Mom of the Month --- Shanna Coady of My Favorite Everything

Photo Credit Sandy Heit 

Shanna Coady is one mom that seriously wears a uber-chic super mom cape; she is quite amazing to say the least! The fact alone that she changes 5 rounds of diapers before noon makes us applaud her even more.

If you don't know Shanna, well, your are missing out. Shanna runs a brilliant site, My Favorite Everything -- one that we can't go a day without reading -- it is my favorite (besides ours of course!) and I am just so happy I stumbled upon via Twitter quite some time ago - which is also when I found out she was going to have 3 littles ones under 2! Yes, you read correctly.

To catch you up to speed we want to share with you a little bit {about} Shanna that we have taken from her website because we just LOVE her writing style so much. But also, we asked Shanna to timeline a day in her life -- to see just how crazy it can be to run a biz with littles -- after you read her day she shared with us, you will see the many reasons she is cupcakeMAGs MOM of the MONTH!

Photo Credit Sandy Heit

So about me: My name is Shanna Coady. I live in Orange County, California. I’m married to an awesome guy, Mike, and have 3 incredible daughters, Addie 2 yrs (also known as “Tornaddie”) and Hayden 1 yr (or “Giggle Monster”), and our newest addition in March, Piper who is almost five months old.

In my previous life: I was an Interior Designer. I worked for Ralph Lauren Home, Neiman Marcus Visual, owned my own interior design company, and worked for a local Real Estate Developer. Most recently I project managed the residential interior design for a resort in Newport Coast, California.
In the past few years: I’ve gotten engaged, planned a destination wedding, had 3 babies 11 months and 13 months apart, purchased and remodeled a house in 3 months (that most say previously looked like a meth lab), sweat equity style with my fabulously talented husband, and served Thanksgiving dinner 2 days after moving in, pregnant and with an 8 month old….oh, and worked full time on the resort project that was installing at the exact same time.
In the past year: I have flown on 15 planes with 2 children, 15 months and under, and adjusted sleep schedules in 3 time zones.
My life has been busy. It’s been creative. It’s been mayhem. It’s been awesome. I wouldn’t change any of it as it’s what brought me to where I am today. But I’ve also found that simplifying amidst the confusion is a big help!

“A day in the life” is tough for me to write about. Seems no day is ever really the same…as I sat to write this post, I had one of THOSE days and thought THIS is the day that I’ll share. But then life gets complicated, and a few days go by, and you think no THIS is the day, and then the same thing repeats as life is complicated still. Then you realize no day is ever the same and every day can out top the last one. So here goes….


12:30AM Addie (2 year old) Wakes up crying. I run to her room to find she has twisted herself around in bed and is head first in her twin bed, meaning with a roll she has landed on the floor (padded for such times). To the request “sit wit me Mama, sit wit me” I lay down in her tiny bed and scratch her back while she drifts back to sleep. Head back to bed myself…
2:45AM Hayden (1 year old) wakes up screaming. She has a cold with a cough that never seems to end. Poor thing. Rock her for a bit and put her back in her crib. Head back to my own bed for the second time.
3:30AM Piper (4 months old) wakes up and is ready for a bottle. Try the binky for a bit (reaching over bassinet next to our bed – her room is still being built), but no luck. Jump to the kitchen to grab her bottle from the fridge before her crying wakes the other 2 girls.
4:00AM Piper finishes bottle and goes back to her bassinet. I pick up my iPhone to begin scanning the 1000+ posts that are updated in my Google Reader. Try to read as many as possible
5:00AM Eyes are heavy, go back to sleep for a bit…
6:50AM Addie wakes up. We hear the rattle of her doorknob as she opens the room next to us, and shuffles into our room carrying her blankie, her sippy cup, her book, and her snuggle bunny. No leaving anyone behind in this family. She crawls in bed and we turn on “Wonder Pets”. (Our way of getting just a few more minutes of sleep.)
7:00AM Piper wakes up all smiles and joins us in bed for some snuggle time with Addie. (“I hold Piper! I Hold Piper!”) Hayden wakes up too, but she likes to play in her crib with the stuffed animals, so we give her a few more minutes.
7:15AM Hubs hops out of bed to get Hayden and grab Piper’s bottle on the way back. The whole family watches “Wonder Pets”, plays “Where’s Addie/Hayden/Piper??” under the covers. I’m playing, and checking tweets and emails, replying to what I can.
7:25AM Head out to the kitchen & front room to make breakfast. Week day frozen waffles (replaced on weekends with homemade pancakes), whipped cream & strawberries. Hubs stays with girls while I jump in the shower. Second round of diapers goes to Dad!

