Oh, 2013...you were good to us!  While you were probably the LEAST eventful year to date since David and I met, you were definitely filled with outstanding moments that we will never forget.

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I don't know why but recently I've been OBSESSED with Mason Jar water bottles.  My mother-in-law got us two that were clear but they are glass and heavy.  I don't use them too often since the girls will often steal our water bottles and being glass I'm afraid they will break it or hurt themselves if they drop it.  When Cool Gear Inc. offered to send me one of their Insulated Mason Jars in pink and that it was plastic and lightweight, I was stoked! 

When David and I chose to elope in Las Vegas, I knew I didn't want a super long or fancy dress but I did want a wedding dress for my day to be extra special.  I chose to go with a tea length dress.  It was white and has a rouged bodice with a sweetheart neckline.  The bottom was flared out due to the petty coat underneath and the lace and tulle had roses.  It was everything that I wanted in a dress for that day and I vividly remembering how David looked at me in it.

Hello December! It's the month of crazy holiday shopping, pictures with Santa, happiness and joy!

For those of you who aren't familiar with #AskAwayFriday it's an amazing way to meet new bloggers, make friends and ask some questions to get to know them better!  10 questions are exchanged and answered on your partners blog, you can get as creative as you want and even get into our purses!
As always, tried and true we have the partners in crime, the ladies who created #AskAwayFriday...the wonderful Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County and Amber from Bold Fab Mom!!

Okay, I don't know about you but I've never been one to make resolutions.  If I make them, I break them and I rarely stick to them.  So I thought for the upcoming 2014 year which also happens to be the year that I will turn 30 years old why not make some goals?  Why not challenge myself a little and see if I can really make my 30th year the best year!
Some of my goals are pretty minor but some are quite a bigger stretch.  I tried to pull one goal from each category that is important to me...financial, health both physical and mental, charity and I do have one selfish goal included.  Obviously I don't need to mention the goals of keeping my family healthy and happy, that's obvious and an everyday goal.  These goals are purely for myself and to try and make myself happier in the coming 2014 year.

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Hello December! It's the month of crazy holiday shopping, pictures with Santa, happiness and joy!

For those of you who aren't familiar with #AskAwayFriday it's an amazing way to meet new bloggers, make friends and ask some questions to get to know them better!  10 questions are exchanged and answered on your partners blog, you can get as creative as you want and even get into our purses!
As always, tried and true we have the partners in crime, the ladies who created #AskAwayFriday...the wonderful Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County and Amber from Bold Fab Mom!!

Wow, that title sounds so...sad.  While this is a sad post for me it's also a beautiful reflection of a life shared with such an amazing woman.  Last year on Christmas morning I lost my Grammie (my mom's mom).  I got the call shortly after opening gifts with my in-laws.  My mom wanted to wait to tell me until after we had been with them so not to ruin Christmas.  What she will never know is that it didn't ruin Christmas.  While the moment was sad, I was content in knowing she was no longer in pain or feeling ill.  To have her no longer suffering was my Christmas wish.

Taken 1 Month after I had Hannah - 4 Generations

I recently posted about how obsessed I am with Instagram and trying to find ways to bring my many photos from the application into our home.  StickyGram graciously offered to send me a set of their Instagram magnets for trial and boy do I love them! 

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Usually the Twelve Days of Christmas actually FOLLOW Christmas running from the 26th of December to the 5th of January.  However, this year I decided to do it leading up to Christmas.  David is such a huge fan of this time of year.  He really gets into the spirit and I think for both of us, the magic of Christmas has returned with having the girls understanding the spirit of the holidays more and more. 
So we all know the song for the 12 Days of Christmas but I'm revising it based on what my man likes!  Now sing it with me...

Hello December! It's the month of crazy holiday shopping, pictures with Santa, happiness and joy!

For those of you who aren't familiar with #AskAwayFriday it's an amazing way to meet new bloggers, make friends and ask some questions to get to know them better!  10 questions are exchanged and answered on your partners blog, you can get as creative as you want and even get into our purses!
As always, tried and true we have the partners in crime, the ladies who created #AskAwayFriday...the wonderful Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County and Amber from Bold Fab Mom!!

