Friday Favorites

Hey Girls!

Today I am linking up with Andrea , Erika and Narci and sharing my Friday Favorites.  Be sure to grab the graphic and link up too!

ONE

My favorite this week, was my baby blardigan getting delivered!  And let me tell you...I am SO glad I decided to order this...I absolutely LOVE it and cannot wait for the temps to get a little cooler...I'll be wearing it non-stop!  You can see all my faves from the sale here .

TWO

Grocery shopping is NOT my favorite, but grabbing fresh flowers each week definitely is!  I love getting them at my grocery store, they are always beautiful and they are so inexpensive. 

THREE

Olivia was home sick Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week, and though obviously that is not a favorite, watching her sleep so sweetly is!

FOUR

Mark and I had dinner at our favorite little restaurant in town...drinks and dinner with my #1 guy is always a favorite!

FIVE

I saw this little quote the other day...and well I just couldn't agree with it more!

SIX

I am a huge fan of Smartfood popcorn, and the other day I grabbed a bag of this kettle corn, and it is my new favorite!

If you are a fan of sweet and salty I highly recommend this!

SEVEN

Chico is still a big favorite over here.  When we first got him, he was super small and couldn't get on the couch,and I swore that there would be NO DOGS on the furniture policy over here.  Well...you can see how well that has worked out for us!  He is just the sweetest pup ever!  He was really hoping to snag one of the bacon wrapped scallops or coconut shrimps Mark had in the bowl.

Not sure what we have planned for the weekend.  The kid's dad is in town, so they are pretty excited about spending lots of QT time with him.  Not sure what Mark and I will be up to...but hoping to take advantage of having Kenny in town, and enjoying some kid free time:) 

Have a great weekend.  See you back here Monday!

Thursday Thoughts...

Hey there girls!

YES YES!!!

After 3 days home sick with a fever...Olivia is back at school!  It didn't even take a full two weeks for the back to school germs to get her! 

The kids are super excited today...I am heading to airport this morning to pick up their dad, and they are just thrilled he will be here for the weekend! 

I don't know about you guys, but these days I don't even want to turn on the TV...it seems as if every other day there is some senseless shooting, and way too many innocent lives being taken.  I have said it before and I will say it again, this world is getting scarier by the day.  As a mother, I am so over trying to explain all this senseless violence to my children, and trying to tell them that we will be OK and be safe...because the truth is...I don't know if we will be.  I mean we could be in any public place, and some crazy deranged person can just walk in and shoot it all up.  I worry about them at school all the time. Back when Brooke and Harrison were younger I do not ever remember worrying about someone coming into their school with a gun.  But these days...I worry about it all the time.  For the life of me, I just don't understand why there isn't a metal detector in every single school in this country.  I know some of the inner city schools have them, but wake up...this is happening even in the "good" areas.  I am sure there is much more involved to it than I realize, but seriously it just seems like a no brainer to me.  As parents, we should not have to worry about our kids not coming home from school because someone with a gun can get in and just kill everyone!

The lack of respect for human life is sickening to me.  I mean what type of person gets so mad, that they feel the need to go grab their gun and just kill them?  So scary!  Now a days you really need to think twice about what you say to people, and I find myself stressing that to my children all the time.  Years ago, I can remember having tiffs with neighbors, friends, co-workers, probably having a few choice words, and I never ever worried about them killing me.  The biggest worry was having your neighbor pissed off for a few days.  It makes me sad that people don't know how to talk anymore and work things out, haven't we seen by now, violence is NEVER the answer. 

Respect for others seems to be non-existent these days.  And well that is just scary!  I am all for freedom of speech, but seriously sometimes people just need to shut  up.  There is a VERY big difference between freedom of speech and just plain being disrespectful and an a-hole.  And I think what scares me the most is how many young children are just being brought up, thinking it is OK to just not have respect if they don't agree with it.  I want my children to have their own opinions and thoughts, however, I have always taught them, though they may not always agree with others, they must always respect them.  We are not all going to get along, we are all not going to like one another, we are all not going to agree on everything...and that is a good thing, because how boring would life be!  Liking someone and respecting them are totally different, and do not go hand in hand, in my opinion.  You don't have to like someone, or their views, thoughts or whatever, but you do need to respect them and their opinions. 

I truly believe if we would all just be more accepting of others this world would slowly get better.  We all have our own opinions and such when it comes to race, gay, lesbian, religion, politics, etc...and that is OK...at the end of the day we are all the same aren't we?  We are all human, and we should all be able to live our lives the way that makes us happy, not society.  I truly believe we can have our own opinions, but we can still be respectful and accepting of those that choose to live differently than we would. 

