five on friday...

i'm linking up for a quick "five on friday" this week. lots of things happening in the tippins house - here's a quick rundown....

one.

we are SO pumped that football season has started! we love us some georgia bulldogs. maybe one day my girls will be graduates of my alma mater, but until then - we'll just dress them cute and raise them right ;-)

two.

laney is STILL climbing out of her bed. i think i may have jinxed myself by posting about it last week, because ever since then, she's de                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              cided to grace us with her presence around 3am each morning. she shows up in the dead of night and says, "good mornin' momma!" thankfully(?) about half the time she'll go back to sleep. but then other days, she stays awake. some days she doesn't even nap. if you think that after waking up at 3:00AM and not napping all day she'd be exhausted, well -you've got another thing comin'. she'll still fight bedtime and it will sometimes be 9:30 before she'll finally give it up. meanwhile, i'm struggling through - ha! 

three.

hand, footh, and mouth is for the birds. but thankfully, i think it's safe to say it's left our house. hopefully never to return. i'm still praying liza doesn't get it, because i know there's a chance it could appear on her any day. but for now, the big girls are all clear and we're able to get out and about. 

four.

we took libbi and laney to meet their new teachers yesterday. they both have super sweet teachers for this year and i know it's going to be a great year! they were excited to be back at school and for some reason they both seemed to age about two years once we walked in the door. why do they have to grow so fast?!

five.

don't forget to check out all the august sponsors and discount codes! lots of fun things at great prices for this holiday weekend!!

happy friday and happy long weekend, friends! 

 GO DAWGS!

August Sponsors and DISCOUNTS!

i feel like i say this every month, but i seriously canNOT believe it's the end of august. how has another month come and gone already?! with the birth of liza (six weeks ago, what?!) and the madness of getting her home, settling in, and just adjusting to life with three, i didn't get around to sharing all the sponsors at the beginning of this month. so please forgive me for posting them at the end - but hopefully the wait was worth it! :) so in honor of "back to school" here are a few of my favorite back to school picks from some of my favorite shops!

goat & lulu.
first off, the ever fabulous goat and lulu. y'all. i can't even tell you how much i love the new items amanda is coming up with. they are to.die.for. my paypal account (and my husband) are going to hate me. y'all know she made the girls' outfits for the newborn photo session. i'm DYING to show them, but i'm waiting until all our birth announcements have been sent out since they're wearing them in the pictures. but trust me, serious cuteness.

we have a precious skirt that amanda made for laney's second birthday - only big sister hijacked it and has claimed it as her own - ha! amanda so kindly whipped up a goat & lulu shirt for libs to wear that coordinates with "her" skirt. how perfect is this apple of my eye shirt for back to school?! we love it! not to mention, there are two other little "L" sisters that will have their turn soon enough with this fun shirt. (see jeffrey?! i CAN be frugal!) ;-)

here are a few of my other current favorites in the goat & lulu shop....you know i LOVE a coordinating sister set! :) 

{pictured: fall garden apron knot dress and navy fall garden dress}

you can follow along with goat & lulu on...
etsy
facebook
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blog
**use the code football15 to receive 15% off anything in the goat & lulu shop now through sunday!! 

polkadot posies.
as you can see from the pictures above, my girl(s) love the big bows! polkadot posies is THE place to buy them! ALL bows are $4 and under. that's right, ALL bows $4 and under. in "bow world" that's practically unheard of! 
we're stocked up on all the necessities (solid color, big bows) but now we're adding to our collection of back to school and UGA bows! gotta have the red and black! :)
check out polkadot posies for every bow, headband, flower, and clippie you could ever imagine. you won't regret it! 

minted.
i just ordered our birth announcements from minted and i am in LOVE with them! i can't wait to share them with y'all! as soon as they're all mailed out, i'll post pictures. they are so sweet. since i can't share our birth announcements just yet, i thought i would share some of my favorite Back to School products offered by minted. when i was teaching (and still to this day) i LOVED personalized paper products. stationery, notebooks, planners, notecards, etc. i loved it all! most of these things would be adorable for yourself, but even cuter as a teacher gift! 

use the code GMAILLOVE to get 10% off your total purchase and FREE shipping! (offer good until friday at 11:59PM)

zulily.

it's no secret that i LOVE to shop for my girls. but now that i have three(!) i have to look out for some good deals. zulily.com has been hitting it out of the park lately. their sales have been great, the selection has been awesome, and dare i say, the shipping times have GREATLY improved! 

if you haven't joined zulily.com, you need to. they offer great children's clothing, but also some fun stuff for moms and the home too. (hello, spanx that were featured this week!) 

frecklebox.

next up is the fabulous frecklebox. i love this company and their products. we own many of them and will definitely continue to order more in the future. they are durable, well made, and excellently priced! 

right now, frecklebox is having a sale on personalized story books - you can save up to 50%!!!

here are few more of our every day favorites: 

* personalized puzzles - choose from tons of designs! 

*personalized wrapping paper....yes, we have it. i couldn't resist. and it is just as cute as you would think.

