Farewell June, Hello July

Tomorrow starts the month you all have been looking forward to! So much of me...I know you can barely contain yourselves! Kidding... kidding. However, you will get to know me so much better next month. I have so much to share. But that will have to wait until tomorrow! Now for some business.

Congratulation to Brittany from Facebook. She won the pair of dangle earrings. We had no entries via the blog, so one random "liker" was drawn and she was it!

As you may have noticed, I have spent the last few days creating blog buttons, joining networking groups, and starting my sister blog: Missionary Manda's Musings. On that blog you will be able to read interesting devotionals, see my travels as a missionary, and get to know the love of Jesus Christ. I do hope you will stop by and visit.

 Until tomorrow, be blessed and get excited!

Day 26: Spoiling Time!

Usually Fridays are water days, but today we did something different. Starting after nap time we took the boys out and didn't look back. First, we took them to Once Upon a Child (a second hand children's store) and got some toys. For the next part of the adventure we went to the mall, where we got all kinds of free stuff! Benjamin did the Barnes & Noble summer reading program. He got a free Lego book for "reading" (being read) 10 books. There was also some kind of event going on at the mall and he got free cotton candy. This kept him occupied while Daddy and I browsed for Daddy's much needed summer clothes. We spoiled him a tad more by getting him an Iron Man suit for his Build-A-Bear Monkey. After shopping we stopped at Red Robin. Using another free thing that came from summer reading, my son was able to eat his meal for free. I truly recommend the local libraries summer reading programs. Please check out what the one in you area does! The manager gave both boys balloons and we finished dinner off with a sundae. After dinner we headed to Wal-mart to to pick up a birthday card and some new shoes for boy. We also got both Henry and Ben some pjs for vacation.

In all, the day was a little costly BUT a lot fun. Worth every dollar and minute. It was a blessing that money from an auto accident earlier in the year just now came to us. This gives us a little extra breathing room and allowed us the ability to spoil the babies! Don't be fooled by the fact Henry didn't get much. He liked riding in the special cart, trying his brother's cotton candy, and eating fries and ice-cream at Red Robin.

What do you do when you want to spoil your children? Is there a special place they love? What affordable ways can you share with me?

TWO MORE DAYS, so don't forget to enter my giveaway here. Its easy and if I don't start getting entries I will pull a random person from my Facebook followers!

Day 24: Villians, Growth Spurts, and Self Esteem

Let me say this, I've messed up big time Orange Rhino! Fights and frustration with my hubby one evening lead to an outburst.

In general, I am currently struggling. Although I know I need to, I have no desire to write it all out. My self esteem took a sky rocketing plummet yesterday and its been dragging me down since. I went to an appointment, where I learned that I had put on the weight I lost during pregnancy. Not cruelly, but factually told me I must take it off and asked me how I intended on doing it. Its not like I need someone telling me I am chubby, I am aware. I am however disappointed I gained. It causes issues for me all around. As I am already fighting depression and unusual circumstances, I have not cared for myself as I truly should have. Yes, Ive been dressing nice... but I notice the lumps I find too unsightly to call just curvy and my brows have a caveman like appearance. I need to kick my butt in gear. Yet, here I sit.

Both my children are currently going through growth spurts, leaving them both with super powers. However, one has turned to the dark alley of villainous behavior. With (my 7 month old) Henry's growth we have even less sleep than usual. This has caused mommy more than enough displeasure. My oldest, Benjamin has become the bottomless pit. From the time he wakes until he hits the bed at night, all I hear is "I'm hungry" or "I need a snack!" Together they make up the team that will eat me out of food and suck all the energy out of my body.

So, thats life today. Nothing but a rant for this post. I'm sure I will be slightly regulated tomorrow. Until then, don't forget to enter my giveaway here.

Day 22: Nothing Special

First off, to my unnamed reader friend: You have encouraged me. You have lifted my spirits and gave me hope that there are people out there who read and even enjoy my daily rambling and unusual tidbits. Thank you for being who you are!

