Football Cheerleading & Competition Season Fall 2018

So we did cheerleading this past fall. If you haven't been following along on Instagram, please make sure you do. I share so much more over there in my stories. But I thought I would share some of the highlights from this past season. We had amazing coaches who we are going to miss if they decide not to coach again. Everything was so well organized with them too. They are all teachers so they were naturally great with the kids.

cheerleader pictures

We cheered for the Locust Grove Falcons. We had two competitions and they won for their age division plus the coaches won as well. We also had to make a banner for the football players to run through at homecoming and the cheerleaders got little tiaras and sashes. It was so cute.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea! My Little Pony Birthday Party Ideas

Happy birthday, Sweet Pea! Oh how the years have flown by! My smart, creative, sweet, caring, sassy girl is seven. I am still trying to wrap my brain around it. It feels like yesterday we were bringing her home and totally clueless on this parenting gig.


We do throw parties at our house for our children. We don't buy gifts because we feel like the party is the gift. And both of my kids are totally okay with that. My daughter decided this year she wanted a My Little Pony party.

First Day of School {WW + LINKY}

My daughter's first day of school was this Monday. She was a little nervous walking in compared to last year. She even wanted me to walk her in on the second day too. Last year, I was the one who was a pile of nerves. My anxiety was so bad last year and realizing I was sending my baby off to "real school" that I ended up crying in the car on the way home from dropping her off.

Back to School Free Printable Sign

Home Schooling A Toddler with ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy

This post was originally published on 6/16/2013.

Education is so important to me. I believe that in order to help our children be self-sufficient, they need a solid foundation which in my opinion is education. I have been home schooling SweetPea for a few months now. I looked into a two year old preschool for her, but with money being tight, I didn't feel that was a viable option. I was recently asked to try an Early Learning Academy app with my daughter. I feel it is more budget friendly option for the parent who wants to help further their child's education.

Homeschooling a Toddler ABCmouse Early Learning Academy
I have seen their commercials on PBS and Disney Junior, so I was always curious, but for some reason I never looked in it. ABCmouse.com is perfect for when the kids are out of school this summer to keep their minds at work while having fun, it's perfect for the child that needs a little help, it's a great tool for home schooling moms, and it's perfect for us because they have lessons specifically designed for toddlers.

Gotta Catch 'Em All - Pokémon Party Ideas

The holidays are over and done with and went by so fast! My daughter's birthday was 12/9. I cant believe this was her 6th birthday! We celebrated the weekend before. I was going to rent a bounce house, but of course it rained the day we planned her party. I felt selfish for not wanting it to rain when we really needed it. SweetPea ended up getting a stomach virus on her actual birthday and had to miss a day of school. Anyways we decided to have her party at our house and we invited a ton of people, but our new house did very well. And everyone LOVED the Pokémon theme.

Pokémon Party Ideas

We bought her pull apart cupcake cake at Kroger. I think the Pikachu turned out great. We played "Catch the Charizard" game seen above. Which was like pin the tail on the donkey. I loved all the decorations that we got from Oriental Trading. What I love about them is that you can get SO MUCH without spending a ton. Her shirt was made by my mother-in-law since she loves Togepi.

SweetPea's 5th Birthday: Disney Princess Theme

Thank you to Oriental Trading for providing products to help make my daughter's day so special.

SweetPea's had her 5th birthday party this past Saturday. I can NOT believe she turned FIVE on Wednesday! Where did the time go? My mother-in-law was super sweet and let us host the shindig at her house. And I was fortunate to be able to work with Oriental Trading again for all the wonderful decorations.



I brought all of SweetPea's dress up dresses, so all the little girls could wear a dress of their own. SweetPea wanted to wear her Sleeping Cutie dress from GreatPretenders because "it's pink and sparkly". Whoever would have thought I would have such a girly girl.

SweetPea has allergies. :(

pollen count in Georgia


I took SweetPea to the doctor yesterday. She has been coughing and her eyes have been getting crusty with redness. Then Wednesday, she broke out in hives and eye started swelling. I called the after hours service and talked to a nurse who prescribed Benadryl. But her eye was ridiculously swollen yesterday morning! So I took her in. I had B today, which made the day interesting for sure.

Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis - Pink Eye Due to Allergies


My husband and I both suffer from allergies due to pollen. Usually it isn't a huge deal, as we just stay inside when the pollen count gets high. But Wednesday I had the White Cloud Diapers event, so we were outside all day. Georgia has a very high pollen count this time each year, but it has been in the extremely high category since Sunday, according to AtlantaAllergy.com.

