Never Stop READING

I'm kind of a teacher nerd at heart 

and LOVE these facts about the importance of reading.

 

via robertbrewer

Sugar & Spice of Every Day Life

If we met for breakfast,
these are the random stories about life at my house that I'd be telling you this morning:

+Sugar: We are finalizing all of the arrangements for where we are going to live in Mississippi and I can't wait to share all of the details with you once it's a "done deal".

-Spice: About once a week, I miss having long hair.  I loved wearing a top knot and having a pretty pony tail.  I appreciate how quickly I can do my hair now that I have a bob but my puny pony tail is not my favorite.  

+Sugar: I've been working hard on being more flexible with my day to day life and it's working!  I love having everything planned out to a T and being really in control of our schedule.  My husband is more flexible and easy going.  He likes to surprise me and pick up dinner on his way home from work, make last minute plans with friends and be more spontaneous.  So I've tried hard to say YES more and it's resulted in us getting to do fun things.  He's noticed and appreciated my efforts because he knows that's not my nature.  I'll still be making lists and stay organized BUT it's fun to change things up a bit.

- Spice: Running errands with a little one is h-a-r-d especially when it's hot/raining/humid out.  I tried to get some things done one day last week and my to do list involved: Walgreens, the library, get gas and Wal-Mart.  I did not remember asking for a super thunderstorm, crying baby, dirty diaper, crackers spilled everywhere in the backseat, get poked in the eye with an umbrella, getting soaked and carrying in groceries with a baby in one arm and heavy bags in the other.  I was thankful to make it home for nap time and recharge my battery because I was exhausted.  Note to self: avoid running errands in the rain if at all possible.  Sidenote: How do people get anything done with multiple little kids??? :)  I'm thinking super hero capes might be involved.

+Sugar: I get a smile on my face when I start thinking about fun plans for our summer - moving (well not so much the moving part but the settling into our new home part ), visiting family, meeting a new baby, seeing friends, heading to the beach and Kevin starting a new job.

-Spice: Olive has learned how to throw a tantrum.  I was hoping this milestone would stay away for a while longer but it is here to stay.  I was grocery shopping and she started trying to eat my grocery list she was holding.  I took it away and a mental meltdown ensued.  Luckily, she was able to recover within an aisle or two but I was embarrassed.  Guess it's time to get over myself and eat a piece of parenting humble pie.  Somewhat related: Maybe it's time to seriously think about an app on my phone for grocery lists??

+Sugar: Grilling season has arrived and my husband enjoys contributing to dinner with his grilling skills.  He does the main course and sometimes the veggies so dinner prep has gotten much easier for me.  Now I just need to try all of those grilling recipes I've been pinning this summer.

-Spice: Olive is obsessed with banging on the computer keyboard.  We put it up whenever we can but if she hears you type she comes "running".  Her message to you today:

,kfhmghgi,hm , kjmnmj nj nj mk nh  kj mkn  

nju vfdvfy mhnubg cgki vojih jugbtv4g hsn hui yui hnm

+Sugar: I got several tips about the best sprinkles to use for homemade funfetti cakes - the long skinny tubular kind apparently work best.  I'm anxious to try my recipes again and see if I can come up with a good funfetti cake.

-Spice: My summer shoes are "missing".  Well technically they are in the house somewhere BUT I can't find the box.  We don't live in a big place but I fear they are buried in the very back of one of our closets.  I keep looking in my closet hoping that they might magically appear.  No such luck :(

Hayden Reis Look Alike

I'm looking for an oversized beach bag

BUT

every bag that I've found on-line is pricey.

My budget is around $30.

I've found some on-line that I love 

but Hayden Reis is out of my price range... 

I just can't justify spending $150 on a beach bag.

 Hayden Reis Ditty Totes

They are really cute, can be monogrammed and I love the size & look

See what I mean??

via sweetsouthernprep

Have you seen anything similar in stores?

I want oversized, long handles, inside pockets and a cute bag.

Let me know because I'm on the hunt for one!!

Trend or Trash: Kimono

Have you spotted kimonos in the stores this season??

I've been seeing them all over blog land and in the stores.

They seem to be the summer cardigan of 2014.

What do you think?

Summer trend or trash??

The b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. Kim from Oh Sweet Joy

hitting the kimono trend out of the park!!!

