Tuesday's Tip!

Hey y'all. I know, I know...it is Wednesday but I have been at training since Monday and yesterday just wore me out. Yesterday was also Ella's 4th birthday and me and Joey's 8th anniversary. Joey and I celebrated last week and Ella's party will be later this week. Bless their hearts...I cam home exhausted. I gave Joey, Grayson, and Ella cuddles and the kids made me a "play food" meal and I went to bed at like 7:15. So sad...I know! I will be posting about my sweet guy and Ella on the blog later today.

My Tuesday Tip this week is EATING!! Unfortunately, I won't be entertaining you with a decadent dessert recipe. Instead I am going to tell you about My Fitness Pal. I love this app/site sooo much! It has helped me tremendously with my stomach problems. Whether you are tracking calories for weight loss or keeping a food diary to know what upsets your stomach, this is a great app. I downloaded it on my phone and log everyday.

This, along with having to change how I eat for the sake of my tummy issues, has helped me to lose 12 pounds in a month and a half. It is also amazing to see what goes in your body. It breaks down the carbs, fats, protein, etc. I love it and it is FREE to download on phones and FREE to use the version online.

So, basically when you eat a meal, you can scan the barcode of whatever you ate or do a search to add calories it is so simple. I can't imagine life without it. I remember last week getting so sick and being able to look at what I ate and realize....okay...I ate the bread on a hot dog and that is what triggered my pain. It tracks your calories and weight loss goals and everything. With weight loss, there is no magic pill or drink or whatever. It is as simple as cutting calorie intake and working out. After my husband telling me this for years and him having a degree in it....I finally listened and was able to lose some wight I had been wanting to get rid of plus find an easy tool to track my food intake to see what triggers my problems. Hope you use it and find it as helpful as I have!

Please let me or Lauren know if you ever have any questions or ideas for posts.

Melanie: melroseacker@yahoo.comn
Lauren: laurenlou5644@yahoo.com

Don't forget to check out her fab post HERE!!!

Instagram Challenge, Giveaway, and Summer Q&A!

Oh.my.word! If you know me this is one of my sayings...I mean big time. When I taught Kinder, my kiddos knew if Mrs. Acker said "Oh.my.word." it was a pretty big deal. So today is no different. Lauren and I over at Williams Party of Four have been planning and eating lots of chips and dip and chattin' away and came up with some goodness, y'all!!!

This week we will be doing an Instagram Challenge and we would love if you joined us!! All you have to do is post a pic of the topic for the day and put #landmgiveaway (The days/info is below)
On Friday we will look to see who all participated and will draw a name of one lucky winner to win this Lia Sophia gem!!!!

It is so unique and has some pretty gorgeous colors!!

Here are the topics for the week and Lauren and I can't wait to see your pics and feel like we are havin' a little meet and greet!!

Today, instead of our Mommy Must Have Monday we thought it would be fun to do a little Q&A! Each month we will do a different topic...and since we are both educators and it is the most fabulous season for us because we are off....we are doing a little SUMMER Q&A!!!


1. What is your go to outfit?
Last week for Trendy Thursday I posted THIS showing what some of my play date summer outfits are. For me it has been a swimsuit and cover up or shorts/capris and I love me some maxi dresses..it's dressed up and down all rolled into one!!



2. Go to Lunch for Kids/Self....
I don't have pictures but I usually eat a lettuce wrap with turkey and light laughing cow cheese and iced tea. I rotate between that and 3 egg whites and fruit. I wish I could say it was something cooler but with my stomach issues....that's about it unless I am going somewhere for lunch!!
For the kids (and they are SUPER picky) it is usually chicken nuggets, quesadillas, or pb& j with applesauce or yogurt and veggies straws.

3. Go to outfit for kids:
Grayson likes to keep it classic and simple. I LOVE dressing boys!!! As soon as I found out I was having a boy I could not wait to shop because I love BOY clothes. I love the 50's simple/classic look of polos, stripe and solid tees, jeans and khakis, and some converse. In the summer, he sticks with simple tees and shorts and flip flops. Most of his clothes come from Old Navy. I LOVE their stuff because it has the simple, classic look I love and it wears well and is priced great!

