Summer Bucket List

We've been doing a lot of waiting around here.

It's been over two months since we had a foster placement. 

And, as many of you know, I am not good at waiting.

This has been a particular struggle for me because it's so out of my control!

There's nothing I can do to speed up the waiting process.

Simultaneously, there's not a whole lot I can do to prepare material things (clothes, food, etc.).

I've been doing a lot of holding-my-breath.

It hasn't been fun.

So, instead of living life on pause, we're gonna kick things into gear around here and adapt as we need to!

It is with this attitude that I present our

 

•  Make and eat ice cream
• Make and eat popsicles
• Take a trip up to Tahoe
• Go jet-skiing
• Make s'mores
• Swimming!
• Have a picnic
• Go to the beach
• Eat some sno-cones
• Make and eat lots of smoothies
• Play in the sprinklers
• Build an awesome fort
• Blow bubbles
• Read lots of books
• Draw with sidewalk chalk
• Make and deliver cupcakes
• Write letters to far away family members
• Take lots of silly pictures
• Wash the cars
• Tie-dye some shirts
• Watch fireworks
• BBQ
• Ride the train at The Fountains
• Go to one of the food-truck nights in Rocklin
• Have a squirt-gun fight!
• Spread lots of sunshine

What's on your bucket list this summer?

Serious Crisis

I looked at my hair in the mirror yesterday.

It's incredibly dirty.

Up in a pony tail.

With a headband.

Nothing really worth looking at.  

But then, a little glimmer caught my eye.

A glint of

GRAY.

Who am I?

Is this my life?

What is happening?

My sister said, "Well, you're almost 30."

Shut your mouth, I am not!

(For the record, I turn 28 in July.  28 is not almost 30.)

My mom didn't have any sympathy either.

Pretty sure she giggled at me.

D's response was, "At least you already dye your hair!"

I ripped the hair out.

And cried.

J's Second Birthday Party

 Let's all just get on the same page now - I love throwing birthday parties.  And even though I said I wouldn't do another huge party for J after his party last year, I lied.  

I threw another huge party this year (but I did stick to my budget of $200, so, go me!).

(Huge shout out to the C family for hosting us all in your backyard!)

This year's theme: Construction

I approached this party a little differently than last year.

Last year, I tried to throw a party that everyone would enjoy, since J was turning one and mostly just enjoyed hanging out with people.

This year, I really tried to focus on activities that J would enjoy (within a "construction" realm).  

 

And, I have to say, that my favorite activity was also so simple!  I made a "Digging Site."

I inflated a pool, filled it with dirt, and threw some trucks in there - the kids loved it!  Seriously, there was always at least one kid digging.

 

 Next to the "Digging Site," I had a "Building Zone" - aka a whole bunch of cardboard blocks for the kids to stack (and knock over!).  Simple, but tons of fun!

 

Our friends have this darling play house in their backyard that J loves to play in every time we go over there.  It was also perfect for the party.  We had our very own "Home Under Construction."

We also had a bounce house that everyone enjoyed (not gonna lie, I got my bounce on after the party was over and before we deflated it).

 

No party is complete without food! 

For a Construction Party, we had to do "Build Your Own Sandwiches!"

 

 I also put together a fun snack bar full of "Building Supplies" next to the construction hats for the kids.

 

 We threw drinks (Capri Suns and Water Bottles) in Home Depot 5 gallon buckets.

For party favors, I rolled up Home Depot aprons, tied a mini-construction truck to the apron with bakers twine (from the Target dollar section) with a little "thank you" card.

 

 J wore the cutest shirt for the party (found on CafePress.com) that said "Can You Dig It? I'm 2" with a digger truck on it - how perfect is that?

He had a blast!

We had a blast!

And I'm not going to throw a party like this for another year ;)

Mini trucks were found at the Dollar Tree

Happy Birthday Banner found at Hobby Lobby

Orange and Yellow tissue balls found at Hobby Lobby

Balloons found at Hobby Lobby

Plates and Napkins found at Target

Construction Hats found on Amazon

 Black Stacking Buckets found at the 99 Cent Store

Silverware found at the Dollar Tree

Aprons and Buckets found at the Home Depot

Construction-Type Signs made by yours truly!

Banners of Love

I have to start this post with the disclaimer that I am still learning how to sew.

