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A Break from the Typical Pinterest Party: Making a Birthday Special on a Budget

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I am taking a relationship break from Pinterest Parties…….We’ve been in a pretty serious relationship the past few years, but I am sorry crazy Pinterest Parties I NEED A BREAK.

Pinterest Party Break

IMG_6697So I am the first to admit that Pinterest has sucked me in….sucked me in SO DEEP that the last few years all the parties I have thrown have been themed, had fancy handcrafted decor, and had food that is obviously carrot sticks and hummus but has to have an over top oh so cutesy name.     I am losing the energy people!!   Having two under two I just can’t keep up, I don’t know how some supermoms do it!  Those parties take SO much time, effort, energy and MONEY.     This year for Logan’s birthday I just couldn’t come up with the energy to throw her an over the top party which she wouldn’t even remember.   It made me think of my birthday parties I had as a little kid.   They were SO much fun!   Most of the parties consisted of pizza delivery, a decorated table covered with a plastic table cloth coordinated with matching plates and hats, and a fun decorated cake-usually handmade by my mom, the current queen of crazy-over-the-top-Pinterest-Parties.    So for Logie’s birthday she wasn’t going to get an expensive birthday party that her budgeting parents would really be throwing just for “show”  but she was going to get a MEMORABLE celebration of being TWO YEARS OLD!   Here are some of the inexpensive ways we said HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY to our princess! 

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Logan woke entering the world as a two year old to 30 balloons and streamers from the dollar store.   The hardest part of throwing this together was blowing up 30 balloons after bedtime….if we are keeping score on balloon blowing skills Mommy: 7 Daddy: 23.

This is the Doyle party at 6:18 in the morning….anyone else’s kids are ready to party that early?

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The one thing we did spring for Logan’s birthday was her KidKraft kitchen.    The rest of the gifts in this photo (besides the blue bouncy horse from Auntie Kelli) were all from the Dollar Tree!   

It does not take much to make a two year old happy-plastic veggies and fruit- toy animals and dinosaurs-bins to organize kitchen stuff-will keep this girl happy for months.

DONUTS!!!!! Who doesn’t love a dozen Dunkin Dounts!!!  Logan got to experience her first dounut!  We also sang Happy Birthday to her for the 10th time already lol

This was very special for Logan because she rarely…almost never….gets sweets!

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No fancy “I’m two” outfit for this girl….she wore a dress from Old Navy that she can wear over and over again-or at least until she grows out of it.   Instead we sprung for a number 2 balloon from our local party store.

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Post nap we had family over for pizza and cake and I went SO simple…or I like to say “old school” with the decor.   This two under two momma didn’t even make it to the party store, I ordered all of this from Amazon.

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Overall this two year old had the best birthday!!!  I am so happy with the decision to go low key and not throw an over the top party which would cost 100s of dollars.    However readers, I did say this was a “relationship break” from Pinterest parties, so there are no promises that for future celebrations it might suck me back in, but until then I will still dream of that pizza delivery and hit the gym for that third slice I should have put back.

 

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks girl,

Lisa Doyle

A Redlocks Review: Nuby Snooize Pacifier

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Redlocks and Shamrocks LOVES the Nuby brand!

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Redlocks and Shamrocks LOVES the brand Nuby!   We use so many of their products on a daily basis, Logan won’t go anywhere without her Nuby Flex Straw Cup and Kohen loves his Nuby Teething Keys!  

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Logan and her Nuby Flex Straw Cup

Nuby has just came out with Kohen’s new favorite product the Snoozie Plush Pacifier Holder and All Silicone Natural Flex Pacifier!   This product is avaliable at Babies R Us and is coming soon to Amazon. 

The Doyle kids are breastfed babies so they aren’t given pacifiers until pretty late in the baby game, however Kohen LOVES this pacifier.   Not only does it help sooth him, he loves playing with the cute monkey!  The natural Flex pacifier simulates the natural flexing movement of a mother’s nipple and there are nubs on the collar to help with teething and tender gums.   The pacifier is of course BPA Free, but also has a gentle curving feature away from the babies face allowing for airflow to protect the baby’s delicate skin. 

 The plush character makes the pacifier easy for him to handle putting it in and out of his mouth while soothing him at the same time.  Its also offered in a little giraffe as well. 

