their own clothes and fashion choices but honestly, Hudson and Ella Kate have way better clothes than I do and I’m totally fine with that.

In this post I will share some of my favorite children’s brands and stores, my favorite gender specific and gender neutral items and tips for finding great kids items at a thrifty price. I am someone who loves a good bargain and refuses to pay full price for most things (I also hate paying shipping and will literally add things to my cart to bypass a shipping charge).

I will preface the guts of this post by telling y’all that I worked at Plato’s Closet while in college, and it not only fueled my love for bargain shopping but gave me my appreciation of secondhand clothes. Most of my kids clothes and shoes are secondhand and that’s the beauty of them! Most are from seasons passed or are a brand that I know I would never pay full price for and what makes that so special is that you’re not going to walk around town and see every other child wearing the same outfit. I’m crazy, I know.  My husband often tells me I’m a weirdo for being so particular about the kids clothes but I’m sorry, I don’t want my kids looking like rag-a-muffin Jiffy Store kids!

First things first- get online and search for your local kids consignment shops. Almost every town should have at least one, I live in a small town in Central Florida and we have a bunch! My two favorites, if you’re local to Ocala, are Kidstuff on Pine and Monkey Cage on Magnolia. I also visit The Little Duckling Sale that is a traveling consignment sale that comes to Ocala twice a year. If you’re not local to Ocala you can look them up on Facebook and see if they come where you live as well. I’ve gotten great items at that sale!

Consignment stores are a great place to get expensive and adorable clothes at a super affordable price. They typically do not take clothes that are not in good shape and one of the best parts about consignment stores is you can consign your own clothes that you do not want anymore and use the credit from your sales to go towards new purchases. I consign at one store and when I shop there, I never spend much because I constantly have a credit! I’ve gotten Hudson at least 5 pairs of excellent condition Toms for under $10 a pair. Ella Kate just got some Kate Spade glittery Keds for $3.99 the other day. I find the BEST clothes on consignment for the BEST prices!

I do want to point this out as well. Babies spit up. They poop and oftentimes the poop ends up on their clothes and/or shoes. Toddlers make messes with food and dirt and play doh and literally anything they can get their hands on. Knowing this, I try not to spend a lot on clothes for them but I still want them to look cute and clean. This is why I bargain shop because otherwise, they’d be wearing clothes from Wal-Mart. And I hate Wal-Mart.

Favorite stores with bargains:

TJ Maxx

Ross

Burlington

Old Navy

Target

I also like to keep an eye on Poshmark and EBay for more expensive baby brands.

Favorite brands:

Jessica Simpson

Baby Gap

Zara

Freshly Picked

Toms

Crocs

Poppyknots

I know there is a stigma surrounding baby boy clothes and let me tell you, that does not pertain to me. I was a little worried when I found out I was having a boy because kid stores are notorious for having a vast selection of girl items and a minuscule section of boy. I do not like graphic tees that have corny sayings on them and was super picky when shopping for Hudson. As a baby, his wardrobe consisted mainly of button down onesies (Baby Gap), plain or patterned onesies (lots of dachshund outfits) and, of course, moccasins.

Now that he’s a toddler, he still wears button downs mostly but he also wears solid color v-necks. His button downs are from all over the place but his v-necks are almost always from Old Navy (I scored a bunch for $3 each a couple months ago!). He is usually wearing Toms or Crocs because they’re my favorite for boys. They’re so easy for him to put on himself and they hold up so well for a wild, energetic toddler who loves playing outside. Dressing boys can be as fun as dressing girls if you look in the right places for their clothes!

Baby girl fashion. Oh my gosh. I knew I was in for it when we found out we were having a girl. Honestly, I’d already had a stockpile of baby girl items that I’d found at Kidstuff even before I was pregnant. They were way too affordable to pass up so I figured if I had another boy, I’d just resell them! Luckily I didn’t have to. Check out this Mudpie bikini I bought for $4!!

