40 Things that Made Me Happy the Year I was 40!
9.21.2018
01. Finally getting a tattoo that I had wanted for decades.
02. Bianca winning an iPod in a coloring contest.
03. Halloween Crafts with the Renegade Craft Society.
04. The King Arthur Flour Bake-Along.
05. Taking the kids to Disney On Ice.
06. Seeing my bestie marry her person.
07. Seeing Newsies with my Redheads.
08. Lighting The World with service in December.
09. Perfecting the perfect skillet cookie with Matt for his work gifts.
10. Sewing 50+ dolls for refugee kids with Ella.
11. Holiday activities and hot chocolate.
12. These Cranberry and Orange Christmas cookies.
13. Evangeline performing as Iago in Aladdin Jr.
14. Throwing a surprise 40th birthday party for my husby.
16. Hygge event with my friend Leisha.
17. Potty training for the last time (can I get an AMEN!?!)
18. Spending the day with my childhood friend.
19. Galentine's Day party.
20. Celebrating Molly's 40th birthday in Park City with cakes and karaoke.
21. Starting a BUNCO group with my blogging friends.
22. Hours of fun and relaxing on our hammock.
23. Queer Eye.
24. I've been working hard at decorating our home.
25. Coffee exploration with Ella.
26. Seeing Audra McDonald in concert.
27. The most wonderful trip to Las Vegas with Ella and her friend Abi.
28. That day with the HUGE sloth.
29. Upping my manicure game with Color Street.
30. Hosting a blogger retreat.
31. Sister Act with my redheads.
32. Celebrating 15 years with the hottest husband ever.
33. Becoming besties with Jill.
34. Our fist overnight vacation since having kids! Denver with this sexy beast.
35. A day with Foley.
36. Philippines' Independence Day with Crocky and her family.
37. Love Loud Concert and Ogden Pride Fest with Ella.
38. Snack Crate days around the dinner table.
39. The toddlers starting pre-school.
40. Another year with these incredible people!
PICTURE BOOK RECOMMENDATION // For Kids Nervous Around or Afraid of Dogs
8.16.2018
Hannah and Sugar
by Kate Berube
Every day after school, Hannah’s school bus is greeted by her classmate’s dog, Sugar. All of the other kids love Sugar, but Hannah just can’t conquer her fear of dogs. Then, one day, Sugar goes missing, so Hannah joins the search with her classmates. Will Hannah find a way to be brave, and make a new friend in the process?
This is such a cute book for kids 3-7 and would be great for kids who are nervous around dogs. The illustrations are adorable too! My kids loved it!
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CLICK HERE CHECK OUT THIS CUTE BOOK!
Making Family Memories with the Nintendo 2DS XL!
6.01.2018
Please note: This post was sponsored by Nintendo. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links for products I love and whole-heartedly believe in. When you purchase them I get a small commission. Thanks so much for your support!
I have a long-term love story with Nintendo. As a child of the 80s it’s impossible to deny what a huge part of my growing-up years Nintendo was.
My very first memory of Mario was in Donkey Kong on our family Atari. Do you remember that he was the hero? Then we got Mario Bros. on my family's Commodore 64. That was the super-awesome computer we had and we were the envy of everyone in our neighborhood. This was the game we had! This screen shot brings back so many memories! When came the first Nintendo console came out I asked for it for Christmas and I got it! Looking back, it was more of a present for our entire family. We all loved “Super Mario Bros”.
Next came the Nintendo 64. I literally remember looking at my brother and saying "This is it! Graphics will never look better than this!" And you could pick your player. PICK. YOUR. PLAYER. That was huge. My brother had the first Game Boy (grey scale, but portable!!!) and I was sooooo jealous. Once in a while he gave me turns, but not often enough! And it was allllll about Tetris. In 1990 I was a Freshman in High School and Super Mario Bros. 3 hit the shelves. Mario could FLY, people! This was major.
I remember that in my senior year of High School my mom and I used to play Dr. Mario against each other. My mom and I are oil and water (or maybe oil and oil!) and we argued a lot. We would be in the middle of a fight and we would stop and decide to settle it with a game of Dr. Mario. We would end up laughing and playing together and the fight would be long forgotten. So many good memories!!!
Now, this is where I get full-nerd on you. In my early 20s my brother-in-law bought a Virtual Boy. This is truly hilarious to look back on. You were supposed to use the legs to put this on a table and rest your forehead against it. You could also lay down in bed and just rest it on your face. We did both is our quest to slay the big crazy wasp-guy at the end. All of the graphics were red and black and we thought it was awwwwwesome. Please tell me someone else remembers this?!!
