Life Lately/Currently Loving in January 2018 ~What's Up (& WELCOME) Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, my friends! Can you believe it's the last day of January already? The first month of 2018 flew by! I'm usually not a big fan of January, but for some strange reason, it wasn't so bad this year. Perhaps I'm just getting older and starting to appreciate every gift life has to offer! (Although I AM finding it a bit difficult to appreciate weather below 32 degrees...just saying.) Because it's the last day of January, I thought it would be perfect to share a life lately/currently loving post!

It just so happens that the Welcome Wednesday link party that I co-host, and one of my favorite link parties, called What's Up Wednesday, is on the same day this week. I'm going to do a little mix of What's Up Wednesday, along with a photo recap of January 2018!

WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK

We have a busy week ahead of us, so I let each family member pick a meal this week. I'm sure you will be able to tell which meals my kids chose!

WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT

Is it just me, or do the Facebook memories get to you, too? Seriously...they literally tug at my heartstrings and make me feel so sentimental.  This picture, from 4 years ago, popped up in my memories today.

First of all, my BABY! He was SO tiny. At nearly 6 months old, he was only 9 lbs. It's hard for me to remember just how small he was. And now, here he is 4 years later...still small, but (most likely) heading to Kindergarten in the Fall!

Second, when I look at this picture, it makes me feel sad that I will never have a baby again. I want another one! Maybe. Or I'm just losing my mind.

WHAT I'M LOVING

A few of my January favorites, in no particular order (some items were received free for review)...

Soapbox Bamboo Shampoo and Bamboo Conditioner for Strength & Body 

A post shared by Stefanie 💖 | Mom x 4 / Blogger (@lexieloolilyliamdylantoo) on Jan 4, 2018 at 10:25am PST

Four pregnancies wrecked my hair, and I'm still dealing with it...hence the recent 6 inches cut off of my hair! My hair looks fuller and healthier, and it feels soft and smooth! My hair even looks and feels well nourished, and it has a fresh, clean scent. The best part is that the company gives back. For every product purchased, a bar of soap is given to someone in need! Soap = Hope! The Bamboo Shampoo and Conditioner are color safe, Paraben and Silicone Free and contain aloe and shea in the ingredients. Bamboo strengthens hair and retains moisture, which makes it a great choice for anyone! 

Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream

A post shared by Stefanie 💖 | Mom x 4 / Blogger (@lexieloolilyliamdylantoo) on Jan 9, 2018 at 10:24am PST

I love the Banana Bright Eye Creme that I received free from Influenster. This brightening eye creme, which is infused with Vitamin C and boosted with collagen, is perfect for this busy mama who gets very little sleep! It has been part of my daily skincare routine since I received it! 

Cucina Antica Gluten-Free Cooking Sauces

A post shared by Stefanie 💖 | Mom x 4 / Blogger (@lexieloolilyliamdylantoo) on Jan 10, 2018 at 5:01pm PST

Now that Liam is on a gluten free diet, I have to put more thought into dinners. Pasta with meat sauce is something that everyone in my family will eat! Cucina Antica offers homemade cooking sauces made from imported Italian San Marzano tomatoes. The sauces are gluten-free, non gmo verified, and they don't have any added sugar or preservatives. I typically add petite diced tomatoes to my sauce, but all I added this time was organic ground turkey, because the cooking sauce already had plenty of tomatoes! I served it over Liam's favorite gluten-free pasta (cooked with 2 tsp olive oil), and topped it with shredded mozzarella. The rest of us may not have to eat gluten-free like Liam, but we all agreed it was absolutely delicious! 

The Toobaloo

A post shared by Stefanie 💖 | Mom x 4 / Blogger (@lexieloolilyliamdylantoo) on Jan 17, 2018 at 11:56am PST

This Auditory Feedback Phone is a great tool for speech therapy! Liam uses it almost every day when we go through his flashcards!

Alya Skin Pink Perfect Australian Pink Clay Mask 

A post shared by Stefanie 💖 | Mom x 4 / Blogger (@lexieloolilyliamdylantoo) on Jan 19, 2018 at 1:17pm PST

This clay mask detoxifies and leaves my skin feeling super soft and glowing, but it also smells like I'm sitting in the middle of a flower garden! It's also cruelty-free and vegan!)  Use the code LEXIELOOLILYLIAMDYLANTOO to save 10% on your purchase!

Book Love - Juris P. Prudence

Lexie loved The Briefcase of Juris P. Prudence, and now Lily has her own book, coloring book and activity book! Her reading skills are strengthening and I love hearing her read this book to me!

