Life Lately!

We are down to one more week of summer and the girls and I have been crazy busy! DJ started back to Fall Football practice- even though it's 100 degrees +. I made a to-do list last week and we've been busy trying to get everything crossed off to get ready for heading back to school.

Here's a bit of life lately.

The girls heading to church last Sunday. I found Megan's dress in her closet still with tags and I kicked myself that she hadn't worn it! My girls always end up with a ton of dresses, and some of them only get worn once because our summer's are full of vacations and being out of town. Thankfully, I'll be able to hang on to it so Adalyn can wear it. 

Gretchen picked out her own dress, and Addy is wearing a dress that once belonged to Gretchen! All of the girls have worn it, and I'm thankful for Strasburg Children's Clothing and their ability to make such timeless dresses. 

Sunday afternoon, Megan played dress up.

Sunday night, we decided to brave the heat and play outside. These poor girls have either been locked in the house or only playing at the pool because it is so HOT here! Megan had a blast riding in her convertible!

And Addy rode in her little princess car. 

DJ was determined to get Gretchen riding her bike without training wheels. Unfortunately, she's never been highly motivated and her bicycle was a little big for her. He decided that last week would be the week, since football practice was starting up again and he won't be home much. They took off her training wheels and the girl rocked it! I took lots and lots of video of her riding her bike.

Monday, the girls and I got up and went back to school shopping. We went to Nordstrom, Old Navy, and Crazy 8 before heading home.

We stopped for lunch at Chick Fil A and I was thankful that I had this little bottle of Thieves spray in my purse. Our table wasn't the cleanest, but it was right by the play area, so it was a prime location for me to watch the girls play. I sprayed my Thieves on it, and then wiped the table clean with a napkin. 

After we were finished eating, I was sitting with the girls in the play area and saw Adalyn pick up a piece of chicken nugget that she found. And, wait for it....... she put it in her mouth! I jumped up, threw it out of her hands, and then took her to my purse and grabbed the Thieves spray! I sprayed a bit in her mouth and felt as okay as I could that she had tried to eat someone else's chicken nugget that had probably been stomped on one too many times.

I love a product that I can use to sanitize and keep our immune systems boosted and us healthy!

It may have totally been a "crazy mom moment" but it's totally safe!

This little girl is a hot mess!

Tuesday, we had to run even more errands! We stopped by a friends house, went to Hobby Lobby, signed Gretchen up for dance, Megan up for tumbling, and ran by daycare to pay for Adalyn to start back next week. We grabbed a quick lunch and made it home for naps. 

DJ mowed the grass and the girls were begging to play outside again. Adalyn loved riding in (and pushing) her car.

She's quite hilarious- she knows how to push the gas but she has no idea how to steer! So, she sits back, pushes the pedal, and we have to run after her fixing the wheel so she doesn't crash into the curb. 

She's riding totally chill here.

We spent the next few days at the pool and cleaning the house.

We had big plans to head to Branson for the weekend for some back to school shopping and Silver Dollar City fun, but God had other plans since we could not find ONE hotel room! Last week, my grandmother decided that she no longer felt comfortable living by herself, so on Thursday, the girls and I headed down to my mom's house. We spent the next few days packing up my grandma's house and we were able to (with the help of our amazing family!) get her moved in to my mom's house. She has two bedrooms at my mom's house and made one of them in to her own living room, and I think she'll be quite comfortable and happy to have some company again.

The girls and I stayed down the road at my brother's house. The big girls were riding down to my brother's house so I put Addy in Megan's carseat, loosely buckled her in, and we drove down the driveway to his house. I snapped the picture of Addy to send to her daddy, because she looked so tiny in Megan's seat! Plus, her sear is still rear facing, so this was a totally spoiling moment for her!

(Disclaimer: my brother lives on the same driveway as my mom, they are the only two houses on 40 acres of land, so we can drive from one house to the other and be safe!)

Friday night, we surprised my mom with a birthday cake! Her actual birthday isn't until this Friday, but since we were all together we wanted to celebrate her!

This lady is my rock. She's my best friend and I'm so thankful for her. 

All of the girls helped her blow out the candles. 

Megan found a pair of Build-A-Bear glasses and wore them most of the weekend. Her cousin has glasses, so she wanted to be just like her!

Saturday morning, Addy and I ran to Wal-Mart to pick up a few groceries while everyone else worked on moving my grandma in. Where on earth did her blonde hair come from?!

After we got my grandma settled, we swam until bedtime. Megan finally went to the top oft he water slide and slid in and she was dying to swim without her floaties! She's starting to get the hang of swimming and is doing great!

The girls and I headed home Sunday afternoon. We stopped as soon as we crossed the state line, and for gas, potty breaks, and I got the girls candy and juice. I told the girls not to eat their entire bag, and before I knew it, Megan had. The next two hours were filled with her talking non-stop since she was on a sugar high.

