A Week In The Life - Halloween Edition

For as crappy as 2020 has been, it has gone by surprisingly fast! It's hard to believe that October is already over, and we're in the midst of the holiday season. I absolutely love this time of year, and I'm not going to let the pandemic stop me from enjoying it!

We filled the last week of October with some fun Halloween activities. We went to the pumpkin farm (post coming), carved pumpkins, went Trick or Treating with friends, and went to a small party. A few of our regular traditions had to be canceled, but I'm very thankful for a fairly normal Halloween week!

Now that Halloween is behind us, we're focusing on Dylan's 16th Birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. November is going by so fast! We're just trying to slow down enough to fully enjoy the holiday season!

Halloween 2020

2020 has been quite a year, and I really didn't think Halloween was going to be the same. As Fall began, and social distancing guidelines were still in place, I started to brainstorm alternative ways to celebrate. I didn't have to worry too much. Trick or Treating was still on where we live, and the community came together to make it extra special for the kids!

This Halloween wasn't filled with the usual amount of activities, and hand sanitizer was a staple while Trick or Treating, but it went surprisingly well. Actually, I said I preferred the C-vid Halloween! Everyone was in their driveways, extra festive candy tables were set up, everyone was just HAPPY to be out, and it was much more efficient!

There are stressful moments every single day in a big family household, and Halloween was no exception. I was a bit bummed that Dylan went off with his best friend and his girlfriend, but they made a surprise appearance later, and it made my night! Overall, it was a great Halloween, made even better due to the fact that it was on a Saturday! Here's how we celebrated...

Life Lately:The Pregnancy Edition

Happy November! Life Lately has been very busy and very exciting. If we're friends on Facebook or Instagram, you probably already heard the news...if not, all you have to do is read my previous post!

Although the busyness of life isn't going to slow down, I'm finally able to function better. I'm hoping to get back to a regular blogging schedule in this month. I missed writing and reading blogs so much while I was sick!

Here's a peek at life lately...

The Not-So-Perfect Halloween

Welcome to the least Pinteresting, most un-Instagram-worthy Halloween recap ever! Halloween isn't my favorite holiday, and it definitely didn't go as planned this year. Actually, I almost considered skipping the recap entirely, but I like to document the real life moments on my blog, so I can turn it into a book one day!

Before I recap what we DID do, let me focus on what didn't happen. We were so busy in October, that I didn't even decorate the house until 10 days before Halloween. Those decorations are still up, and probably will be until I get a few moments of free time. We didn't make it to the pumpkin patch because travel soccer and life with kids consumed our weekends, then my mom had a health scare and ended up in the hospital. Our pumpkin - yes, singular - wasn't carved until the day before Halloween. We didn't make any crafts or recipes. Poor Liam didn't even have a costume, because I wasn't spending a fortune on a costume he would refuse to wear. I forgot to buy the kids their Halloween morning treats, which has been a tradition since Dylan was 1. The unseasonably warm October weather went away for Trick or Treating, leaving us all cold and miserable. And to top it off, my original Halloween recap completely disappeared before I hit publish on Friday, and now I can't upload my pictures properly today. Yay, Halloween!

Before I move on to MUCH better holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm going to give Halloween a final shout out. I'm not going to lie. I'm happily saying goodbye to the holiday that only my kids seemed to love this year...that is, until it was too cold to actually enjoy it! Here's to the few pictures I took and the most brief Halloween recap in blog history!

Spooky Black Glitter Putty {A Year of Color}

If your kids are anything like mine, they probably love to make slime, putty and play dough! My crew is always adding glue, borax, cornstarch and flour to my grocery list, and sometimes I think it would be best to just buy it in bulk. I try not to complain too much, because at least they love science and experiments! We had yet to do a Halloween craft or activity this year, so the timing was perfect for this month's theme for A Year of Color!

Mom Life Must Haves: Things I'm Currently Loving

DISCLOSURE: A few of the featured items were sent to me free for review. I only share the things I truly love!

