Swimsuit faves for girls

Homeschool for the newbie

We are homeschooling… not the zoom, we have to because schools are closed homeschool… but the MOM is the TEACHER kind. My philosophy with eduction is that life skills are where it’s at. Granted I can firmly say this because it’s MY perspective. So many others find so much value in traditional schooling, thrive and build incredible careers off of their hard work in school. I come from a line of not that kind. I come from entrepreneurs and therefore I’ve found my most absorbed lessons are from experiences outside of the textbook. Absolutely nothing wrong with either kind of learning. As the girls made their way through an incredible school which we loved I felt so secure in knowing that they were being taught at an accelerated level as well as bolstered in our families beliefs. With junior high coming for Capri in the next year, we had given lots of thought to homeschooling for 7th and 8th grade. With the uncertainty of the pandemic and schools reopening, we decided to pull the trigger and start homeschooling a year earlier than planned.

After gathering loads and loads of opinions and ideas from my trusted homeschool mommy friends we cherry picked what thought would be the best fit for us. We wanted to keep our curriculum faith based and independent from a charter school to keep it as flexible as possible. We chose The Good and the Beautiful for our core subjects of Language Arts, History and Science and an online option for Math called Teaching Textbooks. Our biggest goal was to keep as computer free as possible and give the girls loads of options to learn outside of just a book lesson. They both tested out of their previous school two grades ahead which brought Capri to an 8th grade level and Peyton to a 6th grade spot. Capri isn’t as quick of a learner as Peyton so we decided to start both of them at 6th grade.

The girls chose to start Marine Biology for their Science which I was thrilled about! So many fun options for adventures. For History we started with US history ( 1 lesson a week) which was been so beyond interesting for me too! I feel like I’m learning so much! As we got situated we have added on Creative Writing and Typing.

Our days have been really smooth, so much so that I was worried we were doing it right. We would finish up our lessons and reading in a couple hours time. I would require the girls to get ready for the day ( dressed, hair done, and teeth brushed) , rooms cleaned and one chore done before they could play. They would take an online paint class, jump in our jacuzzi, play games or in the yard before they got ready for dance. They dance for roughly 3-4 hours a night so I never felt to worried about their PE.

We would create fun little projects to bring in a Life Skills lesson. My favorite has been “Iron Chef”. Each girl was given a main ingredient that we had a bit of at the house or in the garden. They had to find a recipe that sounded good to them. They were to make their shopping list of ingredients within a budget. We would head to the store and price out each item to make sure they picked out items and quantities that fit in their budget. They would be completely in charge of executing their recipe while the other sis set the table and prepped things for dinner. We have had Ultimate burgers, BBQ ribs, Breaded Italian cod sticks, Zucchini lasagna and double decker brownies. I love the lesson of using what you have in the pantry to create meals that sound good. It teaches them to work with a budget and follow instructions with their recipes. We take notes on what we really liked about how the finished product came out and what we would change next time. We do this lesson about once a month.

Both of them spent a couple months in a musical theater class during the day, twice a week. This was great because it eased me in to having a couple days kidless. They made a handful of new friends and learned all sorts of new things. My favorite was the emphasis on public speaking and confidence building on stage. They took voice, singing and music. They have joined in Outschool classes in a couple different book clubs and creative writing and a Barnyard class to learn new things on a farm.

Harry Potter Birthday party: Capri turns 12

Our girl turned 12 Hogwarts style in January. Capri and 10 of her besties gathered for a Hogwarts dining hall formal dinner, potion and wand making, endless trolly cart candy and Harry Potter movie marathon.

To create some drama we decked out the table with layers on layers of metallic, iron and velvet red. Build the table we layered a black table cloth with a velvet red runner. Loads and loads of candles are the key. We started our centerpieces with black iron candelabras with long white candle sticks, chunky high low candles and tea lights were tucked in with antlers and pheasant feathers. We added dark elements for texture like wooden carved boxes, lanterns, and owls. To set the table, we pulled out our fine china. We topped the metallic china with gold flatware and gold chargers. More is more when it comes to this table.

