August Coffee Chat

Hey friends!  Grab your favorite coffee drink and let's catch up!

1. Are your kids into Labubus??  Mine are and they have had lots of fun collecting, saving up for and playing with theirs.  It reminds me so much of collecting trolls when I was their age.  I loved going to the mall and shopping for the perfect troll to add to my collection.

2. I have no interest in learning how to play Mahjong.  Anyone else??  It seems to be taking the social media world by storm, but all those beautiful tiles give me a headache.  I think I'd like to host a beautiful Mahjong party; just don't ask me to play.

3. It's been SO hot in the Midwest.  SO hot that we are having to have indoor recess to beat the heat.  I am so ready for a Fall cool down of any kind.  The rumors are that slightly cooler temps are heading our way next week and I'm here for it.  We baked our first pumpkin treat last weekend and are counting down the days until we are making chili and watching football on the weekends.

4. Kevin and I are enjoying watching the newest season of Quarterbacks on Netflix.  We also watched Uncharted and loved it.

5. My bookclub is reading Funny You Should Ask.  It's great so far.  I'm not sure which I enjoy more - reading the books or going out to dinner with my favorite neighbor girls each month.

6. Check on your kindergarten teacher friends.  The first six weeks of school are exhausting!  Those cute kinders ask a million questions, need help with all the things and it's exhausting to establish all the back to school routines.  There's no tired like the first few weeks of tired.  I've been in bed at 9:30pm many nights this month.  And somehow I'm still tired.  Give some extra love to your favorite teachers this time of year.  The kind emails, notes of encouragement and thoughtful gifts mean so much.

7. Junior high girls care way more about all their supplies, accessories and school clothes than boys do.  My boys want comfy clothes.  Throw in a fun logo or two, but comfy is king.  Junior high shopping is expensive and so fun.  We're on the hunt for the cutest spirit wear at local boutiques so that we are prepared for all the Fall spirit days.

8. Do you plant Fall flowers?  I love them, but it's still so hot.  I might just enjoy not having any plants to water this Fall and bake lots of pumpkin treats.

Thanks for the coffee chat!

May Coffee Chat

Hello!  Grab your coffee and your breakfast and let's chat.  I've got some hot topics.

1. I'm going to start off strong - Fake plants look fake.  Don't let influenceres tell you anything different.  Sure, they might look great right away.  But, the sun will fade them and it will be very obvious very soon that your plants and flowers are fake.  I have a few neighbors that have fake plants trying to pass as real ones and they aren't fooling me.  Just buy one or two types of flowers that are good for the sun or shade depending on your yard and learn how to take care of them!  I promise, you'll love them!  Or do something simple like ferns.  They make sun and shade ferns so just pay attention to the amount of sun your porch/patio gets and buy accordingly.

2. I've hit the point in the school year where I'm tired of making my lunch and tired of cooking any more food.  I am packing PBJs and dealing with it.  12 more days.

3. Your kids don't need to be on social media.  Even if their friends are.  Or they tell you that EVERYONE is on socials.  Hold the line and don't give them social media until they are way older.  It just terrible for their mental health and self esteem.  Olive hates this rule, but she understands.

4. Raise your hand if you've forgotten something important for your kids with all of the end of year fun/chaos.  Me.  It's me.  I forgot it was read to a stuffed animal day at Leo's school last week.  Thankfully, I realized it quickly and I work nearby.  I ran a dragon over to him instead of eating my lunch to make sure he wasn't the only one without a stuffed animal.

5. Are you able to attend all of the end of year festivities for your kids??  We've got field trips, programs, awards, graduations, field days, celebrations and more.  It is taking some serious scheduling and requesting half days to make sure we show up for our kids.  I feel for the parents that do not have flexible work schedules this time of year.

6. Birkenstock lovers - where do you find the best deals?  I'm looking to replace and refresh mine this Summer and I'd love the best deal.  I realize I should have done this in the dead of winter, but I'm ready to shop now.  I'd love a pair with a brown leather + a big buckle from Anthro or maybe black?

7. Do you need some end of year teacher gift ideas?  Your kid's teacher would LOVE a handwritten or detailed note about all the things you loved and appreciated them doing this year.  Bonus points if you cc their boss on your communication.  They would also love gift cards to their favorite local restaurants, Amazon gift cards, anything from their favorite list that the office might have and cash.  If you know something your teacher loves and know him or her well - buy that.  My kids know I love a stack of bracelets, fun earrings and smiley faces.  Also, Cash is always a good idea.

8.  I've been working hard to take care of all the adult things lately -

yearly skin check - done and so simple.

jewelry repair - I took some rings in to my favorite local jewelery and got them repaired and sized.

well check - done

cats to the vet - done x3

And now I have a list of summer appointments to schedule for me and the kids and the cars.

9. Recently, Fletcher asked me, Mom have you ever had beef wellington?  I'd like to try that sometime.  So apparently I need to step up my dinner game and learn some new recipes.  Do any of you ever make beef wellington?

10. I'm struggling to figure out a good time to exercise. Anyone else??  I wake up at 5:45am, leave for work at 6:45am or so, am on my feet all day 7:30-3:30pm and then head home.  I'd like to try to go for a walk or hop on the treadmill after school, but I'm usually worn out.  Then starts the homework/dinner/pack lunch/shower/hang out with my kid routines.  All that to say, it's hard to work full time and find a good time to exercise.  Summer will be easier.  I know I could wake up earlier, but I don't go to bed until late.  Woof.  Balancing all the things is TRICKY.

Thanks for listening!  Let's chat in the comments.    

February Coffee Chat

Hey friends!  Grab your favorite coffee & breakfast and let's catch up.

Iced mocha with a side of Mr. Mittens for me.

1. Where are you shopping for your teen girls for swim suits this season?  We're on the hunt for great suits for Olive.  One piece.  No cut outs.  Cute print.  Also, swim suit cover ups for teens?  Do you have any suggestions?  Our usual spots of Target, Walmart, Old Navy are not exciting us this year.

2. How are Summer camp sign ups going for you?  We are just starting to map out our Summer and Spring activities to figure out what camp the kids would like to do.  

3. Do you have anything fun going on for Spring Break?  Ours is about one month away and we still have snow on the ground.  It's crazy to be thinking about swim suits and warmer weather as we are heading a little south for our break.

4. Teachers - what Summer plans do you have?  Are you working on any classes?  Workshops?  I've got my sights set on one or two, but am really hoping to enjoy Summer off with my crew.

