Mallory's 2 year Update

My tiny peanut turned two last week!

At her checkup a few days after her birthday she was 23lbs (8%) and 31 inches (2%).  Shes in a mix of 12-18 month clothes currently. 

Her favorite foods are corn, macaroni, chicken nuggets, popcorn, and bananas. 

She loves to watch Blippi (her second birthday party theme) and Paw Patrol.

Coloring is a favorite activity.  It doesn't matter if it's with markers, chalk, a pen, or crayons.  She loves to scribble.  Also enjoys stickers. 

We weaned a few weeks before her birthday.  I was sad, but ready.  She asked for milk for the first week and a half but has been pretty good since. 

She is sleeping better.  Weaning seemed to be a turning point. She was in my bed every single night basically but since weaning it's only been a few times.  She will usually wake up and cry once or twice but it's brief and she puts herself back to sleep. 

She's very expressive and talks in big sentences and phrases (or what I think is big for a 2 year old).  She also has great receptive skills and sometimes I think she listens better than Eleanor. haha.

She's still a mama's girl, but I'm not really complaining about that.

The first Swago: Shopping Edition of 2018!

Still recovering from all of your holiday shopping? The online rewards site Swagbucks has a smart and fun way for you to earn and save when you spend. 

Swagbucks is hosting another round of Shopping Swago! What is SWAGO you ask? It's a bingo-inspired promotion run by Swagbucks, a website that rewards you with points (called SB) for completing everyday online activities. You can redeem those SB for free gift cards. If you've never used Swagbucks, participating in SWAGO is a great introduction to the site and an easy way to earn a good amount of points quickly.  

Click here to get started! 

Here’s what you need to know to get your 300 SB Bonus (and don’t worry, you don’t have to make a purchase to complete a pattern):

• Go to the Swag page and make sure you hit “Join” otherwise you won’t get credit for completing the action items. Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete.
• Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.
• You have a limited amount of time to mark off as many squares as possible so use your time wisely.
• Be mindful of the patterns and their corresponding bonuses located on the right of your Swago Board. The patterns will vary in difficulty and bonus value - up to 300 SB - enough for your first $3 gift card.
• Once you’ve achieved a pattern the corresponding “Submit” button will light up. You can have multiple patterns available for submission, however, you can only submit ONE pattern so choose wisely.
• The game ends Friday, January 26th at 12pm PDT/3pm EDT. So make sure to hit “Submit” on the pattern you wish to submit. If you don’t hit “Submit” before the game ends you won’t receive your SB bonus.
  
  Also, if you sign up through me this month, you'll get a $10 rebate when you make your first purchase via Swagbucks Shopping! You can activate it in the "Swag Ups" area of "My Account"

Top Ten of 2017

In no paticular order here are some of my favorite moments of 2017

1) Mallorys birthday was a fun time celebrating my baby turning one.

2) Mallory seeing Lake Michigan and enjoying it.

3) Taking the girls to the beach in September and having it almost to ourselves

4) Every time Mallory wakes up from naps and gives Eleanor a big hug I just melt. 

5) In February I went to Nashville to meet up with some of my mom friends from around the country.  I'd been chatting with these women for 4 years at that point so it was great to finally meet.

5) Our 6th anniversary.  We tried a new restaurant and I wanted to take a walk down by the river but it was so windy we kept getting belted with sand and dirt ruining that plan.

7) Great Wolf Lodge.  We ended up going twice and Eleanor loved it so much she still talks about it. 

 

8) Eleanor starting school

9) In April I took the girls to a baseball game by myself.  I missed most of the few innings we made it through, but Eleanor got choosen to go out on the field and say 'play ball'. 

10) This isn't a good moment necessarily but it stands out.  Around Halloween both girls got sick.  Eleanor had croup first, then Mallory got it and on Halloween she had temps of almost 104, and it lingered for nearly a week. It wasn't a fun time, and I didn't sleep much, but they recovered.

~ My 2018 Goals ~

A new year and new goals.  Here are mine.