We got home, made a pizza, unpacked and called it a night! This week is going to be just as busy as last, but I'm hoping we can squeeze in a few more pool days!

Cheers to Monday y'all!

Football Wife Life: Fall Practice is Amongst Us

Yesterday marked the return of students to campus and the start of Fall football practice. Although, it's not really Fall yet. It's 100 degrees outside and yet they still call it Fall practice. It's usually a bittersweet time of year for me. I'm super excited for the upcoming season. The hope of winning every single game... everything that football season brings. I really do love it all. But, it also marks the beginning of long months where DJ is away and I am left to do it all.

When we first started dating he told me. If I wasn't prepared for him to not be around then we couldn't move forward with our relationship. So, I knew what the future held for us. I knew that every August through December, my husband would be devoted elsewhere and I was okay with that. 

To be honest, I look forward to some of his weekends away, because that means a bit of "me" time, and the girls and I try to do something fun on the Friday evenings that he's away. At the same time, I long for my partner to be home so he can help just tackle a few of the things that we need done- dinner clean up, bath time, bed time. 

I know that as much as I hate being away. He hates it too. Fall practice means that he may not see our girls for several days. There are times, where they've gone at least three days without seeing each other. We'll try to Facetime or have a quick phone call, or the girls and I will head up to practice for an hour or so, or try to sneak in a dinner at the football offices. These are precious moments.

DJ is busy teaching his student workers. They're responsible for filming the games, and he works in the background cutting up game film. He's also responsible for setting up player meeting rooms, so the coaches can review film with the players, teach the players, coach the players. This is the time of year that prepares us for games and the season ahead.  As I was working on this post, I asked DJ what he does every day. His response? We eat, practice meet, eat, meet, eat. 

He's in the office before we're awake and he's home after the girls are in bed. These guys are going hard from sun up until sun down. 

Sure we'll miss him. Sure we want him home. But, he's doing exactly what he loves. He's doing the same thing he was doing when I first met him 11 years ago. It's a true gift when you can say that your husband 1000% loves his job.

Here's to the 2015 season. 

Summer Campout

Last Friday night, we had a little campout for the girls. We did this a few summers ago, and the girls loved it! And since this was DJ's last weekend home, we thought we needed to do something fun and special for the girls! 

We spent our Friday morning at the pool, came home for naps, and then told the girls to get dressed fro their campout. Their choose of attire was leotards with shorts. Since Addy is potty training she chose a t-shirt and her undies. 

All ready to go outside for the campout!

And a quick selfie with my baby!

We took the girls outside while DJ grilled brats and hot dogs. The girls played and played. Thankfully, a rain storm had come through the day before so it was a bit cooler than it had been! It was still in the 90s, but you know, cooler.

They ran, and went down the slide, and played in their house. 

Next year, we have plans on revamping our back yard. These poor girls have always had rinky-dink yard toys since we've moved so often!

Gretchen loves to campout! I think she's crazy, but she asks to go camping every year!

Mommy and Meggie. When we were at the pool earlier, I forgot to put sunscreen on my face- hence my really red nose and sunglasses tan line!

She told me that you could only see one of my eyes in our first picture and we had to take another one! 

And then she wanted a picture by herself!

After we ate dinner, DJ started a campfire.

We broke out the marshmallows and made smores!

Gretchen loves to set her marshmallows on fire and eat smores. 

Adalyn just wanted the marshmallows.

And so did Megan. She does NOT like her marshmallows to be roasted.

After our smores, we sat around for a bit longer while the girls played. We finally cleaned Adalyn up and put her to bed and then the rest of us played chase and racing games. The girls had a blast playing outside!

After our races, we cleaned up the big girls and DJ and the girls made a tent in the upstairs hallway. Gretchen slept there all night, but Megan woke up around 11, came to our bed, and then DJ took her back to her bed. She asked the next day why she woke up in her bed and not in the tent!

Our campout was so much fun! I think we'll have to have a bonfire this fall and make smores again. 

BeYOUtiful with Essential Oils

One of my favorite uses for essential oils has been improving my beauty and self-care routine. When diving in to oils, I knew the two areas, that I'd get started with right away- beauty and cleaning. These are the two areas that we had already cut chemicals, but adding essential oils just boosted what we were already doing up a notch!

Today, I'm sharing my favorite uses for essential oils when it comes to beauty. 

DJ and I have been using Toms of Maine toothpaste for several months. Last month, I had many sores pop up in my mouth and I needed them to go away pronto. I added Thieves to my toothpaste to combat those sores, and within a few days, my mouth was so much better. Thieves is also an immune-booster, so this was a double whammy.

My recent oily order included Orange oil, which helps to whiten teeth! So, now i'm using a combination of Thieves and Orange while I brush twice a day.

