Vampire Diaries Tour!

With the sad announcement that this season would be the last season of Vampire Diaries, I figured I had better get my toosh down to Covington, GA to do the tour!! It was all of an hour and a half away from my home, so my birthday was the perfect excuse to go.
Got to say, I had a blast. (Hubby had a pretty good time even though he is sooo not into the show)
Going to the tour definitely inspired me to go back and re-watch all the seasons! I forgot how much i loved the first 2 especially!

Vampire Stalkers is the tour to do! These ladies know their stuff.



Anywho, thought I would share a few pics.

The iconic courthouse

We did eat here, at the Mystic Grill....but, it is not anything like the one from the show.....

Kissing in the same spot as the famous Delena kiss!!!

at the lockwood fountain 

My husband hates this pic! But, I had to be drowned a la Carol Lockwood. 

These signs are so cool. FUN FACT: they change the square out with whatever mystic falls event is going on with these flags/signs. 

Bonnie's house

Mask from the Masquerade Ball episode.

I can't wait to do The Originals Tour! (Done by the same company)


#teamdamon
#tvdforever

Wowza, what a book!!!!!

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!?!?!?

no really, did that just happen?!?!?!?!?!

Watch out Spoilers probably ahead...

I'll get to that wtf moment in a bit, I guess I should start from the beginning...
So basically this 7 year old kid, Ethan was abducted from his family. It has been 9 years and they get the call that Ethan has been found. He is coming home. This poor kid lived with his "abducter" Ellen for a while and then she decided to dump him of at a kids' home in some bum-fu@! town where there are "no questions asked".

Okay, this pisses me off.... I digress

He lives there a while. Screws some girl named Tempest, decides to leave and go live on the streets and at the zoo. Did I mention this kid is only like 13-15 during all this.

So, he gets to go home and be with his famiy now after 9 years of not knowing who he is. He "meets" his mom, dad, younger brother and 6 year old sister. Yeah, she was born just a year after he was taken. Also another kinda pisses me off moment. But, she turns out to be too darn cute to get mad at. So, I let this one go.

Ethan's Brother on the other hand was pretty awful to him. He is angry that Ethan doesn't remember anything. He is angry at him for living in his space. He is just angry. This kid made me sick. Up until literally the last page I hated him. But, he turned out to be right. Don't ya hate that?!?!?!


So, I had a range of emotions reading this. I was happy for the family at first, I was sad for Ethan not being able to fit in, I was mad at pretty much every character at some point or another.

I read this book because I am a huge fan of Lisa McMann. Her Wake trilogy was easy to read and just awesome.
I am still a huge fan.

Even after this wtf ending. I can't believe it. I thought maybe Ethan would run away or Blake would try and kill him or something. But, I DID NOT SEE this coming. Holy Hell!

4 stars






Content: A lot of F-Bombs were dropped. Not suitable for probably under 15??

Because I am furniture.....

This is disgusting, disturbing, horrific and sad
yet so beautiful and honest.
So deep and moving,
So heart-wrenching.
How terrifying it must be
to be terrified of your own Father.
How mind-f*&^ing it must be
to want any attention from him,
to be jeaouls of your sisters rape,
to desire to be beaten
or yelled at
just something to know he knows you exist.
How powerful you must feel
knowing you are the reason he was sent to jail,
how powerless you must feel to know he is now out.
You are no longer furnature.
You exist, you have a life.


If you have never really read any books with verse/poetry to tell the story, this might be a good one to start on. It's super quick and easy to follow. I still feel like I read a story, not just a collection of pretty words. This is not like that. My heart breaks, because you know this sort of thing goes on all over the world. There are so many people who are left so powerless and feel like they have no way out- I am so glad this one ended on a good note. 
Try this one out... but be prepared that it is a sad story.

Book review: The dressmaker

Look at this cover!!!! It's gorgeous right?
I was really expecting a romantic, titanic tale with some rich designer or something. This was pretty good, but it wasn't that....

