Save 60% Off Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite for Kids Today Only, with Free Shipping!

Today and today only you can save 60% off the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite Kids Edition! If you have one of these on your kiddos Christmas list make sure you get this today as it's on sale for $59.99!

Watch imagination come to life with Samsung Kids. With engaging educational apps for every age, Samsung Kids inspires a love for learning.

• Bring your kids the educational content you trust from Dreamworks Animation, Sesame Street, National Geographic and more. Apps that automatically adapt and grow with your kids so they’ll stay engaged at every age.
• It’s all on the durable Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite featuring parental controls.
• Converts to standard Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite when the time is right to graduate from Samsung Kids Mode.
• 7″ touch screen, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 8 GB Flash Memory, 1 GB RAM Memory

And shipping is free!!!!

These are regularly priced at $149.99 so this is an AMAZING deal!

Note: This blog contains affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here .

Save 60% off Star Wars Merchandise Today Only, Free Shipping Eligible!

Star Wars Clothing, Toys, and more are on sale over on Amazon for up to 60 percent off!  Such a great deal for those last minute Christmas gifts for guys. Am I the only one who thinks it's near impossible to shop for guys?  This would be great for those guys who are counting down the days until the new Star Wars movie is released.  3.  It's 3 days if you're curious. 

Products included are:

• Men's and women's fashions
• Kids clothing
• Home decor
• Toys and Games
• and more!

Shipping is free with Amazon Prime or with a purchase of $35 or more.

Amazon deals can change at any time so please make sure you check the prices before purchasing.

Note: This blog contains affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here

Shopping for Girl's Fashions: The Ultimate Scavenger Hunt

Can I just tell you how much I have a love/hate relationship with driving Emma?

I may be one of the few but Emma is 9 and still let's me pick out her outfits.  She has no problem with what I choose.  Not sure how I got so lucky but that is heaven. 

Ever since she has turned about 7 it has gotten increasingly harder to find cute outfits for her. 

Cute outfits that look like little girl clothes. 

I like traditional little girl clothing.  Trendy sometimes is okay but for the most part I like straight up cute, boutique, little girl clothing. 

For some reason though when you turn about 7 you should be waiting for some type of mailed certificate that tells you you are officially a woman and you can dress how scantily you want.

I mean, for example...

These are the outfits that came up when I searched for toddler and little girl outfits for sizes up to 6. 

And this is the outfit I got when I searched for big girls clothing which was for anyone sized 7-14.  Yikes. Don't get me wrong, it's trendy-ish but it's just too grown up for my sweet little baby girl. 

Come here little girl, I've got this outfit that will make you look just like Cindy Lauper. 

The skirt is cute enough but just the whole thing that they are trying to sell, well, yikes in my opinion.  (And by the way if you think differently than me we can still be friends I promise!  One of my besties always teases me that I dress Emma like old people, lol).

Anyway, in light of my wardrobing problems I've really had to research and dig and find other places to find clothes for Emma. 

Fortunately early on in the game Nick agreed with me that it was worthwhile to spend more on Emma's clothing to keep her little and precious as long as she was willing. (He lets me spend some...I'm still working on him to let me spend for Persnickety clothes!)

Anyway, we are spending more for clothes these days.  I buy most of them online and I hunt for deals.  Since I've been putting lots of leg work into finding cute clothes for Emma that won't make her look like an adult I thought I would share with you what I have found.  So here are some brands that I love:

Screaming Owl is a brand that I like.  I have purchased a couple of things from there and they have held up pretty well.  They are a great place to find affordable outfits for holidays and things that you want to find at good prices.  Every time I go to the site there is a pop up for a discount or they will give you a deal if you share the outfit you like on facebook.  So great when you find fun outfits with a great price!

One of my favorite brands is Jelly the Pug.  I love their combinations of fabrics, the uniqueness and the serious cuteness factor!  Emma has tons of these outfits and everytime she wears them she receives compliments.  Plus I love that they use cotton fabrics on most of their clothing.  Love, love, love Jelly the Pug!  It was started by a mom like me who was frustrated that she could not find cute little girl clothes so she started making her own!

Ann Loren is another brand we are loving! They have been around for a little while!  I love their ruffled pants and their shirts with the tutu on the bottom.  So cute!  Emma has the outfit above so if you see her in it now you know where it came from ;).  They also have doll outfits to match their outfits which Emma loves because then her and her American Girl doll can match.  Too cute!  Ladies, this is also a great Christmas gift idea if you don't know what to get a little girl...an outfit with a matching one for her doll!  Perfection in my book!

