leahtackles – Page 42

High School Advice! Awkward Picture INCLUDED!

August 26, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Summer is winding down (and I’m whining about it!) and it’s time to think back-to-school! After having a conversation with a cousin who is about to start high school, I decided that I wanted to make a video about my high school advice! And these could all easily apply for middle school, and even college too! I know that only you can know what you’re feeling and going through, but in this video I share candid advice on school work, body image, self confidence, and chat for a minute about cyber bullying. If you have any advice you would like to share, please feel free to do that in the comments of this post or on the YouTube video. If you play the video and then click the bottom right of the video where it says “YouTube” it will open the video on YouTube and you can like, comment, and subscribe ; ) I am *SO* close to 500 subscribers, and be sure you subsribe so you can enter!!

And, as promised, here is an awkward picture of me and my friend, Kason, in high school! Haha!

Have a wonderful weekend!! xx

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!!

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!!

Summer Snack & Drink Ideas with Recipes!!

June 10, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Thank you for reading! I am SUPER excited to share a very easy drink recipe and one of my favorite healthy snacks with you today! I am also uploading a video on my YouTube channel soon showing me making these, so be sure to check that out. I will link it here when it’s live!

This post and video are in collaboration with my sweet friend Stephanie who is an adorable Alabama girl with tons of charm and amazing ideas. I seriously can’t get enough of her and think that she comes up with the cutest stuff : ) You can find her blog HERE! She will be uploading a blog post and video as well so STAY TUNED!

Strawberry Lemonade:

Ingredients:

8 large strawberries with stems and leaves removed

1 cup sparkling mineral water that has been chilled

2 heaping tablespoons of honey

4 large fresh mint leaves

Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

Directions:

Pureé in a blender on a low speed for 15 seconds and then high speed for 1 minute. Serve over ice.

Kale Chips:

I have posted my favorite kale chip recipe before, but wanted to share it again since it’s been over a year since I shared this recipe. I remember the first time I made these I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like them, or certainly wouldn’t love them, but they’re REALLY REALLY GOOD! So, even if you’re unsure give these a shot because they’re super easy and only have a couple of ingredients, so even if you like them it wasn’t a big waste of time! BUT, I bet you’ll like them!!

If you make either of these recipes be sure to share them with me on social media using the hashtag #LeahTacklesSummerSnacks because I want to see what you create! Also, be sure to talk to me in the commens about other recipes or food ideas you would like to see either here or in a video.

I am SO excited that it is almost (kind of) the weekend! It is “hump” day at least! This weekend is jam packed but so many fun things coming up that I cannot wait to share with you all. What are you up to this weekend? Let me know in the comments!! Thank you for being here : )

Are You Making These 5 Makeup Mistakes?!

June 8, 2015 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a great weekend! First things first, MICHIGAN readers have you entered to win the LivnFresh Detroit D shirt I’m giving away? It’s perfect for any Tiger fan! You have a few hours left to enter. You can enter on the LeahTackles Facebook page, and entering is easy : )

Now, I decided to talk about 5 makeup mistakes that are VERY common! Now, I am not claiming that I don’t make plenty of makeup mistakes, but I know that I make a lot less than I used to. So, today I am sharing 5 things that you should make sure you’re not guilty of.

*Note: These are *my* opinions and of course if you really enjoy what you’re doing or one of these makeup “mistakes” then please understand that I mean no offense to you and you should do whatever makes YOU feel beautiful! xx

#1 Using Expensive Makeup With Cheap Brushes

It took me YEARS to invest in nice makeup brushes. I didn’t own any brushes, except for the brushes that came in kits or that I found in tiny cheap kits at the drugstore, until after college. FOR SHAME : ( Using good brushes helps for your makeup to look better, period. I suggest starting with a kit, Sephora has some basic but get-the-job-done kits, and I love the sets from Sigma Beauty.

#2 Not Blending Your Eye Shadow

Just because you know to put a brow bone highlight, lid color, and crease color doesn’t mean your look is compelte, girl! BLENDING is your bff! Use a clean blending brush, and it will turn your amature eye makeup skills into art. My favorite blending brush is the E25 from Sigma.

#3 Too Much Dark Eye Liner On Lower Lash Line

Just. Say. No. This should not be an everyday look. Or at least please smudge it out. I did my fair share of this in high school, but seriously just try skipping it, or just doing your top lashline and waterline, because the difference is HUGE! It will open up your eyes and make your eyes look bigger.

#4 Ignoring Your Eyebrows

Yay for beautiful, groomed but not over plucked, filled in brows!!! I am so glad brows are back! On days where I wear no other makeup, I still like to fill in my brows and throw on some lipstick. Even if you just use a tinted brow gel, do not ignore your brows! Also, do not overpluck or let someone do too much waxing on your brows.