In a nutshell this is a fictional story trying to answer why did only one life-boat go back to rescue overboard passengers from the titanic. Alcott really focuses in on one boat in particular- Lifeboat #1, the Duff-Gordon's boat. 
I am warning you I think I am about to go on a "Kristy Ramble".

This book was very informative, like spitting out facts (even if they were fictional). I later found out Alcott was a former journalist and she definitely wrote this book like a journalist... I hope that makes sense. 

Also, this thing needed to make up it's mind. Are you a romance book? If so, there needed to be a lot more! If not, there needed to be less. 

I needed more emotion! You were on the Titanic for cripes sake! Like I said, everything was just so factual, so robotic. The sinking, the imaginary-read-between-the-lines romance, the court case. 


Decent, but I am now on the lookout for a good Titanic story.

3 stars
Peace out lovelies.

Ice ice elfy

Bumblebee is back. This was super easy and got a wow reaction.  Unless you want a wet elf, I would freeze it in a Ziploc bag.

Taylor's thought process : elf went swimming and froze?
The atmosphere was cold last night and froze him during his flight?
Someone trapped him in a pond and he had to come here to de-thaw?

This would be great if you have a kid into the movie frozen!!!! Elsa did it! ;)

Send me some of your creative and easy ideas! We all get by with a little help from our friends.

Merry Christmas!

Fire & Flood

I really enjoyed this one! It has a very Hunger Games-ish vibe going on, but not so much to make it just a repeat, copy-cat. The race for a cure gave it so much varying meanings and the added pandoras were very interesting. I am frothing for #2!

Spoilers ahead:

I really thought "Guy's" character was way older in the beginning....Just the way she spoke of him, made me feel like he was 40 or something. So, for him to be 19 kind of put me off for a second there. But, after getting to know him, I really enjoy his story-line and can't wait to see what else he knows! 
I'm nervous for all the competitor's, especially one's like Guy, who have a hidden agenda.

I really liked the Pandora's, such a cool idea.....except the human one.... that was odd. I feel like this is going to become an issue in later books. 

I'm curious where the next leg of the race will be. And, who will win the cure? Or is there even a cure?

I am bothered by Tella's family...why did they not communicate with her about this race? I know they didn't want her to go, but it just seems like something very big to hide completely. I guess hindsight is 20/20 right? I'm wondering if Tella's grandmother is going to be brought up more? She just felt important. 

I really liked Guy, but that name?!?!?!? Sort of odd. 


Oy. I have so many feels. I can't even. I just need the next book. N.O.W. 


4.5 stars-Highly recommend. Super fast paced, fun read. 

Back to School

I cannot believe the summer is almost gone and kids are headed back to school!  Give your kids the nutritional foundation they need.  Shaklee has the best multivitamins for your superhero!  For more info  https://melissaclark.myshaklee.com/us/en/shop/healthyfoundations/essentialsvitaminsandminerals/product-_p_incredivites_supsupp

Book review: The 5th wave

Spoilers throughout:

There are aliens among us, literally. No, not the peace-loving, green hippie dudes either. These guys definitely do not come in peace. They have infested us. They have become us. They are dormant in the chosen bodies for a while, but the kind of meld together -other and human. Their goal appears to be to eradicate the human race. They want this planet. They do NOT want us. They create the perfect enemy- ourselves. The humans don't know who is "infected" and who is just an innocent human. It's perfect, everyone just kill everyone. Trust no one. Survival is in numbers typically, and they wiped that whole concept completely out. The humans left are easy pickings- the eye will find you if you don't keep moving, the eye will find you if you stay put. You will be silenced. 

Only, what if some of these "others" have become more human and alien. What if? You can't help but wonder if one silencer feels this way, do others?? Will the human race finally have hope? 


I am having a hard time rating this. I mean the story is CRAZY! But, the jumping pov's got annoying for me, at times. I am such a little chicken, so this gave me the creeps. I would have finished it so much quicker if I wasn't a pansy who didn't want to read this at night. 

