5.29.2015
{Weekend Recap} Our Very Sick Little Girl
5.22.2015
{Friday Link Ups} Swimming Lessons, Anniversary Recap, & Gift Wrap Organization
Happy Friday, girls! I am so looking forward to an extra long weekend. One of the perks to being a teacher (; After a fairly busy week, I'm looking forward to some extra time at home with my little family, tackling a few small projects, and doing a little lot of spring cleaning. But I'll save all of that for next Monday, let's just stick with today's topic at hand... Five on Friday (:
5.21.2015
{An Anniversary} Four Years.
Today, Kevin and I are celebrating four years of marriage. It's hard for me to fathom that almost eight years ago, I set my eyes on the man I call my husband. My best friend in the entire universe. My biggest supporter. My confidant. My shoulder to cry on. The father of my child and future children.
On May 21, 2011, I walked down the aisle of the church I grew up in and vowed to love, honor, and cherish the man of my dreams for the rest of my life.
Over the last four years, we've made so many memories. Some good, some bad, and some I'd downright like to forget. Our courtship and our marriage have in no way been perfect. We argue, we fight, we get on each other's nerves. I know how to push his buttons, and he knows how to push mine. But at the end of the day, we can't go to bed angry. We know how to apologize and make up. We move on and we forget. Because despite how it may not always be pretty, it's life, love, and marriage. and neither of us are perfect. At the end of the day, there's no other man I'd want by my side.
*For more pictures from our wedding, visit the wedding tab at the top of the page.
Our first date night at the Dixie Classic Fair |
On May 21, 2011, I walked down the aisle of the church I grew up in and vowed to love, honor, and cherish the man of my dreams for the rest of my life.
Over the last four years, we've made so many memories. Some good, some bad, and some I'd downright like to forget. Our courtship and our marriage have in no way been perfect. We argue, we fight, we get on each other's nerves. I know how to push his buttons, and he knows how to push mine. But at the end of the day, we can't go to bed angry. We know how to apologize and make up. We move on and we forget. Because despite how it may not always be pretty, it's life, love, and marriage. and neither of us are perfect. At the end of the day, there's no other man I'd want by my side.
Love you more, Kevin Holt.
*For more pictures from our wedding, visit the wedding tab at the top of the page.
5.19.2015
{Weekend Recap} Military Balls & Mommy Moments
Happy Tuesday, girls! Well, this weekend was another fast one. It seems like these days the weekends are just a blur. On one hand it makes me sad, on the other hand I remind myself I'm that much closer to summer time. And this girl is SO ready for the sunshine and summertime.
Friday was field day at school. Thankfully the weather cooperated and it was the perfect mix of cooler temperatures and cloudy skies which offered us teachers some relief as we ran from one station to another with our kiddos. Since field day was a bit hectic and chaotic, our principal announced they were "paving the parking lot" at 3pm. In other words, us teachers were free to go home early. Woot woot! Since Kevin had to work Friday night, I hightailed it home so I could get in a good hour hanging out with him before we had to go pick up Harper doodle from daycare. We spent our hour alone curled up on the couch, watching Family Feud, and chowing down on a Tostino's pizza. And in all honesty, it was perfect. Long gone are the days I long to get dressed up and go out. Now the perfect date night is being able to cuddle on the couch, in something comfortable, with absolutely nothing on the agenda. It's heaven.. But like everything life returns to normal and when our hour alone was up, we headed to pick up our favorite little girl who greeted us with a huge smile on her face and a quick hug. When we arrived back home, Kevin only had about thirty minutes before he needed head into work. So we spent his half hour at home doing one of the things Harper loves to do most... played with her mega bloks she got from Aunt B.
Since Kevin had to work, just Harper and I met my parents for our usual Friday night dinner. Since we didn't have as many people to sit, we headed to a local vegetable place that could easily accommodate us four. As we were finishing up dinner, my friend Brittni, otherwise known as Aunt B, called us up and asked if we were still eating. Since we were, she headed over to the restaurant and enjoyed some dessert with us. Since she's practically been adopted by my parents, we sat a while longer at the restaurant while Mom and Dad caught up on what has been going on with her. By 8pm, the waitresses were beginning to start cleaning up; a clear sign they were ready to call it a night. So my Dad quickly paid for our meals and then we carried the party back to my house. While Mom worked on tacking some of Harper's way too big shorts, we all hung out in the living room and watched a Hallmark movie before calling our Friday night to a close.
