Celebrating National Honey Month with an Easy Toddler Snack!

September 7, 20177 Comments

September in Las Vegas means drinking pumpkin spice lattes in shorts and flipflops and girls wishing they could wear fall fashion of chunky sweaters and boots even though it’s still over 100 degrees out. The Fall struggle is real out in the desert. I have great news to get you through the transition month of September-it’s national honey month! National Pizza Day, National Donut Day, National Pet Day, basically we are all obsessed with these unofficial yet social media official holidays. The month of September is a countdown to the holidays-school has started but the dreaded wait for Halloween (my favorite), Thanksgiving, and Christmas still seems like ages away! So lets celebrate with a food everyone can agree to love-honey!

We celebrated national honey month making more golden memories with our family. I love making the simplest meal feel special for my toddlers-that way odds are they will actually eat it! I decided to throw together a quick little honey party to ‘celebrate.’ If you’ve been following me for awhile you know I LOVE being festive! I threw the kiddos a simple flag party during Independence Day.

I’m not the greatest cook, (simply bc I’m lazy-I’m working on it now that I’m a SAHM) so this snack recipe can’t get ANY easier. Whole wheat toast, peanut butter, apples slices, and topped with you guessed it—honey!

Click this link to find even more HONEY inspired recipes for snacks, side dishes, and even main dishes!

Have the best time counting down my favorite holidays and celebrating life’s golden moments with National Honey Month!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

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How I’m Trying to Improve My Poor Mama Diet

August 19, 201713 Comments

CONFESSION: basically I have a pretty poor diet. I try my best to get active everyday but some days my workout only consists of chasing my kids around the park. A healthy diet is important to me on those days where I don’t get in a TIU workout, T25, MixxedFit, or go the actual gym. That’s why my new goal is trying to focus on my diet and eat better-healthier foods. As a mom, I pride myself on my kids {mostly} eating healthy. I’m not a crazy person and I don’t deprive my kids of In and Out BUT for the most part they eat healthy which is why I need too!

My diet currently consists of making meals and getting them eaten by my kids because my breakfast apparently looks so much better than theirs. My son often will eat his meal and mine! Or my meal is left to get cold because I have to attend to a dirty diaper then come back to my dinner looking totally unappetizing after the stench of poo. I’m often snacking on my kid’s uneaten snacks and meals, you know that last chicken nugget they leave on their plate-or the one I swipe when they aren’t looking. wink. wink. I might finish the banana they start and then try to toss, or the apple they take one bite of that’s all of a sudden ‘not good.’ Every night my husband and I reward ourselves after parenting and working hard all day by treating ourselves to a low-cal dessert. So yep my diet is ummmm not great but not necessarily horrible.

Here are some goals I have for improving my diet:
1. Eat a good breakfast-not just coffee
2. Make myself a REAL lunch not just eat my kids left overs- preferably a salad or sandwich
3. Add more vegetables into my diet as I snack on fruit all the time
4. Only eat dessert 3 times a week {haha like that will happen}

Lately due to some health issues I’ve been really wanting to amp up my veggie intake and start taking vitamins. That’s when I came across Kiwami Greens! {KEEP READING FOR A PROMO CODE FOR 10% off!}

With anything new, I wanted to read up on the product and do some research. I learned that Kiwami Greens is inspired by the Japanese tradition of Aojiru, a traditional Japanese greens blend known for its great nutritional properties. {Don’t ask me how to pronounce that word! haha}

I think its pretty cool that Kiwami Greens is crafted to complement your daily intake of vegetables in the most convenient way by adding it to water or into a smoothie! Also Kiwami Greens is JAM PACKED with calcium, vitamins B, C, and E, iron, fiber, and folic and amino acids. It also has an ingredient called Ashitaba, a very unique plant that’s long been used in traditional Japanese medicine — it’s a rich source of vitamins B1, B2, and B6, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin E. These are all things I KNOW I’m not getting in my mama on the go diet.

Being a mom it’s SO IMPORTANT to take care of yourself and your health, because if you are not healthy and not at your best it’s impossible to take care of your children. With these added veggies in my diet I did notice myself having a bit more energy-which being a mom of two toddlers is a life saver!

I love that Kiwami Greens comes in individual packets so that you can easily toss them in your purse or diaper bag. You can quickly pour it into a water bottle give it a shake and you are on your way! This drink is approved for kids as well {although personally I haven’t given it to them yet}.