I think the fellas will enjoy this one. 

4 stars from me.  

(MY) Top 5 Netflix Shows for babies/toddlers

While I do not let my kids just watch TV all the time, I do allow them to watch as a treat. They especially like the music end of things...they are not the kind to just sit there zombified looking at the screen, they like to dance along, play and glance up a little. 

Hands down #1 pick: Baby Genius 

This is mostly music, so my girls love it! The graphics are definitely not up-to-date, but they don't care. The like the friendly, albeit kinda weird looking animals and the upbeat songs! 

#2 Barney (especially this Let's go to the Farm one)

I can't believe I am actually suggesting this purple fella.... But, my girls absolutely love this! All the farm animals and music keep them entertained. They actually "watch" this one. As in, they look at it for approximately 2 minutes at a time ;)

#3 Puppy Party 

Ok, so this is pretty much just a bunch of puppies running around....but, it's cute for a little while. The girls like doggies right now, so it works.... 

There is also, kitten party and animal party available. Just a load of cuteness.

#4: LeapFrog (all titles) 

As far as education goes, these offer a good deal. Numbers, abc's, phonics, etc. They aren't super annoying either....so there's that. 

#5: Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood 

He's cute and friendly. The girls like the songs and his little tiger voice. He offers more in the social development areas. 

Now, if finding clean, good shows for the 7 year old was as easy..................

Death eaters/slow-mo raindrops in a jar

Taylor's best friend Logan was over today, so naturally we had to break out some science experiments to do....that's just part of everyday life around here ;)

Of course they are little boys who ran around outside, played X-box and stole the redi-whip, but they enjoyed some structured play as well.

Supplies Needed: 

Clear Jar

Dish/bowl

Food coloring

About a TBSP of Vegetable oil

Step 1: Fill Jar with warm water a little over halfway.                                                   Step 2: pour V. oil into dish. Drop about 3-4 drops of food coloring of each color.

 Step 3: Mix food coloring with a fork or spoon. 

Step 4: Dump contents of dish into the jar of warm water. Watch!

The boys rated this one 3 out of 5 stars.

I give it a 5 out of 5. easy,quick,not messy, ingredients found in home already. 

Olivia's Intro Post

This is my first post, and I am so excited to be introducing my family!

I met my husband, Justin in October 2013. We were quickly head over heels in love.

 

In February 2014, after a few short months together, we found out that I was pregnant. We were a little surprised, excited, and extremely nervous. We were young; he was 22, and I was 20. I was working as a McDonald's manager and going to college full time. Having a baby was definitely not part of my plan at that time, but I was in love with Justin, and our "baby" the second I found out we were expecting. Telling our families was difficult, but after lots of tears, they were very accepting and loving. In March, we found out that our baby was actually babies-twins!

The thought of having two babies was terrifying for us. Our relationship struggled during my pregnancy. It was not a relationship built on years of love and commitment. It was still new and we were only beginning our life together when we learned that our unit of two was soon going to be a family of four. Although we had our disagreements, we both loved our babies more than anything and we knew we could make it work for them. In May, we found out that we were having a girl and a boy-a dream come true!

Over the next several months, our relationship got stronger, and we were both committed to becoming the best parents possible, and giving our babies a loving family.

  I was due October 28, 2013, but I was told by my doctors to expect my babies much earlier. I had few problems throughout, other than constant morning sickness. At the end of August, when I was about 30 weeks, I had to stop working. I didn't even realize that's what they were because I had gotten so used to my back hurting so bad all the time! 

I waited and waited (sometimes impatiently) for something to happen during September, but thankfully, our babies were staying in and growing. 

I had been seeing my OB or the perinatologist at least once a week, with no problems, other than decreasing amniotic fluid every week, but they assured me that was normal. 