Because I knew Kevin would be sleeping in Saturday morning after working a long twelve hour shift the night before, I made plans to do a little shopping in Greensboro with Brooke, my brother-in-law's girlfriend, to pick up a few items I've been wanting for summer. We headed to Marshalls first to look for some new workout clothes. Thankfully we got lucky and I ended up finding some new workout tops and a couple of pairs of capris for the gym. Since Homegoods was right next door, we swung by there for a few minutes but not really being in the mood to shop for the house, we walked right out the door without purchasing anything. But that wasn't the case when we headed across the street to Target. While there we grabbed a drink from Starbucks, Harper's favorite 'ice cream', before doing a little bathing suit shopping. And it goes without fail that the dollar spot got me once again. When everything is a dollar, it's so hard to say no. I ended up with some cute patriotic decorations and grabbed up a few things for an upcoming cookout we'll be hosting for our closest friends in a few weeks.
Saturday evening, while Kevin was working and Harper was hanging out with Kevin's parents, I headed to the AFJROTC military ball with my parents and siblings for an awards banquet and retirement party. One of the instructors I had the privilege of learning under was retiring and he was the guest speaker for the night. The whole evening was pretty much dedicated to MSgt Monroe and he deserved every minute of recognition he got. I am so honored to have had the privilege of knowing him. I pray that in all of my years of teaching, I'll be half the teacher he was to all of us cadets over the last 19 years.
Sunday morning, Harper and I slept in way later than usual. On most mornings, I'm up no later than 8am but having gotten home way later the night before, I guess my body was more tired than usual so I found myself still in bed at 9:45 in the morning. By 10 o'clock I finally crawled out of bed and got myself ready for church. It's a wonder that we even made it to church on time but by God's good grace we made it. Following church, we headed to Mom and Dad's for Sunday lunch where we stuck around for most of the afternoon.
Around 4pm, we finally left and headed to Lowes where we went to order some more flooring (yes, that project is still happening!) and grab some paint samples for our bathroom and Harper's big girl room. As a side note, we had headed there Saturday evening to do the same thing but upon our arrival, someone walked, well ran, out of the store stealing some merchandise so in the craziness, there were no representatives to assist us.
At 6 o'clock, Kevin headed back in for another long night of work. Since it was just Harper and me at home for the night, I decided to ride out and pick up dinner. For some reason, I was craving fried chicken, something I haven't had in ages, so off to Bojangles we went. After I'd devoured my chicken and Harper had consumed half my fries, some macaroni and cheese, and most of my biscuit, we settled in on the couch to watch some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I knew Harper was getting pretty tired by evidence of the fact that she used her little hand to prop her head up as she watched tv, but I had no idea how tired she truly was until she crawled up on my chest and fell fast asleep.
As I laid on the couch with her on top of me, her little fingers wrapped around my arm, her eyelids fluttering, her chest rising and falling, I couldn't help but get a little emotional when my heart swelled larger than I thought even possible. Not two hours earlier she'd peed in her potty for the first time. Despite how excited I was for the milestone I was a bit sad that she was getting that much bigger and more independent. But in that moment, holding her as she slept, I was reminded that she still needs me. She's still my little girl no matter what big moments she has today, tomorrow, or ten years from now. So if she wanted me to hold her as she slept, that's exactly what I was going to do. So for two hours, I laid with her just like that. For two hours I prayed over my little girl, for the life she'd have, the journey she'd take, and the problems she'd face. When it came time to lay her in her bed, I felt like a piece of me was missing. It was my other half. The part that made my heart whole. And that part was sleeping just ten steps down the hall...
Friday was field day at school. Thankfully the weather cooperated and it was the perfect mix of cooler temperatures and cloudy skies which offered us teachers some relief as we ran from one station to another with our kiddos. Since field day was a bit hectic and chaotic, our principal announced they were "paving the parking lot" at 3pm. In other words, us teachers were free to go home early. Woot woot! Since Kevin had to work Friday night, I hightailed it home so I could get in a good hour hanging out with him before we had to go pick up Harper doodle from daycare. We spent our hour alone curled up on the couch, watching Family Feud, and chowing down on a Tostino's pizza. And in all honesty, it was perfect. Long gone are the days I long to get dressed up and go out. Now the perfect date night is being able to cuddle on the couch, in something comfortable, with absolutely nothing on the agenda. It's heaven.. But like everything life returns to normal and when our hour alone was up, we headed to pick up our favorite little girl who greeted us with a huge smile on her face and a quick hug. When we arrived back home, Kevin only had about thirty minutes before he needed head into work. So we spent his half hour at home doing one of the things Harper loves to do most... played with her mega bloks she got from Aunt B.