Whitney Says:

I am a big fan of this flowy kimono trend.  I like the idea of florals and patterns in very light layers and the fringe is fun, too.  It seems to be a trend that would look great on all body types.  I have tried on several kiminos at TJ Maxx and they were all very awkwardly cut.  I tried on all sizes from small to XL but none of them were a flattering fit - too short, too boxy, etc.  I think a good kimono needs to be a little longish to help achieve the flowy look.  I will be on the hunt for a great kimono this season and will probably check out stores like F21 or Charlotte Russe to see if I can find an affordable option.  I do not want to make this an investment piece in my summer wardrobe, but I think it would be fun to find one for under $20 to change things up a bit.  Let me know if you've spotted any great ones.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Excited to get to spend Father's Day with you this year!!

You'll always be #1 in my books.

My mom helped us make this shirt for him when we were little 

and he still wears it on Father's Day!

Our hand prints are larger now but the sentiment is the same.

Happy Father's Day!!

I wanted to wish a BIG

Happy Father's Day

to my sweet husband!!

He's such a good Dad

and it's fun to see him grow into his role as a parent.

He's adorable with Olive,

is far sillier than me,

likes to play rough and tumble,

is her yes man,

makes all kinds of goofy noises for Olive to imitate,

loves her TONS,

and makes her laugh harder than anyone else.

They are lucky to have each other!

 They are pretty sweet together.

Perfect Portable Charger

I asked for recommendations for portable phone chargers months ago and I found a good one!!  I bought one for myself and one for my mom for Mother's Day

I found it on amazon for $20 and it has really come in handy.  I no longer have to worry about my phone battery dying while I am out and about.  I just keep my charging cord and this little lipstick size battery in my diaper bag at all times.  I've used it when we are traveling and while I'm on the go!

It really is very handy and affordable.

Anker Astro Mini

currently on sale for $16.99

Funny Story:

A waiter asked my mom if her portable phone charger was an e-cigarette when she was out to dinner recently.  My mom doesn't smoke so she was quick to correct him - haha!

Best Parts of My Week

Happy Friday to you!!  Time for a weekly round up of the moments that made me smile this week.  Despite the continued rain in Arkansas, we found lots to smile about this week.

1. I got Olive's thank you notes done and sent out.  I love how they turned out and had fun teaching Olive about the importance of writing thank you notes.

2. I was picking up some groceries this week and stumbled upon this giant bow display.  All of the bows are a great size and really well made AND THEY ARE ONLY $1 at Wal-Mart!!  I don't like to spend a lot of money on bows/headbands because we (read: Olive) frequently loses them.  These were perfect for us!!  I'm planning to attach them to headbands until she has enough hair to clip them into.
 

3. I found MINI York peppermint patties and had to buy them for my husband.  They are his favorite candy so he loved this little treat that I packed in his lunch :)  It seems like tiny treats always taste better to me.

4. My husband officially graduated with his PhD in early May but he isn't done until he completes his internship mid-July.  So I'm working hard to plan a fun graduation party for him with our family and friends for the late July!  I started shopping for supplies now because graduation party decor is seasonal and I didn't think I'd be able to find anything when the party rolls around.  I'm also finalizing what I want to give him for a graduation present - any suggestions??  I have a few ideas but I'd love to hear any suggestions for a gift to commemorate this BIG milestone :)

5. We are moving to Mississippi in about a month so we are trying to make the most of our time left in Arkansas.  We have planned lots of dinner dates with our best friends and are trying to spend as much time with them as possible before we move.  We stopped in at Sonic (the location of our first date 16 years ago) with Olive for half price milkshakes on the way home one night!!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Linking up with FreshFacesFriday, FridayBlogHop
OnYourHeart, LittleFriday, FinishThis,
 TheLaurenElizabeth, LifeRearranged, FiveonFriday,

FridayFavorites, FridaysFabFavorites & CoffeeDates

Family Time

We always make a point to see as much family as possible when we go to Indiana.  Both sides of our family are there since we both grew up there so there are lots of people to visit.  

On this visit we got to see...

Aunts, Uncles, Olive's Great Grandma and more!

4 generations :)

 My grandma is quite the collector.  I'd never visited her house with a busy baby so I didn't even think about how dangerous this combination would be!!  Olive wanted to touch everything and my grandma wasn't worried at all.  She said she could touch whatever she wanted because the stuff wasn't important.  Luckily, we made it out without breaking anything and enjoyed a nice visit. 

Olive is lucky to have 5 GREAT Grandparents

(one on my side and 4 on Kevin's side :)

 For as long as I can remember,

My Uncle Ray has been the initiator of decorating family graves for Memorial Day.  He'd always make the plans and we'd drive to meet up with him to visit several different cemeteries.  I haven't been able to join them for years since I have lived away from home so it was a treat to join them this year.