#5 Sleeping in Your Makeup

I did this all through college multiple days a week (days I went to a party or the bar, let’s be honest) and my skin was beautiful. Well guess what? Now I’m in my late 20’s and I want to keep my skin as beautiful as possible for as long as possible, so washing off your makeup is essential. At the VERY LEAST use a makeup removing wipe ( I like these ones from Neutrogena). I have timed it, I can use a makeup remover, wash my face, use a toner, moisturizer, and eye cream in about 3 minutes. And it just FEELS clean.

Do you agree with these makeup mistakes? What makeup mistakes do you admit to making or have you made in the past? If you like these types of posts, please let me know in the comments and don’t forget to share! Thank you so much!!

May Beauty & Fashion Favorites {with one SUPER random favorite thrown in!}

May 27, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Thank you for being here! I hope that you’re having a wonderful week! It is SO nice that it’s a 4 day week and it feels like Tuesday but it’s really Wednesday!! For those who have a regular work week this week and maybe don’t get holidays off, I worked in retail management, so I truly understand the struggle! I hope that you’re having a good week, too : )

ALSO! Don’t forget to *enter my Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush giveaway*! Go to my YouTube video that has all the details (*pssst! It’s EASY! Promise!) : ) The giveaway ends this Friday!

Today I want to jump right in and share a few favorites! I will be short and sweet with my descriptions, and if you’d like more details please let me know in the comments! You know I love comments : P

MAY FAVORITES:

1. Too Faced *Limited Edition* Sugar Pop Palette:

This super colorful palette scared me initially because I’m a neural eye shadow girl, but I cannot stop wearing this! It is beautiful and pigmented, and you can still get a natural or smoky look and just add a small pop of color. Also, cutest packaging possibly ever. Go buy this!

2. Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper:

I didn’t want to like a $20 eye liner, I really, really didn’t, but this takes (MOST of) the stress out of the wing. I, unfortunately, love this.

3. Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in 205 Snow Pink:

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve been reaching for it so often this month that it deserves another mention. This is a beautiful pinky nude gloss with just the right amount of sparkle. It feels great on the lips, looks perfect over so many nude & pink lipsticks or alone, and the packaging is super sleek.

4. Essie Nail Polish in Cute As A Button:

I wore this in my May PopSugar Must Have Unboxing video and recieved several comments asking WHAT was on my nails! I have so many colors that are similar to this pinky coral polish, but none quite like it. I love that it’s a coral color that leans more to pink than orange. It looks perfect on. I wear this with a basecoat and a glossy top coat.

5. Koko Cuff from EllandEmm (*Similar):

I adore Ell and Emm jewelry, and I even gave one of these away last summer to one of my readers because I love it SO much! I love that this bracelet somehow manages to be edgy and different, while featuring the ever classic pearl. It is gorgeous and I always get compliments and questions about this piece.

RANDOM FAVORITE ALERT:

6. Milled Flax Seed:

Okay, so you know those people who casually say that they just “Throw in a little flax seed” and you immediately wonder if they’re serious and how on earth they make healthy living sound so easily part of their every day world? I AM NOW ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE… well sort of ; ) I have been using milled flax seed, I buy the brand Hodgson Mill, in my breakfast shakes, smoothies, and even on my yogurt. It has TONS of omega 3 oils, fiber, it’s gluten free, has no sugar, no cholesterol, and no salt. Seriously! And I can’t even taste it when I mix it into things with big flavor like protein powder, a fruit/veg smoothie, or strawberry yogurt. Become one of those people with me and add this to stuff, you health nut ; )

Thank you for reading! And don’t forget to enter my giveaway! If you’re subscribed to my blog then you are halfway entered already ; ) xoxo

Happy 4 Months Logan!

May 13, 2015 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Thank you for being here!

Logan is 4 months old! I am always saying this when it comes to my little loves, but I can’t believe it! I think 4 months doesn’t sound so old, but in 4 more months he will be 8 months old, which does sound old! I am trying to treasure every cuddle, every feeding, even the crying. I think he will be a great age this summer to really enjoy some family summer fun and trips.

LOGAN UPDATE:

Rolling over but only when he wants to!

Trying REALLY hard to move when he’s on his tummy, but of course not actually going far ; )

LOTS of “talking” and noises

Tons of giggles and smiles

Really beginning to notice and enteract with his siblings

SUPER drool machine (que the bandana bibs!)

Sucking his thumb (waaah!)

LIKES:

Nursing

Being held

Being worn in the ergo

Mommy ; )

Bouncing on daddy’s knee

His elephant

Sucking his thumbs (ahhh! not thrilled!)

