Leah Tackles

My Family Pictures 2015!!

July 15, 2015 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

We are lucky enough to have the hugely talented Brooke of Brooke Ashley Snow Photography take pictures for our family once or twice most years. Recently she snapped a few quick pictures for us as a family of five, our 5 year wedding anniversary and for Lo’s 6 month birthday. If you’re in Michigan and need photos done, CHECK HER OUT! She is awesome to work with, makes you feel so comfortable, and takes amazing pictures! Also, she can make any kid smile! She will do all sorts of *crazy* stuff to get a great picture…and she’s my friend AND family, so I’m allowed to say that ; ) Love you lots girl, thank you again! Your photography is on *fleek* ; )

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Have a beautiful weekend! I appreciate each of you!! xoxo

Mally Beauty Poreless Face Defender Review with before & after pictures!

July 13, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you each had a wonderful weekend! I will keep this short and sweet today and hop into the review : )

Mally Beauty EverColor Poreless Face Defender with Sponge:

Price:

$40

Claims:

1) Diffuses Pores and Fine Lines

Absolutely did this for me!

2) Makes Your Makeup Last

This one the verdict is still out on for me. I like setting my makeup with setting powders, and it probably does help just like setting with powder helps, but it isn’t a mind blowing selling point for me.

3) Matte Finish

YES! This is the biggest selling point for me! Matte finish without a powdery or cakey look!

Pictures:

Before:

After:

*Note: I wasn’t super oily to begin with, but here you can see how matte it made me and how it blurred the pores on my nose!

Thoughts:

Love, love, love being able to keep oil at bay without adding powder because I haaaate adding powder, especially in the summer when I’m especially oily. This is a new favorite : )

Have a wonderful day!

Homemade Glitter Playdough {No-Bake and 5 Ingredients!)

July 8, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Can you believe that it’s going to be the middle of July in a few days? We are finally getting some gorgeous weather here, but we have had some rainy days where we are stuck inside…blah! The kids get restless, FAST! Because I have 3 kids who are all so young going places isn’t a simple undertaking, and we usually are home on weekdays, so I LOVE this playdough recipe because it has all things that I have on hand. A lot of homemade playdough calls for heating the ingredients or ingredients that I don’t always have, so this one sticks out to me. The kids had a great time making this, and it works really well days later.

Homemade Glitter Playdough:

What You’ll Need:

1 Cup of Water

Food Coloring

4 Cups of Flour

1 1/2 Cups of Salt

3-4 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil

Glitter

Step 1:

Pour your water into a large bowl.

Step 2:

Add your food coloring and then stir! We made a purple-ish color.

Step 3:

Add your dry ingredients and stir. Next add your oil so it isn’t so crumbly, but not too much to where it’s sticky.

Step 4:

Add your GLITTER!!

Step 5:

Mix it up! We formed ours into balls & stored in plastic containers but plastic baggies would work, too.

Step 6:

Have fun!!

If you liked this, please share on social media! You can also “pin” it to your Pinterest account by hovering over any picture and clicking the “pin” button! I apprecaite the support so much!! Have a wonderful weekend : )

4th of July 2015! PIC HEAVY!!

July 6, 2015 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that each of you had a safe and happy weekend! If you are in America, tell me in the comments what you did for the 4th! I would love to hear about it : ) We had a wonderful weekend and I have lots of pictures to share with you. We also have decided to start vlogging as a family, and we want to launch a FAMILY VLOG CHANNEL soon!! If you think that’s a good idea, let me know! Also, if you want to watch our first video you can check it out here! Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel if you haven’t already to give me more opportunities for fun giveaways and better review material for all of you : )

Our 4th of July Pictures:

Here are our 4th of July pictures from 2014!

Thank you for reading!! Have a wonderful week! Please, don’t forget to subscribe! xo

Kisses, Kisses, Up & Down by Baby Luvs Books Review AND Giveaway!!!

July 1, 2015 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you’re having a GREAT week! I’ve been frazzled this week dealing with lots of scheduling issues and appointments! Because this week has been so hectic I decided it was the perfect time to share this special book with you, because it always reminds me to be in the moment with my kids, even when I am in “IHAVENOTIMETODAY” mode.

Baby Luvs Books reached out to me well over a month ago on my Twitter and asked if I would like to recieve a copy of their book for review purpose and I immediately said YES! My kids love books, and when I googled this book I thought it looked right up our alley. You can read my full disclosure here, but as always I give my honest opinion and NEVER accept money in exchange for a positive review. I was sent a copy of this book for consideration, but I was not paid to review this book! I only review things that I believe line up with LeahTackles.com : ) Baby Luvs Books is also giving away a book to one of you & it will ship directly from amazon.com!

