Happy Monday-ish... (it's really Tuesday guys)! Can I get a do-over of the holiday weekend? The past few days were definitely a reality versus expectations for us. We started off with a fabulous mini vacay that I planned for my family and I, totally last minute but still we were going to have a blast... or so I thought.  We left to Long Branch Beach on Wednesday morning and were supposed to come back Friday evening... well that all took a turn when B didn't feel so well... we ended up in the hospital, down the shore. And while that totally sucked I was happy we were close enough to our house to be able to get him back into his comfort zone. He ended up having a stomach bug, he threw up about 7 times while we were down the shore. My poor baby, he was so excited for the beach, he adores the beach... he loves to play in the sand with his trucks. Of course, the next day, as expected he was 100% better and happy... but now we were back home. So we made the best of it and had the kids play outside and in their kiddie pool and just were grateful it wasn't anything worse. My expectation was a fabulous mini staycay for 3 days with my family, lots of sun, food and memories, that didn't happen but I am just grateful it was a little bug and nothing worse.

 Getting ready for Memorial Day Weekend can be fun... especially if you live on the East Coast like me. Long winters really leave us craving for hot temps more than you can imagine! It's the official start to summer, the beaches and pools open and basically we are just happy to have steady temperatures of over 70 degrees. Living in New Jersey it can get pretty humid by the time summer pops in and one of my must-haves in my beauty routine is a great deodorant. So today I am excited to partner with Dove, one of my favorite beauty brands to show you what my essentials are this MDW.

Seems like we are finally getting hit with gorgeous and steady weather. We had such nice temperatures over the weekend and today it is gorgeous out. I am ready for some steady spring weather... I wore this super cute bodysuit yesterday to go out on a little impromptu dinner date with my hubs. It was a super casual thing so I wore my favorite H&M ripped jeans and some studded flats. 

As you guys know if you follow me on Insta I had a Pampers party at my house over the weekend! It was such a sweet time, I invited my niece and her brother (but the boys, wanted nothing to do with the "little kids"lol) and we had such a fun time, the girls danced, played and best of all we exchanged mommy tips and ideas on what has worked for us when it comes to potty learning!  As you all know Emme is just about 16 months and Ben, well it's been over 3 years since I trained him to use the potty. And for today's post I am sharinmy potty-learning tips. I know that sometimes this huge milestone can get frustrating, trust me, which is why I am going to share tips on how you can help your little one ease into this new stage of their little lives. 

When it comes to spring lovin' I am all about enjoying our days outside and just relaxing on the patio, playing with the kids and taking in all the goodness that is spring-time in the East Coast.  I love dresses, so as soon as the temps warm up, you will constantly catch me in flowy dresses and sandals. Last month, I stopped by Marshall's to look for some outdoor furniture and ended up getting this dress instead. I love love loved it, especially the off-the-shoulder action, I am obsessed with the trend and I've been picking up a few pieces here and there that I'll be showing you guys through the

A couple of weeks ago, I got to visit the LISTERINE® Antiseptic Mouthwash labs here in New Jersey. It really was such a cool experience. I didn't know what to expect going in but I am so happy I got to attend because it changed my view on my dental hygiene. Our smiles and teeth are actually one of the first things people get to see on you yet we don't really take care of it as we should. You've heard it once and again, your smile is your #1 accessory and as such we should make sure to have clean, healthy teeth for years to come. 

With Mother's Day around the corner, I can't help but think of all the hard but very rewarding work being a mom is. Mother's Day is every day for a mom... from sleepless nights to tantrums and tears (from the both of us) to the first steps, first words... to the first time my son read a sentence alone today. These are the moments that mean the most to me and I hold close to my heart. Being a full time blogger, mom and wife, life gets pretty hectic around here. My days are full, they get pretty crazy, believe me. There are really great days and then there are not-so-great days where everything just seems to go wrong. But I always have my children's smiles to look forward to. Their innocence and patience always amazes me. No matter how upset I get or how loud I become, they always forgive and forget. A parent's role is no walk in the park, which is why anytime I can make my life easier, I do. I always use brands that make my life smoother and my routines faster. 

Have you guys seen the latest YouTube video? You guys asked me a few times to share what makeup products I use on a daily basis so I finally had a chance to film a video and show you guys the products I love. And my favorite part of this video is Emme's official YouTube debut! She was loving the camera as you guys can see. She is such a girly girl and loves shoes, purses and makeup!  She truly is a little dream come true for me.... let me know what you guys think of the video.

Yesterday I shared a post where the TODAY show, yes the TODAY show shared my article on their Facebook page. It was an article I had written about my experience in becoming a mother. Let me say (write) that again. MY experience in becoming a mother. I was really happy and excited to see my article published under such a well known and respected name. After all, being connected in any way, shape or form to the TODAY show is major goals, if you ask me.  But then... they showed up, the internet trolls. Yes, I said it: the internet trolls. You know that gang of moms who think they are too good, too perfect, very organic, very green, very everything they think is motherhood perfection. Yet they are bullies to other mothers... they don't come in peace or to help... they come attacking other mothers for their choices. NO mother is perfect, I repeat no mother is perfect and we all try to do the best we can. So I started to read their comments.