Sister Hack

Day in the Life 3 under 3.

I recorded a day in the life in my notes app a long time ago and I’m just getting around to posting it because that’s life with 3 children. This is a Day in the Life from when Gal was a newborn (6 weeks!!) and she’s almost one now! Here are my old day in the life’s 2 under 2 & just me and pal!

For context: This was in July 2023. Pal 3 year old, Bud 18 months old and Gal 6 week old.

5:45am Gal wakes me up. Go downstairs and feed her. She plays and stretches while I do a 30 min barre3 workout (I had to stop about every 10min to help Gal).

7:00am Put Gal in swing for nap. Made husbands food for work. Loaded dishwasher. Ate Breakfast. Iced coffee and Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwich (my go to newly postpartum).

7:30 Boys wake up. And I went to shower/get ready while my husband was with the children.

8am Got breakfast for the boys and took outside. They ate yogurt and a homemade breakfast cookie. We then went into the garage and I managed to tidy it while the boys played.

10:00am Gal woke up. Fed and diaper changed. Played and clipped everyone’s nails.

10:30am Snack time. Toast with turkey and cheese for me. Cliff bars for boys. Got everyone dressed. More diaper changes and loaded on the car.

11:00am Errands. Bank and fb marketplace pickup (got a different bath seat for Gal). Gal took a nap in the car.

11:45am Back home Bud down for nap. Fed baby while Pal played. Made lunch for me and Pal.

12:30am Nap time for Pal.

1:00 Me and Gal Nap (biggest tip for 3 under 3 or 2 under 2 is get those naps to sync so you can also nap!)

2:40pm dream feed Gal.

3:00pm Pal and Bud up from Naps. Watched a show and snuggled.

3:40pm Snack Time. Made chocolate banana smoothie (milk, banana, chocolate protein powder, spinach and peanut butter). Played upstairs with the boys.

5:00pm Gal wakes up (feed and diaper change for all). Dinner in the oven (mac and cheese from Costco).

6:00pm Eat dinner Outside (Mac and cheese and chicken nugget). Play more outside.

7:30pm ice cream dessert outside.

8:00pm Bath for Gal. Husband put Bud to bed. Feed Gal and put to bed “for the night”. Picked up bathroom. Folded 2 loads of laundry.

9:00pm Snuggled Pal before bed. Dishes. Husband put Pal to bed.

9:30pm Watch some TV with my husband.

10:30pm Bedtime.

1:00am feed Gal.

Emily’s Spring Capsule Wardrobe – In Action

Here is a week of my outfits using my spring capsule wardrobe.

Wednesday. another home day and very similar to Mondays outfit lol.

Saturday. Errands and projects around the house.

Emily’s Spring Capsule Wardrobe

Emily here sharing my spring capsule wardrobe. I so enjoyed my winter capsule wardrobe. It made getting ready for the day so easy and it helped me feel more confident in my body because everything I wore each week fit and looked great on me! In my winter capsule I picked specific outfits to wear each day of the week. After a few weeks I ended up mixing and matching different pieces from the outfits I had selected. This time around I went for more of a classic capsule. I started by selecting pieces that were comfortable, fit well, and that were a bit lighter weight to accommodate the warm temps. Then I looked on my Pinterest to fill in any holes. Here is what I have come up with.

5 sweaters. I kept the grey pull over and brown cardigan from my winter capsule. I added a stripe sweater my mom gave me. I also bought a grey sweatshirt and a black cropped cardigan.

I kept the black long sleeve from the winter capsule. Added a white long sleeve and a denim button down. I bought the black and white stripe long sleeve.

I kept the black and white T-shirt and purchased a black and white stripe shirt. And a word on all the stripes. After I had my first child I had gained weight (as one does). And I told myself “now that you’re bigger you can’t wear horizontal stripes!” Which I wore so much before having children. But I’ve always been told that horizontal stripes make you look bigger and larger so I said I couldn’t wear it anymore. Which is just silly! When I was looking at the capsules I had pinned all of them had stripe shirts. And I just finally gave myself permission to throw that “rule” out the window and wear what feels like “me” and what makes me feel good. So that’s why I have two stripe shirts in the capsule.

