Category: lifestyle

Planning the Perfect Bachelorette Party!

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Guest blog by Ashley Brooke

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Hey guys!  Lisa here your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl!  Meet Ashley Brooke my guest writer for this blog post!  Ashley and I went to college together at UNLV and she was a cheerleader when I was a Rebel Girl.   Ashley is an amazing wife, working mother, and a fitness junkie!  She is SUCH an inspiration to eat right, be fit, and grow confidence.  Follower her on Instagram at @ashbrooke_balanced if you want daily fitness inspiration.  Check out her feature on my blog about planning the perfect bachelorette party! 

Hi Babes! First I want to thank Lisa for so generously offering up her blog allowing this post to happen! So many of you have commented and messaged me asking for all the details on planning the PERFECT bachelorette party and I originally intended to just do an Instagram post but there is just NO WAY I could fit it all in! If this post helps just ONE babe in planning her own/friend’s bachelorette party, I will be one happy mama! So here it goes…

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YAY!!! Your BF is getting married!!! Once the initial excitement of an engagement for your bestie has passed, the real work for the maid of honor sets in. BACHLORETTE PARTY PLANNING! Knowing your bride is the critical first step in planning, for example if your bride hates the cold, a weekend hitting the slopes in Tahoe probably isn’t the best fit. For my bride and bestie of 10 years Samantha (Sami for short) I knew she wanted a sunny and warm bachelorette party. Not sure what your bride is looking for? Ask her! Don’t want to spoil a surprise? Ask her general questions like (warm weather or cool, travel or no travel, strippers or no strippers…haha but seriously ask!). It’s better to get these ideas as specific as possible to get a really good idea of what your bride would prefer before you spend the time and money putting together a party that misses the mark. The next and final thing you need from the bride is a list of her girls, the ones she wants to spend her last big blowout single weekend with!

Once you know what your bride wants and have the list of girls, let the planning begin! After attending many bachelorette parties, I’ve been through the good, bad and ugly. Knowing that Sami wanted a sunny/warm party in January/February my options for locations were pretty limited. I narrowed my ideas down to Florida (Disney World) and Mexico. One day while driving to work and listening to the radio I heard an ad for Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa, instantly intrigued (not even for the bachelorette party) I went to the website and saw the timing was incredible for the bachelorette party and the more I thought about it, the more I realized I was not going to find anything better. All-inclusive resort (remember the good the bad and the ugly? Splitting dinner checks and bar tabs every night between 8 girls is awful!). 4 nights of country concerts, pool side shows and most importantly SUNSHINE & BEACH! Once I knew where we were going and asked the bridesmaids if they were ok with all of the details, dates & pricing we were all set!

Since our college sorority days (shout out to Delta Zeta Girls) we have always loved to theme and match during girl’s trips, so coming up with the perfect theme for the weekend was really important to me. To be honest, I am not really sure how I came up with it but the word BEACHLORETTE popped up in my head and I couldn’t let it go and from there Sami’s Beachlorette was born. I asked a friend Josh (link below) to design a logo for me using a palm tree and some type of handwritten font to say Sami’s Beachlorette Crash My Playa 2017. I let him know the logo would be used on tank tops. He presented a few options and I picked this one!  In the same writing I asked him to also do a “Beaches” logo and “Beachlorette” logo so that we could have a second tank where all the girls were in beaches tank tops and our bride was in her Beachlorette Crop! It worked out so cute! (by the way, the font is called Lemon Tuesday and you can download it for free, just type it into google).

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Next I wanted to theme each day with our bride’s favorite things! A few of her favorite things include: unicorns, camo print, and bows so these things became the inspiration for each night.  To kick off the party we started night one in cutoff shorts & our matching beachlorette logo tanks (I did make Sami a cowboy hat with a veil, but her head was too big and it didn’t fit haha…oops). For our first day by the pool we all wore whatever swimsuit we wanted but our coordinating tank tops over them, this day was cleverly called “where my beaches at”. For night two we all had fun pretending to be unicorns. The bride was instructed to wear her favorite white dress/romper and all the girls were asked to wear their favorite black dress/romper. The next day we all wore matching swimsuits, I searched far and wide for a palm tree/beach print that had several different options that girls could choose from. These PilyQ suits were great. They had a one-piece option, two different tops and bottoms to choose from and shorts. We got so many compliments this day! For night three we were “Sami’s Soldiers” we all wore matching camo headbands, white shirts and jeans casual and comfortable after a long day in the sun. For the final day we planned a group yoga class and bought the bride a palm tree yoga outfit, each of the girls were asked to wear a solid color yoga outfit in Black, White or Gray (although we didn’t actually get to do yoga…long story…we still looked adorable J ). For the final night we decided to go BOWHO in Mexico. Each girl was asked to wear a boho outfit of their choice. In my opinion, the key to success here is to try and “theme” most of your night/days outfits that give girls flexibility to either buy a new outfit if they want or find something they already have in their closet…no matter what you choose as long as your bride has a veil on at all times, she will stand out!

