leahtackles – Page 43

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!

Easy Saint Patrick’s Day Beer Bread!

March 16, 2015 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Thank you for being here! I hope that you had a fantastic weekend! I had a great birthday weekend starting on my birthday when Hailey and my mom made me my favorite cake, Rainbow Chip, and my mother in-law helped Hailey pick out a balloon and flowers for me. Hailey’s sweet excitement made my birthday so much fun : ) Stephan made sure to have sweet little surprises up his sleeve, and we had our first date since having Logan!

I love St. Patrick’s Day and even though I don’t celebrate *quite* as enthusiastically as I did in college, I still like to do a little something to celebrate my Irish roots! I have made a couple different variations of this beer bread recipe, but this is my favorite simply because the ONLY ingredient I had to buy was the Guiness, everything else most people have on hand. You also need a bread pan, but can pick one up for a few dollars at Target or most grocery stores.

Irish Beer Bread:

Ingredients:

3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 egg

11.5 oz of Guinness beer (one bottle or measure out if using a larger can like I did)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl mix all of the dry ingredients with a wire whisk. Next, mix the egg and beer in using a large spoon. I mixed this by hand, it is a thick dough, so use your muscles ; ) Spray a 9×5 bread pan with cooking spray and pour in your dough. Bake your bread for 40-50 minutes until the top of your loaf is brown. Remember to keep in mind that you are using a dark beer, so the bread will be darker also. This bread is awesome and surprisingly a tad sweet.

As always, thank you so much for reading!! XO

Hair Update!!

March 11, 2015 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

First I have to thank you guys for the awesome response to Monday’s post! I obviously wasn’t the only one who has had a hair salon experience go wrong. Thank you for those who commented, I really apprecaite the participation so much : )

And, I got my hair fixed!! WOOOOO! I had Stephan snap a few pictures for all of you when I got home, it isn’t the best lighting so please excuse that.

MY NEW HAIR:

Logan is 2 months old today!!! I can’t believe it!! I will have a baby essentials post coming up soon : )

Tomorrow is my birthday AND LeahTackles.com turns 1!! I have learned a lot and have a lot to learn still, but I have enjoyed blogging so much. I am very proud to say I have never missed one post with my schedule, and am so happy I’ve stuck with it. I hope that this next year LeahTackles.com sees a lot of growth. I can’t wait to launch my YouTube and Etsy!! Stay tuned in the next couple of weeks ; )

I love you all SO much!

POPSUGAR MUST HAVE BOX FEBRUARY 2015!

February 23, 2015 & 1 Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Thank you for being here and making me part of your day : ) Today I want to share my PopSugar Must Have Box for February with you. Once again I am disappointed with the shipping :/ It wasn’t AS bad as last month, but I got this box several days after a friend who lives in the same state, and after Valentine’s Day which this box was strongly themed around. With that said, I LOVELOVELOVE this months box, and will still use every single item, but I wish the shipping would improve to how it was a year or so ago. I have been subscribed for 26 months and shipping has seemingly gone downhill. So, the dates of delivery really seem to vary, but *usually* the PopSugar box usually arrives between the 10th-15th of every month for me…it ships from California via FedEx Smart Post, which means it goes out FedEx but arrives to my P.O Box.

If you don’t know, the box contains full size, premium quality items in all different categories: food, beauty, fashion, home, and sometimes an extra goodie too! Each box boasts a retail total of $100 or more. You can check out my review of the PopSugar Must Have Box for January 2015 here.

The February box was inspried by, “One Love, Hearts & Arrows, Red Hot, Devine Desserts, and Pampering” (a.k.a Valentine’s Day ; ) ) …ummm yes please!!

February Must Have Box:

*Note: Rose Water Bubble Bath by U.S Apothecary NOT shown because it arrived (very) damaged

Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush by Tarte Cosmetics in True Love:

I was instantly over-the-moon excited by this box when I saw this! Obviously, I reeeeally love makeup, and Tarte is an amazing brand! I own a holiday blush palette from Tarte, but until now did not own any of the individual Amazonian Clay blushes. I love this shade, and it wears beautifully for a very natural flush that can be built up as needed. It is great that just a tiny tap into this is all you need because it is so highly pigmented, and this could be worn on many skintones.