Real Talk: lets talk taste! Honestly to me most vegetables taste like shi…I mean…crap….unless they are smothered in cheese, dressing, or some other disguise so I was scared to take my first sip of this drink. BUT you guys its actually good! If you are a green tea lover like me-you will become OBSESSED with the taste of Kiwami Greens. {My mom actually downed her drink in a matter of seconds.}

To order a box Kiwami Greens you can visit their website at this link! Use my code SUMMER10 for 10% off!

Have fun adding in those veggies with Kiwami Greens! How do you stay healthy with the on the go mommy duties of everyday life? Please share with me your healthy recipes too!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

**the promo code SUMMER10 is only for one-time use per email. For subscription orders, the first order will be discounted and all others will be the original price.

Transitioning From Being a Working Mom to a Stay at Home mom

August 11, 201723 Comments

After being a working mom for three {challenging} years I now have been changing gears and be a stay at home mom! I couldn’t be more excited and am so thankful for the opportunity to put my career on pause to take care of my little ones. These past three months being a SAHM I feel like I’ve cleaned like a mad dog and made tons of meals that have landed on the floor and not in the mouths of my children….um struggles….so here are some things I’ve learned over the last three months being a stay at home mommy to help with the transition from being a WORKING MOM to a STAY AT HOME MOM. Here are my top ten tips!

Have a schedule. Being a working mom you have your day planned down to the minute for it to run efficiently {not exaggerating-down to the minute}. Well, being a SAHM isn’t much different. Get a routine of getting ready: laundry, cleaning, reading, playing outside, snack, educational activities, crafts, whatever it is-plan it out! If its hour by hour or day by day just have a plan! I found that if we woke up with no plan it was hard to figure out what to do with our day. You’ll just end up at Target and be spending money that you are no longer earning.
Check out your local rec center and library. So I’ve found that it can get really boring just being at “home” given that I’m used to going, going, going. I also felt like my kids were bored with just plain old me. They were used to playing with so many kids at daycare so getting them involved is a must. Our local library is SO AWESOME! There are toddler story times and craft classes all offered for FREE! Also the rec center in our neighborhood is great too as you can sign up for different classes that last for 6 week sessions so it’s not a huge commitment if your child isn’t into the sport or activity. It’s so important to get kids involved so they learn those social skills-sharing, caring, etc. It also kills SO MUCH TIME loading kids in and out of the car by yourself {I’m used to doing everything as a team with my husband since we used to have the same days off and never left alone with the kids.}
Love our socks? Buy them at this link.
Meal Prep. You thought your days of packing lunches and meal prepping easy dinners were over? Hahah. I seriously never knew HOW MUCH MY KIDS EAT ALL DAY! I mean seriously! I’ve been making multiple grocery trips a week. Make sure to prep healthy snacks like carrot sticks, grapes, strawberries, and string cheese in already portioned baggies so the kids can grab and go. I also reorganized our fridge making the shelf on their eye level to be with their snacks-I swear if my son pulled out anymore salad dressings and marinades from our fridge every time it opened I was gonna go nuts.
Toy Vacations and Rotations are KEY. Kids get bored with their toys and being a single income family I’m not buying them new toys anytime soon {plus I HATE the site of toys lol} When my kids nap I go in their toy bins and collect toys they haven’t touched in a while at they take a nice trip to the Bahamas then I pull some other toys off the shelf and viola new-ish entertainment. Also never knock a fort out of blakets or coloring an Amazon Prime box into a castle, rocket, or whatever bc lord knows we all have a lot of those boxes lying around.
Playdates aren’t for them, they are for you. The easiest day of parenting I’ve had in months was when we had a playdate at my friend Samantha’s house. My kids were so entertained by her children’s toys they barely bothered me and I got to gossip for hours with a best friend! We made it home just in time to put my kids down for a nap and they were so wiped out they slept for THREE hours! Say hello to mom with an iced coffee watching some Real Housewives….just kidding honey if you’re reading this I scrubbed the floors. Wink wink.
Get outside. I get stir crazy quick! Opening the windows in the house, getting in our backyard, or walking around our neighborhood instantly makes me feel better. It’s been hard in Vegas to do this lately since its 1000 degrees outside so we’ve been busting out the hose in the backyard.
Do something for you twice a week at least! When I was a working mom I never did ANYTHING for me-NOTHING. Mom guilt for real! I stopped going to the gym and getting my nails done because I didn’t want to take time away from my family on my days off. Even during their naptime when I was working I had a million things to do around the house. I feel like you can quickly lose your identity being a SAHM so it’s imperative to do something for yourself-gym, nails, shopping alone, girls dinner, whatever it is DO IT! I try to work out at least once a week and I blog! I’d love to start dancing again-which used to be a huge part of my identity.
Sometimes you have to throw up your hands and ‘tap out’ of parenting. I wasn’t kidding when I felt like all I’ve done is cook, clean, and negotiate with terrorist…what I mean toddlers…the last two months. Sometimes you have to say F*** It. As long as they aren’t dying it’s okay if they are tearing apart the house, eating junky snacks, or watching too much TV. You need to stay sane.
Communicate with your husband. My husband owns his own business and I know with the financial stability of our family now on his shoulders as a result he now has a lot of pressure on his shoulders. They guy is the best husband and often comes home from work early to be with his family but HE NEVER STOPS WORKING. Emails, calls, texts. When you are trying to run a successful business its 24/7. It makes me so proud of him of how hard he works but its also really hard for me to feel ‘ignored.’ Its much easier for men to ‘tune out’ the kids and wife and respond to a client or other work issue. When you are a SAHM the main adult companion you have is your partner-so its important to make your marriage: the romance and the friendship part grow and be strong. You also have to communicate when you need a break or a step away so you don’t have one of those “lose it” moments we’ve all had.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. I think it’s really easy for moms to compare themselves to one another- as women we always do this its horrible! I often find myself doing a lot of comparing. “How does this mom have the energy to work out everyday!” “How does this mom come up with that fancy recipe!? Do her kids eat that?” “That mom makes the beds everyday!? Say what?” It’s important just to do your best and doing the comparison game isn’t realistic through the tinted lens of social media. In every job there are good days and bad days and motherhood is the same, remember to soak up the good times and be positive through the bad ones.