Kisses, Kisses, Up & Down by Baby Luvs Books:

This beautifully illustrated book shows a mama giving her baby kisses through out the day while doing there normal routine. I love that this book appeals to each of my children! Logan, who is 5 months old, likes the bright colors and watching me make silly faces before giving him kisses for each page. Connor, who is 2, loves identifying the different body parts that the mama kisses like his hands and his feet! Hailey, who is 4, loves that the body part is in different color/ bold font, and she likes to sound out the words while I read. My favorite part of the book is that I never want to rush this book! Even when the nighttime routine is stressful and I’m just ready for some kid-free time, this book makes me want to take my time savoring the sweet kisses with my babies. Books are SO important and I don’t think a child can ever have too many books…okay maybe, but we rotate them ; )

Giveaway:

If you would like to win this book for your child or a special child in your life just follow these simple steps!

1) SUBSCRIBE to LeahTackles.com

2) “Follow” Baby Luvs Books OR “Like” on Facebook

3) “Follow” LeahTackles on Twitter OR “Like” on Facebook

4) COMMENT on this post your favorite children’s book or children’s author.

Rules:

Must be 18 or over or have parent permission.

Must be in the United States (sorry Canada loves! Don’t worry more giveaways to come!).

Giveaway will end in 2 weeks.

The winner will be selected AT RANDOM and have 48 hours to respond via email before I pick another winner.

Good luck! If you would like to purchase Kisses, Kisses, Up & Down you can here!

Have a safe & happy 4th of July weekend!!

Our Mackinac Trip 2015! PIC HEAVY! + Exciting News!

June 28, 2015 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

We went to Mackinac Island as always for our 5 year wedding anniversary…with kids in tow ; ) Today I am going to share pictures. You can see pictures from our 2014 Mackinac Island trip here.

Also in exciting news, we VLOGGED this entire trip! Which for those who don’t know is a video blog or video diary of our trip! Stay tuned to my YouTube channel for that coming up soon!!

On the ferry!

Give us the table the furthest away from other people! ; ) 5 year “modern” gift = silverware! We now have 6 years worth of these pictures! Look at our balcony view…#NoFilter Handsome Hubs! Happy 5 Years to this hunky hunk!

Connor loved watching the birds & horses : ) My Little Loves!!! Cheers to us!

Cool Dude!

My Hailey Doll!

A picture with all 5 of us wasn’t happening! #WeNeedASelfieStick

Sibs!Yum yum!

Our Mackinac Island Favorites:

Shepler’s Ferry

Chippewa Hotel

Butterfly House and Insect World

The Pink Pony Bar and Grill

Horn’s Bar

Nephew’s of Mackinac Island

Poppins on Mackinac

Happy Anniversary, Babe!

June 24, 2015 & 6 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

This Friday Stephan & I will celebrate FIVE years of marriage! I am so proud of us hitting this big milestone.

Stay tuned for pictures & vlogs coming up after our weekend getaway! Thank you for reading!

{{Stephan,

Happy Anniversary!! I never expected that we would have to shoulder so much in our first few years of marriage, but I’m extraordinarily proud of our tenacity…we are a good team : ) In five years we have had three beautiful children and completed our family. I can’t wait to keep spending forever with you.

Cheers to us!

Love,

Me}}

5 Things To Do BEFORE You Book Your Disney Vacation!!

June 22, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Right now my family is planning a big DISNEY vacation and we couldn’t be more excited! I am constantly talking and thinking Disney! I want to do a blog series here, as well as a video series on my YouTube Channel on our planning process, tips, packing, custom outfits, and so much more.

Today I want to talk the very basics, things that you can to before you even book your trip, to make sure you take advantage of all that Disney has to offer, and get your money’s worth! I will go into more details on these things in another post if people are interested : )

*Photo credit to WDWlive.com

1. On Property or Off Property

The first thing I suggest is deciding if you want to stay on Disney property or off. *Personally* I think staying on property, while much more expensive at first glance, really evens out once you factor in food. Also, you are completely immersed in the magic. And, you have extra perks like Disney’s Magical Express, the monorail, and the bus. But, perhaps the biggest perk draw for me is that you get FIRST DIBS on dining and fast passes!!!

2. Dining Books 180 Days In Advance

When considering when to book your trip, keep in mind that you can make reservations at 180 days out…yes that’s SIX MONTHS in advance! If you’re staying off property you’ll need to log onto your Disney account or call for each day of your trip! If staying on property, you can book 180+10 so as long as your trip is 10 days or less you can book dining for your whole trip in one go. This is HUGE because dining is *extremely* competitive. Some restaurants, such as Be Our Guest, are so competitive that even if you book at your 180+10 you may not get it. I can get more into the dining and dining plans later, but for now just know that if you want to eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table, Hollywood & Vine, Be Our Guest, etc, you will want to book on or before 6 months out.

