{Gift Ideas} Extra for the Classroom

Back to School. 
Those words are everywhere these days. I don't know about you, but for me, it's hard to believe it's that time of year again. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little bummed about it. This has truly been the most magnificent summer. Harper and I have embarked on so many adventures while her brother has attended daycare each day and I have absolutely adored our one-on-one time together. Now that she's a bit older we've been able to do so much more this summer as compared to our summers past. This year we caught some movies, went to some splash parks, visited museums, and just overall enjoyed ourselves. Yet, this week that all ends as Harper heads to her new school tomorrow. 
We took Harper to her orientation yesterday and when we went, we took her teacher a basket of extra supplies. As a teacher myself, I realize that teachers often only ask for the minimal amount of supplies because we realize for some families it's a sacrifice to purchase just the needed amount. That being the case, I wanted to be sure Harper's teacher ended up with some extra things on hand so as not to have to go out and purchase them herself. I also wanted to provide her teacher with some items that I know she'd need but wouldn't ask parents for such as ziploc bags, clorox wipes, wet wipes, post it notes, etc. 

If you want to help a teacher out, double up on your child's school supplies or better yet, give them a gift card to your local Walmart or Target because I can guarantee you he/she will be running there nearly every week grabbing things for lessons, projects, and crafts for your child's classroom! Trust me, I know what I'm talking about (;

{Confessional Thursday} A Bunch of Randomness

It's Thursday which means it's time for a good 'ole fashion confession session. Since it's been so long since I've been around here, I have so many things to talk about but I'll try to narrow it down a little and save some for another time. But regardless, buckle up and get ready for a whole lot of random.
I confess...
>> I cried not once, not twice, but three times yesterday after the fact that my child has started regressing in the potty training department. We started potty training about three weeks ago and it took Harper a good week of afternoons and/or mornings at home to get the hang of it. But last week she did phenomenal. We ventured out and about, did some shopping, headed out to grab lunch and dinner, and not an accident was had. And yet yesterday,  she had accident after accident after accident. The thought of starting all of this over has me so frustrated. I've prayed and prayed it was just an off day.
>> I can't tell you the last time I saw a television show other than Paw Patrol, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, or Sheriff Callie. My DVR is quickly running out of space and at this point I'm fairly certain it'll be Christmas before I catch up on all I have recorded.
>> I've got photos dating all the way back to the spring of 2015 that I keep meaning to upload to Facebook but haven't. I figure I'll get around to it at some point but considering my iphone keeps telling me my storage is almost full, I gather it'll need to be soon.
>> We've made approximately a gazillion cupcakes for our business and honestly, I'm not sure I've tried more than 5 of them. I'm pretty sure that makes me a bad baker but I trust the opinions of those around me.
>> I start my Christmas shopping every year in July due to Target marking all of their toys on clearance to bring in the new ones. That also means my children's Christmas lists are done and we've already started making purchases... including this Power Wheels Thomas the Train and Track Set for the little man.

>> Mail is my biggest pet peeve. We have a basket that sits directly next to our door that's meant to be our mail catch all but for some reason, it rarely makes it to the basket and ends up on the kitchen table one day and the kitchen island the next. Until eventually  it feels like it's taking over my kitchen.
>> A few weeks ago I decided to order the kids Pottery Barn Anywhere Chairs and I seriously deliberated over what colors to order for two solid days. I couldn't decide whether or not to have the chairs match our living rooms (where they'll be at first) or have them match their bedrooms where we'll eventually move them too. In the end, the living room won.. but thankfully the colors I chose will coordinate with their rooms too!
>>  I've been eyeing these shoes for a month now after my coworker wore them one day. They're the perfect Tory Burch knock offs for less than half the price but I just can't pull the trigger on a sandal that pricey that I really don't need. 

Well that's all the random I've got for this Thursday. Be sure to grab the button above and link up with some great ladies. 