5. Spring is birthday season at our house.  March = Fletcher, April = Leo, and May = Mr. Mittens and Olive.  The boys are having a harder time deciding on a theme they both are excited about than Olive.  Mr. Mittens is going to have a little tuxedo party :)

6. Confession: I keep a stroller in the back in the van just in case Leo would need a ride sometime.  The truth is that he hasn't used it in months.  Maybe a year.  But I can't bring myself to take it out.  Is there a baby item that you can't bear to part with??  We used it the last time we were in Wisconsin and it's been a silly security blanket of just in case ever since.  He'd probably think I was nuts if I offered him a ride.  Maybe I'll move it from my van to the garage before his 5th birthday :)

7. How are your garden plans coming for this year?  I bought okra and carrot seeds.  I learned last year that seed people buy their seeds right after Christmas and not in June.  Who knew?  And we are talking about the things that we would like to plant... a tiller arrived on our doorstep the other day.  Kevin's getting serious about gardening.

8. Are you all caught up on Sweet Magnolias??  I'm loving the newest season.  I just love the characters and the outfit inspiration so much.  Oh and the Southern accents are fantastic.

9. What are you putting in your kid's Easter baskets this year?  So far I've collected some favorite candies, one new book for each kid and I'm on the lookout for more ideas.  I usually lean practical - new sandals, goggles, swim suits and new spring pjs.

10. Have you thanked a teacher lately?  Think of your child's favorite teacher right now.  Think of something wonderful they have done for your child and then reach out to let them know you appreciate them.  It will mean the world to them.  I got a surprise email from a colleague this month.  She was in my room for one thing and then sent me an email full of compliments about my classroom and cc'd my principal on it.  It was such a sweet surprise.  I promptly printed it out and added it to my happy day file.  It is a file of nice notes that I've received that I can flip back through for encouragement.  I did this when I was teaching before and I started a file for my new job.

I'd love to chat with you in the comments!

December Coffee Chat

Happy Monday, friends!  I hope you had a great weekend.  I am in denial that Christmas is 9 days away.  This holiday season has FLOWN by so fast.  I'm trying hard to enjoy the moments.

Grab your coffee (iced mocha for me) and let's catch up.

1. My crew has 11 different dress up days to participate in this week!  You read that correct - 11.  Yikes.  I'm hoping I got my calendar right and send the right kid with the right outfit on the right day.  Grinch day.  White Christmas wear white day.  Wear stripes for candy cane day.  Ugly Christmas sweater.  You get the idea.  Lots of cute Christmas clothes to coordinate.

2. How's your Christmas shopping going?  I'm getting close to done and have NOTHING wrapped.  I need a personal assistant to wrap and prep my house while I work.

3. I'm so excited to send home Christmas gifts with my students.  We have been working hard to make 3 different personalized ornaments that showcase their handwriting, their hand prints and their art.  I hope the parents LOVE them and I get extra excited when parents let me know that they loved something we did at school.  My challenge for you - if your child's teacher does something you love or sends home something wonderful - email them a THANK YOU.  It will make their day.

4. Have you seen the Marth documentary on Martha Stewart yet??  I enjoyed it so much.  Her life story was fascinating as well as her success story.  I'm still shocked she served prison time.  And I have a new reason to dislike James Comey.  It was so interesting to see how the highs and lows of her life changed her.  I appreciated her attention to every single detail, loved seeing her wardrobe and gardens and was surprised to here details about her personal life.

5. My Christmas decorating is finally done.  We started right after Thanksgiving, but it's taken me a while to finish.  Add in a very mischevious Mr. Mittens and our decor looks different this year.  We kept the breakable ornaments boxed up just like we did when the kids were toddlers and we're hoping that next year Mr. Mittens will be better behaved.

6. Opening the mail in December is one of my favorite things.  It brings me great joy to open Christmas cards from so many friends and family since I send out a bunch of Christmas cards.  I keep the cards in a basket in our kitchen and the kids love to flip through them.

7. Are your college football teams in the playoffs this year?  IU and ND play in a playoff game this Friday!!  It's a big deal at our house becuase I'm an IU grad and Kevin is an ND grad.  People are calling it The Hoosier Bowl since both teams are in Indiana.  So fun!  IU has never ever been good at football so this is a shocking turn of events.  We're hosting a fun playoff party to cheer on our teams.  Kevin says he can only cheer for ND and I'm going to cheer every time either time scores.  It'll be fun.

8. We only have one kid that wants to go visit Santa this year.  I'm hoping to head to the mall this week so Leo can talk to Santa.  He keeps saying he's going to ask Santa for a cyber truck and I sure hope he sticks with that plan.  Stay tuned for a Leo + Santa pic.

9. I completely cringe when I see teachers online listing out all the things that they DO NOT want from their students for Christmas.  I think it's so rude.  Their lists usually say - NO MORE coffee cups, candles, lotions, homemade treats, etc.  I think it's totally fine for teachers to have wish lists or favorite lists to share with their classes.  It just doesn't sit right with me to make fun of gift options that their students might gift them for Christmas.

10. I know the elf on the shelf gets a bad wrap, but I love it!  Our elves are cute and fun and all 3 of our kids wake up excited to see what the elves are up to each day.  I try to keep it simple on school days and do more ellaborate things on the weekend.

That's all for now!  Thanks for chatting :)

August Coffee Chat

I hope you had a nice weekend.  Ours was a good mix of busy, productive and restful.  I'm ready for the week and am really excited for the upcoming long weekend.

Grab your favorite coffee and let's chat!

1. Some mornings Fletcher wakes up before me and surprises me by being my barista.  He's figured out the perfect mix of iced coffee + mocha creamer.  He'll mix the liquids and then proudly tell me to just add ice when I wake up.  He's the sweetest, most thoughtful guy.  He also wakes up extra early on school days to make sure he gets to be up with me as long as possible before I head to work.

2. We're trying to figure out a new grocery shopping routine since I'm back to work.  I tried doing grocery pick up after work and that was terrible.  I wasn't in the mood to wait for groceries, it took forever and then I had to unload and put away groceries at dinner time.  The past week or so we have been doing Saturday morning grocery pick up or Sams shopping.  That's been much better.  The kids LOVE to stroll through Sams and eat samples while picking out food for the week.  We're going through tons of food with all the lunches, snacks and dinners we're making so it seems like grocery shopping every Saturday might just be our new thing.

3. I have loved shopping for teacher clothes again!  It's been my favorite to find cute things to wear that work for a day in the classroom of sitting, standing, recess duty, at my desk, on the floor and everywhere in between.  Stay turned for some fun outfit posts coming up.  I leave before 7am so I'm still working on figuring out the best time to grab outfit pictures.

4. We went to a dinner party on Saturday night and the menu was Greek food.  I was not excited about it and I ended up loving the meal so much.  I promptly came home and pinned lots of Greek recipes.  Do you cook Greek food very often??  It was so healthy and fresh!  I hope my kids enjoy the Greek bowls I'm dreaming of making for dinner.

