Brooke Dances

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I never got around to posting this, but I still want to see it later on in life! Our sweet girl just loves dance.  She’s been dancing at the same studio since she was 2. She has been in 4 dance recitals total and we just found out she will be doing competition dance starting in the Fall!!

Back in June she had her recital.

This was her “Material Girl” dance costume, how darn cute??

She likes ballet, but thinks it’s a bit slow.  She loves being on stage though!

Her ballet song was, “You are the Glow” which is some Disney princess song I think?  Either way, it makes me cry watching her dance to it.

I never knew the joy that could be watching your little girl up on a stage.  My mama heart just bursts with love and tears stream down my face when I see her light up the stage.

We are so proud of her!

One of her favorite parts is getting a trophy.

The stage makeup is fun for her too, as she never wears anything but chapstick at her age ha!

She was so happy her nana and papa could see her dance.  It was a beautiful Sunday performance and we are so blessed to be her parents.

She will be taking 4 classes this Fall, lyrical, ballet, jazz & tap.  Let the fun begin!

{Sorry, not sorry I love being a #dancemom!}

Tea (and cookies) with Me

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I figured we’d sit down and have a little tea together, shall we?  I’m having a cup of English Breakfast, with a splash of vanilla soy milk.  You?

 

July rushed right past us, although I thoroughly enjoyed all of its glory.  The weather has been literally, too good to be true and I am not sorry that I have spent most of my days outside breathing in this fresh air.  The sun feels glorious, the pools have been refreshing and I just LOVE Summer so much!

I slacked in my reading a bit in July; I was in a bit of a reading funk, but I think it’s safe to say I’m in the clear.  I’ve just finished several books that I do recommend! Class Mom was hilarious.  Evie Drake Starts Over was simply adorable, heartwarming and just a good old fashioned good read.  I literally finished my book club read hours before our meetup and it was quite the page turner towards the end, Watching You.

I’ve been studying, watching videos and really working more on our real estate business.  I am such a learner that it is half annoying (to me or my husband more, I’m not sure) that I can’t just dive into things without really giving it a hard go at researching.  I know success means sometimes you throw yourself into it, fail along the way and figure it out (I feel like that’s how we got here so far on my end!) Some of the biggest lessons were mistakes that were made.

I’m still riding in my ‘flow of authentic energy’ and am crafting my final blog post regarding my work with my life coach Lindsay Preston and two of her courses that I finished.

Other than that, we’ve eaten our weight in soft serve ice cream, delicious cheeseburgers and all the tasty Summer eats.  Of course I’ve been balancing it all with my daily workouts and eating clean mostly 80% of the time.  I know that life is too short to not enjoy the delicious food!

It’s hard to believe this will be my last year as an official “Stay at home mom” and while I’m aware that I work at home too, I can’t help but feel such a twinge of excitement and sadness all at once.  The other day I sat on our front porch as Brookie ran around, in her 6.5 year old glory.  I could feel the pull of years past, when she was only a 6 month old baby girl.  Her goofy grin, her bright shiny blue eyes and bald baby head–my heart ached for a quick moment, as I held that thought tight, knowing full well how beautiful it was to be with her every step of the way.  Bradley too, but this gift of motherhood is so amazing.  Time flies way too fast and while you’re in the midst of it, it sometimes feels like a never-ending carousel ride of bottles, diapers, bath and bedtime, sticky kisses, potty training, “mommy” this and “mommy” that… and yet I can see the quiet future, not so far off in the distance.  I see the quick kiss, if I’m lucky, and the running out the door.  The days where friends will be cooler than parents, and activities will take more of their days.  So I settle in, quietly here, with this small cup of tea.  I let them bake M&M cookies with me and make the hundredth peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the Summer.  I stop and cuddle with them if they ask.

I know babies don’t keep, but I am so very grateful that the memories of them do.

 

(P.S. These cookies really are perfection!! Follow the recipe below.)

Today

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Stopping by with a quickie today!!

I must say that my 21 day habits with my Life Coach Lindsay Preston during this Unstoppable Woman course are SOOO worth it!  I am not one to successfully complete something for x amount of straight days, without making an excuse.  Sure, I do stepbets, but they’re for 6 weeks and you get a day off in the week.  But here is something so powerful in doing the same thing for 13 days straight—I feel so empowered!  I also feel so much more at ease, I think because I’m doing a daily yoga practice.  I cannot wait to see how I’m doing after 21 days!!

My 3 habits:

1.) Daily Mantra: I am free to be me.

2.) 10 (or more) minutes of Yoga with Adriene.

3.) Blogging every day— have you noticed that yet?  🙂

I am content.  I am grounded.  I am satisfied.  I am happy.  I am rich.  I am loved.  I am strong.  I am healthy.  I am alive. I am free.  I am me. I am love.

 

What is one small habit you could do daily for 21 days straight? (Small, attainable and something to fill a need.)

Amazon Favorite Finds

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I’m sure everyone loves their Amazon accounts, but I also love seeing what everyone buys!! I’ve found some great deals and sometimes forget that I can easily purchase items online and have it there in 2 days.  I have to say my favorite use for Amazon is when we vacation! Last summer I ordered a box of pull-ups and a big thing of wipes down to SC when my mom got married.  It was so convenient! Granted, I’m super pumped to not be spending money on those any more, but it’s the simplicity of that, right?!

I figured I’d share a few of my favorite/current Amazon Purchases just in case you may find them helpful too!

Him:

Core Water – My husband strives to drink 2 of these waters a day.  Having Crohn’s he is always trying to stay hydrated and get in extra electrolytes etc.  This is basically the only water he drinks, so it must be darn good!  I do drink it occasionally, but it’s a little pricey and I don’t mind my Brita water.  The other plus is that the cap is a cup, so he likes to let the kids drink out of that if they’re thirsty.  No slobber and no spills! #winning

White tees – A guy staple right?  I thought these were good quality and an even better price.  He wears a v-neck tee daily and those things tend to wear out quickly.