And how cute is the monkey!–Don’t worry moms its attached by Velco, so you can take it off to clean and sterilize the pacifier with ease or wash the plush toy if you want to go crazy!

Overall Redlocks and Shamrocks approves the Nuby Snoozie Plush Pacifier Holder and All Silicone Natural Flex Pacifier and we are adding it to the list of Nuby products we already love!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks girl,

Lisa Doyle

 

Breastfeeding a Newborn with a Toddler in Tow: A Whole New Challenge.

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Toddler in Tow

Breastfeeding a Newborn with a Toddler in tow: A Whole New Challenge.

Breastfeeding isn’t easy, any mom can tell you that. However it’s an amazing bonding experience between your new bundle of joy and the mom that can be so relaxing and amazing.   Those “relaxing” breastfeeding sessions are over when you have a toddler that WON’T SIT STILL. I learned this very quickly when trying to nurse my newborn while my then 17 month old was climbing furniture and falling nearly cracking her head on our hard tile floor. If she wasn’t climbing furniture she was darting into another room after I got all “set up” to breastfeed.   Here are some tips I have to keep your older one entertained while trying to nurse.

  1. Give the toddler a job– burping buddy, burp cloth and water bottle retriever, or “mommy hand holder” are my favorite “jobs” for my daughter. Logan is always happy to help with things for Kohen so she loves getting his burp cloth.   She also likes to help burp her little brother by lightly tapping his back-or sometimes not so lightly, lol. Logan also is now trained to hand me any water bottle in sight at any given moment-sometimes helpful, sometimes not.   When those jobs have failed, I have asked Logie to be the “mommy hand holder” to keep me company while we sing songs.

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    “Kohen burped! Skuzzz me Kohen”–Logie

  2. Books, Books, Books!-keep a pile on hand! I have a bunch of books in different baskets, which are easy to grab and move to the couch to read while nursing. I will always read my daughter a few stories to keep her entertained while her little brother eats. Now she is trained to pick out books and bring them to the couch.    She even will pick up the book basket and bring over yelling, “look at me, I’m strong!”IMG_6179
  3. Flash cards to learn ABCs, numbers, or shapes!– My proud mommy moment is that Logan knows all of her letters and the ABC song before she is two years old! IMG_6178(You go Logie!) We practiced ABC flashcards a lot while nursing Kohen.  Stop by the dollar store and pick up a pack (or two because when you lose letters Q, F, and X in the couch its hard to complete all 26 letters). Or you can even make your own out index cards.
  4. Count! We practice counting baby’s tiny toes and fingers! We have counting 1-10 down pat!
  5. Master the breastfeed and WALK. Yep ever wonder how that 19 Kids and Counting lady does it? Carry the newborn attached to the boob around the house, it’s not easy but it can be done. Like I said, relaxing breastfeeding sessions are hard to come by!
  6. LAST resort- TV show or movie. I HATE this option because I don’t like my children watching TV, but sometimes it’s all you have.   If all else fails make sure you have your DVR stacked with short shows to bust out the good ole “sit here and zone out kid, so you don’t get into something you’re not supposed to” trick.   I did enjoy playing Logan the old classic Disney movies and we would watch them in 20 minute chunks taking us several days to finish.
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We spend a lot of time on this couch nursing!  To the side of this couch is a toy bin filled with Logan’s toys so she doesn’t have to stop her playing for me to nurse Kohen.

Those are the few tips I have.   Now when I need to feed Kohen I ask Logan if she wants to “help me feed the baby” and she jumps for joy!   She has also pushed Kohen’s screaming and crying face into my breast and said, “Hey! Eat your boobie!” Hahaha

What tricks do you have to keep your toddler entertained while nursing? Comment below with your tricks and tips!

Until Next time XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks girl,

Lisa Doyle

 

Easy and Quick Toddler Lunch- Sushi Sandwiches!

