Coffee Chat

Hey friends!  I wish we could meet for coffee in real life this morning.  I've got lots to talk about.  I would have Leo with me since we are always together, I would order a mocha iced coffee and probably a muffin for Leo and these are all the things I'd want to chat with you about.

1 // I'm on the hunt for a pair of black drum lampshades to update a favorite set of lamps that were a wedding gift.  But the shades I'm finding online are all $70+ online.  Where can I get a great deal on a pair of lampshades?

2 // What's your favorite way to resell items that you no longer want or that your kids have outgrown?  I'm seriously missing a local market page that my old mom's group ran and am really trying hard to avoid having a garage sale.  Have you ever posted things for sale to just your friends on Facebook?  I'd love to avoid the public Facebook market page and meet ups with strangers.

3 // My favorite holiday is coming up - St Patrick's Day!  I can't wait to show you some of the darling rainbow things I've found.

4 // My workout wardrobe needs a refresh.  My favorite pieces are feeling tired.  What's your favorite brand of workout clothes?  Some of my current faves came from Sams so I am hoping to pop in there later this week to see what they have.

5 // Do you own a carpet or upholstery cleaning machine?  I've seen some friends online recommend one that's around $100 and I'm thinking of investing in one.  It's intimidating to move into a brand new house with brand new flooring and I want to keep them all looking fresh.

6 // What are you reading right now?  I'm reading Mama Bear Apologetics and The Secret Zoo to see if it would be a good read aloud for the big kids.

7 // What time do you go to bed each night?  I've been asleep by midnight most nights and I'm super proud of myself.

8 // Olive and I are on the hunt for a new hair stylist.  She'd like a professional cut and so would I.  I'm also interested in some color at some point.  Any Evansville friends have any hair connections?  Or do you have any great tips for finding someone that you love in a new city?  I have had my share of bad haircuts from just showing up at places expecting a quality cut and I think I'm scarred for life.  Haha.  Remember that time I went in to get a trim when my hair was down to my elbows and ended up with a chin length bob!?  I also got a mullet one time.  Maybe that's why I keep having Kevin trim my hair all these years later.

 

Thanks for listening, friends.  I hope you have a great day.  What's on your mind this morning?  I'd love to chat with you in the comments.

Happy Valentine's Day Treat Tray

 Happy Valentine's Day!

I have a confession - I did not put out a single valentine decoration this year.  I just kept putting it off and now the big day is here.  I felt bad for a minute and then I realized that no one cared.  We baked valentine treats and ate festive food.  That's enough for me.

I surprised my crew with a valentine themed treat tray after school yesterday!  They loved it!  I used all the red and white things we had on hand and then added in some favorite treats.  You could easily customize this for your kids or friends.  I like to use muffin trays for snacks like this.  This heart tray is perfect (thanks, Mom), but I would have used a mini muffin tin if I didn't have this.

Treat tray menu: I did Nutella and cookie dough in the top cups for dipping.  Then cut up cheeses, strawberries, rice krispy treats, Nutragrain bars to bite size snack options.  Add in some heart picks and a few more treats.

The kids opened a little something this morning, had valentines to open from family, have fun Valentine's Day plans in their classrooms and then we'll finish the day with a heart shaped pizza and looking through all of their valentines.

Thanks for being here today and always.  I love that you're here and that you enjoy my blog!  I hope you have a wonderful day with the people that you love.

Little Love Yous

My challenge for you - add some "little love yous" into your plans for the people you love this week!

 

My big kids have been asking me to come have lunch with them at school all year.  They've got a designated parent lunch day and lots of rules about it which make lunch dates complicated.  But after doing some scheduling gymnastics, I made it happen last week!

Olive & Fletcher were thrilled!

Their lunches are an hour apart so I had to plan a lunch that I could grab mid morning and it would still taste fresh an hour later.  Strike the requests for Chick-Fil-A and Freddy's burgers.

I opted to run to our closest grocery store and grab their favorites.  Jello, nacho lunchables, Flaming Hot Cheetos, berries and their favorite foods.  I prepped everything at home and packed our lunches.  They were so excited!

I had lunch with Fletch first.  He was so excited to show me the ropes of the lunch room.  We chatted, he ate fast and then in a blink of an eye lunch was over.  His buddies walked by our table and made sure to wave hello.  They remembered me from my day of subbing last month and from a class birthday party.  Fletcher made sure to smile and wave to me across the lunchroom until his class walked out to recess.  He was really happy.  He told me it was the best school lunch he ever had and gave me 10/10 for a perfect lunch date.