We enjoyed having lunch and getting to hang out with them.

It was great to see everyone!

Say Thank You with a Photo

We all know that I LOVE thank you notes

so it should be no surprise that I was excited to make Olive's party thank yous.

I did a photo session with her on her birthday and came up with several cute picture options.  I uploaded them to picmonkey, edited and added wording to the photo.  I ended up making a few different options to choose from and then picked my very favorite one to print.  I had some coupons for minted, Snapfish and Shutterfly but Sams ended up having by far the best price!

I printed a 6x8 card + got an envelope for $0.38 each!!

They were even ready in an hour!!

I would have spent more on cards if I just went and bought a pack of generic note cards.

I wrote the notes with black sharpie on the back of each photo card.

Olive is far too young to be writing thank you notes 

so I gave her a pink pen to "help" me.  She wrote/scribbled a message on each envelope and I signed it "Love, Olive".  {Thanks, Meg - we LOVE our Olive stamp!}

We had fun working on the notes together.
I'm hoping that she'll catch the thank you note writing bug like me :)

The notes were VERY well received and I think they were a big hit.

It was really simple to make and I'm definitely going to keep this in mind for future thank you note writing opportunities.

Summer Birthday Party Favors

I wanted to make favors for Olive's little cousins who came to her party.  I wanted them to be fun, something that represented what Olive likes and contain an edible item.  I got all of the supplies at Wal-Mart except for the ribbon that came from Target dollar bins.

You'll need:

small container of bubbles

sidewalk chalk

individual size package of graham cracker cookies/rice krispie treats

12in piece of ribbon & clear cellophane bag

 I wish that I would have included 3 pieces of sidewalk chalk for each bag just to give the kids more options.  I also didn't realize that each container of bubbles was sealed {with what seemed like SUPER glue} so I wish that I would have removed the seal for each container of bubbles before packaging them. 

 Otherwise, the kids LOVED the favors!!

What WE Wore Wednesday

My outfit photos are all action shots again this week - out and about holding my baby.  A familiar scene that is very much on repeat these days.  Olive is my favorite little side kick.  Life as a stay at home mom is busy and baby snuggling is a big part of the job.  No complaints from me.   I like to put together cute outfits and get out and about so I am happy to have actiony outfit shots to share with you this week.

1. Family Gathering

polka-dotty top - Limited (NEW)

necklace - Bahamas

earrings - Francesca's

skinny jeans - Wal-Mart

Olive is wearing 

a strawberry outfit from Carters & mocs from The Coral Pear

 2. Lunch Date in the Park

cardigan - Old Navy

chambray shirt - JCP (NEW)

jeggings - Wal-Mart

spotted oxfords - TJ Maxx

Olive is wearing - 

a romper from Carters, headband from Hobby Lobby 

and sparkly mary janes from

 3. Hanging out with My Favorite Girl

chambray shirt - JCP (NEW)

*I have been wearing this shirt a lot so I didn't mind paying a little more for it.

cardigan - Banana Republic

jeans - JCP

earrings - Payless (NEW)

mocs - Minnetonka

*I paid a little more for these shoes than I normally do but I'm wearing them all the time.  I'm definitely getting my moneys worth!!

Olive is wearing an outfit from Carters

Thanks for stopping by my blog!!

Linking up with WhatchaWearingWednesday
 BabyMamaLinkUp, ThirdThursdayThreads
 StyleElixir, RacheltheHat, ThePleatedPoppy, CasualFridays

RandomWednesday,GetYourPrettyOn, TheBestofStyle, FavoriteFashionFriday

Our Little Family Celebration of Olive

Olive's final birthday party was on her actual birthday with just our little family.

It was the perfect way to wrap up her week long birthday celebration.

We sang Happy Birthday all day long.

We did a little birthday photo shoot.

 Then we wrapped up the day by eating dinner, reminiscing about Olive's BIRTHday last year

and we took a picture on her exact birthday - 4:45pm!

I opted to put the gifts in boxes and not wrap them this year.  I wanted her to be excited about the contents of the boxes and not the wrapping paper.  It worked like a charm and she loved the walking toy, Saltwater sandals and pool float we got her.

 We also put together her new trike!

 Cakes are fun

and first birthday parties really are the best!!

We had a wonderful, low-key birthday at home with just our little family.