The doctor said she has what is called Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis. According to WedMD, Allergic conjunctivitis is most commonly (although it happens everywhere) seen in areas with high seasonal allergens, like Georgia.

The doctor said Children's Claritin daily, he also suggested something called Claritin Eyes for "preventive care" if we have to be outside, and prescribed her some eye drops for the time being. He said the best thing to do is avoid outside, period, on days with high to extremely high pollen count.

I feel so bad for my baby.

By the way, I love my pediatrician. He said that people who don't suffer from something, usually think others make it up. And that as the mommy, I know best. I love that he makes me feel like I am doing a good job. He was always so supportive of my breastfeeding and is so good with SweetPea. She is always so scared of the doctor's office, but he always makes her laugh and smile.

I got offered to sign up to be a Children's Claritin Mom Crew Member through Mom Select. I didn't initially sign-up because SweetPea's allergies weren't bad, so I didn't think that it would be a fit for us. I hope the program isn't closed, because after all of this, you better believe I am applying. I hate that my baby has to go through this mess.

So that's what's going on with us. How is the weather where you live?


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Love is..., A #WordlessWednesday #Linky, Week #19 + Feature

This week one of our Instagram pictures was featured at A Night Owl's Instagram Blog Hop. The prompt was "Love is...".

Love is Wordless Wednesday


{♥ on Instagram}

An oldie but a goodie. :)
Taken the day SweetPea was born.
You can view her birth story HERE. :)

Make sure to keep up with us on Instagram:
Instagram

Don't forget to check out the side bar and enter some awesome giveaways. :)

Please share the linky:


Please add this badge to your post or side bar before linking up.
These are not requirements, just greatly appreciated. :)
You can see where I link up HERE.

Wordless Wednesday Picture Blog Hop Linky


Have a WONDERFUL Wednesday! :D





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Wordless Wednesday, Week #13 + Linky


This week has been super crazy.
My best friend's daughter turned two on Monday.
And Sweet Pea is 25 Months old today. Yes there is almost an month between them exactly. :)



Anyways it is still apparently Christmas in our house as I haven't had the time to take decorations completely down yet.

But I thought I would share some of Sweet Pea's favorite Christmas gifts she received. :)

This cool Disney themed Fisher Price train my mom bought:


A Mod Podge of her Fisher Price 3-in-1 bike and Mega Blocks:


And her Little People Disney Princess castle:



Below is a linky to link-up your Wordless (or not-so-wordless) Wednesday posts.
Please follow my blog somehow.
You can check all these pictures and so many more on Instagram.

Please share the linky:




Please add this badge to your post or side bar before linking up.
These are not requirements, just greatly appreciated. :)




Check out this Month's All Around Sponsor:




2012: A Year In Review


The year started warm. So warm we went to the park and took this picture:



In February, I started watching my friend's daughter
who is a month younger than Sweet Pea.
What a crazy ride taking care of two toddlers has been.



At the end of February/beginning of March,
Sweet Pea started walking and
our breastfeeding journey came to an end.



Her 15 month check-up was March 11 but
I'm a terrible mom who didn't write down the stats.


We also did silly stuff like this:



In May we had a yard sale at the Hubby's store.

Got into a car accident at the beginning of June.



Both the girls were in the car. Scary and life changing. I still feel guilty everyday although everyone was okay. And there isn't a day that goes by where I don't worry whether they remember or it scarred them and whether my husband has resentment towards me for putting our already limited incomed family on an even tighter financial hold.

We bought a Saturn Vue from Car Max and THE NEXT DAY the transmission went out.



But looking back, it was a blessing because I have NO IDEA how we would have been able to afford it.

We went to the lake a few times.
And Sweet Pea still didn't care of it.



Sweet Pea went to the zoo for the first time!



The Hubby and I celebrated 5 years of marriage. :)
But we have no pictures of us together and celebrated by going to his friend's birthday party. :/

She also got HFM and a UTI at almost the same time. :/





I decided to really make my blog public that August. I wanted to maybe make some money, hopefully get some free stuff to review, but most importantly, I wanted to have a hobby that I enjoyed. I was home all the time without a car and we live out in the middle of no where. I needed some kind of social interaction, even if was just through a computer screen.

I was able to provide my first endorsed review.



