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2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR KICKS-OFF

Today was the Day My People!

It’s officially here, the 2017-2018 School Year has officially kicked off.

The kids had a very busy and fun first day of school, they were excited and ready to go!

After a healthy breakfast, lots of pictures, a full day of school, they had their semi-annual dental cleanings followed by, dessert before dinner so they could be sweetly distracted while giving all the juicy details about their first day to mom and dad!

(Brownies after a dental cleaning – Really Mom!?! Yes, Really – it’s the first day of school!) 

Now time for Taco Tuesday!

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(every bit of precious – I love them so much – they are my heart)

Our Will,

Is really growing up on us, he still plans to be a Doctor when he grows up. He has been saying that he will be a doctor since he was about 5 years old. I’ll never forget the first time he told me (#preciousmoments).  I kind of sort of can’t believe that we have been sharing our lives with this guy for almost 9 years. I mean crazy-amazing! He is such a great kid really! He was stellar-stoked to have gotten the teacher he has this year. It was actually the teacher he was hoping for in second grade and she just so happened to transition to third grade this year and this guy ended up with her! So he is so happy and is really anticipating learning A-Lot this year and seems very excited about it. My Smart Guy. Hoping and praying that He a great year of growth!

My husband mentioned that 9 is half-way to 18 and if the 2nd round of 9 years go as fast as the last 9 years, I may just have to ask him to ‘freeze’ #bittersweet

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(Sometimes I wish I could download all the awesomeness that I see in him, such a great person who is going to do great things in this world! He was born for such a time as this!)

He has picked a lot of cool graphic animal print tops for this year.

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Our Mackenzie,

Still plans on being a Nurse as well as a Praise & Worship leader at her local church when she grows up who teaches Art classes on the side! It’s a lot to focus on but I know she can do it. It truly speaks of her love for life. She is also growing rather fast and perhaps attempting to mature a little sooner than she ought (#girls), so we have been praying how to best encourage and direct her as she has some amazing leadership skills and abilities that are going to benefit her in life when exercised and expressed properly. She is bold, fierce, confident, smart, bright, observant and, amazingly beautiful on the inside and out with the sweetest of hearts and we are just looking forward to watching her grow in God’s grace this year. She’s just going to blossom & bloom!

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(As I pray for her, it actually shows me a lot about myself and inspires me to be better, to do better – so that I am modeling best for her and giving her the greatest platform!)

She loves these pants, calls them her ‘Selena’ pants!

Oddly, it was chilly here in Wisconsin this morning! So it actually felt like fall!

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Will captured a pic of us in the car prior to the kids taking off!

(I am smiling inside I promise – I think I was still in the hustle & bustle of the morning but I love the pic of the rest of my sweet fam so had to share. #blessed #thankful)

 the fam

(my flannel can be found here – it runs large so size down one size)

After drop-off and pictures with friends at school Will and I headed to enjoy our annual 1st day of school breakfast together with just the two of us. I love this because we take the time to support & encourage each other and briefly confirm and cast visions for the family over the coming school year. Ya’ll I can not tell you enough how much I love this man right here! He is ‘such‘ an amazing-amazing man. He is my blessing and I love him so muy-muy mucho much! #grateful

So that’s Day One in the Books!

Now, cheers to the rest of an Awesome & Exciting 2017-2018 School Year!

 

XOXO

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Uncategorized

Back To School | Shopping Haul

Hi there, Loves & Happy Friday!

We are just a few weeks away from the 1st day of school and that means we will officially have a 3rd grader and a 2nd grader on our hands!!! They have both grown so much over this past year that it actually blows my mind but with that said and with Christ front and center, it gives me no doubt that they are ready to conquer this next year of awesomeness!

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Today I’m sharing Five Friday Fave’s via a Back To School edition and I must confess… I kind of love back to school shopping! It’s like a great reason to shop for the kids + there is just this fresh start and new outlook that comes along with the BTS (Back To School) season and I just love it.

Be sure to comment on any great finds or tips and tricks that help you in the BTS Season.

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SCHOOL SUPPLIES

This is the very 1st year that I purchased all of our school supplies on-line. I can’t say that my first effort was the smoothest operation with shopping on-line for all supplies yet I will say it did beat going from one store to another because you just couldn’t get your hands on one or two of the items, needed. Not to mention between our Amazon Prime Account and Target Red Card we scored free shipping on each of the orders. The only suggestion I had for myself for next year is that with multiple kids comes multiple lists so with that you may have duplicate items to purchase for each child.

So note to self: create a joint master list of all supplies for each child and go about adding the total items for each to my cart that way. I suppose that method would also work well in the store! 🙂 haha! The other positive of on-line shopping was the ease of checking price points between multiple merchants.

