Snow!

It finally snowed! I've been waiting all Winter long for some snow that we could take the kids out into. It takes us about 45 minutes to get everyone dressed and ready to go so I'm not going to do that unless there is some actual snow to play in.

Jack and Owen both loved it. Jack probably ate his weight in snow. We built a snowman that was quickly beheaded by Jack. Then he ate it. HA! He's so funny and full of energy. Owen thought that the snowman was Santa (he's been confused about the two all season long).

I hope your Winter is full of lots of snow and sweet smiles!

December Cara Box!

I participated in this amazing exchange that I heard of from Elise over at her adorable blog. You can sign up and partake in the amazingness over here! I was assigned an adorable lady to send a box to, and you can read her adorable blog here! Emily sent me an amazing box full of sparkle, check her out here!! Jack loved helping me open it. He went to town coloring the stocking and loved hanging it up and telling everyone about it. That frame is ADORABLE! I put our Christmas card in it and set it on the table (I need a picture of that!)

An amazing Christmas sign with a cute little picture frame in it. I LOVED this, it when perfectly with all my Christmas decor! And Jack helped me devour the Reese's! YUM.

 These clothes pins were covered in glitter! COVERED! I had no idea what to do with them so they have been in a few different places.

I put them on yarn and made my kitchen painting sparkle, but then Jack attacked them and they are now on top of the fridge. I put them around an empty tuna can and have some of the kid's art supplies in them. It's adorable! (I'll add an picture soon!)

This adorable owl got a place front and center on the tree this year.

I love all of my goodies! It was so nice meeting new ladies and getting to send and receive a package! Who doesn't like opening a box full of surprises and a sweet note?

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Going Public.

I've given it lots of thought, I've probably lost a little sleep over it. But, I've made the decsion today to go public. There are many reasons why I've kept my blog private, and none of them seem as important as they used to.

So. I'm going to be linking up (if I can figure out how), updating often (regularly even!) and keeping the writer in me alive. I'm not sure how it'll evolve, or if it even will but I'm going to give it a shot and see what happens.

Clay and I rang in the New Year at home, with our babies sleeping peacefully. We don't really do resolutions around here, but I do have some things that I need to change, that I've stopped doing and that I need to start. Don't we all? The New Year is just the perfect chance.

I was really good about meal planning and grocery shopping only twice a month this summer. We saved a bunch of money, it saved me a ton of time and stress about dinner and we ate much better. I'm going to start doing this again. Maybe I'll make it into a monthly post!

I need to start exercising again. Clay and I both started running in the Summer but then it got too hot, then too cold and then we were too busy. UGH! I'm on a mission to make time for myself, even if it's just 15 minutes, to work out.

Clay and I need to be better about making time for ourselves to go out and do something. We rarely get out together. It would be amazing to go on a date once every two weeks.

Blogging! I need to be a better blogger. I love having my own space and being able to talk about whatever I want but I seem to NEVER make time for it. That changes today!

I'll be putting together several posts so keep an eye out in the upcoming days!

What are your goals or resolutions for the New Year?

Christmas decorating!!

Christmas is by far my favorite Holiday. I love it. The lights, the presents, the giving, the cold, the snow, the music, the pretty decorated trees, the family time, the traditions. I just love it. 

I also love that I'm able to be crafty and make things so I don't have to spend the insane amounts of money for Christmas decor at the stores. I most certianly ripped the flowers off my summery/fall wreath and made the one you see above. Total cost? $0! Love a free craft for my door!

This is the back of my door, so my entry way (if you want call it that...). And yes, I still have framed subway art from Thanksgiving. I'm all out of printer ink so it'll be that way until the Husband remembers to buy some. I made the paper wreath last year and I added all the photos from Christmas cards to it. I absolutely adore making art with my boys and those snowman feet are SO stinking cute. 

Enjoying the virtual tour of my Christmas decorations? ;)

I love snowmen. This tin is never where it's supposed to be, or how it's supposed to be (see how he's on his side...Darn kids!) and the frame still has the store paper in it instead of a super cute photo of my kids because I want snow in said picture. Where is my snow?!

Our tree! It's so little but Husband said we can upgrade this year so I'm waiting for the after-Christmas sales. 