Overall this transition has been a small challenge for our family. My kids had to get used to being with mommy all day and not daddy {we used to come in a pair!} They also had to get used to not going to daycare and seeing their nanny and friends they miss dearly. I’m so excited to spend every moment soaking up those tiny toes, giggles, and even tantrums and meltdowns-I should have gone back to work THIS WEEK but instead I get to hang with my crazies all day!

Love our matching socks!? Buy them here! There are also similar pairs here and here. 🙂 This is a great gift idea for moms and dads!

For those mamas that have been stay at home moms since day one WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR ME? Comment below!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

*This post contains affiliate links.

Shiplap Tutorial for Dummies

July 28, 201716 Comments

So do we even need to talk about the girl crush millions of women have on Joanna Gaines???? This chick has made the shiplap farmhouse style travel from the heart of Texas to places like Las Vegas where there are no green pastures and goats running around. I love her style BUT can’t let my house scream farmhouse living in the desert so we decided to do a small accent shiplap wall. Now when I talk about the Doyles and DIY on a scale of 1 to 10 on a home improvement scale I’d say I am a negative 5 and my husband is a 1 (sorry honey). We aren’t good at DIYs and have basically no skills when it comes to sawing, drilling, nailing, etc. SOOOO this tutorial is truly for DUMMIES as we have NO EXPERIENCE with this stuff.

A VERY UGLY BEFORE

First off we went to buy the wood at our local Lowes. Now buying the wood was easy, getting it to our house was a whole other story….. 11 planks of wood, two toddlers and car seats, 100+ degree weather, and a car that was just slightly too small caused for several trips back and forth from Lowes to home. I was all ready about to give up, but my hubby preserved breaking a major sweat in the Las Vegas heat. At Lowes we also bought hole putty, a spatula thingy to apply it {yes that’s a technical term}, and white paint.

Our major purchase for this project was this nail gun from Amazon. If we already would have owned something like this {or could have borrowed one} it would have made this wall under 100 bucks to make. We are hoping to get more uses out of this nail gun as my husband feel like he can take on the DIY world now.

My husband then moved the furniture and measured the wall and cut the wood to that length. Next using the nail gun we attached the first piece of wood to the top of the wall. Using quarters as spacers we alighted the next piece of shiplap and stapled. Now this project {IF YOU DON’T HAVE KIDS} could take a few hours, but since we have two toddlers and couldn’t work during nap time because of noise issues it took us a couple of days….um weeks…. Imagine-sharp tools, a nail gun, and two screaming kids ready to get into everything. Yea it wasn’t easy but we did it! We finally got frustrated and asked for help and my dad came over to be an extra set of hands to hold the wood so I could distract the kids. And the typical first timer DIY disaster took place….we ran out of nails….DIY fail.

