A BRIEF INTERMISSION...

Hey Folks!

I think I read somewhere that you aren't supposed to announce or bring attention to any breaks in blog posting and such. But so anyway, out of respect for you, and my blog, which I love so much, I thought it would be right. Or at least okay.

In an effort to focus more fully on The Giggle Girls Book Club Project (and my family). I am going take a small break from the blog.  I have not been doing a great job at writing awesome and fun blog posts and taking care of these little people (and H) and this house and launching the business. So...

I'll be spending a little time catching up on a few things like trying to keep up with this laundry list that seems to be the culprit of the extra dirty socks I took off Avery this morning. And maybe even getting in this - which I'm sure will make everything else fall into place.

But most importantly, I'll be doing my darndest to focus on the website and building relationships with toy and craft vendors and book publishers.  Any help, contacts, forwards, "likes" and "shares" you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

In the interim, I will still be taking snapshots of my much needed sanity breaks from the kiddos and the hustle of trying my hardest to be a successful work/stay at home mommy over here at our spot.

If you don't mind,

Please spread the word about THE GIGGLE GIRLS BOOK CLUB as I attempt to help breed the new young bookish clique:-)

Giggle Girls Book Club Website
Giggle Girls Book Club Twitter
Giggle Girls Book Club Instagram
Giggle Girls Book Club Facebook

I will most certainly be back with amazing new things to share!

xxB

FINDING AND KEEPING ME. | 7 THINGS

photo via Pinterest.

I think I've posted this list somewhere before, but this week I feel like I need a reminder. I've been talking a little bit about how I'm approaching 40 and feeling like I need to refine and redefine me. These are the the things that make me happy and I hope will never change. 

1. Start my day with prayer and devotional reading. It just feels good to start the day with your mind in a good place.

2. Make my bed.  It's just a better start to the day, and if everything else goes to hell, coming upstairs to a made bed just makes it a good reset.

3. Read to the children.  Its good for them, we get to spend some focused time together, and it just makes me feel like a better parent honestly..

4. Read for enjoyment at the end of my day.Replace my nightly recap of The Young and the Restless with more purposeful reading.. at least for a little while (don't judge me).

5. Journal my thoughts and goals. Speaking (and writing) good things into existence...

6. Spend some time working and growing in my passions and pursuits.  Nothing like working on your goals and crossing things off your "to do" list to make you feel just a bit more fulfilled.

7. Snuggle with H.  I still like him A LOT. Most of the time.

What would you add to this list? Anything that helps keep you centered and feeling like yourself?

xxB

for more of my [Mama] Life and Times follow me on Instagram and Bloglovin

MY TOP 6 | MAMA MUST - HAVES

CHAI LATTE | MAYBELLINE PUMPED UP MASCARA | HONEST CO. WIPES 

 PETER RABBIT ORGANICS APPLE AND GRAPE | RADIO FLYER TWO SEATER WAGON FILSON TOTE

Joining in on the fun with the folks over at 4moms who are asking: WHAT ARE YOUR MAMA/PARENT MUST- HAVES?

A {chai} latte is a must for my second wind of the day, and I don't leave home with out wipes. Most of these are in my car, my bag or in my trunk at ALL TIMES even that wagon which makes its fair share of runs from the coffee shop to the playground. What things are your list?!

xxB

for more of my [Mama] Life and Times follow me on Instagram and Bloglovin

P.S. MAC concealer should really be number 1 on this list.

STARTING SOME GOOD HABITS BEFORE I TURN 40 | 21 DAYS

So I'm not turning 40 in 21 days... But as I understand it, it takes 21 days to create a habit. So starting the 1st day of October (and hopeful each month coming up here). I plan to start working on a few things. Creating some good/better habits. The fall tends to do that to me… Goals setting, organizing and such..

How this all started:

I was having a conversation with a good mama friend (who is in her early 40's) about life, and love, and the pursuit of happiness.. Well really about the Giggle Girls Book Club (launching this week!!!) and the elevator speech of a stay/work at home mama, we then moved on to some very important topics. Like why (and how) in the ham sandwich is her skin so smooth and flawless and what is she doing to it.. no EXACTLY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I know BLACK DONT CRACK and all.. but I really need the scoop. (She mentioned something about a Cetaphil cleanser and Lancome something or other from her mom, don't worry I plan to get it out of her).