Last week we added a new Nintendo memory: my kids and I playing the new Nintendo #2DXL together! It’s hard to decide who had a better time at the Nintendo event the three littles and I went to tonight! There was pizza, treats, fun, and then we played VIDEO GAMES!!
As the Nintendo reps were speaking I was taken back to all of the memories mentioned above. It's kind of amazing how long Mario and Nintendo have been a part of my life! And now my kids have Nintendo in their lives.
Nintendo was so generous and gifted our family a Nintendo DS XL, two games, and some other fun items!
We came home and charged our new Nintendo and then I spent some super-fun time teaching my kids how to play! We laughed and giggled and played and groaned when we drove our Mario Kart off a cliff to certain death.
A few days later we went to celebrate my nephew's High School graduation. I wisely slipped the Nintendo DS XL into my purse and thank goodness because the "hour long" ceremony was actually over 2 hours and the Nintendo saved my sanity!!!
About the New Nintendo 2DS XL:
o The New Nintendo 2DS XL is the latest and greatest handheld system from Nintendo.
o It’s a great entry into gaming – a durable, lightweight device with an XL touch screen that can be taken wherever you and your kids go – including summer road trips! Whether you’re traveling by air or by car, the New Nintendo 2DS XL can keep kids entertained while at the airport, in line at the amusement park or traveling by car to visit family and friends. Families, siblings and friends can all play together with multiplayer and co-op functionality that some games offer, creating great bonding – and shared interest - experiences.
o There is a huge library of games available for the New Nintendo 2DS XL across marquee Nintendo franchises such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda and Animal Crossing as well as other popular kid and family friendly titles such as Minecraft, Pokémon and LEGO.
o Nintendo 3DS games can be played on the New Nintendo 2DS XL system so if your family already owns a Nintendo 3DS or even a DS, you don’t have to buy new games!
o Some games offer multiplayer or co-op gameplay, allowing kids to play against friends with wireless play. In addition, Street Pass offers a unique gaming experience that you can't find anywhere else -- collect Mii™ characters and interact with them, enjoy enhanced gameplay, and play innovative games in StreetPass Mii Plaza.
o In addition to gaming, you can take and edit photos, browse the internet, and stream videos from Hulu or Netflix - right on the New Nintendo 2DS XL!
o Parents will also be happy to know that there are Parental Controls on the New Nintendo 2DS XL so you can make sure you’re comfortable with how the system is being used and control what content the kids can access.
o You can buy it here!
1
I have a long-term love story with Nintendo. As a child of the 80s it’s impossible to deny what a huge part of my growing-up years Nintendo was.
My very first memory of Mario was in Donkey Kong on our family Atari. Do you remember that he was the hero? Then we got Mario Bros. on my family's Commodore 64. That was the super-awesome computer we had and we were the envy of everyone in our neighborhood. This was the game we had! This screen shot brings back so many memories! When came the first Nintendo console came out I asked for it for Christmas and I got it! Looking back, it was more of a present for our entire family. We all loved “Super Mario Bros”.
Next came the Nintendo 64. I literally remember looking at my brother and saying "This is it! Graphics will never look better than this!" And you could pick your player. PICK. YOUR. PLAYER. That was huge. My brother had the first Game Boy (grey scale, but portable!!!) and I was sooooo jealous. Once in a while he gave me turns, but not often enough! And it was allllll about Tetris. In 1990 I was a Freshman in High School and Super Mario Bros. 3 hit the shelves. Mario could FLY, people! This was major.
I remember that in my senior year of High School my mom and I used to play Dr. Mario against each other. My mom and I are oil and water (or maybe oil and oil!) and we argued a lot. We would be in the middle of a fight and we would stop and decide to settle it with a game of Dr. Mario. We would end up laughing and playing together and the fight would be long forgotten. So many good memories!!!
Last week we added a new Nintendo memory: my kids and I playing the new Nintendo #2DXL together! It’s hard to decide who had a better time at the Nintendo event the three littles and I went to tonight! There was pizza, treats, fun, and then we played VIDEO GAMES!!
As the Nintendo reps were speaking I was taken back to all of the memories mentioned above. It's kind of amazing how long Mario and Nintendo have been a part of my life! And now my kids have Nintendo in their lives.
Nintendo was so generous and gifted our family a Nintendo DS XL, two games, and some other fun items!