*Read more books for me.                                                                                                                        

*Dates with Rob once a month.   We had two last year.  Two.  And one was to Eleanor's conference lol               
                                                                                                                       
*Cut back on sweets                                                                                                                                 
*Try one new recipe a month. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                        
*Pay off at least one credit card.  We only have two that have a balance but one has a much higher balance.                                                                                                                               

*Read through the bible in the year.  I realized today that the Holy Bible app has a voice feature which makes it so much easier to listen to it while cooking etc...                                                       

*Purge at least one box/bag of clothes/toys/whatever I need to get rid of every other month.

January Swago with Spin & Win

The digital rewards site Swagbucks is offering big payouts during their January "Swago" promotion starting Monday, January 8th at 9am PT and running until Monday, January 15th! Swago is just like bingo, but in this case you're filling out squares as you earn points on their site for doing things you already do online. If you're thinking of trying Swagbucks, this is a great chance to learn all about how the site works and earn bonus points while doing it, meaning you can get more gift cards faster. Here are a few tips: 

• Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete. They can be anything from getting a search win, completing a survey, or just visiting one of our popular stores!
   
• Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.
   
• You have until 12pm PT/3pm ET on Monday, January 15th to mark off as many squares as possible so use your time wisely.
   
• Be mindful of the patterns and their corresponding bonuses located on the right of your Swago Board. The patterns will vary in difficulty and bonus value. Once you’ve achieved a pattern, the corresponding “Submit” button will light up. You can have multiple patterns available for submission, however, you can only submit ONE pattern so choose wisely.
• Each activity you successfully complete on your Swago Board will give you anywhere from 1-20 spins on the Spin & Win Wheel. PLUS, when you submit your board for a bonus you'll get additional spins. The number of spins will depend on the pattern you complete. The wheel has all sorts of great prizes that you can win, and each spin is a winner!

The Spin & Win Wheel will be available all throughout Swago and you have until 11:59pm PT on Monday, January 15th to use all your spins. 

Fill up your board and then submit your pattern to get even more points - if you can fill in the whole board, you get a 500 SB bonus, which is enough for a $5 gift card from the retailer of your choice.  

Click here right now and click "Join" to get started! If you don't already have a Swagbucks account, you'll be able to quickly sign up; PLUS, if you earn 300 SB before the first of January, you'll get a bonus 300 SB!

Swago: Holiday Shopping Edition Is Back!

The holidays are here and the online rewards site Swagbucks has a smart and fun way for you to earn and save while you spend. 

Swagbucks is hosting another round of Shopping Swago! What is SWAGO you ask? It's a bingo-inspired promotion run by Swagbucks, a website that rewards you with points (called SB) for completing everyday online activities. You can redeem those SB for free gift cards. If you've never used Swagbucks, participating in SWAGO is a great introduction to the site and an easy way to earn a good amount of points quickly.  



Click here to get started! 

Here’s what you need to know to get your 300 SB ($3) Bonus (and don’t worry, you don’t have to make a purchase to complete a pattern):

• Shop Swago will begin on Monday, December 18th at 9am PT/12pm ET, make sure you hit “Join” otherwise you won’t get credit for completing the action items. Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete.
• Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.
• You have a limited amount of time to mark off as many squares as possible so use your time wisely.
• Be mindful of the patterns and their corresponding bonuses located on the right of your Swago Board. The patterns will vary in difficulty and bonus value - up to 300 SB - enough for your first $3 gift card.
• Once you’ve achieved a pattern the corresponding “Submit” button will light up. You can have multiple patterns available for submission, however, you can only submit ONE pattern so choose wisely.
• The game ends Friday, December 22nd at 12pm PDT/3pm EDT. So make sure to hit “Submit” on the pattern you wish to submit. If you don’t hit “Submit” before the game ends you won’t receive your SB bonus.
  
  Also, if you sign up through me this month, you'll get a $10 rebate when you make your first purchase via Swagbucks Shopping! You can activate it in the "Swag Ups" area of "My Account"

Huge Cash Back deals during the Swagbucks Green Monday Sale!

