Birthday weekend wrap-up + Summer plans

Friday was my birthday and the last day of summer. Much to celebrate! The day started out pretty good but quickly morphed into another busy day of chauffering my kids around. By 5:00 pm I was hangry mom because once again I only managed to fit in like two bites for lunch. I wanted to celebrate with the kids also so H suggested Benihana at Lauderdale by the sea. The food was so-so, but the experience was fun for the kids. Afterwards we drove down a little and walked to the beach, and then had more dessert at a sweet shop. It really did end up being a great night. 

I wish I had gotten non-grainy pictures of my dress, but I'm always rushing and H is always rushing me, and it's hard to get decent pictures of my outfits when I'm with him. This dress is super cute for the summer and when I bought it in person it was $22.99, but online it's $34.99. It fits true to size and is super comfortable. My wedges are a few years old from PacSun. I linked something similar below.

Strapless shirt dress: {Macy's}

Orange wedges: {Shesimplyshops}

Straw clutch: {Michael's}

White tassel earrings: {Target}

The next day we had an awards gala that night and I still hadn't found a new dress. Usually Lord & Taylor is my go to spot but I actually couldn't find anything that fit right. I also tried Macy's and also nothing. I headed to Saks fifth avenue outlet and kicked myself for not remembering to go there in the first place. They carry a lot of smaller sizes and I found a really pretty strapless coral dress. 

Coral Likely dress: {Saksfifthavenue} similar. Online there are several colors but the top isn't scalloped.

Turquoise statement necklace: {Stellaandruby}

Sunday we relaxed a bit and took the kids to the park. We also signed them up for a few summer camps. Layla will be doing 3 camps and Mariam will be doing 2. It was pretty hard to convince her to do any. Ava is still to young for camps and Serena will be staying busy with babysitting one of my neighbors kids down the street and volunteering. We don't have any out-of-state trips planned this summer but one of my nephew's is coming early July and then my other nephew and my older brother mid July. He'll be helping us remodel our Florida room and possibly a few other things around the house if time permits. I have high hopes of a pleasant summer with the kids, but they are unpredicatable ha-ha, so I'm already working on ways to be more zen and reduce my stress level. I still have my business as well that needs my time so I have to have a good plan to give everything and everyone the attention it/they need. 

Happy Tuesday!

Five on Friday!

I've actually been meaning to post a "five on Friday" For-EVER now and it just never happens. Whether or not I had something else planned to write about, or just didn't get around to blogging. The three little ones are playing in the Florida room with a neighbor so I have a few moments to spare before H and Serena gets home and I start dinner and then get super exhausted. I've been battling a cold for 2 weeks now! My voice has been raspy for over a week and this persistent cough has been not letting me fall asleep till well past 1 am every single night this week! It's been challenging to say the least, especially since the kids give me no rest. I finally broke down and saw a doctor this morning. I have....brace yourselves.....a cold. At least now I know, it's nothing serious and he prescribed me a z pak and mucinex, so hopefully I start feeling better at least by Sunday! Let's talk about some highlights though. 

One. Yesterday was my birthday and as always my husband went above and beyond in making me feel special and loved. Aside from his generous gifts, we all went out for dinner at the new Louie Bossi's which is really close to us. I loved it! From the handmade pastas to the details in the decor, you can tell they put a lot of thought into what they do. 

Two. I've always loved lave and white but I'm completely obsessed this year! I wore this gorgeous lace peplum top for my birthday yesterday and will share more pics on the blog next week. 

{White lace top: Tobi}

Three. Aside from being obsessed with white lace, tassel's, pom poms and fringe are right there too. I found the cutest earrings from Francesca's the other day. 

Similar here

Four. My sweet Serena has officially graduated middle school. I can't believe I'll have a high schooler this fall. That's crazy talk! So proud of her and everything she's accomplished this year. She's so smart and talented with a big heart. 

Five: With summer around the corner, I'm sure watermelon is going to be a staple around here. Loving this recent recipe I found and made here. 

Have a great weekend!

Sometimes a gal wants to feel a little fabulous...

{Seahorse necklace: Fabulous Central}

With summer around the corner, you're going to be seeing a lot more sea creature and coastal inspired decor, jewelry, and apparel. I mentioned not too long ago that Layla is obsessed lately with all things mermaid, seahorse, and starfish! She is also really into jewelry these days. She actually doesn't have her ears pierced but she brought it up the other day. She asked why she doesn't have them pierced. Our first born is the only one of the girls that had her ears piercerd as a baby. With the others we figured we'd just let them make the choice for themselves when they decided they'd want them. 

Before Layla's birthday came around I knew she would absolutely love a seahorse necklace and I found the perfect one through online retail shop Fabulous Central.

I love how lightweight it is and just the right amount of adornment. A simple yet "different" piece, and sterling silver.

If you're looking for cute silver jewelry for your child or yourself, check out Fabulous Central. Shipping is super fast and the items come gift wrapped. 

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Disclaimer: I was provided with a product in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the company and its affiliates in anyway.

Ava's 1 year pictures!

I can't believe I didn't post Ava's 1 year pictures. She turned a year on September 12th and we had just a quiet party at home. My mom and some of H's parents were able to skype in when we sang her happy birthday so that was nice. Currently she's 14 months and I'll be doing an update on her soon. 

Have a great Wednesday!

Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays.

Super late on this since Serena's birthday was on November 12th. As always it's hard to believe she has turned another year. She's 14 now! I'm so proud of the girl she's turned out to be. First children don't come with a manual, so it's often on a parents mind if they've gotten the child rearing right. Serena is kind, helpful, smart and caring. I think maybe we got some things right. ;)

Just what the doctor ordered....Sweet Therapy by Kim!