A brand I don't have much of but am obsessed with is Giggle Moon!  They are a Christian company and give all of their collections really sweet names!  They have amazing quality and the sweetest details!  Oh and I love ruffle pants in case you haven't been able to tell yet ;)

Another brand that we are really loving is Mustard Pie! They have so many cute things and again, the detailing is phenomenal!  A secret I have is that if you can find deals on these clothes then a lot of times you can sell them for more than you paid for...isn't that crazy?  Again, this is a company started by a mom who wanted cute clothes for her daughter.  I love supporting mom businesses, don't you?

All the other brands have been boutique brands but the one main stream box store brand I LOVE and have always adored is Gymboree.  I have been shopping with them for the past 9 years and I have never one had an issue with their quality.  I sometimes get a lot of flack (read that to be harassing!:) ) by my sweet friends about outfits that cost so much money but I can tell you that if you buy them on sale you can sell them for more then you paid for them.  That seems insane to me, does it to you too?  But I love them because they have sweet little girl clothes that go up to size 14 so Emma loves their clothes and I know I can dress her in them for quite a while! 

Finally I would be remiss if I didn't mention Eleanor Rose!  I have never ordered anything from them but I love them!  I feel like I am always on their website checking them out!  I'm stalking their collections, lol!  While I've never ordered anything I've had several friends who have and they said the quality is spot on!  I can't wait to order! I love that their motto is Vintage Girl...Modern World.  LOVE!

So those are my favorite little girl brands!  I have lots and lots of more brands that I could share but these are my favorites that have their clothing in sizes bigger than a 6. 

Mustard Pie, Ann Loren, and Jelly the Pug you can sometimes find on Zulily!  Make sure to join and check out their daily brands to score some really great deals!

Another place to find adorable boutique brands is My Little Jules!  They run lots of great sales, have things on clearance, and even offer layaway!

Do you have a favorite brand I didn't mention?  I'd love to hear about it and check them out, comment below! 

Happy Monday!

Note: This blog contains affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here

This Year's Christmas For Real

So this is a behind the scenes I'm going to be honest post. 

This holiday season is not going as planned.

Picture me, early November, all curled up on the couch dreaming of how the holiday would be after Thanksgiving:

I'd get my decorations out before Thanksgiving to have time to mull over what I wanted to use, what I didn't want to, yada, yada.

Everything would be decorated and the bins would be put away by the end of the Thanksgiving weekend.

From there, every day we would make a magical recipe and would store them away to give for gifts or in anticipation of the big day.

I would tidily wrap 5 gifts a day and would be done by the week before Christmas so I didn't have to bother with last minute things.

All of this was just a big, fat wrong.

Wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Wrong. Wrong.

And wait for it...

wrong.

So here has been the reality.  The week before Thanksgiving my grandmother passed away, which I wrote about here. She had been sick, she's in a better place, but somehow there has just been this fog.  I know you can't rush grief or getting over someone being gone but it just feels hard.  And foggy.  Some days I just want to stay home. And what should seemily have taken me no time (in my mind) and been done by now is still languishing around.

Further more from a working/website perspective this has made it so I have nothing to say. No fun Christmas tutorials over here. No house tours ready from this gal.  Unless you want "today I put on jeans and not leggings, and you can too" then yesterday I totally nailed that.

But the sad truth is that as I was wallowing.  Because that's what it's been, wallowing, I realized that maybe I'm not the only one wallowing.  And maybe that's the beauty from ashes that God pulls out of all of this and wants to use. 

This isn't our first Christmas that things haven't gone as planned.  It's not always happiness and sunshine over here folks.  There have been Christmas' where the tree fell over. Where we had no money when it certainly seemed we should. When there was no work and we had no money and it made sense we had no money.

But somehow God works through those tough times.

And I know He will work through this.

Everything will come together in His time.  I just have to give myself the grief and time.  To cry over the Christmas card I got from Grandma last year I found that sent me to grief all over again.  And the crying when I unwrapped the Christmas ornaments from her. It's all there.  All under the surface.  And I just need the time.

So I apologize to you readers.  I had a really great "Christmas countdown" series planned with games and strippers and rides and fun.  Well only one of those things was included but I digress...

