DIY Pull Piñata + My Love For Tacos

With Cinco de Mayo a week away, I wanted to share some our favorite taco recipes and a fun DIY pull piñata! I will take any excuse to drink margaritas, eat tacos, chips and dip and have some fun! 

Slow cooker quinoa tacos I found this recipe the other day and made it right away. We all loved it and will definitely be making it again.

Baked chimichangas I know these aren't taco's, but these chimichangas are on repeat at our house. I have also made them for friends and everyone loves them.

Blackened fish tacos I am a huge fan of fish taco's and make them any chance I get.

Slow cooker beef carnitas tacos These tacos are amazing and making them in the slow cooker is a huge plus.

I found these pull piñata's on Pinterest last week and couldn't wait to make them. We had a piñata for Kai's party last year and Kona loved it! Any time we go to the party store he asks if we can get one. I can't wait to show him these! They are festive, colorful and so fun for kids or any party guest. They don't only have to be used on Cinco de Mayo, they would work great at birthday parties, weddings or any other celebration!  

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Materials Needed:

Toilet paper or paper towel tubes.

Scissors.

Tape.

Tissue Paper in multiple colors.

Ribbon in multiple colors.

 Confetti, I cut mine out of the tissue paper.

Candy or other goodies. 

 STEP ONE:

 I took four different colors of tissue paper, folded and cut them to make small confetti pieces.

STEP TWO:

Take one full sheet of tissue paper and fold it multiple times to make a long strip.

 STEP THREE:
Cut the tissue paper into 1-2 inch rectangles.

STEP FOUR:
Cut slits leaving 1/4" left at the top.

STEP FIVE:

Cut a square of tissue paper to cover the bottom of the tube and tape loosely. Make sure it is loose because the tissue paper may rip while taping on the fringe strips.  

STEP SIX:

Start at the bottom and wrap your fringe strips, securing with tape.  

STEP SEVEN:

Add ribbon to the top and bottom of the tubes.

STEP EIGHT: 

Add confetti and candy.

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I hope everyone has a wonderful week and a extra festive Cinco de Mayo! I would love to hear how you are celebrating :)

XOXO

20 Life Lessons My Mom Taught Me

My Mom was simply amazing. There are days I miss her so much I feel like my heart is going to explode. She went through a lot in her life and through it all she taught me many invaluable lessons. I am who I am today because of everything she went through and everything we went through together. I continue to learn and grow from her every day and hope to never stop.

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She taught me patience. My Mom was the most patient person I have ever met. Patience isn't my strong suite, but because of the patience she showed me it is something I strive for every day.

She taught me to be brave. Even during my Mom's hardest days she was always brave and had a smile on her face. If she was ever afraid you would never know it.

She taught me to be kind. No matter what the day held my Mom faced it with a loving, kind heart. She was always the one holding doors open, saying "please and thank you" for everything, giving strangers complements, and noticing every little kid, no matter where we went.

She taught me to be content. My Mom was never in a hurry and always content in the moment. She didn't have much want in her heart and was truly happy with what she had and where she was in life. 

She taught me how to make every day special. She always made my birthday's and the holiday's full of special moments and memories that I will cherish forever. Not only did she make these big days special, she made the everyday moments memorable. It is from her that I got my love for celebrating the everyday events.

She taught me how to be a mom. I am the mom I am today because of her and for that I will be forever grateful.

 

She taught me how to be a wife. Her and my Dad showed me every day what true love was. They went through some terrifying and hard times together and stood by each other through it all. They were the best example of unconditional love and what marriage vows really mean.



She taught me that Friday's are for pizza. Every Friday night we would order pizza, watch TGIF and make unforgettable memories.



She taught me selflessness. My mom put everyone first, always putting her needs aside.


She taught me to give back to those in need and our community.


She taught me to do the right thing, even when no one is looking and no matter how hard it may be.


She taught me that a mom's hug can fix most anything.


She taught me that if a mom's hug can't fix it ice cream can.