We came home and charged our new Nintendo and then I spent some super-fun time teaching my kids how to play! We laughed and giggled and played and groaned when we drove our Mario Kart off a cliff to certain death.
A few days later we went to celebrate my nephew's High School graduation. I wisely slipped the Nintendo DS XL into my purse and thank goodness because the "hour long" ceremony was actually over 2 hours and the Nintendo saved my sanity!!!
About the New Nintendo 2DS XL:
o The New Nintendo 2DS XL is the latest and greatest handheld system from Nintendo.
o It’s a great entry into gaming – a durable, lightweight device with an XL touch screen that can be taken wherever you and your kids go – including summer road trips! Whether you’re traveling by air or by car, the New Nintendo 2DS XL can keep kids entertained while at the airport, in line at the amusement park or traveling by car to visit family and friends. Families, siblings and friends can all play together with multiplayer and co-op functionality that some games offer, creating great bonding – and shared interest - experiences.
o There is a huge library of games available for the New Nintendo 2DS XL across marquee Nintendo franchises such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda and Animal Crossing as well as other popular kid and family friendly titles such as Minecraft, Pokémon and LEGO.
o Nintendo 3DS games can be played on the New Nintendo 2DS XL system so if your family already owns a Nintendo 3DS or even a DS, you don’t have to buy new games!
o Some games offer multiplayer or co-op gameplay, allowing kids to play against friends with wireless play. In addition, Street Pass offers a unique gaming experience that you can't find anywhere else -- collect Mii™ characters and interact with them, enjoy enhanced gameplay, and play innovative games in StreetPass Mii Plaza.
o In addition to gaming, you can take and edit photos, browse the internet, and stream videos from Hulu or Netflix - right on the New Nintendo 2DS XL!
o Parents will also be happy to know that there are Parental Controls on the New Nintendo 2DS XL so you can make sure you’re comfortable with how the system is being used and control what content the kids can access.
o You can buy it here!
Fashion Wrap-Up // Harry and Meghan's Royal Wedding
5.21.2018
You've been texting me, commenting, and messaging me for my thoughts on this week's Royal Wedding fashion! I'm on it! (Note: all images in this post are by Getty Images)
Prince Harry looked so dashing in his uniform. I also love that he didn't shave his beard. He looked fantastic and so in love! Meghan also looked beautiful and so gloriously happy, but I didn't love her dress. I think it made her look a bit larger than she is. I would have loved to see a blend of modern and classic and this just seemed all mod.
Someone on the broadcast we were watching said the Queen looked "resplendent in lime green". I disagree. That is quite the insane color for the wedding! It was literally a fluorescent green. It was a lot. I'm not a fan.
I hate to say this because I truly dislike Camilla, but she looked great. I love the entire outfit. Darn it! Charles also looked really good. Darn it again!!!
Meghan's mother looked beautiful! I love this color on her and the whole outfit is perfect for the mother of the bride. I also loved watching her during the ceremony, crying her eyes out as her daughter said her vows. What a lovely moment!
I mean, did anyone think she would be anything other than perfection? She always gets it right and she looked amazing. Classic, elegant, gorgeous.
Fergie's daughters always look pretty ridiculous to me. Here, Eugenie looks like she is trying to go with 50's Jackie O, but actually ended up with 50's airline stewardess.
Oh my gosh--I freaking hate this dress on Pippa. If only those stupid cheerleader panels were missing, I would have loved it! But this dress is dire. Her husband's blue waistcoat is driving me similarly bonkers.
Idris Elba, will you marry me? Enough said. The problem is with Sabrina Dhowre. Again, this is a pretty heavy look for a Spring Wedding. A business lunch? Sure. A wedding on a glorious Spring day? Nope. Too boxy. Too dark. Too business.
James Corden and Julia Carey look fan-FREAKING-tastic. What a gorgeous couple and they both dressed to perfection. James looks like the picture of an Englishman and his wife is perfect from head to toe! Side Note: Does anyone else have a mad crush on James Corden like I do?
Oprah is living her BEST LIFE in this outfit! I hope she made a vision board of this months ago. She was so beautiful and pulled together! Somehow it is all in the same color family without looking too matchy-matchy. No this is what you wear to a Spring Wedding.
I am soooooo over Victoria Beckham looking miserable, severe, and frigid at all times. LIGHTEN UP! Here's another example of dressing for a funeral instead of a wedding. She can be tailored without being so stiff and boring. David Beckham, on the other hand, is flawless. He looks so classic and handsome and perfect.