Every day I pray that this world gets better...as a mom raising young kids, it really is scary!

Those are my thoughts for today.  Hope you all have a great day today!  Be sure to check back tomorrow for Friday Favorites!

My Nordstrom Sale Finds

Happy Hump Day Ladies!

My amazing grandmother would have been 93 today...she was truly such an amazing woman, and every day I miss her!  I know she is up in heaven having one hell of a party today!

Happy Birthday Granny!!!

So, hopefully y'all have scored a few things from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!  I was super excited about this sale, and if I am being honest, I was definitely disappointed this year with the inventory, or lack there of!  The one thing I was really wanting to purchase was the Barefoot Dreams bathrobe, so I jumped online first thing in the morning, the day the sale opened up to cardholders, placed my order....and well it has been about two weeks and I still don't have it...and I don't think I will get it.  I was immediately notified it was on backorder...how does that even happen so quick..lol?  It was supposed the ship last week, then they told me July 30, now they are telling me...they don't know.  I really wanted this bathrobe, and I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I just may not get it!  Other than the bathrobe, there was only one other thing I had really wanted that wasn't available.

I have received everything I ordered, and decided to keep it all...I really loved it all!

I was unsure about these earrings at first, but after having them I am really starting to love them!  Thank you to my friend Heather for encouraging me to give them a chance:)  These are at such a great price, and they would make awesome holiday gifts!

I had originally wanted these little gold Kendra Scott earrings in the larger size and when I went to order them they were unavailable, so I went with the smaller version....and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!  They are a great size and super lightweight...sadly they are no longer available either.  I am so glad I snagged them!

It's no secret that I am all about comfort!  These pajamas are fabulous.  I ordered a pair last year from the sale and still wear them all the time...and these are just as awesome!  They are still a bit pricey, even on sale, for pajamas, but they really do hold up well and are super soft!  These leggings are pretty much sold out in this pattern, but you can't go wrong with any of the zella leggings...especially when they are on sale!

I was really disappointed that these Lucky booties were not restocked.  They seemed to have sold out super quick!  I got mine in the brindle color and they are perfect! I read all the reviews and most people said they were TTS...I found they ran a little on the larger size.  I normally wear an 8, so that is what I ordered, but I am thinking I could have gotten these in a 7.5.  I am going to keep them and make them work because they really are so cute!  And this dress...this little striped dress for under $25...why why why didn't I order like 3 of these!  I ordered my normal size, medium, and it is definitely roomy, I probably could have sized down in this, but I didn't and it's fine!  It is so cute with my shoreline Converse, some flip flops and booties!  It's a great dress to wear now, and into the cooler months with a denim jacket thrown on!  It is one of those outfits where you look pulled together, but it isn't clingy and tight and you can just be comfy!  If they restock this dress I will definitely order at least one more! 

Last week I went to put coffee in my favorite striped Kate Spade travel mug and the lid was gone...just disappeared.  No doubt one of the boys used the cup and God only knows where the top is now...but I was mad!  I ordered this new mug and I am loving it!  We have tons of travel mugs over here, but I like a cute girly one!  I may pick up a few more of them..they are such a great price and would make great gifts throughout the year.  How fun to give this cute mug with a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts gift card!

So last year I bought the blardigan, and it was soft and everything that everyone said it would be.  I loved it, I really loved it...until it started shedding...everywhere...everytime I wore it.  I was super disappointed, but I wound up returning it.  Now I have MANY girlfriends who have them, love them and never ever have a shedding problem...so I think maybe I just had a defective one:)  I ordered my mom the cocoa ombre one for her birthday last week, and she LOVES it!  Anyway...I had my eye on the baby blardigan, it was sitting in my shopping bag, and after reading how much everyone loved theirs, I decided to order it, and I am glad I did because of course the indigo is only left in a size L/XL as of the time I am typing this post.  I went back and forth between the grey and the indigo and wound up with the indigo because the grey was sold out...and I am so glad it was...I am LOVING the blue!  And it really is so fabulous!  I cannot wait for the cooler temps to start rolling in...I will be wearing this thing ALL the time...in my house to lounge in, with my leggings to drop Olivia off to school, with my jeans to go shopping and run errands...I will wear this all the time, I already know this!

I have my eye on a few more things, but I can't say there is anything else that I MUST have.  Like I said I will probably pick up a few travel mugs to keep in my closet as gifts to have on hand.  I may grab another pair of the pajamas..I know they are pricey, but they are awesome, and living here with warm weather like 11 out of the 12 months I will get lots of use out of them!