Second, do you know what today is? No, well let me tell you. Today makes only 12 days left until the day we celebrate that Gorgeousness was born (that's me). Haha. It hit me today how very close my birthday is. Over the past few years I have had several birthday fails, so I have high hopes of this year. Still, I believe I am grounded because I will be teaching children's church and making a few hour trip that day. I can only expect so much out of the day!

My Day

We did very little today. Grocery shopping, movies, a little playing... the usual. It was supposed to be craft day, but things got in a tangle and that never really happened. We did however build a Lego train and have a great time doing that.

We also watched a Lego a movie... Mommy is all Lego'd out!

Looking Forward

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day for everyone in my family. We have an appointment in the morning, we going bowling in the afternoon, and I am going out with friends in the evening. I will be lucky if I get to post tomorrow.

Remember to enter for the great earring giveaway- here.  You can find all the rules and information you need there. I love doing these giveaways, but you have to enter to win!

Day 21: Three Day Catch Up and Contest Winner?!

Should I be offended? Not one person entered my contest. My heart is just a tad broken. However, I am going to over look it and assume everyone was on vacation and try this again! Are you interested in winning a brand-new pair of handmade earrings! Specially picked for you, by me at a local festival!? If you are...

Here are the rules this time:
1. Like Casseruola Dolce Della Vita on Facebook.
2. Share that you entered my contest on either Twitter or Facebook. (make sure to tell them @dolcedellavita) Make sure you give them a link so they can enter too!
3. Comment that you did all three! Be sure to include your email so I can let you know if you won!


The contest ends Sunday, June 30th. You get a week to get in to win these lovely dangle earrings!

Catching Up

Now, we have had a very eventful past three days! Wait to you see how much fun we had!

Fun in the Sun: Friday=Water

The schedule I created to help keep summer boredom away said that Friday's mean water play. We didn't have any plans to GO somewhere so we made our own water fun.

Although my oldest got a bit more sun than I would have liked (even with sunblock), he had a blast! When I made them go in for lunch, Benjamin was really disappointed.

Playland and Catch Up

We took advantage of the playland later that day to get together with a family friend. In the end, Benjamin just ended up pulling them into playing with him and very little adult conversation was allowed. Oh the joys and woes of having munchkins. 

Burger King has $0.50 ice-cream cones of cups all summer, so we got dessert for less than 4 bucks! Add that to play time, we got way more than our monies worth.

Moonlight Delight

My oldest son has suddenly taken a liking to the moon. So we took a few minutes when we got home to look at the moon. He also loved the fact that I let him sit on top of my car. He thought he was hott stuff. After our moon adventure we went on a search for lightening bugs. It was the first time he had ever seen one.

Saturday Surprise Party

On Saturday we went to a surprise party for my dad. Because we celebrated earlier in the week he was so clueless of the very special plans we had made for his 50th birthday. Benjamin and Henry especially like the balloons and watermelon that came with the party!

My mother made my dad a dirt cake because she said that he is now "older than dirt". I attempted to have Ben ask "what were the dinosaurs like?", be couldn't remember it long enough to ask. Grandpa was very surprised. We parked all the cars in a church parking lot and shuttled people over, so even when he arrived there was no evidence. We had plenty of fun, food, and music!

Sunday: A Day At the Park

Today we spent some time with our church family River Church at the park. We did service there and did a huge potluck/BBQ afterward. Benjamin and Henry played their heart out. Everyone ate their heart out. And we pray that others were reached by our hearts being "out".

After church and the events surrounding it, we went to a little event full of local businesses. It was really more of a networking event for my job with Growing Up in the Valley, but it was fun having the family along. Benjamin was very helpful and handed out my card to every booth. I had the chance to sign up for some prizes and get some contacts, so all was good. When we got home we were all wiped out from a day of outdoors and hot weather. (Nowhere we went today was air-conditioned.) At home we cooled down and relaxed until dinner. After dinner the usual bath-time, bed-time craziness ensued.

That leads me to where I am now. All my kids in bed, my husband at the movies and the bed to myself for a while. If I new my youngest Henry wasn't about to wake again in a half hour I might have just hit the sack and left you hanging yet another night. So, you have my sleepless child to thank for a fun post of pictures today!

I've actually missed writing. Its part of what keeps me sane, but then again, so does sleep.