Coming Back + Weekend Recap

Girls, it's been a really long time. In the last two months I've missed this space. I've sat down many a time and started typing away only to stop, clear out the words, and log out. Why you ask? Because I still live in fear that the same thing that happened to one of my dear friends might happen to me (read all about it here). It's a scary world we live in and keeping my family safe is a top priority.  But this week I felt God pushing me to return to this little space. I'm not sure why the sudden urging but I feel confident in His calling and so here I am. So let's get started on this weekend recap...
Kevin's been working pretty much non-stop here lately but this past weekend he somehow lucked up with having two days off in a row. Hallelujah! Praise Jesus! Amen! Can you tell I was excited?! He spent most of Friday sleeping. The poor guy had quite a bit of lost sleep to catch up on and I was a-okay with that. While he slept, I got some work done around the house. When he woke up, we got ready and we headed to Danville to grab some dinner with the brother in law. Not exactly craving anything, we finally all decided on grabbing supper at Applebee's. Kevin and I always split the 2 for $20 (we're cheap like that) but this go round I spotted the most mouth-watering looking burger on the menu. I really wanted to order it but I chickened out the last minute in fear I wouldn't like it and we'd have wasted $10 (again, cheap mama here) but as luck would have it my brother in law decided to order it and share. And ya'll... no lie...BEST BURGER EVER!  I didn't think to snap a picture beforehand so here's the menu picture just so you can visualize. It's the brunch burger and it's topped with bacon, a fried egg, hashbrowns, and onions. I know it sounds disgusting but for real, you will not be disappointed. My mouth has watered all weekend thinking about it. So yummy!   

After indulging in way to much food, we headed to Target per Harper's request. She knew a Target was just around the corner and informed her daddy that she wanted a "hero train"; which we've yet to figure out what that is. We quickly informed her she wouldn't be getting a hero train as she'd already gotten a toy earlier in the week. In which she promptly responded, "Oh that's okay. I like any train." We seriously couldn't stop laughing. The things this girl comes up with.
Following our trip to Target, where Harper left toyless, we headed to Kevin's parents house to check out their new car and hang out with them for a while. Not meaning to wear out our welcome, we ended up not leaving until midnight.. which was totally out of character for us. When we got home I was exhausted but for some reason my children decided they weren't. By 1:00am I was tired of fighting to keep my eyes open so I handed Boston over to Kevin, turned on some episodes of Paw Patrol, and left Harper to her own being on the downstairs couch. I'm not sure what time Kevin eventually got the kids asleep but what I do know is this mama had the best sleep she's had in weeks. 
Saturday we all slept in and ended up not getting up and moving till nearly lunch time. Kevin's uncle came by and changed out our back porch light...a task that we'd needed to have done for months but hadn't got around too..simply because I couldn't find a light I liked well enough. But I'm pretty sold on this one. 
After he left we headed to our favorite little Mexican restaurant for some lunch, made a quick trip to the grocery store, then headed to my parents to check out their new car (& yes, both the parents and in-laws got a car on the same day!). 
Saturday evening, we headed to Olive Garden with my family to celebrate my sister's birthday. I don't have any pictures from the evening other than snapping some photos during the car ride.

We had all intentions of heading home right after but on the way home we made a split second decision to visit Kevin's grandma and I'm so thankful we did. Harper loves seeing her Memaw and Memaw is just as happy to see them. 

Sunday we spent the day as usual. We headed to church, ate lunch at the parents' house, then made our way home. Kevin headed back into work leaving me at home with the babies. Harper had been invited to VBS at a local church so we headed there while my best friend volunteered to look after little man. 

When we returned home from VBS, the in-laws had swung by so while B had little man and the in-laws occupied Harper, I took the opportunity to enjoy some fast food on my own without sharing.  Something you mamas know is a rare thing. Here's to hoping I have another moment like that again soon. A girl could get used to that (; 
Hope you ladies had fantastic weekends as well!

{Five on Friday} A Make Up Must Have + A Trip Disney World

{ONE} A Make Up Must Have

Y'all... You have GOT to try the Make Up Eraser if you haven't. A few months ago I stumbled across a blogger's review of this product and decided to give it a try. The Make Up Eraser is basically a microfiber cloth that only requires water to be added to wipe away all of your makeup, dirt, and grime from a busy day. I was a bit skeptical at first but after reading product reviews on Amazon, Ulta, and Sephora, I decided to give it a go and I'm so glad I did. I wear waterproof makeup on the daily and I don't know what it is about this cloth but a quick rinse under the faucet and a swipe on the face and all of my make up is gone in an instant. It's amazing. For $20 do yourself a favor and go try it out for yourself! You won't regret it!