To be honest I've never really had much luck with mineral based makeup.  I did try Bare Minerals years ago but their concealer in Summer Bisque is about the only thing I ever liked.  When yourMinerals asked me to try out some of their products I was excited to see if my opinions on mineral makeup had changed and they have!

Okay, I don't know about you but I'm OBSESSED with Instagram.  My husband (bless him) doesn't understand why I take pictures on my phone then give them filters to make them look "old".  However, I love it. I love that I can take a picture and instantly share it and let's be honest...I wouldn't post half the selfies that I do without those filters!  The only issue I've ever found with Instagram is that it's really hard to find a way to print my photos.  Because of the filters and the cropping, they are often too small to print OR if you blow them up they become fussy and don't look as cool.

Once again I'm pairing up with the wonderful Growing Up Madison to bring you a very cool kids product!  Introducing the Zazoo Kids Photo Clock...this is a clock, MP3 player and photo player all in one!
Perfect for parents who are teaching their young children the difference between day and night.  Even better to teach them what time to wait for to get out of bed, help mommy and daddy get a little more rest!

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It appears that our very own Amber from ABC to ACT's has been quite the busy book worm!  Amber and her husband have been creating a BRAND NEW subscription box targeting towards our toddlers growing minds.  When she asked me to give a little sneak peek into this amazing service I just had to say yes!

FDS has over 40 years of experience helping women feel fresh and confident with their products. All FDS products are clinically tested, 100% hypo-allergenic to ensure your safety. Introduced to the US market by Alberto-Culver in 1966, and now owned by Inspired Beauty Brands, Inc. FDS has a longstanding and trusted heritage resulting in exceptionally high awareness amongst women.

Hello December! It's the month of crazy holiday shopping, pictures with Santa, happiness and joy!

For those of you who aren't familiar with #AskAwayFriday it's an amazing way to meet new bloggers, make friends and ask some questions to get to know them better!  10 questions are exchanged and answered on your partners blog, you can get as creative as you want and even get into our purses!
As always, tried and true we have the partners in crime, the ladies who created #AskAwayFriday...the wonderful Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County and Amber from Bold Fab Mom!!

Recently my whole family had our holiday pictures done.  They aren't too festive since they were during the fall time but we got some amazing photographs!  I have to be honest when it came to setting up the photos though I didn't have too many ideas, thankfully our photographer lived on farm with beautiful backgrounds and was thoughtful enough to take us to a park and get some of the girls playing!

Let me take you back three years ago, David and I had been seriously seeing each other since September 25, 2010 when we discovered I was pregnant, naturally the talk of marriage and our relationship came to reality.  At first we talked about just going to the JOP and getting married.  We even went out and bought wedding bands, I didn't have a need or a want for an engagement ring.  I'd have everything I ever wanted being his wife. 

Shortly after the purchase of the wedding rings David decided that even if our relationship was going a little backwards in the pattern of life he still wanted to give me all the traditions of love, engagement and marriage.  He called off going to the JOP and took me to pick out an engagement ring.  He had no idea what I wanted so we compromised on me picking three diamonds and three settings I liked.  No matter what the combination I would have been happy with what I got and he didn't have to worry for the next 50 years if I really loved my ring or not.

My ring, candles by our dinner table and my man looking amazing while eating dinner

It's tradition every year since David and I have been together that the day after Thanksgiving we put up the tree with all the decorations.  We don't have a lot but I'm slowly building a collection.  The girls both love the tree being up, constantly "oooooing" and "ahhhhhing"...gotta love the Holidays!

I don't know about you but I've always struggled with new and innovative ways to surprise my hubby with cute presents.  I mean there's only so many fishing poles, tackle boxes and lures that I can buy, right?  I also believe that presents aren't always about the material but the thought behind them.  While he's been creative in the past, cards with candy where words should be I often forget to make him similar gifts in return.  Stumbling upon Datevitation has made this creative present giving a WHOLE LOT EASIER!