We covered our home’s artwork with the Hogwarts house banners and added a large iron candelabra in the corner to create drippy candle drama.

Dimmed down the lights and added the Harry Potter soundtrack and the mood was perfect!

Our menu was made up of true Hogwarts recipes including, chicken drumsticks, mashed potatoes, salad, glazed carrots, rolls and roast beef. Our dinner wouldn’t be complete without Butter Beer.

We created Olivander’s with constellation style back drops layered on a black table cloth. We added elements of large leather trunks, broom stick, loads and loads of candles, caldrons and a gorgeous Hedwig water color painting from Lady Lou Designs. The girls created potions that sparkled and exploded. We used chopsticks to create wands. By hot glueing veins and knobs on the sticks the girls created their own custom wand designs. After the glue dried they added jewels and paint.

As the girls tucked in for their movie marathon, we passed around our trolly cart goodies.

Stay at home activities for kids

We have been working on some fun projects this week that have really helped make our days fun and light. I’ve compiled a list of all the activities we have been doing to keep us busy and learning! These options are great for boys and girls of all ages to get the wiggles out and some fun learning options for keeping our new homeschool life fresh.

Car wash- a little sunshine, water fight and possibility of payment for the job worked magic)

Online dance classes for excercise ( our dance studio does lots but we also LOVE Go Noodle- all ages)

Cooking class- pick a recipe from our favorite cook books( our faves are Giada at Home for weeknight dinners, Magnolia Table for breakfast treats and easy lunch ideas, What’s Gaby Cooking for delish everything especially easy snacks and our newest favorite Gather at Home) and make it or subscribe to the Food Network for endless options. I’ve also been teaching them my favorite family recipes.

Scrapbook-we printed a bunch off of instagram and our personal file and the girls kept busy for hours making and decorating pages for their scrapbooks

Imagineering in a box- Disney has this incredible program that kids can learn all the ins and outs behind the scenes of how to be an Imagineer at Disney. They learn how to build lands, characters and theme parks. Disney has also been rolling out fun illustrating classes on Instagram for those who love visiting Animator’s studio at Disneyland.

Virtual field trip- live tours and feed from Zoos, national parks, planetariums, volcano sites, landmarks around the world and tons of amazing museums

Draw So Cute- step by step instructions on how to create the cutest characters and doodles- great for all ages

Painting classes with Timree- Timree is the all time cutest and we love taking her summer workshops! She is offering live stream classes for all age levels.

Build a massive fort- ours has been up for a week now and the girls sleep in it every night. Granted we had to donate our dining chairs and all our blankets to the design but it’s pretty impressive.

Plant your garden- our garden has been on my wish list for years and now is the perfect time to get even a small one started. You can try herbs in small pots, strawberries and tomatoes in medium sized vessels or even go all out with box planters. We had a great time getting our starter seeds going. We loved seeing all the different types of seeds and then every day watching to see if any sprouts have popped through the soil.

Tween movie list perfect for any sleepover

How we are avoiding kids devices

Any parents with me on how big of a struggle it is to keep our kids off the tech? Now we have ZERO judgements on parents that choose to allow phones and iPads for their little ones. We are all trying to make the best choices for our babes. Who the heck knows what the best options are anyway right?! With that said, we have chosen to keep phones and iPads out of our house with the kids. Now, it has come up plenty of times on when they will be getting their own devices but so far we haven’t been getting to much push back. I sense that it will be coming on pretty thick with Capri soon since most if not all of her friends have phones. Here is how we are tackling the conversation of explaining why we choose to hold off on devices for them.

A handful of years ago, we were working on the lesson of how our facial expressions can really be inviting with a smile or can be off putting without one. Totally different topic obviously but I’m going somewhere with this. It led us to really studying the faces around us. We looked at billboards, our friends and kids while we were out and about. I asked both of the girls randomly who they thought looked happy, nice or even most beautiful amongst the people we observed. Every single time it was the person with a big smile on his or her face. Someone who wasn’t smiling didn’t look approachable or happy. This excercise quickly turned to observing people on their phones. Adults and kids. The overwhelming consensus was that no one looked happy or like they were having fun while they were on their phones. The most fun looked like it was being had by the kids and parents chatting at the restaurant, the kids at the park playing, the arts and crafts projects, even our friends at birthday parties.