I kept the madewell jeans, the leggings and the black jeans. I want some kind of shorts or sporty skort but I’d spent a lot of money already on the shirts and sweaters and it’s never hot enough in the spring to consistently wear shorts so I stuck with the pants. I may add some short overalls near the end of spring.

Next I’ll be sharing my spring capsule in action.

Spring Equinox Celebration

This week we took time to celebrate the Spring Equinox. The tulips I planted this past Autumn have started to grow and we have had some very warm days this week. Life is good! I got us a few spring books from the library.

For our activity we made fairy houses. Well we have technically only made one so far. It took far longer than I thought it would. I found this picture/post on Pinterest and used it as my inspiration. We got plastic milk bottles to use. I’ve done a few crafts with the paper ones and it’s hard for things to stick to and I thought the plastic would last longer since I plan to have the houses outside in our backyard. The day before the project we went on a “foraging walk” and found sticks, rocks, pinecones and what greenery we could. I bought some fake baby’s breath and glue from the store. I would have bought moss as well but they were out.

We filled the milk bottles halfway with rocks to weight them down. The first half of this was rough!! I used the Tacky Glue the blog post said to use and it was terrible! Like took forever to dry, the sticks were falling off and Pal was getting frustrated (as was I). We would put a few sticks on then sit there for a bit while it sorta dried. Pal was very patient about it. Once I attached the roof I was done messing around and got the hot glue out. It was so much nicer. I’ll be doing hot glue on the rest of the houses. I figured this Tacky glue would make the houses last longer but omg it was such a hassle. Anyway once I got the hot glue it went wayyyy faster. And I was able to manipulate the material much easier. Here is how the first one turned out.

I think this would be such a cute seasonal project to do. You could use different materials that represent the current season (l’m thinking autumn leafs for the roof or summer flowers and foliage). Im also thrilled with the result because I’ve been wanting a fairy village in our backyard but man those can be spendy! This was nearly free! I bought the glue and baby’s breath which was $5 (and I didn’t even need the glue!). The milk bottle was up-cycled and all the other material was from around our yard and neighborhood.

My tips!

The foraging walk was with all 3 children but I knew Bud, who’s 2, would get frustrated with the actual building. So Pal and I did this project at nap time.

We started the project outside which was lovely! But once we needed to hot glue we took it inside. I always enjoy doing crafts outside for easy clean up and fresh air.

My biggest tip is just use the hot glue!

Emily’s Winter Capsule – In Action

First week with my new capsule! I started on Tuesday and here are my thoughts. Also I’m just taking these picture when I can and I have a messy house and at least one child with me at all times.

Tuesday. L.L Bean Sweatshirt with a white crew neck and Maurice’s Jeans. I took the children to the library in the morning and this worked great! And it was comfortable enough to wear all day. I also felt very confident in this outfit. Oh and it was 5 degrees outside.

Wednesday. Black popover, brown cardigan, and black leggings. I ended up adding a black tank top under the shirt for a bit more overage. Another comfortable outfit and I loved the elevated feeling of the popover.

Thursday. Black top, vest, and jeans. This was good too. The jeans kind of kept slipping down but they weren’t uncomfortable so that’s good!

Friday. Sweater, white crew neck and black jeans. I made it until 10am in the jeans and then changed into black leggings. The jeans were tight and uncomfortable. I think I will try another pair of Madewell jeans that are a bit more comfortable.

Saturday. Gray sweater with black crew neck and black leggings. This is one of my favorite outfits to wear. I always get compliments on this sweater. And it’s v comfortable!

Sunday. Sweatshirt, black T-shirt, and black leggings. This was a great easy outfit. Especially for Winter where we don’t do much on Sundays.

Monday. Matching green sweat set with white shirt. I’m pretty sure my shirt is backwards. And I still feel like I’m in PJs which is both a pro and a con.

Overall thoughts: I loved this! Getting dressed was so easy and I felt pretty put together most days. I’m going to make a few swaps going forward. Friday’s outfit I’m going to do a black crew neck and different jeans. I picked my second most comfortable madewell jeans. And Sunday I’m going to switch the back crew neck for a white one. I’m not super sure on Monday’s outfit. But I’m going to give it another week and see. I won’t do another week post since it’s going to look exactly the same lol. But I plan to do a new capsule for Spring. Possibly at the end of March as it can still be pretty cold up until then and even into April.