5. This life long night owl is struggling with the 5:30am alarms I have to set on work days.  I am working on earlier bedtimes, but there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day.  I am also trying to delegate at work and at home to make sure I'm taking care of myself.

6. Are you excited about football season??  Notre Dame's first game is this weekend and we are so excited.  My kids can't wait for the first chili of the season, have big hopes of football appetizers on Saturdays and I'm ready for cooler Fall weather.

7. We got a new patio door installed recently after years of fighting with our builder about it.  We're hoping and praying our pretty new door doesn't leak like our last one did.  New build tip - document everything and every issue.  Take pictures.  Write down dates.  And fight, fight, fight if something isn't right.  Whew.  We're tired of talking about our door and I'm so thankful that Kevin stayed on top of that repair project.  I'm also thankful that my dad could supervise the door install because it's hard to take care of every single thing when both parents are working.  

8. I have a challenge for you - write a thank you note/text/email to someone this week!  I have received some sweet emails from parents since school started and they have made my days.  It feels so good to hear what my students are loving about school and what parents appreciate about our classroom.  It's free to say a big thank you to your favorite teacher, a friend or family memeber who has done something sweet for you lately.

Thanks for listening!  Let's chat in the comments.

June Coffee Chat

Happy Friday, Friends!  I've got a coffee chat post for you today instead of my usual favorites.  Grab your favorite breakfast and et's chat about all the things!  Pearl will be joining us today :)

1. What's your go to mosquito repellent?  For people and patios?  Two of my kids are delicious to mosquitos and I hate that for them.  I picked up some bracelets for them to try at Home Depot.  I've always wondered about those stickers you can put on their clothes.

2. I need a few new Summer dresses.  Where is your go to spot to find something pretty, colorful, floral, fun and light weight.  Also, not super short.  The last few dresses I've tried were SHORT or super low cut.

3. I have been loving reading Emily Henry's books this Summer.  First I read Happy Place.  Then I read Book Lovers and now I'm moving onto The People We Meet on Vacation.  The characters are all so interesting and each story feels familiar yet different.  You will come to expect happy endings (which I love!), but there are a lot of twists and turns along the way.  With a little bit of spice.

4. What is everyone grilling this Summer?  I love grilling season (Kevin does all the grilling) and am looking for some new protein options.

5. What shows are you watching?  Kevin and I started Into the Night - it's about a group of people who are on a plane together who are racing around the world to avoid being burned up by the sunlight.  It's been interesting and dramatic so far.  I'm watching The Parisian Agency's new seasons.  I listen to it in french and read the subtitles.  It's so interesting to see their exlusive properties all over the world plus I love their family business dynamics.

6. What are some things that are on your family's summer to do list?

7. I'm currently trying to schedule all the appointments for us.  I'm trying to get my new contact prescription just right which is annoying.  Hopefully I'll end up with new glasses and new contacts that I love.  Then it's onto pediatrician appointments, dentist appointments, etc.

8. I've got a great money saving tip for you - learn to do haircuts at home!!  Obviously, this won't work for everyone, but if you've got little boys or girls with long hair, there are tons of youtube videos out there to teach you.  Just buy a great set of clippers on Amazon and get started.  I've been cutting everyone's hair starting with Olive in 2013 and it's saved us so much money.  Boy hair grows so fast that it's awesome to be able to confidently take care of it at home.  Kevin's hair is the hardest, but I've figured it out.  And if someone gets a bad Summer haircut, your schedules are probably lighter and won't see all that many people.  Fun fact, Kevin has been trimming my hair since college so for probably 20 years.   

9. I'm doing a Jen Wilkin Bible study - Sermon on the Mount - with my small group this Summer.  Have you ever done one of her studies??  It's a combination of videos and homework throughout the week.  The kids come with the moms and they play while we do the Bible study.  I'm hoping to learn a lot.

10. Talk to me about your favorite screen free games to play as a family or for you kids to play.  My big kids love when I play Yahtzee with them and then we have a handful of other games.  We like doing puzzles together, but Leo is at a hard age for big puzzles to be fun.  The kids call him the enemy of all puzzles.

Thanks for chatting!

Happy Summer!

I'll be blogging as consistently as I can with my whole crew home this Summer!

May Coffee Chat

Happy May!  The year is flying by all of the sudden and it feels like Summer is almost here.  I've got a lot to get done around the house in the next 16 school days before the kids are home 24/7 for Summer break.  Grab a cup of coffee!  We've got lots to chat about today.

1. We're going to a Kentucky Derby party this weekend and I'm so excited!  It's a fancy one.  We have a babysitter for the kids.  Hats and dresses required.  I can't wait to tell you all about it.

2. I have the best system for returns to share with you.  Keep all of your returns in the front seat of your car.  Keep the receipt with them and then when you find yourself near those stores you can return the items.  I like to return items ASAP when I know they aren't going to work for us and this system helps ensure that I don't miss return windows and don't lose money.  I do the same thing with library books or items that need to be dropped off to friends.  My front seat is the perfect visual to do list.

3. I was so proud of tackling a project - organizing my bill pay binder.  I updated forms, cleared out the clutter and got everything organized.  I also apparently threw away last month's water bill without realizing it.  It's one of the only bills that I don't have on autopay.  I might need to update that ASAP.  I got a higher than usual bill this month and realized it never got paid last month.  I guess I was a little too ruthless in my decluttering efforts.  Whoops!

4. How's your Summer planning shaping up?  We have the kids signed up for one camp and have two trips on the calendar.  We're hoping to sneak in a beach trip maybe in June.  What's your favorite beach to visit?  Bonus points if it's within driving distance from Indiana.

5. It looks like we have another night owl on our hands.  Olive has always been a night owl like me and Leo seems to be following in our footsteps.  He's so sweet and snuggly late at night, but I'm ready for some quiet time when 10pm rolls around.

6. Have you planted your Summer flowers yet?  I'm tempted because it has been warm in the Midwest, but I usually wait until Mother's Day weekend.  I'm getting ferns, planting pots on my patio and I have a bunch of seeds to try growing this year.  We'll also plant our vegetable garden later this month.  

7. Family reading time.  Is this a thing?  We're trying to get into a good rhythm of reading with the kids or idependent reading time.  I know it'll take some practice to make it a habit, but I'd love for this to be something we all do after dinner.  Or all do in the afternoon during the Summer.  Stay tuned.

8. I ordered some lighter wash, boyfriend fit jeans from Old Navy and I'm hoping they'll be perfect for Summer.  I ordered my favorite Sofia Vergara jeans from Walmart in a lighter wash and a looser fit, but I was so disappointed that all of the distressing was at the top of the jeans meaning that underwear was visible.  Ewww!  I'm hoping Old Navy will come through for me.

