Friday I’m In Love

Today marks the first full week of summer break and the girls and I are FINALLY starting to settle into our summer routine. Over the last week and a half, I’ve found a few things that we are in LOVE with and I’m so excited to share them with you!

So…let’s get this LOVE going!

~one~

Legos!

These only come out only when the baby is sleeping. And these are the real deal, not the chunky toddler ones that we have had for years. My oldest loves them! She got her first set for her birthday last week and I LOVE watching her play with them. I can actually see her think when she puts them together. She does this cute little thing with her lip when she’s thinking hard and the whole process of following directions, figuring out which pieces go where and actually creating a finished project has her mesmerized.

~two~

I stumbled upon these dry erase boards on one of our Saturday morning trips to Lakeshore Learning for their FREE weekly craft. My almost 4 year old would rather run, jump and twirl than sit down and practice her letters but…she is in LOVE with these boards! She actually sits down and does them all. And I happened to get them on sale for 1/2 price! #momwin!

~three~

I didn’t expect to add this one to my list but here it is… Grammy’s Indoor Playground. The girls went nuts! I actually wished I had brought my book to read because I was just sitting there. All by myself! Best money I ever spent! And we were there for FOUR hours! If you go, make sure to look for a coupon or get some friends together for a group discount.

The girls even read a few books!

~four~

Trotwood Park Splash Pad was my back up plan yesterday because we missed story time at the library. I surprised the girls with this outing and even hid their bathing suits and towels in the car. It’s a great splash pad! Completely fenced in and small enough for you to stay seated and still be able to see them at all times but big enough that they can run and have fun. Oh and it’s FREE for Winter Springs residents! $3 per kid if you’re not. As you can see, the girl LOVED it!

~five~

All the libraries! I cannot stress enough how wonderful the libraries are. It’s air conditioned and they have programs for every age…even the parents. From Lego Building to Mother Goose Stories, it’s the best place for families to hang out and it’s educational too!

Seminole County Libraries

Maitland Public Library

What are you in LOVE with this week?

Friday I’m in Love

Happy Friday!

Two things…I totally forgot it was time for ‘Friday I’m in Love’ and I had no clue it was the last one of the month! Thank you Kendra for reminding me!

Now…on to all the LOVE!

~one~

We bought a sewing machine over the weekend and the girls and I have been itching to use it. I found this simple pattern for a reversible headband and stitched one up while the baby napped. Come to find out, it actually is pretty easy. My sewing skills need a bit more practice but the kids LOVED them! I’m looking for some blogs to follow that include easy and kid friendly sewing projects. If you come across any, send me a link!

~two~

I cannot believe I’ve admitted this in my latest post with Orlando Moms Blog but I did. Click here to read all about what I do in car line. So embarrassing…but it’s the truth. Ha!

~three~

My daughter’s kindergarten class was responsible for the school mass this week. And oh my! It was beyond adorable. To hear the kids sing, pray and recite scripture just melted my heart.

~four~

If you have kids, then I know you have a ton of crayons. I’ve always wanted to do this Melted Crayon Heart craft but I was pretty sure it would be a #Pinterestfail. My friend and fellow Orlando Moms Contributor, Heather, tested this craft out for Valentine’s day and it was a #PinterestWIN! Go check it out and put those old, broken crayons to good use.

~five~

I love these crazy people! Also known as…my siblings! They celebrated Erin’s 23rd birthday last night at one of those fun painting places. Happy Birthday Erin! I LOVE you!

Tell me…what are you in love with today??

Friday I’m in Love…

Happy Friday!

It’s been a whirlwind of emotions these past two weeks and I’m quite eager to get back to somewhat of a routine. So…let’s get this LOVE going!

~one~

On Tuesday, my husband and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. I never knew exactly what love was…until I met him.

~two~

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I’m the oldest of 6 kids so needless to say, we have a huge family. I spent some time with everyone in New Jersey last week and we always seemed to get together around meal time. On Sunday night, my father prepared a feast for us. He was looking to comfort us kids the best way he knows how…with comfort food of course! The picture on the left is a GIANT Chicken Pot Pie and on the right…3 pounds of Shrimp Scampi! Whoa! Talk about two of my favorite comfort foods. Both were delicious and I most certainly went back for seconds. Thanks dad!

~three~

This cutie…my niece, Marina. I LOVED hanging out with all the nieces and nephews! We gave our parents 10 grandchildren, 6 girls and 4 boys. And the oldest is only 7! Here Marina is helping to make the guacamole. She LOVES to mash the avocado!

~four~

Check out this amazing site, Pen + Paint by Lindsay Hopkins. I’ve been following her on Instagram for a while now and I’m soooo in LOVE with everything she posts. I have my shopping cart full of her beautiful artwork over on Etsy but I’m having a hard time hitting the complete order button because I keep finding more things I must have!