I know some stores allow you to price match select items in-store however with my on-line orders I just added it to the cart and simply checked out!  I believe I may have found my new way of doing our BTS supply haul – for sure!

Here is a snippet of some of our school supplies.

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I legit do love back to school shopping & being all organized!

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AFTER SCHOOL ACADEMICS

Our school is great and has a lot of on-line resources for the kids to utilize throughout the year. Two of their favorite’s are First in Math, they love this one as they challenge themselves and are rewarded with points and acknowledged also in class for their work. The other favorite is Compass Learning which is a little more tailored directly to them and where they are in their overall academia. This year I decided to purchase these two workbooks for them to do 1-2 pages after school M-F. I know them and they will sure challenge & encourage one another with these little resources as well.

For our 2nd Grader

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For our 3rd Grader

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PERSONALIZED ITEMS

I love a good Monogram. I mean I don’t know what it is but I just love everything Monogram. I have always purchased the kids backpacks & matching lunch bags from PBK aka Pottery Barn Kids and I almost picked this one up for Mackenzie this year but quite honestly she didn’t need it as her set from Kindergarden & 1st grade is still in such great shape! And that my friends is what I love about the PBK gear, they are made so great and last for pretty much ever. I always have them personalized with our last name on them. They both have the mini’s that I purchased for them in Pre-K (so cute!) also and they are still in great shape! I know they may be a ‘splurge‘ to some for a child’s backpack but to me it’s worth it. I also purchased our Diaper Bag from PBK and still have that as a cute & classic keepsake which is also in good condition. This year, my son is really growing ‘up’ on me and he really didn’t love the selection at PBK prints so instead we headed over to Pottery Barn Teen and found a green Camo one that he absolutely loved so we got this set and he is feelin’ like a little man with his big man’s backpack. (they have sold out of this green camo but you can find a similar blue camo here.)

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I also picked up these personalized Monogram decals for Mackenzie’s Notebooks and what not. I just know she is going to LOVE them, I had them printed in the teal color! You can find them (here) or by clicking on the image below.

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I am also going to print these sweet prints off for their 1st day pictures! Easy, Peas-e! You can purchase digital prints of these super affordable from many – many places like etsy and what not.

 

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HOMEBOUND

Making Home our Haven is something I have really enjoyed since becoming a wife and I think with the kick off of BTS Season we know that Fall is just around the corner and not only that but after a full day of school & work we owe it to ourselves to have our Home Sweet Homes be our cozy resting place, our happy place. Not to mention Football season has officially started and well yeah – totally random but whatev’.

So, I picked up this Faux Fur Throw from Potterybarn and it is legit amazing! I have heard many people brag about these throws in past and thought ‘oh it’s just a fur throw’ & would just pick up a fur throw from a TJMaxx or Target in previous but I am telling you. . . nothing can compare to the quality and the weight of this beauty – no joke. Let’s just say it’s summer and that hasn’t stopped any of us from reaching for this cozy comfort. Since day one of it’s arrival to la casa, the kids have been in love with it so I can only imagine how it will be come fall or winter. They will have snuggle to share or take shifts 🙂 haha! I’ll opt for the snuggle! They are a bit pricey but the weight of this product really makes it worth it! I may keep an eye out for a sale on the oversized ones. I purchased the one below in grey ombre.

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I haven’t picked up my fall scents quite yet but I know these will be in the round-up as they are every single year along with a few new that sound amazing! I maybe wouldn’t call myself a candle connoisseur but I definitely love candles and I am totally all about quality over quantity and the pay off for the B&BW aka Bath & Body Works candles has not legit compared to any other in our home. They are amazing, they fill so many rooms with just one candle, they last quite a while and they burn evenly. We love them and lighting a candle is pretty much a necessity when ‘back to school & fall season’ kicks off!

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MY PERSONAL BTS CHECKLIST

Here is my checklist that keeps Mommy-Me on task between the school years. When I calculated the years, my nino’s will not collectively finish high-school until 2028 – Say What! I mean that kind of sort of makes me feel so crazy inside – like lots of emotions of awesomeness. Well here is a glimpse of my ‘keeping it together list’ for operation BTS’.

I like to keep track of this in my Erin Condren Planner.

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Now, the only things I have left to do is to get some more ‘clothing’ shopping done for BTS and then kind of go over the extra-curricular schedule with the family to finalize everything and then we will be off to a great start! Oh and deep clean la casa. 

Well that’s all for now loves, enjoy this weekend the weather is expected to be great so planning to make the most of it!!! #BeachBum here I come.

XOXO,

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