One of Hubby's store credit card numbers was stolen in 2007, he didn't even try to take the proper steps to fight this issue. Credit companies kept calling and calling. but he ignored them. He went to court and the judge told him he should settle and that it didn't look good for him because apparently in the paper work he signed when applying for the card, it said they could sell the debt. So we got put into an even tighter financial hold.

September we went to Florida with my in-laws. And a great time was had by all.
You can read about vacation HERE and HERE.


♥ these pics on Instagram

Just recently, I reached 400 GFC followers. And it feels amazing. I started at 10 and in only a few months, I feel like when I put my many ramblings out into the vast space of the Internet, I am now actually heard.

My car accident was a blessing in disguise. I got a terrible bruise under my arm from the seat belt.
Under the bruise I found small knot. No biggie, the bruise was massive. I had a regular scheduled OB/GYN visit shortly after the accident, she said to keep any eye on it and if the swelling didn't go down, I should come back. I had a physical scheduled in September so I figured I would talk to my doctor about it then if I didn't notice any improvement.
The doctor said he thought it was just the bruise but that I should go get a mammogram.

My baby girl turned two.



I put off scheduling the mammogram. I have no idea why but the swelling was going down and the knot was getting smaller so I just wasn't worried. Then I noticed another small, lump a little further away.
The 18th would be the day of my mammogram but they rescheduled until after the first of the year.
I'm nervous and the anticipation of not knowing is killing me. My sister had a mammogram when I was around the age of ten or so making her like 19. Nothing was wrong, they said that is just the way her body is. Hopefully the odds are in my favor. But the not knowing is the worst of it.

But a good thing to know going into the New Year I am 25 lbs lighter than I was at the start of 2012 and I can wear my wedding rings again. :)
You can read about my weight loss journey HERE.


Friend Me On MyFitnessPal

A crazy year.

Awesome things happened and awful things happened. This year has been a roller coaster of emotion.

So, how did 2012 treat you?

Weekly Totals + #ANOWeekend Feature + My Weightloss Journey



A few things to share before I share my totals with you.
1.
Sweet Pea was Featured again on A Night Owl's Weekend Hashtag Project on Instagram.

♥ on Instagram

2.
I reached two amazing milestones in my weightloss journey last week.
Ability to wear my wedding rings again and 25 lb lost mark! That's my toddler! :)
In the second picture, I am wearing a sweater from before we even thought about having children.

♥ on Instagram————♥ on Instagram

Kroger
Updated 12/30/12



5 International Delight Singles $3
- 5 $1/1 International Delight Coffee Creamer Singles 11/11/2012 SS Insert (exp 12/31/2012)
(Or $1/1 International Delight Creamer, 24 ct Kroger eCoupon exp 12/31/2012)
- $1/1 iBotta Earning Opportunity
- $5 when spend $15 on International Delight Creamer One or Many SavingStar offer exp 12/31/12!!
(Don't forget about your 20 FREE Beechnut Steamies/Fruities Deal that also expires 12/31/12!)
= $4 or $0.80 per box or $0.03 per cup!
(Even without the iBotta offer they are $1 per 24ct so still a GREAT price!)

Kroger Milk, Select Varieties, Gallon, $3.23

2 Birds Eye Voila! Skillet Meals, Frozen, Select Varieties, 21 to 22 oz, 50% OFF $6.19
- 2 $2/1 Birds Eye Voila Product
= $2.19 or $1.10 each! :)

2 Kroger Ground Beef, Fresh, 73% Lean, Sold in a 5 lb Roll for $9.95 ea, $1.99/lb
= $19.90

Rice Krispies Value Pack 16 ct, $2.59
- $1.50 Kellogg’s Rice Krispies IP from Kellogg's Family Rewards
- $1 Rice Krispies ibotta earning opportunity
= $0.09! :)

2 Butterball Turkey Lunch Meat 3-Day Sale 33% off
- 2 $0.75/1 Butterball Fried Lunch Meat IP
= $3.32 or $1.66 each! Great price for very yummy lunch meat!

