Today is Samuel's 6th Birthday (Silas was born five days before Samuel turned two), so we're busy celebrating another one of our fabulous boys today. His party was Saturday, so we're doing some fun things as a family today.
Our weekend was so super busy, exhausting and so much fun. We're still trying to recover from all of the fun! It included, but wasn't limited to Samuel's birthday party, a Yo-Yo Ma concert and night out for Eric and I, a birthday party for one of Judah's favorite school friends, a fundraiser party/bake sale/potluck with music for Judah and Samuel's school, and a big bike ride as a family.
Each year out city hosts a huge 100 mile bike race called the Wildflower Century. People travel from all over to see the beautiful wildflowers and ride the race. They have several lengths and courses and this year we rode the "Childflower." I think it was about 10 miles with a stop in the middle for snacks and drinks and a "bike rodeo" for the kids. It was fun, but we all came home exhausted! Next year Eric has plans to ride the 100 mile course, so he'll be doing a lot of training this year!
Today is the last day to enter the giveaway from Amy Waltz Designs for $50 credit for a piece of beautiful, handmade jewelry. Each piece is personalized with a note of inspiration from Amy specifically to you. Such beautiful works of art!
It's not too late to sponsor Mama Loves Papa for May! I would love to promote your blog, business, or shop! Prices start at only $9 per month and include multiple ways to get involved and increase your traffic!
Happy Birthday, my dear! I can't believe you are four years old. The last four years have been a whirlwind of change, excitement, and fun with you around. I love getting to know you more everyday. I tell you all the time that you're my best friend and you (and your Papa and brothers and sister) really are. I absolutely adore you and adore spending time with you.
You are SO funny! Most of the time you are a little bit quiet and reserved. You don't talk a lot in big groups or around people you're not familiar with, but anytime we pull out a camera or ask you, you are eager to make funny face after funny face. I'm impressed with your funny face skills!
You and your sister are quite the feisty little mischief makers. I have a feeling you're the instigator, but she's always a willing participant (or, maybe it's the other way around?). You guys have broken many a beloved lego projects, poured water all over the house, pulled clothes out of dressers, dumped blocks and crayons and food and drinks on the floor. Oh my. That's not even all of it. If it wasn't for your two big brothers I might be a little bit concerned that this was a mild personality disorder. I might be concerned that your yelling and demanding might some day put you in jail, but I've learned that this is very much a three year old thing (and hopefully not a four year old thing).
You are emotional and strong and opinionated. You tell us what you want and when you want it and I love that about you. We're working on using our words and speaking kindly and gently and I know it will continue to come as you grow.
You still love your blankie ("blue b" or what sounds like "boo-b") and sucking your two right hand fingers (the pointer and ring finer). Those things keep you little and I like you little. You don't have to grow up too fast.
I love when you cuddle with me, I love laying down next to you for a few minutes before you go to bed, and I love we find you in bed with us every single morning. I might have to move on to the floor once in awhile, but I really don't mind. I know you won't want to come in us for forever, so I cherish and enjoy these moments so much now.
My hope and prayer is that you continue to know how safe and loved you are. That you would always feel the freedom not to conform to any standard or any ideal, but that you would be exactly who God created you to be. I want you to always know how absolutely cherished and unconditionally loved you are. We don't love you because of what you do or what you many one day do or not do, but because we love who you are. We love your heart, we love your personality and character, and you have the freedom to do what ever you want in life. You may try things and fail, you may try things and succeed, but we will always be here cheering you on, supporting you, and being your biggest fans.
Dress- Local shop/local seamstress, gift from my mom, T-shirt- Hand-me down
Yesterday was Silas' birthday. I just have to mention that first. It wasn't an intentional blog oversight. I wasn't able to post yesterday because we were busy celebrating our boy. So, tomorrow I'll have his birthday post up. Oh, how I love that little four year old!
Now, little Miss Finley is quite the character. She is so full of spunk and life and personality. She's sweet and bossy in the same moment. We all adore her...especially her three big brothers! I think I already mentioned it, but Finley is POTTY-TRAINED! It's just been the past week or so that we've ventured out with no diaper on and she has done so well. I'm so proud of my girl!
Also, isn't that dress so, so pretty? It's was made by a couple of local ladies and their business is called "Sue-Sue's." I tried googling it and looking them up on etsy and I can't find anything. If you're local you need one of their dresses (they can be found at Made In Chico and Eco In Chico, among other places, I'm sure). Finley grew out her first Sue-Sue's dress, so I was so excited when my mom gave this one to her on Easter. I'm not sure if you can see it very well, but there's some embroidered flowers on the bottom that are so, so pretty. I love little girl clothes!
What has your little one(s) been wearing this week?