But the bigger picture for me is, I'm turning 40 in a few short years and while these little people have me last on my priority list of things to take care of… I'd like to try and get to a place where my routines and rules for myself are pretty set so I don't wake up one day out of breath, with adult acne and lipstick on my teeth..

So a couple things on my list (no particular order) to get in order:

An easy early rise time - starting each day with meditation and preparation.
Eating Clean - some rules for eating healthy, minimal junk and processed foods.
Preventative skin care - 3 steps (or less).
Quick and easy make-up - polished, everyday easy.
Regular exercise - a way of life, not just for crash diets.
The Look - my signature style?

Now that the little person is sleeping well through the night with minimal interruptions, I've been finding it harder to get up early. LIKE I FINALLY GET TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT!! But the way my goals and hustle are set up, it would really behoove me to get a jump start on the day. You know what they say, "The early bird…"

I'm planning to start  tomorrow October 1. Waking up an hour before the kiddos, my coffee, my devotional. Setting my alarm now.

Will you join me? Lets tag it #21dayswithBunnie What would you add do this list?

xxB

P.S. What do stay at home moms (with a few side gigs) say when asked, "What do you do?"

photo

MONDAY TIPS FOR MAMAS | ABOUT BIRTHDAY TRADITIONS

One of my most prized friends started a blog which is now my new favorite. She is a single mama who has raised three phenomenal young men - I'm sure it helped that she is pretty phenomenal herself. She was having a little chat about birthdays (on her birthday) which prompted me to journal some things I wanted to remember and share about the birthdays I remember growing up and the traditons I've started with my own little family.

It still mortifies amazes me that I get to take care of and grow and usher this little flock of mine. I am so very proud to be a wife and mother to this brood…

But before that I was (and am) my mamas child. And for as long as I can remember there was the Bell Family Happy Birthday song. Especially once we moved off and went to college and such. Before I could open my eyes and get out of bed tos start the day, scrambling to open my eyes and answer the phone - and then hearing everyone's voice on the line (mom, dad, sissy in med school, high school brother) raspy sleepy voices, singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!  And then a rendition of "For he's a jolly good fellow, which I never understood, but sing along and crack up laughing every time…

As tired as I was - I felt super special from the moment I opened my eyes that day.

We didn't have a big party for the munchkin for the first time (she turned six) this year. I figured I'd just do a little something at school with treats and balloons and favors for her classmates. I got a sitter for little h and came to her class and read one of her favorite books to her class...she wore a favorite dress and we had a special "fancy" dinner at her favorite restaurant.

We had an amazing day - celebrating all that she had accomplished and learned and how much she had grown this past year. I made sure to give her extra snuggles and tell her how very proud of the young lady she is becoming...

I wanted to take the time to jot down some of our birthday traditions so I wouldn't forget and hopefully to inspire you to create (or add to) some of your own. 

Morning surprise.

Ever since the munchkins first birthday I've snuck into her bedroom before dawn and filled it with balloons. She almost caught me last year so this time I strung a wall of steamers right outside her door - worked like a charm.

Favorite Breakfast (In Bed).

Chocolate chip waffles for this last birthday. Or warm bubbly oatmeal for h. If you are lucky enough to have your birthday fall on the weekend you get to have your breakfast served in bed.

Balloons/Streamers in the car.

If her birthday falls on a weekday, instead of filling her room with balloons I turned the car into "party bus"!

Sweet Treats.

This year we actually put candles in a chocolate glazed donut - her current favorite. For Lover I made a double chocolate cake (I'm still working off the pounds from helping him demolish that one)... 

Every year we still wake up to a birthday song (from grandma, granddaddy, auntie Michelle and Uncle Alvin, mommy and daddy - little h or big sissy).

What I realized over these years is it doesn't take a million bucks to make someone feel like a million bucks on their special day. You'll be surprised how far a pack of balloons, a roll of streamers and a batch of cupcakes will get you.

P.S. This year I filled the hubby's car with balloons while he was asleep. The look on his face when he got in for his drive to work was priceless..

