The T-Shirt Mama -

Baby Z: 5 Months in the Making

Posted on June 20, 2013 • 0 Comments

A week or so ago, I had an actual moment where I felt a fog lifting from my brain. And when the moment was over, I looked down and realized I no longer had a newborn baby in my hands, but a 3 4 5 month old.

I’m really not sure where the last 5 months have gone, but all of the sudden I feel like I’m having to play catch up in this little guy’s life.

I spent so long in survival mode with him and the Little Man that I almost missed out on him transitioning from the newborn to baby stage.

His thrush is long gone and thankfully the symptoms that came with it. (Although the doctor claims he couldn’t have had reflux, I would beg to differ.) For the most part, he’s a very happy kid now and has a personality that reflects it!

Moments to remember with Baby Z:

He loves to laugh — at his brother, at peek-a-boo, and can easily be tickled on his tummy.
He still loves to be held. It took a LONG time for him to get to a place where we could set him down for longer than 2-3 minutes. Now he’ll make it through 10-20 minutes on his floor gym or 5-10 minutes in his bouncer without needing to be held. Within the last week, he officially outgrew his Rock ‘N Play, otherwise we’d still be laying him in there.
He’s officially in his crib at night! (It took almost 2 months longer than the Little Man.) We’ve got some sleep issues right now, but he spent almost 2 months with a double ear infection and he’s now severely teething, so I think it’s expected. 4-5 hour stretches at night are awesome for us right now.
He’s basically taking 2 naps a day. Although I know about when he’ll want to go down, when he wakes up always keeps me on my toes. (It might be 30 minutes…it might be 3 hours!) I take what I can get, and if it happens to coincide with brother’s nap time, I’m in Heaven!
He had his first attempt at rice cereal last week to help with his sleep. It was a fail–he’s not quite sure what to do with it. We’ll try again soon!
He’s sitting with some help. His upper body seems a little too heavy to support at the waist. With some right hand placement, he can hold himself up at a 45 degree angle.
My favorite feature: His blue eyes.

Getting a little too excited by the camera.

I don’t have any stats to report other than he weighed 17 pounds at his last doctor’s visit to clear his ear infections and he’s wearing 6-9 month clothes — size 3 diapers.

So, now that my fog has lifted, I’ve been transported back to reality, and have this 5 month old in my hands, I’m excited to see what the next few months brings. I know he’ll be experiencing a lot of firsts that will come too quickly for me; teething, solids, sitting, moving. . . all too quickly, especially since it still feels like his birth was just yesterday!

Tags: 5 months old, birthdays, newborn to baby • 0 Comments

Summer’s Here!

Posted on June 14, 2013 • 0 Comments

Summer has officially come to Texas, and we’re celebrating with the purchase of our annual summer pool from (gasp) Walmart!

Last Saturday, we spent several hours hanging out outside in the pool. The Little Man enjoyed it so much more than he did last year, and was able to “rough house” in the water with Daddy.

And then we discovered, The Little Man wasn’t our only waterbaby!

Look! Mommy came out from behind the camera!

Happy Weekend in the Sun!

Tags: summer, swim, Texas • 0 Comments

Sodapalooza: Feeding My Addiction & Giveaway

Posted on June 11, 2013 • 21 Comments

RaceTrac is hosting their annual summer soda event and has sponsored this post so that you can discover a new location to quench your thirsty for cheap! Find out more about Sodapalooza below and what RaceTrac would like to give you!

It is no secret that I’m a Dr. Pepper addict. My addiction…it’s bad! Just ask my husband. I have to consciously limit the amount I drink on a daily basis, and I only allow myself to drink no more than 1 a day. I know, I’m awful!

But in my mind, I don’t drink coffee, so this is just like my morning coffee? right? Right. (At least that’s what I’ll keep convincing myself!)

Now, all that being said, I can actually tell the difference between Dr. Pepper’s. Dr. Pepper at Sonic uses less syrup and it tastes watered down. Dublin Dr. Pepper is good, it’s just not the same as the authentic stuff. Dr. Pepper in a bottle tastes more crisp and delicious than in a can. And I could go on . . .

I thought I’d tastes just about everything until RaceTrac invited me to try their annual summer Sodapalooza.