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Some other fun accessories that made the weekend stand out were matching palm tree sunglasses, custom and personalized water bottles, oversized pool floats (TIP! Use the hotel blow dryer to inflate in your room…it works!)  and the adorable custom sun hats that the bride brought along for all the girls as a gift! 

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To reveal the location (and themes) of the bachelorette party to Sami and the rest of the girls I created packages from Santa. These packages included a full itinerary and each of the little accessories they needed so they could plan and coordinate their outfits. I created the itinerary using Microsoft Word and purchased boxes, tissue paper and palm tree confetti on Amazon.  

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The final step of planning was to create a “need to knows” packet. The purpose of this packet was to have all the details of the trip, contact information, location, emergency contact information ect in one place not only for us, but for our families. I also included a packing list because I typically make them anyway for my trips and I didn’t want any girl forgetting one of her themed goodies (and it worked! no one forgot!). this document was made using Microsoft word and I found little weather icons using google.

 

MY TOP 3 PLANNING TIPS:

  • Plan Ahead to avoid paying rush charges for custom items like tank tops, hats, tumblers and Veils. Give yourself at least 6-8 weeks.
  • If you are on a budget, you can DIY many of these items. Tulle is available in bulk on amazon or fabric stores for much cheaper than having someone else make them for you.
  • Choose a location that gives you all types of options for group experiences, concerts, fitness studios and down time.

MY FAVORITE BACHELORETTE PARTY LOCATIONS & THEMES!

  • Beachlorette: for obvious reasons I pick any beach and start planning! Cali, Miami and Mexico. I love the idea of all inclusive resorts because it just makes things easy!
  • Bachville: Grab your cowboys boots and head to Nashville, this is an amazing city with tons of bars, restaurants and activities. This city is packed with live music, culture and scenery.
  • NOLA: I haven’t been, but I have always thought New Orleans would be a great city for a bachelorette party, When I think of NOLA I think of taking a group pastry class to learn how to make their world famous beignets or a haunted city tour soaking gup the history.
  • Austin: This hotel looks like an incredible girls’ getaway https://travaasa.com/
  • Vegas: For the party bride you really can’t go wrong with this location. With enough girls you can generally get access to comp bottles, tables and dinners and some of the best restaurants, night clubs and day clubs.
  • Napa: How much fun would wine tours and tastings be with all your girls. Napa is a foodie town as well, a great spot to get some amazing meals.

 

SHOPPING LINKS:

Sami’s Beachlorette Logo: www.iamjoshlucas.com

Custom tank tops/crops/t-shirts: www.customizedgirl.com

Palm tree sunglasses: www.sunglassspot.com

Starfish Veil: RiosBows on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RiosBows

Unicorn Headbands: RAQuirkybits on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RAQuirkyBits

Custom Bridal Mrs.Veil: myeverydayparty on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/myeverydayparty

Custom Tumblers: shoparoundthecorner3 on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShopAroundTheCorner

Custom Sun Hats: lifehasjustbegun on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LifeHasJustBegun

Palm Tree Swim Suits: https://www.swimoutlet.com

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Thank you to Ashley for sharing her amazing tips! I hope you all enjoyed Ash’s post on planning the perfect bachelorette party!  I know I will be putting this advice to good use as I am helping plan one of my best friend’s bachelorette parties in a few months! EK!  I can only pray it is as cute as this one!  If you aren’t following her on Instagram yet @ashbrooke_balanced, you are really missing out!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

 

 

 

 

 

5 Date Nights to Have at HOME!

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My husband and I don’t get too many date nights where we get dressed up, leave the kids at home, and have a nice dinner.   There are many reasons why a month {or embarrassingly multiple months} will go by and we don’t get the opportunity to get out of the house alone-babysitters, time, not wanting to leave kids after working all day.  The list {or excuses} goes on and on, but those traditional dates don’t happen often in our relationship.  Nevertheless that doesn’t mean we don’t have a good marriage or don’t dedicate time to maintain our loving relationship.   My husband and I do several things throughout the day-even if we’re not together to show our love and affection for one another-but you can’t replace those important moments alone together.  Once our children go to bed at 8pm we often are so exhausted we want to fall asleep too, but this part of the evening is quality time just for the two of us which is why often we will do a date night AT HOME! Here are five ways we do date nights at home:

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  1. Post bedtime dinner date: Family dinners are SO important in our family and it is a tradition we are instilling in our family.  However, every now and then its okay to do dinners apart and feed your kids some grilled cheeses and eat a light snack.  Then after the kids go to bed I send my husband out for some takeout from a nicer-but not too nice restaurant.  Our go to in the Las Vegas area is I Love Sushi or Table Thai.  While my hubby is out picking up the order I set the table and light some candles-or we will pig out right on the couch.  It is a simple perfect at home date night.
  1. Sit outside: After putting the kids to bed sit outside under the stars open a bottle of wine a relax. Sometimes these moments are the best to even not talk.  Just soak up quite time with your man-after all whether you’re a SAHM or a working mom you’ve been hustling and hearing talking all day long, it’s time to wind down and relax.
  1. Movie night: After putting the kids to bed pick out a movie pop some popcorn and cuddle. Put down the phones like you would in a real theater!!! Warning- don’t pull the exhausted parent move and fall asleep during the movie like my husband does. Lol
  1. Unplug completely: I know, I know you’re behind on Real Housewives or How to Get Away with Murder and you want to see what everyone has been up to on Instagram {are you following me @redlocksandshamrocks?} but unplug-turn off the TV, put the iPhone on the charger in the next room, and talk or play an old fashion board game. Better yet make it into a drinking game.
  1. The comPARENTion– Who doesn’t love a good competition? Whoever gets their kid to do something the child hates wins a 10-minute foot, back, or neck massage! For example, our toddler hates broccoli, whoever can successfully get our child to eat the veggie (without tears or forcing it down) wins!  This can be used for food, chores, bath time whatever your kid fights you to the death not to do!

 

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Time away from your kids and quality time with your husband is crucial in maintaining a happy relationship.  It’s so easy to fall asleep on the couch, zone out on TV or social media, do chores, or even do work from home after the kids go to bed, but remember to take time to focus on the heart of your family-the husband and wife relationship.

What at home date nights do you and your spouse love?  Comment below and tell me!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

The photography in this blog post was by J. Anne Photography

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It May Not Be Your First RODEO, but It Was His!

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It may not be your first rodeo, but it was Kohen’s!   Our little man recently celebrated his first birthday so we partied cowboy style throwing him his first rodeo!  For first birthday parties I love to do themes, easy food, and festive decor!   Did you see Logie Bears’ first birthday?  Check out that blog post here. I was lucky enough to meet the wonderful event planner of Starry Eyed Events who helped decorate part of his party.   If you are in the Las Vegas area definitely hit her up for your next celebration!  The other decor was either thrown together from what I already had or from Oriental Trading.

Our little birthday boy was too excited about the balloons that Starry Eyed Events brought that you couldn’t quite see his “My First Rodeo” t-shirt.

Cowboy gear was the dress code for the event, but if a guest came unprepared I got these cute cowboy hats and bandannas to keep everyone festive.

Starry Eyed Events did a pristine job decorating the dessert table to display tempting cupcakes and the first birthday staple, the SMASH cake!  I always say the BEST place to get a small smash cake is Albertsons!  They always do a great job for a low cost and often will throw in the smash cake for FREE if you order enough cupcakes.

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Starry Eyed Events even brought an ipod and speaker filled with country jams and rodeo tunes to set the mood and ambiance of the party.  This allowed every person to grab their partner and Do Si Do!  I put up the other decorations for the party about a week in advance.   This always helps get the kids excited and give you one less thing to do as the party day comes closer!

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Other decor I threw together was a clothesline banner displaying Kohen’s monthly photographs-he grew so much in one year!

Simple number one balloons, flowers, and mason jars were great center pieces.   And Pin the Tale on the Cow was a fun game for the toddlers at the party!

I also set out a craft for the kiddos to make their own farm out of animal stickers and construction paper.   Don’t you just love this custom farm table? We get TONS of use out of it.

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Now for the food!

I have to admit I love throwing parties but I HATE making food.   Its so much work-the planning, cooking, and clean up alone! Ugh!  I always try to buy most of the food and only make a few things.   It seems to saves energy and sometimes money.

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Pulled pork, chicken, and “KoKo Beans” (baked beans) were served in my triple crock-pot, a must for parties.

Fruit, cups of popcorn, and chips made for great rodeo side dishes.

The smash cake is always my favorite party of any first birthday!   The little one’s first taste of sweetness, will they be scared?  Like it?  Be disgusted? Devour it?

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We of course shared with our older sister!

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Happy birthday to our little Bean!  I can’t wait to see the adventures you will encounter this coming year!  

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

 

*This blog post was partnered with Starry Eyed Events.   This was an amazing party planning company to work with and I highly recommend it.   The thoughts and opinions of this blog are my own.