SERIOUS GRANDFATHER, FATHER, SON BONDING TIME

Cut to the next weekend and a trip to Lowes to buy more nails we finished nailing the shiplap to the wall! My hubby then measured the outlets holes and made those cuts. They aren’t perfect but they will be covered by the TV stand anyways.

After the wall was attached we then had to fill the holes with painters putty. We found that teamwork was dreamwork here. I used an old plastic knife to get the putty in the hole and the hubby came back to smooth it out with a putty knife. This step was so quick!

The final step is to white wash! We wanted a white wall but still wanted the wood features to show through so we mixed 2 parts paint and 1 part water together to make the ‘wash.’ Again we felt like teamwork made dreamwork here. I painted on the paint/water mixture and my husband whipped off the excess with an old rag. Our toddler woke up and wanted to join the fun and she had a great time painting her own shiplap. Our younger toddler woke up next which meant work time over-project pause again.

We let one coat dry and after bedtime added a second and final coat of the whitewash. And bam we were done!

Check out our time-lapse video of the final coat- Teamwork makes DREAMWORK!

AFTER PHOTO!

Here is a photo of our finished project, I’m not sold on the décor around the TV, I want to get a large sign to hang above it but I think it turned out great!

SUPPLY LIST:

-Shiplap wood

-Nail gun: the one we purchased can be found HERE.

-Nails

-Saw

-Painter’s Putty: This can be purchased HERE.

-Putty Knife: This can be purchased HERE.

-White paint

I can’t believe we did this ourselves, so if the Redlocks crew can do it you can too! What type of projects have you done to your home?

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

*This post contains affiliate links.

Two Books That Helped My Toddler STOP HITTING

July 19, 20179 Comments

Everything is a phase, everything is a phase. I repeated to myself to calm my nerves after being repeatedly stuck by my toddler. At this daunting moment, a few months ago I had a child kicking and screaming, a red spot on my face, tears in my eyes and knew something had to change. The ‘terrible twos’ were pretty rough for us-rough being a pretty big understatement. Our little girl had many, many meltdowns. She also has a challenge that only a few other toddlers have to deal with, a younger sibling that is less than a year and a half younger copying everything she does and wanting to play with all the same toys. Thus ensued the meltdowns- I’m sad to even admit she started hitting me often and occasionally her younger brother. This upset me a great deal to have her lash out and hit me over and over again. I would cry my eyes out after being hit, scratched, and even had my hair pulled out by my own child. I felt like a dog owner scared that their own dog might bite them. We don’t hit in our house for punishment so I wasn’t even sure where she was picking this behavior up.

My first step as a mom with parenting troubles was to reach out to other parents. Most of my mom friends have boys and weren’t seeing the same over dramatic and aggressive behaviors. Some of the parents I talked to said “hit her back.” This didn’t sit well with me, being an educator I know you can’t solve hitting with hitting- its like assigning writing for punishment. I even reached out to one of my best friends who has a Master’s Degree in psychology for help. After she reached out to some of her colleagues who deal with children we mostly got to a dead end that you don’t truly have a problem on your hands until the child is five. My first thought was-I can’t live like this for three more years!

I ended up trying to figure out why my daughter was frustrated and angry-when and why was she throwing these fits and hitting. She was an early talker and has a great vocabulary for her age so I didn’t think it was a communication problem, it was a “control or express your anger problem.” The teacher in me knows with a great story and positive reinforcement like I would use on my students for classroom management I could help my little girl work on this issue. I ended up finding two great books No Hitting by Karen Katz and Keeping Your Cool: A Book About Anger by Carolyn Larsen on Amazon. (Thank goodness for Amazon Prime!)