Instead I am here with real life, living real, feeling real, hurting real, healing real.  And it's going to be okay. 

I hope that whatever you are going through this Christmas, your hurts, your pains, your money issues, the betrayals that you've been hurt with, the shocking news you just can't bounce back from; that that is the message of hope that I can share with you:

"It's going to be okay."

Forgive me for being absent.  Love you all.

Amazon.com: Over Half Off on this Doll Bike Seat Sale!

Emma has been asking for one of these forever and to be honest I've never seen one of these so complete and cool!  

Amazon.com has this set on sale today for 44% off!  Right now it's $24.95, regularly $44.95! 

It can go on the front or the back of the bike and it also comes with a water bottle, handle bar streamers, and a name plate to decorate.  So many cool things to put on a little girl bike!  

The bike seat fits all dolls and stuffed animals 18"-22", 

You can buy this set here! 

Note: This blog contains affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Christmas Tree 2015

Last year we had a great time getting our Christmas tree.  You can read all about it here. 

Our old c7 bulbs died and we had to buy new LED bulbs.  Don't get me wrong, I love them and they're pretty but they just aren't the same.  Here's our picture of the tree last year. 

I had the hardest time trying to explain this to people but while the lights were almost annoyingly bright the tree was dark. Do ya know what I mean?

 So this year this is our tree.  

It pretty much looks the same except this year it's a little glowier.  What's my trick?  Those cheap white twinkle lights.  We took 2 strands of white twinkly lights (100 bulbs per strand) and wrapped them around the trunk of the tree.  Our tree is 9 feet tall and the 2 strands worked great.  So we kept those strictly on the inside of the tree and then on the outside we put our fancy dancy LED lights. 

And this is the result.  I'm loving it!  

Our tree decorating and chopping has been a bit weird this year.  We always go the day after Thanksgiving.  But this year it was rainy and gross so we didn't go until Sunday. So we shopped Friday, decorated the house Saturday, and Sunday we were ready to get the tree.  

Most of us were ready.  This guy was just sleepy or sick or off or something.  He just was not feeling it.  

Here he's standing next to our fire pit.  My in-laws rent us a fire pit every year and we have a tailgating type party with food and drinks and good times. This year friends stopped by and we saw lots of people we know, it was so much fun! 

These kiddos have my whole big heart. Here we are on the tractor tram ride thing. Off to get our tree! 

After searching and searching an searching we found our tree!  It took lots of looking and walking and hunting and backtracking and grumbling but we found it!  And this was the best picture we found because Nick's parents were off looking for their tree, Emma wanted to be with them, so it was the three of us hunting for the perfect tree.  I've gotta tell you though, it was super weird and cray having a picture of just the three of us.  

This adorable guy has the biggest heart and decided that this year it was his year to cut down the tree!  He was so careful with the saw and was all business about it.  

He was trying so hard but it wasn't long before he asked for his Daddy to help.  These guys are so cute together!  

This is a picture of Cal getting to push the tree over.  He yelled "Timber!".  There are some days when I forget that he has Autism.  These days remind me that Autism is something like being left handed. It doesn't define him, it is just part of who he is.  We're not dragging it behind us like some type of cumbersome burden but rather it's just him, pushing a tree over and laughing.  

And just as easy as that we are ready to go!  

These cute guys are all throughout the forest and the kids love spotting them as we ride through on the tractor ride to the trees and then back to the firepit.  

And then it was time to eat and warm up by the fire!  By the way Cal here is eating a gluten free cupcake from the King Arthur Flour brand.  They are so super yummy and moist!  

There's my PSA, go buy this cake mix if you are gluten free.  Yum! 

After lots of snacking we came home and got to decorating!  Who doesn't love to decorate the tree? It was so much fun!  We got all of the decorations down before so the kids weren't sitting around waiting for us to find the decorations. 

So there was our Christmas tree experience this year!  

And our 25 day countdown to Christmas started yesterday!  Did y'all get started on a countdown or an advent calendar?  Let me know in the comments, I love all of your ideas!!!  

Reminder Binder Deal and Giveaway Winner Announced!

Last week went by in a whirl with my Grandmother passing away and then her funeral and then Turkey Day and then shopping and then decorating and then Christmas Tree Chopping and then more decorating and then... I think that brings us up to now!  

During last week our Reminder Binder giveaway ended!  And the winner is...

