Life Lately

Well friends, last week kicked my hiney. DJ has still been putting in long hours at the office, and we thought last week would be better.... and it was, but he's still super busy moving offices and meeting rooms and getting things set up for our new coaching staff.  I worked 5 days last week and the girls activities are ramping up big time. January usually feels like it drags on, but this year, it is flying by for us. 

Here's a peek at life lately. 

This girl and I have been getting in lots of cuddles, and we're making huge progress on her not sucking her thumb- even though she is here ;) 

We've had lots of birthday parties for friends! 

And we've enjoyed going to all of them. 

We even celebrated her own half birthday on January 5th. 

DJ and I have been looking into getting a camper for our family, but after finding one that was perfect, we realized that it was still too heavy for our car and we would have to go even smaller, which wouldn't be comfortable for a family of 5. Sigh. It's been a pretty hard blow because we had some big camper plans. 

But thankfully, we still have each other. 

Gretchen received a madeleine pan for Christmas and baked us some a few weekends ago....

While Megan and Adalyn opened up a "puppy sitting" service. 

And of course with the start of the New Year, means new goals, so I'm having this girl go run with me to give me some company and so we can have some girl time together. 

3rd grade math homework has ramped up, and we're now learning all the ways for multiplication. While she's memorizing her multiplication facts, all of the techniques have been confusing. 

Just two girls hanging out waiting on a big sister. 

Adalyn asked to take her unicorn blanket with her when we took Megan to gymnastics, and I totally obliged, because who wouldn't want a cozy blanket, but also, it's hilarious. 

She asked me to put her hair up after her shower and she looked like such a big girl :( 

And speaking of big girls, this one turns 12 this weekend, and I'm not emotionally prepared for it. 

Three Things

It's been a while since I've shared a "three things" post, so I thought I'd share one again. It's just a fun little update about what's been going on with each of us. 

Adalyn

1. Adalyn is doing great in 1st grade! Homework is still a battle, but she's exhausted at the end of the day and just wants to play. I have noticed that her reading seems to be improving and she's learning more and more sight words. 

2. She still loves gymnastics and has told us she wants to be a cheerleader. 

3. We are working (again) on getting her to stop sucking her thumb. So far, she's been doing really well during the day! 

Gretchen

1. She is thriving in middle school. She just auditioned for the spring play and had a call back, so we are crossing our fingers. 

2. She still loves to read and is reading all of the time.... but she also loves playing with her legos. She's also making straight A's in school. 

3. She'll be 12 this month and we're planning a "throw back" birthday party for her and having a sleepover with her friends. 

Megan

1. This year Megan will be on Showteam Gold in gymnastics. After this year, she should progress on to team and start competing. She's loving gymnastics and even if she never competes, it gives her so much confidence!

2. She loves the DogMan series and we're working our way through another Little House book. Her reading has come a long way. She also loves her teacher and talks about him all the time, but she won't necessarily talk to him at school! 

3. She's so funny! This past weekend she was pretending she was an "old lady" and had all of us cracking up! I tried to take a picture but she wouldn't let me, and I totally respect her privacy with that. I'm sure I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard! 

DJ and me

1. DJ's work schedule last week was nuts. In fact, it was a very hard week since he put in very long days and I wasn't fully expecting how long the days would be. Thankfully, he should be back to a normal-ish schedule this week and we can look forward to having him home more.

2. I'm still working part time and loving my job. I absolutely love the people I work with and love the kids. I'm also digging in and working harder in my Young Living business and have some big goals for 2020.

3. Vacation??? DJ turns 40 this year and we'll be married 15 years in December so we are looking in to a vacation just the two of us. We still aren't 100% sure, but thanks to a travel agent, we have an idea, and now we just have to really figure out the logistics. 

So, that's a little bit about what's been going on with each of us! 

If you're hear and a part of our little word, let me say thank you for continuing to read and support us, and of course, we'd love for you to follow along on Instagram too! 

Happy Tuesday friends! 

January Young Living Order

I love subscription boxes! They're so much fun and I love getting new products to try without actually having to go out and read labels and think about what I'm buying. 

Young Living has a monthly subscription box that is 100% customizable by me, every single month- so I get to choose what I'm ordering, what I'm spending, and when it ships. This month, I processed my monthly order earlier than usual because we were running low or out of a few of our monthly necessities. 

Here's everything I ordered in my monthly box!

Each month, I order Ningxia Red..... it's a powerhouse antioxidant drink made with wolfberries and essential oils. Last month I ordered two bottles and it was gone so fast! When the girls have liberty to pour their own cup, they pour a ton and you only need 2 oz a day to reap the benefits! So, I went ahead and bought the pouches, so it will last us longer ;) The girls can take these in their lunch, have one for an afternoon drink or I can open it and pour it in my cup of water that I take with me each day. 

Zyng is Young Living's energy drink. It's only 30 calories for the can and it doesn't have any yucky ingredients or horrible side effects that most energy drinks have. I don't drink any soda or coffee and only save Zyng for a day that I need an extra pep in my step. 

