These are a few of my favorite things....

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with string

These are a few of my favorite things"

--The Sound of Music

Every so often I find a few goodies that just bring a little sunshine into my world.  Simple things.  Nothing too fancy or crazy expensive.....but items I've fallen in love with.

When that happens I feel compelled to share them.  I'm a girl that loves reading reviews.  I love to know someone else has tried something and loved it.  Soooo, think of this post as a few of my BEST reviews for these products.  You simply can't go wrong.

NOTE:  I am not being paid to endorse any of these products. 

Product #1:  Hobby Lobby Wrapping Paper

I love, love, love to wrap gifts.  I am a big fan of packaging things pretty.  That being said, I can't cut straight to save my life AND I can't stand cheap wrapping paper that tears easily.  

--Cue Hallelujah Chorus--

Hellllooooooo Hobby Lobby wrapping paper!!!  This paper is the absolute perfect density (not too thin that it tears, not too thick that it doesn't stay taped).  On top of that it has a grid on the back for cutting-impaired people like myself.  I have now used it for years and it's the ONLY wrapping paper I will buy.  It can be pricey, but if you wait until it's 50% off (which is pretty much all the time during the Holidays) you can just stock up!!  

Product #2:  Vintage Pearl Dogtags

Back when it was the latest obsession to wear mommy-necklaces I found myself running into a problem.

The problem was that I thought they were ugly.

I didn't want 3 little jewelry children dangling off my neck.  I'm not a girl that wears colored jewelry (birthstones).  I don't care for ornate jewelry.  Not that these are BAD things....they are just not me.  I like things simple.  In a nutshell, I liked the IDEA of having my children close to my heart in a piece of jewelry....but I couldn't find anything that suited my tastes.  

Then I was introduced to the Vintage Pearl (www.thevintagepearl.com) and I fell in loooooove with their dogtag necklace.  The crazy thing is that it's not a women's necklace.  If you look on their website, it's under "Mens Jewelry".   Honestly, it kinda makes sense as it's very simple which would suit most guys.  However, that kind of design is right up my alley too.

I've had my dogtags now for probably 3 or 4 years and I still wear them regularly.  Just a great staple piece and I always seem to get compliments on them.

Product #3:  Stila Color Balm Lipstick in Vivienne

Confession...I got this little gem of a lipstick for free.  I'm a "Beauty VIP" at Sephora, which roughly translates to "You've-spent-way-too-much-money-here-so-we-give-you-free-things" 

Don't judge.

Anyway, I was sent this lipstick and quickly fell in love.  It's the perfect every day shade in my opinion.  Very natural looking.  On top of that it has a bit of a peppermint tingly feel when you apply it (kind of like Burts Bees).  I love it so much sometimes I put it on when I'm in my pajamas.  Again...don't judge.

To purchase....click here

Product #4:  Everyone Soap for Every Kid  (favorite scent: Tropical Twist Coconut)

My friend Sarah and I were perusing our local Whole Foods when she came across this product.  It is a head to toe wash (think soap, shampoo, and bubble bath).   It seemed like a good deal so we both purchased one.  

OH MY WORD.

I looooooove it.  I started by just using it on the kiddos (the older two use it as soap and bubble bath, but with Greyson I use it as soap, shampoo, and bubble bath).   Now I buy it for myself.  It smells soooo good.  More importantly, I can be kind of health nut and I love that this product is safe and natural.  It is non-GMO certified, gluten free, and has no synthetic fragrances. 

For those of you that look for that kind of thing - you must try it.  For those of you that could care less (I judge not)....you must try it too.  Another bonus, a bottle of it is $10 and lasts FOR-E-VER.  This coming from a woman that takes ridiculously long showers and uses a ridiculous amount of soap.

To purchase...click here  (you can also get it at Whole Foods)

Product #5:  Spot It 

I love it when I find a game that I love to play as much as my kiddos do.  I love it when I find a game that I don't feel I need to "go easy" on them with because otherwise I would win every time.  

Spot It is - hands down - one of my favorites.

This is such a simple game.  All you are doing is trying to be the first to find a match between your card and the center card.  The crazy thing is that it is NOT as easy as it sounds.  There is only ONE match on each card (I still haven't figured out how they made it that way).  Needless to say, it's easy for Eva or Jaden to completely kick their Mama's rear end in this game and win fair-and-square. 