 

I waited in my car until it was Olive's lunch time.  Olive was a little quieter about her excitement for a mom lunch date.  But I could still tell she was happy to have me there.  She ate quick and pointed out friends across the lunch room.  4th graders are a lot louder than 1st graders.  But the 1st graders are ten times messier.  The cafeteria aide who knows Olive came up to tell me that she always loves seeing what I pack for Olive every day.  And that I should start a lunch packing business :)

 

These lunch dates weren't super convenient or easy to pull off, but I'm so glad I was welcomed into the school to have lunch with the kids!  Maybe this will be a February tradition for us??  And now they're asking Kevin when he will be coming in for lunch :)

I hope you have a great Valentine's Day week filled with lots of extra LOVE this week!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, friends!  I hope you've had a good week.  It was a regular week here with favorite moments sprinkled throughout.  Did you catch my blog posts this week?

10 Amazon Must Haves - everyone could use #1 and #9 and I bet you'd appreciate having #3 or #4 the next time you get invited to a birthday party.

Mini Waffle Maker Gifts - BIG HIT with our teachers!

Super Simple Heart Cinnamon Rolls - I've got a trick for you!

Now on to my favorite moments of the week:

1 // BIG Salads

I put big salads on the menu this week - once for dinner and for my lunches all week long.  I changed up the dressing each day and I honestly looked forward to eating this every chance I got.  It felt like a splurge to eat such a yummy lunch at home.  Only one of my kids love big salads and the other two enjoy all of the ingredients separate with no lettuce.  I just let everyone build their own version of a salad on their dinner plate.

2 // UE

Kevin's busy work week last week paid off with LOTS of good news this week.  We visited him on campus, helped decorate for his event and the kids went to a basketball game with him.  It's their favorite outing - game snacks, game souvenirs and a late night out on the town with Dad.

3 // Teacher Gifts

If you know me, you know that I am always on the hunt for great deals on gifts for family, friends and teachers!  I love to scoop things up when I find a good deal and save them for the perfect occasion.  My gift closet is always stocked with fun finds.  I found these DARLING canvas bags at Marshalls this week for just $6.99 each.  They are so nice and large.  They've got a pom pom or a tassel on them and the quality could be great for a purse or a tote.  I grabbed 4 for the kid's teachers sometime this spring.  Who wouldn't love a new bag with a handwritten thank you note?!

4 // Cozy Pearl

When Leo goes down for a nap every day, Pearl thinks she needs to be snuggled.  It's very sweet.

5 // Kindle Fire Miracle

Fletcher's Kindle Fire unexpectedly died last weekend and when we looked up the warranty it was set to expire at the beginning of March.  Whew!  We got the warranty replacement paperwork filed and his new tablet arrived midweek.  A favorite moment for him.  But why does he look like a teenager here!?  He's very excited to turn 7 next month.

6 // Loud Leo

Leo has lots to say, lots to sing and lots to yell about these days.  He's hilarious with his nonstop talking.  I can decode and understand most of it, but he babbles and talks all day long.  I was doing some work around the house and walked out to see this get up.  All the rocker accessories for his concert.

7 // Lots of snuggles.

8 // Typing Whizz

Olive is quite the typing whizz in her technology class.  She hit several big goals this week and her tech teacher came to her class to award them to her.  She's top of the class for typing and loves the 3D awards her teacher made for her.  I love that her school gives kids so many different ways to SHINE.

9 // Walking Buddy

It was a mix of beautiful and terrible walking weather this week.  I guess that's normal for February in the Midwest.  Can you guess which day this was??  Gorgeous for sure!  We loved the sunshine and steps we got in together.

10 // Tiny Mushrooms

The kids are obsessed with making tiny mushrooms.  Aren't they cute!?

11 // Drumsticks

Leo discovered drumsticks this week and his life will never be the same.  He requests one every night.

12 // Jordan Bakery Box

I have been busy with Valentine's Day cookie and pretzel orders this week!  I've got a busy weekend of baking ahead and I can't wait.  Aren't these so festive and fun!?

I hope you've had a good week and have plans with your favorite people this weekend!

See you back here on Monday.

I'm linking up with Momfessionals

Super Simple Heart Cinnamon Rolls

Need a heart-y breakfast idea for February?

I've got you covered!

Last weekend my middle guy wanted to help me make cinnamon rolls.  I could spend hours in the kitchen making homemade rolls, but honestly, my kids love the canned cinnamon rolls from Aldi just as much.  They're less than $2 a can and they're delicious.  I try to always keep them in the fridge.

We wanted to make them festive so we worked together to unroll them a bit and make them into hearts.

Let them bake and then drizzle on the icing after they've cooled for a few minutes.  Bonus if you have some sugar sprinkles to add on top!

The kids loved these and felt loved eating them.

Holidays don't have to be hard.  Or expensive.  Or extravagant.