DISLIKES:

Being set down

Being hungry

Being alone

When I end a nursing session before he’s ready

STATS:

14 lbs 13 oz

25 3/4 inches

CUTENESS:

I apprecaited all of the positive feedback from my 3 month update, what I get while breastfeeding, favorite baby items, and pumping post! If you want to see anything specific in a video or on the blog, let me know : ) Have a BEAUTIFUL weekend and please subscribe and share!! xo

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas!

May 6, 2015 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Mother’s Day is THIS Sunday! You still have time to put together a wonderful gift for your mom, but you will need to move fast! #ThankYouAmazonPrime ; ) There will also be a few ideas that you can just purchase online, like subscription boxes! Let me know what you’re getting your mom in the comments, or if you’re a mom what you are hoping to get. I will be suggesting a few ideas for your mom or any special mom in your life down below (P.S husbands yes you should get a gift for your wife if your wife is a mother!).

GIFT IDEAS:

French Press

Savvy Infusion Water Bottle

Fruit, Cheese, and Nut Gift Basket

Erin Condren Life Planner

Sephora Gift Card

Gardening Kit and Stool

Lush Gift Card

PopSugar Must Have Box Subscription

Spa-in-a-Basket

A NAP!

A DAY OFF!

MOTHER’S DAY GIFT IDEAS VIDEO:

A big THANK YOU to all the moms out there! You are amazing and be sure to enjoy your day with your kids if you can and relax as much as possible! You deserve it : ) I love you all!!

Logan Sullivan is 3 Months Old!! Baby AND Body Update!

April 13, 2015 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Logan turned THREE months old on Saturday! I can’t believe that my last baby is already 1/4 of a year old. AH! Today I want to share an update on how he is doing (spoiler: he’s awesome!) and how I’m doing after baby. If you have any quesitons about the newborn-3 month stage as far as baby or postpartum for mom, feel free to ask in the comments. If you enjoy these types of post, let me know as well because I can do some sort of baby/kid/mom series if there is interest : )

LOGAN UPDATE:

Stats:

Logan weighs about 15 lbs!

Length? He is definitely getting longer!

Size 6 month pants

Size 6/9 month tops

Size 3 diapers (he now shares with his older bro!)

Likes:

Laughing

Eating (nursing)

Smiling

Rolling front to back (or halfway rolling most days)

Watching his siblings

Riding in the car

Being worn in the Ergo (work like a CHARM for tears!)

Kicking his feet

Watching mommy on the treadmill

Dislikes:

Being hungry

Wet diapers

Being set down

LEAH UPDATE:

Body:

I fit into my clothes, but my body is nowhere near where it was or where I would like it to be. I would like to lose some weight, but more than that I would like to get toned again. I finally got back into the gym, but with three little little kids at home, it is very hard to get there regularly. So far I have been going once/week and I just started running (well sort of running!) on the treadmill this past week. My first time back on the treadmill was NOT pretty! I decided to do the Couch to 5K again, and if anyone would like to do it with me, let me know : ) I always feel SO much better after a run, it is so good for my stress control, and my thighs like it too.

Diet:

When you have a newborn (especially if you’re breastfeeding) you are really hungry and the LAST thing on your mind is fixing healthy meals. For the first month I pretty much survived off PB&J sandwiches and Digorno pizzas. True story. About a month ago I decided I couldn’t go on this way, it wasn’t good for my body or attitude, so I overnight switched to a super high protein diet and my milk supply plummeted. You wouldn’t think it would make that big of a difference, I wasn’t calorie counting and I was still taking in a lot of calories, but way less fat. I added fat back in, both good and bad, by taking shots of olive oil (not quite as awful as it sounds, but you’ll need a chaser!), eating nuts, and adding back in some cheesy pizza on occasion. Adding fat and calories back in worked and my milk supply thankfully went back up. I could easily do an entire post on the things I do and supplements I take to increase my milk supply if there is interest in that also. I store lots of breastmilk. LOTS.

On Wednesday I am going to be sharing what I eat on an average day, and I also am making a quick YouTube video on my new Leah Tackles YouTube channel showing what I eat. I am not a dietitian or doctor (but my mom and dad are respectively– haha hi parentals!) but I am more than happy to share what I personally do.

General:

Three kids under four is hard. NO JOKE. But I am really enjoying so many special moments with them, and I am *so* excited for lots of summer for as a family of 5! I find myself feeling very confident in my parenting decisions now, and that is somehow so freeing. I can’t wait to get to know Logan’s little personality just like I got to do with Hailey and Connor.

