Weekend in Cascade

Happy Tuesday! We had the best weekend and I'm just now getting around to sharing about it. We spent the weekend in Cascade golfing. The boys spent the weekend with GG and Papa Les and had the best time. Colson was had so many adventures.

The first day we played amazing! Our team was so fun!!

 Where's Colson??? He slept with my parents outside and loved it!

 Day two was more of a struggle but WE WON!!

He has the best imagination and is always up to something! 

 Love these sweet brothers! 

 Wore out!!! He slept so much and I wasn't surprised!

Colson forgot his snake up at the mountain and Papa is taking care of it until we can get back.

Hopefully we can get back soon, we love it on the mountain!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale:: My Picks

If you have Instagram or read blogs then I'm sure you already know all about the anniversary sale. I thought I would share my favorite picks from the sale. This sale is such a good time to grab some basics or fun pieces to add to your closet. It's new items from the fall and winter collections.

::The Basics::

I love having a closet full of basic pieces that I can wear every season. I want the most for my money and I always find myself wearing basic tees and jeans.

Scoop Neck Tees // Stripes and Solids :: I love these tees. They are so comfortable and I love the pocket detail. This tee comes in six different colors.
Merlot Jeans :: I love this color and it would be a fun option.
Black Jean :: These are a great option for casual wear and for teaching.
BLANKNYC :: A very basic denim. The wash is a lighter wash and the raw edge is fun.
Rounded Neck :: I love this basic and it comes in nine color options.
Button Fly :: I love these jeans. If I were to purchase one pair of jeans from the sale, these would be them. I love the wash and they fly is so cute. I've heard amazing things about Madewell.
Round Neck
Black Button Fly :: I was drawn to these because of the button fly. These could easily be dressed up for work or worn casual.
V-neck Tee :: These are great quality and as you can see, I love basic tees.
BP. :: I love this wash. I usually buy darker washes and these have a high waist.
Mustard Tee :: I love the raw edge and so many great colors.
Olive Jeans :: Just like the merlot option, I like that these can be dress up or worn casually.

::Teacher Friendly::

I'll be in the classroom a lot this upcoming school year and so anytime I buy something, I find myself asking if I can wear it to teach in. I found some great pieces that could be worn in the classroom.

Jumpsuit :: I've never owned a jumpsuit but I love simple this one is. I think you could wear a pair of mules with it for more of  a casual look or dress it up with pumps.

Blouse :: This is more out of my comfort zone but I love that it is lightweight. It could work tucked or tied.

Sweater :: A basic sweater is always a good idea. I love the exposed seam on this one.

Plaid Blouse :: I love all six colors this comes in. It could be worn with the moto leggings, work pants, or jeans! You could get a lot of wear out of this top.

Moto Leggings :: These are more casual but I love the fit and color of these. The price is great too!

Ruffle Sleeve Tee :: I LOVE this top. It would be great paired with work pants or jeans for a more casual look. I love the navy but it comes in six colors and I love them all.
Pant :: I think pants are the hardest to shop for. I love the length of these and also the fit. They are a great basic pant that can be worn with so many tops and sweaters.
Side Slit Sweater :: Another basic sweater option. It is a little over-sized fit which is always great for colder months.
Scallop Sweater :: This might be my favorite sweater. I love the scallop details. It comes in seven colors but I love the royal blue. Our school colors are blue and white and this would be a fun way to wear our colors!
Jumpsuit :: Another great jumpsuit! It's very similar to the first one I shared.

Turtleneck Tee :: Comes in several great colors. Would be great for late fall and so versatile. I love it paired with the mustard pants.
Tie Front Pant :: These are so out of my comfort zone but I saw them and fell in love! I love mustard but have a hard time wearing it so pants would be a great way to bring the color into my closet.

::Shoes & Accessories::

Booties :: I love the black with the detail. I just got a pair last year that are Lucky brand and I love them. Such a fun option for fall.

Slip On Sneaker :: I think these are so fun to wear with jeans. I have a Steve Madden pair that I love.

UGG :: I love slippers! These are a cute option with the bow and I really like the grey color.

Pump :: I love the basic black pump. It can be worn with dress pants, jeans, or dresses!

Kate Spade :: I love my crossbody bag and this is a great option!

Sunglasses :: I can't spend a lot on sunglasses because they seem to always get scratched. But, these are under $35 and look like great quality.

::Beauty::

I always stock up on my favorite face wash during the sale because it's so cheap and will last me all year. (I'm not great about washing it...that's probably why it lasts me all year)

Philosophy :: I love this face wash.

Supergoop :: I've been hearing wonderful things about this sunscreen. I spray my kids down at least three times a day since we spend so much time outside. This is such an amazing deal.
Stila :: I've been wanting to try these eye shadows. Now is the perfect time!

::Boys::

Shoes :: I love this option for Colson to wear to church.
Button Down :: I love the colors of this shirt. It would be great for school or church.
Jacket :: Colson loves jackets that zip. He doesn't want to pull anything over his head so this is a great option for fall.
Jammies :: Colson is growing out of all of his pajamas so these are a fun find.
Tee :: Colson's favorite color is red so the minute he saw this shirt, he loved it!
Pants :: A basic that adds some color.
Jacket :: Another great jacket for fall.
Long Sleeve Tee :: A great basic for winter. 

