MAMA’S HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2016
Derek has traveled a lot more this year for work. Which meant a lot less sleep for me. Which meant I wished so badly to like the taste of coffee.…
KIDS’ HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2016
Hellooooo, friends! I am still here. I know you don't believe me. But I am. I've been glued to the computer screen hitting all the online deals and I can't…
MYA’S NATURE PARTY
Mya loves all living things… including bugs. I don’t know how it happened with me as her mother, but she has no fear of any insect or arachnid. A couple months ago we were at a nature presentation at Fat Brain Toys and Mya was front and center the whole time. She jumped with excitement to hold the tarantula and grinned from ear to ear while the snake slithered up her arm. At the end of the class, Scott the naturist mentioned that the Leawood Nature Center at Ironwoods Park offered birthday packages and the thought of not having her party at our house seemed pretty magical. I got Mya’s overeager approval and called to book a date. Best. Decision. Ever. Also to make it easier, we just sent the invites via email. The “nature” theme gave me a good reason to incorporate one of my favorite illustrators– Charley Harper.
MYA SPY
Am I lame for admitting this?: I have a coupon folder. I keep it in my car console and grab ’em as I need them. Another truth is that I seem to only use the ones for Bed Bath and Beyond (because they never expire) and I’m sure I have a hundred of them. I pass them out to other customers as we wait in the check out line. Buuuut other coupons that I appreciate receiving are free 8″x8″ books from Shutterfly. They usually expire before I get around to making one, but not this last time! This time Mya and I had a plan: Mya chose what play things were special to her, we staged them, and she photographed them to make an “I Spy” (or in her case, a “Mya Spy”) book. And I love it so.
CAMERON the EASTERN BLUEBIRD + COOL BIRD STUFF
Mya had bird camp last week, which means they made some bird crafts, listened to bird calls, read bird books, and sang bird songs… which– for all of you who know Mya just a little bit– couldn’t be more perfect for our outdoorsy girl. It seems Mya’s birdie obsession started even before her first birdday party! (Ahhhh– looking back at those pics, I canNOT believe how much my girls look alike!) So in the spirit of the bird, I must share some bird finds and a fun story with you guys…
DIY PRAYER BEADS
It is a smidge bit ridiculous how much I love this little project. From watching Mya intricately color each wooden bead to holding the tangible finished product in my hand, it is something that I will always cherish. I’ve never prayed on a rosary or used any string of beads in prayer, but holding these in my hands somehow makes me feel more focused and connected to my thoughts and thanksgivings.
FATHERS’ DAY GIFT GUIDE
Derek’s headed to Colorado for a hiking trip with his brothers over Fathers’ Day weekend. I’m definitely happy that he’s finally able to get in some guy time– we all know he’s usually surrounded by us girls! But we will certainly miss him on his special day. I guess it’s buying us some time to get his gifts in order to celebrate after-the-fact. I threw together some fun guy finds to help with your Dad shopping. Some we have tried and tested. Some are current desires. And #3 is something we would never use, but it’s still cool.
KID DECOR: GRAPHIC ACCENT WALLS
We’re spring cleaning over here. Mya loves cleaning and organizing (and I’m hoping this continues until… forever.) Her most recent job is going through all her little things in her room and deciding what she wants to donate. Sometimes she’ll come across something and says, “I don’t really like this anymore. Let’s give it to baby Leah.” So thoughtful– pawning off what she deems as junk to her lil’ sister. (Insert eye roll here.) But she seems genuinely thoughtful when she says it, so we’ll go with it!
As we’ve been spending our rainy days decluttering in the girls’ rooms, it got me thinking about what I would love to do in their rooms in five or so years. The girls’ rooms are considered “finished” for now and their rooms are some of my favorite spaces in our home. But if I didn’t have a budget, their whimsical, yet sophisticated spaces would look a lot differently. One of the elements that I looooove seeing in kids’ rooms is a bold and bright accent wall. If there’s any space in the home to apply something so graphic, I’d say this is the place to do it. And since my feminine side is rejoicing everyday with two little girls, I would definitely go with some large scale florals.
ICE CREAM THANK YOU’S (PLUS FREE PRINTABLES!)
Growing up, one thing that my Mom always had my brother and me do was write thank you’s. Initially, I thought it was a drag because there were soooo many to write after birthdays and Christmas. (I know, what a spoiled brat, right?!) But somewhere along the way I really liked the task because writing became therapeutic to me… and who loves getting snail mail?! The answer is everyone. When you open your mailbox and find something special in between the Aldi ad and the water bill, you most definitely smile.
I always want Mya to be grateful and aware of the thoughtfulness of each gesture and gift that comes her way. In an effort to achieve this, I have adopted my Mom’s thank you note philosophy. And thus far, Mya looooooves “making letters” for her special people. Last week, we made these simple and sweet ice cream thank you’s.
HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY!
Happy Mothers’ Day to all you Mamas! There are many days when our role is beyond exhausting and we need to take a beat to lock ourselves in the pantry to sneak some sweet snacks for fuel. But on this day, I hope it was somewhat relaxing and you are reminded of all the joyful times from being a Mom. Now prepare yourself for some sappiness. That’s right. It’s my day and I’ll be sappy if I want to!…
MOTHERS’ DAY GIFT GUIDE
Mothers’ Day is May 8th– less than a month away! Luckily for Derek and the girls, they don’t need to buy me any of these things. I’ll be happy if they make me something with their handprints and scribble on some paper. Because handmade gifts are seriously the best gifts. And because spoiler alert: I might’ve already bought some of these things for myself.
DIY SEEK-N-FIND TUBE
Confession: Everytime I was in the Home Depot hardware aisle, I had always wanted a reason to buy this Everbilt clear container. I was quite sure there were endless possibilities for its uses, but it wasn’t until the other day that I finally realized why I desperately needed it: a seek-n-find tube! Every kid needs a seek-n-find tube and this plastic hardware container definitely ups the cool factor.