Thieves Household Cleaner is a plant based, toxin free cleaner. It's highly concentrated, so you only use one capful in a spray bottle and fill it with water. We clean our entire house with this stuff! I love that it doesn't give me a headache like most other cleaners and it's safe for my kids to use.  

Endoflex is an essential oil that helps support your endocrine system. I put a roller on top and roll this over my thyroid and kidneys. It's great for regulating a woman's emotions and it's amazing for skin! 

Frankincense is another essential oil that's wonderful for skin. I ordered this so I can make a skin serum roller to use each night. It's also wonderful to diffuse at night or when you're doing yoga or meditating. 

Savvy Minerals is Young Living's makeup line! I've used it for several years and really like it! It's easy to apply and it doesn't have any unsafe ingredients. 

I ordered the foundation in warm 2, multitasker which I use as an eyebrow filler and as an eyeliner, and a bronzer. 

 Now, let's talk about FREEBIES!!!! 

Young Living spoils us with free products! The more we spend, the more free products we receive.  This month I received peppermint essential oil, which I love diffusing on days that I need an energy boost, but it's also great for your digestive and respiratory systems. Roman Chamomile is wonderful for sleep and achy muscles. Cinnamon Bark is wonderful to diffuse with other oils such as nutmeg or thieves, but you can actually use this one in your coffee or hot cocoa, or even while baking!

Clary Sage is wonderful for a woman's hormones and I can't wait to try this one! 

On top of all those freebies, I get points to use for more free products! See, I told you Young Living spoils us!!! This month, I ordered shampoo and bath gel for the girls, as well as MightyPro, which is a powder probiotic that seriously tastes like a pixie stick- so yummy! I ordered orange because I love diffusing this one, and it's great for your skin, or even on wool dryer balls. Sleepyize to diffuse in the girls bedrooms at night- we've noticed a big change in their sleeping habits with this oil! And, Northern Lights Black Spruce which is hands down my favorite oil to diffuse! I've gone through a bottle of these a month since October! And, all of this was free too! 

If you're a Young Living member and you want to order their monthly subscription box, just log in and go to Essential Rewards; you can set everything up there. If you're not a member, you can join here and click on Premium Starter Kit (we prefer the Dessert Mist diffuser) and click the Essential Rewards box. This will make your starter kit your first month's order, and you'll receive the free peppermint essential oil and 10 points to spend on a product later on! Once you grab your starter kit, send me an email and I'll send you a fun welcome gift pack full of freebies! 

Alamo Bowl Days 4 & 5

We're winding down with our recap of our time in San Antonio at the Alamo Bowl, and today I'm sharing day 4 and part of day 5. 

Monday morning we woke up and took it easy. I managed to get a workout in, the girls played in the kids suite, and we took our time getting dressed. My parents had driven down to Austin on Sunday, stayed at our house, and then got up to meet us in San Antonio on Monday. 

When they arrived we all set out for a stroll on the riverwalk. 

We walked and walked, and it was so nice because it wasn't insanely crowded. It seemed that after lunch time, the riverwalk was nuts throughout the rest of the day and evening, which made me want to avoid it. While it's pretty, it's also very narrow, with basically single file lines walking down the sides, and outdoor seating for all of the restaurants. Couple that with three girls, and I was a nervous wreck that they'd fall in the river or even get lost. I was glad to have reinforcements in town. 

We eventually walked up to street level, took some pictures and walked back to eat lunch. 

I was craving mexican food, so we found a restaurant on the river not far from our hotel. 

Then, we walked over to the Alamo, which was right across from our hotel, and DJ even managed to meet us over there! Bowl games always vary for us, because we have some bowl weeks where we see each other a lot, and others where we barely see each other because he's busy working. This bowl, we rarely spent time together :( After sneaking over for a bit he headed to the airport to pick up his sister in law and nephew. 

My mom took the girls to get ice cream and my stepdad and I sat at the Alamo and people watched. 

The girls came back while I was showing him some photo settings on my phone and we ended up taking this picture. 

When my sister in law and nephew came in to town, we walked the riverwalk and tried to catch a boat, but the line was insanely long and the girls were tired. So, my parents took them back to the hotel and we did some exploring and had a quick dinner out. I called it a night early (to relieve my parents) and DJ hung out with family. 

This gorgeous tree was in one of the historic hotels downtown. 

And I came back to my room Monday night with another fun surprise! The chocolates were so yummy! 

Tuesday was game day!!! Nana made it in around midnight the night before, so after brunch, we all met up and finally went on a riverboat ride! 

We were excited!!! 

Lots of girls ready to ride the river boat! 

Addy was nonchalantly, or not, holding up her "hook 'em" to all the people walking along, and especially to Utah fans. She is a die hard Texas fan. 

#sorrynotsorry

There's a lock bridge downtown that we discovered on our riverboat ride, and now I want to go back and put a lock on. 

and how cool is this tree growing out of a building?! They're actually doing reconstruction on this building so our river boat driver said the tree may be torn down :( 

After our boat ride, DJ went to get ready for the game, and we went to Joe's Crab Shack- my nephew's crab big read "My Crabs Have Longhorns" and I about died! It was so funny! 