P.S.S. Did I mention that my two year old wouldn't touch a piece of cake (or any other sweet treat) with a ten foot pole. Doesn't like anything sweet, except for my homemade oatmeal, which consequently tastes just like birthday cake??:-) but that's another story for another day…

What special traditions did you grow up having or do you have now? I'm nosy like that:-)

xxB
facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin

...TACKLING AFTER SCHOOL ROUTINES AND HOMEWORK

I'm a bit of an overzealous mom, I'm not ashamed to say (well maybe a little ashamed) so I've been giving munchkin "homework" for a little while now. In my mind - to balance out the "screen time" guilt and make sure she was "in the know" and on track from a learning perspective. (I LOVE these Kumon and BrainQuest books).  But this year - 1st Grade is the first year she's had actual homework from school. So as we are getting into the routine of carpool and after school activities, I've found it helpful to get some organization around our new REAL homework.

Side thought: I am still a little new at this mama thing, still having a lot of firsts, so sometimes I have these surreal moments like, "Wow, I am REALLY somebodies mama and helping this little person with their homework?!! CRAZY?

But I digress. I wanted to share what we were doing around here as it relates to after school routines and homework in case it was helpful to you...

In an effort to stay sane and not run around like a crazy person when we get home, we try very hard to do something like this:

10 mins     Unpacking backpacks and waterbottles and such

We spend some time getting every thing out of the car. Otherwise it continues to look like I am planning on driving cross country and have packed all the necessary items. So out come the backpacks and sweaters and shoes and books and toys that seem to make their way into the car every day. 

20 mins     PBS Kids/Snack Time

I do like to make sure she has a little time to unwind from the day before we jump in to tackling homework if possible. It keeps the eye rolling (from both sides) to a minimum.

15-20 mins     Homework/Dinner Prep

The teachers are very organized with homework and thankfully munchkin is pretty well self directed. I read over the instructions with her to make sure she understands and then step in the kitchen to start preparing dinner, popping over to answer any questions she might have.

15 mins     Chores

For the six year old consists of putting away the silverware. Hopefully at some point in the day I have emptied the dishwasher.

15 mins     Violin Practice

Little h likes to sit next to his "sissy" with his toy Ukelele and practice. This cracks me up and gets on her nerves simultaneously. 

15 mins     Spend some time playing with little h 

In an attempt to foster a good relationship between those two who are 3.5 years apart, I try to force gently encourage them to hang out doing something they both like - reading, puzzles, sword fighting?

45 mins     Free Time

A couple times during the week we have after school activities in which case, "free time" is cut shorter. But this is the hang time before dinner.

Dinner

That little person in the back is watching Sesame Street, or Leap Frog Counting Circus, or something with letters and numbers (homework prep) don't judge me:-) 

Oh this little "homework" caddy makes things much easier at homework time too. Everything we need to do our homework in one space, so we aren't searching for glue and scissors and tape. I even stick these little Annies Homegrown Organic cookies as a little treat to make homework time a bit more enjoyable.

For us it helps to have a:

Designated space: A clean and clear dining room table works for us. I like to have her close so that I can get to her quickly with questions or help, and not too far away because she doesn't prefer to be off all alone.

Designated Time: Knowing what to expect when we get home helps to keep down on the frustration of ripping her away from playing and makes homework less of a dreaded activity.

Designated Tools: The 'Homework Caddy" is off limits for any other activities/crafts. That way its always stocked and ready to go.

Distractions for the little brother: A younger sibling can prove to have its share of distractions when trying to get homework done, So I try very hard to keep him occupied - we color when she's doing her homework, play the ukelele when she's doing violin and I try and have him "help" me in the kitchen when she's doing homework.

THIS IS SO EXHAUSTING.   So far its working out pretty good.

Any sanity saving tips you'd like to share are SO WELCOME HERE.

xxB

If you aren’t already please join me over on: facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin 

PLAYGROUND POLISHED: 5 MINUTE MANICURE

So I've been doing a much better job these days of giving myself a little mani in lieu of getting an actual manicure at the salon. Not unlike most mamas I'm washing my hands a gazillion times a day, and it just feels like a waste when the polish is looking all chippy after day 2 and who has time to scrounge up nail polish remover and take polish off. Instead, I've found the perfect pale pink shade of polish barely noticeable when it starts to chip leaving me plenty of time to get back around to giving myself a little refresh. So my nails look pretty clean and crisp most of the time (pats self on back).