If your orders have arrived and there is something that you are just loving, please let us all know.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Spiel The Beans With The Queens

Hello Ladies!

Today I am linking up with Shelly and Katy for their "Spiel The Beans" linkup. 

You all should link up too!

Today we are talking about summer indulgences, and let's face it...we a like to indulge every now and again right?

Summer is NOT my favorite season, I am definitely more of a fall/winter girl!  But there are a few things that I really only indulge in during the summer months for sure!


I am not a big fan of ice cream...however during the hot summer months I definitely find myself craving mint chocolate chip ice cream...I like the kind with the big chips in it!  Edy's has the best...in my opinion!

YUM!  Definitely a summer indulgence for me!

I love a glass of white wine, I probably drink a glass 3-4 nights a week, and I just really enjoy it.  But during the summer months I crave a frozen, fruity drink!  And thankfully my hubby can whip up a delicious pina colada! 

He will usually whip up a batch on Sunday afternoon and we each drink one, and it always hits the spot1

So those are my summer indulgences...can't wait to read what everyone else is indulging in this summer!

Have a great day, thanks for stopping by today!

Let's Talk

Hello Girls!

Today I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for their "Let's Talk" linkup!

Today we are chatting about School Days!  Back to school time is always such a fun time for us!  As a kid I loved getting new clothes, shoes, a new backpack, lunchbox and supplies!  And now as a mom, I love doing these things for my kiddos! 

Our back to school is a bit different for us than in years past.  Normally all my kids started on the same day, but now that we have moved and Olivia attends a year round school, it definitely is just not the same.  It has been weird only getting up one child versus all three! 

When Brooke and Harrison were younger I would go out in the beginning of summer and get all their school supplies, to beat the rush of everyone shopping right before school started, but I soon realized I really wasn't doing myself any favors by going so early!  Our schools always have put out a generic supply list, and I would go and get every item on it, and then once they started back, half of what was on the list they didn't need, and each teacher had their own list...so now I just buy things like pencils, notebooks, crayons, etc..that I know they will need and wait for either the first week of school or open house to get the rest.  School supplies can get very expensive, so now I just wait and only buy what they need! 

I always have loved back to school shopping for clothes for the kids, there is just something so awesome about wearing a brand new outfit and new shoes on the first day of school!  Now that my boys are older, they have their own style and opinions on what they want to wear...and basically it is basketball shorts and a t-shirt every single day...and I mean EVERY SINGLE DAY!  So back to school shopping for the boys consists of basically just hitting up Marshalls and TJ MAXX and grabbing all the Nike shorts and t-shirts we can find!  EASY PEASY! 

I always had so much fun shopping for Olivia...I mean there is just nothing better than dressing a little girl!  Her school is a uniform school now, and I have to admit I LOVE it!  There is zero fighting in the mornings about what to wear, and it really is so economical.  She can wear navy or khaki bottoms and a polo type shirt either white, red, navy or orange.  She can also wear polo-type dresses in any of those colors or a blue or khaki jumper too.  I just go to Target and get her everything she needs for the year, and it costs me well under $100 to outfit her for the ENTIRE school year...and that just makes me happy!  I am a huge fan of school uniforms and wish all the schools were uniform schools! 

Every year on the first day of school and the last, I tend to get a little weepy.  The years seem to be flying by faster and faster, and though it is such a joy watching my kids grow up, it is also very bittersweet for me.  The time has just flown by and I feel like I have blinked my eyes and they went from babies to big kids literally overnight.  I am always amazed how much they seem to grow during the school year! 

Liv started 3rd grade two weeks ago, and so far she is LOVING it, she is such a little sponge and she just loves learning new things.  I love just sitting and listening to her read to me or bust out multiplication facts like no one's business!  Math is her jam and she loves it!

AJ will be starting 7th grade...and he loves middle school.  He had such a great year last year and I am pretty sure he will own 7th grade this year!

Jack..he is starting high school...how that is even possible...I just don't know.  Jack is an incredible student.  He loves school and does very well.  He is so dedicated to his studies and I am so proud of him!  I thought he would be a little nervous about starting high school, but he isn't.  He can't wait to start and is already talking about college!  This boy has big plans for his future and I know he is going to have an awesome freshman year!

I love having my kids home with me, but I have to admit that I love once they are all back in school and we have a routine, and well the peace and quiet is also a plus! 

The boys have two more weeks before school starts and they are soaking up their last days of summer by staying up all night and pretty much sleeping all day!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope y'all have a great day!