{TWO} Recent Purchases + Reviews

After having two babies my body is definitely not the same as it used to be which has led me to spend many a morning trying to figure out what in the world I wanted to wear each day. Feeling like I have absolutely no clothes to wear, I decided to treat myself to a few new things over the last few weeks to make me feel prettier and a bit more confident in my outfit choices. Here's a few of the things I've recently added to my somewhat limited wardrobe... all of which came from Jane.com; one of the best online boutiques out there! The mint green dress arrived last week and I was a bit disappointed that the color was more sage green than mint but the soft material and flattering fit made up for the difference. The yellow shirt arrived this week and I tossed it on and wore it to work on Wednesday. The fit was perfect for people of all body types and I got so many compliments on it that I'm fairly certain I'll be purchasing it in other colors; especially since it was less than $15! 

{THREE} Disney, We're Coming for Ya

It's official! We're heading to Disney come November. We'll be going with my sister and her family, Kevin's parents, and my best friend Brittni and we couldn't be more excited. We booked a room at Disney's Pop Century and we have plans to do dinner at Ohana's, Hollywood & Vine, Whispering Canyon, ESPN Grille, T-Rex Cafe, Chef Mickey, & Be Our Guest. If you have other restaurant suggestions, please let me know! And if you have tips for flying and/or doing Disney with babies and toddlers, please share. 

{FOUR} Our Little Mermaid

Harper started swimming lessons a few weeks ago and to say she's been in heaven since would be an understatement. I'm fairly certain if mermaids were a real thing, she'd turn into one. Just look at all of her excitement!

{FIVE} Photos from Our Week

Harper's Camping Party

Yall, this little girl is THREE years old!  Say whaaaat?!
The fact that I am now a parent of a three year old simply blows my mind. It seems like only yesterday we were anxiously awaiting our first born's arrival. I can still remember the sheer joy of hearing her first cry; I remember the weight of her being laid on my chest; and I remember counting those ten precious fingers and toes and admiring her olive skin and head of dark hair. It was all just yesterday wasn't it? Yet I look back over my blog posts over the last few years and I see that that wrinkly little newborn has changed into a little lady all right in front of my eyes. Despite the fact that I miss those days of being able to hold and cuddle her in just one arm, I love the lady she's becoming and I can't wait to see what all God has in store for her life. Without a doubt, he's got big plans for our girl. 
Over Mother's Day weekend, we celebrated Harper's birthday with a camping party. When discussing party options with her, she promptly told me she wanted a tent party. I had no idea what she meant until one afternoon we were watching Paw Patrol, her absolute favorite show, and an episode came up where Ryder and the gang headed out to camp. She excitedly started shouting, "A tent party mommy! A tent party!". So from then on, I started planning out Harper's camping party; despite that she repeatedly referred to it as her tent party. Silly girl.
Here's some pictures of her big day!
The Set Up  In the past we have hosted all of Harper's birthday parties outside on our porch but having since given our porch a major makeover, we decided to keep all of the food and gifts inside this year. I set up drinks and snacks in our dining room and we threw up a mini tent for Harper's gifts to be placed in. 

The Food We opted for snacks this year instead of doing a meal. Mainly for the fact that after the guests left the party, we hosted a cookout with our immediate families. In keeping with the theme, guests got to sip on frosty sodas and ice cold water; make their own trailmix; indulge in some dirt cake; or enjoy the delicious tent cupcakes or campfire cake. 

The Fun My  original intention was to host Harper's party in the evening so we could have a bonfire and make smores but since many of our guests had other obligations in the evening we opted for an afternoon party instead. But that didn't stop me from tossing together a mini roasting station on our back porch using a galvanized bucket, sterno burners, and lava rock. It roasted marshmallows like a charm. In fact, we loved the set up so much, we're still using it on the weekends to make smores with friends (:

While guests roasted marshmallows on the porch, the kiddos took turns playing in the camping tent, on Harper's swing set (a gift from last year's birthday), or her new trampoline. 

Guests ate on cupcakes throughout the party, but we waited towards the end of the party to cut the cake and sing Happy birthday. 

The Gifts Following the cake cutting, Harper dove into her presents... quite literally! 

The Favors Before everyone left, the kids got to grab a camping chair and a favor bag that contained child-size binoculars to take home. 

All in all the party was a blast and at the end of the day, our little girl was happy and blessed!