* lunchboxes - i know one little ballerina who is gonna LOVE her lunchbox for school this year! 

*personalized books - choose from a large selection of books. everything from superheros to big brother/sister books. we gave libbi the "big sister" book when i was pregnant with laney and she still loves reading it to this day. it's precious! 

use the code STORYBOOK at checkout to receive 50% off your soft cover story book purchase (good until 9/6/13)

one good name.

and last but not least - make sure to check out my etsy shop, one good name for lots of fun new listings! i'm excited about some of the new invitations and decals being offered. 

use the code SEPT10 to receive 10% off your order!

thank you to the august sponsors this month. 

 and if you're shopping with ebates, make sure you click through for zulily and minted! 

feel free to contact me at: mrsamytippins@gmail.com if you're interested in ad space or if you would like to host a giveaway! thanks again!!

hand, foot, and mouth...

hand, foot, and mouth - alternately known as whiny, ornery, and fussy. 
both of the big girls have had HFM. not the most fun we've ever had. laney came down with it first and before i even realized what it was, libbi had it too. i've heard stories from some people about how awful it was when their kid had it and how miserable they were and thankfully, we haven't had that experience *knockonwood* 
we've been homebound and quarantined since saturday so we are going a little stir crazy at this point. laney was never bothered by the whole thing as far as i could tell. libbi's main complaint were the blisters all over her mouth, but not enough to keep her from eating. she was more upset about missing the pool party she'd been invited to over the weekend. she kept saying, "but i don't FEEL sick!" 
despite all the whining and drama that's been going on, i am thankful that the girls have not been miserable and feeling awful. they've been at each other's throats, but i'm thankful they still feel like playing (and fighting). ;)

after the initial shock (and thankfulness that it WASN'T chicken pox) and after calling the friends we'd played with the previous days (So, sorry girls!) we settled in for a loooooong weekend and beginning of the week. 

 this picture of libbi getting liza to "smile" definitely came back to haunt me....

we did a lot of lying around and snoozing...

 a *little* (or a lot) of movie watching....(and yes, that is a "gummy" stuck to the back of her shirt) 

lots of puzzles....

and jammie wearing.

and when we weren't in jammies - we were picking out our own clothes....

poor liza had to find new "friends" to play with. i'm sure she wasn't too disappointed - these friends seemed to understand "personal space" a little better than her sisters....

by monday, we had resorted to making "mazes" in the house. i didn't get the whole "maze" thing. i just saw a MESS! (and a photobomb by laney wearing sisters shoes!) 

and today we read lots of books, and even rode bikes in the house. 

and by this afternoon we were desperate to get out!

the girls were practically begging for fresh air -ha! ;) 

**and if you're wondering why there are so many pictures of laney, but not of libbi-there is a good reason. libs chose to recover from HFM mostly in the buff. she felt as though that would speed up her recovery process. therefore, she is not pictured on the blog in her "get well get-up" ;-)** (or lack there of).

thanks for all the friends that have checked on us. hopefully we're on the mend and will be back in the land of the living soon enough. we're just praying baby liza doesn't get (or me and jeffrey!)

five on friday... naptime (or not).

it's no secret that laney is full of energy and spunk.

she is a free spirit in every sense of the word, but along with her free spirit also comes a stubborn streak that's at least a mile long (which she undoubtedly gets from her daddy - ha!) ;-)

we've been struggling with naps and bedtime lately. and by "lately" i mean at least a few months. sister just does not want to sleep.

ever.

my mom says it's called, "payback" but that's neither here nor there....

anyway, about 6 weeks before liza was born, we decided to go ahead and move laney to a "big girl bed".... and let's just say it didn't work out so well. she did NOT want to stay in bed or even in her room for that matter. we tried everything, but were never really successful in finding something that worked. so one day in my (very) pregnant and desperate state, after weeks of screaming, crying, and not sleeping (from all parties involved) i just decided to cut our losses and put her crib back up.

honestly, it went really well for a few weeks. she'd cry a little when i put her down for naps, but it was short lived and soon she was back to napping consistently and going to bed without too much of a fuss. there were times she'd request someone to sit in her glider while she went to sleep in the bed, but even that was a MAJOR improvement, so we didn't mind too much.

and then everything changed.

one early morning i was feeding liza in my room and i heard laney wake up. libbi was already up for the day, so i asked her to go to laney's room and let her know that i was feeding liza and i'd be there to get her up in a minute. laney would tend to be fine if we opened her door and turned on her light and she knew that someone was on their way to get her. this time it was a little different.

i heard libbi go into laney's room and then, the next thing i know, they're BOTH standing in my room. libbi very excitedly says, "Guess what, momma?! you don't have to worry 'bout getting laney anymore, because i taught her how to climb out of her bed!" and boy, was she proud. laney was pretty tickled, too. i'm fairly sure i was the only one not seeing the "silver lining" of that moment.

and libbi was right, she DID teach laney how to climb out.

and climb out she did.

every.

single.

stinkin' day since then.

so, in honor of our stealth little monkey (who can climb out of her bed without making a sound), this week's five on friday is all about laney and her crib scaling ways:

one.