9. I read an interesting hair tip recently: If you are struggling with oily hair very quickly after washing it, make sure you are blow drying your hair.  It helps the scalp dry better and keeps your hair cleaner.  It's working!

10. Do you have any flowering bushes that you love in your landscaping?  I'm thinking of spending my plant budget on some flowering shrubs that I could enjoy and also cut from throughout the Summer.  I've had Limelight Hydrangeas before and Butterfly bushes at our last house.  Comment with your favorite flowering bushes for my full sun yard.

11. I washed all the kid's coats and cold weather gear yesterday.  What are the chances that it'll get cold again or that we'll get some Midwest snow in May?

12. Olive's birthday is coming up!  She'll be 11 at the end of the month.  What are your best gift ideas for an 11 year old girl??

Let's chat in the comments!

February Coffee Chat

Hey friends!  We have lots to chat about today.  They were calling for big storms to roll through the Midwest last night so I hope you're all safe and sound this morning.  The last time we had big storms at night, my kids slept through everything while Kevin and I (and the cats!) kept on eye on everything.

I love that these coffee chat posts are my most read and most commented posts each month!  I love chatting with you about all the random things that are on my mind!

Grab your coffee and let's get started!

1. What clothes or accessories are on your radar for Spring?  I'm hoping to find some boyfriend type jeans for myself and for Olive.  Thoughts and prayers for any tween jean shopping endeavors.  New swim suits for the kids who grow like crazy from season to season.  And then I have a hard time saying no to spring florals - cardigans, dresses and blouses.  I'd love to find a quirky mixed pattern fabric blouse somehwere that's less than the $120 Anthro one that I have been swooning over.  Oh and I need a fresh pair of Birkenstocks for warm weather.

2. We are currently watching and loving - Chicago Fire, Only Murders in the Building and Abbott Elementary.  We love them all.  It's hard to get out for a date night so we really love watching shows together in the evenings with a fun treat.  Have you watched the whole Chicago series??  We have only watched Chicago Fire.  I'm worried to watch any others because could they really be as good as Chicago Fire?  I'm skeptical.

3. We're gearing up for birthday sesason at our house.  We've got kids with March, April and May birthdays so it's lots of fun and work to make their birthdays magical.  The kids are excited to start thinking about parties, decorations, menus and gift ideas.

4. What are you putting in your kid's Easter baskets this year?  We are going to be out of town for Easter.  It's a busy week - Spring Break, Fletcher's birthday and Easter so I'm planning ahead to make Easter special when we're out of town.  Stay tuned for an Easter basket round up.  I always go for a mix of practical and fun + Easter candy.

5. Do you have an outdoor couch set that you love?  Bonus points if it's very low maintenance, can handle full sun, maybe no cushions and isn't a million dollars.  My patio thanks you!

6. I've been painting my nails more lately and really enjoying having pretty nails.  Olive and June polish + top coat are my favorite combo.  It isn't perfect, but I find it to be more long lasting than anything else.  It is amazing for pedicures and pretty fabulous for manicures.  Do you have a polish combo that you swear by?

7. I don't love decorating for the holidays like I used to.  I have paired down my decorations and still have a couple of Spring bins missing from our move.  Don't ask me how decor bins could be lost durnig a 2 hour move, but somehow I have about 3-4 holiday bins that are MIA.  I'm hoping they're in our garage storage and not lost forever.  Anyways, I love to decorate my mantel, my front porch, have holiday napkins and a holiday table, plan holiday food and share holiday treats.  But gone are the days of decorating many rooms or many surfaces for holidays throughout the year.

8. Kevin surprised me with a new computer!  It's so fast and nice.  I just need to spend some time transferring over important things and writing down all my logged in information.  He surprised me with setting it up one evening while I was gone and wasn't able to mentally prepare for my computer to be gone.  All you Type As and planners get it.  Change isn't easy, even when it's a good thing!  I'm sure I will be up and running with my new computer in no time.  I will say - it is nice to have a fully functioning keyboard with the letter H key intact!

9. We have two upcoming house projects that need to be taken care of and I'm kind of dreading it.  It's two things that our builder was supposed to fix long ago and is now being forced to address.  Both need to happen, but I hate conflict and hate awkward situations.  Wish us luck!

10. If you need a good, drug store waterproof mascara, I've got the perfect one for you.  It does not budge.  No fall out.  No running.  It wears really well and my Wal-Mart carries it for anywhere from $2.98-8.98.  I love adding it to my grocery pick up order.  When I see it listed for $2.98, I stock up!!  It's only $3.28 on Amazon right now with almost 9k reviews!  You've got to try it if you like to wear or need to wear waterproof mascara.  

Wet N Wild Waterproof Mascara

What's new with you??  Let's chat in the comments!

January Coffee Chat

Hi Friends!  We have lots to catch up on today.  Grab your coffee and let's chat!

1. I have a stay at home date night tip for you.  Hiring a babysitter and going out to eat or to an event is expensive.  So we've been changing it up.  We order Door Dash dinner from a nicer restaurant (Wasabi if you're local), eat at home and then watch a show together (still watching and LOVING Chicago Fire) after the kids go to bed.  It's not quite as much fun as a date night, but it still feels like a treat.  We also like to head out to our backyard fire pit after the kids go to bed and chat.  We haven't done that in a bit because it's been so cold and icy.

2. I'm feeling ahead of the game for Valentine's Day.  I ordered a small little something for each of the kids on Amazon and ordered our Valentine candy with my grocery pick up order yesterday.  I also grabbed Kevin's card last week.  Now I put it all in my holiday basket in my closet so when February 13th rolls around I won't have to scramble to get everyone's gifts ready.  We also ordered Fletcher's class valentine's on Amazon and I'll be sure to share them if they work out like we hope they do.

3. Fletcher stayed home yesterday with a stomach ache.  That doesn't happen very often so he tagged along for our Monday grocery pick up, rested and we went through the Tropical Smoothie drive thru to get him a little smoothie treat.  We had to postpone some plans with friends, but I'm thankful I'm home and that it's not a big deal to clear our day to take care of him.

4. I just finished reading Heirloom Homes by Erin Napier.  I really loved their first book - Make Something Good Today.  And I would say that I enjoyed Heirloom Homes, but I didn't love it.  It was a quick read with beautiful pictures, but I was expecting something different.  I thought it would be more of Erin telling HOW TO design heirloom rooms in your own home.  Instead it was more of a collaborative book of 20+ people all over the country and Erin sharing special rooms in their own homes.  It was good, but not exactly what I was hoping for.  What are you currently reading?

5. The kids and I are reading The Wild Robot Protects at bedtime.  It's the 3rd book in the Wild Robot series and we have loved all of the books so far.  I read 1-2 chapters a night and I love that the book comes up in conversation throughout our days.