Sodapalooza is a celebration of summer with their discounted 32 ounce sodas and 16 ounce frozen beverages – only $0.69! Any mix, any flavor, all summer long!

There’s your favorite Coke products, Pepsi products, diet drinks, and random flavors like Sobe, iced teas, lemonades, and so much more. But of course, I went straight to my favorite (you guessed it!)– good ol’ Dr. Pepper!

Typically I don’t usually get larger sizes like the 32 ounce cup, but when the size below is actually more expensive, it’s hard to make the argument that it’s not worth it, and as soon as I reached for my cup I realized what they meant when the slogan said I had unlimited options.

I had to choose between Styrofoam or Plastic — plastic.

Then I had to choose crushed or cubed ice — cubed for me, crushed for Tim.

Then, my selection — Dr. Pepper for me. . .Tim? Now, I’m stumped!

A few minutes later, I grabbed our lids and headed to the cash register with my two drinks in hand. Less than $2 later, we had drinks that would last us through dinner!

And just let me say, there was extra care taken when RaceTrac put together their soda selection. I can’t put my finger on what it was exactly, but the Dr. Pepper was crisp and refreshing. It was good Dr. Pepper, and I think you fellow soda lovers know what I mean when I say that.

So, if you’re ever around one of the 30-40 RaceTrac’s in the Dallas area this summer, hop in, grab a soda to help you cool off, and join the carbonation! I promise you won’t regret it!

Find out more information about RaceTrac and Sodapalooza on their Facebook page and Twitter.

To help you give it a try, RaceTrac is giving away a $25 gift card for you to use! Use it on drinks all summer long, or to help fill up that gas tank, either way, it’s yours! Simply use the Rafflecopter form below and you’re entered to win!

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post has been sponsored by RaceTrac; however, all opinions and my love for Dr. Pepper is 100% true! RaceTrac giveaway will end Friday at midnight, and gift card will be mailed by RaceTrac once the winner claims their prize.

Tags: Giveaways, RaceTrac, review, Sodapalooza • 21 Comments

Enjoy the Outdoors with Cutter Repellent & Product Giveaway

Posted on May 29, 2013 • 115 Comments

In the areas closest to my home (Dallas & Richardson), mosquitoes have already been testing positive for West Nile Virus, and truck sprayings have begun.

We try to do our part to decrease the mosquito population around us by turning over anything that could collect stagnate water, but obviously this isn’t enough. Just yesterday I was in the garage putting some items into the attic, and my feet were bit 3 times in a 10 minute period since I was wearing sandals. (Did you know mosquitoes can detect an unprotected portion of skin the size of a dime!?)

Last year, Dallas Moms Blog wrote a great post on the truth about West Nile virus and the various ways you can protect yourself from these pesky insects. Shockingly walking around in a bee suit didn’t make the top of the list, but not surprisingly, repellent did and the CDC agrees! For me, Cutter Repellents are the best protection I’ve been able to find so far…but you have to remember to use it!!

That’s why I’m partnering with Cutter to bring you this perfect summer giveaway!

Win This!

Cutter Repellent wants to give 1 lucky person this spread of personal repellents, citronella candles, and backyard bug control (a $55 retail value). All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter form below, and you’re automatically entered! It’s that simple!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you know some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others?

Differences in glandular secretions, skin odors and activity levels cause some to get bitten more than others.
Mosquitoes are attracted to lactic acid and carbon dioxide, and larger people give off more of both, making them more attractive to mosquitoes.
People with fair complexions are more attractive to mosquitoes than those with ruddy skin. Men tend to be more attractive to mosquitoes than women (with the exception of most pregnant women).

So, stop making excuses for those mosquito bites, and protect yourself with Cutter Repellents!

To find more great information and deals, make sure to follow Cutter on their Facebook and Pinterest pages!

** I was given sample products of Cutter and compensation to do this review and giveaway; however, all opinions are 100% my own and I used Cutter products prior to this post.

Tags: Cutter Repellent, Dallas, Giveaway, mosquitoes • 115 Comments

Summer S’mores: Enjoying the Outdoors with Cutter

Posted on May 27, 2013 • 1 Comment

In Texas, our summer has already begun. We’ve been in the 90′s for a few weeks now, and although the rainstorms keep moving through, the heat somehow finds a way to stay around.