Don't forget to enter the giveaway to win $50 credit to Amy Waltz Designs!
I'm feeling nostalgic, emotional, and a little bit weepy.
We'll be moving soon. We haven't lived in this house for forever, but it's been three years. We brought our bulldog puppy home here. Much more importantly, we brought our brand new baby girl home here. Our sweet, brand new, pink little bundle who is now a potty-trained (!!!!) two year old.
Samuel is starting school tomorrow. He's going to the same school that Judah goes to (three days school, two days homeschool). I know this is the right decision and I know he'll love it, but just thinking about him gone for those three days makes me weepy. I'll miss him so, so much.
Silas has a birthday tomorrow, Samuel has a birthday next week. My boys are getting big.
Life is changing. Life is changing in great ways, but it's still changing. I'm not always good with change. Sometimes I want to hold on to the way things are, because they're good now. Even if I know things will be even better I guess I'm afraid that maybe they won't? I don't know. I don't really know why I don't like change. It's uncomfortable. It's a lot of work. It disrupts schedules and is unpredictable.
It's out of my control.
Maybe I like controlling my environment and my situations. The unknown is scary. Whatever I'm doing now, even if it's just ok, is comfortable and familiar. Maybe I'm going to try to take risks. Maybe I'm just going to trust God and let Him be in control. I'll just rest and enjoy the ride.
Ever since one of my friends from high school posted on his Facebook that he had two extra tickets to Coachella I've been obsessed. I've never been and it's not very likely that I'll ever go, so I'm living vicariously through Liz, the high school friend, and all of the beautiful style photos posted on Pinterest and all over the internet.
I recently received a gorgeous fringe necklace from Amy Waltz Designs and thought it would be perfect for a Coachella-inspired outfit.
Is this necklace not amazing? It's definitely a statement piece, but one that is versatile enough to wear everyday and go with everything. I love it! I am so excited to be teaming up with Amy Waltz Designs to give you this giveaway. Each piece is stunning and hand-crafted with excellent quality, but that's not my favorite part of Amy Waltz Designs.
I love Amy's heart and through her art she is such an inspiration to her customers, her fans, and the people around her!
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Here's a little bit more about Amy Waltz Designs from Amy:
Amy Waltz Designs’ (AWD) jewelry line is inspired by the essential minerals, metals and natural gemstones found within our Earth, which throughout time have been found to possess properties that can heighten positive energy, promote emotional and physical healing and enhance spirituality.
All designs are custom created by AWD. Most pieces are aged with a seven-step, Eco-friendly aging process. Each piece has its own color and luster, giving it depth, dimension and uniqueness.
It may sound strange or impossible, but my vision is simple. Each piece not only carries with it a message but a sweet sound intended to remind and awaken all that is good. If this goodness vibrates from your heart, perhaps this tiny ripple will swell and even if just one person is more mindful, the world is better.
Today Amy is giving away $50 credit to her shop!
To enter, visit Amy Waltz Designs and then leave a comment here telling us what you would buy with the credit.
-Post about the giveaway on your Facebook and/or blog. (Separate entries for each.)
{Sample post: I want to win $50 credit to @amywaltzdotcom from @mamalovespapa http://www.mamalovespapa.com/2012/04/giveaway-50-credit-from-amy-waltz.html}
A FEW TIPS FOR ENTERING:
-All comments need to be left on THIS post! Leave a separate comment for each entry.
-If you don't have a google account, that's ok. Choose the "anonymous" or "name/url" option. Just make sure you leave an email address, so we can contact you if you're a winner.
-If you have any questions, please contact me!
Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry. You have until Monday, April 30th to enter. Winner will be chosen using random.org.
If you'd like to order now, use code MAMALOVESPAPA25 for 25% off our order! The coupon code is good through May 7th!
If all goes as planned, we'll be living in this pretty little 50's style rancher very soon! We found out yesterday our offer was accepted (after being denied, then another offer falling through..oh my!). Isn't it just the prettiest color?
It's an acre lot- plenty of room for all of our homesteading dreams to come true (and maybe our natural building dreams, too)! Our chickens will have lots of room to roam, we'll have room for a big garden and fruit trees, and I love the big red barn. Perfect for photoshoots! I think the house fits perfectly with our mid-century/modern/eclectic style. I'm looking to making this house a home for our family!
On my daughter, Lucia: dress, Etsy/Little Overcoat; Flower headband, Etsy/Lou and Lee; Silver Mary Jane flats: Payless. On me: Scarf, GAP outlet; "Fruit" top as Lucia calls it, thrift find; Ankle Skinnies: GAP; Mustard Wedges, Seychelles; Bangles: various thrift finds.