That was my round about way of saying, Here's my 5 minute manicure routine!!

What You Need:

Nail File
Olive Oil
Base Coat
Perfect light Pink Shade of Polish
Clear Top Coat

What to do:

Step One: File underneath nails with emory board - Makes them rounder and not sharp.

Step Two: Oil the cuticles with a bit of olive oil. I don't do any pushing back, but just rubbing around. I actually just wipe off the excess oil with a baby wipe:-)

Step Three: I've been using Essie's Grow Stronger as a base coat. Just one coat.

Step Four: Apply Color. One swipe down the right, One down the left, then in the middle, and then the tip.  Let dry for a minute, then apply another coat.

Step Five: After two days or so, apply a top coat to keep it fresh for the rest of the week.

Now about those hang nails.. another story for another day…

I'm a big fan of Essie polish. They do a really good job with the range of colors and is pretty affordable. I've tried Madmoiselle, and Ballet Slippers, but  Essie Sugar Daddy is quite the perfect nude shade of pink. Definitely my all time favorite, and looks gorgeous on all skin tones.

What is that on my skirt? who knows after a day of this and this with the littlest.

At any rate, This is super easy to do and I leave the polish on my little kitchen cart so that if I have a spare 5 mins I can give myself a quick mani before heading off to the play ground..

Whats your "go to" nail polish brand/color?

xxB

facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin | vimeo

GETTING ORGANIZED FOR BACK TO SCHOOL + LINKS

This morning was the WORST. Still trying to get in the groove of the morning school routine. This is the first time ever that I've had to wake the kids up (for school) as opposed to them being my alarm clock. Everyone was grumpy. Avery pitched the biggest fit when I finally wrestled him (like a screaming greased piglet) into his clothes for the day. I waited until the last few minutes (never again) which put us back another fifteen. And then my normally 25 minute drive turned into an hour and a half of traffic. I contemplated jumping from my slowly moving vehicle more times than I can count - ABANDON SHIP!  Lets suffice to say, I am not cut out for rush hour traffic.  Needless to say we were late to drop off and missed the first Friday Pep Rally/Assembly for my 1st grader. I think I was just as disappointed as she was:-( Then, day two of preschool for little h turned into a real crying at the door break down.. mostly me - not him. I think it was the traffic tradgedy ??

The good news is so far I've been able to refresh a bit. I ran home, put on my sports bra and headed out for a quick run and some "office hours." at the coffee shop. And I think I"m going to be on the news again! A reporter stopped me and asked me a few questions about the sketch of guy that had attacked a woman last week on that same trail:-/ I'M A STAR!

At any rate, I'm hoping next week will be much more organized and stress free. Here are a couple of links to get me (and you) on track:

A better organizer: I've heard a lot about this Whitney English Day Designer. For Living a Well Designed Life… They are BEAUTFUL and I LOVE PRETTY PAPER so I'm very intrigued. Have you used it? It looks amazing.. 

Prepping for School Photos - Digging these looks for the kiddos. Last year the munchkin nailed it. Using these tips to make sure we get a repeat performance.

Head start on Teachers Gifts - Printed this out  to get to know the teachers a bit better and so I can have a leg up on getting them the perfect teachers appreciation/birthday/holiday gifts.

Label Everything - These Tiny Prints labels for her (and these for him) are in my virtual shopping cart.

Their Routine - Keeping the 1st grader on track with this "To Do" list of her own.

My Routine - Making some minor tweaks to this list and doing these: 

7 things every day for myself

   

1. Start my day with prayer and devotional reading. I've been reading a chapter a day using this study bible and this daily devotional. It just feels good to start the day with your mind in a good place.

2. Make my bed.  It's just a better start to the day, and if everything else goes to hell, coming upstairs to a made bed just makes it a good reset.

3. Read to the children.  Its good for them, we get to spend some focused time together, and it just makes me feel like a better parent honestly..