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Congratulations!!!!  I hope you love, love, love your new planner!  And you'll have four more to give as gifts!  I must say, I love my planner and the stickers it comes with.  Plus the bonus stickers are AMAZING!  So much fun!  You can check out my full review here about the Reminder Binder. 

And if you are still looking for a Christmas idea, Denise, the designer of the planner has shared a super special deal for my readers! 

Here's how you can score 40% off on all your Denise Albright merchandise! 

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Visit the Denise Albright Studio

Shop until your little heart's content 

then...

40% off when you use coupon code SBAH40 (with a $10 minimum purchase)

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I know you all heard me blab about how stinkin' much I love her products but they really make me feel like I am living intentionally through my day and to me that makes all the difference.  I'm stopping to savor the sweet ballet class I found a sticker for and it's all fun rather than a "hurry up and get out of the car for ballet".  I want to be the first mom, not the second. 

So there you have it, Happy Cyber Monday!!!! 

Saying So Long to Grandma Wannie

How do you say good-bye to someone you love?  To one of your favorites? To that person who taught you to tie your shoes, bought you your first bike, and took you to the library to give you the love of books?

I got the word last week that my Grandma wasn't doing well.  I hadn't been able to get a hold of her so I had a feeling her cancer hadn't been treated and she wasn't doing well.  

I was right.  It's just a matter of time now. 

A week ago I went to see her. It was hard. 

With sunken cheekbones she needed help lifting a teacup to her lips. 

I held her hand and stroked her hair and we talked. 

I asked her if she was excited to meet Jesus.  She reminded me this world is not her home.  She talked of the love of Jesus that would make Him die for us to have a life after this. 

I came home and wept. I still weep. I'll always weep in this world for her. 

But my tears are not without hope or promise.  My tears are because I will miss her and the Southern way she would say "Fahr" for fire.  

But I know I will see her again.  She'll read me the three little pigs like I remember and we can make fun of men like we did together. She'll tell me I'm strong and she's strong and God's strong. Solidarity sister. 

That night my Grandma told me to have a good life with Nicholas. And she loves me. And that Jesus loves her.  I think those three things surmise my entire relationship with my grandma.

Friday evening my Grandma Wannie got to run into the arms of Jesus.  How amazing it must have been for her.  I miss her like crazy but I am so excited to know that she is without pain and is so happy in heaven. 

Tomorrow is the funeral but  here's what I've come to know: I'm not saying goodbye to Grandma but so-long.  We know we'll see one another in heaven and there will be no end.  And there's nothing sweeter than that.  

Thanksgiving Printables Roundup

The week of Thanksgiving is a major drag when it comes to Thanksgiving.  In essence I'm supposed to be teaching them something but really my mind is preoccupied about making the turkey, and did I remember to get the heavy whipping cream and did I tell my mom to pick up soda?, and on and on.  

Basically I'm a hot mess any other day but Thanksgiving just kind of sets a 450 degree fire under me to elevate me into a bunch a lotta fun mess. 

But you still love me, right?

So we will be doing a lot of worksheets.  A lot of printables.  A lot of turkey, gratitude themed worksheets that will hopefully sneak some learning into my kiddos without them figuring it out.  Oh the twisted webs we weave...

So here are some things I've found on the world wide webs.  

Do you like how I say that like old people say "the sugar diabetes"? 

Of course you do. 

Here's what I've scrounged up for you...

I've been a fan of Free Homeschool Deals as long as the day is short and let me tell you, this time of year is no exception.  

This downloadable packet from Only Passionate Curiosity is perfect for those of us who more than one child because there are sheets on different levels. 

Then there's this entire e-book from Apologia that I can't wait to tear into!  Apologia is the publisher of the chemistry book we are using this year and so far I have been loving it! There are lots of little science snippets, printables, craft ideas, and more!  Super fun! 

Over at the Proverbial Homemaker she has a neat Thanksgiving Lego Challenge.  This set features lego challenges, copy work, memory verses, coloring pages, devotionals, and more!  So amazing for those of us with little ones obsessed with Lego! 

Confessions of a Homeschooler has a really great Thankful Turkey craft.  Lots of fun to cut everything, assemble, and talk about what you are thankful for. 

Confessions of a Homeschooler also has an adorable Thanksgiving Preschool Printables.  Full of different activities you can have fun with puzzles, pre-writing, graphing, and more.  I just love all of her products! 

