Lifestyle Blogger

WATCH OUR LIFE EVERYDAY!

August 10, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Okay guys, after LOTS of anticipation, I am super excited to tell you that we officially launched our family vlog channel!! I have spent yesterday and today uploading two weeks worth of content, and by Wednesday it will be all caught up! Every day you will get to watch what we did the day before…like you’re watching from the future. It would mean the *world* to me if you subscribed to our new YouTube Channel!! I promise it is SO easy! You DO NOT NEED A YOUTUBE ACCOUNT! All you have to do is have a gmail.com email address and when you’re logged into gmail you can click subscribe! That is it!! You can also “like” the videos and comment, too!! I hope that you’re all feeling nosy ; )

HERE IS OUR CHANNEL:

KWAPISFAMILYTACKLES

and here is our very first video:

Thank you so much in advance for the support! We are so excited to this new adventure and definitely need your help!! Please share this post! xo

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* ; )

FullSizeRender (19)

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

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!!

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.

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 : )

LivnFresh Clothing Review with 4 Giveaway Opportunities!!!

June 1, 2015 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I am SUPER excited to be sharing some pictures from the Michigan owned company LivnFresh. I know that a lot of you reading this are Michigan born & raised, and this site has amazing designs paying tribute to the mitten! But, if you’re not from Michigan don’t worry, they have an “add your state” option, as well as other designs showing some of the other fifty some love : )

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1) They offer stylish and cozy items for men, women, and kiddos! These shirts are very nice quality! They are lightweight, soft, and comfortable. And the sweatshirts?! No joke, the most cozy sweatshirt EVER! I am buying one immediately, and I cannot wait to wear it for bonfires and boat rides this summer.

2) This company was born in 2010, but the family who owns it has over 20 years of experience in the screen printing world! And they are super friendly, and want to make their customers feel good.

3) I am doing 4 giveaways!! So you have 4 chances to win!!

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

Do these things:

1) You MUST like LeahTackles on Facebook

2) You MUST like LivnFresh on Facebook

3) You must SUBSCRIBE to LeahTackles.com (that is this blog!)

I will be announcing the giveaways with all of the details on my LeahTackles Facebook page! So YOU MUST like my Facebook page so that you do not miss out! I will be giving away three shirts and one sweatshirt. There will be options for both men and women.

WE WILL BE GIVEAWAY AWAY ONE OF EACH OF THESE ITEMS (in either men or women winner picks):

CHECK OUT THESE AMAZING ITEMS:

Thank you so much for reading!! Please SHARE this post!!

*Note: I was gifted one shirt for each member of our family. However, as always, I never give a positive review unless I think the product(s) deserve the praise! And these shirts are WONDERFUL! Like I said, I am already planning to buy a sweatshirt for myself. You guys know I like to keep it real ; )

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!!

YouTube Launch! Mr. & Mrs. Challenge VIDEO!

March 23, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Thank you, as always, for being here! I am very excited to announce that I put up my first real LeahTackles YouTube video!! I have wanted to start up a YouTube channel for a loooooong time now, and decided it was finally time! I will still be doing blog posts every Monday and Wednesday, but I will now also be uploading videos on my Leah Tackles YouTube Channel!! I do not have a set schedule for YouTube yet, but once I get the editing and filming down a little more, I will also give you a schedule for video uploads! You know I love consistency ; )

My first video is a very short (and hopefully sweet!) tag video with my husband called the Mr. & Mrs. Challenge. So, if you want to see us interact and answer a few questions about who is better and what, head over to my channel! Also, please please please subscribe and “like” my video! There is a big red subscribe button and all you have to do is click it! If you have a gmail account, you have a YouTube account, so whatever your email log in is will also log you in on YouTube 🙂

Thank you again so much for the support! I am nervous but also super excited to branch out! I know I have a ton to learn and can’t wait to get started : )

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