Bubbles



 Sometimes it really is the simple things in life...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Winter?

It certainly hasn't felt like much of a winter this year.  The weather has been incredibly warm which has been lovely for two young girls who need the space to roam outside, but I will admit to missing the fun of snuggling up before a warm fire and watching the snow fall around us. 

Thankfully we got a tiny bit of snow last week and jumped at the chance to get out and explore it. 

 

 

 

 

 

No snowmen were made but a nice little walk to the park was just what we needed.  We're crossing our fingers and hoping for a real snowfall before winter ends. 

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Soulemama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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Birthday

 

Birthdays are a funny thing sometimes.  The realization that another year has passed often comes with a bit of self reflection.  I was so looking forward to my birthday this year, even more so than I normally do.  No, this isn't a big milestone birthday for me and I think that is what I love most about it. 

Many times that self reflection can leave people wondering where the years have gone and just what exactly they have done with their lives.  I am happy to be able to say that I feel like I have used my time well and am just exactly where I am meant to be.  Sure, it wasn't always easy and there definitely were times that I stopped to wonder about the path I was being led down.  I think that is part of growing.  Every decision made leaves a mark on your life and I am very much at peace with the life I am living and the person I have become over the years.  Every day is such a precious gift and I am beyond blessed with the life I have been given.  Reminded of this by the breakfast in bed I was served today by little hands and big smiles. 

While I feel like I am in a very good place with who I am and the goals and plans for my future I still feel like there is so much out there waiting to be discovered.  I do suspect that I will likely always feel this way.  The world is just bursting with new things to experience and enjoy. This is something that I hope to pass on to my own children through my example.  One should never stop learning, living, and enjoying life.  Here's to a year of new experiences! 

This Moment

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{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Soulemama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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Valentine Party

While most people are just having their Valentine parties today, we actually had ours earlier this week.  I remember making Valentine mailboxes in school to hold all our special treats.  Our co-op took part in this tradition this year and it was so much fun.  We didn't have any shoeboxes around but I did have a couple old shipping boxes that I knew would do the trick. 
 

We of course waited until right before the party to remember to make our boxes so we had to do something relatively quick and easy. I simply covered the boxes with inside out Christmas wrapping paper and let them go to town decorating. I pulled out sharpies (of course) and then a package of foam hearts I had picked up earlier in the week. The girls had a blast making their very own mailboxes. Sometimes simple really is best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valentine treats

When planning treats for various Valentine parties this year I wanted to find something that the kids of all ages could enjoy and that would be easy to transport and maybe not quite so messy for them to eat. This snack mix worked out perfectly. 

 

 

We picked out some favorite snacks at the grocery store together and it was ready in no time.  Kaitlyn loved that she "cooked" it all herself so it's a great project for even the littlest helpers which is always nice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We put it into some sandwich bags that we already had on hand but the smaller snack size bags would have been perfect for this.  Then we taped a pretty topper on and they were ready to give.  We used this printable from Poofy Cheeks to top the bags and just cut them with our crafting scissors.  

Printable Valentines

The girls were so excited to make Valentines to hand out to their friends this year.  I didn't want to just pick up a box of character cards at the store but still needed something easy and quick to put together.  Pinterest to the rescue of course!  We used this printable from Todays Mama to make these cute little cards. 

 

 

There are six different cards and each has its own little saying and stick figure action.  The girls thought they were hilarious little people.  I loved that it was quick to print out the 30+ cards we needed and wouldn't break the bank either. 

 

 

 

 

Just  a big bag of Smarties and a dab of glue from our low temp glue gun and they were ready to go.  I love this one of the stick figure holding up the candy.  So fun!

 

 

We also used these printable bubble tags for a little treat to take to ballet class.  We picked up a package of Valentine bubbles at Target while we were shopping this weekend.  We had plenty for both days of dance class.  

 

 

 

Thrifted cradle

The girls and I love thrift stores and yard sales, I'm pretty sure it's genetic.  They are perfect places to find antique treasures, unique pieces, and of course lots and lots of books.  The fact that you never know just what you might stumble across is what keeps us going back.  I love finding something that some might think has passed it's useful stage and giving it a new life and a new home.  The chance to save something from ending up in a landfill somewhere.  When I saw this little piece (on an online yardsale site no less) I knew it needed to come home with us. 

Isn't it perfect?  Okay, so it needed a bit of cleaning up but it was nothing that I couldn't handle.  Tighten a few screws, give it a good cleaning and polish, add a bit of batting and some new fabric and it was good as new.

 

 

See?  Not a total transformation, just a bit of new life.  Though as I was working on it I couldn't help but wonder about the little girl it may have belonged to before.  Did she have a favorite baby that she spent countless moments rocking to sleep in this cradle?  I like to think so, I like to think that those beautiful memories come with pieces like this just waiting for our littles to add their own special moments to its history. 



 

 

 

Kaitlyn thought it was the perfect place for her baby Lucy to spend a quiet afternoon.  "shhh...my baby is sleeping." she whispered to me as I quietly snapped this picture.  Just exactly the moment I was hoping for. 

 

 

 



Weekend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a weekend full of so much togetherness and fun.  The wonderfully warm weather brought us all outside to soak up as much sunshine as we could.  After a couple weeks of everyone feeling not so well it was a welcome experience.  Lots of games were played, work was done, gardens were planned, and warm sunshine enjoyed by all. 

With a week full of warm weather ahead of us I see many more days like these in our future.