Since Kevin had to work, just Harper and I met my parents for our usual Friday night dinner. Since we didn't have as many people to sit, we headed to a local vegetable place that could easily accommodate us four. As we were finishing up dinner, my friend Brittni, otherwise known as Aunt B, called us up and asked if we were still eating. Since we were, she headed over to the restaurant and enjoyed some dessert with us. Since she's practically been adopted by my parents, we sat a while longer at the restaurant while Mom and Dad caught up on what has been going on with her. By 8pm, the waitresses were beginning to start cleaning up; a clear sign they were ready to call it a night. So my Dad quickly paid for our meals and then we carried the party back to my house. While Mom worked on tacking some of Harper's way too big shorts, we all hung out in the living room and watched a Hallmark movie before calling our Friday night to a close.
Because I knew Kevin would be sleeping in Saturday morning after working a long twelve hour shift the night before, I made plans to do a little shopping in Greensboro with Brooke, my brother-in-law's girlfriend, to pick up a few items I've been wanting for summer. We headed to Marshalls first to look for some new workout clothes. Thankfully we got lucky and I ended up finding some new workout tops and a couple of pairs of capris for the gym. Since Homegoods was right next door, we swung by there for a few minutes but not really being in the mood to shop for the house, we walked right out the door without purchasing anything. But that wasn't the case when we headed across the street to Target. While there we grabbed a drink from Starbucks, Harper's favorite 'ice cream', before doing a little bathing suit shopping. And it goes without fail that the dollar spot got me once again. When everything is a dollar, it's so hard to say no. I ended up with some cute patriotic decorations and grabbed up a few things for an upcoming cookout we'll be hosting for our closest friends in a few weeks.
Saturday evening, while Kevin was working and Harper was hanging out with Kevin's parents, I headed to the AFJROTC military ball with my parents and siblings for an awards banquet and retirement party. One of the instructors I had the privilege of learning under was retiring and he was the guest speaker for the night. The whole evening was pretty much dedicated to MSgt Monroe and he deserved every minute of recognition he got. I am so honored to have had the privilege of knowing him. I pray that in all of my years of teaching, I'll be half the teacher he was to all of us cadets over the last 19 years.
Sunday morning, Harper and I slept in way later than usual. On most mornings, I'm up no later than 8am but having gotten home way later the night before, I guess my body was more tired than usual so I found myself still in bed at 9:45 in the morning. By 10 o'clock I finally crawled out of bed and got myself ready for church. It's a wonder that we even made it to church on time but by God's good grace we made it. Following church, we headed to Mom and Dad's for Sunday lunch where we stuck around for most of the afternoon.
Around 4pm, we finally left and headed to Lowes where we went to order some more flooring (yes, that project is still happening!) and grab some paint samples for our bathroom and Harper's big girl room. As a side note, we had headed there Saturday evening to do the same thing but upon our arrival, someone walked, well ran, out of the store stealing some merchandise so in the craziness, there were no representatives to assist us.
At 6 o'clock, Kevin headed back in for another long night of work. Since it was just Harper and me at home for the night, I decided to ride out and pick up dinner. For some reason, I was craving fried chicken, something I haven't had in ages, so off to Bojangles we went. After I'd devoured my chicken and Harper had consumed half my fries, some macaroni and cheese, and most of my biscuit, we settled in on the couch to watch some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I knew Harper was getting pretty tired by evidence of the fact that she used her little hand to prop her head up as she watched tv, but I had no idea how tired she truly was until she crawled up on my chest and fell fast asleep.
As I laid on the couch with her on top of me, her little fingers wrapped around my arm, her eyelids fluttering, her chest rising and falling, I couldn't help but get a little emotional when my heart swelled larger than I thought even possible. Not two hours earlier she'd peed in her potty for the first time. Despite how excited I was for the milestone I was a bit sad that she was getting that much bigger and more independent. But in that moment, holding her as she slept, I was reminded that she still needs me. She's still my little girl no matter what big moments she has today, tomorrow, or ten years from now. So if she wanted me to hold her as she slept, that's exactly what I was going to do. So for two hours, I laid with her just like that. For two hours I prayed over my little girl, for the life she'd have, the journey she'd take, and the problems she'd face. When it came time to lay her in her bed, I felt like a piece of me was missing. It was my other half. The part that made my heart whole. And that part was sleeping just ten steps down the hall...