6. I'm trying something new in February.  I'm going to schedule each of the kids a week to help me in the kitchen.  Olive will help me with the first week because she's the first child.  Then Fletcher and Leo.  The last week of the month will just be our usual mom's in charge of dinner routine.  They will help me set the menu for the week, help me cook dinner and set the table and help me with dishes.  That way they'll each get practice doing those skills, but don't have the chore of doing it all month long.  Wish us luck!!

7. Where are your favorite places to buy kid swim suits?  Boys and tweens, please.  Target and Walmart have been good options for us in the past, but I haven't loved them recently.  I'm trying to think ahead so I'm ready with swim stuff for Spring Break.

8. Who are you cheering for in the NFL for the playoffs and Super Bowl?  The games have all been pretty exciting so far.  I'm already dreaming up a delicious appetizer menu for Super Bowl Sunday.

9. Did you see my unpopular opinion on Instagram this week?  I said that I LOVE WINTER!  What's an unpopular opinion that you have right now? I also don't have a Stanley cup to drink out of, no super wide leg jeans and I don't love the super dainty jewelry that seems popular right now.  Give me a stack of bracelets or statement earrings any day.

10. My kids are currently begging for another pet.  Hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, kitten, etc.  No dog requests because we aren't a dog family, but you'd think our 3 cats didn't count as pets.  I'm holding strong and saying that we really do not need another mouth to feed.

11. I'm feeling extra productive for tackling projects that I've been putting off - cleaning our white couch, signing up to bring a family from school dinner, decluttering our toys, scheduling appointments, etc.  Now if I could just tackle my list of phone calls I need to make.  My house never feels quiet enough to make phone calls.  Do you put off making phone calls?

12. Fun Fact - My most complimented outfits and clothes usually come from Walmart.  I have found the cutest things from the Time and Tru clothing line - jackets, tops, sweaters and dresses.  I've found great jeans and a pretty dress or two from other Wal-Mart brands.  But it makes me laugh because these clothes are so affordable - often under $20 - and I've worked hard to find styles and colors that look best on me.  So if you aren't shopping Wal-Mart's clothing department (especially the Time and Tru line for women and Wonder Nation brand for kids) you should check it out ASAP!

13. I have a show to recommend - You vs Wild.  Fletcher found it for us and we all had fun watching it.  This man goes on adventures and gives you options to click to help out his mission.  Should he repel down a clif or slide down the waterfall?  Should he make a snow shelter or sleep in a cave?  You click your remote to choose the options and it was so entertaining.  We wish there were more seasons!

14. What do you put on your front door for January and February?  I have a giant snowflake that I found at HomeGoods and I love it. 

Let's chat in the comments! 

Halloween Coffee Chat

Happy Halloween!  I hope you have a fun and festive day with your favorite people.  My kids have fun things going on at school and cannot wait to trick or treat our neighborhood tonight.  Their costumes are so cute.  I can't wait to show them to you!

If we were grabbing coffee and a treat today, these are all the things I'd chat with you about:

 

1. Date night gone wrong.  We went to all the lengths to book our go to babysitter for Friday.  I planned the evening for a long awaited date night.  I made dinner for the kids and Kevin and I were so excited.  Our babysitter came, we hurried to get a few things done before dinner and walk around campus to enjoy the pretty leaves and then the babysitter called us home about an hour later.  Darn it!  We were just pulling into our dinner spot.  Leo wasn't feeling well and we needed to come home.  We grabbed Qdoba to bring home and made the most of our one hour date.  I know all parents out there feel the pain of a cancelled date night, but gosh, we were bummed.  We came home, ate our dinner, got the kids to bed and then watched some Chicago Fire together.  We're hoping to reschedule soon!

2. What are you watching right now?  I watched all the football documentaries - Quarterbacks, Kelce and we're loving Chicago Fire.  We're 4 seasons in and totally obsessed.  I'm curious to see if it can keep our interest for 11 seasons.

3. Preteen/Tween Moms - what are your kid's favorite shows or movies?  It's getting trickier to find shows that both Olive and Fletcher are excited about.  They both still like to watch Bunked and movies like Mega Mind.  We have watched Family Matters, Step by Step, Full House and Home Improvement as a family and those were all hits.

4. I'm on the hunt for some new shoes this season.  Cute tennis shoes, loafers, dressy mary janes and such.  Do you have a favorite spot to find shoes?  I struck out at Marshalls this past week which was disappointing because that's my go to for higher end shoes for a deal.

5. Where do you print your Christmas cards?  I used to always do photo cards from Sams because they were so affordable.  Then they messed up my order a year or two in a row.  I tried Walgreens last year and was pretty happy with their card stock cards.  I just had have them reprinted when the first batch had a big line through them.  I don't want to spend a ton per card because I send out a lot of cards.  Send me all your recommendations.

6. Do you have a great apple cider donut or bread recipe?  I'm hoping to find a really delicious one to try to make with some of our Wisconsin apple cider.

7. I can't wait to change all of our sheets to holiday sheets at the end of the week!  I always put winter/Christmas sheets on all of our beds around November 1st.  I do it while the kids are at school so they hop into bed to a festive surprise.

8. Fletcher is really into fossils.  Do you have any fun fossil books/toys to recommend?

9. I recently got to try Magic Spoon cereal.  It had been on my radar as a protein packed meal/snack option that I wanted to try.  It's about $10 a box and it's disgusting.  I have never tasted anything like it.  Picture eating the peanut butter cereal only to find out that it tastes like gritty peanut butter packing peanuts. I was so disappointed after seeing so many people promoting it.

10. Do you make your kids make their beds every day?

 

11. I just restarted my thankful journal.  I write one thing I'm thankful for that happened that day.  I got away from doing this because I kept forgetting about it.  I made one change and it's made all the difference.  I keep it in my van now and I jot down one thankful thing each day while I'm waiting in the pick up line for school.  It's been such a good routine!

 

12. I've been decluttering and purging things like crazy.  I just switched my closet over to Fall/Winter and got rid of a big bag of clothes that I don't wear anymore.  I put all the thick sweaters that I never reach for or the items that I always pass up when I'm getting dressed in a bag to consign.  It feels so good to see my closets have breathing room.  I've got a long way to go to get all of our spaces done, but working on this project every single week has been so good for us.  This is my nudge to you to get rid of end of the season Summer things that you never wore or to focus on the next season and get rid of any Fall clothes you aren't excited about wearing!  

Thanks for listening!  Chat with me in the comments!

July Coffee Chat

Hey Friends! I wanted to wrap up July with a coffee chat.  It's hard to believe that August is almost here and that the kids start school on the 7th.  Only iced coffee and maybe a breakfast sandwich will do when it's this hot out.  We're melting in the Midwest.