Ella Kate never leaves the house without a bow and a pair of moccasins. My favorite headbands are from Poppyknots. They are the softest, most lightweight nylon material so they don’t leave marks and they don’t make her sweat. Her moccasins are Freshly Picked. They are expensive but I’m part of a few B/S/T (Buy, Sell, Trade) groups on Facebook which is where I’ve bought a lot of them. I’ve also scored 4 pair from… you guessed it… consignment stores for under $10 a pair and I’ve purchased some on Poshmark as well. The best part about Freshly Picked is that they are a HOT commodity. I know that once EK has outgrown her current size, I can resell for what I paid if not more and will then be able to buy the next size up.

I hope this post has helped you fellow mothers who tend to take a little extra time dressing their Littles in the morning. I don’t mind looking lazy in my leggings and kimono while my kids are dressed to the 9’s. They’re my little model babes. I can’t be the only psycho who cares so much about how my kids dress… can I?

Follow me on Instagram and keep an eye on my stories- I’ll be sure to post any bargains and deals I find for the babes!

Welcome!

Hey y’all!

Thanks for checking out my blog, I’m so glad you’re here! I want my first post to be an introduction into who I am and what I’m all about!

I am Olivia, I’m 28 and I’ve been married to Zack for almost 5 years. We met online in 2012 about 2 weeks after I moved to Charlotte, NC from Florida. We have two littles- Hudson (3.5) and Ella Kate (6m). They are my favorite little friends! Their personalities are so much like mine it’s scary. They’re the best (even though they’re causing me to go grey prematurely)! My house is messy 99% of the time (…kids) and if I’m not in scrubs I’m either in pjs or black leggings and a kimono.

I work as a Medical Assistant at an urgent care facility and I love my job! I plan to go to nursing school when the babes are older and am considering furthering my education after that. My favorite part about my job, besides drawing blood, is patient interaction. I love making connections with patients I come into contact with and knowing that though they may be meeting me because they’re ill or hurt, at least I can make them smile or laugh while they’re there (and hopefully, if they really like me, it’ll lessen the chance of them complaining about the potential wait).

I am a honey mustard connoisseur, sweet tea addict and prefer restaurants that serve bread and butter. I have a bad habit of shuffling through 100 songs before finding the one I didn’t know I wanted to listen to. I cry when I laugh and I also cry at least once in every single episode of America’s Got Talent. I love to read and write. My realistic dream career is a book editor and my unrealistic dream career is acting (preferably in a film with Matt Bomer or Garrett Hedlund).

My favorite store is TJ Maxx… who doesn’t love a store where you can spend too much on things for you, your kids, your dogs AND your home!? My favorite restaurant is Cheesecake Factory and if I’m in a city that has one, you better believe I’m going. I typically get their grilled chicken and avocado club with no lettuce or herb mayo, sweet potato fries and a “big side of honey mustard”. Oh, and all the brown bread and butter I can eat (hint… it’s a lot!)

I am a bulimia, anorexia and miscarriage survivor and I feel like each of those topics are so controversial and I’d love to open up about my experiences to hopefully help others who have been through and/or are going through similar experiences. I know firsthand it isn’t easy battling those alone.

Now that you know a little about who I am, my vision for this blog is to share some real, funny and raw moments of motherhood, marriage and life in general. I’ll share some favorites of mine from food to fun and some tips and tricks I’ve found helpful in life. You can expect a lot of humor but also some serious topics and maybe some tears (both happy and sad). I can’t tell you how many ideas I’ve already had roaming around in my crazy head that I’m excited about putting down in writing.

I was initially nervous about starting my blog for the main fear of people not wanting to read it or not enjoying it. But then I decided to act my age and realized that the beauty of a blog is that I can literally write whatever I want to and those who disagree or dislike what I have to say, don’t have to read it.

You’ll find that I’m pretty witty and weird with a knack for making myself laugh (and occasionally others, too)! If my blog helps one person or makes one person smile, then I’ve done what I’ve set out to do.

Thank you so much for following along up to this point, I sure do hope you decide to stick around and enjoy a look into the life of me and my littles.

Xoxo

Liv