Keep your tradition simple and your people will feel loved.

 

I also picked up these Love Noodles at Aldi this week for my kids.  They love pasta so I know they'll be excited for a Valentine's Day spaghetti night.  I'm also hoping to do a Valentine treat board for them like I've done in years past so I'm collecting things for that as a special dessert.

Do you have any fun valentine's day plans with your family?

Mini Waffle Maker Gifts

 Have you ever given a waffle themed gift?

I found the cutest XOXO waffle makers at Target and decided to give them to the kid's teacher's for Valentine's Day.  They loved them!  We gifted them at the beginning of February so that the teacher's would have plenty of time to use them all month long.  I also added in a package of Valentine's Day napkins.  The mini waffle makers were really affordable at $9.99 and made the cutest little gift.  These would be fun to gift to neighbors, friends and teachers!

 

I made a quick little tag with the help of Olive:

"I love being in your class a WAFFLE lot!"

The kids personalized the tags for each of their teachers and then I packaged them in these clear gift bags with Valentine's Day ribbon.

They turned out so cute!

 

 

I'll link some Amazon waffle maker options that will ship in time for you to gift for Valentine's Day below.  We have the heart shaped waffle maker at home and it's our favorite.  I use it year round!  There are waffle makers at all price points!

10 Amazon Must Haves

January was a good Amazon month for us!  We found lots of favorite items and only had to return an item or two.  I've got something for everyone - home stuff, kid stuff and fun stuff.  All the links I'm including in this post are my affiliate links!  Thanks for shopping them and supporting PDP.

January Amazon Favorites:

1 // Pantene Rescue Shots Hair Ampoules Treatment - 3 Pack -

These deep conditioning rescue shots are so good!  I love to put them on my hair in the evening, let them soak in and then wash my hair that night.  They're so hydrating and so inexpensive at just $2 each.  I've been repurchasing them for years.

2 // Sweetzer & Orange Gold Foil Bulk Birthday Card Assortment 48 pack

I needed to restock my birthday card stash at the start of the new year.  I grabbed this gorgeous set and another kid friendly set that I'll link next.  I love having these on hand to avoid having to spend $5/card at the store when we have a birthday party to attend.  They're even prettier in person and they come out to be $0.31/card!  What a deal!

3 // Hallmark Birthday Cards for Kids Assortment 48pack

This is a really cute set of birthday cards perfect for any kids!  I wanted to have them on hand for friend or cousin birthday parties we go to this year.  The quality of the cards is great and they work perfectly for big and little kids.  They're just $0.22/card!

4 // Haitis 2 Pack Over Shower Glass Door Hook

I mentioned these last week and I just love them so much.  We needed more towel racks in our primary bathroom and I didn't want to go to the trouble of hanging more towel racks.  These hooks are perfect.  They are really great quality, are inexpensive and they hold the towels really securely.  We've been very happy with them.

5 // Squishmallow Official Kellytoy 1 Series 1 Trading Cards

If you've got Squishmallow loving kids like I do, you might want to introduce them to these Squishmallow trading cards.  My kids got some from a friend at Christmas and they loved them.  I'm giving them more for Valentine's Day.  They're affordable and so cute!  We've even got some card protector pages to keep them in a binder of Squishmallow cuteness.

6 // TOZO T6 True Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth 5.3 Headphones Touch Control with Wireless Charging Case

I am such a big fan of these wireless earbuds.  I had been on the hunt for some, but didn't want to spend $100+ on airpods.  These TOZO earbuds were so easy to set up with my iPhone and I love them for walks.  They're comfortable, so user friends and they don't fall out of your ears when you're walking.  The price is amazing - I think the black usually comes up the cheapest at about $25 with the coupon clipped.  I can't recommend them enough!

7 // Nordic Ware Baker's Big Baking Sheet

I have several of these big baking sheets from Nordic Ware and I love them so much!  They're huge.  They easily fit one dozen cookies with room to spare and they bake evenly.  They're easy to store, aren't super heavy and are great quality.  I love that they have an edge all the way around and that they are easy to handle and easy to clean.  These are my favorite!

8 // Dog Man: A Graphic Novel Book #1

I'm working on a whole post about great read alouds for kids, but I'll give you a little sneak peek today.  I wanted to introduce you to Dog Man.  It sounds silly and fun and it is.  My first grade boy loves it and even though my 4th grade girl wouldn't say she loves them, she does happily listen to them with us.  They're silly and inspiring.  The kids always want to write their own versions after they see the characters and simple drawings in the book.  The books are packed with sight words and make even the most reluctant ready want to join in the reading fun.  There are 11 books in the series and we are enjoying book #2.

