JEANS // BLUE FLATS // PINK SNEAKERS
I love a good flat that will take me from park dates to date night. This blue one was IT. I was skeptical at first, but LOVE it.I got my true size and paired them with the Daphne jeans (sz 26, all cotton), and shirt by Sundays. Hope everyone has a lovely Mother’s Day! xx Shalice
It’s 4 days till Friday, it’s time to get prepared.
Family night can get complicated beyond what to flavor the popcorn with. Can you relate? I asked you — my readers what are your favorite family friendly films and BOOM, I got great responses. Obviously, use parental caution and common sense as you know what your kids can handle in terms of movies and adults themes like funerals and death like we saw last night when we watched Fried Green Tomatoes. Reid and I have enjoyed making family night special with popcorn and nacho seasoning. I included the recipe below.
Add any of your favorites in the comments.
ET
Sound of Music
Mary Poppins
Newsies
Soul Surfer
Forever my girl
Cheaper by the Dozen
Sandlot
Because of Winn-Dixie
Snow Dogs
The Railway Children
Annie
Swiss family Robinson
Fried Green Tomatoes
Sky Captain and World of Tomorrow
BONUS:
MATILDA
WHALE RIDER
BLUE MIRACLE
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
For family night:
This Nacho Cheese Seasoning is perfect for popcorn, chips, and french fries! Or anything you want to sprinkle it on. It’s also vegan because I used nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy flavor.
½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 ½ teaspoon of chili pepper powder (use more if you like it extra spicy)
1 teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon of cumin powder
½ teaspoon of sea salt
½ teaspoon of smoked paprika
Mix together, add on top of popcorn and drizzle with avocado oil.
Enjoy!
1.Don’t go to a third party, I wasted $100 going to a used car website to “hold” a car and never was able to talk to a person. Go to the manufacturer of the car, in our case, the official GMC website.
2. Go to available new cars, input your zip code. It showed us cars available within 50 miles.
3. I scrolled and scrolled and scrolled. Our car was at a dealership about an hour away. YAHOO!
4. Be on it. Call right away to confirm the purchase price and provide the deposit to hold the car.
5. PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE. In the past, I’ve just put up with what was on the lot. Gold, white, silver, etc. I WANTED A BLACK YUKON! I was SO happy to wait for the car I wanted in my favorite color. It’s worth the wait.
Friends only tell friends the good tips.
MAJOR TIP: use coupon code “Psinergy” to receive 10% off Vivobase car which blocks yucky EMF. You’re welcome!
Read THIS BLOG POST about my 16 year old dream to own a suburban and have 6 kids haha!
Good luck on your car journey, let me know if this post was helpful.
xx Shalice
But it can also be a clutter disaster. Therefore, I try not to waste our time and storage space on junk books. I think of our library as I do our pantry. If there is no nutritional value, don’t eat it. If the story lacks good content, don’t bother. Here is my top six list of our favorite books for Levi.
1) Good Night Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown
2) Caps For Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina
3) Little Bunny Follows His Nose, by Katherine Howard
4) Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, by Sherri Duskey Rinker & Tom Lichtenheld
5) Henny Penny, by Paul Galdone
1) Plot. Yes, even a book for toddlers should have a plot.
2) Repetition. It is important at this age. Find books that rhyme, sing, or repeat phrases. I like to read in funny voices and it makes him laugh.
3) Illustrations. I’m a sucker for great graphics and Levi loves pointing out objects he can identify. Like the burch in Good Night Moon and Goodnight and the teddy bear in Goodnight Construction Site. These two stories are especially genius.
As I often say, the days are long, but the years are short. If your kids are already past the toddler stage, you can catch up the snuggle time with grand kids.
Have a lovely weekend,
XO
Shalice
I don’t love back to school frenzy but I secretly love all the prep and new gear! The kids share this joy with me. I bought the kids new Trapper Keepers, backpacks and jeans from Walmart. I had a blast from the past when I bought the Trapper Keepers home. I used to have one in junior high. Such good memories staying organized and “cool.” Now, my kids get to experience it.
See my picks below for starting off the year right:
Girls backpack // Girls Jeggings // Girls $3 tanks // Girls tees // // Boys backpacks // Trapper Keeper and this one / Notebooks // My cardigan // Boys jeans // Brooks’ shirt // Boys shoes // Boys Henley // Desktop Calendar //
Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post!
We moved into a house with a pool at the end of February, and honestly, it’s been great! We find ourselves outside so much of the time because of it, and doesn’t every mom want that? Due to all this outside time, I’ve been branching out, trying to find different things to eat, play with, and do outside. And if the doing coincides with the eating, then all the better! Enter the snow cone machine and syrups from Walmart! They absolutely love snow cones after our trip to Kauai two years ago, but I definitely didn’t like all the sugar and coloring usually found in snow cones. Surprisingly, the syrup I bought from Walmart doesn’t have the common red #40 or sugar. So far it’s been a huge hit, and is always a favorite at any party.
