Thursday, January 12, 2017

5 Reasons You Need a Baby Jogger As Your First Stroller + A Giveaway

This is a sponsored post brought to you by Nakturnal. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

Hello Foxy Friends! It's Thursday, woo hoo! I have tomorrow off, so today is my "Friday" yay. I don't know about you but the days at work seem to be passing at snail pace, seriously!

I was thinking about it a few months ago when we were cleaning out our house and garage that we have entirely too many strollers! At one point, I wish I was kidding, we had 6 strollers at our house, no joke! Looking back I wish I had done more research when we got our very first stroller, I think it would have eliminated several of those strollers, and we could have gotten it down to 2.

Back when we got pregnant with Mini Fox, we...and I really mean me, was vacillating between two strollers. One of them being an umbrella stroller and the other a expandable stroller. I had no idea these were a thing, when we had Baby Fox. In the end I figured that Baby Fox was almost out of the stroller game and I didn't want to invest that much to buy two of everything. I wish I had known sooner. Boy was a I wrong, they fight every time I just bring the umbrella stroller, then end up like this, every single time.

stroller sharing


Little did I know that Baby Fox would in fact always like to be in a stroller and the kids would constantly fight over who gets to ride in it. Should have just invested in the expandable one right? So here I am telling you 3 reason why you need to invest in a Baby Jogger System with the first kid!

| One |

Our first stroller was a click and go but with this stroller system, you can have the click and go mentality and then change it over to a seat once they are old enough without having to get another stroller. This almost eliminates one of my strollers that I had to buy. This is set up to have another seat under the infant seat, which is optional, see reason #2.

City Select infant attachment



| Two |

This is expandable to more than one kid! You just keep adding on pieces to the base frame and you're good to go, no adding more strollers to your arsenal of strollers. I know Baby Fox LOVED when we had our Sit and Stand stroller, so in this case we could have added the kick board to the base and called it a day, stroller #2 and #3 eliminated. This is configured to three kids, how amazing is this, one stroller, three kids. And all you did was buy the first stroller when you had your first kid. It's the stroller that keeps on giving!

mulitple kid on City Select


| Three |

Super light weight and can be broken down into with one hand. It can't get any easier then that right? I know my umbrella strollers are more than one hand break down and somewhat difficult. Most of my friends had this stroller and I was so jealous of them when they got it, kicking myself for not getting one too!

City Select folded up
 | Four |

There are 16 different configurations, so if you have one kid that hits the other, you can just flip the seat around and voila no more hitting because they can't see each other. Really if you add the glider board in there, you could get more than 16, but these are the advertised configurations.

Baby Jogger Configurations

| Five |

When you have it in the single mode the seat can lean all the way back so your child can get a nap in while you are out and about. No need to rush home.

City Select seat recline positions


The best part? I'm teaming up with Nakturnal to give away a $50 gift certificate! How awesome is that? If you're already a follower, then all the entries are easy ones, no easier way to enter then that! Can't win if you don't enter! Giveaway will run until Monday January 23rd at 11:59pm PST.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


5 Reasons you need to buy a City Select Stroller

Linking up here

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

A Twist On The Little Black Dress

Happy Wednesday. Yesterday I had off, it was a nice break in the week, and I have Friday off, so basically I worked 4 days last week, 3 days this week, next week is 5 days, I might die, haha (dramatic I know). Anyway, I know you got a peek at what I wore for  Christmas, but thought I would show you the whole outfit. It's actually a skirt and top, the skirt also comes in maroon, which I contemplated getting instead, but thought I would get more use out of a long black skirt.


 
Some of the links are affiliate links and I will  either receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you click on it or if you make a purchase from one of these links, I may also receive a commission on the sale of the product. By purchasing through Foxy's Domestic Side, you're helping me to continue creating fun things for this space.
In case you are wondering, I'm wearing this adhesive bra. I love it way more than a regular strapless bra, mostly because I'm not having to tug it up all night long, me and regular strapless bras do not get along! If you are bigger chested then this one will work better for you.
 
 
 
Random fact: The lady in the picture wearing this skirt looks like a midi...haha, not on this shorty.
 
I actually did my hair as well, I was watching the second season of Fuller House and Stephanie had this really cool hair do, but when I tried to figure it out I couldn't so it morphed into this. Which I think is actually pretty perfect for this outfit.
 
 
 
What are you wearing in your closet? Next week I'm taking the style prompt to heart and wearing something I previously never would have put together, but ended up totally loving it. Now go check out your closets and put together a completely new outfit and post it down below or next week!




Linking up here

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Kids Behind the Blog: January Edition



It's that time again, Kids Behind the Blog with CrystalBethMeghanJessica, and Stephanie.  I just love this link up and look forward to seeing all of the other kids answers. I feel like I'm watching all these kids grow up right before my eyes! Click here for all of the other KBTB posts.