Emily’s Winter Capsule

Emily here! I loved Maddie’s capsule wardrobe post and I’ve been wanting to do my own. But I feel very overwhelmed trying to curate a certain amount of pants and tops. However last week I was watching a YouTube capsule wardrobe video and this woman picked one outfit to wear each day and then she repeated it every week. So you have a designated outfit that your wear Monday, Tuesday etc. I’m going to give it a shot! My goal is that every outfit is comfortable but still feels put together. I don’t want to have to change my outfit if I have to leave the house. Although I try to leave the house on specific days and these outfits reflect that. Here are my outfit ideas.

Monday. Usually my reset day. I picked a sweat set that is from Amazon with a white shirt.

Tuesday. Usually story time or a trip to the library. Picked an L.L Bean sweatshirt, white crew, and Maurice’s jeans.

Wednesday. Black popover with cardigan and black leggings.

Thursday. This day I reserve for any errands. Black long sleeve with a vest and stretchy Good American jeans.

Friday. Crew neck sweater with white undershirt and black jeans.

Saturday. Fav sweater (the only maternity item I kept!), black crew neck and black leggings.

Sunday. Similar to Saturday. Just a different sweatshirt.

I’ll update in one week with thoughts and any changes that are needed!

Top 3 for 2023

It’s a tradition now! Here are some of our favorite things from 2023:

Top 3 Fav Books of 2023
Maddie’s Picks:
1. Hello, Beautiful by by Ann Napolitano– I haven’t cried this much reading a book in a long time, but OMG the story and characters were epic. LOVED IT!
2. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – A cozy read with a hint of mystery in the story! My favorite parts were the narration from the octopus.
3. Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon– Emily and I were huge Superstar fans growing up and this book made me love her even more! Molly Shannon has an incredible life story and and incredible outlook on life.

Emily’s Picks:
1. The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork. A retelling of The Nutcracker. A perfect Christmas read! Cozy atmospheric vibes and fun action.
2. The Bookwanderes by Anna James. A middle grade read with lots of fantasy elements. This is also a 5 book series. I’ve read the next 2 and each book offers something different and fun.
3. Momfluenced by Sara Petersen. A very insightful thought provoking look at motherhood, social media, and comparison. This is a book that I want to reread which is rare!

Top 3 New Recipes of 2023
Maddie’s Picks:
1. Protein Baked Oats– These have been my meal prep on repeat since having Wiggler
2. Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole– When you need something just plain tasty!
3. Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers– Low Carb and delish

Emily’s Picks:
1. Quiche – Not really a recipe to link but I’ve been getting premade pie crust, bushing with Dijon mustard (my mom’s tip!) and adding whatever we have. Delicious and great for meal prep.
2. Spicy Pork Dan Dan Noodles -My Postpartum Doula made this while I was recovery after birth. It was amazing and I think about it weekly. Hello Fresh recipes are generally all very delicious.
3. Hulk Smoothies. Again no real recipe. Chocolate protein powder, frozen banana, peanut butter, milk, and spinach (to make it Hulk green). Add yogurt if you got it. These have been the unsung hero these past few months. The boys love them. They are easy to make and easy to clean up. Also a low mess meal since it’s all in a cup.

Top 3 Purchases of 2023
Maddie’s Picks:
1. Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit– Wiggler used this from 4-8 months and you can’t put a price on good sleep!
2. All Birds Sneakers– I’m loving wearing these in the office, cute and professional-ish looking
3. Barre3 Online Membership- I didn’t technically buy this because my work does a fitness reimbursement but I absolutely LOVE Barre3! They had an amazing postpartum series that helped me regain my strength after Wiggler and I do their regular classes whenever I can fit it in!

Emily’s Picks:
1. The Five Minute Journal. I have kept a journal since I was in the 5th grade but recently I’ve lost motivation to write. Mostly because my days look the same and I don’t want to rehash them at the end of the day. This has been the perfect solution. I quickly allows me to record key moments while also practicing mindfulness.
2. H&M 3 Pack Slim Fit T-Shirts. I got these right after I had Gal and I have been wearing them ever since. They fit perfect and wash easy. Also not see through like most women’s T-shirts. I proceeded to buy 3 more packs. So I now have 9 of these.
3. Kindle. Loves it! Isn’t so hash on my eyes (like reading an ebook on my phone) and light weight.