Fruigees Fruit Snack Pouches

A post shared by Stefanie 💖 | Mom x 4 / Blogger (@lexieloolilyliamdylantoo) on Jan 29, 2018 at 4:46am PST

Liam's gluten free diet is difficult, so thank goodness for the pouch! Liam likes them, they are a healthy snack and they are perfect for grabbing as we run out the door. Right now, he is loving these organic fruit snack pouches. With flavors like 24 Carrot Orange and Kalefornia Grape, these pouches pack 1/2 cup of fruits and veggies and 100% daily value of Vitamin C into every serving, with no added sugar. They are also non GMO, BPA-Free, Gluten Free, and completely Vegan. Liam loves them, and this mama approves! 

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

January was a busy month! So busy, in fact, that I didn't have time to actually think about Winter!

We had lots of snow days...

Dylan's basketball games started...

Liam had his dreaded sleep study...

We went ice skating on a warm, rainy day...

...but it was mostly filled with daily chaos!

WHAT I'M DREADING

Currently? Waking up at 6 AM. It's almost 3 AM right now! (Did I mention there isn't enough time in the day so I gave up on sleep?)

WHAT I'M WORKING ON

It feels like I'm always working on blog posts! I have about ten in the works right now, including a guest post. I just need to find time to sit down and finish them. Oh, and file our taxes!

Coming up:

• Simple Gluten Free Snacks for Kids
• The Instagram Game - Why I Quit Playing
• Tips To Survive A Sleep Study With Your Child
• What's New On Netflix
• Controversy in the Down syndrome Community (which may or may not publish)
• Our Favorite Things To Buy At Aldi
• Monthly Photo Recap

WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT

We're going on a trip this weekend! It's actually my first sponsored trip through my blog. My family is so excited, and we can't wait to share it with you!

Also, did I mention we're getting a puppy? It has been almost 3 years since our beloved Great Dane passed away and I just didn't have it in my heart to get another dog. No dog seemed good enough. But the kids are begging, and I really miss having a dog, so the search begins now! It is a tough decision. My husband likes tiny dogs, but Liam needs a dog that is much bigger than him. Although I would love another Great Dane, I was urged to try something new. Right now, we're leaning toward a Great Pyrenees.

WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING

We have been flying through all of our favorite shows, and we're completely caught up on current seasons. We decided to watch Big Little Lies, and even my husband is hooked. We're halfway through the series now, and we just want to keep watching!

{Source: IMDB}

We also started watching Veep on HBO Now. I was a bit thrown off by the use of the dreaded "R" word in the first episode, but it is a funny show!

As for books, it's actually a funny story! My mom gave me Agnes and the Hitman shortly after Lexie was born. If you do the math, that was almost 11 years ago! I put it in the basket in my bathroom that I use for books and magazines, read a few pages as I relaxed in the tub, then it sat there...for over a decade! It was kind of like that episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, where the suitcase just sits on the steps forever.

As I was purging the house of clutter recently, I picked up the book, and just decided I was going to read it. I'm now halfway through! It doesn't rank with the best books I've ever read, but it is entertaining. And I'm determined to finish before I move on to the stack of books I have waiting for me!

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO

I'm all about Spotify these days! I put on my Favorites playlist while I drive the Mom Taxi around. It has a little bit of something for everyone in my family.

• Christina Perri
• Songs from Sing, Moana and Glee
• Songs by Pentatonix
• And a whole lotta pop songs

WHAT I'M WEARING

It was cold AF for half the month, so sweaters, leggings, boot socks, fleece pajamas and winter outerwear all month long!

And just for the record, I'm not ashamed to rock one piece pajamas...

WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY: We're going to visit my parents and have dinner with them.

SATURDAY: Dylan has a basketball game at 8 AM (those are THE worst), then we're going to spend most of the day at home relaxing and packing, because...

SUNDAY: We're going on our little family trip!

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

I love February, mostly because it means we're getting closer to Spring!!! We do have a lot going on, too!

• A Family Trip
• Basketball games every Saturday (I love watching Dylan play!)
• Lexie's 11th birthday
• Lexie's birthday party
• Flower Girl dress shopping with my cousin and my girls
• Finding our puppy

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

I think I covered it all!  We should know the results of Liam's sleep study by Monday. That will determine whether he actually has sleep apnea (the sleep study was just routine for a child who has Down syndrome), and if so, what the next steps will be. We'll continue to tweak Liam's diet until his endoscopy on March 16th (it was rescheduled). We also have to attend a Kindergarten transition meeting at our school district (hold me), and get Liam fitted for chipmunk shoe inserts to help with arch support. So...just adding more busyness to our usual busy schedule!

WELCOME WEDNESDAY!!!

Your Hosts! 

Whitney at Polka-Dotty Place / Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter 

Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook

Keri at Keri Lynn Synder / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Mauri at The American Patriette /  Facebook /  Pinterest / Instagram

Sarah at Sarah E. Frazer / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Lindsay at Lindsay's Sweet World /  Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

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