I hope to see lots of entries in the giveaway above! Until tomorrow, I pray that you sleep better than I surely will!

Day 18: Story Time & a Birthday Party

We started our day with a fun preschool story time for the boys at the local library. We danced, listened to a story and "finger painted" with yogurt. My kids had a blast and I was thankful we brought wipes!

 We also wished Grandpa (my dad) a happy 50th birthday. It was fun to give him a hard time about being "old". I told Benjamin to ask him "What were the dinosaurs like?", but he didn't.

Henry LOVED trying the cake. He also like putting it on his toes!

Looking Forward

Remember, the handmade earring Giveaway comes to an end on Monday the 24th. So make sure to check out the entry requirements here! Tomorrow is water day... I'm not really sure what I plan to do for it yet. If nothing else we will jump in the kiddie pool. We will also get to see a very good friend of mine, in fact my kids call him uncle. So, it will be another fun summer day!

Day 17: Oh La La

So, yesterday was date night! I must say it was long needed too. Don't get me wrong, we had fun all day with the kids, but we needed couple time. I have Gwynnie Bee to thank for this very sexy dress I had on. Steamy! My husband and I went out for Italian food and ice-cream. Perfect, I didn't even have to share my ice-cream! 

Now, during the day we took grandpa bowling with us. Benjamin got to wear his brand new bowling shoes. He was SUPER excited. If you are doing AMF's free bowling with your children, I would recommend buying them a pair. The cost of rentals can get expensive. We bought Benjamin a size too big, so he is a bit clumsy in them. Hopefully that means he will make it through the whole summer with them!

The boys all had a good time and enjoyed a little friendly competition. Grandpa won.

Today did not go as planned however. My husband took my son to Regal theaters' summer movie program in the morning. Many theaters offer summer deals, so check it out! We were supposed to go to the park in the afternoon, but off and on storms prevented our plans. Perhaps tomorrow or Friday we will make it up to him. Tomorrow is library day. We have a special story time, but we should be able to "squeeze" the park in.

Orange Rhino

Unfortunately, I have failed twice today and once yesterday on my no yelling challenging. I didn't really yell, but I raised my voice unneedingly. When nerves are short and things seem stressful, its very hard to keep your cool. I quickly lowered my tone and got myself in check. It would kill me to have to start the whole thing over again. Perhaps I'm glad I'm not doing the full Orange Rhino Challenge yet. I truly want to be a better mother than I am. Some advice I got recently from the the author of the Orange Rhino blog has helped me a lot. She said,"All day tell yourself positive affirmations." So today when I felt down and like a "bad mommy" I reminded myself that I take good care of my boys. I make sure they are fed, the get baths, teeth brushed, nails clipped, ears cleaned, the have toys, and clothes. I can say that my kids don't realize when money is tight, or they don't have what I want them to have. They see that I read to them every night and kiss their boo-boos and thats all that matters!

Looking Forward

The Giveaway comes to an end on Monday the 24th. So make sure to check out the entry requirements here!  Also, I'm interested in hearing what you all are doing with your families this summer. Anything fun and affordable? Also, next month is my BIRTHDAY! I will be doing a little more soul searching next month. I will be sharing all the things I have done over the past 25 years and sharing a few things I want to do on my way heading to 30. I will discuss what I feel I lack and what I have more than my years worth of. It should be interesting to say the least!

Day 15: Star Adventures

We had a fun day at a local attraction, The Star. It was also craft day! We made a paper plate clam inspired by this photo.

Here is how ours turned out!

The Star was the highlight of my oldest son's day.

 After The Star we went to the playground near by and had a picnic. Benjamin did a lot more playing than eating.

After that we came home and the children took naps while I did some phone calls for work. After everyone was up and at it again we stopped by the library and got a movie. A Lego movie to be exact. My son has been asking for one for days.

Looking Forward

Don't forget to check out my latest giveaway! It ends on June 24th, so get to it!

Day 13: The Gnome's Adventures

So much has happened over the past few days, there is no way I could share it all. So, in my attempt to explain.
Thursday- The Library to sign up for the summer reading program
Friday- The Lake
Saturday- The Color Run

Here is that all again in photo form!
 Introducing my bathing suit!

