RETURN OF THE GIANT WATERSLIDE | BIRTHDAY BASH 2021

Last week we finally got around to celebrating the boys' birthdays the right way. I threw this party together just days before and really didn't stress (much) at all. I did not bake a thing, I did not send out invitations 2 weeks in advance, there were no party favors. We just went old school pool party with the basics--pizza and sweets. We just upgraded the average slip-n-slide to this monstrosity. 😉

Not that you need a step-by-step process for how to throw your kid a birthday party but if you're curious as to how ours went down, here ya go.

HOW TO THROW A GREAT BIRTHDAY BASH FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS:

FRIDAY FAVORITES! | 6/25/21

Happy Weekend, friends!! 

I'm back today with a list of FAVORITES from the week and I mean, I'm clearly biased, but I think it's a pretty great list. 😉 From a movie you need to watch this weekend to a book you need to read (or listen to) to cute outfits (and a BOGO free sale) and some giant waterslide fun... it's a little mix of everything!

Let's get to it!

GIVEAWAY WINNER & FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND.

On Saturday morning, I woke up late and found Mason and Craig already in the pool. I went outside to see what they were up to and when I came outside they started to look at each other and smile like they had a secret. They said "Guess what? We've got something to tell you that we think you'll like."

I said, "Did we win the lottery?!".  😂

They said, "No but it may be something almost as good! We're going to Louisiana this weekend and you can stay here if you want to!". Turns out Craig had decided at the last minute that he wanted to drive to his parents' house in Alexandria, LA (about 5 hours from us) and surprise his dad for Father's Day. Remember them doing this last year and I was the one with the surprise when they got home?! (See: Chuck the Rescue Pup. 😉) Best surprise ever!!

This year, I was happy they were going to go again because they love it there and they get to see their cousins. They also said they were going to take Chuck which I was not super happy about because I see him as the baby of the family and I worry. 😂 I'm his main caretaker so I'm nervous when he's not where I can see him. But Charlie just LOVES Mimi and his "aunt" Sadie (their poodle) so I knew he'd have fun too. 

I had plans with friends that night already and had a ton of errands I needed to get done this weekend before the boys' birthday party today plus I needed to get a few more plants to round out our new landscaping. I've been putting it off for 2 weeks because I hate that kind of thing but it needed to be done. And also, I love having the house all to myself so I was happy to the opportunity! 

☀JUNE GIVEAWAY! ☀ | BEACH BAGS, BOUTIQUES & A NEW FLAVOR OF BELLY BLASTER

Hey hey girls!! Today is GIVEAWAY DAY!!

PHOTO DUMP & CATCHING UP | 5TH GRADE GRADUATION, A POOL PARTY, & MEMORIAL DAY

Hello, Monday!!

Today I'm here with a giant photo dump from all the things that have been photo-worthy lately. If you follow me on social media, there will probably be a lot that you've seen already but for posterity's sake, I wanted to put them on the blog too. :) I know I won't want to forget these sweet memories.

Mason "graduated" from elementary school this year and it has been bittersweet. We absolutely loved this school and it is just surreal to know that it is no longer a part of our lives. I have so many memories of the boys riding their bikes or scooters to school in the morning and then watching out the window as they come riding into the culdesac every afternoon. When Matthew went to middle school it was just Mason by himself or with his gang of buddies and now...no one. 😢 I'll look out the window and watch younger kids come riding down the sidewalk and wait for the bus to drop my two big kids off at our stop sign. Sigh.

The school had a very sweet little ceremony for the 5th graders and we were so glad we got to be there for it. I don't think they had one last year for the 5th-grade class due to Covid so we were thankful!

BOOK REVIEW | APRIL & MAY 2021

Hello to all you Summer Readers!! Remember how I broke down my Ultimate Summer Reading List HERE back in April? I grabbed the top new releases that I was excited to read and compiled a list for each month so they'd be easy to narrow down. Well, I've done my best to read as many from each month's list as possible and ended up finishing 9 books. One of them didn't deserve to make the list in my opinion (Lost in Paris...just didn't like it but everyone else seemed to on the reviews so maybe it just didn't work for me) and then I added in one that WASN'T on my list but WAS a new release.