Red White and Blue

Do you ever find yourself living by a motto during times of life that might be difficult, hectic, depressing, etc? Lately I have found myself pondering our life situations, and continually found myself saying "Just Be Happy". No matter how hard or how busy things got, we truly have so much to Be Happy about. Since I have been out of School for the Summer, I have been surrounding myself with the things that make me especially Happy. Time with family, splashing at the pool, and my favorite Decorating.

When we first bought our house, it was our plan to be here for 5-6 years. Well we just passed our 5 year mark and are realizing that we will be here for longer than planned....Life, Right?!

Anyway, for that reason I really have been wanting to change up a few things and really put our stamp on this house and make it what I have wanted all along. Because we have an open floor plan, we just have the living/family room and in case you didn't know, one year olds have a LOT of toys. I was running out of ideas and places to store the things that get used on a daily basis. I decided to make a trip to our local HomeGoods in Salt Lake and found the perfect tufted storage bench, along with many, many other things. I should probably add that to the list of stores I should be banned from. Everything else just kind of fell into place. 

After finding my ottoman, I hit up Hobby Lobby and found these fun accessories, to liven up our space a bit. I spray painted a couple of existing items I had, and added in my 4th of July decor and presto. I am loving the Anthropologie inspired metal "W". It's a great piece that you can see right from the front door. 

I was growing tired of my old 4th of July wreath I had made when we first moved in. I wanted something smaller and simpler. That's my life right now, trying to simplify everything. Kids require you to do that sometimes. I hit my keyboard running, searching Pinterest for Ideas and found this felt project. Extremely time consuming, but easy and, OH SO PERFECT on my front door. 

 I still love my Americana Bunting that I made a few years back. All the Fabrics I found at Hobby Lobby. Sewed them into double sided rectangular pieces, they gathered them into the bunting and sewed them onto a a long piece of fabric to hang them from. 

I seriously get so many compliments on it. 

Again simplicity is key for me. Simple patriotic scrapbook paper, cut into triangles with pinking shears (I didn't even measure the triangles to make sure they were the same size, I just eyeballed them), then I ran them through my sewing machine to stitch them together. 

If you haven't taken advantage of the free patriotic printable I posted, you can download it here. 

I love the 4th of July. So many things in my life have happened in July, got engaged, got married, blessed Maggie, got my gallbladder out. It really is a tie between this and Christmas for my favorite Holiday. 

So I hope you enjoyed a little tour of my Red, White and Blue decor. I am so excited for upcoming posts, so keep checking back and PLEASE FOLLOW ME if you aren't already. Followers mean giveaways and giveaways mean free stuff for you! 

Happy Weekend, I hope you are all enjoying your Summer. 

XO: Kelli

This is not a HomeGoods or Hobby Lobby sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Strawberry Days

One of my Favorite things about Summer in Utah is all of the City Festivals that happen, EVERY week. This weekend we celebrated Strawberry Days in our neighboring town of Pleasant Grove. Really though, who was the genius who decided to celebrate Strawberries?! It's tradition to end our evening with a little Strawberries n' cream for dessert and a walk through the carnival and craft fair. Maggie experienced the Carousel for the first time, and could not figure out if she loved it or hated it. She spent the entire ride doing this freaked out giggle. We had to go back a second day so Daddy could come and see her in action. By her second and third time around she had the hang of things and was blowing kisses to everyone....and then she came home and threw up ALL OVER THE FAMILY ROOM. Maybe the Carousel two days in a row after having a stomach bug all week wasn't such a good idea. 

I just had to document, not only my first selfie, but my little, tiny, post pardom, broken bangs/antlers have finally grown out enough that they can be flat ironed in with the rest of my bangs....Huzzah. It only took OVER A FREAKING YEAR to no longer look as though my antennae were trying to phone E.T. home. The things our bodies do for these little ones! (ignore the unmade bed). 

These guys are just as much our children as Maggie is, if not more since they have been with us for five times longer than Maggie has. They had their annual teeth cleanings on Saturday, literally took till 10:00pm for their anesthesia to completely wear off. They spend the afternoon walking into walls and barstools, tripping on stairs and being completely lazy. Maggie loved that they were too out of it to run away when she tried to "Snuggle them" - AKA- tried to shove her doll bottle up their noses.  

Sunday usually means lazy afternoons since we have church at 9:00am. We decided to try out our new mason jar mugs we found at Walmart with some green smoothie. For whatever reason she did not want to pick it up, so she sat on the kitchen floor and drank the entire cup. After every sip she would look up and go "mmmmmm", and then go back for more. I love her in all of her mismatched pajama glory. 

I have been getting the house all geared up for the 4th of July, and doing some minor accessory redecorating in the great room. Stay tuned for a little tour of my Patriotic decor, and my red, white and blue felt wreath. 

Until then, Here is a little sneak peak of my new decor. 