Top 3 Watches of 2023
Maddie’s Picks:
1. House of Villains– I’m so sad this show is over, it was the perfect reality show IMO
2. Girls5Eva– I love the premise of this show and all of the musical numbers, can’t wait for Season 3 on Netflix
3. Mrs. Davis– This was a thrilling watch that really made me think about AI!

Emily’s Picks:
1. House of Villains – Amazing show! Loved it so much I rewatched it with my husband.
2. Abbot Elementary - A rare show my husband and I could agree on.
3. Hook – I had never seen this before and don’t know what took me so long.

Grocery Diaries November 2023

Maddie here! Like Emily, we have been trying to be more conscious of grocery store spending. We tried several strategies after Wiggler was born (going BACK to Butcher Box, only shopping every 10 days, trying out Imperfect Foods, trying to shop at a different grocery store) and we have landed back on good ole Lidl. Here is what two weeks of spending looked like for us and what we made with it. I get lunches at my work, the hubz eats pretty minimally during the day, and we have only just started purees with Wiggler.

We were underbudget both weeks (budget per week is $125) which allowed us extra room for our Thanksgiving grocery haul which was done in between these two.

Week 1: $91.24
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Dinners: Ground Turkey Sheet Pan Tostadas (recipe inspo), Tofu and Broccoli Pepper Stir Fry, Salmon and Green Beans (from frozen stock), Spaghetti Squash and Beef Marinara, Chicken Sandwiches and Tots (from frozen stock), Homemade Pepperoni Pizza (used pantry items/leftover cheese)
Snacks: Coconut key lime pudding puree for Wiggler, protein powder , PB, and greek yogurt for protein shakes, dark chocolate

Week 2: $109.01
Breakfasts: Overnight Oats, Avocado Toast
Dinners: Shepherd’s Pie using mashed potato leftovers, Split Pea Soup using split peas from my pantry, Chicken Sausage Veggie Pasta, Enchilada Casserole (using frozen pork and pantry stock), Chicken Sandwiches and Tots (from frozen stock), Homemade Pepperoni Pizza (used pantry items/leftover cheese)
Snacks: Rice Krispies for Wiggler, dark chocolate, apples, cheddar cheese, crackers, veggies and hummus

Nap Time Sewing: Cat Bed.

Emily here! I’ve been in a mood with sewing and knitting lately. Today I was inspired to make my cat, Nacho, a new bed. I currently have a pillow and blanket under our dining table bench for him. He enjoys it as it has a small look out window for him and he is semi hidden from the rowdy boys but he deserves something a bit nicer.

Nacho testing it out before I start sewing.

I had some leftover mattress from and some old fabric for the project. I started by cutting out 2 pieces of fabric the size of my foam and added about 1/4in to all sides. I then cut a strip of fabric that was 2.5 inches. This piece will wrap around the edge of the foam so that was the length I made it (I did a rough guess).

I attached the strip of fabric to one of the large pieces using a 1/4 seam allowance.

I then attached the other large piece to the other side of the strip leaving one of the smaller sides open.

I turned the fabric and stuffed the foam in. Then I pinned my opening and hand sewed the side closed.

All done! Start to finish it took me about an hour and a half! I think it looks so much nice than the other “bed” and Nacho is very pleased. It was also a great project and I felt a great sense of accomplishment with it.

What I Ate in a Week and Grocery Haul

Emily here! With the price of groceries the way they are I’ve been trying to cut back on our spending. Here is what my family’s weekly grocery haul and menu looks. We have 2 adults and 2 toddlers and 1 baby to feed!