That being said, 

I sewed some banners for my kiddo's room!

And, I'm thrilled with the look of them!

I started these banners when we had our last foster son (FS) - he was our monkey (J is our elephant), and so it was fun to incorporate monkeys and elephants into the banner.

However, God has been whispering to my heart that our next placement is going to be a little girl.  So the room has been all changed around, including a re-vamped banner with a new color scheme!  And I'm kind of in love with how it looks!

Here's how I made it:

Buy 1/2 yard of each fabric (this was plenty, but I wouldn't go any less).

 Trace the triangles onto the fabric (I traced right on to the "right" side of the fabric because it was easier for me to line up the triangles with which parts of the fabric I wanted showing).  The dimensions I used were 7" across and 8" tall.

Cut out your triangles, place "right" sides facing in together, and stitch the two sides of the triangle closed (not the top) using a 1/2"-ish seam allowance. 

Bust out some bias tape, pin your triangles inside the bias tape, and then stitch straight down the bias tape, securing all your triangles inside the fold.

Bam!

Beautiful banner! 

Audience participation time: Do you think it would be a worthwhile idea to sell banners like these on etsy?  Be honest!

My Baby Turns Two!

J turns 2 today!

How did that happen?  Where did time go?

J is a light of happiness and joy!

Nicknames: Jack, Jack-Jack, Bub, Doddle, Bug, Bugga-Boo, Jackie, JL

• He loves cars, trucks, trains, tractors, planes - basically, anything with an engine!  He is quick to point them out when he sees them.  There's been a lot of new home construction near us, which has resulted in hours of enjoyment for J!  He also has a train table, a bunch of tractor and hot-wheel cars, and all of the Planes figurines.  
• J also loves animals!  He can make all of the animal noises.  His favorite is "Sheep - baa-aa-aa-aa."  J also has never met a dog he doesn't love!
• J knows all his letters, counts to 5, and knows most of his colors.  He is stinkin' smart!
• J loves to read!  He has quite the book collection and loves to read to himself or an audience.
• J has quite the sense of humor and loves to make people laugh!  
• "Shy" is not a word I would ever use to describe this boy!  He loves to say "hello" and "hi" to everyone he sees - and will continue to say it until they say hi back!  He also loves giving high-fives, knuckles, and occasionally hugs.
• "Fearless" is a word I would use to describe this boy!  He doesn't know the meaning of "obstacle" - there is nothing he can't and won't try!  I love that about him (although it has made me nervous at times, too!).
• J has quite the stubborn streak and has proven it time and time again with some pretty awesome tantrums.  He loves to scream "No Way!" and "No Stop!" as he throws himself on the ground or into a wall.  These tantrums usually make me laugh, much to his disappointment. 
• J is very perceptive and seems to know when I need a hug or snuggles.  He also gives me lots of kisses, which I adore!
• J loves the playground!  He loves to climb the stairs and slide down the slides by himself.  Lately, he has taken to counting "3, 2, 1, GO!" or "Ready, set, GO!" before taking off.
• J loves music!  He loves to sing, dance, and play piano.  Current favorite songs include any song from Frozen, Wheels on the Bus, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and If You're Happy and You Know It.
• J still has his inquisitive nature and has to totally inspect any new environment that we go into.  We went to the doctors earlier this week, and as soon as we got into the exam room, he had to open all the cupboards, look in all the drawers, look in all the corners of the room, under chairs, etc.  He also was unsure of the medical instruments, so after the Dr. checked his ears and eyes, he turned around and did the same to her.
• J can't wait to be a brother!  He has been wonderful with all of his foster siblings.  Every time he sees a baby, he has to say "Hi, baby!"  
• He weighs 30 lbs (76 percentile) and is 33 inches tall (10 percentile).
• He has quite the vocabulary!  Although he can be difficult to understand at times, he can say quite a bit!  My favorite is "Vuv voo Mom!" (Love you Mom.)

J, you make my days brighter.  You make me a better person. One impish grin from you, and my troubles melt away.  I love your hugs, your kisses, your sweet voice, and your laugh! 

I love you so dearly and am so blessed to be your momma!

Gallery Wall

Three stories with two staircases means that I have two landings that need a little love.