A Family Night Out at Peter Piper Pizza

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Tonight, was a momentous event in the Doyle family!  Our two-year-old is now potty trained!  Logan has worked very hard to master using the big girl potty, so as a reward she chose to eat her favorite all time food-PIZZA! We wanted to do something fun with her as a celebration so we took her to a restaurant that just came back to Las Vegas, Peter Piper Pizza! When I was a kid growing up in Las Vegas for any celebration we always begging my parents to go to pizza and play games!  The joys of being a kid having a pocket full of tokens, collecting and adding up tickets, to then select a small toy was the highlight to any kid’s month!  We are stoked that the restaurant, Peter Piper Pizza, came back in town and its better than ever!

Peter Piper Pizza is a great restaurant for a family fun night out!  It has great food, games, prizes, TVs displaying cartoons and football, and BEER!  I mean it is a restaurant for the WHOLE family!   We liked eating at this restaurant for Logie’s potty training celebration because Peter Piper Pizza’s environment geared toward kids and the games fully entertained her as we waited for our meal. 

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We had a great time playing the games at Peter Piper Pizza.   As you enter, you can buy tokens for .25 cents each, most games are 1 to 2 tokens so we bought 20 tokens for $5.00.   Logan at first was a little overwhelmed with all the lights, games, and noises, but after she tried her first game she was hooked!   Logan and I really enjoyed the easy ball drop games which guaranteed tickets-great for those toddlers unable to actually ‘beat’ a game.  

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My husband’s favorite game was of course Pop-a-Shot where he relived his basketball glory days.  There were plenty of games geared toward older kids that we didn’t try out but sure looked like a blast!

Logan surprisingly ended up winning 55 tickets!  She had a wonderful time looking though the prizes at the ticket counter and the nice worker there let her pick specific colors she liked.   Our girly girl went with mostly jewelry and one small toy.

After we played the games we worked up quite an appetite!   We ordered a serving of bread sticks, a large pizza, two sodas, and a kids drink all for around 20 bucks.

The breadsticks with a side of marinara sauce came out first.   They were the perfect combination of crispy and soft with just the right amount of garlic and parmesan sprinkled on them.   Both of my kids and husband devoured them!  If you are a carbaholic these breadsticks were wayyy better than any other pizza place!

The pizza came out piping hot and oozing with cheese!  My family is very picky on their pizza-we take it very seriously!  And this pizza is really delectable!  It was not too greasy and had just the right amount of sauce on it.   The crust almost had a sweet after taste and was nice and crispy on the bottom, but still soft on the end.   The whole family loved it-the 11 month old, 2 year old, and the parents.   Daddy even had to cut himself off-it was hard for him to turn away that last slice.

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The restaurant itself was very clean-there were constantly workers bussing tables and picking up.   Since we celebrated a newly potty trained princess we did check out the bathrooms several times which were very clean! Lol

Overall we had a great time at Peter Piper Pizza!   The kids {and parents} had a great time playing all the games, collecting tickets, and picking out prizes.   The food was delicious and both of my kids actually devoured their meal!  Which if you have toddlers, says a lot!!

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This place is fun for the whole family and is Redlocks and Shamrocks approved!  Check out both Peter Piper Pizza‘s new locations now that they are BACK in Las Vegas!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

 

*This post was sponsored by Peter Piper Pizza-the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Easy One Pan Christmas Bars: MeMaw’s Mystery Bars

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Easy One Pan Christmas Bars: MeMaw’s Mystery Bars

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Growing up in my house around the holidays Christmas music was always blaring, my brothers had I were running amok around our 15 foot tall tree, and my mom was always baking & making fun foods to celebrate.   She seriously was the cutesy-crafty-amazing-mom wayyy before Pinterest was a thing.   Now as a mother myself, I still don’t know how my mother did it all!  One of my favorite cookies she makes are called Mystery Bars!  Today on the blog my mom made them with my daughter and we are sharing one of our favorite {and easy} recipes with you!  

I am doing one of the things I HATE when finding a recipe on Pinterest….telling you some long winded story before getting to the recipe.   Feel free to keep scrolling, or check out these photographs of my mom’s recipe book.   Pre-internet when you could save all your favorite recipes organized in Pinterest boards recipe books were all the rage.   This thing is from the 70’s or 80’s and has hand written recipes from my mother and my grandmother, clippings from magazines, printings from the internet, and even has cooking stains on it.   Its a very cherished item in our family-since if you’ve ever been around the O’Rourke’s when food is on the table you know food = life.