4. Read for enjoyment at the end of my day. I've decided to replace my nightly recap of The Young and the Restless with more purposeful reading.. at least for a little while (don't judge me).

5. Journal my thoughts and goals. Speaking (and writing) good things into existence...

6. Spend some time working and growing in my passions and pursuits.  Nothing like working on your goals and crossing things off your "to do" list to make you feel just a bit more fulfilled.

7. Snuggle with H.  I still like him A LOT.

7b. Exercise a few times a week.  I don't think I can really commit to doing it every day, but at least 3-4 times a week. 

Is there anything you'd add to this list?

xxB

facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin | vimeo

P.S. With all the madness and the current state of affairs, I have decided to take a break from Twitter and Facebook for a bit. I subscribe to several news feeds and its how I get my daily dose of whats going on in the world. I have been mistakenly reading the comments people have been writing on the Ferguson debacle. And with whats happening in Iraq and this Ebola situation and the debacle that was Atlanta Exes.... Depressing. Not putting my head in the sand as much as choosing to shut it off and spend some time focusing on my family, what's good, and getting my wits about myself again...

SO LONG SUMMER… YOU WERE AWESOME.

Its so funny, we started the summer super excited and Gung Ho, but these last two weeks seemed to drag on FOREVER. All of our pals had already headed back to school and I was SO ready for school to start for us too - it seemed that summer would NEVER END. And now that it has, as I look back at the photos and memories I captured these past two months... seems like it flew by. SO AWESOME.  I miss it already.

I dropped them both off at school today finally. Little h started a half-day preschool (2 day/week). And as much as I couldn't wait to finally have a few hours to myself.. it was surely bitter sweet. The littlest, getting so independent.  When I went back to peep in through the window he was checking out all the "stations" all on his own, not a tear in sight - I think I may have cried even longer than he did (I just needed to release the anxiety I suppose)??!!

And my sweet girl. SO SMART. Sometimes I get in bed with her after she's gone to sleep and just stroke her hair, and pray for her, and smile at what an awesome little lady she's becoming.  I remember looking at her baby chubs and wondering what she'd be like. FIRST GRADE. She got in the car after school and said, "Mommy, IT WAS GREAT." And I could exhale...

Watching (and helping them grow up) so fast is equally exhilarating and terrifying. I often want to pinch myself, it seems so surreal to be a part of it all..

Feeling thankful.

xxB

facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin | vimeo

REAL TALK: TEACHING GIRLS

love this scrunchy little face.

I hope you had an awesome Fourth of July weekend. I truly did. We had a few folks over and H went overboard with the fireworks. Little h was having NONE of it though. I ended up catching what I could of the spectacular show from Andie's window upstairs while he pulled the blanket over his little head. 

Fresh lemonade, Apple Pie care of Southern Sweets Bakery, we used Martha's recipe for a southern shrimp boil and it was SO GOOD. Bubbles, music, sack races the whole shebang. The kids had SO MUCH FUN. Speaking of which, maybe it was because I was so distracted with little h trying to get as far away from the cracking sounds of "poppers" or maybe it just went over my head at the time, but in hindsight I missed a real teaching/learning moment with Andie that I'd like to get down, so I don't forget or miss the opportunity again.

We were playing the game where you balance the (plastic) egg on the spoon and walk to the cone and back again. If you drop the egg, you have to start again from the beginning. She was SO excited, giggling the whole way. She dropped it after a few steps, and ran back to start again. She got all the way to the end and dropped it again. I could see her little heart break:-( She put her arm over her eyes and ran behind a tree. I ran after her to console her. All I could think about was that I didn't want her to be sad. I told her it was okay to be upset, and she didn't have to play the game if she didn't want too.

BOOOO mommy!!

NO QUITTERS!!

How I wish it would have played out:

Scenario 1
She walked blindfolded with one hand behind her back down to the cone and back with her egg still securely in place in less than 10 seconds and her friends carried her on their shoulders as the reigning egg race queen!!