My C-Section was scheduled for October 16 and everything had gone as planned so far. I went to see the perinatologist on October 8th. I wasn't worried about anything, it was just a check up, so Justin went on to work. It started out just like every other appointment, but during the ultrasound, I realized something was different by the questions they were asking.. Have you still been feeling them move? Have you been leaking any fluid? They had me change positions several times and walk around. They couldn't get Baby A to move, although her heart rate was still steady. Baby B had very little amniotic fluid and had not grown significantly in 2-4 weeks. The decided it was time to have some babies!

I called Justin and my mom and went on to the hospital. I was so nervous.

On October 9th, they took me to the OR and tried the spinal, but it wasn't working. They put me to sleep and the next thing I remember is my mom sitting me up in the bed and handing me my beautiful babies. Although I don't remember the scary parts, I've heard the story from everyone who was there that day. Brooks was obviously in distress when he was born. He was rushed out of the OR immediately. My family who was waiting in the hall, said they couldn't even tell that the nurse was holding a baby because he was so small and she had him wrapped in blankets. He had a little trouble with breathing and maintaining his temperature, but we all went home after 4 days. 

Ava Marie 

15 lbs 15 oz

18.5 inches 

1:05 PM

Brooks Kyle

4 lbs 15 oz

18 inches

1:06 PM

These babies have brought more joy to my life than I ever imagined. Watching them learn and grow is a daily blessing, although it is sometimes challenging. Having a boy and a girl is so much fun! They are so different, but each so special in their own way. 

Ava is my feisty, opinionated, and independent little girl. She loves everything girly...nail polish, dresses, shoes, and Princess movies. She is definitely the leader of the two. 

Brooks is my sensitive little guy. He is gentle with everyone, with the exception of Ava some days. He had a rough start and was sick and hospitalized several times, but he has made so much progress, especially recently. He loves music, dancing, Elmo, and tractors. 

On August 16, 2014, we made our family a little more official. I married my best friend, and I finally share my children's last name. Even though our beginning might not have been perfect, the story we're writing everyday is pretty wonderful. 

Being a wife, twin mom, and having a full time career is busy, but so much fun everyday. It's a learning process, too. I can't wait to share my experiences with you all!

MY 5 MUST-HAVE ITEMS FOR NEWBORN TWINS!

#1: Swaddleme blankets (minimum of 2 per child) 

Shop at Amazon.com!

#2: Boppy newborn loungers! 

Buy at Amazon.com!

#3: Rock-n-play x 2 

Get it at Amazon.com!

This is probably my favorite baby item ever!!!! I mean, with 2 babies you need somewhere to sit atleast one baby down while you are tending to the other one. I can't tell you how many times I had one rocking in this with my foot and the other in my arms. 

#4:  Dr. Browns bottle set X2 

  I wasn't able to breastfeed due to my babies coming at 30 weeks. No milk supply for me, so if you are bf'ing you may or may not need this. 
Get at Amazon.com!

#5: Boudreaux's butt paste

I highly recommend getting both of these types. This clears up diaper rash quicker than anything! 

START YOUR STOCKPILE NOW!!!!

Shop at Amazon.com!

I also have to mention a tip one of my NICU nurses gave us. She said to apply vaseline at every diaper change to avoid any rash....well, she was right. My girls never had diaper rash as infants! They have only just recently started to get a bit of heat rash, but the butt paste clears that up! 

TWIN-MOM-TO-BE: You can do this! Having 2 infants at the same time is definitely not easy, but it does get easier as they get older. You will figure out what works for you and just do that. Don't worry about others' opinions and advice. Take it or leave it. You are the mom. God chose you. YOU GOT THIS!!!! 

And, remember to take pictures. You will think you are taking a ton, but take more :) 

I would also like to offer encouragement for those of you who end up having your babies early....my girls were born at 30 weeks...

We have gone from This:

Skylar 2.5 lbs

Emerson 3 lbs.

To THIS in 17 months 

Sky 20 lbs 

emmie 21 lbs