What are you in LOVE with this week??

Friday I’m in Love

Happy Friday!!

This has been a fun filled crazy week with soooo many things to LOVE! Maybe it’s because this is the first week of February and as I have trained my kids to say..it’s the month of LOVE. I even have the baby singing…LOVE is in the air! I did my best to narrow it down to just a few (ok maybe a little more) of the things that made me smile this week.

~one~

This beautiful bird! A peacock casually strolled through the parking lot at the ballet studio this week. I have to admit…I was in complete awe. I seriously could not stop staring, or taking pictures. I quickly unbuckled the kids so they could get a ‘bird’s eye’ view of this gorgeous fine feathered friend. We even went back later that day to see if the peacock was still there. No such luck but now that I know the peacock hangs out there, we will keep driving by to find him!

~two~

We had some time to kill after dropping my oldest at school and before taking the baby to the doctor. So we stopped at Einstein‘s for some much needed coffee for me and some bagels for the kids. These scrumptious Cinnamon Sugar Bagel Poppers were just sitting on the counter and well…they looked so lonely, I just had to buy them! Oh my! Deeelicious!! And you will be happy to know that I even shared them with the kids. Ha!

~three~

Sister love. Enough said.

~four~

Have you tried this yet? You must! The Fresh Market‘s Little Big Meal. Put in on the meal plan for next week. It is easy, delicious and only $20. It’s a great way to try new things and get out of the same old, same old for dinner. It’s every Thursday and The Fresh Market makes it VERY easy to pick up all the items. They have it all together on one table and you pick and choose what you like. In my store, it’s between the deli and the meat department. Between rain storms, doctor appointments and a sick baby, I just couldn’t get to TFM this week but I’ve already added it to next week’s meal plan and you should too!

~five~

We ended Catholic Schools Week with a school picnic and a Pep Rally. I have not been to a pep rally in probably close to 25 years so needless to say, I was just a wee bit more excited than the kids. The kids loved the music, the band and these very talented young ladies. We didn’t stay for the whole thing because skipping naps always sounds like a good idea…until the meltdowns begin.

~six~

I took probably close to a million pictures just to capture this one. This one was the best. We are all kind of looking and smiling, right? These kids may drive me crazy, keep me running and my wine glass full but I love them with all my heart and soul. They complete me.

What did you love this week??

Until next Friday…

Friday I’m in Love

Hello!! This is my first ‘Friday I’m in Love’ and truth be told…I’m a bit nervous. I’ve read a few of Kendra’s Friday posts over at The Gilbertson Family and I LOVE them! They always make me smile!

So here’s hoping I make you smile!

~one~

I am loving this cooler weather Central Florida is having! I love wearing my old, comfy sweats with my leopard-ish robe and my new gold glitter slippers while sipping my favorite wine by the fire. This does not happen but just a few times a year and when it does, I am sure to photograph it!

~two~

Once a month, I meet with some of my favorite ladies for our Pampered Chef Cooking Club. Our consultant (and fellow runner!), Becky created our menu which consisted of Pan Seared Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Ham & Pasta Soup and Chocolate Mousse in an edible chocolate bowl. OMG. Absolutely delicious! I look forward to these evenings all month long. It’s an evening filled with great chit chat, swapping of recipes & kitchen tips and LOTS of wine! We just met on Monday and I’m already counting down the days until the next one.

~three~

I took over the Orlando Moms Blog Instagram account for Takeover Tuesday and I ended up taking ALOT of pictures! This is one of my favorites. It’s proof that all three of my girls can actually play together without whining, crying or fighting. I tiptoed from the kitchen to this front room to ever so quietly take this picture. And once I captured it, I ran like heck back to the kitchen and they never even knew I was there!

~four~

Ahhh…my new Garmin 620 running watch! Talk about being in love!! I’m in week 7 of half marathon training and I have been doing ALOT of speed work to help me run faster. Setting up a workout in Garmin Connect and then sending it to my watch has helped tremendously. Instead of being forced to only run on the track during Wednesday’s group run, I was able to go out into the park and through the neighborhoods. I was able to stay ON track because I got OFF the track!

My coach had me do a one mile warm up, run 1/2 mile fast, walk for 90 seconds and repeat SIX times. Then end with a one mile cool down. The watch beeped and vibrated to let me know when I need to increase or decrease my pace. I LOVED it. The jury is still out on whether I loved the actual speed work or not…

~five~

I ended Takeover Tuesday with Orlando Moms Blog on Tuesday with my favorite picture of my mother. When I look at this picture, I see a mother full of love and happiness. I hope that when my girls look back at pictures of us that they see the same thing…love and happiness. Thank you mother for always loving me! I love you!

What are you in love with?

Until next Friday…