Friday Freebie

I have fallen in love with Subway art to decorate with for the Holidays. It's so easy and I can just store them all in the same frame all year and just rotate them around. It makes for a lot less clutter. I saw this 4th of July printable floating around on Pinterest, so I decided to make my own and share it with all of you. 

Click Here to download it (11x14)

Here is a little throwback of my Mag-Pie last year on the 4th of July. She was exactly 2 months old and starting to get her little rolls. Holy Smokes time flies!

Happy Friday Everyone. Enjoy the first official Summer Weekend of 2014

-Kelli

Lake Mead 2014

We took a short and I emphasize short getaway last week. Our best friends invited us to tag along on their annual Lake Mead boating trip. We left Thursday afternoon and got there that evening. We had planned on spending two days at the Lake and then head home Saturday evening so we could be back for Father's Day Festivities with my family. Unfortunately our Friday plans got cancelled due to Red Flag warnings on the Lake. The swells were much to big to do any wake boarding and too windy to play on the beach. Part of the group decided to head into Vegas and the rest of us stayed back. We found a deserted Splash Pad in Moapa Valley. Because it was so windy it was actually quite chilly. The water felt amazing though. So to stay warm we actually stayed under the water. The kids loved it and Maggie was in heaven. She is such a water baby. We stayed in the small area of Logandale/Overton with some Family Friends. The views there are amazing with the plateau'd rocks as a backdrop the all the Palm Trees. I couldn't help but snap a few pics when we were out driving around.

Saturday was our short lived, amazing Lake day. We got there about 8:30 in the morning and got our beach set up. The second we put Maggie down she started squishing her hands and toes in the wet sand. She had a ball playing in the water and digging with her sand toys. We took a couple spins on the Wave Runners, and Grant got Wake Boarding time in. Then at around Noon and Maggie started throwing up non-stop. We held out for a bit to see if it would subside, but after the fourth time we decided to call it quits and have them take us back to the docks. We got back to the house and started packing up to make the six hour drive home with a sick one year old. I was super bummed I was not able to get all the pictures I had hoped to get, but what little time we did get at the Lake was a blast. We will hopefully be heading back next Summer. On the upside, by Sunday evening our little sickie was starting to hold down food and liquid and she was back to herself by today. Needless to say we are very glad to see her happy and healthy again. I have spent all of today washing her carseat and pack n' play in the bathtub and washing the mountain of soiled clothes and blankets. Sick kids are the worst and try teaching a one year old to throw up in a bowl...GOOD LUCK!

Let hope the rest of our week goes off without a hitch. We are looking forward to our little town's Strawberry Days Festival later this week. Strawberries and Cream is one of our Summer Highlights. We will probably have Maggie experience some of her first Carnival rides too. Can't wait for those pictures.

Until then...Happy Monday Ya'll

XO Kelli

Summer Getaway

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We're gearing up for our Summer Trip to Lake Mead, and after many trips to the pools and Splash Pads   already, I have quickly learned what my Summer Must Haves items are. 

1. There's this little known fact that babies wreak havoc on your body. For this reason I have yet to flaunt my one year post partum body in a bikini. I was not blessed with the "no stretch marks" gene, so I'm all about swimsuits that conceal and camouflage. I fell in love with these tankini tops with how long and fitted they are. I actually feel extremely confident in them. Fortunately I found mine at trunk shows at our local Costcos so I was able to purchase just the tops, and instead pairing them with my number 5 favorite, Nike compression shorts.

2. Staying hydrated is key. Maggie is still getting used to this whole "I have to drink water constantly in the Summer" thing. I found that by mixing half flavored propel with half regular water in her sippie cups, she guzzles it of her own free will. I also love that you can literally find this stuff anywhere, and that it's filled with all sorts of electrolytes to help ward off dehydration.

3. Trucker hats are essential Summer wardrobe must have, especially for the beach or lake. It offer sun protection, while still keeping sweaty hair at bay with the mesh back...and as an added bonus they make those bad hair days adorable.

4. I have tried sooooo many different BB creams trying to find one that matched my very pale, fair skin.   Their lightest shades were still much to dark for my skin tone and always left those awful demarkation lines. I finally decided I had spent enough and decided to opt for a cheap drugstore option, CoverGirl BB Sunscreen and Moisturizer. I LOVE IT! It matches my skin perfectly and when it's practically all I wear in the Summer, I like that it's inexpensive because I go through it so fast.

5. Oh my fabulous Nike compression shorts, how I love you. You are the perfect item to hide those unsightly, still fading stretch marks on my inner thighs, while still giving my swim suit a fashionable approach.

6. So if you plan on spending any time around water this Summer, you must invest in a waterproof beach bag. They are perfect for keeping your towels dry and your phone free of unwanted splashes. They also make searching for your sunscreen easy since you can see where everything is placed.

7. There are so many swim coverups to choose from. I also try and opt for something black cause it's not only figure flattering, but neutral and can accompany every type and color of swim suit.