So there you have it, my list of printables I have found! 

If you have others you'd like to share, please comment below.  I love all of your comments and read each and every one of them.  You guys are so precious to me and I am so THANKFUL for each and every one of you!  I hope these printables help ease some of the stress around the holiday so you can have a blessed time with your little ones! 

Note: This blog contains affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Thanksgiving Outfits

Thanksgiving has never been my favorite.  Don't get me wrong, I like it, but I do love Christmas so to me Thanksgiving is just that moment before you are waiting for the plane to take off and you just want to get there already! 

However I do things to try to get myself a bit more in the mood.  One of the things that I do is to make lots of food.  That way I am vested in the holiday so I get a little more involved than bringing the canned cranberry sauce.  

Another thing I do is plan our outfits.  That way it is more exciting than just throwing on some clothes and getting out the door.  So today I am talking outfits and hoping you guys can help me plan what I am going to wear. 

First of all, this is the outfit that Emma is wearing.  isn't it fun?  It's fall colors without screaming Thanksgiving.  I let her pick her outfit this year and this is what she chose.  It's from Jelly the Pug.  I LOVE this brand's clothing!  They are sassy like our Emma, super colorful, and soft boutique clothing.  Jelly the Pug is only sold at boutiques or online at boutique stores but every once in a while you can get it on Amazon.  Check out their selection here!   Now if only it were so easy for me to pick an outfit.

Okay, so here is what I am thinking of...this is what I am liking on Pinterest right now...

As you can see I am feeling the black boots with a scarf or something tunic-y on.  Something cozy to gobble turkey in.  By the way if you are feeling my style feel free to check out my Pinterest Style Pinboard.  You know, I'm super trendy over here.  Ha, not quite but I try.  I'm aspiring you might say. 

So I love jane.com.  Have you ever been to their site?  They had amazing deals that designers put on there.  They are only for a limited time though so you have to snatch them up when you can.  I've ordered loads of things from there and have loved everything.  Here are some things that I am liking on jane.com :

Which one do you guys like?  

I'll try to remember to snap a picture of what I wear on the big Turkey Day!  I'd love to know what you all are planning on wearing for the big day too! 

Note: This blog contains affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here

Homeschooling Science: Bouncy Ball Fun!

In science we've been learning about Chemical Reactions and rubber and naturally we decided to make bouncy balls!  How fun, right? 

I thought I would show you how we made a bouncy ball.  The ingredients are for making ONE bouncy ball so if you want to make TWO bouncy balls then you need to double the ingredients...I'm so smart, right?

Okay so here's what you need: 

List of Supplies: 

Safety Goggles

1/2 tsp. Borax

1 tbsp. Cornstarch 

1 tbsp. White or clear school glue

2 tbsp. warm water

few drops food coloring

2 small plastic cups

a spoon

a timer

zippered plastic bag

Have your supplies together?  Okay, here we go...

First things first we're going to mix the water, food coloring, and borax together in one of the cups.  

Stir, stir, stir until it is all dissolved. 

Okay, next up you're going to take your other cup and pour in the glue and 1/2 tsp. of the borax solution from the first cup. 

Now add 1 tbsp. of cornstarch to the borax/glue fun in your cup but DO NOT STIR YET!!!

Allow it to sit for 15 seconds EXACTLY...<cue the Jeopardy song>...

Then you're going to mix the solution with your spoon until it becomes impossible to stir.  

And then we mix it, mix it...

Can't stir no more? 

Take it out of the cup and form it into a ball with your hands.  As expected this is kind of a stick mess so if you have a sensory sensitive child like I do, you may have to do it for them.  

So there you have it...how to make a bouncy ball so your kids can have tons of fun with their very own creation!  

I got this recipe from the kids Science book: Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics by Apologia.  You can get your copy here.  

Note: This blog contains affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here

Reminder Binder Review and Giveaway!

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I love planners. 

Like you didn't know!  

I am a self appointed school supply nerd.  Just give me a new planner and some cute pens and I'm as happy as a clam. 

But as I've become a mom and then a mom of two I found that my planner needs changed. 

I need room, people, lots of room to write stuff down.  Lots and lots of stuff.  It's hard keeping things straight when you have four people in the house who at any given time could all have the need to be at different places at the same time. Yikes!