I've been singing the praises of washing my face with coconut oil for years now! Several weeks ago, I made my own face wash combining coconut oil, baking soda, lavender, and frankincense. 

Now, I wouldn't normally post a "selfie" sans make up, but I had to share because the dark spots, the freckles, are literally disappearing. Every night I wash my face and I notice less and less dark spots. I make DJ look and agree with me before I get in to bed! I'm so easily amused, but for real, this has been the most amazing transformation!

I read that adding lavender to your mascara will help your eyelashes thicken and grow. I added a few drops in my mascara tube, twisted the wand around to mix it up, and now I get the benefits of growing my lashes while wearing make up. The top picture is my before, and the bottom is just a few weeks after adding the lavender. 

I have yet to make aluminum free deodorant, but recently I've become more and more aware of what I'm actually putting under my arms, and um, near my "girls". I don't want chemicals in my body. I don't want aluminum in my body! Gross. This aluminum free deodorant is on my DIY list!

Once school starts back, i'll be wanting some long relaxing baths! Now, I'll be able to have a detox bath that is chemical free! Detox baths help to pull toxins out of your body. I can only imagine how important these are!

I just ordered some spray bottles, and I'll be making this detangling spray for the girls. I love that I will be able to use chemical free products on their hair! 

While we were at the lake a few weeks ago, Gretchen and I were both stung by a wasp. I used purification oil on our stings, and the itchiness and pain was gone. Because I'm highly allergic to wasps, I had to continue adding purification over the next few days, but my itchiness disappeared every time!

We all know that beauty sleep is important too. I made a sleepy cream with coconut oil, peace & calming 2, and lavender to help the girls sleep better. Megan is asking for her "sleepy cream" every night before bed. She says that it makes her sleep later, which is a win-win! I ordered cedarwood, and I added it to the mix too. The girls are falling asleep SO much faster when I use their sleepy cream. 

One night Megan fell asleep around 6 and I was pretty sure that she'd be up until 10 or later. She woke up around 7, and we put her back to bed at 9. I put her sleepy cream on, and she was back asleep within 5 minutes and slept all night. 

We also had another occasion, where DJ put the girls to bed while I went out for a run. Megan was still awake when I got back, so I put her sleepy cream on her. 5 minutes later, she was out!

You can follow along on my oily journey on Instagram! Find me @ewelte_hpa or search for #hpagoesoily

You can also email me to find out more information, or order your own Premium Starter Kit here!

PS: The Premium Starter Kit is $10.00 off through August 14th!

Life Lately

We are gearing up to head back to school. I'm not happy at all that August has arrived. I need more summer. Anyone else?

Last Monday all of the girls had dentist appointments! Gretchen went back first and did great, and then it was Megan's turn. I had put Peace & Calming 2 essential oils on her before we left the house, and she ended up doing really well! She's terrified of the dentist, but they were so sweet and patient with her, and she was such a big girl! Adalyn even had her first appointment, and it didn't go as well. She let them brush her teeth and the dentist was able to look in her mouth, but that was about it. 

We've been playing lots of learning games. I'm always amazed at Megan's academic skills. She came such a long way this past year with her preschool teacher, and we will miss her so much as she moves on to Pre-K! 

The girls decided to put on a Build-A-Bear fashion show one morning. I had barely woken up, and Megan had already gotten dressed, Gretchen was in dress up, and they were ready to parade their toys around the living room. 

The girls have been living in either dress up or leotards this summer. I asked Gretchen the other day, "when are you going to put on real clothes?" and she replied with, "whenever we actually go somewhere!" Fair enough kid, fair enough. Remind me next year to not buy them a summer wardrobe.

We've spent a few days at the pool over the past week. We've packed a lunch, headed out mid-morning, and then made it home for naps. It's been heavenly. 

Love this girl. 

My Young Living oily order came in and I've been testing out my new oils. I'm using the Thieves cleaner in the dishwasher and in my all-purpose cleaner, and I've been using the orange oil to whiten my teeth. If you want to learn more about Young Living, shoot me an email or leave me a comment w/ your email. Don't worry, I won't publish it! I'm also working on a post, so you can see how I've incorporated oils into my beauty routine!

The big girls and I found Shrinky Dinks at the store the other day. It totally brought me back to my childhood! We colored them during nap time, baked them, and then made bracelets. 

Ha! Addy Pearl is a HAPPY girl in the mornings!

We've been potty training her over the past two weeks and she's doing very well! I'll update more on this later. We use the 4-day potty training method, and we've just started putting undies on her. She's getting so big!

Gretchen received a beautiful blanket from her Nana this week as her baptism present. She was opening that box like a madwoman, and kept telling me, "It came from Maryland!"

So, that's a bit of life lately! We're off to enjoy the last few weeks of summer!