In case you are interested, my other favorite game the whole family can enjoy is called Zingo.  Honestly, Jaden started playing it between ages 2 and 3.....and we STILL play it.

To purchase....click here

Well my friends....another "favorite things" blog post has come to an end.  I wish I could be like Oprah and tell you that if you now look under your seat all of these amazing products will be sitting there.  Ahhh....a girl can wish, right?

xoxo.

Jamie

Hilarious.

Greyson may be the youngest in the family, but while taking family pics he wasn't afraid to show his sister who was boss...  

"Sometimes I laugh so hard the tears run down my leg"

--Unknown

Mom's Version of 1 Corinthians 13

I can read bedtime stories till the cow jumps over the moon and sing "Ten Little Monkeys" until I want to call the doctor...but if I don't have love, I'm as annoying as a ringing phone.

I can chase a naked toddler through the house while cooking dinner and listening to voicemail.  I can fix the best cookies in the neighborhood and I can tell a sick child's temperature with one touch of my finger...but if I don't have love, I am nothing.

Love is patient while watching and praying when my child is 30 minutes late arriving home.

Love is kind when my child says, "I hate you".

Love does not envy the neighbors' swimming pool or their brand new vehicle, but trusts the Lord to provide my every need.

Love does not brag when other parents share their disappointments and insecurities, and love rejoices when other families succeed.

Love doesn't boast , even when I've multi-tasked all day long and my husband can't do more than one thing at a time.

Love is not rude when my spouse innocently asks, "what have you done today?!"

Love does not immediately seek glory when we see talent in our children, but encourages them to get training and make wise choices.

Love is not easily angered, even when my future teenagers act like the world revolves around them.

Love is not self-righteous when I will have to remind my 17 year old that they are going 83 in a 55-mph zone, but rejoices in the truth.

Love does not give up hope.

Love always protects our children's self-esteem and spirit, even while doling out discipline.

Love always trusts God to protect our children when we cannot.

Love always perseveres, through green nail polish, burps and other bodily functions, rolled eyes and crossed arms, messy rooms, and sleepovers.

Love never fails.

But where there are memories of thousands of diaper changes and painful labor, they will fade away.

Where there is talking back, it will eventually cease.

Where there is a teenager who thinks he/she knows everything, there will one day be an adult who knows you did your very best.

For we know we fail our children daily, but when we get to heaven, our imperfect parenting will disappear.

When we were children, we needed a parent to love and protect us.

Now that we're parents ourselves, we have a heavenly Father who adores, shelters us, and holds us when we need to cry.

And now these three remain:  Faith, Hope, and Love. 

But the greatest of these is love.

Simple Days Hug The Heart.

Sometimes the very best days aren't planned.

Sometimes the very best days are full of nothing big....but a whole bunch of littles.

Sometimes the very best days happen when least expected.

Today was one of those days.  The day started as an empty slate.  The only thing on the agenda was attending church.  But it turned into so many small moments that at the end of the day my heart felt hugged.

Sipping my coffee and holding my husbands hand in church.

Watching the kiddos play in the snow.

Matt and Eva going to the high school gym to spend time shooting hoops.

A short visit and hug from a good friend.

Laughing as the kiddos - including Greyson - attempted doing 100 push-ups and jumping jacks.

Enjoying a yummy meal together where none of my children complained about eating - GASP! - spinach!!

Decorating our "family tree" together (our smaller tree where we hang all of our special ornaments).

Smiling as Eva and Jaden closed the door to a bedroom to wrap gifts they've made for us...which also resulted in the first gift under the tree.

Feeling completely content as Greyson rested on my chest as I read him How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Snuggling up with Eva as SHE read ME a Christmas story.

The big moments were non-existent....but the little moments were many.

I know - deep in my heart - that some day I will look back on my life and know for certain that the little things were truly the big things.  These little moments add up.  They make memories that I will cherish forever. 

Today...with all of my little moments...my heart is full and I am grateful.

Halloween 2013

We got home from Hawaii the DAY before Halloween.  Those of you that know me know that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.  I loooove it!  The tricky part this year was that my crew (mostly the little skunk pictured below) didn't want to hold still for a picture!  Luckily while trick-or-treating with my dad he held them still enough for one picture!!  Haha!

