Tag: momblogger

Febrile Seizures

by makinithappenmama2 Comments on Febrile Seizures

It was April just two weeks before her 2nd birthday, in the middle of a freak spring snow storm it happened for the first time – dreaded febrile seizure. Our little Ellie was laying in my Mom’s bed early in the morning drinking her milk and suddenly started to shake. Quickly my mom yelled for me, I came running to find her shaking, lips blue, and eyes rolled back in her head. This was terrifying to see, so many thoughts were racing through my head. We quickly dialed 9-1-1 and the ambulance was there in no time, she was then rushed to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, RI at which point she was diagnosed with her first febrile seizure.

What is a febrile seizure? It’s common for children under 6 years old and it occurs when their temperature spikes quickly. Not how high the actual number is, but actually how fast the number goes up.

Thankfully, the doctors assured us that she was fine. We saw her pediatrician when we arrived home and she provided us the exact same diagnosis, thankfully! However, witnessing it as her mom is an image for which I will never be able to get out my head.

Everything that I have read, asked, and researched says it’s not something you can prevent – something which can be quite unnerving as a mom. Will she be okay? Will it happen while she is sleeping? When she is riding her bike or walking down the stairs? I know we all have these thoughts, but at the end of the day, she is a very healthy kid and we very lucky as a family for our general good health.

Since her first one bout with these scary episodes, she has had 7 additional febrile seizures, all different and different circumstances but all equally as scary. We have since been to Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia (CHOP), for an EEG and an appointment with her neurologist. CHOP is an absolutely wonderful hospital, that takes time to answer parents questions, is welcoming, and provides top care – however, I hope that none of you have to visit!

Almost two weeks ago Ellie had another seizure, this one we believe wasn’t febrile. I will be taking Ellie back down to CHOP in early November for a follow-up and another EEG to see if we can get to the bottom of all of this. I have much anticipation about this visit, all while trying to keep my cool for my little angel.

Until then, I will check her temp like crazy, give her lots of vitamins even if I’m not 100% they make a difference, wash our hands A LOT, and try to keep calm!

I hope none of you have had to experience this, but if you have or know someone who has, I would love to hear about your experiences below in the comments or shoot me an email.

Lilly Pulitzer After – Party Sale!

by makinithappenmama2 Comments on Lilly Pulitzer After – Party Sale!

meg and ellie lilly

7:45am on Monday, August 28th and there are 5,000 other shoppers in front of me? I said to myself, “What?!?!” The sale had not even started yet!

I braved the virtual line, frantically searched, scrolled, added to cart, and patiently waited to see that my orders were finalized… then SUCCESS! “Order received” then a after patiently waiting for the next screen , “due to high volume you order should arrive in 2-3 weeks!” and just like that, heartbreak ensued. When I had originally logged in, the homepage stated it would only take 2-5 days for ground shipping! Although I got some great deals, this was a tough pill to swallow.

This my friends, was the roller coaster of the Lilly Pulitzer “After-Party Sale”, which was happening after dropping off the kids for their first day of school. Needless to say, it was an emotional morning for this Mama!

Usually when the sale starts I am commuting, or in a meeting, or preoccupied with something else, but this year, THIS was my year! This particular sale, all started with my 3-year old asking for the Lilly leggings by name, this was a milestone for this mother daughter relationship – one which brought a small tear to my eye. While she doesn’t always love dresses, the girl has good taste! Do you have favorite annual sales that you make sure to hit up for your kiddos? Let me know more in the comments below. ; )

Here are some of the finds I FINALLY received for both of us! Luckily summer is hanging on, so we can both wear some of our finds!

ellie lilly mania
This is a skort, super cute for this shorts loving girl!
lilly leggings
Must have leggings for Ellie!
meg lilly shirt
Love this top, can’t wait to wear with white jeans!

How Many Monkey’s In The BED!

by makinithappenmama1 Comment on How Many Monkey’s In The BED!

monkeys1

Co-Sleeping –  a topic that comes up quite often amongst parents… to allow or to not allow it?

To be honest, this is something I struggle with constantly – my babies are only little once and if they want to cuddle, I think to myself, ‘why not?’

Any time my husband Chris is away or my kids are sick, I cave and I sleep on a little sliver of our bed allowing my toddler to take up an entire king size. I’m definitely more of a softy when it comes to this topic, Chris says, ‘once we let them, it will have become habit and harder to break.’