Hello, Mama Loves Papa readers! My name is Sarah Gray and I am so thrilled to be visiting for Small Style this week. I keep my own little treasury of words and love at Joyfully Gray and would love for you to come by and visit.
My family and I have been schlepping out and shaking the wrinkles from our spring attire. Our days heat up fast here in Oklahoma, giving us little time to enjoy the breezy lightness of the new season. We go from winter to summer in one full swoop, which makes me ever-so thankful for cheery colors and fun prints, as they distract me from the brutality of ninety degree weather in April.
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I am so excited to have beautiful Sarah and her sweet girly guest posting for Small Style today. They are such a lovely pair that I am happy to have grace the blog. Don't forget to visit Sarah's blog, Joyfully Gray, for more loveliness.
Right now I feel content. I feel peaceful and thankful. Sometimes, with the busyness of life, I forget to stop and look around and appreciate what I have. Sometimes with the exhaustion of motherhood and running a household I forget that life is, indeed, so, so good.
Eric is out of town right now. He was home for one day after his trip last week and now is off again. He'll be gone six out of seven days and, to be honest with you, I was feeling anxious about him leaving again. I was feeling tired and sick (I figured out that dang never-ending cold is actually a sinus infection) and not really up to doing all of the meal preparation, clean up, bedtime routine, potty-training, and everything in between by myself.
You know what? I have to do it, so I might as well do it with a cheerful, thankful attitude. I feel like I'm constantly striving to grow in patience and kindness. I struggle, I fail, I try again, and I'm not going to give up until I get this right.
Yesterday I decided to be patient and kind. To not worry about what didn't get done. To do my best and, most of all, enjoy my children and our time together. Have fun together. Choose not to get stressed out. We ended up having a great day together.
Today? We're having another great day.
This is one of my favorite pictures from Easter weekend. It's my father in law taking a picture of my mother in law, Samuel, and Silas after our hike. The Saturday before Easter we celebrated with Eric's parents and had a picnic at a beautiful mountain called Table Mountain. It's called "Table" because it's flat at the top. There is a waterfall and cows and lots and lots of beautiful wildflowers. I have a lot of pictures from our time up there...I just need to finish editing them!
I've had a cold for the past eight days and have been trying to rest and get better (not so easy the kiddos!). I'm hoping today it's completely gone today (I wrote this last night). The next few days are busy, busy, so it might be quiet around here. Do you have any fun plans for the week?
I'm so excited to introduce you to this month's lovely sponsors. Visit them, show some love, and don't be surprised if you find a new regular read (or new favorite shop)!
On Finley: Dress- mine, when I was a babe, Tights- Target, Shoes- See Kai Run via Zulily On Silas: Shirt- Local Boutique (Kat's Meow), gift , Jeans- Old Navy, Shoes- Converse On Samuel: Shirt- Gap, gift, Jeans- Target, Shoes- Vans On Judah: Shirt- Target, Shoes- thrifted, Shoes- Vans
We had a great Easter! I still need to share more photos from the weekend, but here are a few pictures we took after church. I bought Finley an adorable dress from J.Crew, but it was a little bit big, so instead she wore one of my old dresses. The boys aren't too big on dressing fancy, so they just wore what they always wore and stayed comfy (although, today I found a new shirt in my room that I had bought for Judah to wear. Whoops!)
Recently, I had the pleasure of photographing my good friend, Jenna, and her family. Jenna and I became friends when Judah and her oldest, Elliana, were about six months. Elliana is only two weeks younger than Judah, so it's been so fun watching them grow up together! Jenna is beautiful on the inside and out and such a blessing in my life! Thank you SO much for allowing me to photograph your beautiful family, Jenna!
(If you're local and interested in a portrait session, contact me. My rates are low right now while I'm building my portfolio and business!)
Hello wonderful readers of Mama Loves Papa! I am Meghan from eat.live.make, I love to share yummy gfcf recipes, crafts and thoughts about living a gluten free, casein free life over on my blog. I am so excited to be doing my first ever guest post for Morgan today!
Growing up my grandfather always called me "Tuna Fish" because of my undying and absolute love for tuna salad. I'd smell that stuff and come running to make sure I got my fair share.
Being a celiac and having food allergies changes a lot of the foods I (and so many others!) can eat. I miss my tuna salad! And I am sure those of you who have kiddos who have food allergies are missing their tuna salad too.
I am so happy to have stumbled upon this Mock Tuna Salad recipe in an old issue of Vegetarian Times we had in our kitchen. I have modified it a bit to make it completely gluten free and vegan.
Eat this salad over greens, gf bread (or regular bread if you can!), or crackers.. or just by the spoonfull.. like I did.
