Homework Time

I try to make a habit of having Emma complete her homework as soon as she gets home from school. Here she is, working very diligently on her assignment.

 

I can tell Lilly always feels a little left out during homework time. She frequently asks, "Do I have homewook?" I found a Winnie the Pooh color workbook at the dollar store and it has been perfect for her. While Emma is doing her work, Lilly feels very grown-up and important while completing her very own "homework."

 

My Sweet Lovebug

I received these little notes from my friend, Kristen, who is a fellow mommy in Emma's class. Aren't they cute!

 

I placed one in Emma's lunch box this morning. When I picked her up from school, she immediately said, "Thank you for the note - I wrote you back." When I saw what she wrote, my heart swelled up so much I thought it was going to explode. She is my little lovebug.

 

Love is in the Air

Hello, friends! Hope everyone is having a good week full of hearts and sparkles. Valentine's Day (week) gives me another chance and opportunity to show my family how much I adore them. Here's some photos from last year. I began the day with heart-shaped pancakes and special treats waiting for everyone at the table.

Treat for John - Everything we needed for a cozy movie night


Treats for Emma and Lilly - Lots of girlie goodies



My parents surprised me with these ladybug and bee chocolate treats! Adorable!



This year, Emma and I made marshmallow pops for her classmates. I got the idea from Kristin at Grace Violet.


We wrapped all the pops and placed a personalized label on each one. I bought the labels from Kristin's sister. You can get them here.

Color Book

Back in early fall, I helped Lilly create her very own color book. We went around the house taking pictures of items that matched certain color words. Then, we place the photos in a small photo album and matched them with the color words. Lilly loves looking at her very own book and is always so proud that she can "read" every page. I wish I can say that this idea came from my brilliant mind, but I got the concept from Make and Takes.

It was such a successful activity, I decided to create a book with Emma. It was the same as Lilly's except I had Emma write the words herself since she was learning how to spell all the color words in her kindergarten class. It was good practice and she did a great job!

The Perfect Coffee Cup

I was searching for a long time. I wanted to find my perfect coffee cup - it's a cup for me to cozy up with in the mornings. As I was searching, I had several requirements for it to be up to my standards. After all, it will be the first thing I look at most mornings.

Here were my standards in no particular order:
- It has to be large.
- It has to be girly and pretty.
- It has to look cheerful.
- It has to feel comfortable while holding it.

Yeah, it may sound a little silly that I put so much thought into it, but I like to add little things to my day that will brighten my mood.

So, here it is! I found it at Barnes and Noble.

Welcome To My Life

I believe Lilly possesses a very special gift. She can turn a perfectly clean and organized room into THIS in about one minute flat. I'm so proud, there are tears in my eyes...and it's not because I'm anticipating the amount of time it will take me to get this cleaned up.

Thank you so much, Lilly. I have been needing to reorganize your dresser for awhile and you have now given me a head start.

See how my two-year-old daughter is so talented and helpful? I know you're envious.

Christmas Organizer

A few weeks ago, I was pleased to find a blog named Controlling My Chaos. It's filled with great ideas and it even inspired me to create my own Christmas organizer. It was so, so fun to put together.




I even used my Fiskar's "Threading Water" border punch to create tabs for my dividers.


I will keep my organizer accessible throughout the year so I can add ideas as I find them.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Wedding Anniversary

John and I celebrated eight years of marriage earlier this week! People always warned me that the first years were going to be difficult, but they weren't. Sure, marriage takes a lot of work and we have to adjust as our lives are constantly changing. But, I really have enjoyed these years with my husband. I am so blessed to be able to share life's joys and trials with my best friend.

John, I look forward to what the future holds for us. You are a wonderful husband to me and father to our two, beautiful girls. Thank you so much for making my dreams come true.

Book Review - "My Little Girl"

I am excited to get the opportunity to write book reviews on my blog for Thomas Nelson Publishing. My very first review is for "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas.

I was immediately drawn to this book because of its illustrations. The illustrator, Julia Denos, does a remarkable job in capturing the facial expressions shared between the two main characters, a dad and his daughter. The authors, Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas, add to the illustrations well by helping the reader feel and experience the relationship and adventures the characters have together. Katie-girl reminds me a lot of my two little girls - messy-haired princesses who like to get prettied up, but still enjoy getting dirty outdoors. This book is a reminder that the relationship between a father and daughter can be richly nourished simply by spending an ordinary day together. The story did keep the attention of both my five-year-old and two-year-old daughters and I was happy to share it with them as it stressed the importance of love within a family. Their giggles and smiles as I was reading the story made it obvious that my girls were reminded of the times spent with their daddy and they will probably enjoy the story even more when he reads it to them.

Overall, this is a feel-good story and many daddies and daughters are sure to relate to the characters. The last page where readers can share their own stories is the cherry on top for this sentimental story.

October Recap

Hello, friends. Before we get to the end of November, I want to share some October photos. It was a busy month and I'm honestly glad it's over. I have promised myself to make November and December as simple as possible so that I can enjoy my family during this special time of year.


Storybook Character Contest at Emma's School
She won first place!


Two Little Tinkerbells
I had so much fun decorating their treat cauldrons with paint pens and ribbon.


Treat Packages
These were fun to make. I got the idea from here.


Pumpkin Carving
Every year, we carve pumpkins, roast pumpkin seeds and watch "The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" while munching on our roasted seeds.


Fall Fest at Emma's School


Spice Pumpkin Kisses
The recipe is here.

Oh, I Just LOVE This Gal!

I have enjoyed Faith Hill's music for several years and I heard that she has a new Christmas album. So, I casually headed over to iTunes and decided to just check it out...not purchase it. Good grief, we just finished Halloween! I was just...just curious.


Ok, so I ended up purchasing it and I have been listening to it for the last couple of hours. I know, I know! I realize it is not Christmas time, but I can't help it! It's beautiful. "A Baby Changes Everything" is especially moving.

Fall

I'm beginning to decorate our home for fall and added a couple of new touches this year. I really didn't want to spend too much so I headed to Wal-Mart. I got a hand towel for the bathroom and a large pumpkin spice candle for our fireplace mantel. Then, I embellished both with some ribbon. It all added up to less than $10. I really loved how they turned out!



I made this last year in a class taught by Jennifer Stewart . It was neat to pull out and see pictures of my girls from last year - it is such a warm addition to our home.

This and That

I played with my sewing machine this past weekend and tried a simple project. I just did a little heart applique and then embellished with a ribbon and button. The shirt is for Lilly and she thinks it looks "fritty" (pretty).



I just HAVE to share these Lillybean photos with you. She was "reading" to me and the next thing I knew, she was daintily crossing one leg over the other while pointing her toes. I laughed and laughed and when I pulled out the camera, she told me, "No, don't tay my chitchure."
Oh my, I love that little girl.

And so it begins...

Emma began her first day of Kindergarten this morning and we are so proud of her. I know that many people have been praying for her as she begins this new chapter in her life and I want to say that I felt those prayers this morning as I was dropping her off. Thank you so much. She walked into the school feeling confident and excited. I can't wait to pick her up from school. Lilly and I prepared some cupcakes for a special afternoon snack.