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Easy and Quick Toddler Lunch- Sushi Sandwiches! Wait…I mean “circle sandwiches”

Lunch Idea

So if your toddler is like mine, they become obsessed with one type of food and want only that.  Then all of a sudden, BAM, they hate it!   I don’t know what it is with their picky pallets that make them change their mind all the time but it drives me nuts!   Logan sometimes is a great eater, then the next week she is not.   I made these Sushi Sandwiches (renamed Circle Sandwiches by Logan) for lunch to sneak in some protein.   They literally took MAYBE FIVE MINUTES to whip up.   I even made them while my crying 5 month old was in my arms.   This is so easy to make you look like a supermom in disguise!  Steps are below!

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Logan holding up a Circle Sandwich

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All I did to whip these up were:

  1. Flatted out a slice of bread with a rolling pan and cut off crust

  2. Lay on a slice of cheese

  3. Lay on 2-3 slices of lunch meat

  4. Roll tight like a sushi master

  5. Slice into individual circles

BAM done!   You could add veggies or maybe mayo or mustard but I didn’t want to press my luck! Bite size sandwiches easy for those toddler fingers to pick up!

Comment below with your favorite quick and easy meal!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks girl,

Lisa Doyle

Teddy Bears Picnic First Birthday Party! Looking back on Logan’s First Birthday

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Teddy Bears Picnic First Birthday Party!

Looking back on Logan’s First Birthday

I cannot believe my little girl is going to be two years old soon!   That first year of parenthood is a serious challenge and the milestone of your baby hitting one years old is a great accomplishment.   Logan quickly earned the nickname “Logie Bears” so throwing her a Teddy Bear’s Picnic themed party seemed fitting.    This year for Logan’s second birthday we are doing a small party with family and I will be blogging about “a memorial birthday celebration on a budget.”   Stay tuned for that post!  In the meantime, here is our princess on her first birthday!

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Logan’s cute little outfit details:

Bow:  Etsy

Oneise:  Made by mom

Tutu: Etsy (After this event I figured out how to make them on my own for WAY cheaper)

Shoes:  Ross (Under 5 bucks!)

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First:  Party Picnic decor!

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I got these cute teddy bears from Oriental Trading for each of Logan’s little friends to “adopt.”

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I made these teddy bears from a store bought spheres (on clearance, because who wants brown!) and added construction paper.   These were so easy to throw together!

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Next stop:  Party Picnic Food!

Now to the food for the party!  I love to make AND buy food, sometimes making food can save you money, but not piece of mind.   On the other hand, buying food can be REALLY expensive which is why I like to do both.

Store bought cupcakes from the local grocery store jazzed up by me saved major money!
I got these on http://www.orientaltrading.com for so cheap!
FREE smash cake, read detailes below for how I got this cake for free!
Sorry to all you fancy people who love to spend tons of money on fancy cupcakes, these were from the grocery store then jazzed up by me! I saved tons of money doing it this way!
Homemade PAWsta salad

Not pictured:  Sub sandwiches from Port of Subs.   It would have been more cost effective to make sandwiches myself, but for piece of mind I ordered a tray of sandwiches.

Cake SMASH time!

Some moms spend MAJOR money on smash cakes when the one year old barely gets any in their mouth!   I know some bakeries can charge around 50 dollars for one small cake!  That’s insane.   I spent a total of ZERO dollars on this cake.  YES NOTHING!   I talked to the bakery at my local grocery store and with buying two dozen cupcakes they threw in this small cake for free!  SCORE!

Thanks for reliving our baby girl’s first birthday party!   I can’t believe Logan will be two soon!

Until Next Time XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks girl,

Lisa Doyle

 

Daddy Nursing Tips: You Don’t Got Dem Boobies, But You Got Duties!

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DaddyNursingTips

Most mothers know breastfeeding is one of the hardest challenges of motherhood.   Nursing is something most moms want to do, not all can for many reasons, and some give up because of challenges they face.   When you are a breastfeeder- you are the cow…ugh I mean food supply. No one can give you a 2am break to get some needed sleep or a 6pm break so you can actually eat a meal with two hands.   I am very lucky that I have a 100% supportive husband for me being the only one who can feed our child.   One breastfeeding session alone can take around 30 minutes resulting in a lot of lost sleep for mommy and less chores she can do around the house. (Oh darn on that second one). Parenting is a team effort, so DADS here is where you can pick up your end of the bargain with some tips to help your wife through this challenging time.