These books were so great for my daughter to learn why we don’t hit AND what are good ways to express anger and frustration. Those emotions we know as adults never go away but we can get them out. Me personally, I get them out by getting in a good workout or dropping an F bomb because that can really calm me down, but as toddlers we don’t know how to appropriately express this anger. I then found my mission, I needed to find ways for my toddler to get out those emotions in a healthy manner. My daughter loves to read so I knew a fun new book could really open her eyes on this subject. After a couple rocky months of doing positive reinforcement, time outs, and reading both of these books every so often (the book No Hitting my daughter has even memorized) I can say that I feel like we are over this hitting slash stage 10 nuclear meltdown-for now anyways. These two books, No Hitting and Keeping Your Cool really helped us out and they are so inexpensive definitely give them a try!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

**This blog post contains affiliate links. The thoughts, opinions, and writing about the products are my own.

10 Tips on Surviving Flying with Toddlers & Babies

June 27, 2017June 27, 2017Leave a comment

10 Tips for Surviving Flying with Toddlers & Babies

Hello Redlocks and Shamrocks readers! My family recently got back from a vacation and I’ve been flooded with questions about flying with kids so I’ve got a post for those mamas! When my husband and I were ‘single’ aka married but no with kids we used to travel all the time! We loved going on vacation and exploring new places. Once we had kids traveling with two little people became a game changer- 10 times more stuff and crazy attitudes! Check out my top 10 tips on surviving traveling with toddlers and babies.

1.First up Make a plan and prep whatever you can early. Copy birth certs, pack, restock diaper bag- don’t forget extra clothes for you and baby! A blow out in the airport might happen-and has to me!

2. Pack NEW entertainment and snacks: Pick up a fun backpack with dollar store toys and books, small snacks, and a sippy cup for the toddler to carry! My kids loved getting a new bag and toys to explore on the airplane. Dollar store stuff is the way to go so if it gets lots it’s no big deal. I also packed tons of snacks! Anything under 4oz is okay to take through security so I packed packets, string cheese, baggies of goldfish etc. I kept these backpacks hidden until we made it through security.

3. Be a minalmist! This is coming from a woman who once packed just a suitcase full of shoes for a 5 day vacation. Lol but yes pack as little as possible! For you and kids! If where you are staying has a washer/dryer take advantage of that.

4. A major question to save your arm strength: Do you really need that pack n’ play? After a trip with a 4 month old, 21 month old, purse, diaper bag, three pieces of luggage, a stroller, travel bassinet, and a pack and play I knew we were traveling as ‘light’ as possible but it’s still wayyyy too much stuff! This time we recently traveled we made sure to get a rental property that came with a pack and play that way we didn’t have to bring one. There are also inexpensive pack and plays on Amazon for around 40 dollars, I know a few families that had one shipped to their location then cut their losses. When our son was only four months old, we purchased this travel bassinet which fits inside a suitcase suitcase-it was extremely handy.

5. This next tip hurts my heart a little being a rule follower and all but here it is-cut in line! My husband used to be a VIP for Southwest Airlines with an automatic A-List pass which allows you skip security lines-it’s a dream! But with children and lack of traveling for work he lost this VIP status so we followed the ‘fake it till you make it’ rule. Even though he lost this A-List pass we went in the fast line anyways. I know, I know totally an A-hole move, but most of the time they don’t check and would they really turn away a family with two crying kids in an airport? Worth a try! Also some airlines allow you to go through the handicap line if you have a stroller.

6. Ask your airline about family boarding. Each airline has its own rules with boarding so make sure you ask to know all the rules.

7. Gate check strollers– once you get through security you have to go to the counter and get a gate check tag. I didn’t know this the first time I flew and had to go all the way back to the counter and we missed family boarding. Yuck! Right before you board the airplane you can leave your stroller in the gate and they will put it right back there after you land. Buy these stroller and car seat protectors. Germaphobes unite! These are totally worth the money and will keep your car seat clean under the airplane. When you pick up these bags they will be filthy and you will be happy that you bought them.

8. If you have a baby try to breastfeed or give a bottle during take off and landing. This will help with their ears popping. Breastfeeding mamas-if you get a window seat you can get a lot of privacy.

9. This is my biggest tip: just go with the flow! Got a screaming kid? Do your best to calm them down by distracting them with objects out the window. Child doesn’t want to sit on your lap try to convince them buy busting out an iPad or new book, we even read the emergency exit guide in the back pocket of the seat. Or even get creatvie by making a hand puppet out of the airsick bag! But if all else fails just go with the flow, you’re trying your best and you’ll never see these travelers again who cares if they are staring at you with their judgie eyes-you’re doing your best.