You can earn money while saving it during Green Monday! The Cashback Shopping site Swagbucks is offering big cash back - 2x or more - at a number of different stores today only. They're also offering big payouts on a varieties of different deals and offers from companies that would make great gift ideas. Get great deals without waiting in lines or even leaving your home! 

If you're not familiar with Swagbucks, they offer cash back in the form of points when you shop. Then you can turn those points into gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Target, or PayPal cash. You can also earn points for discovering deals, watching videos, answering surveys and more!  

Click here to take advantage of the cash back, just create your Swagbucks account when prompted (it takes less than 30 seconds) and then you're all set! 

As a special bonus, if you sign up through me you get a 300 SB ($3) bonus when you earn your first 300 SB before January 1st! This site's a great way to extend your shopping budget, especially around the holidays!

Get more free gift cards for the Holidays from Swagbucks during December's Swago with Spin & Win (US)

The digital rewards site Swagbucks is offering big payouts during their December "Swago" promotion starting Monday, December 4th at 9am PT and running until Monday, December 11th! Swago is just like bingo, but in this case you're filling out squares as you earn points on their site for doing things you already do online. If you're thinking of trying Swagbucks, this is a great chance to learn all about how the site works and earn bonus points while doing it, meaning you can get more gift cards faster. Here are a few tips: 

• Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete. They can be anything from getting a search win, completing a survey, or just visiting one of our popular stores!
   
• Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.
   
• You have until 12pm PT/3pm ET on Monday, December 11th to mark off as many squares as possible so use your time wisely.
   
• Be mindful of the patterns and their corresponding bonuses located on the right of your Swago Board. The patterns will vary in difficulty and bonus value. Once you’ve achieved a pattern, the corresponding “Submit” button will light up. You can have multiple patterns available for submission, however, you can only submit ONE pattern so choose wisely.
• Each activity you successfully complete on your Swago Board will give you anywhere from 1-20 spins on the Spin & Win Wheel. PLUS, when you submit your board for a bonus you'll get additional spins. The number of spins will depend on the pattern you complete. The wheel has all sorts of great prizes that you can win, and each spin is a winner!

The Spin & Win Wheel will be available all throughout Swago and you have until 11:59pm PT on Monday, December 11th to use all your spins. 

Fill up your board and then submit your pattern to get even more points - if you can fill in the whole board, you get a 500 SB bonus, which is enough for a $5 gift card from the retailer of your choice.  

Click here right now and click "Join" to get started! If you don't already have a Swagbucks account, you'll be able to quickly sign up; PLUS, if you earn 300 SB before the first of January, you'll get a bonus 300 SB!

Get exclusive Swagbuster deals on your favorite stores, offers, and gift cards

Running now through December 3rd, the cashback shopping site Swagbucks is running a series of exclusive "Swagbuster" deals that offer increased cash back (in the form of SB points) at stores, when buying gifts cards, and big SB payouts when you discover offers from different companies. You can take all of the points you earn from these deals and redeem them for gift cards from places like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, or PayPal cash, helping you extend your holiday budget further! 

The deals change every few hours, and you can keep track of what's available by clicking here. You need a Swagbucks account to take advantage - fortunately it's free and takes less than 30 seconds to sign up. PLUS, if you sign up through me you'll get a bonus 300 SB ($3) if you earn 300 SB before December 1st!

Huge Cash Back deals during the Swagbucks Cyber Monday Sale!

You can earn money while saving it on all your big Cyber Monday purchasesThe Cashback Shopping site Swagbucks is offering big cash back - 3x or more - at over 120 different stores today only. They're also offering big payouts on a varieties of different deals and offers from companies that would make great gift ideas. Get great deals without waiting in lines or even leaving your home!

If you're not familiar with Swagbucks, they offer cash back in the form of points when you shop. Then you can turn those points into gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Target, or PayPal cash. You can also earn points for discovering deals, watching videos, answering surveys and more!  

Click here to take advantage of the cash back, just create your Swagbucks account when prompted (it takes less than 30 seconds) and then you're all set! 

As a special bonus, if you sign up through me you get a 300 SB ($3) bonus when you earn your first 300 SB before December 1st! This site's a great way to extend your shopping budget, especially around the holidays!