  1. When the baby cries in the middle of the night go get them first! Yes that newborn probably wants milk but first that little bundle must be changed. This allows mommy some time to go to the bathroom or rub the crust out of her eye before a 3am feeding.
  2. After you have changed the baby and passed them off to mom make sure she has necessities: a drink and entertainment. After my husband always passes of the baby to me, he makes sure I have my phone and a bottle of water in arms reach. There is something about nursing that makes you INSTANTLY thirsty, and I’m not going to lie, if I wasn’t Instagram stalking people at 4am I would fall asleep on the job! He even stepped it up a notch and would put my hair up in a bun for me so it didn’t get tangled in the little one’s fingers. I KNOW he is amazing.
  3. Remember mommy’s job is input, your job is output. Yep, if the baby is dirty just go change them!   Once you’ve master the art of diaper changing and you’re not dealing with a stage ten blowout a diaper change can take minutes- remember breastfeeding can take almost thirty minutes.
  4. Do more chores-laundry, dishes, whatever! I pretty much a psycho when it comes to a clean house. There is nothing more frustrating to me when I am in the middle of cleaning or doing a chore when I have to stop what I’m doing to nurse. Then you just have to sit there for what feels like forever and STARE at the disaster that is your kitchen.   So if your wifey has to pause a job, finish it for her OR even better start before that little gal or little man wants to eat.
  5. When mommy is nursing give a little massage! Breastfeeding can really hurt your back and/or arms.   Personally, I carry a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders when breastfeeding and let me tell you its an amazing feeling when my husband is rubbing my shoulders when I am cuddling my son.
  6. If you’re wifey is a working and pumping mama wash those bottles like nobodies business! Pumping at work is a whole other challenge, then you find yourself home from a long day’s work to your more important job parenthood only to have to store ounces of breastmilk every night and breast pump attachments to wash. Ugh, I’m exhausted just typing the words! Help out mommy, she took time out of her workday, so now its your turn-wash, dry, store, label, freeze.

There are my tips for you dads!  These are also not things I never asked my husband to do, these are things he just did ON HIS OWN to help me and support me through this journey.

Until next time XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks girl,

Lisa Doyle

Why Redlocks and Shamrocks?

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Why Redlocks and Shamrocks?cropped-artboard-1.png

So I know you have many questions about Redlocks and Shamrocks. Why did she name it that? Why even start a blog? What will I read on this blog of Lisa’s? She has two kids and works full time, who has time!? She is crazy!

Well let’s first start off with why I wanted to start blogging.   I have always been a writer of my thoughts.   I’ve kept a journal since I was in middle school writing down the journeys and questions of a crazy teenage girl. In college I first had the major of journalism because of my love for writing, but soon changed it to education to teach writing.   Flash forward to decades down the road to me not having a creative outlet of dancing or writing when the idea of blogging hit me after some people have reached out to me via social media for random advice. I was getting questions from people like, “where did you get that maternity dress?” “What camera do you use?” “Does Logan ever do…..” to “What photographer did you use for your wedding?” So I thought why not start a blog to help others and start a resource for girls to go to, and maybe even for other moms and women to share their thoughts and advice.IMG_4273

The name “Redlocks and Shamrocks” is something that represents me.   My redlocks are my signature “look” and has always made me stand out in a crowd.   Shamrocks is something that represents the Doyle’s, or the beginning of my super cool family.   My husband and I although briefly met years prior to, met on St. Patrick’s Day-dressed in green with love in our eyes.   It really was love at first sight and I knew going home that evening that Kerry was a great catch.   St. Patrick’s Day since then has always been the Doyle holiday.   We even had a St. Patrick’s Day themed rehearsal dinner for our wedding in the middle of June. I wish I could say that I was creative enough to come up with the name Redlocks and Shamrocks, but that was all my talented husband’s idea.

So on to the next questions you have, what will you read on this amazing blog? At any given point I have 1,000 ideas running through my head.   I am no way a perfect parent but I sure am trying to give my kids the best life and I hope to write about that.   I will share product reviews and tips on parenting, beauty, fashion, and hobbies of mine.   I have no idea how to answer the last question, “How will this working mother of two young children do this?” I don’t know, but I am going to give it a good shot and drink lots and lots of coffee on the way!

Until next time XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks girl,

Lisa Doyle