For Real:
Andie: (Drops egg the second time) Mommy, I can't do this!! I don't want to play anymore.
Mommy: Its okay that you are upset. You CAN do it. Don't worry about beating everyone else. Its a fun game, lets try it again, just me and you.
Scene: Even though the kids have moved on to the next game - We keep trying together until she gets it. Smiles, tears and all.
End Scene:-)

Not sure it would have worked out that way. But the lesson I would have liked to teach:
Winning isn't everything. Its important to give it your best shot. Its okay if you don't come in first place. Its not okay to give up when you don't succeed on the first (or second) try.

As we all know these little people do not come with instructions. Feeding, clothing, Tucking them in at night (for the 10th time), that's the easy part. But building them up - courage, confidence, character -that's what we are really charged with. That's my prayer daily. For wisdom, for guidance, for grace.

xxB

facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin | vimeo

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: IN CASE YOU NEED SOME "MOMMY FRIENDS"

Recognize those shopping carts? Ahh… Yes..  Back where it all began.. At least for this one.  Starbucks and a double shopping cart ride (while you catch up on the week and pick up necessities with your mama friend) can make for a fun and life saving little play date:-) This pic also here.

Listen its hard out there for a pimp mama. And if you are new to this whole mama thing.. trust me - Its much easier when you have cohorts to commiserate celebrate with. My long time friends and I are all in different celebratory life stages and phases, so I didn't have a built in network.

Picky eaters, potty training, preschool.. sleep training, tantrums (yours and thiers), and sleep training again..  Someone to bounce ideas, and woes, and concerns off of - you'll need that. Believe me you will need a place (and someone to talk to besides Jesus) when the poop hits the fan, literally and figuratively.. Which is why I'm writing this post. Just in case you need a little help getting your momtourage together.

Here's my story:

So one day me and the munchkin girl (she was about 7 months old) and I were sitting in a pizza joint on a Thursday afternoon having lunch together when another mom  (with a larger group of moms and kiddos) seeing the desperation and sleep deprivation in my eyes came over and asked me to join them. She invited me to the next meeting of the breastfeeding support group they were a part of - and the rest is history. These awesome mommas helped me through some really tough times.. and I'm sure I'd have a lot less hair if it weren't for them.

Although I  am still close friends with the mama's and babies from that group from way back when, I found myself in a similar situation as little h is almost 4 years younger. So I decided to be more proactive this time around..

This one (in the pic with h) we literally picked up in the Target parking lot. I sized that little cutie up in his shopping cart.. yes, he looks about the right age.. Excuse me! He's so cute! How old is he? Oh yes, I have one of those too! we should get together for a play date! Here's my (mommy) card! They are now the best of buds.. and his momma is super sweet and awesome (and they live 3 minutes from my house WOOT!!!).

Some stalking Friending Techniques (and places) that I've found helpful.

-Your neighborhood Target : great moms think alike. And if you're shopping at the same Target chances are you live pretty close, which makes it a lot easier to get together.

-Playground: literally a happy hour for moms and kids.

-Meetup.com: search for moms groups in your area.

-Hospital/Newborn/Breastfeeding Support Group: call or check your local hospital website for classes or groups.

-Facebook: a quick status update inquiring about moms in your area with kids in a particular age range.

How did you make your mommy friends?

xxB

p.s. speaking of flashback fridays.. thanks to netflix, i've now engrossed myself in watching Dawnson's Creek reruns in the middle of the night..  In hindsight.. Dawson was kind of a little jerk? And Jen's hair went WAY wrong once she lobbed it off.. I'm not sure I can make it past Season 2.. Way too much teenage angst.  But in the mean time #TeamPacey How about you?

MAKING MEMORIES: SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN SERENBE

If you live in or near the Atlanta area you HAVE to make it down to Serenbe. Next to Palmetto Georgia it is the most perfect little community that is the best mix of modern and quaint. We headed down last week after playing hooky from church for their May Day celebration, and I can't wait to go back.

We ran into Dorothy from the Serenbe Playhouse. And the little munchkin was beside herself.

This new 2 year old climbed up on that horse and said Yee Haw (un prompted) and proceeded to ride that little beauty like he had been doing it all of his (2 years?) life. He almost had a nervous breakdown when we pried his little white knuckles from horn of the saddle. HE LOVED every minute of it. I on the other hand was a wreck as I tried to push all thoughts of the horse catapulting him to the ground. In the process of trying to find him a miniature rootin' tooting' cowboy hat.