1. Olive loves getting solo time with me or Kevin.  This past weekend she planned out a fun outing for us.  She needed new tennis shoes for school and then we came up with a to do list together.  We hit all our favorite spots (Academy, Marshalls, Consignment shop & HomeGoods) with a stop for lunch in the middle at Jason's Deli.  We chatted and had a great time.  We also checked in with the boys and brought a little something back for them.

2. Fletcher and Leo moved into their shared room officially this week.  They were both so excited, but we're struggling a bit to get everyone to sleep through the night in their new spots.  I know they will settle into their rooms, but I'm tired from all the middle of the night wake ups.

3. Our garden is doing well!  I bought the wrong tomatoes that vined instead of grew tall.  They weren't doing well so we pulled them up and replaced them.  It thrills me so much to go out and cut fresh herbs from my herb garden and harvest veggies from our vegetable garden.  Thankfully Kevin waters everything every day and we have all been working hard to help things grow.

4. We're hosting a big work dinner party at our house in late August for Kevin's coworkers to celebrate some new hires.  It'll be our biggest party of new friends at our house so I'm working hard to make sure everything is just right.  I found these pretty butterfly napkins and am working on the menu, the flowers, the seating and praying for perfect weather that evening.  HomeGoods has the best napkin selection.  I'd love any extra happy thoughts and prayers for this dinner the last weekend in August.

5. This is our last full week of Summer so that means that we are in full back to school prep mode.  We've gotten the new tennis shoes, the new clothes, ordered supply boxes, refreshed lunch packing supplies and have an open house to go to later this week.  I need to give everyone haircuts this week and then I think we are set.  The kids go to an amazing school and we are so excited for all of the opportunities they will have this year.  Fletcher is going into 2nd grade and Olive is starting 5th grade.  Leo is just 3 so he and I will be enjoying another year home together before he goes to PreK.

6. Olive woke up one day and decided she loves STITCH.  She's Stitch obsessed and it's really sweet.  We had never really paid much attention to the movies so she's having us catch up on the movies and the shows.

7. Have you purchased outdoor lights for your garage or light pole?  I'm in the market for new outdoor lights, but the options online and in stores like Menards are overwhelming.  Send me all your links, brands or favorite store tips.

8. Do you have a favorite night time/sleep bra?  Send me all your recommendations because mine could use an update.

9. Do you aerate your own lawns?  Kevin's wanting to get ours aerated and we'd appreciate your tips.

10. I exercised 29times this month and I'm so proud of myself!  I added it to my daily to do list.  It was a priority and I figured out a way to exercise with the kids home.  Yay!  I have some good momentum going into August.  I give all the credit to our new treadmill.  It's so easy and convenient to exercise quickly during the day.

Thanks for listening!  I'd love to chat with you in the comments.

Vacation Coffee Chat

Hey friends!  If we were on vacation in Destin together, I would have loved to meet you for breakfast at The Donut Hole.  We love their donuts and one day when the kids are older we'd like to try going out for breakfast.  That just doesn't sound fun right now.  I've got lots of vacation topics to chat with you about today.  Grab your iced coffee and let's chat.

 

1 // Donut Hole Donuts - if you ever find yourself near Destin, Florida, you have got to try these donuts.  We love the angel donuts with the pretty icing on the left.  Kevin loves the white and I prefer the chocolate.  Their glazed are yummy along with their chocolate icing, cake and bavarian cream donuts.  They are all so good.

2 // Mesh Zipper Bags.  You know that I love these bags so much.  I've used them for over a year and they help keep everything from snacks to art supplies to toiletries organized.  This trip I packed a little differently.  I dedicated a bag for each type of toiletry.  A bag of all of our tooth care supplies.  A shower bag.  A make up bag.  A sunscreen bag.  This was much better than trying to do kids bags and adult bags.  I just organized all of it in my toiletry bag and this system worked great.

Here's my Amazon link to these amazing bags!!  The set of 24 is on sale with a coupon you can clip.

3 // One on one time.  Leo requires a lot of attention all of his waking hours these days.  Mostly trying to keep him safe and entertained.  Olive is very understanding, but loves when we can find moments to give her some extra attention.  One evening we went for a walk around the property where we were staying.  We admired the flowers.  Laughed at the tiny palm trees and enjoyed the pastel skies at sunset.  We both agreed that we'd bring our walking shoes on our next vacation and sneak out for walks like this again.

4 // Whataburger.  We'd been eager to try this restaurant for the first time since it was close to our resort.  We got it on our last night and it was a mistake.  Most of us got burgers and Fletcher got a grilled cheese kids meal.  The rest of us felt varying degrees of sick afterwards.  Fletch was fine and he got a cookie with his meal.  Olive and I recovered okay and Kevin had a pretty miserable next day.  We say avoid Whataburger and stick with Freddys or Culvers if you're in the mood for a burger.

5 // If you are vacationing with little ones - plan ahead and eat in the room or on your property as much as you can.  We got groceries to eat breakfast and lunch in the condo and then got take out most nights for dinner.  It was much more relaxing than loading up the crew, waiting for a table at all the busy restaurants and then waiting for food.  None of that sounds fun with little kids in the heat.

6 // If you've got older kids, ask them to snap your picture!  It worked out great :)  Also, rent chairs and umbrellas if you're staying for the week.  It's so nice to just walk down to everything set up instead of having to trek all the way down to find a spot with all of your gear and then having to set it up.  It felt like a real treat to not have to lug all of that down with us each time we went to the ocean.

7 // If you love gummies and Jolly Ranchers, you've got to try this combo.  These gummies were so good.

8 // The key to keeping everyone happy at the ocean is snacks and cold drinks.  We packed cans of lemonade, local beer and ice cold Capri Suns.  Then we did individual bags of Gardettos and Goldfish for the kids.  They work better than full size bags at the beach because they stay fresh and it's not a big deal if someone drops their little snack bag.

We bought these portable beach chairs last year when we flew to Ft Myers for vacation.  They are so comfy and so each to carry.  The kids and adults love them.  We rented beach chairs and brought our set of these chairs for everyone to share.  They fit inside a big suitcase if you're flying and are so easy to travel with on road trips.  This is our second summer using them and they still look brand new! 

9 // I love crab cakes!!  I got these at Pompeno Joes and we also love the crab cakes at Tommy Bahama.  Stay tuned for a Destin Restaurant Round Up post coming soon!

10 // We always try to give ourselves plenty of down time in the condo.  The kid read, played on theri tablets, watched shows, played games and did art.  One evening we all piled in bed and watched a chipmunks movie.  The adults watched Where the Crawdad's Sing and we all loved it!  I'm reading the book now.