Our hope with this lesson was that it taught the girls to make this decision based off their own observations and not just our rules dictating to them what they can and can’t do. Either way our rules weren’t going to change but it at least helped support our rules by making the girls a part of the choice.

Tween beauty products Capri is loving

Capri is in the full swing of all things tween! That awkward age of stinky armpits, braces, zits….we all remember it. How do we handle the changes without getting to overboard? Don’t worry mama, I think I have figured out some stuff and products to share. I asked Capri what her favorite beauty products were and here is her list. We are working on getting ahead of all that fun stuff by working on creating some easy and age appropriate habits in our beauty regime. Here are some of the products we are adding to the mix that she is all excited about.

COOLA Classic Face Sunscreen

this plant based formula is non-greasy and SPF 50

Ursa Major Essential Face Wipe

These face wipes are perfect for late dance nights or when we have been a little extra sweaty. I even snuck some and they take of makeup like a champ. These are great at keeping those pesky little zits from popping up. Love that they are individually packaged to throw in a dance bag or overnight bag.

Tweet Tweet Meow Deodorant

Grapefruit is our fave scent

Baking soda Free Sensitive skin deodorant that keeps fresh all day

Made with Certified Organic, Vegan, Cruelty Free, & Fair Trade Ingredients in the US

Aluminum free, Paraben free, Sulfate free and Plastic free packaging

Conair Hot Rollers

I don’t who you are if you did have a hot roller moment at some point in your life. I’m a little to nervous about her frying her hair off with a wand or burning herself so hot rollers were the perfect happy medium. She can get her hair curly with no risk of burning herself.

Braids, Buns , Ponies and Pigtails styling book

50 different hairstyles with simple tutorials . This books is really cute and all the styles are done on girls. Such a fun gift too with bobby-pins and scrunchies.

Disney Cruise 2019

We embarked on our 6th annual Disney cruise girl’s trip this year ( see our 2018 recap here) ! It’s such a treat to sneak away with Nana and the girls for the week. Disney cruising is our absolute favorite way to cruise. It just never disappoints. The food is amazing, the staff is beyond fun and friendly, and the whole ship exudes pure Disney magic. Our itinerary consisted of 4 day cruise visiting Atlantis and Castaway Cay leaving from Florida on the Disney Dream. On our 2018 trip we met the sweetest family from Ohio and the girls became inseparable. They talked all year on the phone and FaceTime and sent letters back and forth. Us moms plotted and they jumped on our same trip for 2019 and gave the kids the biggest surprise! They were beside themselves! Talk about the tightest hugs and endless squealing! Pure magic! We feel like we have made lifelong friends with them and it all started with this trip!

We get ourselves all decked out in our cute Disney gear to embark the ship. They have a super cool model of the ship right at check in which is our favorite spot to get a quick snap of the four of us before the cruise starts.

As you enter the ship, they really roll out the red carpet for each family and announce your arrival like royalty! We always get such a kick out of that. At this point the girls know their besties are the ship and are in a mad dash to find them! The Bonvoyage party is one of our favorite events on the ship. It’s a super fun dance party complete with Mickey and Minnie and confetti cannons as the horn blasts. We are off!

Since we are regulars on this trip we have our favorite activities pretty dialed in. Each year, we decide on a special event that the girls will do that year. We have done Royal Tea Party, swimming with Dolphins at Atlantis and this year we decided to revisit Bippity Boppity Boutique.

Bippity on the ships is the most precious! The “fairy god mothers” are in full character and it really is everything little girl special. Even 10 year old Capri was super into the whole thing. They picked out special dresses, shoes and accessories and then plopped down for beautifying. They get the works! Nails, hair styles of choice and makeup. It’s the cutest thing ever! They leave feeling so fancy and ready for dinner. Nana and I were having a field day with Capri’s red hair!