This time last year, we’d planned on having a brand new patio to help us keep cool and enjoy the summer the little more; however, life got in the way. Instead, we have an awesome new DIY fort that will keep us outdoors probably just as much as a patio would have. My son will make sure of that!

The first weekend this bad boy was fully built, we decided to spend the evening outdoors and enjoy the rare spring-like weather before the real summer heat begins.

But there was one tiny problem that was about to ruin our whole evening…mosquitoes!

I hate these suckers! There’s nothing worse than enjoying a beautiful night on the patio only to hear that tiny buzzing noise in your ear and the nagging itching feeling from where you were just bit.

Since I knew we’d planned on being outside for awhile, I brought out the “sure-fire” way to solve this little problem.

For whatever reason, most of the other repellent brands haven’t worked for us in the past, so each year we continue to go back to Cutter. For s’more night, I decided to pull out the trusty CitroGuard candle and the new Cutter Dry insect repellent spray.

The Cutter CitroGuard candle uses real citronella oil which is proven to repel insects and creates a barrier of protection around my space.

The Cutter Dry Personal Repellent spray is a water-based, corn starch formula (containing only 10% DEET) that leaves less residue and a light, clean feeling on my skin. It’s unscented, and is not oily or greasy.

Now, I’ll warn you. I’m not very “green” when it comes to my yard or what I’ll do to get rid of these pesky bugs, but now that I have a little one attached to me at all times, I want to be more careful what I spray on my body since he’ll be inhaling it which is why I chose another new Cutter product for me and my kiddos.

To protect Baby Z, I chose to keep him inside as much as possible, and then let the candle do most of the work; however for the Little Man I used Cutter Natural. It contains all natural ingredients and essential oils derived from geraniums as an effective alternative to DEET.

Once those mosquitoes were no longer a problem, we were able to enjoy the night and the new playground without anything ruining the fun!

I’ll also add that if you haven’t had a s’more in awhile, make sure to add that to your summer to-do list.

They were so sticky, gooey, and delicious!

And so much fun to eat!

The look of a child who’s had a little too much chocolate!

You can find out more about Cutter’s wide range of insect repellent by following them on Facebook or Pinterest!

**I received Cutter Repellent products and compensation from Cutter Repellent for this blog post; however, all opinions are 100% my own and mosquitoes were probably hurt in the process.

Tags: Cutter Repellent, insect repellent, mosquitoes, product review, S'mores, summer, Texas • 1 Comment

The Butterfly House: A Friday Find

Posted on May 24, 2013 • 0 Comments

This Friday Find is for NaNa.

About a month ago, Tim and I came home from a date night to discover a container with two chrysalises. For many this might seem extremely odd, but for those of you who don’t know, my mother-in-law specializes in raising monarchs. Okay, specializes might be a strong word, but for years, she took her boys out to look for caterpillar eggs in a field of milkweed and watched the process with them as they grew into butterflies.

This tradition continued with the students at her preschool long after my husband and his brothers grew up. Each year at their auction, one lucky winner will get to go with Mrs. Naomi to pick out caterpillar eggs.

I’m lucky that I don’t have to bid on this . . . my son’s get this experience for free! Only we’re starting them out easy. Instead of hunting for them, I had them hand delivered to my door within a few days of them changing –no care needed.

One afternoon, I discovered one of the butterflies had emerged, and I can’t tell you how much joy it brought my son to see his very own butterfly.

Butterfly3

Tags: A Friday Find, butterflies • 0 Comments

Baby Z: 3 & 4 Months Old

Posted on May 20, 2013 • 0 Comments

I’ve been doing such a terrible job lately of recording milestones! I swore to myself that I would not be one of those mom’s who did everything for their first child, and then, their second had nothing. No surprise, but I’m eating my words once again. Isn’t that so typical of parenthood though?

I was doing so well about taking photos of Baby Z each month for his birthday, until month 3. Although I captured a photo for his 3 month birthday, I never posted it. Why? Kept running out of time until it just became outdated news, and then, there was the fact that the pictures didn’t turn out as I’d hoped.