After lunch we got ready for the game....... I'll be sharing that next week! 

Spoiler alert- we won! 

See y'all tomorrow for Friday Favorites! 

Let's Look At......

Happy Wednesday! Yesterday was our first day back at work and school, and even though I wasn't ready to go back (because I really loved being home and sleeping in!) it's so nice to be back in a routine. For now, I'm feeling confident that we can manage #allthethings, but ask me again in a week- ha! 

Today I'm linking up with Erika and Shay for Let's Look At......

and this month, we're sharing our nightstands. 

Side note- I went to college with Erika, but never met her- I did however know her husband, Tab, but never kept up with him after college. I randomly, clicked on her name when I was reading Shay's blog (she's the sister of Sean Lowe- The Bachelor) and realized that Erika was married to Tab- so, it's been fun reading both of their blogs throughout the last several years. Such a small world. 

Alright, here's my nightstand. 

My nightstand usually isn't so crowded, but since I'm working on being more on top of things, I have a few more notebooks on my nightstand right now. 

Above my nightstand is a picture of each of the girls in the bluebonnet field. Before we even lived in Texas, I wanted the girl's pictures made in bluebonnet fields, but I never thought it would happen. So, when we moved here and the bluebonnet's bloomed last Spring, I booked a session with a photographer, and I love these pictures. 

When Megan was in 1st grade, she made me this coaster at school for Mother's day, so it sits right by my bed :) 

For now, I'm keeping my planner on my nightstand. Every night I'm checking it before I go to bed to make sure that I know what events we have coming up and I make a few notes in it. I'm also reading my way through 100 Days to Brave, so I keep it right here so I remember to read it. I'm also writing down three things I'm grateful for each day. 

Oils....

Of course, I have some of my favorite sleepy oils and rollers on my nightstand.

Dream Catcher

White Angelica

Tranquil

Rutavala

My oil roller stand is here.

I also have Bergamot and Peppermint because I've been diffusing it during the day recently..... and a spray bottle of Lavender that came from a local Lavender farm- we received it as a gift from the Alamo Bowl. 

I purchased the wooden bowl from an adoption fundraiser; it was handmade in Africa, and I keep a few tourmaline crystals in the bowl to help with EMF protection.

I keep my favorite diffuser on my nightstand, along with a bottle of water so I can easily fill up my diffuser, and I have a selenite crystal, which is my all time favorite crystal. 

Selenite is powerful for spiritual cleansing but, it also gives you a feeling of protection and security. It's the one crystal that I can hold in my hand, take a few deep breaths and feel instant calmness. 

Everything on my nightstand has a purpose and is used daily; it makes me all a little happy :) 

Thanks for stopping by today....

you can find me everyday on Instagram. 

Alamo Bowl Day 3

Sunday morning the girls and I slept in and pretty much missed breakfast, so we walked down the block to La Panaderia which was featured on one of the food shows and recommended by a friend. We had quite a wait out the door before we even got in! 

 I was tempted to let us all order breakfast, but once we got inside and saw all the pastries, I thought it would be fun to pick out a few and for us to all share them. 

There was a Tres Leche croissant with strawberries that was delicious!  

After our carb-load, we walked back to the hotel via the Riverwalk.

And I wish that I could tell you that it was wonderful and breathtaking, but in case you've never been to San Antonio, the riverwalk is crowded and tiny! There's virtually no room, so I was constantly telling the girls to scoot over, and to walk as far from the river as they could so they didn't accidentally fall in. So, it was pretty much stressful and I was done! 

So, we went back to the hotel and played Twister. 

We eventually made it back to our hotel room, and I opened the bowl gift that was left for us on Friday- a fun wooden serving board, a gorgeous hand blown bowl, and chocolates. We had gifts left for us every day and it was fun to see what kind of surprises we would be walking in to! 

Eventually, I got my cool together and decided we would venture back out, so we headed over to Legoland. 

It was perfect, because the girls could play and run wild. Some friends were there too, so the girls all met up and rode a little ride together, watched the 4-d movie and built to their hearts content. 

They had a fun afternoon. 

We walked back to our hotel, but since we had a late brunch, we skipped lunch, and opted for an ice cream snack. 

That evening, we headed down the riverwalk for the pep rally. The team rode in on riverboats, but our band lined the sidewalk and the bridges. 

I found a great view from a nearby hotel. 

After the pep rally, we went to a Rudy's BBQ dinner, but only snacked, because...... 

we needed to save room for a 3 lb cinnamon roll at Lulu's! One of our friends from college was working the game and we met him for dinner. He travels a lot and always knows the best places, and recommended that we meet for dinner at Lulu's. After our dinner, we split the cinnamon roll, but barely made a dent in it, so I took it to our hospitality suite to share. 

And we had another fun surprise waiting for us when we did make it back to our room.

We also had a yummy cheese board in our room each day. 

Our hotel room had a balcony, with a fun view of the hotel atrium, which was perfect for people watching! 

We made it to bed fairly early on Sunday night, because we were looking forward to family coming in on Monday!