My babies at the lake.

THE COLOR RUN!

So, you will forgive me that I have not posted much, but we have been BUSY!

I will make up for my absence with a GIVEAWAY! You know how I ADORE handmade things. So, today's giveaway will be for a pair of handmade dangle earrings. I got these at a local craft festival and I must say, they are lovely.A winner will be drawn Monday, June 24th!

So, here's the details! To Enter:
1. Like Casseruola Dolce Della Vita on Facebook.
2. Share that you entered my contest on either Twitter or Facebook. (make sure to tell them @dolcedellavita)
3. Comment that you did all three! 

Have Fun!!!

Day 10: Summer heat, Glam bags, and Playlands

Busy, busy day! We were supposed to go to the park today, but the extreme heat deterred us. Instead we went to Chick-Fil-A and played in the playland. Same fun but all the air conditioning I desire!

We also visited Grandma's house today, so in all the kids were happy campers. The only struggles we had were a little bit of stubbornness on the part of Benjamin (my two year old). However, it only landed him in time-out once and the only time I had to raise my voice is when he accidentally pinched me climbing on top of me, to which I yelped "ouch" rather loudly. (His pinching location was not friendly, if you get my jest!)

Glam Bag

I also got my June Glam Bag today. It rocked my socks off. I wont bore you will all the details but I will share a picture of its awesomeness and share how you too can get all this great beauty products delivered to your door each month!

Join me on ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. Its well worth it and its so much fun to get all the goodies in the mail each month!

Looking Forward

I haven't officially started my summer style yet due to the 7x7 remix challenge I joined. So, next week some time expect to see me testing my fashion limits! We are also getting full swing into summer fun next week. It will be my first full week home! I plan on writing an entire post on why I think the dollar store is summer boredom's hero. Looking forward to many exciting days. Hope you are too!

7x7 Remix

I thought it would be fun to join Putting Me Together on a 7 piece outfit remix. I've really wanted to do something like this for a while and this gave me the perfect chance. I apologize that the quality of my photos is not awesome, but I hope you get the idea.

My Seven Pieces!

I name this collection, "Sweet Summer". All the pink and floral designs scream sweet and the season is officially summer to ME! Now, if you are interested in copying my selections, I will link to the items or something similar.

Starting from the left top corner going down.
1. Lane Bryant dress capri pant in khaki- Similar    Similar
2.Torrid Floral kimono shrug- Similar
3. Lane Bryant Chambray blouse- Similar

Middle from top
1. Blue T-shirt- Same
2. Pink Shell- Similar
3. Lane Bryant flip flops


Right Side
1. Lands' End flare dress c/o Gwynnie Bee

The Outfits

I didn't want to do this half way, so I am actually going to wear each outfit before I post it. I'm just not as good as the other bloggers I've seen who tried on each outfit to photograph it. I hope it doesn't disqualify me! So, I have two days down (so two photos to show you). I will post them all to this same post as I wear them. However, I can tell you my outfit combos now so you can see how I put the seven looks together.

Outfit 1. Flare Dress and Chambray blouse
Outfit 2. Chambray Blouse and Capri pants
Outfit 3. Flare Dress and Kimono shrug
Outfit 4. Blue T-shirt and Capri pants
Outfit 5. Pink Shell, chambray blouse, and Capri pants
Outfit 6. Blue t-shirt, Kimono shrug, Capri pants
Outfit 7. Pink Shell, Kimono shrug, Capri pants

The shoes are the same for each outfit, so that is why I didn't list them. I am also aware that I should have put the dress on both ends of the week, but I cant wait to send it back and get something new from Gwynnie Bee! Of course you wont get to see how I accessorize each combination until the day of! That will make all the difference.

Day Nine: First Day of "Summer"

Ah, today was a good first day of summer for me. We started our summer schedule and had a blast. Tuesday's are bowling days this summer, so we started that today. We learned some ups and downs and played two great games!