5.13.2015
{Weight Loss Wednesday} Month 1
When Kevin and I got married I was in a size 4, weighed about 135 pounds, and worked out five days a week. Not long after we said "I do", I got a big girl job and spent less time in the gym but still managed to get in a workout about three days a week. By the time I got pregnant with Harper I was in a size 6 and weighing in between 140-145 pounds. During my pregnancy with Harper I did my best to try to continue my work out but due to some complications, I was taken out of the gym and all of my free time was to be spent at home with my feet up. By the time I delivered Harper I had gained 40 pounds. Fortunately, two months later, I had lost most all of that baby weight. I was in a size 8 and weighed around 150 pounds. But my body just wasn't proportioned the same as it had been. My abs were replaced with an extra layer of skin and a roll of fat, my love handles were more pronounced, and my legs had a bit more cellulite than I remembered from before. But that was all okay because I had a gorgeous baby girl who made my new additions worth it. Since I knew I wanted to have another baby the idea to work out and work off the remaining few pounds I carried just wasn't that big of a deal to me. I kept telling myself, what's the point of losing it if I'm just going to put it back on. And then my Mom pointed out to me about a month ago that the more I lose now, the less I have to lose after baby #2. And sometimes, I just hate to admit that she's right. So I started contemplating doing something about it. And then my friend Stacey inspired me to make a change.
Several months ago, my {in real life} friend Stacey over at Loving Life and Learning Lots began a journey to lose thirty pounds. Over the last several months Stacey has rocked her diet and healthy living goals and has lost over twenty pounds. Having followed Stacey's journey all the way from the beginning, I was inspired to change some of my dieting habits and try to lose a bit of weight and tone up myself. So four weeks ago, with the help of Stacey's guidance and my coworkers' support, I began to start eating healthier in an effort to shed a few pounds.
The first thing I did was download the MyFitnessPal app. It's free and is such a great tool and motivator. I set up a profile in which I added my current weight, how much I'd like to lose, and how much I'd like to lose per week. From there, it figured out the amount of calories I needed to consume each day based on my current weight and height. So for the last four weeks, every thing I have ate has been plugged into that little app. When I say you can find any food on there, I mean it. I can find everything from homemade ranch dressing to McDonald's cheeseburgers. What I love about the app even better is I can plug in homemade recipes and it'll calculate the total calorie content for me. It's super simple and easy.
Next, I started cleaning up my unhealthy drinking habits. Having grown up in the south, I was raised on Sundrop, Coke, and sweet tea. As an adult, those are still the three main liquids I consume. So I decided that was the first thing I needed to clean up. I went from having four cans of Coke a day to drinking one can of Coke Zero. The rest of the day I drink water or Light Minute Made Lemonade. Though I do allow myself a glass of tea whenever we go out for dinner. I just can't completely cut out my roots (;
After getting my drinks under control, I started working on what I ate. Thanks to Stacey doing this before me, she got me off to a great start on things I could and couldn't eat. I started finding healthier food options for breakfast and lunch and stick to my usual dinners, though I just watch the amount of food I consume at dinner and I choose my seconds wisely. Below are some of my favorite food items you can find me eating and drinking most days.
Breakfast
Since starting my journey four weeks ago, I've lost 6 pounds and dropped a whole pant size. My goal was only to lose one pound a week but by eating smaller meals and snacking every so often throughout the day, I've found that I'm actually taking in less calories than I am given. Thus, I've been losing more than I intended but I'm not going to complain about that. And to top it all off, I can't begin to tell you how much better I feel and how much more energy I have by the end of the day! It's truly amazing, girls. All in all I've been very proud of how I've done on this little journey. It hasn't been near as hard as I expected. And if I can do it, so can you if you're considering something similar!
For Mother's Day Kevin got me a Fitbit so this week I've started working out again. I can't wait to see how much weight I've lost and how much I've toned up in the next few weeks. I'll be sure to check in with you ladies next month to share some progress (: And if any of you ladies have some other low calorie meal and snack suggestions, please share them with me! I'm always open to some new healthier food options!
Several months ago, my {in real life} friend Stacey over at Loving Life and Learning Lots began a journey to lose thirty pounds. Over the last several months Stacey has rocked her diet and healthy living goals and has lost over twenty pounds. Having followed Stacey's journey all the way from the beginning, I was inspired to change some of my dieting habits and try to lose a bit of weight and tone up myself. So four weeks ago, with the help of Stacey's guidance and my coworkers' support, I began to start eating healthier in an effort to shed a few pounds.