In the middle of TSA security my older child had a stage 10 meltdown and my infant had a blowout with both kids screaming all I could do was smile at everyone staring at me and no one helping just staring. Some people even moved our stuff off the conveyer belt to put their stuff on (I know-rude). Then there will be that one mom, who has been there before. Who will kneel down and help try to sooth your screaming toddler. She will point out her Elsa backpack or sing a song-Thank random lady I will always remember your kind face. After this whole dilemma, I got randomly selected for additional screening and that smile quickly turned to tears. Three out of four members of my family were now in tears and two of us were covered in poop. It was a HUGE mess-but I will never see any of those people again and that is life with kids!

Note: super tired parents and toddlers pulling each other’s hair = going with the flow. lol

10. If at all possible give yourself a “travel day” on your vacation. Missed naps + long walks + travel = cranky kids and tired parents. If you have an extra day just to get there it will help elevate stress and actually allow you to enjoy your vacation. If you can afford that extra night trust me and just do it-because you loose a whole day just traveling

Those are my top tips on surviving flying with toddlers and babies! Don’t let the extra little humans in your family hold you back from making a mark on your travel map! Happy summer and I hope you all have great summer vacations! Ps. As much as we have gone on airplanes with kids we’ve never done a car road trip!!! Moms who are masters at car trips please leave some advice in the comments below!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

I Took a Blogging Break & I’m Back with a Big Announcement!

June 20, 20175 Comments

So I had about a three month break from blogging. So much has happened in my life in that span-good and bad. About three months ago (who am I kidding since forever ago) I was feeling very stressed and felt myself starting to spiral in to a pit of negativity so I quit-temporarily-blogging. Not writing-but blogging-mainly the social media aspect of blogging. I don’t know about you but social media sucks up sooooo much time throughout the day. So I took a break. I just couldn’t do the hours of scrolling, double tapping, liking, etc. social media has to be my least favorite part of blogging.

During this break I had a lot of time to reflect on what is important to me in my blogging journey which is very important to do if you consider yourself a blogger- what’s your why? What’s your path? I had a few revelations during these few months and it’s always good to step back and reflect. Sadly during this break, I did loose out on some sponsored blog posts and amazing collaborations. It hurt my soul to say “no” as I am a “yes I can do it all” type of person-but I couldn’t. Working full time, trying to be the best mom, the best wife, the best teacher, blog, and attempt to cook, clean, and do laundry wasn’t happening. So I finally broke and decided to quit. I wasn’t sure at first if I was quitting or if it was a break as I am NOT a quitter, but for the first time I saw why people quit-it’s easy and I REALLY wanted easy. After a long cry fest {those are just as cathartic as writing or running if you ask me} I made the decision to give up. Apparently I’m not a quitter because here I am posting, so I guess it was a break! And a good one at that!

That brings me up to today: my big announcement.

The biggest announcement I have is I am no longer a working mom!!! I officially left my job with CCSD working as a 7th grade English teacher and will now be a stay at home mom! I will miss my career immensely, but I have been so incredibly happy these past few weeks not working and getting to care for my kids full time. The amount of stress that has lifted off my shoulders is unreal. My kids are happy, my husband is happy, I am happy! Laundry actually gets done! I had no idea that clothes could get washed, folded, and put away in the same few day span! Haha

The first day and the last day of the 2016-2017 school year. I love seeing how much my students and own children grow.

I closed my empty classroom after an eight year long career a few weeks ago. It was the weirdest mix of emotions-ecstatic, scared, happy, fear-will I miss it? Will I ever go back? I don’t know the answer to those two questions, but what I do know is I am the happiest I’ve been in a LONG time. My husband threw me a “retirement” party to celebrate with close friends. I am so grateful to have these people {and many more not pictured} as a a support system.

I have the best supportive friends! Sunny, Dilyana, Asti, Jessica, and Samantha!

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our family and to see what else unfolds in my blogging journey.

Stay at home mommies-what is your BEST ADVICE FOR ME!?

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

How I Pack My Toddler Diaper Bag with JJ Cole!

April 2, 201729 Comments

The diaper bag struggle is REAL for most moms! And what kind of bag you need and more importantly what goes inside it changes as your child grows. When you have a newborn baby there is SO much you need to pack-diapers galore, a change of clothes for the many blow outs {heck maybe even an extra top for mom}, nursing cover, butt cream, the kitchen sink…just kidding….sort of. As kids grow older you need less and less in your diaper bag! {Thank goodness!} I love the brand JJ Cole as their bags are fashionable, reasonably priced, and they have SO many features which are perfect for staying organized! On this blog post you will read about what I love to keep in my diaper bag for my toddler’s needs!