Our first dinner of the trip was at Animator’s Palette which is so fun! The walls are full of sketches and screens that come to life with Crush and the gang from Finding Nemo. Crush interacts with the tables and cracks us all up as we eat. After dinner we grabbed our popcorn and snuggled in for the first show of the trip. These shows are so incredible! Broadway worthy hands down!

We woke up in Nassau on day two. We have explored Nassau in the past and visited Atlantis for the dolphins but this year stuck around the ship and took full advantage of the short water slide lines. The girls partied with their friends all morning!

Mom and I snuck away for a martini tasting! Yes please!!! I’m a fruity martini sort of gal but actually found out I like a dirty martini. We learned so much about the different types of martinis and ingredients that make each one unique. I wish I had taken more detailed notes because the class was fantastic!

That night after a full day of pool and sun, the girls got back in their princess costumes ( obviously) and we met our friends at the Silent Disco. This party was hilarious! You get your synced up headphones and hit the dance floor. You can change to the same channel as your friends or groove to your own music. We danced our booties off! When you take your headphones off it’s literally silent and everyone is still dancing! So funny!

Our favorite day has arrived! We are off to adventure on Disney’s private island Castaway Cay. We absolutely love our Cataway days. We snorkeled to find the hidden treasure and golden Mickey, Nana and Capri rode bikes around the whole island, we gobbled down at the beach bbq, rode the shipwreck waterslide and played on the sunken ropes course.

There are just a million things to do and we have the best time! I’m putting together a video recap of our super fun day! Stay tuned for that and my discovery of the golden Mickey!

After we were full of sand and sun we made our way back to the ship for another amazing dinner, show and Mickey’s Pirate party! You guys!!! Pirate party is the best! The kids danced with Mickey while we waited for the fireworks. Yep! Fireworks off the ship! We have seen the show many times but it never ever disappoints! It’s set to music and is incredible!

Our first official day at sea and the ship is jam packed full of activities! Because the Dream is a pretty good size ship this day can feel a little bit busy. With that said, we found lounge chairs easily and had no issues. Just more swimmers and people out an about.

The kids decided that they were hard core into a ship wide scavenger hunt which they learned from the adorable “You Tube Family”. Some of the finds were things like Cast members from 5 different countries ( my fave- again Disney cast members are the cutest and always up for this fun stuff) smash an ice cream cone on your forehead, and take a pic on a stage, etc. The kids broke up into teams and scoured the ship for their finds. So fun!

Mom and I snuck away fro a liquor and chocolate tasting which was hosted in Pop Champagne bar and was the absolute cutest pink confection ever! With bubbles everywhere we were giddy! We again learned so much about the pairings of different liquors and chocolates. My most favorite was learning that champagne is actually a pallet cleanser. Into it!

Our last day was just the saddest! We had to say goodbye to our bestie! A few tears shed as the girls squeezed eachother! We had the BEST time! We couldn’t believe how fast it went this year so we booked a 7 day for next year! We can’t wait! Til next year Mickey!

Christmas Tea Party

The girls hosted their first annual BFF Christmas tea party at nana’s house. It was all things little girl sweetness! They created the menu, helped nana design the table scape, decided on games and picked out adorable party favors. They invited each 3 friends and the dress code was holiday festive. Which of course meant that Peyton needed her crown!

The little ladies snacked on fancy chocolate covered strawberries and easy finger foods like grapes, crackers, cheese and chicken nuggets while they sipped their tea aka hot apple cider. Nana brought out the fine Christmas china to make the table extra special.

After tea, the girls personalized their aprons for cookie decorating. We made sure to add the date to the aprons so as we continue the tradition they have one from each year. How fun will it be for them all when they are in high school have their aprons from all the years past?

We couldn’t love this little bunch of beauties more! They are all sweet, fun and always up for a girly good time! Big thanks to the best nana for helping make the day so magical!

Gifts for Girls

Gifts for Boys

What the heck do we get with boys?! I combed through all the best picks for all the little guys in your life!!!! We have goodies for the adventurers, for the scientists, for the stealth bombers, for the athletes and for the readers! A little of everything that every boy will love!!!