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This recipe is so easy you can whip it up quickly for a last minute holiday party or cookie exchange.   It took us no time to make even with a toddler’s help! The bars can be cut as small or as large as your holiday diet can handle.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 stick of unsalted butter or margarine
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 small bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 small bag of butterscotch chips (or you could use peanut butter chips)
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 1 can condensed sweetened milk

Steps:

Melt butter and pour into a 9×13 inch pan and sprinkle graham crackers on top.

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Press down firmly with a fork into the baking pan.

Layer on the chocolate chips as little or as many as you like!

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Now add the butterscotch chips.

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Next, sprinkle on the coconut!  My toddler LOVED this part! *Note my mother’s “measuring” this is why I must document her recipes-she never really follows them which makes it impossible to copy!

Lastly drizzle the milk on top evenly.

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Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes at 325 degrees.  Once in the oven, do a dance party!!

When the cookies are completely cool cut into bars of any size and viola!  Easy ONE PAN cookies with little clean up!  I hope you enjoy them!

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These are my favorite cookies my mom makes!  I personally like these bars when then are a few days only and not completely fresh so they are somewhat hard.

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What are your favorite family Christmas cookie traditions?  Comment below with your favorite Christmas cookie!

Have a Happy Holiday!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

5 Tips on Keeping your Home Tidy During the Holidays

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5 Tips to Keep Your Home Tidy During the Holidays with BLACK+DECKER

Keep reading & scrolling for a  GIVEAWAY for a chance to win an awesome BLACK+DECKER product!

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  1. Make a Plan

I am queen of ‘to-do lists’ I feel it really helps me stay focused on what needs to get done, what’s important, and it also lets my husband know what I need help with. Wink wink.   I often will print out a calendar and mark holiday festivities to do with the family on them from seeing Christmas lights, making Christmas crafts, and even wrapping those presents to make sure every moment of the holiday season is used.   Being a working mom I often will clean my entire house on Saturday morning so I can enjoy a clean home all weekend.   I will make a list of things to do-dishes, vacuum with the BLACK+DECKER cordless hand vacuum, do laundry, tidy up bedrooms, etc. that way it can get done quick and efficiently!

  1. Minimize Clutter by Using Bins

I love being a mother, but I hate the sight of toys and clutter! Especially around the holidays when there are more things out in your home, I really like to minimize clutter by using bins that tie in with my décor.  My rule is if it doesn’t fit in the bins then it goes in the closet or gets donated!   This is a perfect time of the year to do a secret nap time toy rotation or to donate some of those rarely used toys to charity.

All of the bins in these photos have toys hidden in them!

  1. Teach the Kids to Help!

Being a parent means you’re constantly cleaning, washing, folding-but hey you also had kids to help with household chores right?   Kids are never too young to start helping out with mommy and daddy with small chores for their age group.   Little tasks for toddlers like putting away shoes, toys, or even bringing their dirty sippy cup to the sink are all chores my toddler does around the house. My toddler as learned that she must help clean up an area of the house by putting her toys away in the bins before moving on to the next activity.   Sometimes this task is done with a smile all by herself, often with help from mom, and sadly sometimes with toddler tears, but it’s a rule we like to have in our home to keep it clean.

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  1. Use the BLACK+DECKER Compact Cordless Lithium Hand Vacuum to Spot Clean Little Messes

Keeping a clean home is important to me, but it should not overhaul the entire day-this is the time to celebrate not clean! Who has time to lug out an entire large vacuum?   I love to keep my BLACK+DECKER  Compact Cordless Lithium Hand Vacuum in arms reach to quickly clean up small messes like Christmas tree pine needles, sprinkles from holiday cookies, baking disasters such as dust from flour, or milk-YES IT EVEN VACUUMS LIQUIDS!!! Hello! This tool is amazing around little ones!   The Compact Cordless Lithium Hand Vacuum is also quiet too so it doesn’t scare my toddler or wake my napping baby.

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  1. Make it a Game!

To keep little ones entertained and helpful turn any chore into a game or competition. Make the job a race and see who is the best little helper to clean up the mess the fastest.   Turn on a favorite Christmas song like ours-NSYNC’s “Merry Christmas Happy Holidays” and set a goal to get the whole area cleaned up by the time the song is over! Clean up Elf style by talking to Santa in a funny voice.   Give a prize or reward like a small candy cane or be the first family member to open a gift on Christmas morning if they can clean up the fastest.   The ‘Clean Up Monster’ was a game my dad played when I was little which was a modified version tag in the dark-whoever he caught had to clean up! Whatever game you choose, making a dull task fun can make it go much faster!

Those are my top 5 tips on keeping your home tidy not just around the holidays, but all year long!