So Random I Can't Even Think of a Title.

Well, I figured I'd take a break from scrubbing floors and write a blog post.  The thing is, I have a LOT to write about....but all my pics are on my camera....and that's in the other room.  After being on my hands and knees the past few hours scrubbing grout I don't feel like getting up.  So you are getting no pictures today.  So sorry.  

Soooooo... what to share today that will not include pictures??!!

Hmmm.  I found an awesome grout cleaning recipe that does not involve harsh chemicals.  It's called elbow grease.  Ha!  Ya, that and a bucket of 7 cups water, 1/2 c. vinegar, and 1/2 cup lemon juice.  I loved it because Greyson was "helping" me the whole time - to the point his little feet were pruny from being wet for so long - and I wasn't worried about any chemicals at all.  It did such a great job that I couldn't get away with just doing the high traffic areas - you could see where I stopped.  So I cleaned the whole kitchen.   Is it sad that something like clean grout makes me so happy??  I seriously just get giddy.  On a side note I wished I would have had a picture of myself at one point.  I was down on my knees, balancing Greyson on my hip with one hand, and scrubbing the floor with the other.  I wanted to do a side-by--side comparison picture of what my husband thinks I do during the day (sit with my feet up, a cup of coffee in hand, eating bon-bins) and what I actually do during the day (see above).  Hilarious.

Hmmm....what else????....

I'm almost done Christmas shopping.  I looooooove being done early.  That makes me happy too.  Oh, and the laundry is all done.  That makes me happy too.  Are you starting to notice a theme here??  Happy, happy, happy.

Let's seeeeeee......anything that doesn't make me happy that I could share???

Greyson has a cold.  Matt is getting one.  Ugh.  I hate cold and flu season.  

Ok, back to being happy.  What else can I share???

I forgot to get the mail on Wednesday.  May seem like no big deal to some....HUGE big deal to me.  I'm home all day.  I loooooove getting the mail.  Not sure why (bills, junk mail, etc) but for some reason I always look forward to it.  It makes me happy!  

I'm ready to decorate for Christmas.  I'm reeling it in....I realize it's just the beginning of November...but deep down I am ready.  Matt mentioned looking at a few Christmas decorations at Lowes while we are out tonight, so maybe I should drop them bomb then.  Bust out the tinsel baby cakes...mama is ready for the tree to go up!!!!!!!

That's all I've got folks.  Back to scrubbing.  XOXO.

Jamie

26.2??? No Problem!

After literally MONTHS of training my amazing husband ran his first marathon.  I could not have been more proud of him.  He worked hard....he made sacrifices...and he was ready.  

The night before it was time to carbo-load so he was ready for the race!  We enjoyed dinner at Maggianno's in Indy.  My brother-in-law Jeff also ran the marathon with Matt, but couldn't make it down to Indy in time for dinner.

The day of the race we woke to rain and Matt had a pounding headache.  Ugh.  After a good meal, a little lavender oil, and some prayers he seemed to be much better.  The "support crew" got all bundled up and headed out for a day of supporting our guys!!  It sounds sad, but between the various road races, triathlons, and Ironmen that our family partakes in I feel the "support crew" is just as wiped out at night as the athlete.  We bust butt all day to support our athlete!!!

The kiddos took supporting their daddy and uncle pretty seriously!

Truth.

We might have been freezing, wet, and tired....but we still had fun!!

After about 4 hours we saw our guys rounding the last curve!!  We were sooooo excited!!!

They did it....our Marathon Men!!!

Want to know what's even better??

Matt's planning his second marathon already.

Love that guy.

"If you want to run...run a mile.  If you want to experience a different life...run a marathon"

--Emil Zapotek

Hawaii - Round THREE!

We were able to experience and enjoy a lot of fun things while visiting Hawaii....but if you ask Eva and Jaden their favorite thing they would quickly shout "THE WATER PARK!!!"  We spent a day zooming down HUGE waterpark attractions.  Eva, Jaden, and I loooooved it.....Matt, not so much.  I think I'll be the one taking the kids on roller coasters and such as they get older.  Matt will be waving to us from the ground.  I've promised Eva and Jaden that I would skydive with them when they turn 21.  They are pumped.  Matt won't even discuss that decision.  Haha!!!

