5 Reasons Why I am Looking Forward to Fall

I know summer still technically has 37 more days to reign but I can honestly say that one we hit the first day of school fall seems to come so quick! 

Though I do LOVE the summer months fall is by far the most favorite season for me and October is my favorite month which is just 45 days away! 

Fall to me is a fun jam packed season for many reasons like:

1: Pumpkin Flavored EVERYTHING! 

All of us girls love our pumpkin flavored items! From coffees to cakes, cheesecakes to beer and most everything in between. 

2: Amazing Outfits! 

For the Man in your life

LIttle girls

For the Tween

For the Teen

For Me :)

 I LOVE using Pinterest to find outfit inspirations. I usually try and find an adorable outfit and make my own version finding the pieces cheaper and within our budget. To me this is a great way to still be "hip" without breaking the bank! 

3: Hoodies

 Whatever your style or preference is a hoodie is a staple in the family. We all have our favorite designs, colors, what we find comfy etc but you can be sure we own at least one. My oldest and I are so attached to them that you might even see us wearing them year round :) 

4: Festivals, Fairs and Community Events

This area is HOPPIN' with events and festivals this time of year and the fair is also in town! 

One of our favorites and one that we go to annually is Spook City. 

This year it is on October 22 and I have already got it in my planner to attend. 

The girls have amazing things happening at school in the fall too and there is usually something going on if not right here in our town then the near towns have it going on an we try to take a short day trip to enjoy the festivities and our little family! 

5: Holidays

 The fall months host some of our favorite holidays! 

The girls and I really like Halloween and all the festivities from carving pumpkins to trick or treating and more! 

 Then there is the hubby who enjoys thanksgiving...but then again who doesn't love to eat?!

 Each of these holidays holds a tradition or two for us and we do look forward to them each year!

 What is your favorite season? 

XOXO

SJ

And Just Where Have I BEEN?!....

It is so hard to believe that my last post was on November 19th! 

If you know me you know that life here seems to be on CHAOS status 99.99% of the time for the last few years and now since November it has raised about 100 times fold. I will still be here on the blog on a more frequent basis than I have been that I can promise. I have tried to get to you all sooner but it have not failed that  SOMETHING had taken priority for the day and the blog was on the back burner...

Got to LOVE life right?!

The last post I shared with you all that we were traveling to the Northern part of Arkansas to spend an early Thanksgiving with my biological father, his wife, my grandma and my half siblings. 

Since we never know what the Arkansas weather will do for the winter we decided to go ahead and celebrate Christmas with them too while we are there. 

The girls of course thought this was a GREAT idea and they racked up on TWO Christmases this year... 

We did manage to get a few snow flakes while we were there but since the weather here has been bipolar nothing stuck and we were able to travel home with no problems. 

With our "Thanksgiving" being the weekend before the actual day we were able to spend the next week chillin' at home. 

I usually have around 8 to 15 kids here during school breaks hanging out and since God blessed me with ALL girls we are usually surrounded by even more girls when they have friends over. 

We spent the week having a musical themed week! 

We watched Pitch Perfect one and two, Sweeny Todd, Grease, Dirty Dancing and more! 

We shorted our week at home because me and the hubby had to make an emergency trip to Alabama that weekend to help my sister and her kids move here. 

We made the QUICKEST trip ever.... Since we left our girls here in Arkansas with the neighbor this mamma was in a HURRY to get back. 

I know, I know, I know that they are NOT babies anymore but THIS mamma will ALWAYS consider them babies... 

The perk of this ALL happening when it did all of the kids were out for the Thanksgiving break and no one missed school during the commotion. 

My sisters kids did miss one day due to my car being in the shop for THREE WEEKS!... but that is a WHOLE different story....

The transition went well considering that me and my sister has not spent THIS much time together in 15 years... and out of our 7 kids 4 are ADHD and one is 2....

The kids LOVE (for the most part) that they are all in the same schools, and they have "friends" that are around ALL THE TIME.

Since the move we have gotten kids ready for Holiday dances, concerts, holiday parties, school programs and then Christmas where we have shopped, picked out and cut down our own Christmas tree, seen lights, watched the parade downtown and so much more! 

In between all of that we buried our cat Astrid and nursed our cat Tiger back to health after becoming a chew toy for a few pit bulls... 

Right now we are trying to survive the holiday break... we have had any where from 7 to 14 kids here a day and the noise level has been on the rock concert on crack levels. 

With New Years Eve and 2016 at the end of the week I can say that I am SO EXCITED!  2015 has been a VERY rough year for me personally and I am ready for a fresh start. 

I have also been working on my revamp for my biz and I am excited to show you all that too. 

What's In Your Bag?...Traveling with Kids

Some of my favorite memories as a kids were when we went on a road trip.

I can not tell you the joy I felt when I knew we had one coming up. 

As an adult I still get the same joyous feeling and I enjoy taking road trips as a family with my girls. 

Though we usually only get to travel when headed to see family I still enjoy the time in the car with us 5. 

Since I have traveled from the time I was 6 month old to currently I have come to find a few essentials  that I consider a MUST in our book.
The Perfect Bag

 

Over the years I have tried a HUGE varety from back packs to tote type etc. 

I found this doll last summer in the Target dollar section for $3 and I have to say I LOVE IT! 

It doesn't close up at all which is the only down fall but it works great for easy access, and hold just the right amount of items. 

I got this one for our youngest and I am in hopes that I can find one similar to this for all 3 of them and even might go all out and personalize them all one and dedicate them for our trips!  