$26

Rose Water Bubble Bath by U.S Apothecary:

This was a huge letdown because mine was broken : ( It leaked badly and my whole box smelled strongly of roses, but thankfully it didn’t damage my other items except the burlap bag that the next item was in. I appreciate that PopSugar always is sure to wrap items like this incase this happens, but I was still bummed! I contacted PopSugar first by email, but then recieved a much faster response by reaching out on social media. I have had two or three other issues over the course of 26 months, and always get excellent customer service once I get ahold of someone at PopSugar. If this happens to you I suggest sending a *nice* tweet to @MustHaveSupport or a Facebook message to the PopSugar Must Have Facebook page. I look forward to trying this when I get my replacement!

$30

Bamboo Heart Cutting Board & Cheese Knife by ACME Party Box Company:

I swoon over the ACME Party Box Company website, they have fantastic but fairly pricy gift ideas for everyone, and things themed for any party or celebration you could imagine! I love making little cheese and snack platters to make a night of Netflix with Stephan a little more special, so this is perfect for that! I love that this came with a little cheese knife, too!

*Similar item linked

$32

Mini Arrow Pendant Necklace by Bauble Bar:

Just like the Tarte blush, I was estatic when I saw something from Bauble Bar! I adore Bauble Bar jewelry! This little arrow necklace so dainty and cute! I think this would be adorable layered with other small necklaces, or worn alone. You can wear it at two different lengths, and I found that it laid better on the shorter length for me. This is definitely a new favorite for me, and my 3 year old Hailey gave it her nod of approval as well ; )

*Similar item linked

$32

100% Natutral Blam by Figs & Rouge in Lemon Berry:

This has such cute packaging! I really like the ever ever so slight tint and feel of this. Although I love the look of a tin style balm, I don’t like dipping my finger into it unless I have something to immediately wipe my finger off on, so I end up using balms like this less than ones in tube form. I also feel like they are less sanitary. I really like the Lemon Berry color/flavor that I got, but if you’re subscribed what kind did you get? Leave me a comment and let me know, I love hearing what other variations people received!! : )

Ravishing Rocky Road Bar by Chuao Chocolatier:

OH MY GOSH YUM!!! Salted, caramelized almonds, and marshmallows in all-natural milk chocolate? Yes, yes, yes!! This is soooo good! I was really sad when it was gone! And Steph, who isn’t a big sweets or milk chocolate fan typically, also really enjoyed the small piece I shared ; ) I think these would be awesome as a gift add-on, or a sweet thing to send to a friend or loved one…maybe a Galentine!

FingerPaints Nail Color by Sally Beauty in Romanticism Ruby:

This is a special extra and what a fun one! I love nail polish, and this is a brand I’ve never tried, so I can’t wait to try something new. I think Romanticism Ruby will be a great toe color! If you’re a PopSugar subscriber, what color did you get?

$5.50

I am THRILLED with the items in this months box, but I am frustrated with the shipping and my broken item as well. I hope that PopSugar can turn it around quickly so that I can start enjoying my box and sharing with all of you in a timely manner. This box has a retail value of $139.50 which is $100 more than the cost of the box. It really is like Christmas every month! Do you subscribe to PopSugar? What did you think about this box? Let me know in the comments! If you’d like more information on PopSugar you can find it here.

Have a great Monday!! XO

Nursing Mama Style Tips: What I Wear While Breastfeeding! Part 1

February 16, 2015 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you all had a great Valentine’s with people who make your heart skip a beat! I had a very low-key weekend with my little loves (Hailey, Connor, and Logan), and of course my big love (Stephan).

I am exclusively breastfeeding our 5 week old and I forgot what a pain nursing fashion can be! If you think looking cute is hard pregnant, girl forget it and embrace that precious bump, because the first few weeks especially your breasts have to be easily accessable ALLTHETIME! So, today I want to share a few of the pieces I’ve been loving that are specifically for nursing, and in Part 2 of my Nursing Mama Style Tips I will share regular pieces that you can buy anywhere or may already have in your closest that work beautifully for nursing.