So I've been in the market for a planner that understands that and doesn't judge me.  Don't try to make me cram everything into a tiny box.  Don't try to confuse me with your ways.  Just be you.  "You've gotta be you, I've gotta be me..." 

And yet in that I am still a girl at heart that loves pink and colorful things and feeling like life if fun and joyful and not that I am sitting in a legal office filing something. 

I was on Jane.com one day <or every.single.day. but we're just talking on here about the once> and I came across this cool planner called the Reminder Binder.  It was colorful and came with stickers and room to write and jot notes down.  Then I saw it had a pocket and I was sold. 

So I've been using this for a while now and I have to tell you, I just LOVE it!  I watched the video at the designer, Denise Albright's website and I totally agree with her heart and her philosophy. I felt like she totally gets us moms.  She gets us!  She's one of us!  Plus you can go to her website after you purchase the planner to download freebies to use with the planner.  What's not to love about that?

One of my favorite things about the Reminder Binder is the layout.  The weekdays are on one page and the weekend days are on another. 

In the back there are perforated pages of notes which is super handy for lists or meeting notes, something you may need to take out. 

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I personally use colored pens and I love how they coordinator with the binder.  Here's my system: 

Black-everyone

Pink-me

Green-Nick

Purple-Emma

Blue-Calvin

Orange-Both Children

It's really been helping me to be better organized and to keep an eye on what I have to do and when.  

So, are you in love with the binder too?  

How does a chance to win one sound?

Well it gets even better!  I contacted Denise Albright, the Creator of the Reminder Binder, and in honor of Christmas being right around the corner she is offering the winner 5, count them 5 Reminder Binders AND Sticker Sets!  

Just think of the people you could cross off of your Christmas Shopping List with these bad boys: your hairdresser, your mother in law, your sister in law, your kids teacher, the mailwoman, yourself, your aunt, your sister, your cousin.  Eh? Eh?  

Isn't she just the sweetest thing ever?  

But wait, there's more...

From now through December 15th Denise is offering my readers 40% off over at her Etsy store and gang, there are so many stinkin' cute things!  I love her work and her products!  

Here's how to get the deal:

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Visit the Denise Albright Studio

Shop until your little heart's content 

then...

40% off when you use coupon code SBAH40 (with a $10 minimum purchase)

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Easy Peasy, right? 

And don't forget to enter to win the giveaway of 5 planners and 5 sticker sets!  

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The giveaway will close at 11:59 pm on Sunday November 22nd so hurry and enter!  Good luck! 

Note: This blog contains affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here

My Birthday Celebration Weekend

This past weekend was my Birthday!  You can read my previous post about it and see how excited I was to celebrate, which was a definite first for me.  I was so excited and since we had a terrific weekend I thought I would share with you all what we did.  

I started the day by slowly getting myself around.  Nick got the kids all packed to stay at their grandparent's house which was so sweet of him!  It was heavenly to lounge on the couch with a big mug of coffee and watch a Hallmark Christmas movie.  Calvin surprised me then with two things he had made for me in his pottery class.  As he put it, very precisely "it's a coiled bowl.  And a snowman, but not a real one.  It's a table decoration."  He was so proud and I love, love, love them.  Emma had given me her gifts of a candle and bracelet which I posted about in the last post. 

Nick then took the kids down to his moms and left me at home to get ready.  I took a heavenly bubble bath, read, and had time to do fun things that moms seldomly have time for...like putting ALL of my makeup on and being able to put lotion on.  It's amazing what a difference lotion makes on your skin! 

After that the Wit picked me up and we went up into Michigan.  I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and just get away.  So we went antiquing.  I love looking at antiques but it's so hard to go to the shops with the kiddos so I very rarely get to.  

We had so much fun and we laughed so hard together!  

Then this sweet man of mine drove me another 45 minutes to this place we found online that had french onion soup.  I have been wanting a good french onion soup for-forever!  This definitely fit the bill and even had an adorable little doily underneath!  What's not to love? So precious. 

After lunch we drove to the shore of Lake Michigan and took a picture just to document we were actually there.  In the photo above we were dying laughing because it was freezing, we were crazy, and my hair was blowing EVERYWHERE.  Such a good time though.  We then ducked into a coffee shop and got all warmed up.  Brrr. 

After a full day of shops and meandering and buying we went out to dinner at Flat Top Grill.  It's one of my favorite places to eat!  So yummy and so many choices! Above is what my bowl looked like when it came to the table.  It made a few good meals for me actually.  No way I could eat it all there! 

