Giveaway // Lang Photographers

Insomnia got the best of me last night and I decided it was high-time Lang Photographers had their own Facebook page. I figured what better way to kick start the page than with a giveaway for one free portrait session* of your choice! To enter, go like our page and comment below telling me what you'd use the session for (bridals, family, engagement, graduation, etc.)

*Only entries from fellow Arizonians, please. For double entries, retweet or Facebook about the giveaway using #langphotographers.

Oh, and Happy Halloween! :)

Friends don't let friends have unhealthy hair.

With the dry winter months ahead, things can only get worse for me and my postpartum, brittle hair (or what's left of it anyway!). I've tried several products but can never get my mop as healthy as I'd like- and don't even get me started on how slowly it's growing. Obviously I don't know much about hair (otherwise I probably wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place), so for all of you friends who know about hair, have great hair, or are on the same quest as me to get to great hair, please let me know your secrets! Below are a few of the products I've tried recently that have definitely helped, but obviously not enough to keep me from reaching out. Thank you in advance! :)

1. argan oil // 2. nutiva coconut oil // 3. jojoba // 4. dr. miracles //
 5. moroccan oil // 6. palmers coconut oil // 7. moroccan oil hair mask // 8. prenatals  

"I mean, her whole house smells like soup."

I've only been to Zupas once or twice in my life and wasn't entirely impressed (gasp!), but I am a fan of their roasted tomato basil soup recipe that has been floating around Pinterest lately. I made a variation of this one the other night and ended up really liking it. It was creamy and flavorful and a great dip for our muenster-avocado-basil grilled cheeses. I halved the recipe and it was the perfect amount for 3 eaters plus lunch for the next day. Zupas, I may have to give you a second (well...third) chance!

she bangs, she bangs!

I think a self-given bang trim is a toddlers rite of passage, Ivy experienced hers last week after dance. She instantly freaked out afterward, but isn't that the normal reaction after one impulsively cuts their own bangs? I probably should have taken it to the professionals, however figured I'd save 12 dollars and rely on her curly hair to mask whatever hack job I created when finishing the job. Turns out she looks really cute with crooked bangs. 

a million + 3 miPhone pictures.

 

According to the recent pictures taken on my phone, it seems I am only capable of keeping 50% of my kids fully dressed at one time. I'm OK with it.

eat cake and call it bread.

I know everyone has their own tried-and-true recipes when it comes to baking, but I've always loved this banana cake bread recipe. Its light and fluffy with a buttery crust, so I thought I'd share in case you had some overly ripe bananas and/or an overly sweet tooth this morning. I always use this recipe however Ivy almost always insists that we add chocolate chips and I almost always agree with her. Yesterday we were feeling particularly crazy and whipped up a chocolate ganache for the top as well (1/2 cup heated cream + 8 oz chocolate chips). I would highly suggest this only if you are really good at eating an unhealthy amount of chocolate. Otherwise, this probably isn't for you. ;)

Bookworms.

One thing I always remember my Mom telling me about her experience raising six kids, was that no matter how crazy, hectic, busy, loud, or messy it got, she always made sure she got in some story time each night. She said something along the lines that if she ended the day knowing she had read to her kids, she knew it was a good, fulfilled day. (I'm sure whatever she said was much more eloquent and profound, but my 15 year old memory is failing me.) Anyway, now I see why it was so important to her. The power of books is so amazing; it can build up imaginations, calm any mood, increase vocabulary, and provide for the best bonding experience.

Some of my girlfriends behind Small Fry (a darling new children's lifestyle blog) asked me to share our favorite children's book, and although it was hard to pick just one, I happily did so. Click here to see our answer, and make sure to enter their giveaway for a chance to win all 10 books listed!

Have a good weekend!

What 5:00 PM looks like around here.

This evening I was feeding Lola while talking to my Sister on the phone and I had to apologize for all the chaos happening on my side of the line. I'm sure she could hardly hear me but I was telling her how Ivy had decided to not nap today (surprise, surprise) and dinner wasn't started yet and yes, there was a wet diaper at my feet on the ground (which means a naked unpotty-trained toddler running around creating even more messes while yelling, "WAAKE UP LOOLA!" and insisting to listen to the 'Cupid Shuffle' on repeat), all while multiple boxes of tiny toys and games were being dumped everywhere. She mentioned she didn't really believe me, as I was a bit of a clean freak growing up, so Shan-- here is your proof. I think the days of visible floors and beds that look like they were made by hotel maids are over. I had a good run with the whole "keeping a clean space" bit, but that time is unfortunately long gone. If we're going to be really honest, it's a total crap-storm over here by 5:00 PM and there's not much I can do to stop it. I've accepted and embraced it, so consider this a fair warning: if you ever come to our house for dinner, expect delays and avoid curious wet spots on any surface. You will eventually get fed and you will for sure be served a dessert, though. So in the end, isn't that what really matters in life? (Please say yes so I don't have to go pick up a million squinkies and silly bands!)

my favorite people squeezed into one photo booth.

Blue365

With the holidays and cooler temperatures just around the corner, it's the perfect time to get outside, get healthy, and get back in the habit of making smart choices every day. It always feels a bit overwhelming to get back into a healthy lifestyle when I've gotten out of the habit, however I've found that if I focus on improving just 3-5 little areas of my health at a time, it's a little less daunting.