Here are some toddler MUST items in my JJ Cole diaper bag:

Diapers: 5-7 diapers for my son who isn’t potty trained
An extra pair of panties for my toddler girl in case of an accident
Wipes {You can never have too many!}
Snacks
Sippy Cups: I love Nuby’s Snack N’ Sip as it cuts down on items you need and doesn’t leak!
Blanket: either for keeping warm or sitting on at the park
Foaming Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer–can we say park germs?
Sunscreen
Toys/Play Packs: I LOVE these things! You can pick them up at the dollar store or dollar section at Target. They are perfect at keeping your little one busy when out to dinner.
Books: I like to keep a few small books that I usually pick up at the dollar store for keeping them occupied.
Tissues: running toddlers = runny noses
Band aides: for all those boo boos

I love that the lining of the JJ Cole diaper bag is colored! It makes it so easy to find items inside. Its also important to find a diaper bag that opens up wide like this one does. I have another bag that does not open very well and it is so hard to find anything inside.

This morning we were off to take photos with the Easter bunny-I always like to go early and beat the crowds. I love that this JJ Cole Diaper Bag-Caprice style in gray is in a neutral color and is great to match spring fashion!

I feel really excited that my life timeline of being a mom is the same timeline of fashion. Don’t you just love that MOM JEANS are back! High waists are just in style to hide all my mommy imperfections. The same thing with one piece bathing suits-but that’s a whole other post.

When picking a diaper bag, you want to make sure that it is versatile. I love that this JJ Cole Caprice bag has an arm strap, shoulder strap, and had hidden straps that you can attach that will make the bag fit perfectly on a stroller!

The front of the JJ Cole bag is perfect for mommy’s stuff-it even has a slot for your wallet, phone, and cards! I like that there is also a smaller pocket perfect to keep your keys.

I like that the JJ Cole Caprice diaper bag has two side pockets-perfect for drinks-and a large back pocket. It also comes with a changing pad that can easily be wiped clean or washed. This bag is also nice that it has SO much room! You could probably stuff it with so many things. I am such a minimalist so I only like to bring the essentials, but I will totally be using this bag as a carry on for our up coming family vacation.

Light weight enough to make my two year old carry some stuff! Hey its mostly hers anyways right? Jk.

Here is where you can get your JJ Cole Diaper Bag perfect for spring! What is your favorite diaper bag item?

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

How I’ve Changed as a Teacher Since Becoming a Mother

March 24, 2017March 24, 20176 Comments

When out and about having small talk with random people and the subject of what I do for a living comes up and I joyfully tell them “I am a teacher” the follow up question is immediately “what grade?” When I respond proudly, “middle school” I get the same squinty, dirty look in response. People usually retort with comments like, “wow, that must be tough” or “ew why?” And yes it is hard and challenging but it is such a great job. Not one adult can look back at their middle school years and think, “man, I loved my hair,” “my clothes where so cool,” or “I had it all together.” These are the years where students make fashion disasters, learn to survive without their parent’s assistance, have their first crush, get picked on, and HOPEFULLY learn how to be hardworking, good people. I have been an educator for many years teaching the very interesting students of them all-middle schoolers.

Since becoming a mother my teaching practices have changed drastically. I started by assigning less homework. I did this for two reasons; one because I realize when kids come home from a long day of work asking them to do even more work is a hard task. Students are also involved in many different after school activities like soccer, piano, or dance-they don’t have time for homework. Parents also get little time with their kids, and arguing with them to do some science is not a way I want to spend my evening. I also started assigning less homework to give myself less work. As a teacher, the more you assign, the more you grade. And I too believe spending time with your family is valuable, precious, and can’t be replaced. Yes, do I think it is important to read with your child every night? Of course! But playing outside, sitting down at dinner together, having a conversation, or playing a sport is more important.

After becoming a mom, I now care less about my students “learning” and more about turning them into good people who possess values like hard work, determination, and kindness. When I first started teaching I was all about teaching grammar, wiring, and reading comprehension. But as an adult when was the last time you dissected a sentence for parts of speech? Writing and reading skills are key in becoming successful, but if there is anything my students take away from having Mrs. Doyle as a teacher I want it to be that hard work will make you successful in life, being kind to others is more important than being popular, and if you do anything be determined at it-never give up. I often tell my students, “the boss of a company is not the smartest person in the room, they are the most hardworking.”