Also, to my friends with kids still in diapers, Walmart is a great go-to in a pinch! We were out of diapers this week and Walmart+ came to the rescue with a 2 hour delivery. Same with groceries and produce! Walmart+ always gives the option for same day delivery, and since “same day” are two of my favorite words, Walmart has quickly become a favorite. Don’t forget to sign up for Walmart+ HERE, free shipping, no order minimum.
Check your address to see if free delivery from your store is available at your address.($35 minimum. Restrictions apply.) I checked, and my address qualified, yay!
As for everything else like this rad snow cone machine, enjoy free next day or 2-day delivery. Don’t forget to sign up for Walmart+ HERE, free shipping, no order minimum required (excludes freight & Marketplace items). Sign up and let me know what you think. If you’re on the fence, start a free 15 day trial to try it out!
Big thank you to Walmart for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
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The kids have begged me for 6 years for a puppy and guess what??
Tomorrow we pick up our mini golden doodle puppy. He is 8 weeks old and the breeder named him Lukas. We cannot wait to pick him up tomorrow.
If you live in Atlanta, there is a breeder in Woodstock, that has both males and females called GLITZY GOLDENDOODLES. Check out her adorable Facebook page. Can’t get over those pictures of tiny puppies. Honestly, it was hard to just pick one.
This week, we have been watching youtube videos on how to train our new puppy. We’ve also discussed with the kids their new responsibilities. It won’t be perfect but I’m adjusting my expectations.
We’ve bought snacks, raw organic food and a travel crate for him to sleep in.
Next up, will be agree on a name?
Stay tuned 😉
Since we don’t know what we’re doing, please weigh in with any puppy training advice that you may have learned. Looking forward to sharing more of this new adventure!
5 TIPS TO GETTING A NEW PUPPY
1 Keep expectations low – be realistic, you won’t be getting a lot of sleep with a new puppy. You and you puppy will be adjusting to a new life and schedule.
2 Give him/her a safe place to play and sleep. We bought this crate.
3 Roll up your nice rugs!
4 Buy bells to place at the doors. Train the puppy to ring the bell to go out to potty.
5 Buy Apple bitters and spray on the furniture legs and lamps (with wires) before you get the puppy. This is key. We wished we did this before we got Lucca.
Tee shirt // Jeans // Sunglasses // Puppy crate
Levi’s first 8 weeks of life has come and gone in a flash! It’s been awesome having #5 in our lives, growing our hearts with more and more love. Thank you to Patty Othen for these beautiful pics! Find her webpage here.
Peasant top in small // Shorts // Similar scarf // Sunglasses $15
How does a place become your family go to vacation spot? Every family has that special go to vacation spot. What is your story?
While growing up, my family loved going to Hong Kong. I know that sounds strange, but my mom grew up in Hong Kong. My dad was a pilot, so we would fly standby once a year back in the day when you could still smoke on airplanes. Yes, those were long trips. But visiting my cousins in Hong Kong was the best. They would take us to the best places. If we got separated, they would say, tell the cab…”NOW CHUN TOE, KOWLOON TONG,” and we would get home. Those trips to the markets to get cloths and grubs would forever be one of my favorite memories.
We had enjoyed many great day trips in California. Whether that was Lake Arrowhead, Anacapa Island (See post) or Laguna Beach, leaving California was hard. But knowing Florida beaches would be a short drive away, our sorrows turned to joy. Florida is a favorite place to take our family.
Here is our tips on traveling to the scenic 30A. The last few times, we have stayed near Alys Beach. The community we stay in is called Magnolia By The Sea and we found it on VRBO. It’s a small community of cottages across the street from the beach. While small, the house sleep quite a few people. Perfect for multi-family gatherings or big families. We like that the beach is private and the community has a heated pool. The perk for the location is that it is a short bike ride to Alys Beach. I should mention, Alys Beach is our dream vacation goals. Someday we want to stay there, but for now we enjoy riding our bikes, playing at the park and getting coffee within the town. You cannot take a bad picture of this place. The community is design perfection in my opinion. Everything down to the window trim colors to the outdoor planters. Every vista is perfectly harmonized. Reid and I enjoyed sometime meandering the quaint streets. Reid admires the architecture and design while I soak in photo shoot inspiration.
Rosemary Beach is also another hot spot we like to take the kids to in the evenings. It’s a bustling beach community with a lot of night life and you feel like you are in Europe. While there are many places to eat and play, here is my brief list of our favorites for your vacation planning enjoyment.
· Eat: George’s (Alys Beach)
· Dessert: Sugar Shack (Rosemary Beach)
· Drink: Neat (Alys Beach)
· Breakfast: Donut Hole (Inlet Beach)
· Coffee: Raw & Juicy (Alys Beach)
· Do: Rent Bikes – Don’t forget Sunscreen! I like this one – non toxic.
· Shop: Don’t be silly, this is a beach vacation
Grey and Ivory Bleeker street poncho via Shopshalicenoel.com