Happy Thursday, my friends! I can't believe we are over halfway through October, and that Halloween is less than 2 weeks away. This year flew by faster than ever before! It has been a few weeks since I last shared the things that I'm currently loving, so I figured I would put together a Mom Life Must Have list!

Life with four kids is non-stop, and I feel like we completely missed out on Fall fun due to our busyness and, well, the lack of Fall weather. Other than a few chilly mornings, it still doesn't feel much like Fall here. We've even had a few 90 degree days this month, which is unheard of for Pittsburgh this time of year. It feels more like late Spring than Fall. Most of the leaves fell off the trees weeks ago, due to lack of rain, so one of my favorite things about Fall never really happened. If you can't tell, I'm kind of bummed about this!

As every mom knows, motherhood isn't always cupcakes and rainbows. Sometimes it's just plain tough! Sometimes you just need to escape or spoil yourself with something that helps you feel like a normal human being again. (I've been there...often.) And sometimes, you just need something to keep your little ones busy so you can breathe! I put together a fun list of the things that help make mom life just a bit easier! And if you're NOT a mom, there are still a few things on here that you might like. Clothes and books, anyone?

6 Adorably Spooky Halloween Hairstyles for Girls

It's almost Halloween, and my kids are so excited! We consider Halloween the start of the holiday season, so my kids are completely in the spirit. Their costumes are chosen, their clothing consists of a lot of orange and black right now, and the decorations are still coming out. Halloween is so close that the girls started requesting their favorite spooky hairstyles today!

Rather than wait until after the holiday to share their adorable Halloween hairstyles as they wear them, the girls and I worked together to create this quick guide for six of their favorite looks. We have attempted much more difficult styles, but easy is so much better! These six hairstyles only take a few minutes to do, and your daughters are sure to love them!

A Few Of My Favorite Things: End Of Summer Edition

DISCLOSURE: I received several of the items below free for review, but loved them so much that they made it into my favorites list!

Happy Monday, my friends! I spent the past week fighting off a nasty migraine each day, so that's why I've been MIA. Thankfully, the pain has decreased to a dull ache, which means I can actually function. I figured I would ease my way back into a full blogging schedule by sharing a few of my favorite things!

I don't know about you, but I can't believe Summer is coming to an end. I'm feeling very sad about it! Technically we still have over a week left of Summer, but the kids have been back in school since August 24th, and it's starting to FEEL like Fall. Although the afternoons warm up, and we typically have temperatures in the seventies, mornings and evenings are cool. Yesterday morning we actually had to turn on the electric fireplace in our living room!

So without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things that I'm loving right now!

Mom Love Fellowship

Just before Summer began, I signed up with Little Dove Blog to participate in the Summer Mom Love Fellowship. My partner for the Summer was Courtney! Last week, Courtney sent me a sweet care package. I have plans to wear those earrings this week for Moms Night Out, and I'm excited to try the Rodan + Fields samples that she included!

Flats

After a Summer of sandals and flip-flops, I'm starting to wear flats again. I rarely shop at Walmart, but I scored these on clearance for $3! I spotted them as I was walking through the store, and these ones (and a pink pair) ended up in my cart. They match everything, and I seriously couldn't pass them up for that price!

TotLogic Products

I am always on the lookout for great, natural products for my kids. Logic Products sent over two products from their TotLogic line for us to try! TotLogic products are gentle and non-toxic. The products are free of sulfates, phthalates, and parabens (to name a few).

I love the 2-in-1 Wash & Shampoo for Liam. It is gentle on his sensitive skin and has a very light scent.

While we were at the beach, we also used TotLogic sunscreen on Lily and Liam. The natural zinc oxide formula is SPF 30 and water resistant for up to 80 minutes. Not only did it protect their skin from the harmful rays, but it also kept their skin moisturized!

Currently Reading

I branched off from the type of books that I usually read to try The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey. I like it more than I expected, and I'm almost finished! If you are a fan of The Walking Dead or Fear The Walking Dead, this is a must read. But even if you're not, it's still really interesting!

And while you're at it, buy a Bubba cup! It keeps my drink cold for HOURS.