Kellogg's Pop Tarts on close out at $1.97
- $1.50/1 Kellogg's Pop Tarts 8ct from Kellogg's Family Rewards
(There was a $1 iBotta offer but I already used mine, there is a $1 off mini crisps offer as well and they were on close out also but the KFR coupon doesn't apply.)
= $0.47

2 Quaker Pop Chips $1.49
- 2 $0.50/1 Quaker Pop Chips IP (doubled)
= $0.98 or $0.49 each

Healthy Life Bread 10/$10
- $0.35/1 Healthy Product 9/30 RP (doubled)
= $0.30

4 Diet Coke 6pk 32oz bottles 3-Day Sale at $1.98
= $7.92

4 Coke 6pk 32oz bottles 3-Day Sale at $1.98
= $7.92

SubTotal = $56.32
Total Saved = $89.73 (I included iBotta and SavingStar.)
Total OOP = $47.09 (We paid in gift cards so technically it was FREE to us & minus ALL Savings)
Total Percentage Saved = 66%


We also saved 78% at Khol's on 12/29 for new boots for me and a shirt/tie set for the Hubby but used gift cards there too! ;D


We've Been Featured!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Do you have plans to get together with family today?
I do. We are heading out to my
Father-in-Law's side of the family,
where we'll do a white elephant exchange and have
wrapping paper ball fights. Lots of fun. :)

I just wanted to do this quick blog post because, honestly?
I am just so excited. It really warms my heart.

A while back, I posted this photo of my
daughter on my Instagram
and then I was asked if it could be
featured on planetearthbeauty's page.
{View my original photo on Instagram}





A few weeks ago my daughter's photo was featured in
A Night Owl's
Weekend Hashtag Project

and the prompt was cozy. ;)
{View my original photo on Instagram}


Featured on A Night Owl's Instagram Blog Hop



Then YESTERDAY my daughter's picture was featured on
Tutus By Gayle's Facebook page.
She is the one who made the
adorable outfit my daughter is wearing.
And when I saw her profile picture,
it just made me smile.
So I decided to share and brag a little bit. :)


She was saying cheese in this picture and
honestly didn't want to bother with pictures. LOL


Follow @mrsdchastain

Okay done being a braggy parent but I'm proud of my sweet pea.

Have a great day! Happy Holidays! :)

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2yr Check-Up, FREEbie Friday + Weekly Totals Linky


SweetPea had her Two year old check-up yesterday. She weighs 25.8 lbs, is 32 inches long, and head circumference of 50 cm. My little girl is getting so big!


Here is a snippet of FREEbies from around the web. At the bottom is a linky for the frugal bloggers and vloggers to link up your savings or frugal posts. I will get back to making these separate posts after the Holidays. I don't think I will get caught up until then.

The TriCalm Giveaway is still going on until 12/20 and I have a new Giveaway as part of being a December Sponsor over at OhSoAmelia with a HUGE group of Bloggers, each one has offered up awesome prizes like ad space, stuff from their etsy shops, or customized images for your blog, so that might be nice for some of you. ;)

Anyways, here is a picture of my FREEbies that I scored this week.


Not quite what you were looking for?
Maybe you might like these posts instead:
10 Tips for Beginner Couponers
How to Get FREE Stuff Without Being a Blogger
How to Get Coupons for FREE Without Dumpster Diving
Handy Apps for Frugal Moms

When Our Duo Became A Trio


In honor of Sweet Pea's second Birthday and the fact that I realized I never shared this on here (since I didn't start this blog until half way through my pregnancy), I have decided to share the story of how we found out we were pregnant.

I have wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember. I remember being in Middle School in a class about careers (what exactly the class was about, I don't remember) and we had to write about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I said I wanted to be a mommy first and then a teacher when the kids went off to school.
When I met my husband (I was only 18 mind you), I made sure that he knew I was only interested in a relationship that would lead to marriage and a family. I wasn't interested in wasting my time with someone who wasn't looking for a real relationship. I was just never that kind of person.

First, let's take a moment to see where we were at that time. Hubby and I had just celebrated our two-year wedding anniversary on July 15, 2009. Hubby was a co-manager at a grocery store chain (which he still is just at a different store). I was a Nanny for two children.
We went to the movies every week, ate out almost every night, and stayed out until dawn with friends every weekend. We did what we wanted, when we wanted.
We traveled to Las Vegas with friends, Partied at Dragon*Con, Vacationed in Washington, D.C. to visit a friend, and went to Florida to see the GA/FL game in 2009. Why am I telling you this? I am so glad we did all of this and enjoyed our married life before little ones. Because all though children are fun, they are a different kind of fun. I never believed this until I had a child of my own.

Okay, so is everyone caught up? :)

November 2009, I went to the doctor because I hadn't had my cycle in over two months. Knowing that we wanted to try to have children soon, I scheduled an appointment to see what the deal was. Although nothing specific was wrong, I was told (by the nurse practitioner) that I had irregular periods due to my weight and I needed to lose weight because I would probably have trouble getting pregnant. When I started to cry, she had the nerve to ask me why was I crying. And then said that I had no reason to cry because we weren't actively trying to conceive. I went to the doctor hoping, in the back of mind, that I was pregnant. So this news was devastating to me. But I had to try and remember that I had irregular cycles my entire life and this woman did not know my history.