When I was planning Layla's enchanted fairy garden party, I came across a few cake pictures online that I fell in love with. I settled on a few inspiration cake pictures and then set on the task to find a local baker in Boca Raton. A few people on a south Florida mom's Facebook group recommended Sweet Therapy by Kim so I decided to reach out to her. It was short notice but Kim was able to accommodate my request and let me just say, I was blown away by her perfectionism and creativity! Picking up the cake was seriously the highlight of my day--it was so beautiful!

This past Saturday we had the party and despite all the other decor I had, it was the focal point. All of our guests loved it. I was almost afraid to cut into it. Layla had requested chocolate and the whole cake was actually edible, The flavor was delicious. I had one guest comment that it tasted like a delicious family recipe their grandmother used to make. The cake was more than enough to feed everybody and we got to bring some home. I may or may not have been enjoying a small slice nightly with a tall glass of milk. 

If you are in South Florida and in need of a baker check out Sweet Therapy by Kim. You won't be disappointed. I definitely plan on using her again for Ava's 1st birthday in a few months.

I'll be doing a couple more posts on Layla's party details so be sure to check back.

Have a great Thursday!

Happy 5th Birthday Layla!

It's hard to believe my sweet Layla is 5! 

Ava's Birth Story

So I believe the last time I posted while I was pregnant, I mentioned that at 38 weeks and 3 days I was barely dilated at all. I thought for sure that I would go to my due date like I did with baby #3 or that I would go past due. The next day (Friday) after my OB appointment I decided to take the girls to the library last minute. I knew the weekend was upon us so I wanted to check out some books and a movie for them. The library nearby has a nature trail and since the day was so nice, afterwards I thought it would be nice to take a little walk. I hardly exercised at all this pregnancy but I had been on my feet most of the day with the girls and I really don't think I've worked harder in my life in regards to my family and business. So we took our little stroll and then headed home. The rest of the night was uneventful, but I did have trouble sleeping. From 5 am on, I kept having to use the restroom. In retrospect I see it was because the baby must have dropped further and was putting more pressure on my bladder.

I got up for the day around 8 am and noticed that I was having a lot of braxton hicks contractions. Around 8:30 am H left to go bike riding and I started timing them. I was getting them every 2-5 minutes but they were painless. Something was definitely up. I texted my mom around 9:30 to tell her what I was feeling and joked that I hoped this wasn't false labor. By 10:30 they started to calm down but I was still getting them here and there. Some I had to breathe through but that was nothing new for me. I've had that feeling for weeks with some of them.

We went about our business and went to go see a house with a friend of ours and his toddler, and then went to the park. There weren't happening too much at the park so I was definitely thinking the baby was not going to come on that day. After the park we all went to go have pizza and I noticed the contractions were getting stronger. We ate, stopped at the grocery store while I waited in the car and by then it was 3:00 pm. I told DH that we should get home already. By the time we got home contractions were coming closer and stronger. I was still able to finish packing my bag, take a shower and blow dry my hair, but I would stop and breathe through my contractions. Once I finished everything they were still coming but not yet 5 minutes apart. I waited it out on the couch and called my OB. She told me to wait till they are about 5 minutes apart or I could come in and do a labor check but if I was only 1 or 2 cm dilated they would just send me home. I waited 15 more minutes and by then they were less than 5 minutes apart and very painful. We headed to the hospital around 5:00 pm. By the time I got up to labor and delivery and checked I was 5 cm dilated! Yep I was going to be admitted and it was baby time. I requested the epidural. I was in so much pain by the time we got to the hospital that I was literally shaking. My teeth were chattering and I was in agony. I couldn't get the epidural right away though. They needed to get a bag of IV fluid in me first. Around 6:30 pm I had the worst contraction of all and I felt my water break. Around 7pm I got the epidural and sweet relief finally kicked in 30 minutes later. Usually it happens fast but not this time. Once I went numb I was able to rest, talk and post on Facebook. Relief never felt so good.

Around 10:00 pm the nurse and doctor came in and it was go time. I was at a 10. The doctor suited up but everybody in the room pretty much had to postition me and hold my legs. I was completely numb that I couldn't feel my legs. Still I pushed and I was able to get her out in 3 big pushes. Right away they put her on my chest and I was able to hold her for about 12 minutes before they weighed and cleaned her. After they got her clean H and I noticed she looked so much like our second daughter--only she had a lot more hair! Ava is gorgeous with the most beautiful golden brown hair. Her sisters got to see her the next day and naturally fell in love with her as well. We had a great hospital stay and were discharged 2 days later. H and I are definitely feeling very blessed.

Have a great weekend!

Birthday Dress

Monday June 1st was my birthday but I got to celebrate the day before as well. I actually spent most of that Sunday working (my request) while H played with the kids, but for dinner H made dinner and had bought a cake so the girls could share in the birthday festivities. On Monday we went out to eat just him and I and it was so nice to get away for a little date! Since moving to Florida away from our families, it's rare we get a date night. I always welcome a day where I get to get dolled up as well. 

Originally I wanted to do a smoky eye look to go with the dress, but I just can't seem to get it right and nixed it instead for a bronzy look. It seems like whenever I try to change up my makeup I feel like I still end up looking the same haha! Does anyone else feel like that?

Layla turns 4!

Yesterday my Layla baby turned 4! It's so crazy how fast time goes when you have little children. Layla is the sweetest out of the bunch and 3 has been a great age. I've really enjoyed it and I'm so lucky I get to be her mother. Yesterday we had a low key birthday party--as in it was just us. It was actually nice though because all the focus was 100% on her and there was no need to entertain anyone else. We wish our families could have been here, but we are making a trip to Texas either next month or July, so we are pretty excited about that.