When to not be a "mama bear"

“Mama Bear” by definition: A woman, especially a mother, who is extremely protective of a child or children. We have all been there right?! I believe there is nothing more scary than a mama bear protecting their baby. It’s a very overwhelming feeling to make sure that no harm in any way comes to our babes. As my girls are getting older we are inevitably coming up against more situations that make my mama bear instincts flare. I want to bubble wrap them from disappointments, hard lessons, unkindness, gossip, failure, literally all of it. The hardest part for me is to separate the times where I need to step in and protect them and the times that I need to buckle up my mama bear desires and let the situations play out with quiet advice from the sidelines. Our biggest goal is to help our girls become capable and smart. To treat unkindness with strength but love. To apologize if we have hurt someone’s feelings unknowingly. Most importantly to never have a victim mentality.

We had a situation recently, where one of the girls was up against a little bit of bullying. As soon as my girl shared the situation with me, my hackles went up. I literally lost sleep over it for days. I gave her my best advice on how to calmly diffuse the situation but the behavior got worse over a couple days. She calming went to her on day one and tried to talk it out to see what the root of the issue was. We discussed at home what she may have done to the little girl to make her react like this all of a sudden. We wanted to make it better but weren’t sure how. I always want the girls to look at these things from someone else’s shoes in case they unknowingly hurt someone’s feelings. To be sensitive to other’s perspectives. To never be reactionary. The next day behavior really ramped up. It was just getting unkind and I really had to make the tough decision on to step in or not. My thoughts went straight to “I’m going to discuss it with the mom”. I would certainly want to know if one of my girls was being unkind. I discussed me stepping in with my girl . I never want to take action without her knowing. I like us to be a team on this sort of thing. I had to weigh the worst case scenario in my mind. If I stepped in with the other mom, what would the ripple effect be of that? 1. I am now potentially spotlighting this other little girl and making her even more mad at mine which could lead to more unkindness. 2. I am not letting my girl deal with her battles herself. How will she ever know how to handle these sorts of issues in the future when I’m not there to step in? After lots of thought, I explained to her that I wasn’t going to discuss it with the mom and why.

So here is what we did. We decided to build a couple scenarios to practice what she would say if certain things happened. I’m a big fan of being mentally prepared for potential confrontations so you aren’t caught of guard. Being prepared I’ve always found keeps you from feeling helpless, frazzled or the situation escalating. Our big goal was to not allow someone to mistreat her but also deal with it kindly and firmly. She needed to stand up for herself. We decided on “ Please don’t talk about me behind my back. I would really like to get back to being friends again.” If gossiping was continuing. Another option for if unkind behavior was happening would be “ Please don’t be mean anymore, I would really like to be friends again if we can”. The truth was, my babe did still want to be friends with this girl and I agreed. Thankfully, the little girl snapped out of whatever was bothering her the next day and all went back to normal so my babe didn’t have to use any of our scripts. Phew! Crisis averted and I’m so happy I didn’t step in like I really wanted to.

I know this was a very little hiccup for my girl and there are so many serious bullying issues that so many mamas have to endure with their little ones. My heart breaks over it! I pray we help our babies be strong and brave and always enable them to stand up for themselves kindly.

Fall wardrobe for girls

5 Slumber party tips for tweens

The age of the sleepover is upon us! I’m all about a slumber party and love priceless memories they bring! We haven’t yet let the girl’s attend sleepovers but that hasn’t stopped us from having some super fun ones at our house. Here are some of our tried and true must haves to throw a simple yet really fun night that tweens love!

1. Have loads of snacks! Fun popcorn with sprinkles, pizza, chips, bubbly water, pizza and root beer floats where on the menu for our last one. Some of our sweet mamas brought waters, cookies, chips and some candy which the was so awesome for our movie night.

2. Try a new movie. Our choices were the new Aladdin or my personal all time favorite Wild Hearts Cant Be Broken. UGH! So good! I checked with mamas first to make sure they were okay with that choice and we all agreed it was the BEST! Make sure to keep your movies and music age appropriate! We are pretty heavy with our censoring in our house but it’s important to run by any choices with parents so everyone is comfortable. The girls picked Wild Hearts and loved it!!!!