Here is what we learned:

1. Buy your own bowling shoes.  (If you are going to be going many times over the summer, the shoe rental can break the bank, especially with the games being free.)
2. Pack snacks (Alley food is expensive)

We also went to the dollar store and picked up a few things, including a toy bow and arrow set. Of course we had to try it out when we got home!

After we played a while, I wanted to get a photo of both the kids with their newly planted trees. We hope to watch them grow together. Pappy planted them in a pot to give them a good starting point. As they get bigger we will have to move them into the yard.

I really think planting trees is a fun way to record growth with children. The kids enjoy watching their tree grow with them.

Orange Rhino

Today on Orange Rhino we were supposed to start picking one trigger to work on eliminating. My husband found that extremely difficult, so I decided we needed more help, We did a little research and I found some typical, expected developmental behaviors of 2 1/2 year olds. Sometimes its hard to remember  who we are really dealing with. Seeing it written helps bring us back and see the situations we face from the outside. There is also a great list of alternatives to yelling on Orange Rhino's site.

Looking Forward

Tomorrow I am linking up with other blogs for something very exciting! I dont want to give it away, so stay tuned!

Day Seven: Superman Sunday

I have very little to say today, partially because we didn't do very much and mostly because I am so tired. After church and grocery shopping we watched a Superman movie. That's about it. I meant to take a photo of my wardrobe today, but it was another thing that didn't get done.

I did take a picture of my youngest son and I with my phone, so that will have to do!

Tomorrow is my last official day before summer break! Hopefully that will mean some awesome posts and plenty of free time for me! (Yeah right!)

Looking Forward

I have been thinking about some of the things I want to cover this month. Since our focus is on parenting, we have quite a collection. I plan on talking about some of the struggles of raising two kids under the age of three. I have  few emotional things I want to cover as well. I will also be following our summer adventures, so be on the look out!

Day Six: Lazy Saturday

We did nothing (notta thing) today. I didn't even get out of my pajamas. As wonderful as it was to lounge around, I get stir crazy. I prefer to stay busy, it keeps me out of trouble. I did manage to get the kids bathed before bed so they would be ready for church in the morning. I am unusually excited about church tomorrow. Maybe that means something awesome will happen!

My oldest loves letters. He plays with them in the bath, talks about them, sings songs about them, even begs me for them at times. At bedtime we like to stick to calming activities such as books and puzzles. Today he requested his magnet board. He was having a blast until I took out my camera. He decided he would rather play with musical toys at that point (notice the bottom photo). My youngest was not as interested in playtime since we had a late start to our bedtime routine. After I put Benjamin to bed I came back to this:

Daddy had managed to get the boy to sleep without me. If I am lucky, he may sleep a while! Since everyone was asleep I had a chance to work on my summer planning again. Today I borrowed an idea I found on Pinterest about making a "I'm bored" jar. I figured filling a jar with free things to do would help fill those days I don't have plans already.  I wanted to make sure it was "readable" by my two year old, so it is a picture list. Here is the view so far:

Some of the items on the list include PlayDoh, coloring, bubbles, playing ball, chalk, watch a movie, ride a bike, puzzles, and ABCmouse.com (That reminds me, you should check this out. Teachers and homeschool parents can get a subscription for FREE). I also included a few free places we could visit as well. This includes the duck pond, library, the park and bowling (sign up for free bowling with your child through AMF). What would you add to your "bored" jar?

Orange Rhino

So far so good on my progress. I find it easier not to yell when I am not stress. So days like today make it easy. One of the goals for this week is to find my "triggers" that cause me to yell. As well as the physical signs that I'm about to yell. I know my biggest trigger is stress. Since stress has nothing to do with my children truly, I need to defuse it. Dealing with stress is a big issue. Adult life is no picnic (or perhaps its a picnic full of fire ants). How do you deal with stress? I know this blog helps me tremendously. Music is also beneficial!

Every day is a new adventure! Let's see what tomorrow brings!

Day Five: Bedtime Battles

My son had no desire to go to bed tonight. Prior to taking this photo he had a shield and sword and was ready to fight me for it. He is growing up so fast it blows my mind! He has his own way of doing things, and I love that. I don't know if I have mentioned that my youngest is refusing to sleep as well. I don't mean he wont fall asleep, its that he wont stay asleep. I forgot how wonderful it was when Benjamin started to sleep though the night. It made my life so much better. Henry, however, is taking his sweet baby time to sleep through the night. Often times he likes to wake up every hour just to say "hi" and use me as a pacifier. Indeed, the life of a mom.