11 // We had great luck shopping at the local outlet mall.  We found great new shoes at the Crocs store.  I found the cutest jean jacket at GAP and the kids each picked out a new t-shirt.

12 // Not everything goes as planned on vacation, but we did our best to roll with it.  Let me explain.  We arrived at our hotel halfway to Destin and were surprised to find it under construction.  The halls were a total construction dust mess.  Thankfully the room was okay and it was just for one night.  Leo was up really early so we just got back on the road early.

Kevin got food poisioning from Whataburger and felt awful on our drive home.  I drove us for several hours while he was trying to survive.  The kids were great travelers (even though they sang at the top of their lungs, yelled for foot rubs and had some sketchy bathroom stops along the way).

I misplaced Leo's puddle jumper on our first day in Florida.  Whoops.  I was really bummed because I had just purchased it for this season and he had only worn it a few times.  Lucikly, Kevin found it in the van when we'd run down to grab something on the way to the ocean.  I must have set it down without thinking.

We ended the trip with two days of double red flags (no one allowed in the ocean) and we still had fun.  The waves were wild so we just walked the shore line, found a couple of crabs, built sand castles, lounged and swam in the pools.

Thanks for chatting with me!

May Coffee Chat

Good morning!  I hope you had a really nice weekend.  We worked on some stuff around the house and had a few activities at church.  The weather was so nice which just makes everything a little better.  If we were sitting down for coffee today, I'd share an Oatmeal Hershey Chocolate Chip Cookie and an iced coffee with you.  And these are all of the things I'd run by you:

 

1 // Toddlers are wild.  Exciting and Exhausting.  

Leo and I met some friends for a play date last week and I left in tears.  Let me explain.  Ever since he turned three, he's been having lots of big feelings about everything.  He wants everything to go his way (who doesn't though!?) and cannot be reasoned with when he gets upset.  Then he's totally fine a few minutes later.  It feels exhausting for both of us.  

We were playing at one of our favorite spots and having fun until I spot Leo tight rope walking on the outside of the railing of a platform that is about 6ft off the ground.  The kids are supposed to climb the ladder on one side and go down the slide on the other side.  Simple.  Unless you're super agile, super strong and a great climber.  Then you realize that you can climb a whole new area.

I ruined his fun in the name of not breaking any bones or getting hurt and he was so mad.  He threw the biggest fit that felt like it lasted for hours.  In reality it was probably less than 10 minutes.  It was exhausting for both of us.  He recovered and played, but we were both on edge.  We stayed an played and then headed home for lunch feeling more frazzled than when we arrived.  Our friends were sweet and it was all fine-ish.  He told me "that was so fun!" as I buckled him in his car seat.

We load up and get the snacks flowing and then a stranger mom flags me down.  I recognized her from the play place and rolled down my window assuming I'd forgotten something.  She said, "I hope you don't think this is too odd.  I just felt like I had to come and  tell you that you are a good mom.  I know that was hard in there, but you handled it perfectly and you're doing a great job.  Keep it up and have a great day!" 

I'm not a burst into tears kind of girl, but I totally burst into tears.  

I thanked her for her kind and encouraging words and told her that I appreciated them so much.

All that to say - if you're in the toddler years or even the teenage years - and you have a hard day, you're still a good mom and you're doing a great job!  This encounter was a really sweet reminder to me that compliments and kind words matter regardless of how old you are.

2 // We finally started watching TED LASSO and we are OBSESSED.  Neither of us like soccer and still love the show.  We went to a couple of professional soccer games when we lived in Salt Lake City.  They're wild and the fans are super into the games.  So even with our limited soccer knowledge, we are hooked on the show.  Have you seen it??  No spoilers - we're just in the middle of Season 1.  We got Apple TV for one month to watch it.  We love the characters and the story line so far in season one and we both can't wait for the end of the day when we can watch an episode or two together.  There is spicy language and it's definitely not a family friendly show to watch with the kids. It perfect for adults only stay at home date nights.

 

3 // Do you ever hit a streak and you feel like everything at your house is breaking?? 

We had to get a new dryer.  Ours died after 8ish years and 3 moves.  It's so nice to have a quiet, efficient dryer again.  We'd highly recommend Lowes for well stocked dryers and a fast delivery and install.  Kevin ordered everything online (and of course stacked some coupon deals) and they arrived promptly at the beginning of their delivery window.  Install and removal only took maybe 15 minutes.

We also had to get a new push mower.  That was also probably 7-8 years old and an important part (don't ask me which one) snapped while Kevin was mowing.  Kevin picked out a new electric push mower.  He says it was much cheaper than a gas mower and he's happy with it.  It's no fun to spend money on stuff like dryers and mowers.  Yuck!

 

4 // I'm currently reading The Penderwicks; A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeannne Birdsall.  It's cute an fun and both kids are enjoying it.

5 // Something is nibbling on our lettuce in our garden.  We think it's bunnies because we've seen a few hopping through our yard.  Kevin bought a fake snake (that scares me every time I check on the garden) to see if that would keep the bunnies away.  He read that bunnies will dig under fences unless they're buried several inches deep so we may need to get a cage for our lettuce.  Or do you have any other bunny/garden advice??

 

6 // The big kids are done with school on Wednesday.  They're excited for the last few days of school and eager to find out who their teachers are.  Both kids have made some good friends this year and are hopeful to be in their classes next year.

7 // I spent a good chunk of time reorganizing, purging and tidying up my closet for Summer.  I took a big bag of things to the consignment shop and only kept things that I love.  It feels good to see my closet organized and ready for a new season.

8 // Olive turns 10 at the end of the month!!  I can hardly believe it.  We are working hard to plan some special surprises for her and all the birthday festivities she can handle.  It should be such a fun kick off to Summer.

9 // Kevin picked up a bottle of pink moscato for me to try and it's so good!  Sweet, but not too sweet.  If you are a moscato fan, I'd recommend the Barefoot Pink Moscato.

 

10 // Last thing - have you ever tried the DIY eye lash kits??  The ones that you apply in tiny little sections and then they last for days with just a few touch ups?  I'm so intrigued.  I have never worn fake lashes, but the idea of having your lashes done and looking luscious (not super thick or super heavy) is appealing to me.

Let's chat in the comments!!  I'd love to hear your advice and opinions.