Me:

Rose Gold/Marble Phone Case – I’ve gotten a ton of compliments on this fab phone case! I hate buying new ones, but this price ($11.99 PLUS a coupon!!) I couldn’t beat it. Plus it’s pink, pretty and my old one fell apart, so this was a good buy!

Dandy Blend –   So I think I’ve mentioned a few times that I can’t drink coffee because of my reflux.  Well, I stumbled upon this Dandelion brew and you guys, it’s amazing! Sometimes you just want that coffee flavor/feel and tea just doesn’t do it.  Apparently you can cut coffee and go to this without any symptoms but I can’t verify that.  I can say that it’s tasty and I have been enjoying with some NutPods creamer.  It is excellent iced too! Dandelion is wonderful for your liver as well.

Collagen Peptides – My knees/joints seem to get sore and achy more often.  I guess I’m getting old or something, but regardless, I try to slip this into my tea, smoothies or dandy blend. It has no taste and it’s supposed to be so good for you. I have a Matcha Peach flavor too, but this can go in anything due to the no flavor.

Workout Top (Lululemon dupe) – There’s an extra 5% coupon on this too! I did see fellow instagrammers wearing this and it’s definitely worth a share and the buy! It’s so cute; I got the black and I love the tie back with the mesh.  Fun, sporty and makes me feel a little like a bad ass when I’m at the gym. I got a small. (I’m 5’7 currently 140 lbs) It comes in different colors and is only $15.99!! Washes well, and I hang dry.

Off Shoulder Romper – Again I saw a few bloggers with this and my friend Ann scooped one up as well.  It’s the perfect thing to throw on and road trip in, or even travel by plane!  It’s comfy and all you need are cute sandals, a pair of statement earrings and clutch to look totally put together with zero effort!

Dry Shampoo –  I have tried super expensive dry shampoos and I still come back to this brand. I love that I can order it on Amazon and save money, plus not walk into an Ulta and spend all my money on more makeup I don’t need.  I find that I can get a day or two extra in between washings because this stuff is so good.

Kids:

Bubble gun – these were actually a gift to our friends’ kids, and they loved them!  Their daughter turned 3 and she just loved it! They tend to sell these for more money at fairs, carnivals etc and so they just brought the one we gifted so they didn’t have to buy one when we all attended a festival not too long ago.  Can’t go wrong with bubbles as gifts for kids!

Tie Dye Chalk – This was a gift as well, but I just thought it was cute add on for Summer.  There’s nothing better than kids chalk drawings and this was a fun extra with the tie-dye element.

Dance Costume Bag  – I dragged my feet on buying this and I don’t know why.  With clear pockets, a lot of them, and everything zippered up, this is a MUST have for any Dance mom!  I finally grabbed one for her rehearsal/recital and it was so nice to see everything clearly when we scramble to change from costume to costume.  It held her shoes, tights, costumes, makeup and bows.  Total game changer; now I need one of those racks to hang everything on!

Thermos- I only wish I bought this sooner! Brooke doesn’t love sandwiches, though she will eat them.  She does love leftover pastas, macaroni and other warm lunches, so this was honestly the best purchase for her! She says that it keeps her meatballs warm just like out of the oven! I know in the Summer months this isn’t going to be popular, but mamas, grab one for Fall!!

What are your favorite Amazon buys? I would love to know!

#FactsOnfriday

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  • TGIF!! I’m excited for a busy weekend– #embracingthechaos
  • It’s the last day of May; like whoa!
  • I feel like I’m winning at life when I close all my Apple watch rings & make my steps hit.
  • I need to stop eating ALL OF THE THE THINGS
  • I am LOVING my mani/pedi color!!
  • Having a me day was much needed.  (mamas, do NOT forget to #doyou!!)
  • Summer can hurry please!
  • My neighbor and I are using Pinterest to come up with some Summer Bucket List ideas for the kiddos.
  • This week/weekend are SO busy, but I’m still trying to enjoy the moments.
  • We have a wedding this weekend and we need to wear flats–SOS!! Where to find a pair stat?!
  • Joe’s been asked to speak at another AFG conference and be on the panel—New Orleans, here we come!
  • Next week I have a ‘book club’ meetup–cannot wait to have some girl time!
  • I can’t believe I only have the Summer and one year left with Bradley home with me. Where does the time go?
  • Summer songs are out in full force!! (Hello, “Bad Guy”)
  • I’ve been so bad at reading lately; I did get further into one during my pedicure today.
  • I’m overly excited for a spray tan (tan fat looks better than pale fat hehe)
  • We are looking for more houses to buy as we are almost at full capacity!
  • I’m obsessed with this Dandyblend faux coffee.  It tastes so good and helps fill that desire for coffee! It doesn’t give me reflux issues and I can drink it at night without having trouble falling asleep.
  • I’m still loving the work I am doing on myself (even when it’s hard, I know it will be so helpful and benefit me in the long run!)
  • Brooke had her dance rehearsal Wednesday and I balled.  My daughter was SO flipping amazing on stage and literally lit up the whole show. I am so proud of her!!
  • I’m listening to an amazing book called The Big Leap (e-book is free with Amazon prime!)
  • I’m in week 2 of my step-bet and still have a love/hate relationship with it.
  • The dogs love when I’m stepping because they get lots of extra walks!
  • Monday I start the Tastefully Simple 14 Day Reset.
    • No joke, I’m scared! Hahaha Only because I love me some grains. Like legit love. This will be tricky, but I have faith!
    • I’m not sure what will be harder, no vino or no starbs (sad face!)