My summer officially starts Monday at 2:30pm. I am pretty excited. I know I have said this before, but you have no idea! I want you to enjoy your summer as well, so I am going to share something from my friend at Money Saving Mom has on Pinterest. Her Fun & Frugal Summer Activities board is full of great summer ideas. If you have kids older than mine, this is a gold mine! I also recommend you following her blog. Its full of money savings, free stuff, and honesty. I've enjoyed it and benefited from it several times.

Looking Forward

I have ants in my pants about my summer plans. I want to find more of them as much as I want to start living them. This also has me thinking about next month already! My birthday is in July, so it will be a very special month on my blog. I hope to discuss what I've done, am doing, and planning to do before I turn 30. It should be revealing! I also want to celebrate a little. I mean, what good are birthdays if not for parties?!

Day Four: The Last Days

Of school I mean! Monday is my final day of "work" before summer break. I look forward to focusing on my family and my other job for Growing Up in the Valley. I find myself constantly on the look out for fun summer ideas. Yesterday we went to the store and purchased a few things from the dollar store to put in a box for summer days without plans. I plan on calling it "Fun Box" or something simple. Ideas anyone? Anyway, here is a few things I have in it so far if you are interested in doing the same.

1. Puzzles
2. Chalk
3. Bubbles
4. Bug repellent wristbands
5. Water splash balls

Other things I intend on putting in it are:

1. Snacks/candy
2. Crafts
3. books

What would you put in a summer box of fun? I want to have somewhere to go on rainy days and boring times. I wont have another summer of high hopes and failing plans. I did that last year, I'm ready to do it right!

I also considered theming each week to help organize the weeks and keep Benjamin (my 2 year old) interested. I'm not really sure what kind of themes to go with. Things I considered range from colors and letters to vacation locales. Again, another good place for thoughts!

My Outfit

Since I didn't get online last night, I didn't share my outfit with you either. I was so excited about this Gwynnie Bee send, that I have to share it!

This eloquii embellished shoulder dress was so much cuter in person! I call it the navy version of a perfect LBD. It was comfortable and flattering. I wanted so much purchase it. However, when I went on eloquii to find it, it was already gone. -heart broken- I also got several compliments on my jewelry yesterday as well. Although I cant remember where I purchased it, I'm almost positive it was Old Navy (back when the sold jewelry). I've come to really enjoy Gwynnie Bee. My only sadness comes from having to send pieces I love back. I cant buy everything!

Looking Forward

Summer is quickly approaching. Staying calm and collected on this Rhino challenge will be more difficult when I am home more. I don't want to fail this summer! I want to make this a great summer, especially since we can really afford to go on vacation this year. I will also be trying a new summer style: boho. That will be an adventure of its own. On June 11th I will be able to start sharing more adventures that my kids and I have. We shall see how this goes!

Day 2: Monsoon Season

My husband jokingly stated today that "when it rains it pours and it seems we are in monsoon season!" Truer words have never been spoken. As we both try to work on our goal of not yelling, we have life hitting us hard in the face. Today my husband's car broke down! We had to have it towed and we are waiting for news we don't want to get. This change of plans lead to fits from the kids who were looking forward to the playground. I'm sure you can guess where we did NOT go today! Ah, it seems that God chooses the times of our lives to teach and train us in things we didn't even know we needed to learn.

Today's goal for Orange Rhino was to come up with a support group. So, I ask you today... will you keep me in check? Will you help me keep my cool? Distract me. Comfort me. Whatever... just remind me that I want to be the best parent I can be.

My Outfit

I haven't had many outfits to share recently. Gwynnie Bee helped me look lovely today. I really like black on black. Its slimming and fashionable. I also enjoy using my accessories to add color. What is your favorite way to add color when you wear black?