My loving toddler decided he needed to be in the photo too, and the crushing love was a little too much for the baby.

But, I think this month’s photo definitely made up for the last one, AND I’m actually posting about it within a week of his birthday. I think that’s an accomplishment!

4 Month Stats:

almost 16 lbs. (62th %)

25.25 inches (59th %)

17.2″ head (96th %)

New Talents:

clasps hands together frequently, lots and lots of drool (which I assume means there will be teeth soon!), sleeping is irregular (typically down by 9pm & up twice a night), loves to laugh and smile when we make funny faces, makes a cute velocirapter noise when he laughs, loves bath time; especially with Brother, nursing like crazy right now (which I’m hoping is due to a growth spurt or teething)

Of course, all of this remind me that I’ve also become the parent I said I’d never be. It’s hard to not constantly compare #1 to #2. From their sleeping habits to their doctor’s appointments, they’re so completely different in every way.

I have a lot of people telling me the opposite. We’ve had several comments that Baby Z looks a lot like the Little Man, but I have to disagree. Baby Z is a spiting image of my side of the family, and M takes after Tim’s side of the family. They definitely both have my eyes, but I don’t see Hurst when I look at him. (Sorry Hursts!)

Here’s my Little Man at 4 months.

What do you think; similar or different?

Tags: 3 months, 4 months, baby stats, Baby Z, birthdays, Journey to a Year (0-3 months), milestones • 0 Comments

Returning from Vacation: To Reality & Blogging

Posted on May 17, 2013 • 0 Comments

I’m finally getting back into the groove of life post vacation. And yes, it’s taken almost 4 days to get there.

Normally, I’d spend a whole post telling you about everything we did on our vacation, but this time, there’s not much to be said. We literally spent 4 days sitting around a pool. This was our first vacation (just Tim and I, not for alternative reasons) since we went to Hawai’i almost 4 years ago, and man, did we need it!

So, to make you just a tad jealous . . .here’s our trip to Cabo!

Tags: Cabo San Lucas, Riu Palace Cabo, travel, vacation • 0 Comments

From SAHM to WAHM

Posted on May 3, 2013 • 0 Comments

You may have seen me hinting about it over Twitter and Facebook this week, but today officially marks a new beginning in my life. As of late last night, I’m now Krystal, small business owner.

Since last August, I’ve been in-training with Dallas Moms Blog. As time has gone on, it was undecided whether I would be a partner with the current owner or if I’d take over the blog completely. It all hinged on her husband’s plans after seminary and how much of a working mom she wanted to be. But in the end it was decided (through lots of prayer) for her to move on from the blog and hand it over to me.

“Hand over” is a very, very loose term because there was a lot of logistics and legal and financial obligations involved before I officially became owner.

So, what does owning a blog mean?

It means that I no longer blog as a hobby, but instead it’s a career path for me. And one that I’m really excited about!

Since I left teaching, I wasn’t sure what the rest of my life would look like from a working perspective. I knew I wanted to go back to work one day… I’m too antsy not to, but I didn’t know where I would fit in with the business word.

From one answered prayer to another, Dallas Moms Blog was placed into my lap, and although owning a business is always a gamble, I knew it was meant to be. I’m good at it, and I know it can be successful!

What about this blog?

The whole time I’ve been employed by Dallas Moms Blog, I struggled with running The T-Shirt Mama and trying to actively grow this site, but also putting my heart into DMB.

Do I write this awesome find on Dallas Moms Blog or do I save it for my blog? Do I pursue this sales opportunity for The T-Shirt Mama or do I let DMB have it? Do I spend 3-4 days writing for The T-Shirt Mama or do I use that time to make the backside of DMB better for SEO?

I worked really hard to try and make both a success, but at most, I can only give 50% of myself to each site which isn’t fair to either one. So, after a lot of careful consideration, I’ve decided it’s time to give 100% of my time to Dallas Moms Blog and let this blog be what it was intended to be; an outlet for my thoughts and a connection to my family.

Where can I stalk you now?

As of this weekend, I’ll no longer actively be using my The T-Shirt Mama Facebook page. It’s just one extra medium to be in charge of and “ain’t nobody got time for that!” Hopefully you’re already friends with me on Facebook, and you can always find me there. I also love being random on Twitter and Instagram.