The first thing I did was download the MyFitnessPal app. It's free and is such a great tool and motivator. I set up a profile in which I added my current weight, how much I'd like to lose, and how much I'd like to lose per week. From there, it figured out the amount of calories I needed to consume each day based on my current weight and height. So for the last four weeks, every thing I have ate has been plugged into that little app. When I say you can find any food on there, I mean it. I can find everything from homemade ranch dressing to McDonald's cheeseburgers. What I love about the app even better is I can plug in homemade recipes and it'll calculate the total calorie content for me. It's super simple and easy.
Next, I started cleaning up my unhealthy drinking habits. Having grown up in the south, I was raised on Sundrop, Coke, and sweet tea. As an adult, those are still the three main liquids I consume. So I decided that was the first thing I needed to clean up. I went from having four cans of Coke a day to drinking one can of Coke Zero. The rest of the day I drink water or Light Minute Made Lemonade. Though I do allow myself a glass of tea whenever we go out for dinner. I just can't completely cut out my roots (;
After getting my drinks under control, I started working on what I ate. Thanks to Stacey doing this before me, she got me off to a great start on things I could and couldn't eat. I started finding healthier food options for breakfast and lunch and stick to my usual dinners, though I just watch the amount of food I consume at dinner and I choose my seconds wisely. Below are some of my favorite food items you can find me eating and drinking most days.
Breakfast
- Special K Flatbread Breakfast Sandwiches (220 calories)
- Homemade Bacon Egg & Cheese (153 calories)
- 1 whole wheat English muffin toasted, egg white, one slice of turkey bacon, 1 pack of skinny cow swiss cheese
- Dannon Yogurt (80 calories)
Lunch
- Walmart's Fresh Market Salads (230 calories)
- Sandwich Bros Cheeseburger melts (160 calories)
- Sandwich Bros Chicken melts (160 calories)
- Or smaller portions of dinner leftovers
Dinner
- For dinner, I do my best to stick with meat and veggies
- If we're having an Italian dish, I stick to a salad with a small portion of spaghetti/lasagna, one slice of pizza, etc.
- If we're doing dinner out, I look to my Fitness Pal App for suitable meals with a lower calorie count
Snacks
- Fresh fruit
- Sargento Cheese Sticks (60 calories per stick)
- Skinny Pop popcorn (39 calories per cup)
- Emerald Cashew and Cashew Halves (100 calories per pack)
- Fiber One Chocolate Fudge Bars (90 calories)
- Twix mini ice cream bars (90 calories)
Drinks
- Coke Zero (0 calories)
- Water
- Light Minute Maid Lemonade (15 calories per 8 oz. glass)
For Mother's Day Kevin got me a Fitbit so this week I've started working out again. I can't wait to see how much weight I've lost and how much I've toned up in the next few weeks. I'll be sure to check in with you ladies next month to share some progress (: And if any of you ladies have some other low calorie meal and snack suggestions, please share them with me! I'm always open to some new healthier food options!
5.12.2015
{Weekend Recap} Mother's Day
Happy Tuesday, girls! I hope all of you ladies are recovering from a pampered filled weekend. I know I sure am. My little family did all they could to make my day special.
On Friday afternoon, I was out the door from work as soon as my third grade kiddos all made it safely home. After hanging with Kevin for a few minutes at the house, Harper and I headed to Greensboro to the Children's Museum for a birthday party for my coworkers' son. We spent the majority of the evening at the party and finally called it a night close to 8 o'clock so that I could swing by Marshalls and Homegoods before heading back home. Nothing like a little late night shopping (;
Since Kevin worked all night on Friday, Harper and I decided to ride out Saturday morning so Kevin could catch up on some much needed sleep. Because let's face it, no sleeping in is going to happen with a toddler running all around the house wanting to know where Daddy is. ha Since my coworker's husband was also recovering from a long night, we decided to do a little shopping together and take the girls with us. Watching Harper and Hutson interact always makes me smile. It makes me oh so excited to think that one day we may have another little girl for Harper to be best friends with. & that thought just makes me super giddy (; After spending most of the day at the outlets, we grabbed lunch at a hamburger joint then called it a day. But not before making a pit stop at Target. No shopping day is ever complete without a Target run. Whose with me girls?!
Sunday morning Kevin surprised me with breakfast from my favorite local diner. Along with my delicious (and unhealthy) breakfast, Kevin also got me a Fitbit and some colorful bands to go with it for Mother's Day. Though I'll be honest and say that I got that present a little earlier this week (; A girl just can't wait for such exciting goodies!