The first one now has a chalkboard living on it.  And it's fantastic.  (Sure, it fell down three times before I finally got enough Command Strips on there.  So far, six is the magic number and we're still holding strong.)

The second landing is larger and leads to the master bedroom.  (Yes, our master bedroom takes up an entire floor of my house.  It's a little ridiculous.  And a whole lot of awesome.)  It needs more than just one frame.  In fact, it's been begging me for a gallery wall.

Since having J, most of the photos in our house are family photos, or photos of J.

But we have all of these beautiful wedding pictures that need to be displayed!

My MIL got me a pack of frames from Amazon.

And I found this on Pinterest and fell in love!

I would add a link to credit this photo, but the photo links back to nothing.  So, if you know who I can credit, I would appreciate it if you would let me know!

It struck me to create a gallery wall at the top of our stairs to display our wedding photos!

The view from our bedroom door

The view from the stairs

I love how it turned out!  And I love walking by these photos several times a day and remembering that wonderful day, seeing the happy faces of those that were there to celebrate with us, and feeling giddy and in love all over again.

Chalkboard

Ok, can I just say something crazy?

(I love crazy! *cue music* All my life has been a series of doors in my face...

Oh, sorry.  Kind of.)

I hate chalk.  

The feel, the sound, it makes me cringe.

And, by extension, really dislike chalkboards.

But, I sometimes I really like the look of chalkboard.

My SIL has a huge one in her home and she changes it for the season and various occasions and I love it!

I have this large wall at the top of our first staircase (we have 3 floors, so two staircases) and it has just been begging me to do something with it.

And then it dawned one me: chalkboard.

I, however, am not dripping with money and didn't want to spend a large amount at an antique store or something for a vintage or shabby chic looking chalkboard.  Besides, neither of those things are really my jam.  I'm a clean lines kinda gal.

My MIL gave me this empty frame that was perfect for a chalkboard.

Totally not my style for anything else, but completely perfect for a chalkboard.

Turns out, Home Depot sells 2' x 4' sheets of chalkboard 3/16" thick!

Home Depot cut it down to size for me (18" x 24" in case you were wondering).

D glued it into place.

SIL wrote one of my favorite sayings on it (from Camilla Kimball).

And now, the wall at the stop of the stairs is so happy!

Spreading Sunshine

D and I have been incredibly blessed. 

We have a perfect son, a beautiful home, great friends, loving family, good jobs, enough to eat, working cars, plenty of clothes to wear - we are so fortunate!

And, in addition to all of this, we have been blessed by friends and complete strangers alike who have given generously to us time and time again.  

Rather than just sit here and feel thankful, I decided I want to do something with my gratitude.

I've adopted this as my new life mantra.

Target had the cutest packs of cards in their dollar section, so I picked up a bunch!

I've started sending out little love notes to friends.  It's been a blast!
(And as someone who thrives on kind words, I get an extra thrill.)

Because I've been having so much fun, I decided to up the ante.

I started putting together Buckets of Sunshine to share!

I went to the dollar store (with J - he sang Frozen songs the whole time we were there, no joke) and simply picked up orange and yellow items.

(Gold glitter star glasses, yellow silly string, bubbles, yellow candy, sudoku and word search books, yellow boxed candy, cups, drinks, gum, sunflowers and daisies, etc.)

So far, I've delivered five buckets and it makes me giddy and excited to imagine the recipient's faces when they open their buckets.

I want gratitude to be an active attribute in my life. 
I want people to remember me as someone who invites light and joy.
And while my sphere of influence may be small, I want to do the most I can with what I have been given.  I want to love with all I have!

Praying It's Soon

J has hit "terrible twos" with all the force he can muster.

And he's not quite 2 yet (he will be in less than a month).

But the tantrums, screaming, hitting, yelling "NO!" and the general mood-swings are in full affect around here.

He struggles with communication, too.  He talks with his mouth closed.  It's the strangest thing.  He'll open his mouth for about half of his words.  But the other half?  It's just one long guessing game (with a lot of "NOOOOO"'s from J when I guess wrong).

Don't get me wrong - he is still the sweetest, happiest, most adorable little boy I have ever met in my life.  We really do spend the majority of our time giggling, playing and exploring together.  

He just also happens to drive me bonkers some of the time.  

And yet, while I'm struggling with J (nap time took no less than 4 attempts spread out over 3 hours today), my heart aches for another child.