Halloween Attire

Trendy Bubs has some adorable Halloween attire this year!!! Too soon? I think not! As always, use the code liamff to save 20% at checkout.

{Leggings & Hat - Trendy Bubs / Shirt - Target / Shoes - H&M}

Bunny Love

Last week, I shared my new baby bunny, Arya. She has been with us a little over a week and is settling in nicely. Arctic, who is completely separated from all of her babies, happily took over mothering this little one! (They are big fans of Liam's new train set. I'm not even kidding. Arya climbs the tracks and Arctic pushes the balls around!)

Lovebug Probiotics

I am a fairly new probiotics user, but I am loving the line from lovebug probiotics. With lovebug probiotics, you are able to choose your plan, so everything you want is delivered to your door each month.

Now that my kids are back in school and cold season is approaching, I am a big fan of Colds Suck. Three of my kids already fell victim to the back to school cold, so I am taking Colds Suck each day! Lovebug Probiotics also offer products for kids. I can't wait to try them for Liam, who has a delicate digestive system!

Clutch Love

A dear friend of mine bought me the sweetest gift! I think he felt bad for me after watching me haul my 20 pound purse around. I keep this beautiful baby in my purse, filled with all the necessities, and take it out when I go somewhere alone (or into a store alone). It isn't often, but when I'm without kids, it's nice to leave my gigantic purse behind!

Perfectly Posh

I was recently introduced to the Perfectly Posh brand! Perfectly Posh pampering products are naturally based and made in the USA using sustainably sourced, cruelty-free ingredients. Everything is free of phthalates, parabens, paraffins, and soy-gluten and there are many vegan options as well. Jordan, who is a fellow rockin' mama (she also has a child who is rocking an extra chromosome), sent me two products to try.

The My Hands Are Thaied hand creme leaves my hands feeling so soft, and I absolutely love the scent! This hand creme is richer than many others I have tried, but absorbs into the skin quickly, and leaves my hands feeling hydrated.

When I put on the Hot and Gold face mask, my girls couldn't stop looking at my face. They loved the gold shimmer! I loved the fact that the mask didn't make my skin feel tight, cold or uncomfortable while I was wearing it, which is why I tend to avoid masks. It just felt nice, and it left my skin with a soft glow after I washed it off!

To browse these products in Jordan's shop, click HERE! You can also join her VIP Facebook Group!

Soccer Mom

I am officially a soccer mom! Haha! My sweet Lexie decided she wanted to play soccer, and that landed her on a travel team with girls who have been playing for 4-5 years. We were worried about how she would do, but she loves it!

Lexie's first game was on Sunday. Her coach originally said she would sit on the bench for the entire game to observe, but she ended up on the field for half of the game and even had control of the ball several times.

Lexie is fast and has the endurance. Once she understands the rules of the game, I have a feeling she's going to be fierce on that field!

Mug Love

I recently added another mug to my collection! (Can't stop, won't stop!) It was on clearance at Cracker Barrel and I couldn't pass it up!

Nuby Sure Grip Miracle Mat Section Plate

Even though Liam is 4, he still likes to toss his plate if you don't take it from him fast enough when he's done. Suction tableware is officially my best friend! From plates to bowls, we have it all. A recent addition to Liam's meals is the Nuby Sure Grip Miracle Mat Bear Character Section Plate.

This 100% silicone section plate sticks to flat, smooth surfaces. It's perfect for kids 6 months and up, and is safe because it is BPA, PVC and Phthalate Free. It wipes clean easily, and is also dishwasher AND microwave safe!

The section plate is perfect for picky kids who don't like their food to touch! Liam is a big fan of the bear shape. Using the Nuby Sure Grip Miracle Mat Section Plate eliminated messes for me to clean up, and makes mealtime more fun!

(Available at Babies R Us)

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17 Years

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that Grant and I celebrated 17 years of marriage on Saturday! We were teenagers when we started dating, and we were married young, so it truly feels like we've been together forever!