  Now, Ella loves dresses. She prefers maxi dresses, sandals, and a big ol' bow! I get her dresses from everywhere. Lately I have found some cute ones at Dillards, Gymboree, Old Navy, Target, and TJ Maxx has had some unique ones. Now Lauren loves her some Matilda Jane and I think it is precious but I am in love with Janie and Jack!!! I love how classic (yes, I said it for about the 5th time) their clothes are. I am thinkin' I will have to do a post on kids' clothes later!!

4. Fav Summer Memory
I would have to say I have a couple.....
My Aunt Cindy always took me and my brother and sister cool places. Once she took us on a road trip to the Grand Canyon and I think that may have been the coolest road trip EVER. We even made a stop in Roswell and went to the UFO museum...hilarious but so fun. One of my best memories. She is amazing!

Another would be when my family and Joey and I went to Caddo Lake when I was 7 months pregnant with Grayson. It was so fun because my parents, brother, and sister, and their families went plus my cousin and his family. It was simple, summer fun!


And of course, last summer was so fun when we headed to Disneyworld as a little family of 4 along with Joey's parents, and his sister (my blogging buddy) Lauren and her family!! How can you not have fun in Disneyworld????


5. Fav Summer Hangout: would have to be the library and our pool....they are both FREE and plenty of fun!

6. Fav Summer Recipe: I would have to  say this smoothie recipe that the kids LOVE! I do not add the cranberry juice or the blackberries. You can find it HERE! It is a healthy, quick treat!!

7. Fav Thing about Summer: I get to be at home with the kids making memories and revisiting that feeling when you're a kid and it's a summer. I KNOW I could not have a job where I didn't get summers off...being an educator is a perfect balance between kiddos and work for me!! I feel like I get to be a part time stay at home mommy!

8. Fav Summer Drink: It is my fav everyday drink!! It is a venti iced coffee with 3 splendas, extra extra nonfat milk, and light whip. It gives me super powers and is only $3.19!

9. Favorite Vacation Destination: DISNEY WORLD!!!!

I have been other cool places but this always ends up being my fav!

10. Favorite Play Date Idea: Swimming and picnics would top my list because they are fun and free but anything where I get to meet up with fellow mommies and our kiddos can have a good time sounds like a great time to me!!

 Go check out Lauren's post HERE! I can't wait to read her Summer Q&A!!!  And don't forget to join us on Instagram!!

Instagram Fun and a Giveaway!!!

Hey y'all! Lauren and I are so excited to announce our first Instagram challenge! On top of all that fun, one lucky participant will be chosen to win a gorgeous Lia Sophia necklace. Check out all of their jewelry over at my friend Cappie's site, which you can find HERE!

All you have to do is post a pic on Instagram that coordinates with the days listed below and put the hashtag as #landmgiveaway and enjoy the fun!! We can't wait to see all of your pictures!! A winner will be announced next Monday!!!

Also, don't forget to check our posts tomorrow as we link up doing a little Summer Q&A!!! You can check out Lauren's blog HERE!

Friday Faves!

Hey y'all! I am a little late on today's post. We enjoyed having a pool play date and then were enjoying a little family night! I first want to say Lauren and I have some exciting things coming up next week! I can't wait....we have an Instagram contest AND a giveaway!!! So be on the lookout on the post with all the info this weekend!!!! To follow us on instagram, find Lauren at laurenlou5644 and Me at melroseacker

Now to my Friday Faves!!!

#1  My Maybook
Lauren blogged about her love of Maybooks HERE and I was all like, "Nah...whatevs" but quickly changed my mind. After reading her post I ordered one immediately HERE!!! I love it and can't wait to jot down notes when I am out and write my constant "to do" lists. She was so right about it being the perfect size to throw in your purse!! Mine came in today!

#2 This Anthropologie Mug
It is just so pretty, I leave it on the Keuring when I am not using it just for decoration. It's a good size and was only $8! These make great gifts, too. I bought some as gifts for my aunts' bdays! You can get your own HERE!