3DS Game Systems

 

I am NOT a huge gamer fan but I have to say that these have came in VEY handy with our kids. 

Since two of them are ADHD keeping their boredom to a minimum is a HUGE task on long trips and I love these things for that reason and that reason only.  

Road Bingo

 

Target was on point last summer with their dollar section this last summer!
I got these awesome road trip bingo boards for only $1 each.
I grabbed one in each color which also works out great seeing that there are 4 since Dakota and Alora tend to go to Alabama for the summer and they take two. Which leaves two for Aaliyah and I when we travel and when we are together there is enough for everyone but the Hubby. Since he does the driving I thought it was safer to leave him out fo the fun :) but that doesn't stop him from cheating playing eye spy.
Cell Phones

We all have our own phones and og course that means they HAVE to go.
These are great entertainment for the kids especially the teens in our lives, they love to listen to their music, chat with friends and hit up social media.

Cinnamon Gum & Pressure Point Bands

Aaliyah suffers from car-motion sickness we have found that these two products help us a TON!
I knew about the arm bands from when I was a kid since my cousin suffers from Vertigo but when I was on the search for some for her for her first plane trip to Cali I had the WORST time finding them. I actually was blessed enough to get the set from my sister's then boy friend who's parents own a pharmacy and he mailed them to me.
I hope to get about 3 more sets because to be honest I have been on the verge of a heart attack a few times when I couldn't find them or one was MIA!
I plan to sick one set in each of our vehicles, my purse, and her travel bag...
Headphones

Since all of the girsl like listening to their own music and play the DS's these are another top thing on my list. Mainly for my sanity. We used to use earbuds but they are HARD to keep up with and lets be honest headphones are more comfortable.
Coloring books, Workbooks and Games

These are a great way to get the kids out of the tech world and into the world of the arts. I usually also let them throw in a book or two and Dakota will bring like 4.... She is a HEAVY reader!
The older two have nooks and they sometimes ask for them intead.

Here are a few things I did not take images of but still are just as important.
1. Travel Pillow and Blanket
My girls all have a small pillow to travel with and I am so very thankful that they do. These are great fro naps in the car and it brings something from home that they use often with them. 

2. Extra Clothes
I always pack and extra outfit for Aaliyah since she tends to throw up

3. Snacks, Drinks, wet wipes, Snackees and papertowels
We save HUGE amounts of money by hitting the grocery store and loading up my cooler bag. We don't have to pay the gas station prices nor do we have to stop and eat. The kids love to snack and this fits us well.  Aaliyah got a snackees cup for her birthday last year and I HAVE got to get one fro the rest of us but I promise we won't be sporting Elsa from Frozen :)

Next week I will share with you all what is in my bag when I travel. :)

We are headed up north this weekend for an early Thanksgiving and we are excited!
Now I need to go finish packing :)
See ya!

Meet Ant

Yesterday I shared Our Story and how our family became to be and now it is time to meet the man stupid crazy enough to stick around this long...

So with out further ado..

Ant was born in Tallahassee, Florida but was raised in Headland, Alabama.
He is one of 7 siblings.

Only one of his siblings is not pictured. 

For many years he moved and set up mobile homes until we moved to Arkansas where he changed career fields and is learning to be an electrician.

 (Within the blog I shared some of my favorite pictures of Ant of the years)

I asked him a few questions for you guys and here were his answers:

Top of Bucket List:

 Visit Rome 

As long as I have known Ant he has always been interested in history. Rome is the top of his list and I hope one day to go visit it together.

Favorite Movie:

Fast and Furious Series

This should not be a shocker when it comes to a man's favorite movie now days right? And to be honest this is one I don't mind watching myself. He also enjoys martial arts movies, The Expendables and the 300 series.

Favorite Color: 
White

WHITE EVERYTHING, shoes, cars, clothes!
(as someone who likes black so much this kills me! :) )

Favorite Animal:

Kimono Dragon

I've got nothing but GROSS!


Favorite Holiday:

Thanksgiving

What can I say? You know the old saying the way to a mans heart is through his stomach...
well there ya go...


Favorite Vacation:

Gulf Breeze Island, Flordia

We were blessed enough to join my God Father one summer there and we BOTH LOVED it.
We hope to make is a tradition soon for our family

Favorite thing to do in Arkansas 

The River Market

I will be sharing more about the river market soon TRUST ME, it is a place that the whole family enjoys.

Guilty Pleasure:

Tattoos aka Ink

I have honestly lost count of how many he actually has but I know we are CLOSE if not over 30 or so. I will be sharing more details on his ink with you all soon here on the blog so maybe ya'll can count along with me?


MORE ODD AND END FACTS:

• He HATES having his picture taken (bad thing to have when your wife is a photog) but he plays nice when the lens is in his face.
  

• Our daughter Aaliyah was born the day after his birthday therefore he is a good sport and deals happily accepts birthday themes like pink and zebra stripes and peacock as party themes. 

• Pink DOES look good on him though it took me and my mom YEARS to convince him to TRY IT... and now he VOLUNTARILY wears it!

• He LOVES the water, he got hooked on the river this summer and I have to say him and the kids could LIVE there I am sure.

• He IS one of the kids, but because of this he is an amazing dad! 

• He is a basketball fan from playing to watching and everything in between

• Chinese food is his favorite but he settles for spaghetti and pot roast at home

• Rap is his favorite music but he likes and listens to it all. 

Ant is my best friend, there are times that I can say I don't really like him but I can always say that I always love him and THAT is what counts right?