Baby Fox: Age 6 Years
 Mini Fox Age: 3 Years 3.5 Months


Baby Fox

1. What's your favorite thing to do or play inside?  
Umm...play with family.

2. Have you ever seen or played in snow?
I've seen and remember a long time ago we plays in the snow. I've seen it and played in the snow.
If so, what is your favorite snow activity?
Throwing snowballs at my Dad.

3. What was your favorite Christmas you received?

All of them. 

4. What's your favorite winter vacation you went on?

Two weeks off.
Why?
Because I'm with family.

5. Would you rather live where it's warm all year round or have the seasons?

Seasons because I want it to snow here.


Mini Fox

1. What's your favorite thing to do or play inside?   
ummm.....Watching Movies

2. Have you ever seen or played in snow?
No. When it's a snowy day I do play in the snow.

3. What was your favorite Christmas you received?

My broom

4. What's your favorite winter vacation you went on?

I think I like Cabo because ummm....because it was Barby's birthday

5. Would you rather live where it's warm all year round or have the seasons?

I like it warm outside so I don't get cold.

New Years Resolution

I know this is a little late in coming, but I figure since Shay and Erica's Workin' It Wednesday topic was New Years Goals I would wait and share them closer to their link up.



Notice how I didn't say resolutions, plural. I never do resolutions, I always felt like it was setting yourself up for disappointment/failure. Optimistic of me right? So I'm setting somewhat of a goal. Actually I've been doing this for several years now. Back in 2012 I decided it was the year I was going to start wearing jewelry, I didn't own any, do you believe that? So I worked on getting my jewelry game on, just adding a little something to my wardrobe. Let's just skip over 2013 because I was mostly pregnant and had a newborn.

In 2014 I was ready to get me back. I had two kids and was feeling all kinds of frumpy. I had told Mr. that I was going to get a new wardrobe after Mini Fox. Enter Alison and her all kinds of awesome Style Challenges (affiliate link). I decided to join her very first challenge in April 2014, and you guys it seriously changed my life. I had no idea leopard was a neutral, that you could wear black with brown and by wearing actual outfits could make me feel like a real person again.

My very first Alison outfit. Notice no make up, I didn't really even own any to tell you the truth. And the lighting, why didn't I try to lighten up this dark picture? Yikes.



Then 2015 was all about learning about make-up, I had never known how to do mine. I never wore it, period. I watched a million YouTube channels on how to do Asian make up. You have no idea how much I YouTube I watched. Hey same location, lighter pictures and I'm wearing a little make up, at least I don't look dead.


Then came 2016 and I decided I wanted to learn everything about hair, so I challenged myself to intentionally do my hair, instead of always throwing it up into a ponytail. One of my first hair styles I tried out before work no less! An acccomplishment, and I found out I really love doing hair, excpet that pesky messy bun, for the life of me I STILL cannot figure it out!




Finally onto my 2017 resolution, I know took me long enough right? Like you wanted to know my life history, ah, well, you got it anyway. I decided I want to get organized. My house is a mess! I mean it looks picked up, but don't open any closets or cabinets, cause yikes!  The toys are out of control, so this year is my year to get my house organized! I know it will be a lot of work, take a look at my house as I'm writing this post...I have to tell myself, it gets way, way worse before it will get better, right? Come back Monday January 23rd, for The Blended Blog, House Organization Link up to see how I'm doing so far.



Hint: This is how much stuff we donated from mostly my son's closet! Seriously I have issues. And this doesn't include that bags and bags of trash we threw out either. Feeling lighter and cleaner already! Now just a bajillion more rooms to go, or at least that's how it feels. Actually everything on the table came out of my crafting closet, trying to figure out how to organize it.


P.S. Yes if you look closely that is my son's mobile that I had on his crib from 6 years ago! I just couldn't let it go...but it was about time!

So what is your new years resolution, goal, word of the year? I'm really hoping that by summer I'll have everything in order, I can do that right? Just one room at a time?

Here are the other topics if you want join in as well.

 
Linking up here

Monday, January 9, 2017

How I Get Planner Organized

Happy Monday Foxy Friends! Today The Blended Blog sisters are starting a new series on how to organize different facets of your life. If you are stopping by from Christy's blog, welcome! Glad you stopped by! Since it is the beginning of the year, we decided we are going to start with planners, and how we organize our life.


Let's go back a bit...say back to 7th grade, when my mom got me my first day planner. Yep, it was green and made of canvas and probably from Target...I used the heck out of that thing. Back then Franklin Covey was the in thing to have, so a couple of years later she got me my first real leather bound legit Franklin Covey Day planner.