BLACK+DECKER is a great brand, check out these other items on our Christmas wish list:

  • The 20V MAX Lithium Cordless Drill Driver will be a WONDERFUL drill for my husband to put together all the kids toys and home projects I have him complete.
  • The MarkIT Picture Hanging Tool works wonders making sure all pictures, artwork, and canvas prints are hung perfectly straight.  This is a need for the gallery wall trend in home decor right now!
  • The Cordless 2 In 1 Stick Vacuum is a fab product as it is the best of both worlds a hand vacuum for couches and everything above ground, and a regular vacuum for floors! 

Check out the BLACK+DECKER  Holiday Handbook for more holiday and Christmas tips, recipes, and DIYs!

 

**GIVEAWAY**

The BLACK+DECKER brand will be giving away a 2-in-1 Stick Vacuum to a lucky Redlocks and Shamrocks reader!  This Stick Vacuum makes cleaning super easy with the product’s cordless feature! To enter the GIVEAWAY:

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  1. Check out this LINK and read all about the 2-in-1 Stick Vacuum!
  2. Comment on my blog post below telling me what you LOVE about the cordless stick vacuum OR what you like about the other products from this post: the drill, the hand vacuum , or the picture hanger!

The giveaway is that SIMPLE!   Good luck!

I hope you all have a wonderful {and clean} Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

Redlocks Review: Iconoclast Dad Bags

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Redlocks is here bringing you a review on a great product for dads: the Iconoclast Dad Bag! I am so blessed that my husband is a very ‘hands on’ father.   Raising a family with two working parents is a team effort so in the Doyle home we do not have typical gender roles.  My {amazing} husband is always rolling up his sleeves changing dirty diapers or cooking dinner.    With that being said, my poor husband for the last two years, has been forced to lug around the most gender neutral diaper bag I could find on the market-a grey floral print bag.   I am so grateful we found him a product that not only looks good but is really functional for out and about trips to the park, grocery store, out to dinner, or anywhere else daddy life takes him.

The Iconoclast Dad Bag is very durable and made is the USA!  This one shoulder backpack style bag is made extremely well it is still exceptionally lightweight.  Inside the bag there are several compartments to store the various baby gear-diapers, wipes, blankets ect.   It even comes with a fold out changing pad-this is a must!

The Iconoclast Dad Bag has mesh compartments in the inside which is great to find small binkies and toys with ease.  The bag is designed to swing around to the front so it never touches dirty bathroom floors but still allows the dad to be hands free. 

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The Iconoclast Company-founded by a hands on father-really wanted to empower men when it came to childcare.   He really wanted to #BreakTheMold that in a typical family moms do most of the work-but not with the modern father.  The new aged modern dad helps out with all aspects of childcare so there needs to be more products out there designed for men. 

The companies philosophy is “the Iconoclast Dad Bag, because childcare isn’t just a woman’s job!” 

Since this is a diaper bag for my husband I figured it was best for you to read what he has to say about the product, so here ya go:

“Any dad that has had to carry around a diaper bag will appreciate the look and feel of this bag.  This isn’t your wife’s diaper bag.  It is light, stylish and functional.  It has padding in the strap and back so it sits comfortably on your back.  You can adjust it so that it sits on either shoulder and the pockets on the inside can be switched so that they aren’t upside down when you slide the bag to the front to get things out.  The minimalist design is something I really appreciated and feel that this bag could be used for anything and doesn’t scream diaper bag.  It has a real quality feel to it and seems like it will survive the daily battles of parenthood for years to come.  Now that I have this Iconoclast bag I won’t have those embarrassing moments when I’m holding the same bag as the lady in line next to me when I’m out with my kids.”–Kerry 

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If you have an amazing modern dad in your life you should definitely check out this product for him available now at iconoclastdadbags.com

Use the code “Redlocks” for 20% off your purchase from now until December 27th so get your Iconoclast Dad Bag soon!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

Working Mom Problems

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              Tired. Exhausted. Busy. Happy. The life of a working mother is no joke. Literally every minute, no wait second of my day is used up.   From the moment I wake up in the early hours tending to my children getting them dressed for the day to the moment I finally get to sit down and relax and finally check emails, write a blog, or {maybe} watch Netflix, every second in between is used, valued, and pushed to the maximum capacity.   When you are a working mom, you will always feel guilty kissing your little one and leaving them to head out to your job. You’re most likely running late, not a dressed up as you’d like to be, and have an extra large cup of coffee in your hand.   I don’t sacrifice a second extra away from my family so once I step foot at work I am moving a mile a minute to get everything done.  