3. Keep a couple simple activities on hand. We always make sure to have the poloroid ready to rock and roll for fun pictures. We keep nail polish, makeup and loads of hair stuff on hand for them to play with. They always seem to want to do each other’s hair at some point so we are ready!

4. We put together a sweet spa mask that was edible for the girls to mess with. You will need sprinkles, powdered sugar and milk. Mix and smear on face for some yummy fun!

5. Cell phone free zone! We dubbed our house a cell phone free party zone. I made sure all the parent’s were aware of the rule and all the girls were super cool with it! We wanted to make sure that they had access to them if they did need to reach their parent’s but out of their hands so they were free to just play and have fun. It was so great and really allowed the girls to be present.

Lastly, I let them do their thing! I make sure they know the house rules and that they are more than welcome to ask me for anything and then I hang back and let them play! I grab a good book and snuggle in with my door open and listen to the giggles.

How we are teaching confidence to our girls

I whole heartedly believe that any and all success that has happened in my life have been gained by confidence. It’s the single biggest lesson we are actively being very intentional with while raising the girls. I believe with confidence, they won’t be talked into situations that they don’t want to be a part of, they will feel good about standing for what they believe and not be swayed by their peers, they can move and shake in life knowing that they can handle any situation etc. Here are some of the very intentional ways and practical steps we are working on our building confidence in our girls.

Enforcing their voices- listening and hearing their thoughts. Of course, not everything they have to say is riveting or interesting, but to them it is, so we like to give them a platform for it each night. When we sit down for dinner, we take turns sharing the best part of our days. We very intentionally don’t discuss the negative. We find that giving any air space to negative just sucks the life out of the night and isn’t what we want to give attention too. We want them to be focused on finding the good always in their day. We go around each of us and discuss the best part of our day. It can be anything from crushing a test, seeing a butterfly, eating a really good sandwich or getting to wear our new shoes. Anything goes! Letting them actively share what’s on their mind has been really interesting. We are trying to make sure that both of them know that their voices are important to us.

Not everyone is thinking about you- to juxtapose the above, we also are very intentional with making sure that we instill the certainty that not everyone is thinking about them. Everyone is worried about their own stuff. We don’t take things personally. We aim to not overthink and just believe the best of intentions from everyone. We can only control ourselves not others and we can’t worry ourselves about what someone else may or may not be thinking or doing. Stay in our own lane.

Self deprication- to piggy back on the last topic, we keep a really strong sense of humor in our house. Really strong! We tease insesently! We are very conscientious to be kind but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Both Erik and I have pretty similar senses of humor. I really never take myself to seriously and can whole heartedly poke fun at myself. None of us are perfect and will never be! Why not keep our opinions of ourselves light and fun. We know who we are and what we stand for, the rest is just fun. Nothing can be that serious! Drama free house is the goal always! Check back with me in a couple years when all of us are pmsing at the same time!

Valuing their opinions on silly topics like shoes and what dress to wear- my dad gave me this advice a while back and I really took it to heart. He suggested giving the girl’s some say in things like what shoes I should wear to date night, what lipstick works best, or which earrings. It’s fun to see what their tastes are and what they think looks good together. I know these are fairly frivolous things to be deciding on but it gets them involved and subtly lets them know that they opinions matter to me. It also teaches them how to put together an outfit for an occasion and what goes into the look.

Letting them be in charge of adult things like the airport and parking places- this one is HUGE!!!! We are so fortunate to travel a lot as a family but also with my mom for our girl’s trips. When I was little she would give us our tickets at an airport and we were supposed to lead the way to our gate. We do this with every trip we do. If they know how to navigate their world they will be less intimidated when they get to adventure on their own. This practice also helps teach them how to problem solve when things get confusing or tricky.