These two get my CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR award. Serena would have been perfect except for that necklace. It's much too bulky for the dress. It's touching the neckline (a no-no) and the colors are all off. You can start at the top of Alexis' head and work your way down.....yes-yes-yes-good-yes-WHAT?!! Why are his pants too short and why is he wearing those awful socks?!!!! Make it staaawwwwwp!
Kitty Spencer is Princess Diana's niece and this look is OFF THE CHARTS AMAZING!! You guys, look at this. The hat, the stunning dress, the heels, the necklace, the make-up. I can't. It's soooooo breathtaking. If all of my dreams came true then this is a picture of me, except I'm still a brunette.
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It's YOUR turn to weigh in!
What did you think of the wedding?
Which was your favorite look of the day?
Would you also like to smack Victoria Beckham for being so dour?
3
THE BRIDE AND GROOM
THE QUEEN
CHARLES AND CAMILLA
DORIA RAGLAND
CATHERINE, THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE
SARAH FERGUSON
I thought Fergie looked really beautiful! But I really don't love how dark this color is for a Spring wedding.
EUGENIE OF YORK
PIPPA MIDDLETON & JAMES MATTHEWS
ABIGAIL SPENCER and PRIYANKA CHOPRA
Abigail Spencer's dress is awesome...for a girl's brunch! It looks much too informal for this occasion to me. I want that dress for myself, but it's all wrong for this occasion. Priyanka Chopra on the other hand is stunning! What a perfect outfit for a Royal Wedding in the Spring!
IDRIS ELBA and SABRINA DHOWRE
JAMES CORDEN and JULIA CAREY
GEORGE and AMAL CLOONEY
George Clooney and Amal Clooney looked great. I think I may have actually gasped when Amal appeared on my screen in this color. It is just so unexpected and gorgeous and chic!
OPRAH WINFREY
VICTORIA and DAVID BECKHAM
SERENA WILLIAMS and ALEXIS OHANIAN
These two get my CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR award. Serena would have been perfect except for that necklace. It's much too bulky for the dress. It's touching the neckline (a no-no) and the colors are all off. You can start at the top of Alexis' head and work your way down.....yes-yes-yes-good-yes-WHAT?!! Why are his pants too short and why is he wearing those awful socks?!!!! Make it staaawwwwwp!
And the BEST DRESSED GUEST GOES TO.......
DRUMROLL.......
KITTY SPENCER
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It's YOUR turn to weigh in!
What did you think of the wedding?
Which was your favorite look of the day?
Would you also like to smack Victoria Beckham for being so dour?
Life Lessons that Old Ladies Force on You in Grocery Stores
5.16.2018
I've been a big supporter of NOT cherishing every moment of children's lives. Those well-meaning Grandmas in the grocery store must surely have amnesia. Nobody cherishes sleep-deprivation, baby vomit, potty training, endless messes, tantrums, or what happens when you absent-mindedly push the elevator button before your toddler has a chance to.
If you cherish those moments you are a crazy-person.
But lately I have begun to see that tiny light at the end of the tunnel where your last baby is no longer a baby and, for the first time, you start to cherish the moments you are supposed to cherish. Snuggles, funny songs with made-up lyrics, misspoken words like pasketti and meatbombs, crazy bedhead, limbless Barbies, twirls in a full-skirted dress, and sick figures sporting incredibly long arms and heads attached to a single, crooked, line for a body.
We'll have two more years together before she starts Kindergarten, but I know that those two years are faster than the same two years with my oldest daughter. Those older siblings shrink the minutes in a day with homework assignments, theater practice, trips to the mall for the over-priced black tshirts at Hot Topic, crushes on boys, and Junior High choir concerts.
The baby is there, speaking too loudly, to try and be heard. Missing out on snuggles because of Junior High power point presentations due tomorrow. Dancing more wildly and twirling more enthusiastically to try and claim some of those shared minutes.
These are the moments that old ladies want us to cherish. They want us to stop and snuggle these final babies because there won't be any more after this. Once this baby is too old for the very sweet, sweet, moments that only babies and toddlers bring they become the one with recitals and concerts and field trips and crushes.
I am going to finally listen to those old ladies.
I am going to cherish these final moments.
But not potty training. Never potty training.
Vegas, Baby! VEGAS!
4.29.2018
Life Lately
4.17.2018
LISTENING TO...
LOVING...
WATCHING...
WORKING ON...
DISCOVERING...
MISSING...
LOOKING FORWARD TO...
CRAVING...
HATING...
PLAYING...
READING...
FEELING...
CRUSHING ON...
PLANNING FOR...
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