While I agree, they have both grown up so quickly, and while yes, I know this sounds insane because they are both 3 and 1 respectively, it feels like just yesterday they were born.

When we do let them, they both want to be as close to us as possible, and while I know this won’t last much longer, they are toddlers, they still have that baby smell and I can’t get enough of it. Sleeping next to me, I know they are safe, breathing and of course, kicking : ). These memories are priceless to me and so are the scents – I know when they are teenagers I will remember these times like my parents do of me, fondly.

For me, it ultimately goes back to that fine line between enforcing good behavior and practicing self-discipline while still having fun with your kids. The bottom line, just like anything in life whether it be eating healthy, finding time to workout, or painting that bedroom… its about getting it in, where you can get it.

Life’s about a balance and its not always a perfect one, or the same for everyone but about finding the one thats right for you and one that you can feel good about. As long as are holding yourself accountable (in a non-stressful, non-toxic way), you’re being a good parent.

Being a parent of young children is often about survival mode. Being the best parent you can be while still working full-time and remaining a sane functioning human all while keeping them innocent for as long as possible with lots of kisses, hugs, and endless snuggles.

No matter what your thoughts on the topic, it’s about what works for you. Mom judging is the worst… not your monkey’s, not your circus.

To all the Mamas and Papas out there, enjoy that extra cup of coffee, make morning memories with your kiddos and cliff hang off the bed if you want to!

Kids Fall Fashion OverHaul

by makinithappenmamaLeave a Comment on Kids Fall Fashion OverHaul

I will admit, I LOVE buying clothes for my kids, mini clothes are just too hard to resist! Nearly every season, I go way overboard, only to realize I had purchased items to “save” for a special day that, once reached, no longer fit my kids. This season I have promised to be more sensible.

This year Ellie needed almost everything new… (NBD$!$!) not easy on our wallets but, I love a good challenge. I had a plan for the first time ever, I made a list of everything she needed and went to search!

I absolutely adore Boden for kids, but let’s be honest I can’t afford to get everything from there. They are having a great sale right now that is a must! Here are a few of the key pieces I got for both Ellie and Huck. The fox pull over over is reversible, super warm and on sale right now – can’t wait to see it on my little guy!

I also went to Jcrew Factory, I find the best deals from here for both of them but Ellie especially. She is in a T-Shirt phase right now and the keepsakes T’s from here are so cute – perfect for school!  Janie and Jack Outlet  is a must for Huck, they didn’t have a ton for fall and winter yet, but was able to nab this plaid shirt for only $8 that I thought would be great for school pics this year.

crew and janie and jackAfter I went for some “statement pieces”, I decided to move onto the basics. We did a HUGE shop from Old Navy! They both needed staples for the season and they had a giant sale this past weekend at the outlets.

This year I wanted to keep things more neutral and versatile for both kids, so I could match more and mix it up. Their sales are amazing here and the clothes fit great on both kids. I find they seem to run bigger but the adjustable pants are great for my kids and often, last longer.

old navy cloths

Lastly, especially when visiting my siblings in NYC or when I am in the mood for a good online purge, I will often try ZARA and H&M – both have fantastic options for kids and a price point that can’t be beat. Sometimes I think, “wait, are my kids better dressed than me?!?!”

Hence my next plan, forcing myself to buy clothes and shoes – not always easy for a mom of two small children with a full-time job but thats the challenge we call motherhood, right? I can still rock the messy bun but if you see me in Mom Jeans, please send for help!

T-minus 1 week till Disney

by makinithappenmamaLeave a Comment on T-minus 1 week till Disney

disney-world

Well after almost a year of planning, organizing, and lots of reading – our trip is finally here! I will admit I was a little overwhelmed by all things Disney when we first started planning this vacation. However, we decided to utilize the help of a planner and we ended up with Jen from Five Star Travel who made it way easier! She secured some of the most coveted reservations in Disney and we couldn’t have done it without her!

So after a year of planning, how are we going to spend five magical days in the happiest place on earth?

Day 1
Land very early in the morning, so we have a full day in Magic Kingdom that evening we are going to stay in our hotel for dinner at the Grand Floridan Cafe. My parents are meeting us here, not big park people but they had the chance to come and didn’t want to miss this memory – so thankful they are coming with us!