3. Make A MyDisneyExperience Account

The MyDisneyExperience site and app are so awesome! You will use this to make dining reservations, view your itinerary, make payments, favorite rides, check wait times, finding characters and again a ton more…it’s so fantastic! The site has tons of information and online help that help you get an idea for your trip. It’s the perfect baby step ; )

4. Research Research Research!

I LOVE researching everything so I love this part and I’m constantly researching everything, but I love researching Disney! I know not everyone loves it, but it’s a game-changer when it comes to planning your perfect magical vacation. I suggest searching things like “Disney Planning Tips” on YouTube or Google to get started. If people are interested, I can go into more details on my planning process.

5. Get Excited!

Ummmm you’re going to be going to Disney?! How exciting is that?! Everybody has a great time at Disney World!

Thank you SO much for reading! Please tell me what blog posts and/or videos you’d like to see about Disney, because I would LOVE to talk about anything Disney ; )

Thank you, dads!

June 17, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Happy (Early) Father’s Day!!

A friend of mine, and leahtackles.com reader, mentioned that she would love to see a shout out to single moms, and I agreed that single moms deserve TONS of accolades! However, because I grew up with both a mother and a father in a nuclear household, and because my children live in a house with both their mother me!) and their father (my hubster), I didn’t feel comfortable doing too much writing on subject. However, my respect for any single parent is HUGE! I DID find this video that I think sums up single moms incredible strength. Sarah, this is for you!

Watch the video:

Happy Father’s Day, Mom!
I also want to thank all the dads, grandfathers, uncles, and male role models who do their crutial part to be positive figures in children’s lives. I think we often forget that there are single dads out there, too.

I want to thank the three most important dads in my life:

To My Father In-Law:

Thank you for all that you do for us! The kids love their “Papa!” 🙂 Can’t wait to create some magical Disney memories soon!

To My Dad:

Thank you for all of the fun things you did while we were growing up…think mom forgives you for all the hours you spent on the ice rink yet? Haha! 😉

To Stephan:

You’re the dad every kid wants and our kids are so lucky to have you! Thank you for never being embarrassed to have fun with your kids. Coolest. Dad. Ever.

Thank you for reading!!

CONFESSIONS: MY 5 HOTEL HABITS?!

June 15, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Now, get your mind out of the gutter to which it probably went based on today’s title! Today I want to talk about funny things that people (or specifically myself/my family) do behind closed hotel room doors. Take a peek and be sure to let me know if you do any of these things, or what “secret” hotel confessions you have (let’s keep it PG people!).

#1 Take EVERYTHING!

Do you remember that Episode of “Friends” where Ross teaches Chandler how to steal EVERYTHING in the room as long as it isn’t nailed to the floor? [ Season 9 Episode 19] Well we don’t go *that* crazy…no remote batteries or raiding of the maid cart, but we do take what is offered that we may use. We stay in a hotel at least once a month, and the first thing we do every time we get to the hotel is take a bag and pack up everything we can to take home. Coffee, tea bags, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, paper towels, dishwasher detergent, kleenex, hotel magnents…we pack it all up ; )

#2 Organizing the Room

I love when things are neat and tidy, and I love that when we stay at a hotel room I can unpack everything perfectly in a short window of time! I set everything up just so, and I love it because I can do it so fast that I actually have time to relax because it isn’t like home where there is never ending laundry, dishes, chores, work, etc.

#3 Food Binge

We usually order food in (young kids + restaurants = not relaxing) and did you know calories don’t count when you’re out of town? (<-That’s a lie but I act like it’s true!). ALWAYS order the cheesecake when you’re staying at a hotel.

#4 TV Binge

At home we have wifi, Netflix, and Hulu plus, but no cable, so when we are at a hotel? We binge watch and it’s usually The Food Network, HGTV, or The Discovery Channel. And when you’re in a hotel room the TV can be on ALL.THE.TIME because like mentioned in #2 you aren’t home to do all the work that usually is staring you in the face.

#5 Imaginination Station

Even though sometimes traveling isn’t for fun reasons, and it’s a lot of work as an adult, I still like to make up stories and imagine I’m somewhere completely fabulous on a fancy vacation. Hotel rooms are lots of things, but also a tiny bit of that excited “OH MY GOSH MOM DOES THIS HOTEL HAVE A POOL?!!” always comes out of me when I’m there.

Do any of these things apply to you? Do you love hotels? Hate them? Talk to me in the comments! I know this post was pretty random, but I thought it would be a fun one : ) Thank you for reading.

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