7:40AM Showered, dressed I take over with the girls, Hubs heads back to get ready for the day. Carry Piper while Addie & Hay follow to Addie’s (soon to be both Addie & Hay’s room) and pick out clothes for the day. Piper hangs out in (soon to be) Hayden’s crib. Addie jumps on her bed while Hayden is dressed. They switch. THEN we pick shoes…takes a little while. Shoes are important. We must try A LOT of them on.
8:00AM Done and dressed. NOPE, third round of diapers and they all stink! SO sad for me!
8:15AM Hubs is showered, dressed and heads to kitchen to make his protein shake – Addie & Hay, “Shake, shake, shake!!!” with accompanying dance moves, help him out – ice, juice, bananas, buttons…. Then we all head outside to do the “Shake-shake, Bye-bye” dance for Dada as he leaves for work. Oh you bet, we are all shakin’ our booties and waving our hands in the air. You KNOW the neighbors LOVE this morning show!!
8:30AM Reheat cold coffee from fridge in microwave (left over July 4^th travel pack from Starbucks – not the best, but brewed and ready to go, ½ and ½ can work miracles on anything!)
8:35AM Load up 3 girls in the car…toys, blankies, sippy cups, bottles, diaper bags, mom’s coffee, and we’re OFF! Call the kids doctor from the car to see if we can stop by for a check on these colds. Stop at drive thru donuts for a treat (gotta keep mom in the best graces with kids!)
8:45AM Drop Addie off at Daycare (twice a week for a few hours to play with friends). Check iPhone for tweets and emails before leaving and heading to the doctors.
9:15AM Dr checks Hayden – her head cold now has an ear infection, needs a perscripton. Piper is still a head cold, humidifer & saline are still best. Plenty of sanitizer on the way out. Piper gets a smidgen of her morning nap in the car.
10:00AM Drop off prescription at drive thru pharmacy (thank goodness for drive thrus!!) Check iPhone while waiting. Reply to a couple emails.
10:20AM Home! Change both babes’ diapers, 4^th round. Set up Hayden with her kitchen. Feed Piper her 10AM bottle and set her to play in her pack n play.
10:35AM Check iPhone for Tweets and Emails. Return a couple phone calls. Cancel milk delivery. (Kids drink too much milk now, more cost effective to buy at Costco. Bummer for me.) Throw laundry in and quickly make beds and straighten up from breakfast.
11:15AM Switch Piper to bouncie chair and make lunch for Hayden, and an iced coffee with milk for mom.