April Coffee Chat

Good morning!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend!  We flew kites, read good books and had a nice relaxing few days at home.  I wish I could meet you all for a coffee date this morning.  I'd grab an iced coffee and a breakfast sandwich.  Here's a list of all the things I'd love to chat with you about:

 

1 // Summer break starts in exactly one month for my kids!  Wowza.  I love Summer and I'm gearing up for a good summer routine with the kids home.  But being totally honest - it's always a bit of a shock to my regular routine with Leo to add in two big kids that wake up and want to know WHAT IS THE PLAN for today!  They've got art camp on the agenda.  I'm trying to talk them into VBS.  We've got a trip or two on our radar and I ordered some Summer workbooks for them.  We've got a lot of school fun to pack into these next few weeks - Spring Parties, Teacher Appreciation, Field trips, Field Days and more.

2 // I've been taking a variety of supplements (hello life in your 40s) and my nails are growing like crazy!  My nails never grow so this was an exciting surprise.  Now I just need to work on getting them stronger.  Do you have any product tips for that?

3 // I started watching The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and I'm intrigued.  It's spicer than I was expecting - but I adore the 1950s fashion, Miriam Maisel and the interesting life she leads.  Have you seen it?

4 // Olive is requesting some wallpaper in her new room.  Do you have any favorite peel and stick brands I should check out?  Bonus points if they've got a cute mushroom option and would be easy to install for a wallpaper novice.

5 // I'm excited about my menu for the week:

Grilled chicken salads

Taco Night

Chicken sausage & wild rice

Roast & veggies

French Dip Sandwiches

and I'm making a new pasta salad recipe for myself for lunches this week!

6 // I rarely meet other Whitneys, but these past few weeks I met two new Whitneys.

7 // Olive turns 10 next month and she's excited to talk about birthdays, her wish lists and ideas she has to celebrate this fun milestone.  We've been talking about a friend party, but she's thinking she might just want to plan some fun things to do with one of her good friends.  She gets to pick and I'm happy to help her plan!

8 // We are just barely starting the potty training conversation over here with Leo.  He thinks sitting on the potty is a really fun game, but he's not so sure that he has any need for the potty.  I'm hoping some potty books might help him be a little more interested.  He just turned 3 and isn't showing tons of signs of being ready.  So we're just being low key about the whole thing.  My mom always swears that I was potty trained at 18 months.  Maybe I should just put Mimi in charge of potty training Leo??

9 // I am really excited to go planting shopping for Mother's Day!  It's my favorite tradition to do with my kids - we shop and fill all my pots.  The weather is usually too unpredictable in Indiana until May so I'm ignoring all the garden sections until May arrives.  I might sneak in some fern shopping for my porch before then, but no flowers here until May.

10 // Have you ever heard of Miss Mouth's Mess Eater Stain Treater?

I've seen it promoted on social media as an amazing stain remover - will literally get out any stain from kid clothes so I had to see what all of the hype was about.  I grabbed a two pack and I'm here to confirm that it is AMAZING stuff.  Why did I wait so long to try it??  I've used it on my tops, Leo's clothes and my carpet.  I don't know how it works, but it is magic.  It has gotten out food stains, ice cream stains, pet stains and mystery stains.  I can't recommend it enough.  I have the spray bottles and the wipes are on my wish list.  

Here's my Amazon links for it.  There are 22k reviews for this magic stuff!

 

Thanks for listening!  Chat with me in the comments :)

March Coffee Chat

Good morning, friends!  I hope your week is off to a sunny start!  I loved hearing that you really enjoyed my monthly coffee chat posts so here we go.  I wish I could have you over for coffee and some freshly baked chocolate zucchini bread mini bundt cakes this morning.  My kids have been begging me to make it for weeks.  Here's the run down of everything I'd love to chat with you about today.

 

1 // Kevin and I finished watching Friday Night Lights this week and I'm sad it's over.  Texas forever.  I didn't love the last season and wasn't so sure about how all the story lines played out, but it was nice to end with everyone smiling with happy prospects for the future.  I'm still mad about Tim going to prison, the big move to the east coast, the engagement, the twins and the rings!  What a wild ride.  We both really enjoyed watching this series together.  10/10 if you love good story lines + football.

Do you have a series recommendation for what we should watch next?

We have watched Friday Night Lights, Longmire, Schitts Creek, Abbott Elementary and both approved.

2 // I'm collecting things for Easter baskets while also collecting this for the boy's birthday party at the end of the month.  They're having a birthday fiesta.  Do you want to see a sneak peek of their invitation - Fiesta Fletcher and a Three-esta for Leo??  I had so much fun making and texting out their invitation!

3 // Have you ever planted a little herb garden in pots?  I'm thinking I'd love to have fresh herbs on my patio this Summer.  I would love green onions/chives, basil, dill, thyme, rosemary, mint, etc.  Would that work to do in pots??

4 // Do you follow Kate Lewis @kateonthedaily on instagram??  She's wonderful.  I adore her Southern style so much.  Her accent is wonderful and she's got the best tips on hosting and event planning.  She wears a neck scarf better than most and her accessories are always dreamy.  Go check her out!  She's also got chickens, is very real and I love when her husband shows up on her stories.

5 // Have you tried the Garden Salsa Sun Chips?  I could polish off one bag in no time.  Same with several other people in my house.

6 // Did you follow the Murdaugh trial??  Prominent, very powerful local attorney Alex Murdaugh was on trial for killing his wife and youngest son and also has several ongoing investigations into him stealing money ($10+ million!!) from former clients. I watched both documentaries - Netflix and HBO - on the Murdaugh family and their story is WILD.  Their family has been the most powerful family in their area of South Carolina for 100+ years.  It was sad to hear the community come forward with stories of mistreated and even murdered by the Murdaughs.  Kevin might tell you that it's disturbing that I love these real life murder mysteries, but they're just so interesting to me.

7 // I'm in the middle of organizing the kid's closets for Spring/Summer.  It's always a huge task because the kids grow so much from year to year that they outgrow nearly everything from the previous year.  Some of my kids are easier to please than others in the clothing department which means the front seat of my van has a whole stack of rejected clothing items to be returned.  I've saved Fletcher's clothes to pass down to Leo and I'm going to work on selling Olive's outgrown items.

8 // Have you listened to Morgan Wallen's new album??  It's long, but there are some great songs on it!  I loved that he did a free concert to celebrate the release in Nashville and at his hometown high school.

9 // Back to birthdays - what gift ideas do you have for a 3 year old boy and a 7 year old boy??  One of the boys has been curating his Amazon wish lists for most of 2023.  He's got no shortage of gift ideas for himself and his love for list making makes me smile.

10 // Do you organize your week around trash day?  Our trash day is tomorrow so every Wednesday I work extra hard to declutter, throw away things and get rid of junk.  It hurts my heart if trash day rolls around and I haven't filled up our trash cans.  Why is my brain like this??  Always working, always organizing and scheduling.  Kevin also thinks this is nuts.  It's a good thing he has me or else we'd be living amongst the land of piles :)

Thanks for listening!  I hope you have the best day :)  Chat back with me in the comments!