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                 Once I pull into work I park my car, grab my coffee to go, and the moment my foot hits the pavement I am darting around trying to get the millions of tasks accomplished.   When I am at work I never. stop. moving.  I am constantly multi-tasking trying to keep from the feeling of drowning in work.  The moments where I do get a break I am sitting at my desk, alone in the dark, listening to the endless wonk wonk wonk of my breastpump.  I don’t have time to hang with coworkers or have long chats about daily life, because every second I am doing something for work trying to get my ‘to-do’ list crossed off.   Then like a flash, I have to lock myself in a cold, dark room and start pumping then storing milk. The challenges of a breastfeeding, working mom are endless.  There is no “hanging out with other adults” during my day.  Its work, grade, teach, eat lunch alone while pumping, try to tune out the negatively and absorb the positivity-if you’re going to be away from your family it better be worth it.

            I used to go back in forth with the argument of what’s more difficult: the working mom or the stay at home mom.   I am lucky in my career since I am a teacher that I get to experience both sides of motherhood.   I am the August-May working mom who tries to get the laundry all washed, folded, and put away on a Sunday. The working mom who misses her kids terribly, loves her job at the same time, and still tries to get dinner on the table at a decent hour. The mom who is so dang tired from working all day, but then suddenly those little arm wrap around you and you get a second burst of energy.   It is so hard to be a working mom. How do people keep their house together???? I find it impossible as there are always dirty dishes or bottles in my sink. {Veteran working moms please share your secrets with me.} The positive note of being a working mom is every second and moment you have with your children it is cherished.   Its amazing! I try to do as many fun activities with my children as possible.  We never have “just another Saturday,” its always spent spoiling my little ones with activities because the mom guilt of being away from them during the week is unreal.

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            Being a working mother I find it extremely hard to take care of myself.   I don’t want to spend any more time away from my children so getting my nails done, hair cut, going to the doctor, or even grabbing lunch with an old friend makes my heart sink.   I am sadly watching myself ‘go’ as I have no time for the gym, get my nails done, or even curl my hair.   At this point in my life, I am so busy {and exhausted} I am lucky if both legs get shaved in the shower.   Taking a day off of work to go to the doctor doesn’t happen-if I am taking a day off from my job it is to spend with my children.   Usually nap time is ‘rest time’ for moms-you count down the hours until the beloved nap time.   But for me on my cherished weekends, nap time for a working mom means running around like a manic. You have two hours {if you’re lucky} to get about 10 hours worth of children free errands in.

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            The times I am on summer vacation I am the stay at home mom. The pressure of getting the laundry done goes out the window, I have all day Monday or maybe even Tuesday to fold and put those clothes away right? Making dinner is no longer a chore, it’s a time to be away from your children in a much needed adult break.  You can get more done with your day during nap time than the whole day.   Going on walks in the middle of the day is for entertainment rather than exercise. Trips to the grocery store and Target are much easier on a random Thursday afternoon than on a busy weekend.   But HOW do you keep your little ones entertained 24/7? That’s lots of activities, crafts, and imaginary dinosaurs to pretend to be.   Good luck putting on make up too, why get ready if you’re not leaving the house and going to get apple sauce chucked at you anyways? Then finally, the second your husband walks in the door from work you’re lucky if you can actually pee alone.   When you are a stay at home mother you never get a day off or a break.

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            The working mom is harder, no the stay at home mom is harder…lets just face it they are BOTH hard! Motherhood is such a difficult and challenging journey. You no longer have just yourself to think about. Looking back at who I used to be in college and my early twenties, I had no one else to worry about but myself and I thought I was “tired” or “busy.”  Girlllll what were you thinking? As a mom, you maybe tired. exhausted. busy. but most of all you are HAPPY.  I wouldn’t change being a mom for anything-whether your working or staying at home we all share the same common goal to raise good people and we all have the same love for these little people.

Until Next Time…..

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

***All of the photos for this blog post were taken at Symphony Park next to the Discovery Children’s Museum.   Get your Pogo Pass using code “REDLOCKS” for 60% off admission to this venture and several others around the Las Vegas area! For my original post of this pass, Read here

Redlocks Review: Nuby NanaNubs Massager

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Redlocks is here reviewing a Nuby product on teething, the NanaNubs Massager!  This product is great for helping babies sooth their sore gums while cleaning at the same time!

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My son is going through the teething phase, he is constantly drooling and in pain-poor little guy!  With recent shocking FDA reports of teething tablets gone bad causing seizures and difficultly breathing {thankfully I’ve never used them} its always great to find a product that helps ease our baby’s sore gums that is SAFE!   The Nuby NanaNubs Massager is great for this!

This Nuby NanaNubs product is 100% soft silicone which is great for soothing sore gums.   It also has soft bristles which helps clean baby’s gums very gently by the unique textured designed bristles.