8. Help protect yourself and your littles from those damaging sun rays with an easily assembled beach umbrella. I love my Tommy Bahama 7ft. umbrella. It fits perfectly in our car to keep with us at all times, for those unplanned stops at the splash pad. You can find on Amazon. I found mine at our local Costco.

9. Sunscreen is a must, no matter who you are. Unfortunately we are highly susceptible to skin cancer in my family, so I make sure invest in something that can be easily applied frequently, and still over great UV coverage. I love Coppertone Sport. It's not greasy, and stays on through sweat and water.

10. You might have seen in my previous posts how much I love straw Fedoras. They are such an easily worn fashion accessory, and can be worn with swimwear or even just shorts and a cute tee. I love mine and wear it all the time when out in the sun.

I can't wait to post about our Lake Mead Trip soon. 

Hurry and get your hands on some of these items and start enjoying Summer!!! 

XO: Kelli

Happenings

This week this cute girl slept over so we could "Summerfy" her hair. It's tradition for her to become a Pickaninny, as her mom calls her, with cornrows each Summer.

Remember my last post I mentioned about getting my old Barbies out for Maggie, well I did it. She has never played so well with any toy for so long. Unfortunately there is another one in the house who loves Barbies as well. He however is not as kind to them. Dragging them around by their hair, licking them and leaving teeth marks in their faces. He's kind of a Pervy Cat. I guess all the more reason to teach Maggie to clean up her toys if she doesn't want them getting molested by Neco. 

Lately we have been spending so much time in the pool and at the splash pads, that when it comes time for a bath, it just doesn't compare. So Maggie would just scream. After putting it off for a week, she desperately needed a cleaning, so I decided to try the sink. I pretty much cleaned up two sinks worth of water off of my counters and off the floor from her splashing so much.

 Isn't Summer just beautiful! I never get tired of our view, and nights like this take all my cares away. Now if only Maggie didn't go to bed of her own choice at 6 o' clock, so we could actually enjoy some evening activities. Well, you give and you take I guess. 

It's time to start gearing up for out trip down to Lake Mead, which means catching up on our MOUNTAIN of laundry

I'll be doing a post of some of my favorite Summer Getaway necessities. 

Happy Saturday

XO Kelli

Wish List

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Maggie is quickly growing out of the baby phase and into the little girl phase. It's sad but exciting all at the same time. I have had my old Barbie Dream House and boxes of my old Barbie things stored away for years. Before long she will be playing with them. She is loving dolls right now and I am loving these cloth/cuddle dolls right now. Such a fun item to grow up with. Her clothes are all about comfort and ease. I'm loving rompers right now for Summer, and I fell in love with this Black, White and Gold romper. They are easy and perfect for keeping in the diaper bag for quick changes. Metallics are so big right now, Golds, Silvers and anything brightly colored, so of course I was smitten with these metallic Moccs from Freshly Picked, and Metallic Whale Tee from Carters. Since It's summer I am loving anything that allows me to be lazy, thus the hat and headbands. They make not doing Maggie's hair a breeze, and the mermaid towel is a must for all those trips to the pool. The food tray is great and easily stores all your mealtime necessities, all while making it fun for the child. 

I can't wait to get my hands on some of these fun finds. 

Monkey Butter Recipe

OH EM GEEEEE! 

This stuff is all you need to satisfy that sweet tooth. I saw a recipe for Monkey Butter on Pinterest and decided to try it since it had...oh about 40,000 or so repins. 

It's easy peasy and I may or may not have snuck a few spoonfuls while I was stirring it on the stove. 

I can't wait for Maggie to try this on Eggo Waffles, English Muffins, over Ice Cream etc. In fact I even threw some in a little Mason Jar to give to Grandpa for Father's Day with a loaf of fresh baked bread. So here is what you need. 

5 ripe Bananas ( does everyone sing B-A-N-A-N-A-S while spelling this, or just me)?

3 Cups of Granulated Sugar

1/4 Cup Flaked or Ground Coconut

1 20oz can of Crushed Pineapple with Juice

3 TBSP of Bottled Lemon Juice

Mix everything together in a pot, heat it on the stove until boiling (stirring every minute or so). 

Once boiling, reduce to a simmer until it thickens to desired consistency. I let mine thicken to about what Apple Sauce is. Again stirring regularly. I also used my Potato Masher to mush up my Bananas better. Let it cool in the pot for while before spooning it into their containers. I'm not a Canner, so I just put mine in Tupperware containers and put them in the Freezer. Pull it out and put it in the fridge to thaw when you want it. 

Moments

Do you ever have those parenting moments where you just plain don't care anymore? You are desperately trying to get something done (making dinner in my case) and you will give your child just about anything to keep them out of your hair for five minutes. Well this was one of those moments. Pretty sure that 90% of her dinner consisted of Marshamallows that night....that were eaten off of my DIRTY kitchen floors. Worst of all, I have No Shame!

Happy Sunday...School is officially out here so let the Neighborhood Craziness begin. 

XO 

Kelli