It's hard work knocking down ordaments! 

My Christmas card holder. I made this last year and I love it! It's just a piece of foam covered in fabric hanging from ribbon! 

Ribbon covered vase and pretty candles for my center piece. The flowers were off of my old winter door wreath that I took apart to make my pantry door wreath and this. So happy with how it turned out!

My pantry door! I love this wreath. Husband hates it. I've won the battle of keeping it up so far.

My plant shelf.

The other side.

Whew. That's about all of it. We have lights outside but that would be a pretty boring picture to take with the sun shining. 

Things have been really crazy around here. Busy, dramatic, stressful, etc. But, we are still managing to enjoy the season. Jack is loving Santa, our elf on a shelf and all of the lights. Owen is just going with the flow like he usually does. They are getting so big and grown up. Jack is so smart, and funny. He tells me this all of the time - 'Mommy! I'm funny!' I can't help but laugh most of the time. Owen is talking up a storm. He uses full sentences and knows exactly what he wants and how he wants it (even if I have NO idea what he is trying to get across to me). 

Jack was sick yesterday and this morning he refused to take off his pjs. 

But, look at that grin! And the bedhead. I'm not sure what Owen is doing, those are some sassy hands! 

Anyway, all is well here. <3

OMG.

Only 19 days to Christmas and I haven't wrapped anything.

....I'm panicking.

You are getting to that age...

My husband started out a sentence with 'You are probably getting to that age...'

Knife. In the heart. Please excuse me while I do some research on wrinkle cream, the best way to cover greys and go buy some old lady velcro shoes.

He won't hear the end of it for a very long time. If ever.

I feel like I should tell you the whole story. Yes, you. You need to hear about why my husband thinks I am an old lady. I got a kidney infection. Have you ever had a kidney infection? Have you ever been in labor? If you answered yes to just one of those two questions you feel my pain. Anyway, I got a UTI then it spread to my kidneys and we were talking about how I need to make myself go pee more often - yes, from talking about Halloween with my kids to talking about my bathroom habits - here you have it on this sweet random little blog. There are certainly days that I pee in the morning and then don't have another opportunity to do so untill Clay gets home (so, from about 6am to 6pm I don't pee). Yes, I know this is bad for me. You know what else is bad? Five toddlers three and under running around for two minutes alone while I go pee. It's just not worth it sometimes. So, he had a discussion with his boss at work (yes, about my UTI and kidney infection) and she said that she used to get them too and that I'm probably busy chasing around kids and need to make myself go pee. At least that's what I imagine her saying. My husband says she said 'She's probably getting to that age where she needs to make herself go pee'. No woman would say that about another woman. At least I'd hope not, unless she wants to be cursed in my household. ;)

I'm 24. I don't even realize I'm 24 until someone asks me how old I am and I have to think about it for a very long time. I lied to someone a while ago, and I didn't even notice until my mom just stared at me. I'm 24. Not 22. HA!

Anyway. I'm feeling much better. I just feel like someone kicked me in the back. But, I'm on the mend.

 

<3

Happy Halloween! And Welcome to November!

I hope everyone had a very happy, sugar-filled, safe and successful Halloween! 

Our little monsters were confused with the whole thing, but after two houses Jack really just wanted to run (like the other bigger kids in the neighborhood) house to house. Owen on the other hand, he just wanted to play in the dirt, leaves, and street. Needless to say, Clay and I had our hands full making sure Jack was waiting for Owen, Owen wasn't walking into peoples houses, etc and so on. Surprisingly enough, we trick-or-treated for well over an hour! 

And, boy, to we have the candy to prove it. We also missed most of the neighborhood trick-or-treaters so the insane amount of candy Clay bought is still living in our house. The picture is JUST the boy's trick-or-treating candy (they also went trunk-or-treating with their cousins on Saturday).

I'm excited to take down the Halloween decorations and put something new up. I found this bottle of spray 'glow in the dark' window decorations in my Halloween box from my mom. I sprayed little bats, skeletons and such on our front window...I'm SO ready to wash them off (cross your fingers it actually washes off).

Hello November! I can't wait for your cold days, hand-print turkey crafts and wonderful Thanksgiving meal!