#3 Hunter Rubber Buffer
I love this stuff. I picked this up at Nordstrom the other day for $12 and it is like magic in a bottle!! My Hunters were getting "cloudy" looking and it broke my heart! I used my Christmas money to buy those babies and they supposedly last for YEARS and YEARS! So when I was in the shoe department, I was talking to the sales guy and he told me about this stuff and they are like new and SOOO shiny! Love! You can get it HERE! Ella wants a pair for her birthday so this will be great to use on hers too. How cute are these little Hunters??

Before and After

That's all I have for y'all today!! I hope you have a blessed weekend!!! Don't forget to check out what Lauren's Friday Faves are HERE and remember to check to see how you can link up with us on instagram. It will be so much FUN plus you will have a chance to win a beautiful Lia Sophia necklace. Interested in Lia Sophia? Check out my sweet friend Cappie's page HERE!

Trendy Thursday-Playdate Edition

With summer break in full swing, we have already had so many playdates and many more to come! Other than wearing a bathing suit and cover up, I sat down tonight to think of some play date outfits I could wear. The problem with my closet is I have tons of dressy/work clothes and heels. I feel like I don't have many casual pieces.

The past few weeks, I have been keeping my eye out for simple pieces that look put together but that are comfortable for a day over at my BFF's, running around with kids and nieces and nephews, or for a day out shopping!!! I will warn you that I am not so good at taking outfit pics. Finally, I got desperate and asked Joey to take the last one. I will definitely need to work on this for future posts!! Haha!

Outfit #1

 Now before I give you the deets on this outfit...don't laugh. Well it is pretty funny.

Shirt (Kroger Marketplace): I got the shirt, half a gallon of organic fat free milk, and a small box of raisinets for $16. No joke! And yes I did buy clothes where I bought milk...haha! And this is a true story, Lauren can vouch for it because she was on the phone when I walked out and set the security alarm off....long story. #iamnotaconvict

Crop Pants (Michael Kors): I got them at TJ Maxx but you can find similar ones HERE

Necklace (Groovy's): I love this place and you can now shop online, it is a fabulous local boutique you can find HERE

Bracelets (Nordstrom): I love these and added the black one and another black and silver to my collection! They are currently on sale and when I went Monday their in store selection was slim. You can find them online HERE for the black and HERE for the white.

Wedges (Sam Edelman/Nordstrom): These are my new fav shoes and I want to get them in silver next. They are like flip flops but a little dressier with patent straps and they are wedges not flats. They are great for dresses, crop pants, and shorts and are SOOO comfortable!!! You can find them HERE.

Outfit #2

Ignore the shoe and towel on the floor...Ella was playing dress up before me

I love this outfit for our library visits or the movies. In Texas, it is so stinkin' hot but when you dress accordingly, you freeze indoors! For me this is a great balance!

Jacket (Kut from the Kloth/Nordstrom): Pinterest Told Me To (the fabulous blog) is where I heard about this jacket and when she said it was a Must Have, I believed her!!! Joey bought it for me and I have worn it at least once a week since then. It is lightweight and looks cute layered with colored denim, shorts, maxis, dresses, etc. You can it HERE in a different color (I can't find the color I have on their site anymore). I think I may need the white one to wear in summer shown HERE!

Necklace and Tank: Groovy's

Shorts (Target): Oh my word. If they had my size in the others I would have bought every pattern and color of these shorts. They were $12!!!! They are now $19.99 which is still pretty cheap. They are HERE!

Flip Flops (Tory Burch): I love these flip flops and although I would normally not spend much on flip flops...they are very comfy and I love the pattern and Tory Burch emblem...it adds a bit of luxe to super simple outfits and they are also perfect for the pool! You can find them HERE!

Outfit #3

I love how this is simple and neutral! I know I am posing funny but it was super awkward when I had asked Joey to take the picture...haha! I didn't know what to do with my hands!

Shirt: I honestly don't remember, I want to say I got it from Groovy's years ago but any gray tee would work!

Scarf (Nordtrom): I SO wish you could see this scarf up close. It has lace detailing and it is like a light, linen material. Perfect for summer! You can find it HERE and on SALE for $8.90 and they now have a coral color! I think I am ordering that one after this post! Nordstrom has FREE shipping so that is an amazing deal!!! It is a regular scarf and I had tied it to look like this!