Day 2
We are planning to arrive at Magic Kingdom for the opening of the park, we have a few fast passes booked already including; Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train, Small World and Peter Pan’s Flight. That evening we are headed to Epcot to San Angel for dinner.

Day 3
My parents and Hudson will head back to Rhode Island that day, so this will be the beginning of a very special time for Ellie with both Chris and I. This is a big day, we have Breakfast at Akerhus in Epcot for all things princess, then will spend the day in Epcot. In the late afternoon Ellie will get all dolled up at Bippity Boopity Boutique and then head to Cinderella’s Royal Table for dinner!

Day 4
We will spend the day at HollyWood Studios, which will begin at Hollywood and Vine for Breakfast  with the Disney Junior Gang, followed by rides and as Ellie has told us ‘avoiding the Storm Troopers!’ That evening’s dinner is planned to be low key by the pool and we will head back into Magic Kingdom that night for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Day 5
Our last day will be at Animal Kingdom, I actually think Ellie will be over the moon seeing the animals here and the Festival of the Lion King! Our last night’s dinner is planned at Be Our Guest, Beauty and the Beast is one of Ellie’s favorite movies and I couldn’t think of a better place to end the trip… can’t wait to try the Grey Stuff!

It’s going to be a whirlwind 5 days of magic and being a kid again.  From the beginning this trip was about memories with the kids and I can’t wait to see this experience through their eyes and watch the sense of wonder on their faces!

In typical Meg fashion, I may have gone a little overboard with the Disney Gear, we have lots of t-Shirts, hats and lanyards ready to go so the whole family can really show their Disney Side!

Stay tuned for post trip pics!

disney post

 

One last summer weekend!

by makinithappenmamaLeave a Comment on One last summer weekend!

I can hardly believe how fast this summer has gone. We have traveled, swam, gone to the beach, ate outside, caught fire flies and basked in the warm sun. As I look back on the last three months, to be entirely honest, it has been up and down. I’m a little type A and I find it hard to adapt when things don’t go according to my plan. What I realized (finally) is that it’s not always about sticking to my plan but rather giving up control of what I can’t… It has allowed me to grow in ways I could not imagine.

huck loves cake

Our summer has been about memories, Huck turned 1 year old, started walking and CLIMBING. Ellie swam under water, rode a roller coaster, ate lots of seafood and played every single day. Chris and I traveled to Portugal, experienced another beautiful country and got lost there – an unbelievable long European weekend I will never forget.

meg and chris portugal

We had great times with friends and family, enjoyed the Rhode Island coast for the 4th of July, watched our kids play and laugh, building strong relationships that we hope will last a lifetime. I was able to celebrate my brother’s engagement (to the most amazing person), at my parents house with one heck of a party and lots of love. In the midst of our last low-key summer weekend, I realized how thankful I am for all of the experiences we have, for good corn-on-the-cob and fresh seafood, for long nights and warm mornings, for friends and family who love us unconditionally.ellie summer 2017

So how have we spent this LDW so far? Kicked it off with our favorite family amusement park, Knoebels! My kids love it, it’s inexpensive and they have rides for everyone – if you live in PA, it’s a must for small kids! We spent so much time there this summer, it was only fitting we were there this last weekend of summer.

We have now just been recovering from this long fun summer, the greatest gift of today was that my kids slept in until 7:30 am, which for as long as I can remember has not happened!

I leave you all with heart full of great memories and the excitement of the new season.

Makin’ it Happen!

by makinithappenmamaLeave a Comment on Makin’ it Happen!
Makin’ it Happen!

Well it’s official! I have been wanting to do this for some time and I have finally pushed the button. I found some time, well let’s be honest there is no additional time – that’s the challenge of motherhood, creating some!

I am a wife, mother to two awesome kids, and a sales leader by day however my journey has made me realize that there’s so much more to life than the simply the day-to-day! For me, life has always been about the experience but now that I’m on the second half of my 30’s (gulp), that idea has come into focus more than ever. Major goals have been refined – traveling with my kids (how many passport stamps can they get by age 5?), Loving MORE, take time for myself and above all truly living the best life I can!

Here, I’ll share a little bit of everything from travel, food, health, experiences with my growing family and everything in between. Welcome to Makin’ it happen Mama… it’s all done one story, play date, bowl of mac & cheese at a time! It may be a bit crazy at times… but hey, it’s a journey!

 

http://www.makinithappenmama.com

xoxo

Meg