Mommy's little equestrian. Sadly we didn't make it down to the in to see the baby farm animals, but will be sure plan for another trip down later in the summer to enjoy without the crowds.

Happy Mother's Day weekend to all you awesome mama's out there. I hope you get some relaxation time and quality time with your littles. I will have both sets of parents in town and at the house for the weekend and munchkin's ballet recital. A house full of mama's can go either way:-) Keep me in your prayers...

What are you up to this weekend?

xx,
Bunnie

facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin | vimeo

MAKING MEMORIES: THE WONDER YEARS | 12/52

Fishing with the folks at Fort Clinch (Fernadina Beach, FL) Spring Break 2014

I've been channeling my Norma Arnold lately (after recently binge-watching the Wonder Years on Netflix). I recently read an article discussing the quest for perfect parenting and living a "Pinterest Worthy" life. Not excluding being a baking, crafting, decorating DIY maniac all in an effort to raise happy and constantly culturally curated kids (that was a mouthful). When if you really think about it (or it least when i do) my parents never even played with me (that I can remember), let alone made a 15 layer chocolate cake with matching aprons. But what I do remember is going down to Daytona Beach, staying in the Days Inn (and wondering how in the hell my mom ever got any sleep with my dad snoring that loudly), watching my dad fish and really just doing nothing except being together as a family. I felt safe, and loved, and lucky (no idea that the Days Inn was not the magical fortress I thought it was). I'm relieved to come to this realization (about life and re Days Inn;-). Maybe now I can cut myself some slack. And just enjoy being their mom. And even enjoy being myself without feeling like I'm scarring them for life or taking away any of the joys of being young and learning all you can. Because they will do just that. Whether we bake the cake together from scratch or just watch Nigella do it on TV (just this once).

did you do anything fun for spring break?

xx,

Bunnie

facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin | vimeo

MAKING MEMORIES: CATCH-UP | 8/52

A rough start to the week. DAYLIGHT SAVINGS has me making breakfast while its still dark out and drinking an extra cup of coffee in the afternoon.

This morning I got up a little late. I prayed for AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES!! What I got was a few let downs instead. Stats and unique visitors make me want to throw up can I just say. So. I've got a few extra hormones happening today which doesn't make matters easier.  I want to sulk and cry and put some Baileys in my coffee and watch the Bachelor finale and totally focus on nothing.

But I won't. At least not for long. These little people depend on me. And I depend on me. So I will download while the little naps today. And start again.

Playing catch up this week. Although my camera is never far from reach I've been a bit delayed with retrieving them. Here are a few of my fave from the last few weeks.

I decided to experiment with black and white this time. I'm hoping that this project will help me to learn more about my camera, fine tune my "eye" and do more research/learning on photo editing.   I've been using the free tool PicMonkey for a while, but recently downloaded the Adobe PhotoShop free trial for 30 days to see what I think (and if I can figure out how to use it). I used it to create this product collage and was pretty proud of myself!

So these are the kiddos over the last few weeks. The weather has been all over the place, but if the sun is out then so are we. I'm so excited that they are starting to play together and communicate with each other. He gets super excited when they see each other after being apart. And loves to ask her to read to him. He  says, "book!" or "reeeeaad!" It takes some of the pressure off of me when I can use a little break. I'm all like, "hey! read your brother some books!"

So in my attempt to build some skills here are a few online tip sheets and tutorials I dug up:

Some simple instructions on fine tuning your photos on Design Sponge.
- A whole slew of photography tips from lifestyle to interiors on A Beautiful Mess.
- Tutorials galore on 121 Clicks including this one on kid photography..
- And I haven't had a chance to explore this Canon DSLR basics site I stumbled on, but have it    bookmarked. It has virtual learn, play, challenge sections!
- Oh and I'm stalking following Clickin Moms on Facebook, a great resource for photography inspiration, learning and sharing.

Do you have any tips or references you could share?!

xx,
Bunnie
facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin | vimeo

P.S. Did you watch the Bachelor Finale? WHAT THE WHAT?! #burnJuanPabloburn