Grocery Haul – Shopped at Wal-Mart
1 Potato….$0.64
1 Bell Pepper…$0.86
1 Broccoli Crown…$0.86
2 English Cucumbers…$1.96
4 Honeycrisp Apples $4.48
1lb Strawberries…$2.72
14 Bananas…$3.19
2 Avocado…$1.48
Fruit and Veggie Pouches…$5.68
Organic Coconut Flakes…$2.64
Pub Beer 18 Pack…$15.48
String Cheese 12 Count…$4.33
Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Block 8oz…$3.98
Goat Cheese…$2.76
Tamed Jalapeno Peppers…$2.72
Dijon Mustard…$1.34
Raspberry Preserves…$3.98
Garlic Powder…$1.12
Apple Sauce 6 Cups…$2.24
Frozen Lasagna$9.84
Burrito Tortillas…$1.98
Ground Chicken…$4.82
Sourdough Bread…$3.98
Whole Wheat Bread…$2.48
Honey Ham Lunchmeat…$3.47
Honey…$3.94
Men’s Deodorant 2 Pack…$10.97
Formula 30.8oz…$35.98
Formula 12.4oz…$17.94
Pampers Pullups 25 Count…$9.94
Pampers Diapers 92 Count…$28.22
Tampons…$10.47
TOTAL: $209.2

Things To Note: We have a back stock of a few items (cheese in our freezer bought in bulk and random pantry items). We also get our dairy separate and it is not included in our weekly grocery haul. I include all “consumables” (diapers, wipes, haircare etc.) in our grocery budget. I also don’t have the time to meal prep all in one day so I spend it out through the week. My husband eats the same thing for lunch everyday. A PB&J on whole wheat bread and a chicken burrito.

Sunday. Picked up groceries after breakfast.
Lunch: Grilled ham and cheese with tomato soup. Used the Ham and sourdough bread. Had cheese and soup in back stock.
Dinner: Chicken Stromboli and Ham Pizza. Used chicken, red sauce, cheese, flour, and yeast that was in our back stock. Also I hadn’t planned to make a pizza but I ended up not having enough of the stuffing for the Stromboli to make 2. Stay flexible!

Monday. Prepped chewy granola bars from The Toddler Healthnut Cookbook and made a double batch. Prepped quiche. I had a premade pie crust from a few weeks ago. Added Ham, leftover broccoli, and half the potato I bought.
Breakfast: Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich and cereal for boys. Both items we already had in our back stock.
Lunch: Grilled ham and cheese with tomato soup. Scrambled eggs and chewy bar for boys. Husband had his usual.
Dinner: Leftover Stromboli and ham pizza.

Tuesday.
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and chewy bar.
Lunch: Grilled ham and cheese and tomato soup.
Dinner: Protein smoothie and cheesy toast for boys. Pho for dinner for me (Takeout). Tacos for husband (Takeout). I had dental work done and my mouth hurt real bad and I wasn’t feeling well.

Wednesday. Prepped homemade bagels.
Breakfast: Quiche and avocado cottage cheese toast. Eggs and strawberry for boys.
Lunch: Egg and bagel for me banana and yogurt for boys.
Dinner: Frozen lasagnas and broccoli.

Thursday. Prepped rice cooker apple oatmeal and hard boiled eggs. Breakfast: Bagels and bananas for boys. Leftover quiche for me and husband.
Lunch: I can’t remember. It was some assortment of leftovers.
Dinner: Chicken tacos. I used foster farms frozen chicken breast strips that I had in back stock and added an onion and bell pepper. Chicken nuggets for the boys that were in back stock.

Friday.
Breakfast: Apple oatmeal.
Lunch: Egg salad for me. Bento cheese and cracker picnic for boys.
Dinner: Enchilada casserole at my moms house and boys had Mac and Cheese.

Saturday.
Breakfast: Waffles (Better Homes and Garden Cookbook recipe). Egg, potato, and spinach scramble.
Lunch: Enchiladas casserole in taco shells and egg scramble in taco shells for me and husband. Cheese, apples, and crackers for boys.
Dinner: Corndogs, cucumbers and cheese for dinner for boys. Sushi out for me and husband.

Sunday.
Breakfast: Leftover Waffles.

We do eat snacks but I forgot/didn’t want to write them down. Our snacks are usually fruit, cheese, pouches, veggie and hummus or whatever baked good I made that week.

It was also very hard to take pictures of what we ate because by the time I remembered to take one I had already eaten. You gotta eat fast when you have 3 young children!