In February 2010, my father was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. And I begged my husband to let us start trying because I was hoping my father would be able to meet his first grandchild before he passed on. But as some of you may know, my father passed away July 16th, the day after our third wedding anniversary, when I was almost 20 weeks along.

By that March, however, Hubby finally agreed. Trying to get pregnant was the only thing I was focused on. And it actually made my marriage a little rough. Looking back, I feel so guilty and will aim to do things differently next time around.

I started actively trying to lose weight and created a Tumblr to keep track of our baby making journey.

I continued hanging out with friends in the manner that I always had. And regret that everyday. Not the hanging out with friends but when you are trying to get pregnant, the first thing you are told to do is to start exercising and to stop drinking alcohol.

That month I also went to the dentist because that is another thing suggested in all the baby books I started reading and websites I joined (poor oral health can contribute to preterm birth, low birth weight, and possibly pre-eclampsia), plus I had to get a wisdom tooth pulled. I had surgery scheduled to get the rest removed at the end of April. That appointment was later canceled.

March 27, I turned 24 and hubby threw me an AWESOME surprise birthday party!



I started breaking out in these weird hives at the beginning of April. They weren't exactly hives. They were red and dry raised spots that weren't itchy. They were all over my skin but the worst ones were on my face. I was convinced I needed to go to a dermatologist. Looking back, these were actually one of the many signs of pregnancy I ignored because I was scared we weren't.

A few days later I got a terrible stomach 'bug'. I couldn't keep anything down. But then it turned into an every day occurrence.

Then I realized what day it was. And realized my period was late. But what you have to remember, I have had irregular periods my ENTIRE life. So I waited to test even though sites online said I could go ahead.

I bought a 3-pk digital test on my way home from work on Earth Day - April 22, 2010. Hubby had picked up dinner and we decided that I should take it before we ate. As we walked into the bathroom together, he said, "Try not to get your hopes up. It can take a long time for some people." Then I looked at the test and it said PREGNANT nice and clear for all to see. I turned to Hubby and said, "We're pregnant!" He turned white as a ghost. I thought he might throw up...or pass out. But if he threw up at least we were in the right room. So I held his face and softly said, "You're going to be a daddy." He then embraced me in the deepest hug I have ever felt. He almost immediately started begging me to take another just to make sure so we could drive over and tell his parents.
I was nauseous and couldn't eat dinner anyway.

So as soon as we saw that second PREGNANT(which showed up almost immediately) we rushed over to my in-laws. My father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law were sitting in the living when we drove over. We never would really just drop by but no one thought anything of it. Hubby had placed the tests (in a Ziplock Baggie) on to their coffee table but no one noticed. Then my MIL turned to me and asked me how I was doing (she later said it was because I looked pale). I said I was fine but then Hubby jumped in and said, "Did you ask her if she was fine? Well she's nauseous because she's going to have a baby." He said it really calm. So they all turned to me and said, "WHAT?!" Almost in unison. So I said, "Yes, we're pregnant."
Everyone hugged us and then we called my other sister-in-law.
At the time, I really didn't want to tell anyone until we found out for sure. So that's why I didn't call my parents or best friend yet.

***I had a secret but couldn't share it. ♥***

My appointment had been set for the next Monday.
At the appointment, Hubby and I were nervous wrecks. We went through all the normal stuff and then they took us back to a room. The doctor came in and started telling me not to clean out cat littler boxes and asked if I worked with children so I could be aware of slap-cheek. Then all of a sudden Hubby asked, "Does this mean she's pregnant?" And the doctor said, "Oh yes, she is very pregnant."
We did an ultrasound to see how far along I was and we got to see her little heartbeat.



When we went back into the room to talk to the doctor, the doctor said she put my Estimated Due Date at December 11, 2010. And that made me 7 weeks and 2 days along. I read online later that she was about the size of a sweet pea.

First thing I did was call my mom, dad, and best friend. And Hubby called some of his family and friends. Then this is how we announced it to everyone else:

He announced it on his wall as well. Sweet and unique, right? ;)

From then on life was different. We were parents. My pregnancy was chaotic and stressful. And you can read about all that HERE.
Now she is this beautiful, smart human being that turned our life up-side down for the better and I wouldn't have it any other way.