She taught me about the importance of family and how to never take them for granted.


She taught me to always tell those you love how you feel. My Mom would pick up the phone just to tell me she loved me.


She taught me that a good cry does wonders for the soul.


 She taught me about the power of a smile. Her smile was beautiful and contagious. When people talk about her, her smile is always brought up.



She taught me about forgiveness and saying sorry takes a strong person.



She taught me to be grateful for everything we have in life. No matter what life threw at her, she would always count her blessings.


She taught me to pray and give my worries to the Lord. If I was ever having a hard day or going through a tough time, the first thing my Mom would say is "Have you prayed about it?" These simple words have carried me through my darkest days. When it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders, I listen to those words and give everything to the Lord.


I love her, miss her dearly and feel so grateful for everything she taught me.
XOXO


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You can read more about
how I keep her memory alive
 how important it is to be kind to yourself while your heart heals
how I view life now after loss






Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! We have had such a wonderful week and I'm excited to share some of our favorite moments! Tonight will be full of drinks and sushi to celebrate a wonderful friends birthday, Saturday we're having dinner with my Grandma and Sunday were taking mommy and me pictures. I can't wait to capture some wonderful memories with my sweet boys!


We had a wonderful Easter and the boys had so much fun. It was a great weekend with family, making some amazing memories. You can read all about our day here.

 

For Easter I made the boys this play kitchen out of an old cabinet and they love it. They've been playing with it like crazy and making all sorts of yummy creations. :) It was super easy to make and I love how it turned out.

Kai loves animals and will cuddle with our dogs any chance he gets! It's the sweetest thing ever and I hope he never stops caring for animals.

Yesterday the boys and I took a day trip to the lake. It was beautiful when we left our house and by the time we got there the wind picked up and it was miserable. We played in the sand and threw rocks in the water for a little bit, but we didn't end up staying very long. I was a little disappointed, but we made the best of it and still had a great time!

Ice coffee with girl scout cookies is my new favorite afternoon treat. I look forward to it every day!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

XOXO

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Linking up with Andrea, Amy and Katie

DIY Kids Play Kitchen

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I'm so excited to share the play kitchen I made the boys for Easter! I've been wanting to make one since last year and I'm so happy I finally did. The boys love it and have been playing with it like crazy. I scoured Pinterest for inspiration and found some adorable kitchens. I took that inspiration and made a little kitchen that fit my boys perfectly.

This kitchen was so fun to make and very simple. I decided to make one because I couldn't find one I loved for a decent price, we already had the cabinet and I love DIY projects! I painted the cabinet white with some paint we already had. I got the fabric, "burners" and knobs at Walmart and painted them black with acrylic paint. The football cutting board, which I'm slightly obsessed with, and wooden utensils are from a local thrift store. And we already had the food, pots and pans, basket and mason jar. The pots and pans are from my Grandma's childhood and I played with them, at her house, when I was little. Seeing my boys play with them brings back so many memories and makes me feel very nostalgic. I hope they will have as many wonderful memories playing with them as I do.

 

Hot glue was my best friend during this little project. I didn't even sew the fabric, I folded the sides and glued them. I also glued the burners, knobs and fabric to the cabinet and haven't had any problems with them coming off.  

 

 Kona loves making us breakfast and Kai loves dumping everything on the floor and running away. :)  I can't wait to make lots of memories and cook up all sorts of creations, with my two favorite chefs!


Please let me know if you have any questions or if I missed something.

XOXO
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What I Wore

Happy Wednesday Everyone!
This first outfit is what I wore while on a mommy son date. Kona and I went to the zoo and then to a birthday party and had such a wonderful day together. I love planning special one on one days with my boys!

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 Shirt: Similar

Pants: Target Similar

Shoes: Similar

Purse: Target Similar

Dress: Target Same

Shoes: Target Same

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This dress is what I wore on Easter and I loved it. It's light weight, a great length and perfect for spring. I felt amazing in it and was able to chase around two little boys with no problem. I highly recommend it! You can see more pictures and read about our Easter here.