"all day, all day, all day..." and she's not lying. she DOES climb out "all day, all day, all day...."

two.

wardrobe changes...

she climbs out and empties her drawers of every stitch of clothing she owns, yet she shows up downstairs in only glass slippers. oh, laylay....

three.

so tired....

as you can see, poor laney is SO tired when she doesn't nap. bless her heart, she doesn't have an ounce of energy. (and i love how she says, "YIZE, watch this" to liza ;-))

four.

hiding spots.

apparently laney thinks if she hides in "Yibbi's" bed, then no one can find her and she won't have to nap.

five.

"it's not naptime..."

except that it is. and do not let her pitiful apology fool you. ("i'm sorry i climb out my bed...") she's not the least bit sorry! :) also - the video monitor has become her own personal intercom.

happy friday, friends! hope you get lots of sleep this weekend, because we surely won't! :-)

one month...

liza june you are one month old today! it's been the shortest (and longest) month ever! ;)
although you are still pretty sleepy, you're starting to wake up more and have more alert times during the day (and night) ;)

since you're only one month "new", we're are still getting to know you and learning what you like and dislike. technically, today should be your "one week" birthday, but instead you're a month old (4 weeks and three days!) although you were born a "preemie" you definitely don't look like a tee-tiny-newborn. in fact, many a doctor and nurse have commented on your healthy size. i couldn't be prouder.

your big sisters made cupcakes to celebrate the occasion. libbi has decided that we'll bake something each month to celebrate your "birthday"...she's already planned out what we'll have for the next three months. :) 

sometimes i think you look like libbi as a baby and other times i think you look like a mix of libbi and laney. i definitely think you favor libbi more and i really see a lot of your daddy in you, too. just for comparison's sake (and i promise i won't do this every month) here are each of you girls at one month old.... obviously my picture taking skills have not improved much over the past four years. ;) 

libbi, laney, liza all at one month old...

we love you, liza june and we are SO thankful that you are a part of our family.  what a blessing you are to us already. we can't wait to watch you grow!!

five on friday...

it's friday, and i'm linking up with darci and the girls for "five on friday." i'm making it just by the skin of my teeth, but as long as i hit "publish" by 11:59 pm, then it still counts as five on FRIDAY. ;-)

no educational activities in my five on friday this week, but there are still a few free printables. keep reading for some fun "lunchbox notes" for your little one (or your husband if you're cheesy like i am!)

one. 

this week has been busy, busy, busy!  on monday, we met some friends at a fun little place called, "everland" (or "neverland" if you're libbi). the girls had such a great time playing and jumping around - you'd never have guessed we were just there two days before. while the girls dressed up and played with friends - liza snoozed away.

*side note...THIS is not a hat. it's a fairy trick or treat basket. laney could not be convinced otherwise...

two.

on tuesday, we went to a family BBQ at my mom's work. say the words "bouncy house" and my girls are all over it. it didn't even bother them that it was raining. and truth be told, they don't even like BBQ. but throw in a little face painting, time with their cousins, and goodie bags - they were in heaven. the cookies and chips that they ate for supper were just an added bonus. everyone even had their own nametag (even liza) even though once again, she just snoozed away. 

 

three.

the girls were with the grandparents on thursday (and libbi somehow managed to talk her way into going to "neverland" again...for the 3rd time in a week!) i was able to spend some time with the littlest tippins girl. sweet liza is growing like a weed. despite a few possible reflux issues, she's still packing on the pounds. baby girl likes to snooze, but you better believe she wakes up to eat. ;)

four.

friday the girls and i headed out to the pediatrician for liza's check-up. i'm so glad our dr's office has "surfboards" in the waiting room....!

liza weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds 9 ounces. did i mention that she weighed 7.11 at her last check-up two weeks ago?! like i said, baby girl doesn't miss a meal. grow, liza, grow! :)

the big girls did really well during the appointment (besides when libbi got an in depth lesson from the nurse on the purpose of taking a r*ctal temp in an infant. not even kidding. way more than even I wanted to know...)

we played a rousing game of "simon says" while we waited for some test results, got our stickers, and then we were on our way. 

libbi went home with my mom and dad for the night so i had some time with the sweetest middle sister around. laylay is sweet as she can be - and can always make me laugh. she's very into her puzzles right now, so we spent the afternoon putting together (and taking apart) puzzles...over and over and over.

**fear not...that's laney's bitty baby (aka baby liza) in the bouncy seat. NOT the actual baby liza** ;) 

five. 

i made some fun "lunchbox notes" to add into the girls' lunchboxes once school starts. jeffrey may or may not receive them as well. he'd never admit it, but he loves my cheesy ways. :) there's a variety of notes, so hopefully there will be a few that you can use. 

CLICK HERE to download the free versions. (as always, these are for personal use only. feel free to share them, but please link back to this original post. thank you!)

and, on that note (ha!) i'll wrap up this post. 

hope y'all have a fabulous weekend, friends!