A post shared by Stefanie 💖 | Blogger (@lexieloolilyliamdylantoo) on Sep 9, 2017 at 9:49pm PDT

For our anniversary, we escaped from the kids for a few hours to go out to dinner, then we all went to watch our township's community day fireworks (which were AMAZING) together as a family!

A sweet family member gifted us with a thoughtful present for our anniversary. It just serves as a reminder of just how much we have accomplished in 17 years. We are incredibly blessed!

On that note, I should probably crawl out from under my warm blanket, and get on with my day! If you try (or have already tried) a few of my favorite things, let me know what you think!

On another note, you can find an interview with me on The Sirois Family today! If you don't already read Johanna's blog, head over now to meet this sweet mom blogger!

You might also like:

A Few Of My Favorite Things: July Roundup

TUESDAY TALK

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An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I hope you and yours had a fantastically fun and spooky day!

We had a wonderful Halloween! The kids woke up to their special Halloween breakfast. This year's breakfast was their favorite! We had Vampire Teeth Donuts, Cutie Pumpkins and Orange Juice. Our school mornings are so rushed that I didn't get a chance to take a picture of Dylan, Lexie and Lily before they ran out the door, but Liam had the chance to enjoy his breakfast!

Lily had her class Halloween Party this morning. She was so exhausted after the party that she napped for over 2 hours. My parents dropped off treat bags for the kids but only Liam was awake to visit with them!

After Dylan and Lexie came home from school we gathered up all the costumes then headed to Grant's mom's house for dinner. We always go Trick or Treating in Grant's hometown, and this year, Grant's mom offered to make us dinner to save us some time. SOLD!!!

The weather this year was great! It wasn't warm (of course it was really warm on Saturday and will be really warm again the next two days) but it didn't rain for the first time since 2011!!!  It's amazing what a difference nice weather makes. My kids were so excited to go Trick or Treating!

This was the year that everything changed. Dylan, who is only just over a year away from becoming a teenager, decided that he wanted to go Trick or Treating with his friends this year. It was a bummer for me but we've officially reached that phase in our lives.  I convinced him to let me take a few pictures of him in his Joker costume before we left. Dylan did the hair and makeup all by himself and he was pretty proud of his costume!

I snapped a few pictures, then we had to reluctantly let him go.

I drove Dylan to his friend's house then battled the traffic to get back to Grant's mom's house in time to have a mini photo session before Trick or Treating began.  I somehow managed and for once we were able to take our pictures outdoors!

Lexie decided to be Dorothy this year and she looked so beautiful and so grown up!

Lily ended up choosing an Ariel costume. That wig lasted, oh, about 2 minutes!

Liam was a fox and he was anti-hood unless he was sleeping!

And Grant and I dressed up as Luke and Lorelai in honor of the upcoming Gilmore Girls revival on Netflix! Grant is pretty much Luke's doppelganger so it wasn't much of a stretch for him. 25 days, people, 25 days! I am unbelievably excited!

I'm not going to lie. It was a great night for Trick or Treating, but it just wasn't the same without Dylan. It felt like we were missing a piece of us. This growing up thing is not much fun!

Liam and the girls lasted a little over an hour. It was chilly but they did their best!

Our favorite stop of the night is at a house that goes all out and turns their yard into a cemetery. They have people in costume wondering around trying to scare the kids. Lexie refused to go over and stood on the opposite side of the street while Lily and Liam bravely went over on their own. They tried to scare the kids, but Lily stared them down and told them, "I'm not afraid of you" and Liam promptly walked over and hugged the werewolf who was chasing after him. They both got extra candy for that one! Lexie, on the other hand, traded insults with the Wicked Witch who was at that house. She shouted "I'll get you my pretty and your little dog, too" across the street and Lexie shouted back that she would have to chase her down the street! Never a dull moment with my little crew!

Liam ended up falling asleep and the girls were cold so we decided to head back to Grant's mom's house!

We visited Grant's mom until Dylan got dropped off, then attempted a group picture. Liam had other plans...

The little fox finally woke up and decided to inspect the candy stash!

Although we may not have been all together for Trick or Treating, it was a great Halloween for my entire crew!

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