After that Nick drove me around and we found ourselves at a new/old favorite!  Scotty's Brewhouse! This was by no means the one we went to but we our first date was at the original Scotty's many, many moons ago, before it was a chain restaurant.  It brought back a lot of memories and it was fun to reminisce about what we ate that night and what we were thinking, if we were nervous, on and on.  So romantic! 

This was my gigantic Peanut Butter Pie!  My Aunt Jan introduced me to this and I am so in love with it.  Yum!  Again, no way I could finish it all so it went home with me.  

The next morning without kids around,  we were able to sleep in! By sleep in I mean that the dog insisted on jumping on the bed at about 6:45 and then I wasn't able to sleep so I think I was up by about 7:20 but still, it was so nice!  Nick slept a little longer and then he made me an amazing breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon, and grits...lots of bad things for you!  

We then went out and did some Christmas shopping to get ahead in the game and then came home and did a little relaxing before it was time to get the kiddos. 

When the children came home Emma wrapped my gifts from all of them and then they surprised me with them: an amazing new coffee mug they picked out and new jammies!  What's not to love about those two gifts?  It was so sweet of them.  

Then that night Calvin insisted we go and see the new Peanuts Movie for my birthday. It was so great and we had a wonderful time.  I love making memories as a family and seeing them get so excited about giving me gifts or going to the theater. 

It was such a heavenly weekend and I wanted to thank you all for being a part of it! I posted this image on my facebook page and so many of you shared or liked or commented.  As a growing business you supporting me and taking the time to read and love me really means the world to me!  

I also received so many wonderful cards, texts, phone calls, and facebook messages wishing me a happy Birthday!  They all meant so much and me and I felt so cherished, so thank you! 

So thanks again and I'd love to hear what you all did for the weekend too. :) 

Today I'm the Birthday Girl!

Today I turn 34 years old!  

Yahoo!  

And while at one point that would have seemed like an old geezer, I am so excited to have a birthday today! 

This past year has been so life changing for me.  We've taken a lot of steps to simplify our lives and to make sure that unnecessary problems have not flooded in.  Standing up for myself and placing my life in God's hands has made such a difference in the world.  I am learning that I have so much value and can have so much self-worth in my status of being a child of God. 

Wow. Word to your mother.

And so in doing that I have changed my point of view from feeling I am shy and meek and not worthy of being listened to, to feeling that I am here, I am me, I have a story God has given me, and here I am to live it out and share. 

And golly, wow it just feels amazing. 

Joy filled is my life and I am hoping to just keep spreading the joy around. 

And so as I turn 34 I am feeling so happy that I am here, with my family to celebrate me, to celebrate life, and to celebrate all that God promises to bless us with.  We have God's favor friends, and that is everything to me! 

Today has been so wonderful. My favorite coffee is one that my Aunt Jan and Uncle Bill introduced me to.  I LOVE it but they're from the East Coast and we can't find it around here.  But Nick surprised me with two cases of coffee.  He's so thoughtful! It's called Jet Fuel and has lot's of caffeine (perfect for homeschooling Momma's like myself!). Anyway, yummy!  

Then our sweet Emma made me a "Birthday Scavenger Hunt" full of sweet clues and helpful hints.  

She had me follow the hunt to the kitchen, she gave me juice, then cookies.  Then she gave me my gifts: a gorgeous beeswax candle she hand dipped and a bracelet she made.  I was floored.  This sweet little girl loves me and I love her and we have such a great relationship.  That alone is the best gift ever! 

I pray that today I will be able to show you all how amazing God's love can be in your lives. And if you have Jesus in your hearts I pray that you will ignore what the world tries to tell you (that you are not enough...that you're not skinny, popular, smart, daring, sexy enough) and know, KNOW that you are so loved by the creator of this Universe. 

Can I get an amen? 

Today my wonderful in-laws are taking the kids and Nick is taking me around to wander.  One of my favorite things.  Just stop here to look at this and then meander through this other shop.  Then they are having the kids and we get to, gasp, sleep in!  How racy, I know! 

Want to help me have the best Birthday ever?  Show me some Birthday love! Comment on my blog, pin a post, like my facebook, instagram, or pinterest page...or like all 3!...stay in touch so we can be friends forever!  

Follow me today and I'll be posting Birthday highlights!

How do you celebrate your Birthday?