Our St. Patrick's Day

I hope everybody had a wonderful St. Patrick's day! Here's a little recap of how we celebrated.

It has become a tradition over here to have green pancakes and milk for breakfast. Kona thinks having green milk is the best and now thinks this should be an every day thing. :) I topped Kona's pancakes with some Lucky Charms, which he's never had before, and he was beside himself with excitement. I got several hugs and thank you mom's for that one!

After breakfast we got ready and headed to our local book store for a Leprechaun themed story time. The story was super cute and Kai even sat through it. He loves to read, but he has to be in the mood so I didn't know what he would do. Usually he wants to run around the kids section and look at everything so I consider this a huge win!  

  

 

Later that afternoon, after naps, the weather was beautiful so we headed outside for snack time.

The boys wouldn't eat the kiwi which was fine with me because I love it! It was so nice to have a snack I actually got to eat, usually the boys steal whatever I'm eating. #momlife             

True fact: On Thursday I locked myself in the bathroom, at 3:00pm, to eat a bowl of cereal. I hadn't eaten all day and mama needed food! Even as I ate my cereal Kai was on the other side of the door wanting some. :)

After snack time we played outside until dinner, I made this pasta dish and it was so good! Pasta and green beer made this girl so happy! It was a wonderful way to end a fun filled day!

XOXO



Spring Bucket List

Happy first day of Spring! I feel like I have said it a million times, but we are so ready for spring. This winter has been long and rough. We have had lots of snow and frigid temperatures that make it impossible to go outside. I have been dreaming of dinner on the barbeque, watching the boys run through the grass and planting flowers for months. Spring does something wonderful for the soul and we can't wait to soak up every moment.
Today I'm sharing our spring bucket list and would love to hear yours too!
1. Jump in the rain puddles.
2. Feed the ducks.
3. Have a picnic in the park.
4. Make a bird feeder.
5. Fill the house with Tulips (my favorite flower).
6. Spring crafts craft day.
7. Start a windowsill herb garden.
8. Plant flowers and a vegetable garden.
9. Decorate Easter eggs.
10. Outdoor Easter egg hunt.
11. Blow bubbles.
12. Go fishing.
13. Make banana bread.
14. Fly a kite in the park.
15. Go see baby chicks and ducks.
16. Have a Mommy Son date.
17. Play in the sandbox.
18. Go on a day trip.
19. Read books outside and watch the clouds.
20. Make and deliver a May Day basket.

Source


The boys and I are off to go get ice cream, which has been a tradition now for several years. It's such a fun way to say goodbye to old man winter and hello to beautiful spring!
I hope you all have a wonderful day! XOXO

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday and happy St. Patrick's day!! Today we are celebrating by having a festive breakfast, going to a leprechaun themed story time and drinking green beer! Last night I overheard Kona tell J.D. "Dad, St. Patrick's day is almost here! That means you and Mom drink green beer and Kai and I drink green milk!!" I was laughing so hard and love that he has my holiday loving heart!
For Friday Favorites I thought it would be fun to share a favorite moment from each day.

Saturday

Kona was watching a cartoon Saturday morning when Kai crawled up on the couch and cuddled next to him. It was the sweetest, even thought the moment didn't last long.

Sunday

This cutie and I went and get J.D. and me coffee Sunday morning and he insisted on dressing himself. I love that he's wanting to pick out his clothes and this outfit cracked me up. Rain boots (with no rain in sight), a cowboy hat, pajamas, and a plaid coat. I love this sweet boy so much!!

Monday

I got to sit in bed on Monday morning, drink a cup of coffee and finish Jodi Picoult's new book. It was a wonderful way to start the day! I have been a big Jodi Picoult fan for a long time and this book is one of her best. I urge everybody to read it, you won't be disappointed.

Tuesday
On Tuesday I wrote about some easy St. Patrick's day crafts I did with the boys. We had the best time making these rainbows, they were super easy which is a huge plus!

Wednesday
These two reading in my bed was a favorite moment of the week. I love hearing Kona's little voice read to me while Kai talks gibberish! I can't get enough of them!

Thursday

My wonderful friend Kery and I went to the Home Depot for their montly class. We made these vertical flower gardens that I can't wait to put flowers in! We had the best time and can't wait to go again next month. If you have a Home Depot in your town I highly recommend these classes.

I hope you all have a wonderful day and weekend! If you need me I'll be sitting on my patio with a green beer in hand! ;) XOXO

Linking up with Andrea, Amy and Katie

Red, White and Blue First Birthday Party

Last week I shared a few pictures of the birthday parties I have thrown. I absolutely love throwing parties and wanted to share more details of each one. I thought it would be fun to show one a week so lets get started!

Kona's birthday is at the end of June so I thought it would be fitting to have a red, white and blue themed party. The 4th of July if one of my favorite holidays and I had so much fun planning and decorating.

I got the invitations on Etsy and loved them! They were perfect for his party and the shop owner was great to work with.

I got the poster from Etsy and love that I will always have this keepsake from his party. It was fun for guests to know what he's currently into and doing.

 I printed off monthly picture and made the tassel garland out of a plastic table cloth.

I didn't take any pictures while I was making the garland, but here is a simple tutorial. It was super simple to make and I loved showing off his monthly pictures!

I made Kona's cake with a red, white and blue layer and strawberry cupcakes and 2 smaller cakes for everyone else. I printed off some additional pictures of Kona for the table.

