Surrogacy Journey 2×01: Cycle Day 1

Since I am still breastfeeding, this journey has proven to be a little more difficult than I hoped it would be.  My first cycle postpartum was 50 days long and we just couldn’t pinpoint ovulation.  My IM (intended mother) shipped me a box of new ovulation tests and I used them three times a day from about cycle day 10 until I got a positive which was about cycle day 21.  We did inseminations Sunday and Monday of last week in hopes of getting a positive pregnancy test later this week, but my period decided to show up yesterday, giving me a 30 day second cycle. […] Continue reading »

GF&AF Expo 2018 is headed our way!

My favorite event of the year is coming to town!!  If you haven’t been to the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo before, you HAVE to check it out this year.  The event will be held at the Dallas Market Hall-North Hall on October 27th and 28th.  It will be a weekend full of food, fun and great information.  If you have anyone in your family with food allergies or Celiac disease, this is a must-attend event. […] Continue reading »

Summer Crafts Week One Recap

If you have been following us on Instagram, you have seen all of the fun things we have been doing this summer.  Our van is down, so we are limited on where we can go for a while so I decided to pick out a ton of fun crafts and snacks to do with the kids.  We have been doing about 2-3 crafts a week along with a crafty snack which is the most fun. […] Continue reading »

Parents of Many

I am a mom of many and sometimes I laugh at myself when I realize some of the things I think and say. 

Have you ever misplaced your baby?  You are folding laundry or doing the dishes and you turn to look at that sweet face in the swing, but they aren’t there.  You check the floor in the living room.  Not there.  Did she roll under?  I bend down…  Hmm.  What is that that just brushed against my si- OOooooh.  There’s the baby. […] Continue reading »

Make Summer Fun with a Pogo Pass!

Hey parents in the DFW area (and others)!!  Are you looking for a cheap, budget friendly way to keep your kids from whining about how bored they are all summer?  I know I am!  I have 7 kids ranging from 1 to almost 13 so it’s kind of hard to please everyone.  I discovered the most AWESOME thing called the Pogo Pass.  It gives you admission into a whole bunch of venues that will be sure to please everyone. 

From Hawaiian Falls to the Video Game Museum, here in the DFW Metroplex there are so many fun family activities.  We usually end up getting one family membership to one place because they are pretty pricey but it never really seems worth it when we only go a few times a year.  Of course, it’s worth it financially, but my kids get tired of going to the same place over and over.  With the Pogo Pass, you get 1-12 entries into a whole bunch of places to you can go do something new each time. […] Continue reading »

My Crunchy #LocalLegends

Brought to you by summer lovin’, Texas heat, and Gymboree. If you make a purchase via these links, we’ll be compensated.

We usually have pretty low-key summers.  Being a large family, it costs a lot to go lots of places and do lots of things.  Occasionally doing some crafts, playing video games and swimming is our typical summer.  This summer is going to be EPIC!  We will also be taking our crafting to another level and sharing everything on Instagram as well as the blog here.  We plan on becoming local legends!! […] Continue reading »

Poor People Like Ice Cream, Too

I didn’t ever anticipate that I would one day be a single mom of five children.  Being a single parent is always hard, but being on public assistance is even worse.  The looks you get, the comments you hear.  “I bet she keeps having kids to get more free handouts.”  “Wow, that’s a lot of food.”  Well, I do have a lot of mouths to feed.  As a parent, you want to give your kids what they like and want.  

Being a food stamp recipient is not easy.  I would always feel like a burden when I used it or tried to hide it so no one could see what I was using to pay.  I always felt like I was being judged with every item that ran across the scanner.  What were people thinking?  “Why is this woman buying five boxes of toaster strudels and two gallons of ice cream?  Oh my GAWD, she’s paying with FOOD STAMPS?”  These people didn’t know that I was a struggling single mom.  They didn’t know they I worked every little job I could find.  They didn’t know that my ex, the father of my children, was in prison and I was getting no child support.  They didn’t know how my children’s faces lit up when I told them we were having the rare treat of ice cream for dessert. […] Continue reading »