On Friday afternoon, I was out the door from work as soon as my third grade kiddos all made it safely home. After hanging with Kevin for a few minutes at the house, Harper and I headed to Greensboro to the Children's Museum for a birthday party for my coworkers' son. We spent the majority of the evening at the party and finally called it a night close to 8 o'clock so that I could swing by Marshalls and Homegoods before heading back home. Nothing like a little late night shopping (;
Since Kevin worked all night on Friday, Harper and I decided to ride out Saturday morning so Kevin could catch up on some much needed sleep. Because let's face it, no sleeping in is going to happen with a toddler running all around the house wanting to know where Daddy is. ha Since my coworker's husband was also recovering from a long night, we decided to do a little shopping together and take the girls with us. Watching Harper and Hutson interact always makes me smile. It makes me oh so excited to think that one day we may have another little girl for Harper to be best friends with. & that thought just makes me super giddy (; After spending most of the day at the outlets, we grabbed lunch at a hamburger joint then called it a day. But not before making a pit stop at Target. No shopping day is ever complete without a Target run. Whose with me girls?!
After breakfast, we headed to church and followed it with lunch at my Mom and Dad's. Then we headed to Kevin's grandparents house for a Mother's Day cookout. We spent all evening hanging out with family and friends, laughed until we cried, and chased all the kiddos around in the yard. We didn't make our way home until after 9pm.
Hope you ladies all had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. God knows you deserve it! (:
Hope you ladies all had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. God knows you deserve it! (:
5.08.2015
{Friday Link Ups} Things from the Week
Hello, ladies! It's finally Friday. I hope you all are as excited about that as I am! After our busy weekend last week, I'm looking forward to some more down time this weekend. If you missed my posts earlier this week you can read about our weekend, Harper's birthday party, and my friend Olivia's rustic bridal shower.
Cinco de Mayo
On Tuesday evening, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with my friend Brittni. We kept it pretty simple again this year and just grabbed some dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. In all honesty, it was just an excuse to grab some Mexican food for supper. I could seriously eat it any day of the week and will jump at the chance to do so. While there, Harper wasn't too thrilled about the holiday so after munching on some chips and eating her rice, she flopped down on the bench seat and laid there waiting for us to be done. The looks she gave us as we lingered could kill.
Recent Purchases
It might seem odd to some, but I've always been a person that goes through periods of what I shop for. In the last year, it's been either wanting to shop for our house or wanting to shop for myself; it's never both at the same time. Anyone else do that? Or am I the only crazy one? Having shopped for the house for the last four months as we've been redecorating, I figured it was about time to do a little shopping for me. Earlier this week I grabbed a few goodies online. My first purchase this week was this short sleeve black Piko top that I grabbed off of Amazon. I can not possibly speak any higher of Piko tops. They are so loose and comfy. I've already told Kevin when we have another baby, I'll be buying one in every color because they'll work great before, during, and after baby and Lord knows that can't be said about maternity clothes. But back to my purchases...Yesterday, I picked up this adorable Striped shirt from Jane.com. I was really hoping to purchase it in the white with red stripes to wear for the upcoming summer holidays (i.e. Memorial Day and July 4th) but sadly it was sold out as soon as it went live. So instead I settled for the white with gray stripes. I think it'll be cute paired with some light colored denim shorts or rolled up jeans. I also grabbed this Floral Kimono from Jane as well. Kimonos are becoming all the rage and for just $15, I thought this one would be cute to try out. The only downside is they're one size fits all, so we'll see how that works out when it arrives. I'll be sure to let you ladies know!
NBA Players
This week I had the opportunity to meet a real life NBA player. One of my coworker's sons plays for a team in Argentina and since he was in the country he came to our school to talk with all of the students about the importance of grades when wanting to play sports. I mean sure, he was no Lebron James, but considering Howard Wilkerson has actually played Lebron... I'll take it!
The Hubs Heads Back to Work
You may have noticed from my last few weekend posts that the Hubs has been very present. For the last three weeks, he's been able to spend every waking moment with us and it has been so wonderful. A while back I mentioned that Kevin had taken a new job in an effort to not be laid off from the current job he had as his work was cutting some positions temporarily. However, after that post and after Kevin's job training, the lady whose position Kevin was taking decided she didn't want to go out of work after all. Which meant Kevin had to return to his old job and get laid off. And you know what ladies? It was a blessing. When Kevin was first told he'd be laid off back in November, we were worried and we prayed. The thought of him not drawing a paycheck was scary. But after the back and forth of one week Kevin being told he'd have a job, then the next be told he wouldn't, and so on and so on, Kevin was weighed down, burdened, and was mentally and emotionally drained. So when he was told at the beginning of April that he would in fact be laid off, he couldn't be more thankful for the extra break. Over the last three weeks, he has soaked up every moment of being a husband and father. He has spent so much time with Harper, helped me out tremendously at home, and he accomplished so many tasks he'd been wanting to complete for a while now. This lay off was by far a a blessing in disguise. In fact, it was so great, that when Kevin had to return back to work this week, we all nearly cried! haha Funny how God works things out sometimes (;
My Little 2- Year Old
Today is Harper's second birthday. It seems like only yesterday I was holding my little 7 pound 12 ounce baby girl in my arms. I can still see her black eyes, head full of black hair, and precious ten little fingers and ten little toes just like it was yesterday. Time flies by so much friends. I know God has a plan for our little girl and he needs her to grow up to be big and healthy, but watching her go from a baby to a toddler is so hard. I wish I could just rewind the time and really soak it all in.
Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites // Oh Hey Friday// 5 on Friday
Cinco de Mayo
On Tuesday evening, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with my friend Brittni. We kept it pretty simple again this year and just grabbed some dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. In all honesty, it was just an excuse to grab some Mexican food for supper. I could seriously eat it any day of the week and will jump at the chance to do so. While there, Harper wasn't too thrilled about the holiday so after munching on some chips and eating her rice, she flopped down on the bench seat and laid there waiting for us to be done. The looks she gave us as we lingered could kill.
Recent Purchases
It might seem odd to some, but I've always been a person that goes through periods of what I shop for. In the last year, it's been either wanting to shop for our house or wanting to shop for myself; it's never both at the same time. Anyone else do that? Or am I the only crazy one? Having shopped for the house for the last four months as we've been redecorating, I figured it was about time to do a little shopping for me. Earlier this week I grabbed a few goodies online. My first purchase this week was this short sleeve black Piko top that I grabbed off of Amazon. I can not possibly speak any higher of Piko tops. They are so loose and comfy. I've already told Kevin when we have another baby, I'll be buying one in every color because they'll work great before, during, and after baby and Lord knows that can't be said about maternity clothes. But back to my purchases...Yesterday, I picked up this adorable Striped shirt from Jane.com. I was really hoping to purchase it in the white with red stripes to wear for the upcoming summer holidays (i.e. Memorial Day and July 4th) but sadly it was sold out as soon as it went live. So instead I settled for the white with gray stripes. I think it'll be cute paired with some light colored denim shorts or rolled up jeans. I also grabbed this Floral Kimono from Jane as well. Kimonos are becoming all the rage and for just $15, I thought this one would be cute to try out. The only downside is they're one size fits all, so we'll see how that works out when it arrives. I'll be sure to let you ladies know!
NBA Players
This week I had the opportunity to meet a real life NBA player. One of my coworker's sons plays for a team in Argentina and since he was in the country he came to our school to talk with all of the students about the importance of grades when wanting to play sports. I mean sure, he was no Lebron James, but considering Howard Wilkerson has actually played Lebron... I'll take it!
The Hubs Heads Back to Work
You may have noticed from my last few weekend posts that the Hubs has been very present. For the last three weeks, he's been able to spend every waking moment with us and it has been so wonderful. A while back I mentioned that Kevin had taken a new job in an effort to not be laid off from the current job he had as his work was cutting some positions temporarily. However, after that post and after Kevin's job training, the lady whose position Kevin was taking decided she didn't want to go out of work after all. Which meant Kevin had to return to his old job and get laid off. And you know what ladies? It was a blessing. When Kevin was first told he'd be laid off back in November, we were worried and we prayed. The thought of him not drawing a paycheck was scary. But after the back and forth of one week Kevin being told he'd have a job, then the next be told he wouldn't, and so on and so on, Kevin was weighed down, burdened, and was mentally and emotionally drained. So when he was told at the beginning of April that he would in fact be laid off, he couldn't be more thankful for the extra break. Over the last three weeks, he has soaked up every moment of being a husband and father. He has spent so much time with Harper, helped me out tremendously at home, and he accomplished so many tasks he'd been wanting to complete for a while now. This lay off was by far a a blessing in disguise. In fact, it was so great, that when Kevin had to return back to work this week, we all nearly cried! haha Funny how God works things out sometimes (;
My Little 2- Year Old
Today is Harper's second birthday. It seems like only yesterday I was holding my little 7 pound 12 ounce baby girl in my arms. I can still see her black eyes, head full of black hair, and precious ten little fingers and ten little toes just like it was yesterday. Time flies by so much friends. I know God has a plan for our little girl and he needs her to grow up to be big and healthy, but watching her go from a baby to a toddler is so hard. I wish I could just rewind the time and really soak it all in.