It is THAT good.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 Tbs. finely chopped sweet pickles
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh dill
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. lemon juice
3 Tbs. vegan mayonnaise
Directions:
Place sunflower seeds in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Soak 4 hours.
Drain sunflower seeds, and pulse with oil and salt in a food processor until a chunky paste forms. This will take 5-9 minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl. Stir remaining ingredients into mixture
Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe, Meghan! Don't forget to visit Meghan's blog, eat.make.live for more delicious recipes, heartfelt posts, and lots of beauty and inspiration!
Thanks to The Bully Project for sponsoring my writing. Visit their website to join the movement and learn more.
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In sixth grade, a few months before graduating from elementary school, someone told me that when I started junior high I would be called a preppy. I wasn't sure what she meant, but I could tell she wasn't saying it as a compliment.
In seventh grade a girl came up to me and told me my hair was nappy (it was long and I didn't know how to style it, that much was true). She had said some other mean things to me in the past, but this time happened to be right after my history teacher had talked to us about why kids are mean to each other. "You're just saying that because you're insecure," I told her. Or, something like that. It's not like me to stand up for myself like that, but I'm glad that I did because she stopped saying mean things and eventually wanted to be my friend. I wasn't willing to be friends with her, but I hadn't learned about grace and forgiveness yet, either.
During my sophomore year of high school I was standing by the door of my English class, along with all of my classmates. It was the end of class and we were waiting for the bell to ring so we could go home for the day. I happened to look over right as one boy grabbed another boy and head butted him in the nose. The bell rang and everyone rushed out (the teacher didn't see what had happened), but I was paralyzed. I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what. I wasn't sure what had happened, but I had an idea. The guy doing the head butting happened to be a big, "popular" guy. The other guy was a little, nerdy guy who couldn't really protect himself from the big guy. I wish I would have said something.
As I watch the trailer for Bully, I think of my own children. What would I do if someone was bullying them? What would I do if someone was incessantly bullying them? My heart absolutely breaks.
One of the many reasons I chose to homeschool is because of bullying. I read a book when Judah was just a little baby and the author talked about his experience as a public school teacher. He said he saw examples where one child would break another child's spirit. I want to do everything in my power to protect my children from that happening. Of course, homeschooling won't protect them from everything. Private school won't. I wish I could keep my kids in a big bubble. If I could, I totally would.
We haven't dealt with any real bullying, but my kids are still young. In junior high I remember kids getting teased because they were too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short...really, at that age you can't win, can you?
I want to teach my children know they are loved and to love the people around them. I want them to be the kid who reaches out to the new kid or the one who's alone or who doesn't quite fit in. My desire for my children is to grow up confident in who they are, knowing their value and their worth and just how loved they are. I want them to be secure in their identity and who they are, so if they do deal with bullying it won't give them a crisis of value or identity. I want them to be love the people around them and play a small part in preventing bullying.
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I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. Find showings in your area for The Bully Project and buy tickets here.
I love sample sales! They remind me a little of thrifting, because there's so many gems to be found, minus the millions of pairs of mom jeans and weird smells.
Last weekend was the annual Lulus.com sample sale. I met up with Stephanie Gaito of Lulu's Blogger Relations (the super cute girl checking out the purses in the photo below) to check it out. Here's a few tips and tricks for shopping a sample sale:
Go early: How early depends on the sale, but show up before they open to be one of the first ones through the doors. The earlier you get there the more great finds are to be had.
Or, go late. Last year I lined up on the first day of the Lulu's sale. I was one of the first people in the door and got some great things (like my favorite pink coat), but this year Stephanie and I went on Sunday, the second day. There were still a lot of people, but the crowds were significantly different. If you're looking for a specific item, go early, but if you want to avoid the crowds consider going the next day.
Know what you're looking for, but keep an open mind. In the hunt for a killer pair of heels, you might stumble upon the perfect Summer dress you didn't even know you needed.
Keep your outfit simple. All of the sample sales that I've been to haven't had dressing rooms. Some might, but be prepared to try clothes on over your clothes. The perfect outfit is leggings, a tank top, flats, and a cardigan that can be easily removed when trying things on.
Go with a friend. I'm not really an impulse shopper, but if you see something you love you have to buy it right away or it probably won't be there. Having a friend give their opinion and help with deciding whether or not to buy something is nice to have.
Bring cash. Most sample sales only take cash, so be prepared for that. Also, bringing cash is handy for setting a budget because you'll probably find a few too many things that you want to take home!
Have fun! Have you been to a sample sale? Which ones? What tips would you include?
I'm sure you're all already familiar with Lulu's, but just in case visit the shop and the blog.
This is a sponsored post by Lulus.com, but all content is original and opinions are mine.
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