Pants :: Great for winter with a basic tee.

Happy Shopping!

How we...Motivate our Kids

A method of motivating Colson this summer!

TV is an ongoing issue in our house. Colson would sit in front of the TV all day if we'd let him. I knew this summer was going to be a fight if we didn't find a way to deal with it from the start. I knew I needed to set up a system that would become routine for him. I also knew that "rewarding" him with TV time and money would help.

Cara Carroll  shared what she used with her boys and I knew I wanted to do something similar. Her boys are a lot older than Colson so I made my own charts but we the same intention. 

I knew that I needed a list to make it easy to remember exactly what needed to be done each day/week in order to create habit. I printed Colson's responsibilities and it sit beside his bed on his nightstand. He can't read yet so I help him with this. These are things that he doesn't get paid for.

However, in order to earn money, he has a "work for hire" chart than he can pick chores from. Most of these I have to redo after he's finished but the point is to help him learn how to complete these tasks and have responsibility. Sometimes it's more of a mess than if I would just do it myself but I want to raise my boys to know how to work.

Colson was really looking forward to the Cherry Festival. He loves to play the games and this year he wanted his face painted. So, he earned money to take with him. I let him have freedom to spend it how he wanted. This was motivation to work around the house!

Next...a list of things than need to be done before he can turn the TV on. Again, these are things that I help him with because he can't read. But, by now, he knows what he has to do. Make his bed, eat breakfast, brush his teeth, tidy his room, get dressed, and put his clothes in his hamper. Then, he must do two more activities. I have activities to chose from in a binder, but we have yet to pull the binder out. Most days he plays with legos or goes outside.

Once he's done two activities he can use a tech ticket to watch 30 minutes of TV or play on his iPad. Most days he gets busy and doesn't ask to turn the TV until after lunch. Yes!!! I give him 14 tech tickets a week and he can redeem them whenever he wants. Each ticket is worth 30 minutes but he can only use one at a time.  This has saved me from having to tell him no more TV and then fight about it. I just turn the TV on and then set a timer. He knows that when the timer goes off, so does the TV. No more fighting.

 

I can't believe all the play that has taken place without me asking him to play. Once he gets ready for the day and starts playing, he forgets about the TV.

If you are looking for a way to motivate your kids this summer, I recommend looking at Cara's blog. She has great FREE resources and you could easily make it work for any age.

Happy Wednesday!

Weekend Highlights

This past weekend was my favorite one of summer so far. It was packed with fun time with family.

Travis and I have been wanting to take Colson to a Hawk's baseball game and we finally made it on Friday night. Colson wanted nothing to to with Humphrey but Dad joined the photo.

What's a baseball game without a hot dog and soda?! 

 Colson loves one on one time and so it was nice to have an evening to just focus on him.

They handed out oven mitts at the game so we managed to get a couple and this boy was so excited about it. 

 Colson loved the dog that came out and got all the Hawk's bats. 

 

 I mean...look at the excitement!!!

 After the game the kids could go out and run the bases. 

 And then we got ready for fireworks.

 I love these two so much.

 This is what Colson looked like when we pulled in the driveway...

I'd say it was a successful night of fun for Colson! 

Sunday evening after dinner, we took the boys out to the golf course.

This was Peyton's first time going out and he was more interested in driving the cart and dropping the ball in the hole than golfing.

 

 Dad with his two boys. I hope they continue to spend time out here through out their lives.

Possibly the worst picture but the only one of the four of us. I love this little family of mine so much. 

 Colson has been practicing a lot and he hit an amazing shot! From 70 yards out... 

 He was this close to the hole!!!

I hope you all had a great weekend! We're in swimming lessons this week and so I'm hoping for amazing naps from the boys! Happy Tuesday!

Three Years {7/8/15}

3 years of marriage.

A lot has happened in the last three years.

There are really good times to remember and also a few bad.

But we're a team and always stick together.

There is no one else I'd rather wake up next to each morning.

Travis planned a surprised a wonderful date on Saturday.

Earlier in the week I received the best formal invitation in the mail with all the details.

We started our evening at Barbacoa.

We arrived early so we took a little walk around the pond that the restaurant looks over.

The food and atmosphere is amazing. I highly recommend going if you haven't been yet.

We both had the Hot Rock steak and it was the best steak I've ever eaten!

We talked about heading to Cold Stone for ice cream and decided to try the bread pudding instead: I'm so glad we did!!!

After dinner we went and saw Oceans 8 and Travis planned every detail down to the seats we sat in. Seat 7 and 8. He put so much thought into the night. Attention to detail...

Three years ago we eloped and got married on a beach in Hawaii.

Still the best decision I've made.

 I married a man that supports me. Loves me at my worst. Pushes me to be the best I can. Still gives me butterflies. And is the best Dad to our babies.

When I married him I had no idea what our life would look like, even just three years later. But I knew it would be something I couldn't miss out on. 

Thank you for choosing me, over and over again, babe.