My family will tell you that I am all about gifting experiences for birthdays and holidays. Every year for my son’s birthday we take him to a local amusement park and for my husband’s Christmas present, I usually gift him tickets to concert or special event. I love the idea of making a memory together over gifting something they may or may not use long term.
Each Spring, our family participates in the RBC Race for the Kids supporting oncology and mental health initiatives at our local hospital, BC Children’s Hospital. If you have spent any time at the hospital, it is hard not to support the cause. It is home to some of the world’s best doctors and nurses, that care to deeply about making sick kids better. Of course, we have a close connection to it after spending almost a year there off and on while my son was going through this cancer treatments and regularly get to visit for check-ups. Each time I am there, I feel so blessed to live close by such a world class facility.
With the big Royal Wedding just a few days away, I thought it would be fun to share a travel themed bridal shower I threw a couple years ago. You know what is just as exciting as planning and prepping your own wedding?!? For me, it was getting to be involved in my best friend’s big day. I know you think your bff is fabulous, but you haven’t met mine. She is always doing things for others and is one of the most caring, kind and loyal people you will ever meet. So when it was time for her to get married, I wanted to make sure she was spoiled like she deserved.
One thing I feel like I have mastered through my motherhood journey is self care. Whether it is just for an hour workout or overnight for a girl’s weekend, taking time away from the kids to catch my breath and focus on my own needs is so important. I feel like my whole family benefits when I come back refreshed and recharged. My self care routine sometimes includes taking the time to get pampered through massages, facials and pedicures.
After a long Winter and an abundance of Spring showers, it is hard to believe Summer is finally on the horizon. We are talking 62 days people! That means that bathing suit season is also around the corner and my current mom bod is so not ready. To top it off, I am hoping to squeeze back into my wedding dress to celebrate my 10th Anniversary come August. Talk about lofty goals after birthing two kids and not working out regularly since they were born.
The last couple of years, I haven’t had a chance to dye and decorate Easter Eggs with the kids. The way Spring Break fell this year, we had a bit more free time before the holiday. However, I just didn’t have the energy to clean up a huge mess. I saw another mom online talk about “tattooing” eggs and I decided we would give it a go.
It is hard to believe Easter is around the corner! It really snuck up on me this year. If you follow along, you know I love an easy holiday cookie recipe I can make with the kids. When I came across Hershey’s seasonal Carrot Cake Kisses, I knew I had to create something using them. These aren’t just any White Chocolate Kisses, but rather, ones filled with a cream filling. Meet my original Carrot Cake Kiss Cookie. This one is kid and Easter Bunny tested and approved!
I don’t know how it happened, but I feel like I blinked and my baby girl was approaching her fourth birthday. It seems like yesterday we were coming home from the hospital, no longer a family of three, but rather a complete family foursome. That being said, part of me is a bit happy to say bye to the “threenager” stage that reared its head often over the last year. Our girl is mighty and knows what she likes and doesn’t like.
Of course, I couldn’t let Valentine’s Day pass without hosting a little party. Since my daughter is almost four, I figured she would enjoy having a couple gal pals over to do some crafts and eat yummy treats. Luckily my friend and fellow blogger, Melissa of Petite Littles Everyday, decided to join in with her girls and help put on the fun afternoon gathering.
At my recent Valentine’s Day Dog Paw-ty I hosted with Melissa from Petite Littles Everyday, the pink and red themed backdrop created behind the dessert table was made entirely from dollar store materials. Not only was it extremely inexpensive, it was easy to install and I loved how it turned out. I thought I would share the details of how to create a similar background, which cost less than $8 to create.