9 // Belt Bag

I've been on the hunt for an inexpensive, cute belt bag to wear when I'm out and about with the kids or on quick errands.  I didn't want to spend $50 on a bag so this $7-8 price tag of these was perfect!  It comes in 4 different colors.  I went with the black, but the pink and the navy are really great.  Ivory would be great if you aren't messy like me :)  The quality is great and the zipper and pockets make it so easy to organize.  I'm shocked at the cheap price tag!!  This bag is perfect.  I can't wait to use it for Summer travel and adventures.

 

10 // XL BOGG Bag

I've talked about these Bogg Bags before.  This one is $89.95 and it's on my wish list!  I think it would be so fun for Summer.  I'm saving my Amazon gift cards for it right now.  Do you have a Bogg Bag?  Do you love it?

That's a wrap!!  I told you I had lots of great Amazon finds this month!  I hope you found something that might make your life a little easier.  

What's the best thing you bought from Amazon in January?

Linking up with Tanya for Prime Purchases

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, Friends!  And Happy February!  January was a slow month so I'm excited for a fresh start in February.  We had a good week despite very few things happening as planned.  We got a surprise ice storm in Southern Indiana and life shut down for a few days.  All of our regular routines were cancelled, but we still managed to squeeze in a birthday party, date night, playing outside, got lots of snuggles and movies and work!

Did you catch my blog posts this week?

Tips for Doing Family Pictures with a Large Group

Sneaky Ways to Save Money

Take Care of the Quick Fixes

Now on to my favorite moments of the week:

1  // Work Date

Kevin has had a REALLY big, important week at work this week and he needed some extra help.  My parents hung out with the kids while we got all the things done at his office.  I did some organizing, decorating, admin stuff and helped him prepare.  We grabbed a quick dinner at our favorite local pizza spot - Turonis afterwards.  They were doing the weekly basketball show so it was fun to see the coach and team there.  Then we hurried home just as the ice started!

2 // Ice Skating

Olive got invited to an ice skating birthday party for one of her good friends from school.  I was proud of her for trying something new and really enjoying it!  Kevin went with her and sent me several pictures.  He's good at ice skating so she was happy to have him teach her.

3 // Sour Patch Hearts

Have you tried these yet!?!  They are my favorite!  I love the flavors and the texture.  I already ate one bag that I bought the kids for Valentine's Day so I had to buy them another one.

4 // Winter Sunsets!

The sky lit up one evening and we looked out the door to see this beautiful sight!  It was freezing, but the kids wanted their picture with the sunset.  What a view!

5 // New Favorite Phrases

Leo spends his day doing dangerous things and saying Watch this, Mom! or Wook at me!  He got this little pogo stick toy for Christmas and is eager to show off his tricks.

6 // Jordan Bakery Box

I got a fun order for birthday cookies for a dinosaur party this week!  They turned out so cute!  Then I finished the week with Valentine's Day orders.

7 // Movies!

We are watching Lego Masters, The Rise of Gru, the new Matlida and Hook.  We love piling on our giant couch upstairs and watching shows together in the evenings.  Bonus if it includes Candy Corn (candy topped popcorn!) or homemade milkshakes.

8 // Kitty Love

The cats got lots of extra attention all week long with the kids home extra.

9 // Hold My Hand

As the sweetest baby of the family, Leo does his share of waiting in pick up lines.  He's been asking to for me to hold his hand while we wait and it's my favorite.

10 // Ice Storm!

I really had no idea we were supposed to get any winter weather this week so when it started to ice Monday night I took notice.  Thankfully, I try hard to always keep our fridge/pantry stocked so we were just fine.  Look at this ice rink that we woke up to the next day!  The kids had the best time skating, sledding on ice, ice mining and playing on the ice.  We're still hoping for a big snow or two before winter is done, but this ice was nice.  Kevin's campus was closed, the kids were off of school and we had nowhere we had to be.  I know that weather and cancellations are a big pain a lot of times, but we enjoyed the extra time together.

11 // SLOW

We had to slow down the pace of our week and enjoy just being home.  There were perks for sure!  I missed plans with friends and plans at church, but tried hard to focus on the positives of slow mornings together at home.

12 // Virtual Learning

Kevin posted his recorded lectures, zoomed into meetings and had phone calls.

The kids had work to do on their own timeline.

I had to try to contain Leo so that everyone else could get their work done.

It was chaotic, but we made it work.

Weeks like this make me extra thankful for their wonderful teachers, school and jobs.  We had fun learning at home, but we all thrive when we're learning in person at school.

Penny LOVES Fletcher.  She is his shadow when he's at home so she loved having him home all day.

How was your week?  Did you get any ice?  I hope you had a good one!

I will see you back here on Monday.

Linking up with Momfessionals