This Holiday, Give Your Child the World with Little Passports

Every month, follow Little Passports characters Sam and Sofia as they embark on a new country adventure. Your first month’s Explorer Kit arrives in a suitcase and contains everything your child needs to get started learning about our big world: a letter from Sam and Sofia, a map, a passport, stickers, access to online games and more. Country specific packages filled with fun souvenirs, letters, stickers, photos and activity sheets arrive every month thereafter. Get started with Little Passports today, subscriptions start as low as $10.95! (and that's without the discount!) Check out these deals!!

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A couple weeks ago I posted about my Ipsy Glam Bag and how it's the only subscription service that I've kept over the years but I think I found a new one I'll have to add to the list!  Wantable is a subscription box service like any other but you actually get quality products for the cost of $36/month or $40 for a single box.  They even have boxes for accessories and intimates! 

I can still hear my husbands' grandmother in my head saying "why isn't she wearing shoes?" often referring to Hannah being shoeless in the summer/fall months.  It wasn't that I didn't want to put shoes on her, it was that I couldn't find shoes to fit her tiny feet!  I had the same complication with Savannah so when I discovered Rileyroos and that they did their sizing my months not 3, 4, 5, etc sizing I was all about it!  They even agreed to send us a pair to test out.

Welcome to the Riiviva Microdern Giveaway!  Brought to you by Riiviva and Debbie Jeans Blog!  The Microderm is an at-home microdermabrasion system worth $299 that delivers amazing results!  For more info, please head over to www.riiviva.com to check it out!!

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Recently I've gotten around to hanging pictures in our house.  I love having photos around, especially now that the girls point to them and recognize the family and friends framed on the walls.  I love photos that are turned into canvas, they just look like miniature works of art.  Too bad they are usually more on the costly side so it's easier to print and frame photos for me.  Easy Canvas Prints contacted me about doing a review of their products and when I found out I'd get a free canvas print out of it, I jumped on it!

MagnifiCuffs LLC is owned and operated by a husband and wife team, Ryan and Marcia.  They are proud parents to two sons, pretty close in age like my girls!  Marcia and her family actually live pretty close to me in the Washington, DC area.  As small business owners I was really excited to work with Marcia.  Her customer service has been so amazing and I'm definitely asking everyone to go and support her on Small Business Shopping Day which is November 30th!

Studio Gear Cosmetics is a prestigous cosmetics brand featuring a full collection of professional makeup brushes, revolutionalizing complexion formulas, and a wide selection of color products for the eyes, cheeks, and lips. This is a line created true to the concept that every woman deserves professional, high quality cosmetics at a reasonable price.

In October I did Mommy Tag 1.0 so now that we are in November here is Mommy Tag 2.0!  Want to join in on the fun?  The questions will be below as well as a link up that will last through the end of November!

I'm a beauty junkie, I love collecting make up and playing with it!  From neutral every day eyes to smokey eyes I just can't get enough!  Mia Mariu is a all natural mineral make up line that I'm now OBSESSED with!  When they offered to send me a couple of their products for review I was like "YES, YES, YES!".

I've been on a jewelry kick recently and more for necklaces than anything else.  Even if Savannah pulls on them I've just been loving necklaces with chunky sweaters!  Being a mommy on a budget also doesn't allow me a lot to spend on jewelry so when I got offered to try some from 599Fashion.com I jumped on it!  I mean come on, these necklaces are super cute, only $1.99 each AND come with matching earrings? WHAT! How awesome is that!

I love these little subscription services!  Originally I was signed up with four or five of them but Ipsy is the only one I've stayed with.  I feel like each month I get quality products for the $10/month subscription cost instead of getting little foil packets of testers that I could go to Sephora and get.

This months Ipsy theme is Glam It Up...so appropriate with the holidays in full swing!  Who doesn't love some insanely beautiful lashes, a smokey silver eye and a cranberry lip?