Enforcing social graces like eye contact and conversation skills- this is such a lost art in our digital age. There is nothing more powerful than eye contact and conversation skills. To be able to enter any room and not be a wallflower is big in our house! There will be a lot of situations in their life where they are uncomfortable or not sure how to interject themselves but by leading with a smile and knowing how to converse they will be able to handle any awkward moments. We practice this every time we sit down for dinner with our “best day” conversations. Each person has to follow up with a question about each other’s day . This helps teach them to ask about others and not just talk about themselves. We also are very hard core with eye contact and manners in restaurants. Each of them has to order their meal for themselves, look at the waiter, smile and use their pleases and thank you’s. This includes every time the waiter fills their water. They are taught to stop what they are doing look up at the waiter and say thank you every time. It’s a lot but we feel it’s so important to teach them that they are not the most important person there and to acknowledge when someone does something for them.

All in all, we aim to raise them to feel good about their choices. To make decisions on their own and never be followers. If we reinforce these things with not only words but by actions and exercises daily, we hope that when they get into a tricky situation they can fall back on who they are and what they know.

Chocolate chip peanut butter protein balls

We have some major growing girls up in our house! I feel like I’m feeding these two constantly! I thought I get smart this school year and get ahead of grab and go snacks. First on that list by popular demand was our Chocolate chip peanut butter protein balls. They are the BEST! The girls get a good solid dose of protein with all super healthy ingredients sneakily tucked in. #momwin!! These are our favorite after school snacks and afternoon treat for mommy! They are decadent!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Protein Balls recipe

1 cup oats

2/3 cup organic coconut flakes

1/2 cup organic peanut butter

1/2 cup ground flaxseed ( we’ve used whole flaxseed and it’s totally fine)

1/2 cup chocolate chips ( could also swap for dried fruit)

1/3 cup honey

1 Tbs chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl thoroughly with spatula. Once mixed, scoop about a T size amount and form a ball. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. They might fall a part a bit at this point but it’s okay. Refrigerate for approximately an hour to firm up. Keep refrigerated!

Family Halloween costume ideas

While we aren’t super big Halloween people, we do love a goof family costume! We vote every year on what to be. We try and keep it fun and always throw daddy under the bus!

and this year we have a good one in store! The girls voted in July and now it’s just between what Erik and I are going to be. Going to be a fun!

Easy back to school hair styles for girls

With school back in full swing, our schedule get’s more packed by the second. We need simple, cute hair styles to get us out the door looking great with little effort. Here are some of our fave go to looks for all things hair cute.

Twisted bun:

This style is so simple! You part the hair on the side. The start rolling a 2 inch section away from the face tightly until you reach nape of neck. Pin and repeat on the other side. Secure the rolls with a rubber band. Tuck under the remaining hair to create a little bun. Add a fun scarf tie or a scrunchie to hide the rubber band. This style is great for dirty hair!

French braid pony tail:

This is exactly as the title says. Start by brushing all hair back. Then start an inside out french braid ( instead of sections going over each other these sections go under) Stop braid at crown of head. Sweep the rest of the hair up to meet braid and make a pony tail. Secure hair with a rubber band. Pancake or fluff the braid by gently tugging each loop out to make a thicker look. Add favorite scrunchie or bow.

Headbanded side bun:

We love a good head band moment in our house! They handle a world of weird hair days with one simple step. This look is easy peasy. Part hair and brush smooth. Top with favorite headband. Then brush all hair smooth to side and secure into a pony tail under the ear at neck. Twist ponytail and wrap into a bun. Secure with pins. This looks is ideal for dirty hair or bad hair days.

Half up:

With shorter hair a top knot really isn’t as easy. This cute half up style is still out of the face but give that perky cheerleader vide. Sweep hair towards top of head starting at the ears. Brush top section and secure with a rubber band. Loop the pony tail section under to create little tucked under bun. Secure with cute bow or scarf to match outfit and give flair.

Easter dresses for girls

Nothing says Easter dressing like a floppy hat and floral dress! The girls are so ready to celebrate Easter in their sweet Spring outfits. I’ve rounded up rompers for the serious egg hunters and frilly dresses for the sweetest of Easter bunnies!

Valentine's gifts for girls

Conversation hearts hair ties, Sugarfina Sugar lips candy, Mailbox, Heart crossbody purse, Cookie cutters, Conversation heart bracelet, Pink beanie, Girl Power patch, Love note stationary, Red heart pajamas, Heart knit sweater, Pink heart sunglasses, Red heart wall art