For lunch we had a bbq with hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, pasta salad, corn and tomato salad, blueberries and strawberries.

The kids played in the water and got soaking wet, which I'm sure their parents loved! ;)

Kona played with the rocks which was one of his favorite things to do when he was little.  

After lunch and playing it was time for the best part, cake eating!! Kona hadn't had cake before his birthday and had only had a bite or two of ice cream. Once he figured out what was happening he couldn't get enough! I think his favorite part was feeding all of us. J.D. and I got several bites and even the grandparents got fed. It was so fun to watch and he couldn't have been happier!

Before we opened presents we gave him a bath because he was covered from head to toe in cake!

It was the best day celebrating our sweet boy and I never wanted the day to end!

XOXO

Follow me on Pinterest to see more party inspiration!  

Rainbow Crafts

Happy St. Patty's day week! St. Patty's day is such a fun holiday, I don't have to worry about gifts, we get to make fun crafts, eat Lucky Charms and drink green beer :) Holidays make my heart so happy, seriously I live for this stuff!  This past weekend we woke up to snow and cold temperatures, which is not always fun, but it was so nice having nowhere to be, cuddling with the boys, and doing some crafts. It was one of those weekends you wish didn't have to end.

 The first craft we did was a pom pom rainbow. I drew out the rainbow and was going to have Kona glue the pom poms on, but he wanted to color it first and then glue. I love the way it turned out and  that he made it exactly how he wanted!

 Even Kai got in on the fun :)  

 We made one more using popsicle sticks and cotton balls to make a rainbow and clouds. Kona loves to paint so this was right up his alley! He painted the sticks five different colors, put them in the order he wanted and then I glued them together. I used hot glue for the cotton balls and had him tell me where he wanted them. Super cute and super easy!

 I hope you all have a great rest of your week, celebrating and eating too many rainbow marshmallows ;)   

 

XOXO

Keeping Her Memory Alive

My heart breaks every time I think about my kids not knowing my Mom. Kona was a year and a half when she passed away, much too young to have any memories of her, and I got pregnant with Kai a month after she passed. My Mom adored Kona, I'm so thankful I have pictures and stories to tell him of the time they spent together. Keeping her memory alive is so important to me. I never want my kids to wonder who she was, what her laugh sounded like or what her heart was made of. When they think about their Grandma I want them to see her in their minds and know how wonderful she was.

Here are some of the ways we keep her close to us and in our hearts.

 

Banana Bread: My Mom wasn't much of a baker, but she made the best banana bread. She gave me her recipe several years before she passed and I love making it with the boys. After it comes out of the oven we sit at the table, eating the warm bread and talk about her.

Her Grave: My Dad and I chose my Mom's grave not only for the peace it brought, but for the boys. Her grave is next to a pond that the boys can throw rocks into or look at the ducks if they are out that day. We wanted a spot that made them feel comfortable and at peace. We often take out some lunch or ice cream and have a little picnic. When we are there having a treat and throwing rocks in the pond it's like she's right there with us. These moments at her grave are so special to me and as hard as it may be, having this special spot to share with the boys makes it much easier.

Pictures and Home Videos: I love looking at pictures and watching home videos with the boys. They get to see exactly who she was. Her beautiful brown eyes, how her smile stretched from ear to ear, her voice, and the way she laughed. Nothing keeps her memory alive more than these precious pictures and videos do.

Cards she wrote to Kona: I have kept all the cards she wrote to Kona and I'm so happy he has these special notes from her. I love getting them out and reading to him what she wrote, to remind him how much she loved him. He was her only grandchild and she couldn't get enough of him. The amount of love she had for him radiated off of her. She always wanted to be with him, cuddling him, and kissing on him. I never want him to forget that she thought he hung the moon.

Go for a drive: As a child we use to go for drives on the weekend. We would usually go to the same places and have lunch. I love taking the boys for a drive and eating at the same place I did as a child. I feel so close to her in these little diners and love sharing all the memories I have of her in these places.

We Celebrate Her: Her birthday is this month and while it's one of the hardest days of the year for me we always celebrate her. The boys and I go to a bakery here in town to pick out some cupcakes and meet my Grandma and Dad at the grave. We tie balloons to her stone, sing Happy Birthday, blow out candles and eat cupcakes in her honor. We then go to dinner and have the best time eating, drinking and talking about how amazing she was.
 

I Pray: I pray that I'm doing all of this right. I pray that I'm giving my boys all the love she would have given them. I pray that they never forget the amazing women who raised me. I pray they see the sparkle in my eyes when I talk about her and feel how much love she gave me. I pray they grow up knowing how much she wanted to be here for them and how she's looking over them every day.


 Until we meet again Mom, I'm never not thinking about you. XOXO

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What I Wore

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Happy Wednesday! I hope you all are having a wonderful week!
 My first outfit is one I wore to a  baby shower I hosted on Sunday. The whole outfit was super comfortable, but fitting for a morning shower. The sleeves on the shirt are definitely my favorite and I hope to get a couple more shirts like it this spring! I also have the boots in black and love them. I was on my feet most of the day and they never hurt.

Shirt: Similar

Jeans: Same
Shoes: Same


The second outfit I wore yesterday running errands and hanging out at home. The weather is still hit or miss here, so having this lightweight sweater was perfect. Green and leopard is one of my favorite go to combos!

 Shirt: Similar

Jeans: Similar

Shoes: Similar


 XOXO

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