12:00PM Change both diapers, 5^th round. Set up music box for Hayden to play with, while I put Piper down for her nap.
12:15PM Play music shop with Hayden. Get out the sock up CD from her birthday. Dance Party!! This 1 year old can dance!!
1:00PM Snuggle Hayden in her crib with her “B” (blanket).
1:15PM On cue, construction crew has just come back from lunch and started working on the playroom again. The entire house vibrates (raised foundation and wood floors, no room is safe from noise!!) praying the sound machines do their jobs in the nurseries!! Quickly pick up from lunch and change over laundry.
1:30PM Sit down at computer to get at least 1 post done or at the very least, the photos uploaded so I can work tonight….but sister sends an iChat invitation. Hmmmm need to work, but sister lives in another city, “accept” and try to type simultaneously.
2:15PM Piper is up from her afternoon nap. Quick diaper change and we snuggle into the sofa for a bottle while mom catches up on a Food Network show.
2:35PM Move Piper to a blanket in my office. Finish off the post for the next day, return a couple more emails.
3:00PM Hayden wakes up. Another quick diaper change, grab a sippy cup, & snack. Get Piper in her car seat and head out to pick up Addie.
3:15PM Stop at drive thru pharmacy to pick up Hayden’s prescription.
3:20PM Call Daycare to see if Addie can meet me outside since other 2 babes are in the car. Addie is with her sweet friends and all smiles as I turn the corner, love that!
3:40PM Heading home….DOOOOOA, forgot to pick up dry-cleaning across town in the other direction. Quick u-turn, stop at drive thru cleaners (LOVE drive thrus. If you have a drive thru, I will be your customer!!!) Back on track to the house.
4:40PM Addie & Hay unloaded. Piper is still in the car (in the garage with open doors everywhere) asleep in her car seat with 20 more minutes of her afternoon nap.
5:15PM Piper is awake. Cute neighbor kids, 5 and 7 ask to come over to play. SURE! Distraction is my friend!! Kids play in front yard while I feed Piper.
5:30PM Get dinner going. Hmmmm, nanny is on vacation so have not had the extra hands to help do grocery shopping…..not much in the house.
5:35PM Grab squash and herbs from the garden and pray for a miracle dinner…got it! Carbonara…..eggs (couple left), cream (half n half for coffee will work), pancetta (I got bacon!), pasta, zuchinni and squash. A couple plums from the tree out back, we’re in business.
5:40PM Dada is home!! The girls are celebrating like they have not seen him in WEEKS!!!!
5:50PM Dinner is ready. Thinking paper plates outside sounds like the perfect cleanup!!
6:15PM Onto dessert (more distraction), slow melt popsicles for Addie and Hay while mom and dad finish dinner and savor a glass (or 2 ) of wine….
6:30PM Piper gets a loooonnnngg bath in the sink (she loves this part of the day!!) Our kitchen sink is great for baths!! I have a fab baby bath that fits super snug and she can’t slip out b/c the sink is snug around it. I fill it half way and can load the dishes from the day (from the other sink – double basin) into the dishwasher without leaving her side! She giggle at me the whole time, the best!
Addie and Hayden hop in the pool with Dad. Fun Dada time (though kinda wishing mom could join too). Piper heads out for “nigh-nigh” kisses from her sisters.
7:00PM Give Piper her night bottle a quick rock and she is OFF to dream land! Fab sleeper!
7:15PM Head out to pool to get the girls ready for bed. Outdoor shower is my friend tonight. Crank on the heat and the kids play for a little while longer while Dada heads inside to change and to grab pjs and diapers.
7:25PM Get the girls dressed & ready for bed, (“Micky diaper mama, Micky!!!” No worries, I wont forget Addie! That onite diaper is as much for my benefit as yours!)
7:35PM Stories with Dada, while mom gets the rooms ready, finds blankies, sound machines on, shades down….
7:45PM Nigh-nigh kisses all around!!! Hayden goes off with Dada, Mom and Addie head to Addie’s room. “Sit wit me Mama. Sit wit me.” How can I say no?? We get our 15 minutes of snuggle time in, then a BIG NIGH-NIGH hug.
8:00PM Girls are all down.
8:10PM Hubs finishes the kitchen while I fold the laundry from the day with stacks to take it into the rooms the next morning.
8:15PM Hubs heads to the sofa for DVR shows, and mom heads to the office to work.
10:30PM Hubs wakes Piper up for her last bottle…..I’m still working….eyes are getting sleepy….head is nodding off
11:00PM Can’t pull a late one tonight. Make the rounds to check on all the babes, hope it’s a good night for everyone. Piper, Mom and Dad all head to bead….1 last check on the iPhone…..

Make sure you subscribe to get My Favorite Everything to your inbox everyday! It is the perfect accessory with your am coffee -- and we enjoy reading it everyday! Head over now, you will end up spending hours with all the ideas she shares! Also, don't forget to follow Shanna on Twitter and became a fan {we are her #1 fan} on Facebook!