Friday Favorites...Nordstrom Anniversay Sale Edition

Yay...it's Friday!

 

Before I start with my favorites, I need to say Happy Birthday to my amazing Mom!

 

 

Today I am linking up with Andrea , Erika and Narci and sharing my Friday Favorites!  Be sure you grab the graphic and link up too!

 

 

So, y'all know that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is in full swing, and if you aren't a cardholder, you can FINALLY start shopping the sale today!

 

I admit, I spent WAY TOO MUCH time when the sale opened last week looking at all the awesome things.  In years past, I have always used this sale to stock up on fall/winter things, and well now living here, we don't really need winter clothes...which sucks because I love fall clothes!

 

I have received some of the things I have ordered and I am still waiting on a few things to arrive. I always get at least one pair of shoes during the anniversary sale, and it has always been a bootie, and well this year, same thing....

 

Here is what I have purchased so far.....

 

These little booties were the very first thing I purchased and they are scheduled to be delivered today!  I went back and forth between the "sesame" and the "brindle" color, and ultimately went with the brindle, I am so excited to get them, and praying they are true to size, because sadly most sizes are now gone in these! 

 

 

If you read here you know I love comfort and pajamas.  I ordered this robe in the grey color, and the shipping was delayed.  When I called, they said it was expected to ship out on July 30...so fingers crossed!  It was such a good deal!  If you are a blardigan lover, you are sure to love this!

 

 

 

 





I love ponchos and cardigans, and I am super excited I snagged this cardigan!  It screams fall to me, but it isn't a heavy sweater material, perfect for where we live!

 

 

 

I LOVE Zella...and there was a TON of awesome Zella pieces in the sale.  I grabbed these workout pants.  I have a few more pair in my cart...so I may have another pair or two coming my way!

 

 

 

I kept going back to this little dress, and decided for under $25, to just grab it.  I got the navy striped one.  I am thinking this will be so cute for now with some flip flops, or my converse, and then if it ever gets cooler here, throw a little denim jacket over it and wear my new booties!  Hoping I love this as much in person as I did online!

 

 

I love Kendra Scott!  I picked up these earrings (while I am writing this post, they are currently not available in the gold anymore) and cannot wait to get them.  They are scheduled to ship out tomorrow!  They had a larger version that I really loved, but they sold out in like a minute. 

 

 

I ordered this cute sweater wrap in the grey...and I hope I love it. 

 

 

You guys already know that I have a very strong love for pajamas!  Last year I snagged some super soft PJ Salvage jammies and have loved them!  They are soft and lightweight and so perfect for the warm temps here!  This year I snagged these , in the grey stripe!  I am thinking about getting another pair and giving them to my mom for Christmas.  They are AWESOME!

 

 

So that is all that I have ordered so far.  My shopping bag however is still FULL of things that I want!  Here are a few things that are currently in my bag....

 

I am really thinking I am just going to buy these bowls.  They are super cute...and under $20!  If you guys have these, I would love to hear what you think of them!

 

 

Last year I bought the blardigan, it was so soft and cozy, and I loved it....I loved it until it was shedding all over the place...I was so disappointed, and I would up returning mine.  Most women I know who have it, LOVE it, and don't seem to have a shedding issue, so I am guessing maybe I just got a "bad" one.  I am really loving this little cardigan.  If anyone of you have it, tell me if I need it!  I feel like if I don't snag it now, I will wind up ordering it in the fall and kicking myself for paying full price!

 

 

I am really loving these booties.  I ordered the lucky ones in the darker color, and am thinking I may need these lighter color ones:)

 

 

Comfort...it is KEY for me...and I am digging these fun camo joggers.

 

So there you have it....my purchases and a few of my wish list items from the big sale!  Please share with me what you guys got...what am I missing that is a MUST have!

 

Not sure what we have planned for the weekend, Mark and Harrison are working Saturday and other than that I haven't a clue what will be going on here over the weekend.  Hoping for a quick date night with Mark Saturday night!  Hope you all have a great weekend!  See you guys back here next week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Lately

Hello Girls!

 

Hope you are all having a great week!  Now that school is back in session, I am once again always looking forward to the weekend!

 

Life lately has been pretty low key around here, and it has been nice!  Our summer was cut a bit short with Olivia starting back to school last week, and this is the first summer that we did not take a family vacation.  We usually always go to Michigan, but with Olivia's school schedule, and Mark just starting his new job and not having vacation time, it just wasn't in the cards for us this summer.  We do have a beach trip planned for 4 days over Labor Day Weekend, that we are super excited about...and my mom is coming to town and will be joining us!  It will be nice to just hang out with family, and just enjoy each other!

 

So I am pretty sure Jack and AJ need this shirt.  My boys are literally up all night and sleeping until mid afternoon.  It is CRAZY!!!  That has been their life lately!  They start back to school August 10, so getting them back on schedule should be FUN!  

 

These 3 have spent lots of late nights on the couch watching Ridiculousness....with all the awfulness going on in the world these days, it makes me happy to hear them just laughing at a silly TV show.

 

 

We spent a solid 2 weeks watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark Mystery and Movies Channel and the Hallmark channel...and Olivia was totally onboard, even busting out her holiday jammies from last year!

 

 

The Shopkins obsession is still STRONG over here...and I find them everywhere!!!  I wish I had invented these little things!

 

 

These two have been spending every night cuddled up next to each other...it truly just makes me so happy to see their incredible bond get stronger by the day!

 

And there has been lots of wrestling going on between Mark and AJ.

 

 

It has been HOT here, but I still love going out back each morning and drinking my coffee, just looking at the water, and every night we go out back and watch the sun go down, and every single night it is beautiful and I never ever get tired of the amazing view I have right in my backyard. 

 

We have been spending our weekends just kind of hanging out, getting some things done around the house.  The downtime has been so nice!  Once the boys start back in school, and the fall months roll around (Mark's busy season at work), life gets super crazy, so it is nice to just enjoy the slow times!

 

The kids are super excited that next week their dad is flying into town for a few days, they are all looking forward to getting to spend some time with him!

 

So pretty much that has been life lately over here!  Be sure to check back tomorrow, I will be sharing with you guys what I have snagged so far from the Anniversary Sale, and what is still sitting in my bag!  Can't wait to hear what everyone else got! 

 

Have a great day!

 

 

 

 



Back To School

Hey There!

 

I sure have missed blogging and all of you!  Sometimes life just gets super crazy and well blogging usually takes a backseat!  It was nice to take a little break and just enjoy my days with the kiddos without worrying about getting a blog post up!

 

So here we are, mid July, and we have already started back to school...well Olivia has!  I have mentioned before that Olivia attends a year round elementary school.  It isn't our choice, it is the only option we have here.  At first I wasn't sure how I would feel about a year-round school, and I was definitely concerned that the boys have a traditional school year.  It is definitely different having the kids on different schedules, but believe it or not, I really like the year-round school, I kind of wish the boys had it too!

 

A lot of people gasp when they hear me say she attends a year round school, and at first I gasped too!  But once we got into the school year, and the routine, I really really liked it.  Yes she only had about 6 weeks off for the summer, but honestly it is so HOT here, and outdoor time just isn't something we love when it is a million degrees out, so her starting back mid-July has been great.  It keeps her busy and gives her something to do during the day.  But it is definitely weird just getting her up and ready while the boys are still fast asleep!

 

Olivia started back on July 12, and her first week has been a success.  If you have read here for a while you know that Olivia struggled and I mean STRUGGLED with school back in Charlotte.  Every single morning she cried, it was awful and it broke my heart.  We moved here and she LOVED school, no tears, no fight about going, no made up sickness to just stay home...she just LOVES going to school each day.  She was so super excited to start back last week.  She was counting down the days until her open house! 

 

Lunchbox out and ready to pack....and if I am being honest, packing lunches is NOT my favorite thing to do!

 

Ready for 3rd grade!

 

No tears and all smiles...

 

My whole heart right there just walking down the hall to 3rd grade!

 

She was ALL SMILES getting off the bus after her first day!

 

I was looking forward to her starting back to school and having about a month home with just the boys to spend some time with them, but sadly they are just waking up around the time Olivia is getting off the bus.  I don't know about y'all who have teenagers, but my boys stay up until all hours of the night and pretty much sleep all day...so I haven't had much quality time with them!  HA! 

 

Olivia is definitely a mama's girl, and she loves lots of one on one time with me, so her school schedule definitely allows for lots of that!

 

She has a few random days off here and there throughout the year, and then in October she has the last two weeks off, she gets a week off for Thanksgiving, 2 1/2 weeks off for Christmas, and 2 1/2 weeks off for her spring break.  So it is definitely a good balance.  Like I said when we first moved here I was not thinking I would love this type of schedule, but I really do! 

 

So we are one week into 3rd grade and it has been awesome, so I am praying it keeps going like this and her positive attitude continues for the rest of the school year!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I'll be back tomorrow with a little bit of life lately and then on Friday I am super excited to share some of my favorites from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!