Another way I have changed as a teacher is a sad thing that I have realized-not all of my students have good parents or live in a stable home. I had a blind eye or maybe a naive mind when I became a teacher. I came from a stable home, my parents who are still married to this day, are both hard working individuals who value education. Not all of my student’s parents value education. They don’t care if their child has or does homework, they don’t care if their kid even passes my class. I have called parents to discuss failing grades and I am practically burdening them with the phone call. Some-didn’t choose to become parents-they became them. Some of my students do not have a stable home, they are living in broken homes of divorced parents, parents who are alcoholics, drug attics, or even homeless. School, or my class, just might be the only stable thing they have in their lives. So what if the student comes to school without paper, a pencil? I used to get mad-how could a parent send their kids to school without a binder or something to write with? Now being a mom, I hand them school supplies over and over again and offer a loving smile and a chance to change their future.

I want to be a teacher, who I hope one day when my kids are in school have. Someone who will love my children as their own, teach them right from wrong, and encourage them to have greatness in their life.

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

Festive St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail

March 1, 201712 Comments

As your resident St. Patrick’s Day chick I am here bringing you an EASY St. Patty’s Day cocktail! Want to know why I LOVE St. Patty’s Day {other than the fact that it’s my second birthday being a redheaded Irish girl} read about that here-Why Redlocks and Shamrocks.

When I think of St. Patrick’s Day in my younger pre-mommy years several beverages come to mind: green beer, Irish Car Bombs, and the dreaded Jager Bomb. {I think I just puked a little-hangover memories}. This cocktail has none of those ingredients! And if you ask me its really refreshing and perfect for a little day drinking. 🙂

Ingredients:

Sparkling Moscato: I used Barefoot Bubbly
Sprite
GREEN Grapes (fresh or frozen) for the festive look
Ice

How cute are these cups from Target? Shhh secret they are PLASTIC!

All you need to do for this drink is fill your cup with ice and grapes then pour in the moscato-as much or as little as you want. Next top with a tiny bit of Sprite! And BAM a quick and refreshing cocktail!

Btw this is my go to hair style these days-natural hot mess hair that is a few days dirty with a messy fishtail or dutch braid.

Cardi: Old Navy
Shirt: Nordstrom
Watch: Michael Kors
Lips: Lipsense Color “Flour de Lisa” {duh I HAD to pick that color} My girl Melissa is a distributor if you are interested you can contact her here.

No matter if you are at an Irish pub or at home trying to catch a leprechaun with your little ones, have a great time celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year readers!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Have the best time counting down my favorite holidays and celebrating life’s golden moments with National Honey Month!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

Here are some goals I have for improving my diet:

Eat a good breakfast-not just coffee

Make myself a REAL lunch not just eat my kids left overs- preferably a salad or sandwich

Add more vegetables into my diet as I snack on fruit all the time

Only eat dessert 3 times a week {haha like that will happen}

Have fun adding in those veggies with Kiwami Greens! How do you stay healthy with the on the go mommy duties of everyday life? Please share with me your healthy recipes too!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

Love our matching socks!? Buy them here! There are also similar pairs here and here. 🙂 This is a great gift idea for moms and dads!

For those mamas that have been stay at home moms since day one WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR ME? Comment below!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

SUPPLY LIST:

-Shiplap wood

-Nail gun: the one we purchased can be found HERE.

-Nails

-Saw

-Painter’s Putty: This can be purchased HERE.

-Putty Knife: This can be purchased HERE.

-White paint

I can’t believe we did this ourselves, so if the Redlocks crew can do it you can too! What type of projects have you done to your home?

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

10 Tips for Surviving Flying with Toddlers & Babies

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

That brings me up to today: my big announcement.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our family and to see what else unfolds in my blogging journey.

Stay at home mommies-what is your BEST ADVICE FOR ME!?

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

Here are some toddler MUST items in my JJ Cole diaper bag:

Here is where you can get your JJ Cole Diaper Bag perfect for spring! What is your favorite diaper bag item?

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

I want to be a teacher, who I hope one day when my kids are in school have. Someone who will love my children as their own, teach them right from wrong, and encourage them to have greatness in their life.

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

No matter if you are at an Irish pub or at home trying to catch a leprechaun with your little ones, have a great time celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year readers!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle