Father's Day Painted Rocks

 
My kids LOVE to make stuff. Perhaps they get it from their mama. But creating together is one of my favorite things - one of those intentional activities that fills up both my cup and theirs. For Father's Day we made some simple and sweet painted rocks for all the dads in our lives. And then once we got started on making Father's Day gifts they just couldn't stop...

They wanted to wrap their gifts...and then decorate the wrapping!

They filled up our whole art wall with Father's Day cards, airplanes, and coloring pages. It sure was sweet. They love their daddy.

For the rocks, each kid got to pick complementary paint colors for their rocks and then they painted one for daddy, grandpa, and papa!

My hope is that these are fun little mementos that can be put on a desk or dresser that will make these dads feel loved.

My little artists...and the mischievous littlest one. :)

We had a happy low key day. I made barbecue pork sandwiches and an ice cream cake and we all settled in for a family movie. We are grateful for our favorite guy!

Favorite Bows For Baby Girls And Toddlers

 

A friend of mine recently asked for my recommendation for favorite baby girl bows. I happily obliged, taking a trip down memory lane when our girl was teeny tiny. Look at that sweet baby! I can barely stand it! 

We loved bows for our baby girl and well through the toddler years. While it is easy to want all the bows, I found a preference for certain ones that we ended up wearing over and over.

For babies, I liked two headband bows that she wore constantly. They both are linen bows on nylon headbands.

Medium size linen headband bows

 Small size linen headband bows

 

And into the toddler years, I really liked similar style bows but in a clip.

Linen hair bow clips

 

Grosgrain ribbon bow clips

For bows with clips, some come with alligator clips and others come with ribbon covering them so they can slide more easily and not pull on hair. I found that both were helpful in different stages. When she started being able to pull bows out, the ribbon covered ones would just come right out. I found that the exposed alligator clip allowed the bow to stay in longer when age appropriate.

Our daughter still wears bows now and I try to continue to do her hair, even when she refuses, so that we keep it as a regular habit. Currently at age three, she has a preference! We use vintage 80s 90s plastic barrettes that were mine growing up as well as ribbon for ponytails (this is the ribbon I purchased).

I also made a few bows using suede (like the one in the first picture of this post) and ribbon. Here is a quick tutorial on how I made them.

Midsummer Thoughts

 

For a long and lazy summer, the days sure do seem to be flying by. But as I look back through my photos, I am reminded that our days have been filled with so many fun and simple moments. My heart is full. 

Personally, I feel like I am finding a good rhythm. I shared earlier this summer that I was taking the summer off from social media. And while I am sure that there have been other habit changes, I feel like this one simple choice has been life changing. I feel like I have gained so much more time back and I fill my days with a mix of productivity and time with my children. It is a beautiful mesh of doing and being. I am not sure I will ever go back to social media in the same capacity that I used it before. I am learning that I am better without.

I also am reading more which has been wonderful. I started reading books on my phone using Kindle last year and it has changed my reading habits so much. Even before I took a social media break, I would uninstall apps off my phone regularly to keep myself from being sucked in. So besides my email and Pinterest, I have nothing to mindlessly look at. So what do I do? READ! It has been so great. If you are interested, I also updated my Goodreads account with what I have been reading. :)

 

We have been thoroughly enjoying our Pacific Northwest summer. The days are warmer with a sprinkle every now and then. It is lovely and I do not take it for granted one bit. We have been having fun adventuring out not too far from home and enjoying all that Western Washington has to offer.

 

My littles are constantly keeping me on my toes. The youngest is climbing EVERYTHING. It is exhausting trying to keep up with him/keep him safe. Phew. Good thing he is the sweetest thing ever.

We celebrated my oldest's birthday this month and the patriotic decor got packed away after the 4th. So I recently decluttered and refreshed my greens around the house. I love the feel of a calm and spacious home as we head into the end of summer. The fall will be so full - a little peacefulness before the busy feels right.

I watched season two of The Home Edit on Netflix and it has me purging all the things around the house. I am slowly getting to a place where spaciousness outweighs my need for stuff. It has been a long journey of simplifying but I am getting to a place that feels right for our home and family.

I hung up all three of our baby's birth posters next to each other. I love seeing them all together. I cannot believe how fast these children grow. 

I also updated my large white couch pillows with a feather filled insert. What a difference it makes in staying fluffy and pretty after being smashed and jumped on! I am chipping away at little things around the house that balances beauty and function. It feels good to live in a lovely yet usable home.

And while our summer has been truly wonderful so far, it hasn't been without it's struggles either. Brent and I have been challenged with a death in the family, car troubles, financial stresses, and busy work schedules. It takes a toll on the day to day and so I share this all to say that while there has been a lot of beauty, there is still hard things. 

I am reminded that life isn't always easy but how we handle the ups and downs determines whether or not we still choose joy. We continue to work through all of this together, learning to communicate better, and move forward in our marriage with lots of growth and time invested. I am grateful for my husband who shares in this wonderful life and our beautiful babies. But it is definitely work that we must choose to show up for everyday.

We have until September when school starts up again. So we will be soaking up every sun filled day we have until then. June and the beginning of July felt very busy. So I am looking forward to a slower August. I have been using my bread maker like a crazy woman, tackling little projects, and watching my kids live up this beautiful summer season. 

***

I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.

- L.M. Montgomery