This super cute banana shaped teether is designed so the peels are handles easy for baby to grasp.   This massager also assists in the eruption of teeth by gently massaging the infant’s gums.

This Nuby product, the NanaNubs Massager is of course BPA free and is available now at Amazon!

How else are you helping your little one with the teething process?

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle

Easy Family Halloween Costumes

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This Redlocks and Shamrocks girl is OBSESSED with Halloween!  I absolutely love getting dressed up and planning Halloween costumes.   Even as a little girl I would sketch out my costume ideas months in advance and mail them across the country to my grandmother who would make my dreams come true delivering me one of a kind costumes.   While in college I would hand make my -too revealing-costumes.   I love to SEMI-hand make costumes!  Here are a few EASY family costume ideas this this Halloween season! 

Two years ago for my daughter’s first Halloween we went as a fruity family-a strawberry, a banana, and a pineapple! I got her costume on sale at Carter’s, we got my husband’s banana costume off of Amazon, and I threw my costume together with a pineapple dress and made my headpiece out of scrapbook paper, a toilet paper roll, an old headband, and a ton of hot glue.  

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The following year I was pregnant with my son and my daughter found her love for Elmo hence the Sesame Street costumes!

These were very easy to make!  For my husband’s Cookie Monster costume I bought an inexpensive blue hoodie, made cookies out of felt and puff paint, then glued on eyeballs made from styrofoam spheres and felt!   My VERY Big Bird costume was mainly purchased and jazzed up with a yellow feather boa and then I made feet out of felt.   For Logan’s Elmo costume I dyed a onesie red and glued on Elmo’s face out of felt.  I made her almost no-sew tutu and made her a simple headband with sequins and a fluffy boa.

This year for Halloween we decided to go as classic Halloween characters- a witch, a black cat, Dr. Frankenstein and his monster!  My two year old, after reading the book Room on the Broom, became obsessed with witches so we went with that theme.  img_9147img_9158img_9151

Our costumes for Halloween 2016 are half bought, half made by me!   I really like semi home making Halloween costumes.  I feel that it makes costumes more original and softer for kids to wear because store bought costumes are usually made our of cheep itchy material.

Logan’s Witchy Look:

Logan’s witch costume was mainly bought from Amazon and the Dollar Tree!  Yes!  The Dollar Tree!   I jazzed up the store bought items with ribbon and made a almost no-sew tutu. 

Tights and Leotard: Amazon

Shoes: Target sold here

Hat {Jazzed up with ribbon by me}, Broom, Witch Nose, Feather Boa: Dollar Tree

Tutu: Made by me.

Mommy’s Black Cat Look:

For my mommy Halloween look I like to be comfortable as well as find things I already own to wear.   Some parents don’t dress up for the holiday, but come on don’t be a Grinch!  You don’t have to go crazy to be festive.  I tried to do cute cat make up, but this is not a beauty blog because this girl sucks at fancy makeup! It was a mom fail and was washed off quickly.  lol 

And how fun are these super cute cat socks!

Black Dress:  Forever 21..under 16 dollars!  Sold here

Cat Ears: Forever 21… under 4 bucks! Sold here

Boa: Dollar Tree

Cat Socks: Amazon

Shoes: Steve Madden

Kohen and Daddy’s Dr. Frankenstein and FrankenBABY Monster Look:

Who doesn’t love Frankenstein for Halloween!  One common mistake on Halloween is people think the green faced creature is named Frankenstein.  This English teacher knows the classic Mary Shelley novel and ‘Frankenstein’ is actually Victor Frankenstein the mad scientist who created a monster.  🙂 There is your short lesson for the day.   Any-who…. I love these two and their simple costumes!

Dad’s Lab Coat and Wig: Amazon

Dr Head Mirror:  Made by me out of tin foil, cardboard, a headband, and of course hot glue!

Kohen’s Shirt: Target {on clearance, under 5 dollars!} I jazzed it up with puff paint and felt patches.

Kohen’s hat: Etsy sold here {I’m not THAT talented to make it myself lol}

Simple baby costumes are key.  The first year with Logan’s puffy strawberry costume was so cute, but it wasn’t practical.   The costume had to be taken off for her to fit in the car seat and WHO thought tights were good for quick diaper changes?  I wanted to keep Kohen’s costume simple and warm so a beanie, shirt, pant combo was perfect!

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We will definitely be getting our money’s worth out of our costumes this year as for many trunk-or-treats and Halloween festivities wears! Have a fun and save Halloween this year Redlocks and Shamrocks readers!

What are you being for Halloween this year?  AND Where are you going to be trick or treating? Comment below!

XOXO

Your Redlocks and Shamrocks Girl,

Lisa Doyle