If you're also looking for simple ways to improve your health this Fall and want to borrow some of my current "health pledges", here you are:

1.) Commit to something. Sign up for a race, whether it's your local Turkey Trot or a full marathon, sending in your deposit money and training will keep you motivated. I signed up for Ragnar a few weeks ago and couldn't be more excited (or scared!).

2. Menu plan. If I don't sit down every Monday morning and physically write out a grocery list and menu for the week, you can bet we will be eating takeout every single night. Luckily, there are so many great cookbooks and blogs that keep us from doing that too often.

3. Go outside. It's a lot easier to get moving when you're outside. Whether you go for a morning jog, walk to the park with the kids, bike instead of drive, or go out and do some quick yard work -- just go outside! The vitamin D doesn't hurt, either.

4. Drink up. Aside from the obvious benefits of drinking plenty of water, it also helps keep the snacking and overeating at meal times to a minimum. I like to bring this everywhere I go; it's the perfect size and easy for kids to drink from, too.

5. Quiet time. I can tell if it's been a while since I've gotten some of this. I like to get it in either by going out for a solo walk at night, practicing yoga, or reading -- anything that helps me clear my head and relax.

6. Take advantage of deals. If you're looking for more than just 5 ways to jumpstart your healthy lifestyle, keep an eye out for special offers on health products and services. Be sure to check out Blue365Æ, a national program offered by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association to members of participating Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Companies. It's essentially a "Groupon-like" program that promotes healthy living by offering weekly discounts on a wide variety of fitness, health, and travel deals. It's the perfect and most affordable way to try new things and keep you on track. Check out some of their deals here, and read what other bloggers had to say about the program at the Blue365Æ page on BlogHer.com.

Also, BlogHer is providing two (2) $500 Visa gift cards to winners selected from a pool of all participating bloggers. To be entered for a chance to win one of the two gift cards, please tell me:

How are you planning to stay healthy through the Fall and holiday season?

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive two (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: #SweepstakesEntry; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the Official Rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

Entries from all participating blogs will be pooled for winner selection; only two (2) entries per household. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This Blue365Æ Program Sweepstakes runs from 10/16/12-11/12/12.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is an association of independent, locally operated Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Companies. †BlogHer†is an independent and/or separate company providing marketing/promotional services and does not provide Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield products or services.

you spread happiness everywhere you go

Congrats to Susie J. (send me your email!), the winner of last weeks Cotton Flower Press giveaway! Have a good Monday and remember that everyone can be a winner if they check out their shop, here. :)

"She doesn't wear her fall coat!"

I know that cooler weather is just around the corner when I start oogling at everything from Zara. I don't know what it is about that store, but it just screams "FALL!" to me and I love it. Every one of their coats and sweaters are so on point, I wish I could just wear them year-round (or at least longer than 2 months). Have a cozy weekend!

Cotton Flower Press // Giveaway!

This mornings giveaway from Cotton Flower Press, (the amazing letterpress studio based out of Portland who designed and printed Lolas birth announcements!) is one of my all time favorites so far. Mackenzie has agreed to giveaway a box set of 6 letterpress cards to one lucky reader, all you have to do to enter is like their Facebook page and comment below. The card pictured below is my personal favorite from the set, but check out the rest of the collection here to see the other 5 included. I would love to get a hand-written note with this sweet message on the front, what a perfect gift these box sets would make, too. Good Luck and happy Thursday! :)

one million and 2 iPhone pictures.

big kid

Sometimes when I'm getting ready in the morning (err or in the early afternoon depending on the day), these two cozy up on my bed and I love watching them behind me in the reflection. Ivy was looking especially old the other morning all sprawled out next to Lola-- with marker all over her legs, Raisin Bran all over her face, and zoned in on her favorite game on my phone (Tozzle). I'm loving that she's doing things like sleep in her "big girl bed", trying to dress herself, eating better, and communicating more. Whenever she's in the process of doing anything task related, she likes to remind us that she has it under control by repeating, "Oh, I got it! I got it... I got it..." all out of breath like until she finishes said task. She's turned into such a kid lately, it's so fun to watch her grow up.

Shanna comes to town.

This last week my Sister was able to come into town for a couple days and we loved every minute of it. While she was here we were able to eat at all of our favorite restaurants, visit friends and family, and even squeeze in a daddy/daughter reflexology night. We were total Shanna-hogs and made her stay at our house so she could hold Lola and be bossed around by Ivy as much as possible. Ivy was loving all the extra attention and very quickly learned and took advantage of the fact that Shanna couldn't say "No" to her. Thanks for being the best Auntie ever, Shan. We love you and your company-- know that there is always a noisy house with a rock-hard mattress squeezed between a crib and a changing table with YOUR NAME ON IT! :)

lola bear.

At three months old, Lo continues to charm us with her drooly ear-to-ear grins, her pteridactyl laughs, and her sweet cheeks that seem to get bigger by the day. She truly is a dream.

Autumn is so close I can smell it.

1. dark brown hairs // 2. knit sweaters & oxfords // 3. dipped antlers // 4. bug art // 5. autumn stone // 6. fall menswear //  7. chipotle sweet potato soup // 8. bore

1 Octobre

My alarm clock (babies) went off (woke up) at 5:00 AM this morning and even still, I'm excited about this week.  For starters, family is coming to town, we're getting some fairly decent weather at night, we get to shoot and attend a couple weddings, we have some birthdays to celebrate, and lastly we get to watch general conference at the end of it all. Happy first week of October!