XOXO

You can see more spring outfits here.

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Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, The Blended Blog, Pumps & Push Ups  Classy, Yet Trendy today.

Our Easter

 We had such a fun weekend full of family, faith, food and way too much sugar! Saturday night we dyed Easter eggs and the boys loved it! Kona wanted to put the eggs in as many colors as he could and Kai just wanted to stir them all around. I look forward to dying Easter eggs each year and I'm always disappointed at how fast it goes. It feels like it's done in a blink of an eye, which makes me excited to do it again next year!
After church on Sunday, we had a small brunch at our house. We had quiche, fruit, English muffins mimosas and lemon bars. Usually we do the egg hunt after breakfast, but Kona was so excited and couldn't wait much longer. While the quiche was cooking we all ran outside and the boys went nuts. Kai wanted to open every egg to inspect what was inside and Kona's mission was to find as many as possible.

After breakfast the boys got there baskets and the play kitchen I have been working on. I had so much fun putting together their Easter presents and can't wait to share the kitchen soon! We spent the afternoon enjoying the sun, playing outside and making funny faces.

 That evening we went to J.D's parents house and had a great time. We rode the 4-wheeler, saw the horse and chickens, had another egg hunt and ate the best carrot cake cheesecake. I'm pretty sure my sister-in-law will be making it every Easter from now on!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and were able to spend time with family and friends.

XOXO



What I Wore

Happy Wednesday! I hope everybody is having a wonderful week so far!

I'm pretty excited to share a few outfits from this week. Sharing what I wear every week has made a world of difference for me. Before starting to document what I wear, a lot of days I was in comfy clothes. I'm really making an effort now to get ready every day, even if were staying home. I've notice that I feel better and have a better attitude when I take the time each morning for myself. Fashion was a huge part of my life before having kids and it feels so good to get back into it. Thank you to all of you who read these posts and the sweet comments you leave. It really means the world to me!

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 Shirt: Target Similar, Similar, Similar

Jeans: Old Navy Similar

Shoes: Target Same

  

 
Shirt: JCPenny Similar
Vest: Target Same
Jeans: Old Navy Similar
Shoes: Target Same


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You can see more of my outfits here.
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Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, The Blended Blog, Pumps & Push Ups  Classy, Yet Trendy today.

Kids Easter Activities

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It's Easter week and we are so excited! We've been baking treats, doing a few crafts and visiting the Easter bunny. I'm slowly working on Easter baskets and making a play kitchen out of an old cupboard. I can't wait for it to be done and will be sure to share it next week! If you are looking for some easy and fun Easter activities to do with your kids this week, I got you covered!

One} Bunny and chick handprint. I love doing a festive hand or footprint with the boys. Kona loves doing them and I love pulling them out year after year to display. This year I did a bunny and chick handprint with some grass, sun and birds. Kai did the chicks and Kona did the rest, except for the faces :)

Two} Make Easter treats. This year we made carrot cake cupcakes. Kona and I made these while Kai was napping and we had the best time. He loves helping in the kitchen and had a blast stirring, frosting and taste testing!

Three} Easter crafts. There are so many fun things on Pinterest for Easter. A few of my favorites are this Q-tip egg decorating, easy egg garland, and Easter egg potato stamp.

Four} Fun Easter food. These bunny pancakes, peep dirt cups and peep fruit kabobs are adorable! I made the dirt cups two years ago and they were a huge hit.

Five}  Playing with plastic eggs. Kona has been hiding ours all week and sending Kai and I to find them. It keeps the boys entertained long enough for me to sneak a girl scout cookie!  

Six} Visit the Easter bunny. Our mall has an Easter bunny that we take the boys to every year and I'm so excited to go this year!

Seven} Local events and activities. We went to a Easter celebration at our local zoo this weekend and had a great time. There's a bunch of Easter related activities going on this week that are sure to keep us busy!


I hope you have a fun festive filled week! XOXO

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