Long Sleeve Pull Over Nursing Hoodie by Motherhood Maternity:

I love this for at home because I feel cute but am just rocking a thin cotton hoodie. This is a size small and I love it with legging or skinny jeans for a cute but very casual look. I also own this in gray.

Wrap Nursing Sweater by Motherhood Maternity:

This is currently out-of-stock online but they do have other similar styles like this one. I love this because it doesn’t look like a nursing top, but it is SO easy to nurse in discreetly. If you really want some extra cover in public, throw a scarf on over it!

Faux-Leather Trim Black and White Striped Nursing Top by Milk Nursing Wear:

I found Milk Nursing Wear because I was in love with Boob Design tops, but I just can’t bring myself to spend that much on a top that I’m only going to wear for nursing. But, if it in your budget, they are gorgeous and I’ve heard nothing but good things! Milk Nursing Wear is the same idea, but at lower prices. This top is so chic and easy to nurse in! It is INCREDIBLY soft, a rayon/ lycra blend, and is slightly longer in the back which I like. This is my favorite nursing top, and I can’t wait to dress it up with some fun jewelry! Milk Nursing Wear if you’re reading this PLEEEEASE make more options like this!

Nursing mamas, what do you wear? I would love more ideas! Stay tuned for Part 2! And please subscribe!!

Valentine’s Day 2015

February 11, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Happy {Early} Valentine’s Day!

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Lipstick in 885 Vibrant Mandarin

NYX Matte Lipstick in MLS17 Sweet Pink

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Lipstick in 865 Fuchsia Flash

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in 69

Maybelline Color Sesational Vivid Lipstick in 900 Hot Plum

NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in LSS511 Chaos

Thank you for reading loves!! Muuuuuah! Sending kisses to all of you for Valentine’s Day <3

If it makes you happy…

January 12, 2015 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Who remembers that song “If It Makes You Happy” by Sheryl Crow? When I decided that I wanted to share a few things in my room that make me happy, I couldn’t get that song out of my head! I am a big believer in making life as beautiful, enjoyable, and special as possible…life is short! Surround yourself in pretty things! A quick DIY or some washi tape can completely change something from ordinary to fab!! Thank you for being here! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! *Hopefully* I have a brand new baby boy in my arms when you’re reading this, but as I write this he still hasn’t made his appearance. I will definitely be doing an introduction post to our new little man as well! Get ready for some picture posts!!

What pretty things do you surround yourself with? What have you been loving lately? I would *love* to hear from you! Enable me ; ) Have a great start to your week!! And please comment, subscribe, and share!!! It means SOOOOMUCH to me!

THANK YOU AND ANNOUNCEMENTS!

November 12, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Some days I really want to just pop on here and chat with you guys…and today is one of those days : ) I was talking with a friend and felt so insprired and motivated after our conversation that I felt compelled to write her a quick snail mail note to tell her how fantastic I think she is! And with that being said: I want each and every person reading this to know that I apprecaite it! Thank you to my subscribers who have been so sweet and so supportive!!

I have been working behind the scenes on two exciting new things for Leah Tackles. The first, my own Etsy store! This will be launching soon after lots of tinkering!! LOTS of tinkering! And second, a bit further down the road in early 2015, a YouTube channel!! As most of you know, I am 31 almost 32 weeks pregnant with our 3rd baby, and some of this timing will be to work around the arrival of our newest little man right after the holidays. I cannot wait to start these new ventures, and hope that you will be just as excited as I am!!

Thank you, again, as always for reading my blog and *please* subscribe if you haven’t! It’s super easy to do, just enter your email into the subscription box on the right side of this page and then you will get a confirmation email. That’s it! If a friend or loved one inspires you, motivates you, supports you, or just loves the heck out of you RIGHT NOW is the perfect time to send them a little snail mail love! Plus, it’s a great excuse to whip out your cutest stationary you’ve been saving! Don’t let it sit in drawer forever, use it to make someone’s day!

P.S! Stay tuned next week for holiday makeup set reviews!! I will also have a new Leah’s Friday Five up on the Pearls and Pastries Shop blog this Friday.

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