And the inside...yep I did all of 2016, then realized how much I liked the spiral bound planner that I bought for blogging, and decided it would be better to have another one for life, so I didn't have to lug this big thing around.


Random Fact: I keep all of the refills...I don't know why, well one time I wanted to see when I did something, so I went to look it up in the calendar, so I could then go find the picture in my folders of pictures. This is just what I had on hand, the others are packed away in storage...I have a problem. If I tried, I probably have every single year I've ever owned a Franklin on hand.


Let's take a closer look at that...



Last year, I was about to buy my refills, but realized that Franklin had spiral bound planners? What?! Game changer. I decided that I wanted to get my blog more organized and didn't want to be scrambling for posts each night. I bought a planner for my blog and then a separate for daily life.

Wow, why didn't I think of this sooner?

I know you want to take a peek inside. Back in college, when I was super bored in class and had a bunch of colored pens, I started color coding my planner. I did this so I could glance at my planner and know without having to read when things were due, when it was someone's birthday, etc. That then turned into highlighter. I've been using the same colors for at least the last 10 years.

From 2005



From 2015


Then last year when I decided to separate my blog and personal life I used the same color coding for my life planner and then changed it up a bit for my blog planner, but still the same idea.



Pink is link ups, Orange is The Blended Blog related, Green is my own, Yellow is just good to knows.


Here are my planners for this year.


Daily life.  When I get a new planner I fill out days off and birthdays and anniversaries first. Then life happens and the dance card starts to fill up pretty fast, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Blue is work things, green is something I have to do/a meeting, and orange is someone's birthday or anniversary. Even though you can't really see the print, you know exactly what is happening on what day.

 


For my blogging planner, I start with what I know, so I enter when I have days off right away. Then I add things that I always do, like Friday Favorites, and My TBB fashion link up. Typically I'll only go a few months out, just in case plans change. Then I fill in the link ups that I know of and want to participte in. I really like participating in Andrea's Tuesday Talk and Shay and Erica's Workin' Wednesday (used to be Stranded). I couldn't find my pink highlighter...might have to go buy another one.


So that's how I stay planner organized. I love the Erin Condren planners that everyone is obsessed, but quite frankly I don't have time to sit down each week to decorate a planner and if I did I would be working on my actual scrapbooks that I'm 6 years behind on, lol!

So how do you keep your planners organized? If you have read me first, hop on over to The Blended Blog to see how some of the other ladies keep planner organized! If you want to join us next week, we're talking about how we are going to budget in the new year. We'd love to see what works for your family!

Join in on any of the topics for the next few Mondays.







Linking up here

Friday, January 6, 2017

Friday Favorites #99

Happy Friday! We're almost at the end of the week, woo hoo! The first week back after break is always the hardest. So let's get to my favorites for the week:



Monday: My Winter Break In Numbers
Wednesday: Comfy Cozy Weekend Wear
Thursday: Sentence A Day - December Edition




I loved what I wore for Christmas, a little fancy for our little affair, but you know what? I don't care, I can wear want right? Anyway, it was so much fun to wear this skirt and top. Mini Fox wanted to take pictures with me and she picked this bench first.


Then I suggested we sit on the grass...she was all over that, she picked out the spot we sat down in.





Then my sister came and helped out so we could get the shot that I wanted...although I wish my shirt was fluffed out I'm happy with how it came out. Mini Fox is so darn cute.




Some random pictures. We were at the gas station and I had my phone in my hand so I threw it on Baby Fox's lap in the back seat, I had no idea he knew my passcode to my phone, and I look back and he's taking pictures. Later I saw what he took, little rascal.


Such an artist. That's his blankie there on his lap and he's set his Lego guy on it.


I captured this picture perfectly, totally on accident. They were being zombies and were surprise attacking me.


Naturally when you get really giant bags filled with gifts from your aunt, you then do sack races down the hallway, right? Blurry, but I still love them just the same.





You guys, I'm going to introduce you to the best app EVER! Okay, maybe that is a little dramatic, but really this app is awesome. It helps you to find flights at the best prices, simply enter where you're starting, where you're going and when you want to go and it will tell you when you should buy tickets! It sends you a notice when prices change, it's how I scored super low tickets for my trip in May! I didn't think the prices got that low, so if you have a trip coming up, go get this app, it's awesome!

P.S. Yes I am that person that doesn't care that there are 400 unread messages. Mostly they are spam that I never delete...at least it's not as bad as my mom who has 20,000.



Who is with me on this?



I've mentioned Us The Duo a couple of times now, but they just came out with another of their Hits of the year videos, and this one is awesome.


What are you all up to this weekend? Currently on my plate is taking down Christmas...ugh! Is it acceptable if no one is coming over I wait till next weekend? Hehe. Happy Weekending, we made it!

Linking up here