And of course, I’ll still continue to blog on this site, but it might not be as frequent and it might only be about my adventures with my boys (and hopefully not my failing business!)

How can I support you?

Why thanks for asking!!

If you want to help support me (and my family) in my new business adventure, make sure to follow Dallas Moms Blog! One of the way blogs thrive is through the relationships they make with the community and the followers they gain. Even if you’re not a mom, Liking our page or following our feed is supporting the businesses!

And look, I’ve even made it easy for you! Just click below!

Dallas Moms Blog on Facebook

Dallas Moms Blog on Twitter

Dallas Moms Blog on Instagram

Dallas Moms Blog on Pinterest

Dallas Moms Blog on Google+

So, with the beginning of May marks a new adventure, and it’s one I hope you’ll join me on! I couldn’t be more excited for what lays ahead in the future. I’ve got some amazing people helping me along the way and together, my hope, is that we’ll continue to make Dallas Moms Blog a source of knowledge and inspiration for the city of Dallas!

Interested in starting a Moms Blog in your city?

Email me at Krystal(at)dallasmomsblog(dot)org and I’d love to tell you more about this amazing network of moms and women!

Tags: city moms blog, Dallas Moms Blog, SAHM, small business owner, stay at home mom, wahm, work from home • 0 Comments

A Mother’s Day Treat at Massage Envy :: Giveaway

Posted on April 29, 2013 • 14 Comments

I feel terrible. Almost.

This year, instead of waking up on Mother’s Day to breakfast in bed or having a brunch in my honor or even having Tim buy me a card in the boy’s honor, I’ll be sitting on a beach in Cabo. . . kid free.

I told you…I almost feel terrible, but not quite.

When we booked our trip to Mexico, it didn’t even dawn on me that it was Mother’s Day weekend. Thankfully, my boys are no where near old enough to understand what this means, so for this Mother’s Day, I’ll be doing what this Mama wants to do. Sit on a beach with a book in one hand and a margarita in the other.

The only other activity that could possibly get in my way of being beachside would be to take an hour or so to get a massage. But! I no longer have to worry about that!

Thanks to my good friends at Massage Envy, I’ve gotten the massage out of the way!

This week, I was given a complementary massage to try out Massage Envy DFW. You can find your nearest location HERE, but I made an appointment at the Prestonwood location where my husband goes for his monthly massage. (Seems totally fair huh?)

My masseuse was Marta, and all I can says is for a little woman she has some STRONG hands. She spent almost an hour working out the 9 months of knots I’d accumulated on my back from carrying around a heavy toddler, a car seat carrier, and bouncing a newborn 24/7.

Tip suggestions appreciated since my nursing brain can’t do math!

Do you know the phrase, hurts so good? Well, my back is still sore from my Thursday appointment, but in this case, pain is good! I’ll take a little soreness over bulging knots any day.

I am a little sad though. I arrived one day too early to take advantage of their Mother’s Day special. Between April 26 and May 12, Massage Envy has a special $99 gift card offer. Buy a $99 gift card during this time, and the recipient can get two 1-hour massage sessions, each with a Sugar Foot Scrub, at a Massage Envy clinic, or one 1-hour massage session with a Murad® facial and Sugar Foot Scrub at a Massage Envy Spa.

So, since I’ll be sitting on a beach in Cabo instead of enjoying a Mother’s Day massage, I’ve helping out Massage Envy and giving my massage away to 1 of you!

1 Reader will win a FREE 60 minute massage courtesy of Massage Envy DFW. To enter, all you need to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below, and the winner will be selected on Friday, May 3rd at midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

At Massage Envy, an introductory one-hour massage session (a 50-minute massage and time for consultation and dressing) is just $49. Memberships are available for $59 per month and include a one-hour massage session. Members can enjoy unlimited additional one-hour massage sessions at the $39 member rate. All clinics are open seven days a week.

*This post was compensated through a free massage; however, I’ve been to Massage Envy many times and would recommend them anyway! All opinions in this post are 100% my own.

Tags: Giveaway, Massage Envy, Massage Envy DFW, massage in Dallas, Mother's Day Special • 14 Comments