I had to really zoom in on this pic so it's grainy...but I still love their little faces!

Even in Hawaii Eva and Jaden had homework to do!  Eva is studying for an upcoming science test and Jaden is working on his journal...

One day we headed up to the North Shore of Oahu.  Our first stop was the Dole Plantation.  We learned how pineapples (our FAVORITE Hawaii/Florida treat) grow!!

 This is a view of a pineapple field...

Our next stop was Haleiwa.  The North shore of Oahu and Haleiwa are the true Mecca for surfers.  They travel from all over the world to surf these Hawaiian waters.  I've been fortunate to watch many surfers in my life in various parts of the world....but I've never seen anything like this.

Eva and Jaden learned just how strong the ocean can be.  I explained to them the dangers of going out in water like this....and how the surfers know what they need to do to stay safe.

These picture were at the famous Bonzai Pipeline.

A large surfing competition was scheduled the next day at Sunset Beach.  We drove down there and watched the surfers practice there for awhile too.  It was neat to see the large scaffolding and tents set up for the competition.  I am sure if we would have turned on TV the next day we could have watched it!

 Another favorite past time of Eva and Jaden's is playing with the other reps and dealers kiddos in the pool and on the beach!  These kiddos always have a great time together!

A big snowcone for a little boy!!!!

 We also did a whole lot of nuthin'.....which is nice too.  We wandered the beach and walked along the local walking path.

We fell in love with the large snails on the island and often spent time playing with them!

Football is always a fun pastime.

Of course, we also spent some fun times with Matt's dealers, often enjoying dinner out together.  Eva and Jaden did a great job of participating in conversation...although they also brought coloring books to color in to help keep them entertained.

In all we had an amazing time and feel so incredibly thankful that we were able to experience this little slice of heaven!

Hawaii 2013 - Round Two!

Our 3rd day in Hawaii was the day all of Matt's dealers arrived.  That night we always enjoy a special Welcome Dinner.  This year - since we were in Hawaii - it was a Luau.  So fun!!

Our family all dressed up for the Welcome Dinner

That night we enjoyed amazing food, a great band, Hula Dancers, and Polynesian Fire Eaters.  The kiddos both loved it, but Jaden especially thought it was cool!

Room service is always a fun treat!

Most days we spent out at the beach or pool.  A lot of football was played!

We took Eva and Jaden on their first kayak ride.  They loved it, except Eva liked to stay close to the shore!

A day trip to Pearl Harbor provided to be a super special day!!  I had the kiddos (especially Eva) do a little research about Pearl Harbor before we even left for Hawaii.  I wanted them to understand the significance of the monument we were visiting.  

The day of the visit we were able to listen to audio that explained various parts of the grounds before we took a ferry out to the monument (those are the headsets we are wearing in the picture).  Some of the recordings we listened to contained actual audio from that day.  In the picture below you can see the monument in the distance behind us.

As we were touring the grounds we learned about the amount of people that passed away that day.  I didn't know so many children had died.  In the picture below you can see that it looks as if a father and all 3 of his young children perished.

Before heading out to the sunken USS Arizona and the monument we sat through a movie that explained exactly what happened that day.  Everyone must do this before boarding the ferry to the monument.  The movie was incredible.  I was so glad Eva and Jaden were able to see it (although I covered Jaden's eyes a few times)!  When the movie ended the entire room was so silent.  You could have heard a pin drop.  Then the doors opened and you walked out to the ferry waiting to carry to the Memorial.  It was pretty awe-inspiring to witness a chilling movie like that, and then walk out to the EXACT spot it happened.

 Part of the sunken USS Arizona that sits above water.

I knew that oil still leaked from the Arizona, but I didn't know the smell of it would be so strong.  The smell of it was overwhelming at times.  Many who survived that day view the oil as the "tears of those that died'.

Inside the Memorial.

Maybe it's the former teacher in me....but I love these kiddos learning about our Nation's history.

Inside part of the Memorial is a wall that lists all of those that were lost that day....and as survivors of the day pass away their names are added too.

 On a much lighter note, the kiddos sure loved the Koi fish that were at the hotel!  The loved to see if they would nibble their fingers!

That's it for today my friends!!  Again, I'll post a few more tomorrow!