Tuesday Tips–Amazon for the WIN!

This summer we decided to take a vacation with all four of our crazy kids solo for the flight to Denver, what were we thinking??  That trip was all about hacks and tips that helped us to keep our sanity while traveling and during our stay.  We rented an Airbnb that allowed everyone to have their own space, more importantly giving us space to ‘adult’ in during naps and after the kids had gone to bed for the night…ah yes!  I also tried Amazon Fresh for the first time, you know, the service where groceries magically appear on your doorstep!  Simply stated, it’s genius!  A day before the trip I hopped on Amazon, ordered groceries for the family, chose a delivery time, and poof they appeared on the doorstep of our rental home waiting for us when we arrived!  This trick was so practical, affordable, and provided us with great health options during vacation–what’s not to love!

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I usually tend to grocery shop on Sundays, however it was Easter this weekend and we attended Opening Day on Monday leaving nothing in our kitchen except for half eaten carrots from Finn’s school lunch, left overs, and a few other things that were less than desirable.  Needless to say this trick saved me from heading to the store after the game.  fullsizeoutput_3972.jpeg

Here are a few of my favorites to order, I’m loving the healthy options that the Amazon-Whole Foods merge offers too!  Have you tried this?  Other grocery delivery services you rave about?  I’d love to hear what your favorites are too!


Living Room Renovation Sneak Peek!

fullsizeoutput_3791The time has come for Jeff and I to act as adults, make joint decisions, and have a living/dining room that is brought into this era!  Our current living/dining space is a compilation of furniture that we had accumulated when when both owned separate homes, in separate states that blended together when we married.  After having four kids, within our first four years of marriage, we had bigger things to worry about and the old items remained.  Now that we are well past the newborn stage, have half of the kids out of diapers, and a dog that is frankly too old to jump on the couch we decided we were due for a much needed upgrade!  Here is a sneak peek of some of the items that now fill the space!  Stay tuned for a full blog post on the project and some before and after pictures of the space!


Hopping into Spring

Easter is just around the corner and if you’re anything like me you have just began to buy things to fill the kids easter baskets…talk about last-minute!  Thank goodness for Amazon for moments like this!  While I know they would love to have their little baskets filled with sweets and treats, I choose to stuff them with spring activities that will last for the upcoming weeks and give them something to do outside!  Here are some of my favorites for small kids:

Chalk

No Spill Bubbles

Sand Toys

What are some of your favorites, I’d love to see them!


Army Jacket, Jeans, and Booties–My favorite wardrobe staples!

Let’s talk favorite outfits, I half-jokingly refer to this one as my “uniform!” I wear it ALL the time, most of all because it’s so comfy and can be dressed up or down. These booties are hands down the best around, I have walked more miles in these than any pair of runners I’ve ever owned!  This coat, perfection, and don’t get me started on these pull-on, yes you read that right, pull on jeans— I’ll have a separate post all about these gems!

Looking to add some variation??  Try a grey, black, blush or any other colored tee to the mix!  I’m loving all the spring florals and have mixed them in too.  On the weekends or after work you can find me swapping the jeans for these leggings— so soft, have a thick waist band, and go up high enough to cover my lovely mom belly!

What are your favorite staples? Do you have a uniform too? I’d love to see you favorite staples too!



Welcome!

The Ryan Half Dozen was founded in 2015 when despite our best efforts not to get pregnant, my husband and I found ourselves pregnant with identical girl twins that would double our family size overnight giving us 4 under 4, well 3.5 to be exact, making us a family of six!  It was then that I became a lover for all things online shopping, life hacks, kid deals, and shopping steals!  Welcome to the blog where this will be a collision of all of those things in one place—not unlike our family, messy at times but wrapped with a lot of love and good intention!

Let me introduce myself…

I’m a Milwaukee native, born and raised who escaped at the age of 17 to attend college at the University of Iowa and then transplanted to Denver to attend graduate school at the University of Denver.  I have a degree in Social Work and should be able to speak Spanish fluently after a lot of schooling, but sadly that has fallen by the wayside.  Denver is where I met and fell hopelessly in love with my husband Jeff; we love to vacation there to this day and marvel about the “good ol days!”  Jeff and I married in 2011 and became parents in 2012, again in 2014, and again in 2016…it’s been a crazy ride but we wouldn’t have it any other way!  We’re back in Wisconsin now surrounded by friends and family, a love for the Midwest, and an itch to travel and experience new things.

Thank you for stopping by—I can only hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.  If you see what you like please follow along on Facebook or Instagram.