How much sense does that make?

None, actually.

Here I am with my hands full with a busy almost-two-year-old, teaching piano/voice 20 hours a week, and general mom/wife stuff (you know, things like Target trips).  

Life is wonderful, but it's not easy.

And I want to add to the wonderful, messy, chaotic, joyful-ness that is our lives.

I am so ready for the next placement call to come!

I hate the waiting part of being a foster mom.  I hate not knowing when the call will come for a placement.  I hate the unknown, not being able to plan or prepare (maybe it's the control freak in me).  

 I am praying that the next call will be the right fit for our family.  Maybe even a forever fit (fingers crossed!).  That our hearts and lives will be open to shower this child with love and embrace them into our craziness.

I'm praying it's soon.

Because even with the ups and downs, I wouldn't trade J for anything.  I wouldn't trade D.  I wouldn't trade my life.  And I can't wait to share all the love in this life with another little one.

Influenster J'Adore VoxBox

Dearest friends,

I apologize for my long absence.

Let's just say that there were a few things that needed to be taken care of before blogging.

I hope a few of you have stuck with me!

I don't know how many of you have heard of Influenster.

But if you haven't, you should look them up.

Frills.

"Influenster is a free-to-join community of trendsetters, social media masterminds, and educated consumers who live to give opinions of products and experiences.

The Influenster site is a hub where members meet to learn about new products from our favorite brands as well as review the products they already use in their day-to-day lives!

Influenster invites its most active members to participate in exclusive VoxBox programs where members receive complimentary products to test and review. In exchange, we ask our members to do what they already love to do: share their opinions with their friends & followers on social media!

But that's not all. We have a lot going on including digital challenges, twitter parties, & contests!"

I received my first VoxBox from Influenster today.

I love getting mail so I was super excited.

And then, I opened the box and got even more excited!

My box included:

Hershey's Kisses (a freaking family sized bag!)

A Boots Botanic clay face mask

John Frieda Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight Flat Iron Spray

Red Rose tea

Kiss eye lashes (in flirty)

And...there was even something for D!

Vaseline spray lotion

Now, while I'm snacking on my Hershey's Kisses (did they know that I needed chocolate in my house?  I mean, I had a real need.) let me tell you about my impressions from my first ever VoxBox.

I haven't used a face mask since middle school.  No joke.  I have been blessed with good skin (don't hate) and haven't ever really needed to use any kind of special face wash or masks or anything.  I was excited to try the mask because it sounded so luxurious.  My skin didn't hate it, but my skin didn't love it either.  The mask is the green of baby poop (which really weirded me out) and has a more watery texture.  I feel like this mask would be better for someone with oily skin.  Or maybe during the summer when it's sticky outside.  

The Frizz Ease spray I am really excited about.  Winter is tough on hair.  And I have curly hair.  And I don't wash my hair every day.  But after 1 day of it being straightened, especially now that it's short, my hair is kinky and goofy.  I'm happy that this product is a spray, not a serum.  I don't feel like it's weighty or oily.  I'm interested to see if it lives up to the 3-Day promise!  I'll let you know...

I'm not a tea drinker, so D will be taking that to work.  I'm kind of disappointed because the tea flavors sound delicious (Lemon Chiffon, yes please!), but I'll just have to find out how it tastes from D's co-workers.

I've never worn false eye lashes before.  I don't really know where I'll wear them.  But now I'm thinking about getting D to take me out on a swanky date so I have an excuse.  Again, I've never worn them before so I'm a little nervous about application and the longevity.  I really want to get eye lash extensions - maybe these will give me an idea of what those will be like!

And, lastly, the spray lotion!  It smells fantastic (for a man) and not super strong.  I'm honestly jealous of this lotion.  My skin is screaming for lotion and I might've used some of it myself on my legs.  Totally. Awesome.  I mean, seriously.  Go get yourself some of this.  It goes on easily (duh, it's a spray) and rubs right in and you're not left feeling like you're SOL because you just put on lotion.  I don't know if D will use it.  I know I want to go get some in a non-manly scent.  I would use it every day.

Am I happy with my VoxBox?

Yes!

Do I recommend Influenster?

Yes!

Go!  Get yourself signed up!  And start getting yourself some VoxBoxes!