Shorts (Loft): Love these shorts and the way they fit. I have super short, asian, elf legs! I tried bermuda shorts and much longer ones but they make my legs look even funnier. These are great because they don't make my legs look shorter than they are but they also are "mommy appropriate." You can find them HERE but I will say I bought mine 2 or 3 weeks ago on clearance for $15 so you may want to watch for a sale!

Shoes (TOMS): I bought these at Groovy's last year and I love them just as much now!! You can also find them on the TOMS site HERE in a variety of crochet colors!

Before you go, don't forget to check out Lauren's Trendy Thursday post HERE and let me just say...that girl can SO rock a top knot!!! 

Mommyhood and Imperfections....

Today I am keepin' it real. Fo sho. Fo rizeal in the hizouss.Okay, I'll stop...haha! I have had a lot on my heart lately and one of the reasons Lauren and I really wanted to start blogging is to help inspire, uplift, and let other mommies out there feel like there is someone else who understands.

Today I am talking about imperfections. We all have them and we all see them. They make us feel insecure, inadequate, and just plain icky BUT they can convict us at times and help us grow stronger.

Social media probably makes being a mommy hard at times. There are so many awesome things like Pinterest, blogs, and facebook that give us great ideas and inspiration but it can also be an ugly place of jealousy and not feeling good enough. I remember the first time I felt that icky feeling inside. I was reading a blog and saw this perfect house and read about this lady's perfect recipes and on top of that, she was blogging about her work out routine....Whaaattt? I  count walking up the stairs to the playroom to break up a fight part of my workout routine. Haha! No offense to the wonderful lady whose blog I was reading at all because I love it and still read it. I just remember feeling like a failure as a mom. At the time, the kids were 9 months old and 2 going on 3. Laundry was never done, I barely cooked, and I just felt like a hot mess.

I began a period of feeling inadequate as a mommy. I began to envy the bloggers or friends on facebook that seemed to have it "together." Then one day, I realized that:

1) I had been caught up in a whirlwind of envy.
2) I am not perfect and my kids don't expect me to be and
3) I had put pressure on myself that no one else did.

I found that I put expectations on myself that my husband or kids did not and I was stressing myself out!!! I swear this one bible verse is my absolute favorite and I always refer to it. Sometimes reading it when I am feeling not enough or just in a rut makes me realize the bigger picture.

This helps me to remember that I will mess up and I may stumble as a mommy, wife, or just plan ol' human but God is my strength...HE is all I need. It is so easy to get caught up in all the fluff of life...but it is so humbling to remember the simple but most important things.

So, for any mommies reading this.....just know on those days where you are exhausted, your laundry room is cra-cra, and you forgot what it's like to go to the bathroom without hearing knocking at the door and seeing little hands slip under it....just know that it is your heart that matters. It is your intentions with your kids. There is a big difference with not caring and just trying to keep up and I think many moms are just trying to keep up! Bless our hearts, being a mommy is a tough job!

It doesn't matter if your kiddos have all the cutest clothes...it matters that you have talks with them. It doesn't matter if they have the cutest room...it matters if you take some time to read their favorite book. Life is full of imperfections. Mommyhood is full of imperfections and a lot of times there is so much learning and beauty in that!

So for anyone who sees my pics on instagram or facebook and reads my blog....just know that I am far from a perfect mom. There are usually many outtakes before I get a picture with both kids looking at the camera and one not throwing a fit. There are many nights of eating cereal for dinner and there are many times when my laundry room is so full I don't know where to start (can you tell I have been stressed about the LAUNDRY...haha)!!!

I am a mom like you just wanting to do the best I can for my kids and who wants the best for them. I am just a mom who does want to do cute things and do all the fluff but I know it's doesn't make me a great mom...it's all about the heart!! And praise the Lord for an amazing God who gives me strength because there are some days that He gives me the encouragement I need!



Don't forget to check out Lauren's blog HERE for some ideas on how to have your kids organized on the go! She did a fabulous post on Thirty One bags and how she uses them!! So much fun over there!!