Husband:

Thank goodness Stephan is a huge help. Single ladies: Marry a guy who will pitch in! People say to marry a guy who loves kids, but Stephan wasn’t a kiddo whisperer or anything before becoming a dad, but he is AMAZING with our kids. I think marrying a guy who will help you out is key. He changes diapers, wipes boogers, does dishes, rocks babies, fixes boo-boos, puts away laundry, the list could go on and on. Right now he is making Hailey dinner and feeding Connor. Seriously! The difference it makes is huge. I love that it is 2015 and our kids get to see us parent as a team.

And now, the PICTURES:

: ) : ) : )

<3 <3 <3

As always, thank you so much for reading! If you like my posts, please subscribe to my blog! I love you all!

*EDIT: Hailey painted her nails (completely on her own without me knowing! Whoopsies!) and told me she wanted me to put them on my blog!!! She doesn’t really know what it is, but she hears me talk about it a lot. Hails, this is for you! I love you so!!

DIY Mickey and Minnie Easter Baskets!!

March 18, 2015 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Thank you for reading : ) I hope that you had a great Saint Patrick’s Day! If you tried my East Saint Patrick’s Day Beer Bread Recipe, let me know how it turned out in the comments!

Now that Saint Patrick’s Day is over, it is time to really start thinking Easter if you haven’t already, because it is only a few weeks away! This year I decided to go with a Disney theme for our baskets because we will be going to Walt Disney World in late 2015. Hailey, who is almost 4, knows tons of characters and is sooo exicted for our trip! Connor, who just turned 2, is really getting into Mickey, and Logan is only 2 months so he doesn’t know any of them…yet ; ) I will be showing you what is in the baskets in another post, but today I want to show you how I made these DIY Mickey (X2 in my case!) and Minnie Easter baskets. I saw a fantastic post done by Inspired by Dis and this is my take on her baskets, switching up a few things and using some of her ideas as well.

DIY MICKEY AND MINNIE EASTER BASKETS:

What You’ll Need:

Wicker Basket(s)

(*Tip: I found baskets that were already red at my local Walmart store)

Yellow, White, and Black Acrylic Paint

Red Spray Paint if using a basket that isn’t already red

Black Foam Paper (I needed 2 sheets for 3 baskets)

Red Polka Dot Ribbon (if making a Minnie basket)

Paint Brush

Glue Gun (or any glue you prefer)

Piece of Paper

Optional:

Sponge Foam Stippler to make uniform circles

I paid $5 for each basket, $.50 for each jar of paint, $.23 for each sheet of foam paper and about $3 for my ribbon.

Step 1:

Spray paint your basket red in a well ventilated area! I was so happy to skip this step, but I definitely lucked out by finding red baskets!

Step 2:

After your basket is dry, paint the handle and top of the basket black.

Step 3:

For the Minnie Basket:

Paint while polka dots all around the basket making circles that are about 1 inch around. Or you can use a sponge stippling brush to make more perfect circles.

For the Mickey Basket:

Paint long yellow oval shapes about 1.5 inches apart on the front of your basket. I didn’t trace this at all, but it would be simple to cut out a little stencil beforehand if that makes your more comfortable.

Step 4:

*Note: This is the hardest step, and it is pretty simple, so if you can do this you’re golden ; )

Using a pencil draw on a plain piece of paper first and make almost a whole circle, then a 1 1/2 or 2 inch line and then make another circle on the other end and connect it back to the first circle. Confused yet? Basically you’re drawing a dog bone and you make the circles as big as you want your Mickey or Minnie ears to be : ) Once you’ve checked to see that your template works on your basket, use it to trace out your ears.

Step 5:

Put glue around the edge and in the middle of each ear (be sure to pick the “good side” and put the glue on the other side if you have any dents or marks on your foam) and quickly wrap it around the basket EXACTLY where you want it to be. Do this with the other ear. If you’re making a Mickey basket you’re done!

Step 6 for Minnie Basket Only:

Decide about how long you want your bow to be and then cut double that amout of ribbon. Use your glue gun and glue the ends togther so that you have a loop of ribbon. Cut about a 2-3 inch piece of ribbon for the center of your bow. I cut this piece and then cut it in half because the ribbon I used is quite wide. Hold the loop of ribbon up to the front of your basket and wrap the other piece over the front and around the handle of the basket so the bow is formed and attached to the basket, then glue in place. Be sure to hold it tight and glue it well so that when you get go your bowl doesn’t sag or move. This sounds a lot harder than it was, and if you mess up you should be able to cut it off and start over.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this! If you have any questions, please reach out in the comments because I would love to help! What are your favorite Easter traditions? Do you make baskets, buy the pre-filled ones, or something else? And does the Easter bunny hide your baskets on Easter morning? : ) Let me know!

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