If you want to join in on the fun, visit these ladies to link up your blog posts today (:
5.06.2015
"Life is Salty, Love is Sweet" Rustic Bridal Shower
Please note, the pictures in this post may appear grainy due to this blog template not allowing photos to be re-sized. For better viewing quality, please click on the photos themselves.
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This past weekend, I had the opportunity to throw one of my lifelong best friends her very first bridal shower. Olivia and I have known each other since we were in first grade so it's safe to say I know her pretty well. She is a lot like me in that we tend to stray from the traditional and love all things unique. Trendsetters as I'd like to say (; So when the opportunity presented itself to host Olivia's shower this past weekend, I knew I wanted her shower to be very non-traditional as it would truly reflect who Olivia is as a person and to top it all off, it would be way more fun and enjoyable.
After playing around with multiple ideas for the shower, I finally decided on a "Life is Salty, Love is Sweet" theme and decided instead of a traditional bridal shower menu, we'd incorporate fun foods that everyone truly loves. So instead of the usual veggie trays, white cake squares, chalky mints, plain peanuts, and party punch we spiced up the menu a bit and served all of Olivia and Justin's favorite salty and sweet snacks. Insert popcorn, homemade trail mix, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, cupcakes, candy, and canned soda here. Wouldn't you agree that those are way more enjoyable?! To incorporate aspects of Olivia's actual wedding day, I used galvanized serving pieces along with pops of yellow, navy blue, and burlap. If you can't tell, she'll be having a country wedding at a farm and I couldn't be anymore excited about that! But enough about me... here's some pictures from the event!
Love you Liv! Can't wait till your big day!
Party Details & Sources
Galvanized Serving Pieces: Walmart & Target
Glass Jars: Target
Navy Plates & Yellow Napkins: Walmart
Banner: DIY project made from twine, mini clothespins, doilies, and printed photos
White Vase: Target
White picture frame: Marshalls
5.05.2015
Harper's Puppy "Pawty"
Please note, the pictures in this post may appear grainy due to this blog template not allowing photos to be re-sized. For better viewing quality, please click on the photos themselves.
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This past Saturday, Kevin and I hosted Harper's second birthday party at our home. Instead of throwing an elaborate birthday bash like we did last year for Harper's first birthday, we decided to keep this party a little more low key. However, that didn't stop me from choosing a theme and going all out with some decorations. Call it the perfectionist in me...
When Kevin and I started playing around with party ideas there were two recurring themes that came up when discussing party ideas... Mickey Mouse and dogs. Since I know character parties will be in my all too near future, I decided to stick with a puppy theme this year. On top of that, Harper is just as obsessed with some dogs as she is some Mickey, so I knew she'd be happy either way. And thanks to Pinterest, I found tons of cute diy ideas that I could incorporate into the party without going too over the top.
So without further ado, welcome to Harper's Puppy "Pawty"!
When guests arrived, they were greeted with puppy paws on the sidewalk that I made from poster board and colored with Crayola markers.
The gift table
The Pet Shoppe
The party banner
The Food
This year we stuck with just a few appetizers instead of fixing a meal. Guests enjoyed cupcakes, homemade trail mix (kibbles and bits), Scooby Doo graham cracker cookies (dog bones), and corn dog nuggets (hot puppies).
The Favors
All of our little guests got to adopt a puppy at the end of the party.
The Fun
We laid out blankets and set up corn hole boards for the adults to enjoy; while the kids played on Harper's new swing set or took turns riding in her car.
Cupcake Time
The Presents
As expected, Harper was more interested in playing outdoors than tearing through her presents but we did get to snatch a few photos of her opening a couple, with a little help from her two best buddies, before running off to swing on her swing set for the millionth time.
The Family
And before calling the party a close, we had to have one last family shot! Or at least...we attempted it and this was as good as it got (;
The After Party
Once the party was over and things died down, Harper finally settled down enough to open a few presents. Since she was so happy in these photos, I find it hard not to share them!
As you can see we had some tail-waggin' fun! If you're interested in where something came from, please check the source list below or leave a comment! (:
The Sources
Puppy Poster Paws: DIY project from poster board and colored markers
Puppy Party Printables: ETSY (purchased here)
Gift Table Frame: Marshalls
Pink Table Cloth, Table Skirt: Walmart
Party Plates, Napkins: Walmart
Puppy Favors: Shindigz Party Supplies
Metal serving trays: Walmart
Glass Jars: Target
Burlap ribbon, burlap cloth: Walmart