Have questions or an idea for a post? Email us at:

Melanie: melroseacker@yahoo.com
Lauren: laurenlou5644@yahoo.com

Tuesday Tips: Summer Fun on a Budget

I am linking up with Lauren today for Tuesday Tips! You can find her blog HERE! 

I don't know about you but I get bored during summer break. I am a on the go person and the word summer break sometimes stresses me out. Crazy....I know. Don't get me wrong, I love being home with my sweet kiddos and hubby all summer but I like to get out of the house...but there's a little thing called a budget. I blogged about budgeting in our family HERE. Me and budgeting have a love/hate relationship. I love it when I see all of the amazing goals we have reached but I hate it when I want to buy something.

With your whole family being home for the summer, it can get quite expensive. What we try to do is have a set budget for each week for activities/food. We try to do one big thing each week (shopping, movies, etc) and the rest of the time we stay home and get stuff done around the house and find FREE stuff to do.

This summer, I am even more excited to try to find fun things to do that are FREE!! So here is a list of my money saving ideas that are free or have a small price but that are big on fun!

#1 Find a friend with a pool or head to the splash park

 Sounds funny but who doesn't want to be by a pool in the summer? Luckily, Joey's parents have a pool so we have always been able to take the kids there to swim. Doing that one or two days a week gives you some fun and it's cheap. When the kids were smaller they loved going to the free community splash pad. If you have a friend with a pool or community pool, see about setting up a playdate every so often to enjoy a little free, cool down fun!


#2 Schedule Play Dates!

I have a lot of teacher friends and stay at home mommy friends and we love to get together and have play dates. This allows you to get out of the house and for the kiddos to meet up with friends at a little cost or free. Me and my bff are rotating hosting play dates at each others' homes...nothing big but just hanging out. I am meeting up with some other friends at our house or their house or local places for lunch. Sometimes you just need to get out of the house or invite over some friends!!!You could even take turns serving lunch in your group!

#3 Library Summer Reading Programs

This may be my all time favorite summer activity. Something about library visits in the summer brings back such great memories. I remember being little and going to the library in the summer and getting lost in amazing books. No joke...I just love libraries. I love the smell of books, the feeling of getting cozy in a chair, and I especially love looking through children's picture books. I have written a few and hope to get them published one day. I HEART kids' books. Okay, sidetracked, sorry!

Many libraries have summer reading programs where kiddos can log their reading and get prizes. My kids LOVE this. Ella wanted me to read to her last night and this morning so she could color her stars and Grayson has been hittin' the chapter books like there's no tomorrow.

There are also a ton of scheduled activities like story time, movie days, and special presenters that put on programs each week. This usually gives us a lot of FREE options of fun stuff to do.

Here is the BEST part...the prizes at some libraries are cool coupons to do stuff. SCORE! More free fun! Here are the coupons the kids got just for signing up for the reading club!!!

Free single flower. We could write nice notes and bring a flower to someone to brighten their day.

Great as a bookmark and for FREE apple slices.

#4 Parks and Recreation Department Activities
Lots of cities host free activities often. I know some local cities around us offer things like Movies in the Park. This is a great way to have a night of fun at no cost. Often, they also have things like bounce houses and face painting!!!


#5 Packing Lunches
My husband and I were talking about this earlier in the day and then when I talked to Nana (my mother in law) on the phone she mentioned it too. She said when the kids (my hubby and Lauren) were growing up they always packed their lunches in the summer to places like Wet N' Wild (remember that). I think this is such a great idea. 1) It is healthier, if you pack it that way, and you can pack things your kids like. 2) It's so much cheaper!! For me, with my stomach issues, it helps me have a lunch ready to go that I know is something I can eat that won't make me sick!! And as my mother in law said, what kid doesn't like picnics??? You could have a fun, free outing with a packed lunch and a trip to the splash pad. We like to save our cash for a trip to Starbucks (for Mommy) and sno-cones or ice cream for a treat!

So, that's it! My Tuesday Tips for free summer fun! Don't forget to link up with Lauren HERE!

Have questions or an idea for a post? Email  us at:

Melanie: melroseacker@yahoo.com
Lauren: laurenlou5644@yahoo.com