I did learn something today. I will never purchase a sequin shirt (again). This shirt, although lovely, cut my arms up from the elbow down. I have battle scars! I have now labeled this shirt, "plus size sequin torture". If you love sparkle as much as I do, you would understand how sad this makes me. I will have to find other ways to shine!

Looking Forward

Starting on the 11th of June, I will be home for the summer. This will start the first day of my summer fashion and my fun planned weeks with the family. I look forward to both very much. I hope to find many more affordable and exciting things to do with them as I go. As far as fashion goes, I may find a few photos to try to attempt to copy in style. I think I have settled into boho for the summer. Its a style I have never attempted. I think people who typically wear it have a natural gift for pulling it off. I may fail just because I am "trying" to make it work. We will have to see!

Orange Rhino: Day 1

 

Today started my first official day of my "30 Days to Yelling Less Project" with The Orange Rhino. I found today fairly easy with work taking up most of my day. Also, choosing to focus on my goal helped. However, nothing that happened today hit my trigger point. (With my kids that is! I would very much like to attempt the challenge toward my hubby as well.) Today's "homework was to come up with my worst parenting disaster. I easily pinpointed mine. 

How about you? What would make you want to change how you parent?

Summer Fun 

I am so looking forward to the end of the school year and all my fun plans! I pulled up my Windows calender on my computer and started to fill in all the free and affordable summer fun I could think of! For those looking into to doing the same thing, here are some things to consider:

-Museums- Many have free days or affordable rates a few times a month.

-Library- They have a summer reading program where the kids can earn prizes, as well as fun events to attend all summer.

-Bowling- AMF has a program where kids can get 2 free games a day all summer. AMF

-Roller Skating- Some places offer free skating for kids as well. See if one near you does here.

- Visiting new parks once a week

-Fairs and local events

-Vacation Bible School- Nearly every church offers some kind of VBS.

- Movies- Some local theaters have kid priced movies during the day of previously released movies. Many also offer deals on food and drink for kids too.

-Ice-cream!- Burger King is offering $0.50 ice-cream most of the summer (through August 5th) I learned of this through Money Saving Mom.

I will keep you updated with more fun stuff as I collect it!

Happy June!

I am happy to say, Summer is near! Since I work at a school, I get the summers off. I am beyond excited because that means more time with my kiddos! Speaking of them, I would like to introduce the theme for the month: Adventures in Parenting! Since I will be home so much, I thought it would be a good time to focus on my babies. I have so many things I would like to cover. From fun things to do to dealing with bad behavior. I'm overflowing, I almost want to bombard you with it all now, but I wont.

I have so much to catch you up on since I have been without my own computer for about a week. You have missed some interesting outfits, fun moments with my kids, and other crazy events. I will try to speedily catch you up so we can move on.

Play Day

 We have taken a liking to visiting the local school's playground. Its so close and convenient. Plus, they have so much wonderful equipment. Benjamin is loving the regular opportunity to run around.

Memorial Day

 We did a few itty-bitty fireworks on Memorial day. They were so small the only personal truly interested was Henry. (Ohhhh, pretty bright light) Benjamin didn't find them very entertaining, notice the fact he is looking away from the whole situation.

My Outfits

All three of the outfits I have above are thanks to Gwynnie Bee. The middle dress is my favorite of them all. The color was so nice and the detail was just perfectly done. I know I've mentioned before how much I love Gwynnie Bee, but I need to say it again. If you are a size 10+, you need to at least try their free month. You will love it!

Looking Foward

Another big focus I wanted to make this month is on being a better parent. One of the ways I intend on doing this is by doing the "30 Days to Yelling Less Project" with The Orange Rhino Challenge. It starts Monday, June 3rd. If you want to join in make sure you sign up sometime today or tomorrow! I hope this will be the start of whole Orange Rhino Challenge for me. (That's 365 days of no yelling) Keep me in your prayers because having a two year old is hard! I also have a big collection of free and affordable summer ideas for kids I plan to share. I have collected these ideas from around the web and word of mouth. I know everyone can use some free entertainment this summer. If you want an early look at some of my plans you can check out my board on Pinterest.


So, how did you feel about last month? Are you looking forward to our theme this month? Is there anything you'd like to see this month? Let me know!